When Arian entered her suite, she told all the Squires what she’d seen. “I told the king; he says he will set a guard.”

“One of the palace secretaries came by with a tentative schedule for tomorrow just after you had left to meet the king,” Darvol said. He handed it to her. “We also received a note from Armsmaster Fralorn, who said he’d be pleased to open the salle for you at dawn.”

“I met him,” Arian said. “We will drill as usual.” She looked at the paperwork they handed her, including their own rotation. “This will do,” she said. “And if we’re meeting the armsmaster for drill at dawn, we should retire now.”

Arian found it hard to sleep at first; the heavy scent of rose petals and lack of air movement stifled her. She woke to the sound of tapping on her door. “Come in,” she said. Maelis entered with a candle and a tray.

“Thought you might like sib before drill,” Maelis said.

Arian and her Squires arrived at the salle just as Armsmaster Fralorn pulled the door open. He smiled. “You’re very welcome this morning,” he said. “The young men you met yesterday evening will join us, as will the king. Just let me light the lamps.”

Arian began her stretches while her Squires helped Fralorn light lamps and lay out bandas. Soon the king appeared with his escort of guards and his friends. Fralorn called for all to line up for footwork drills.

“If it please you, Queen Arian,” he said.

“Certainly,” she said. No one, she’d been taught, could spend too much time on footwork, the foundation of effective swordplay.

Fralorn proved as exacting as Carlion or Siger: position of the foot, length of a half pace or full pace, all the other details. Before it became tedious, he called for seven of the group to do point-control drills on the pells at one end of the salle and the other six to pair up: Arian with Rothlin, two of her Squires with the king and one of his escorts.

Practice did not last as long as in Chaya; Arian’s schedule for the day did not permit it even with so early a start.

Kieri had described the chamber where the Tsaian Royal Council met. Now Arian faced them, recognizing only the king, Duke Mahieran, and Marshal-Judicar Oktar.

King Mikeli introduced her and then said, “If you would, the Council would hear your account of the recent war and any information you can give us about the current state of Pargun.”