“He got Chosen after he’d provided the family with a litter,” Keren replied and shrugged. “What can I say? With so many close relational ties, my people have to be more pragmatic about marriage. You marry who’s available, and if it turns out there’s a love match, all well and good, but if not, nobody cares who you sleep with for love or pleasure as long as no one is harmed by it.”

“About your grandfather—Talamir,” Alberich prompted, wanting to change the subject back to its original topic.

Keren lay back on the old, worn rug she’d appropriated, and stared up at the branches waving overhead. “I don’t understand why he isn’t doing something about this,” she said finally. “I mean, it’s wrong, we all know in our bones that it’s wrong, though—”

“We can’t put a finger on why,” Elcarth interrupted. “That’s the reason, I think. We don’t have a reason, and somewhere down inside, we’re all uncertain that the only thing we can object to is that the Prince is an outsider.”

“But none of us objected to Sendar’s choice of wife,” Jadus said slowly. “None of us had this feeling of wrongness about her, and she was not a Herald.”

“But she was Valdemaran,” said Crathach, and turned to Alberich. “And have you anything to contribute?”

Alberich shrugged. “No ForeSight, if that is what you mean,” he admitted. “Only the same feeling, that this marriage will prove to be a grave mistake.” He did not mention the things he had learned about the Prince’s contacts with the actor, in no small part because it was not yet proven. But he exchanged a look with Myste, who gave a small shrug.

“Which could all too easily be nothing more than prejudice,” Ylsa pointed out shrewdly. “He certainly has gone out of his way to be agreeable to everyone.”

“Too agreeable?” Keren asked, then snorted. “As if it matters.”

“Well,” Myste said slowly, “it does. If we aren’t just making a mountain out of nothing, if this is going to turn into a bad situation, then the best thing that we can do for the Queen is to support her in every way. Including keeping an eye on him, so that if he does something against her, or against Valdemar, we can do something about him.”

“That’s more or less what Grandfather said,” Keren admitted. “But of all things I hate, I hate having to play a waiting game the most.”

“Don’t we all,” Jadus replied, and that seemed all that anyone could say.