“I know,” Tamin said. His mouth twisted. “But what can I do? My other wardens refuse to attend, claiming hardship from the winter. It would be a scandal if I tried to lead the judges myself, and he’s the only one who’s bothering to show up these days. The others have deserted me.”

“There are no high mares—?”

“Warden Dokmar’s daughter Ganar is down there in a cage,” he snapped. “She’s a murdering whore, who threw her lot in with witches and assassins. Shall I have her be a referee?”

I shuddered. I wondered if Warden Dokmar knew his daughter waited to be executed for treason and witchcraft.

Tamin reached out and grabbed my hand. Had I been any other person, I would say he grabbed far too hard.

“You,” Tamin said, “are the only good thing that’s happened in months, Janel. Your arrival feels like the coming of spring.”

“Tamin,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm, “it is spring.”

He stared at me for a second as if I’d just said something surprising and unbelievable, told him the sky was blue instead of teal, announced magic legal throughout the land.

If I’m being honest with myself, he didn’t look sane.

A loud, jarring clash interrupted whatever response he’d have given. We both turned back to the grounds in time to see the two knights complete their initial pass. Xia Nilos, being lower ranked in idorrá, had chosen the form of the bout, in this case, the Contest of Khored. In turn, Dedreugh picked the technique—Sword Crashing style—which favored brute strength over subtlety. I thought it a poor strategy for Xia Nilos, one that resulted in her current predicament: knocked from her horse, struggling to find the weapon she’d dropped. To the side, Nilos’s squire grabbed a second blade and ran toward his knight.

Sir Xia Nilos raised her shield in time to intercept a stunning blow from Dedreugh, which pushed her backward. Nilos fumbled her sword, put both hands up to support her shield.

I’m sure under other circumstances, against other opponents, Sir Xia’s skills would have seen her through. But not here. Not against an enemy like Dedreugh.

I looked over at the warden. “She’s defeated. Call it.”

The old man mumbled to himself.

“Let Sir Xia decide when she’s conquered,” the servant said on Warden Lorat’s behalf.

The blows Dedreugh rained down on Xia seemed less appropriate to a contest of skill than to hammering a blade on the forge. Xia’s shield dented.

“Do it,” Tamin whispered. His eyes brightened.

The woman picked the dhole puppy up from the warden’s lap and turned away.

“Do you yield?” I cried out. I didn’t think the knights could hear me over the boos of screaming spectators.

The squire ran in with the second sword.