‘I suppose I must have been taught something about it all sometime or other,’ said Clariel doubtfully.

‘Bah!’ exclaimed Kargrin. He threw up his hands and continued, ‘Where was I?’

‘Kilp making me Queen,’ muttered Clariel.

‘Yes. We think that Kilp plans to put you on the throne, with Aronzo as your consort, but Kilp will rule.’

‘So I would be trapped in Belisaere for good,’ whispered Clariel. Her face twisted in distaste. ‘And married to the slimy Aronzo …’

‘It’s an educated guess,’ continued Kargrin. He scratched one of his massive eyebrows as he returned to his ruminations about the nature of the connection between Kilp and the suspected Free Magic creature. ‘I just cannot think what the motive is … I mean for the creature; it is not so unusual for such as Kilp to seek greater power. But Free Magic entities usually flee concentrations of Charter Magic, and there are none greater than here. Kilp is not himself a sorcerer, nor can we identify one in his service. So the creature is not bound, and I cannot think why it would want to just help Kilp make himself the effective ruler of the Kingdom. Other than hatred of the royal line, I suppose …’

‘I don’t care why they’re doing anything,’ protested Clariel, ‘as long as I can avoid it. I particularly don’t want to marry Aronzo, or be Queen!’

‘There is some doubt whether you would in fact be recognised as Queen by the Charter,’ mused Kargrin. His manner was very much a teacher’s, considering some long-ago historical matter, not something of supreme importance right now to Clariel. ‘Even if King Orrikan is dead and Kilp installs you in the Palace, the Great Charter Stones might reject you, because Princess Tathiel is presumably still alive somewhere. Also, your mother does have a higher claim, and there are the cousins on the other side who might have a better right …’

Clariel groaned and rested her head in her hands.

‘I don’t care about the Charter! I just want to live in the Great Forest, be a Borderer, and be left alone!’

‘And you may be able to, one day,’ said Kargrin. ‘We might also be wrong. Up until yesterday I was sure it was your mother that Kilp wanted to put on the throne as his puppet, and her invitation to the High Guild of Goldsmiths was simply a pretext to get her to the city. But on investigation she is highly esteemed in the guild, and her … ah … lack of interest in politics and so forth is well attested. Then we learned of your intended marriage to Aronzo and all became clear.’

‘Not that clear. Roban told me he suspected Kilp was afraid my mother would displace him as Guildmaster, and she would become Queen of her own doing,’ said Clariel. ‘So maybe you’re wrong as well.’