“And what we should do,” Paks said. She touched the jewels again. “I wonder why such jewels would be in Gird’s colors.”

“I hadn’t thought of that.” Dorrin looked. The goblet alone bore jewels in other colors, not many; the crown and those in the unfolded box were all blue and white.

“Could it mean Gird was crowned king at some point?” Paks asked. “There’s nothing about that at all in the legends.”

“But in his colors. Would he have taken blue as his color because at the time it was a royal color?”

“That’s not mentioned either. I admit, I was not that interested in the history they taught us in Fin Panir. Maybe the Marshal-General would know. She might be at the coronation: there’s another reason you must go. And take these with you.”

“Take them—” Dorrin felt a weight land on her shoulders. “I can’t go; I told you. There’s no one—”

“I’ll stay here,” Paks said.

“You—is this your call?”

“Yes,” Paks said, with utter certainty. “I understand it now. You must go, for all the reasons the prince gave and because of these—” She tipped her head to the goblet, crown, and jewels. “They’ve been at the heart of treachery for generations, though they themselves were not at fault. You must find out what they are, all that they are, and to whom they really belong.”

Me. They belong to me. The thoughts came unbidden to Dorrin’s mind; her magery surged, wanting free, wanting to show Paks, everyone, what it could do. She fought that down, fought the desire to claim that regalia, and with it, whatever realm it offered.

“But if there’s trouble here—I should be here.”

“Leave me Phelan’s cohort. If anything goes amiss, I’ll send word. Selfer and the cohort will keep me out of trouble.”

That was almost saucy; Dorrin found herself grinning. “Do paladins get into trouble?”

“I imagine we can. I certainly ate too much at King Kieri’s coronation feast—they had mushrooms I’d never tasted before.”

Dorrin shook her head. “I know you’re a paladin, Paks, but sometimes you are so like the girl you were.”

“And still am, inside,” Paks said. “I know—it’s very strange. To me you’re still Captain Dorrin, who once terrified me—all you captains did. You knew everything I thought.”

“You know our warts now—”

“No, it’s not that. I know you’re now Duke Verrakai, someone more important—as far as rank goes—than a captain in the Duke’s Company. But the person I see is the same person, not the rank.” Her brow wrinkled again. “I don’t know why. I see people now a little differently than before, when I was with the Company those first three years. Gird, maybe, or maybe one of the gods, has let me see a little way inside.”

“Or experience,” Dorrin said. “You are older; you have been through many things—”

“Yes,” Paks said. “But more than that—the light we paladins are given to help us discern truth lets us see a little into the hearts of everyone we meet.”