"No way." He stared at the cavalry. "The armor, too? Real armor to use in real fighting?"

"Yeah. The cuirass is sort of heavy but most of the weight is carried on your shoulders, so the part that feels the heaviest is usually the helm."

Jason, from a world where designing children was apparently no big deal, seemed astounded by the sight of working steel armor. "There's this junk called MORGs. Sims using VR and stuff. I've played those, but it's not real. No matter how good it is, it's not real." He looked at her, puzzled. "But you are."

"Why do you think that's weird?" Kira asked, not having understood most of what he had said.

Jason didn't answer for a moment, looking back down at the grass as they walked. "Back on Earth, a lot of stuff isn't face to face. You meet people and do things through links, and on the links it's easy to look like whatever you want to be. Most people spend a lot of time trying to look like something different than what they are. I mean, I know guys who show themselves in uniforms with swords and all, but it's just an act."

"You're not used to people who really are what they look like?" Kira asked, perplexed.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "It's how people on Earth do things."

"What are you really, then?"

He smiled crookedly. "A jerk."

"Why do you do that?" Kira asked. "It's like you want to insult yourself."

"Saves time," Jason said with another shrug. "Can I ask you something else? Why are you just an honorary officer in the cavalry? Is it because you're a kid?"

"A kid?" Kira asked, offended until she realized that Jason must also consider himself a "kid." "No. I mean, partly. But even when I get older I can't join Tiae's military. It's because of my mother."

"She won't let you," Jason said sourly, as if confirming his own worst suspicions.

"No," Kira insisted. "It's because of who she is. Lady Mari is supposed to be as impartial as possible, not favoring any group or country. If I became part of Tiae's army, people would think she was favoring Tiae. They already worry about that because everyone knows what good friends my mother and Queen Sien are."

"How do you know that's the real reason they won't let you?"

"Because Mother and Father sat down with me and explained it several years ago," Kira said.

"And you believed them?" Jason said with an edge of scorn in his voice.

"My parents have never lied to me," Kira said. "Never."

He stared at her, then at the ground. "I should hate you."

"It's a free world now. Go ahead," Kira invited him.

"I don't want to." They had reached the vicinity of the ship again. "Um…see you."