Her mother stared at her. "I wish you hadn't put it that way, dearest. I'll explain later."

* * *

The far-talker call made, they exited the hotel, finding a large force of police holding back crowds as well as a full troop of cavalry. "That's her!" someone yelled.

Kira looked, expecting as usual to see people pointing at her mother. But they were pointing at her. The police officer and his partner who had been the first to be attacked by the dragon were among them. Others chimed in, insisting that Kira was the one.

A colonel in cavalry uniform, his cuirass and helm gleaming, stepped forward and saluted Mari and Alain. "The city of Ihris is honored by your visit, Lady Mari, and yours, Sir Master of Mages. I have to inquire if you have any knowledge of a recent event in this city. There is a dead dragon a few streets away from here, and the witnesses claim that it was slain by a young woman resembling you, Lady Mari. Slain in a hand-to-hand struggle."

"Hand-to-claw," Kira said, embarrassed by all the attention.

"We have her coat, found in an alley," one of the police said, holding up the badly ripped garment.

"Oh, yeah," Kira said. "Mother, I ruined my coat. I forgot to mention that."

The colonel blinked at her. "It's true?"

Mari smiled. "Kira, open the coat you now wear."

The last thing Kira wanted to do was display the damage the dragon had done, but she reluctantly pulled open the coat, revealing the bloodstained vertical slashes in her shirt.

The silence that fell over the crowd unnerved Kira. Then cheers sounded, causing Kira to look around, confused.

The colonel nodded and saluted her, smiling. "Forgive me for doubting, Lady Kira. If anyone could slay a dragon fighting hand-to-hand, or hand-to-claw, it would surely be the daughter of the daughter herself. You have the thanks of our city for your fearless action. If not for you swiftly slaying the monster, it might have killed and injured many before being subdued."

"I'm just Kira," she insisted. "Not Lady Kira. And I wasn't fearless. I was actually pretty scared."

"All the more credit to you for fighting despite that fear, Lady Kira," the colonel said with another smile. "I see that in addition to her other gifts, you have inherited your mother's modesty."

It struck her like a blow, then. They were looking at her. Everyone was looking at her. Lady Mari and Master of Mages Alain were standing not much more than a lance length away from her, but everyone was looking at her and calling her Lady Kira. Not because of who her mother was, but because of what she had done.