“Lady Mahieran is there with the two—with Beclan’s sisters,” Daryan said. “The girls backed me into a passage and wanted to know all about him. I didn’t know what I could say, so I said I had to leave.”

“How are they?” Beclan asked.

Daryan looked at Dorrin.

“Of course you can tell him,” Dorrin said. “It’s not a state secret. You can’t pass messages—especially not notes—but you can tell Beclan how his sisters looked, and you can tell his sisters how Beclan is doing. Which is very well,” she said with a glance at Beclan.

“I do miss them,” he said. “Especially Vili. She’s a pest, but—but she’s sweet.”

“You would not think her sweet if you saw her and my sister together,” Daryan said. “My mother said they’d been a trial all the afternoon. Is that your aunt, Maris Verrakai, who was with them?”

“Great-aunt. The family bitter apple. She’s a widow; her husband died in one of the old wars. But my father said she was sharp-tongued before that.” Beclan turned to Dorrin. “My lord, supper is ready. Would you rather we brought you a tray?”

She shook her head. “No, I’ll eat in the kitchen. I’m ready now.” As they ate, she thought whether to tell them of the threats Arcolin had mentioned. Beclan would need to know, as her heir. The others—their fathers would know soon enough.

“I’m meeting with the king after dinner,” she said. “I’m sure it’s about what Count Arcolin wrote, threats from the south. But as usual, squires, this is not to be talked of anywhere else—though if your fathers mention it, you may tell them what I’m telling you. Clear?”

“Yes, my lord,” they all said.

“You have probably heard about the necklace stolen from Fin Panir—”

“Yes—and it wasn’t taken by that thief the Marshal-General invited—”

“Correct, Gwenno,” Dorrin said. “In fact, the Marshal-General sent him to find the thief and get it back, if he could. He followed the trail to Aarenis, where the local Guild captured him and nearly killed him. Arcolin believes the necklace is in the hands of the man I knew as Alured the Black.” She finished the cutlet on her plate before going on. “He’s the one I think may try to invade the north if he can gain control of the Guild League cities. He’s using counterfeiting to disable their economic organization.”

From their blank looks, she realized they had no idea what that meant. She had expected them—all from wealthy families—to know more about money. She pulled three silver pieces from her belt pouch. “What do you think these are worth?” she asked.