With Kordas gone, implementing the Plan had taken on more urgency. Delia didn’t know why Isla wasn’t absolutely frantic with worry over the fact that he’d been “invited” to the Imperial Capital, but—

Well, maybe she is. She’s just really good at hiding it. She and Kordas must have been working on the Plan for half of their lives, after all, and they were all too well aware that at any moment the Emperor’s people could step in and do something that could threaten it. The Empire had killed the older brother she had never known. Kordas had spent five years as a “foster” in the Imperial Palace. And it occurred to her in that moment that she had led an incredibly sheltered life. She’d never been a hostage to the Emperor. She’d never had to deal with politics of any sort, much less Imperial politics. In fact, the only time the reality of the Empire had intruded on her life had been when the Emperor gave her home away at the time of her father’s death.

She had a lot to think about the morning that Kordas left, but most of it so overwhelmed her with worry and even fear that she sought refuge in the company of her little foal, able for a little while to shove all that concern aside in the simple pleasure of working with her charge.

As she carefully schooled little Daystar in the manners that a horse meant to grow into a companion and friend should have, the presence of the horses around her felt oddly comforting. And Arial seemed to approve of both the schooling and Delia’s presence.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that Delia always brought a treat for the mare; a carrot, an apple, a piece of sweet bread. She had cleared this beforehand with Grim, of course. Everything to do with the horses needed to be cleared with Grim first.

Today, they were out in the paddock. Daystar had taken to the halter surprisingly well, and was learning to answer to gentle, persistent pressure on it. Of course, the fact that when the foal did what Delia asked her to she was immediately rewarded with a soft brushing or scratch to her neck certainly helped with that.

It was in the paddock that Isla found her, just as she was thinking of her sister, wondering if Isla had any way of communicating with her husband, and when she looked up to see Isla at the fence, she wondered if Isla’s Mindspeaking ability had alerted her to the fact that Delia had Isla on her mind.

“Are you done with your little beauty for this morning?” Isla called, resting her right hand on the top of the paddock fence. “I could use your help.”