“That you’re going to be very much feared by anyone with a hidden chamber or secret passage, because you can reliably find it,” Kat corrected. “On the other hand, anyone that actually has such a thing is probably going to be on his best behavior from now on so you won’t go looking for it.” She sucked on her lower lip. “I wonder if you can find hidden compartments in ships and wagons?” But before Abi could answer that question, Kat suddenly sat straight up again. “Oh! I just had a tremendous idea for Sussena! She hasn’t committed to anything past mending the roof and refurbishing the manor yet has she?”

“I don’t think so,” Abi replied. “It’s the wrong time of year to be doing any building, anyway. The only reason there are thatchers crawling all over the roof now is because Wrenmarsh is a very influential man among the farmers thereabouts.”

“Excellent. Let me get a map from your father and then we’ll go see mine.” Before Abi could object to disturbing the King so close to dinner, Kat had already left her room and gone to Mags’ workshop room. By the time Abi was out of her room, Kat had a rolled-up map under her arm and was heading out the door. Abi could only follow.

The guards at the Royal Suite seemed a bit nonplussed to see the Princess moving so quickly. So was Abi, for that matter. Kat generally presented herself as a little bit lazy and it wasn’t often she bestirred herself. Maybe being Chosen has had an enlivening effect on her . . .

Abi had just reached the doors when Kat called out from inside. “Papa! Are you busy?”

Abi heard the King answering, though too far away for her to make out what he had said. But she assumed the answer was in the negative because Kat was not in the public rooms of the suite. Logically, then she must be in the King’s private study.

When she finally got to the (surprisingly small) room, Kat had spread out the map on her father’s desk, and they were both bending over it. “So you see!” Kat crowed. “It’s just a little off of center for the—oh, there’s Abi now.”

“Kat seems to have worked out a plan that will save Lady Susenna a great deal of money, and be quite beneficial for the Crown as well,” the King said, looking at his daughter with a bemused expression, as if this was the last thing he would have expected of her.