“Can I get more water? I stand by what I said, though. Sodding…stupid…”

“Excuse me, Miss. But we happen to like our [Lord] and [Lady].”

Meltain called out, affronted. He was sitting at the bar, close to Cara’s table. She raised her mug.

“Nothing on your two in particular, man. Just in general. The whole thing is what I object to. You know?”

The other patrons looked at her.

“No.”

“Your water, Miss. Perhaps you’d care to lower your voice?”

The [Bartender] offered her a second glass. Cara gulped, but now that she was going, she had to make the point.

“I mean it. It’s not about one person. I was trying to explain that to my friends. It’s about the system.

The monarchy. Hah!”

She knew she was getting uneasy looks. But no one had ever accused Cara of keeping her opinions to herself.

“We’ve got a [Princess] in town, right? Walking around with those poncy [Knights]. How much do you want to bet each one of them was born into their—their class? Hah. Their class, exactly. Do any of you resent that? Or isn’t it time yet?”

She searched around, feeling like a traveller between times as well as worlds. No one answered her. But then a man slowly stood up.

“Excuse me, Miss. But I would ask you to retract your words. Or be silent. For, as one of the ‘poncy

[Knights]’, I cannot allow you to further insult the royal family of the Undying Throne of Calanfer. Even by generalization.”

Every head in the room swiveled. Ser Dalimont of the Thronebearers looked at Cara. He was out of his shining armor, which was why no one had recognized him. And he had pulled up a hood, that he might have a drink in peace and quiet.

Which he was not going to have tonight, apparently. Cara blinked at him. The [Bartender] raised his hands.

“Sir Knight. Please do not make trouble—”

“I would never. Nor would I offer the threat of violence.”

“Except that you just did. Or what if I keep talking about how I, personally, dislike monarchies? Hmm?”

Cara smiled at the man. She was feeling nettlesome tonight. Ser Dalimont hesitated.

“I would ask you to refrain from speaking, then. I am a [Knight] of Calanfer and sworn to defend my Kingdom’s honor, miss. Against both word and deed.”

He made to sit back down, but Cara waved him over.

“Oh, don’t do that. Why can’t I say a bad thing about kings and queens? Because I’m right?”

“Far from it.”

After a moment’s hesitation, the man stiffly sat down at the table across from Cara. The rest of the inn listened with half an ear, interested, as the two foreigners began to debate.

“I am Ser Dalimont of Calanfer. And you, Miss…?”