“We’ll be in tents some nights,” Mikeli said. “Sharing a tent—and if I snore, you’re not to complain.”

Sharing a tent. Camwyn restrained himself from shoving his hands in his pockets. What would he do if his hand lit up and Mikeli saw it?

“You’ve never seen the royal tent,” Mikeli said. “It’s huge, big enough for a dozen or more to sleep in, so you’ll have a little room of your own.”

Thank you, Gird.

“Because you might snore and keep me awake.” Mikeli laughed. “Oh—and you’ll need a page. Someone I trust. You can have Aris. He’ll have a pallet in your room.”

Near panic again, except it was Aris. Aris was better than Mikeli. And maybe he slept very soundly.

Past that panic, his first thought was that he and Aris now had three whole days without lessons in which to explore the palace roofs and find a route to one particular skylight. They met at evening arms practice—not a regular lesson, he told himself, putting on his banda and lining up with the others. Just as he was about to tell Aris the good news, Armsmaster Fralorn arrived, and they all bowed. Fralorn scowled at him. “Prince, what are you doing here? Surely the king himself told you you’re excused—”

“From tutors, he said, sir. Not arms practice.”

“Here as well. You and Aris Marrakai. Put your gear away neatly and quietly and begone.”

Aris, it was clear, had not heard the word; his lips were clamped tight and his expression stubborn. Maybe he thought they were in trouble. Camwyn explained on the way back upstairs, finishing with, “And you get to come with me. The king says I need a page—”

“I’m not your page! I’m your friend—I thought—”

“Of course you are. But I’m just a prince. I can’t take friends with me. Only people with a job. That’s why you’ll be a page.”

Aris’s expression eased. “Are you going to order me around, then?”

“I am older,” Camwyn said. “And if you were my brother, you’d be younger.”

“Yes, but … all right.” Aris gave in as quickly as a colt might. Now he grinned. “And no lessons or duties until we leave? Both of us?”

“That’s right. They want us out of the way while packing, I don’t doubt. We can go out on the roofs any time we want.”