Of all the guild guards and servants, only Valannie made an attempt to stay with Clariel. She fell in behind her mistress as they crossed the bridge, but they’d only gone a few paces when Captain Gullaine stepped out of the shadow under the gateway and took Valannie by the elbow as if leading her in a country dance, swinging her around to send her back again. It happened so quickly she barely had time to squawk in indignation.

‘King’s guests only, madam,’ said Gullaine. ‘Lady Clariel, Lady Jaciel, Master Harven, I welcome you on behalf of His Highness.’

‘Oh, I never meant –’ bleated Valannie.

‘Best wait with the others,’ said Gullaine. ‘Refreshments will be sent out.’

Clariel noted a general stir among the guards and bearers, a movement of positive approval. Evidently the Palace did not stint on refreshments to visitors’ entourages, even if they were not trusted and required to wait outside.

Gullaine led Clariel and her parents through the gatehouse, under a broad pattern of murder holes that looked as if they might have been tested recently, judging by the fresh scorch marks around each opening, and the evidence of scrubbing on the pavestones beneath. After they passed the portcullis, it slowly groaned down behind them.

‘Expecting trouble, Captain?’ asked Harven. He sounded nervous, Clariel thought. Jaciel paid neither the closing of the portcullis nor her husband any attention, striding on ahead to a metal-studded gate that glowed with many slowly crawling Charter marks.

‘We always expect trouble,’ said Gullaine, with a smile and a wave of her hand. ‘This tends to work out better than never expecting any.’

At the inner gate, Gullaine drew a Charter mark in the air – yet another one Clariel didn’t recognise – and spoke something very quietly under her breath. The marks on the gate glowed more brightly in response, and one leaf slowly opened, just enough to admit the four of them, in single file. As soon as they passed through, it shut behind them, leaving them in an octagonal guardroom that had gates on all but one side. Each of the seven oaken gates was decorated in cut bronze and silver, showing various scenes from the Kingdom. Clariel recognised the Wall, the Clayr’s glacier, a house on an island in a river, Belisaere itself, two rural scenes that could be almost anywhere and a forest setting that was most likely in the Great Forest but could be in one of the lesser woods.

A guard stood in front of the gate decorated with the walls, aqueducts and houses of Belisaere. He bowed as they entered.

‘Ah, Kariam,’ said Gullaine. ‘Lady Jaciel, Master Harven, you will be escorted to the Upper Hall, while I take Lady Clariel to the King.’

‘What?’ asked Jaciel, suddenly sharp. ‘We are not to see the King?’