“Furthermore,” Talamir persisted, “if you intend to persuade your daughter to put up with her bodyguards, you are going to have to set her a good example.”

“That,” Sendar said, clearly and distinctly, “is blackmail.”

“The blackest,” Talamir agreed. “It’s also the truth.”

He neglected to tell the King that he had pointed out the converse to his Heir. If each of them thought that the good example she (or he) was setting was the reason for the other behaving in a sensible fashion, it would make everyone’s job much easier.

Although Sendar looked sullenly at him (recalling to Talamir’s mind the rebellious adolescent that he’d been as a Trainee), he nodded. “All right. I’ll accept the bodyguards. But I want to train with them,” he said stubbornly.

“I don’t think you’re going to have a choice in the matter. I believe Alberich was going to insist on it.” Talamir had the satisfaction of seeing surprise on the King’s face. “He’s a very thorough fellow, is Alberich. He realized immediately that having a bodyguard doesn’t do you a great deal of good if someone attacks you, and you don’t know what to do but they do. The wrong move could put you in as much danger as if you didn’t have them at all.”

“Selenay—” Sendar began, and was interrupted by his daughter walking into the room.

“Selenay has been training with her bodyguards,” she said, flinging herself down into a chair with a groan and a wince. Talamir noticed that her hair was wet. She must have just come from the bathing room. “Six of them! And the so-gentle Alberich promises that it’s going to get harder from here. I have, in the course of the afternoon, been thrown to the ground, thrown onto Caryo’s back, hauled about like a sack of wheat, and taught how to dive for all manner of cover. Not to mention done just a trifle of fighting practice myself. I’m quite looking forward to facing the Tedrels; they can’t be worse than this.”

Talamir decided not to disabuse her of that notion. He just caught Sendar’s eye and nodded. Sendar grimaced.

“Well, I’ll be doing the same tomorrow,” the King said, to Talamir’s pleasure. “Though how I’m to squeeze more hours into the day, I do not know.”