Raisa waited until Talia went to the washroom, then pulled Hallie aside. “Hallie, would you be willing to carry a letter back to the Fells to my mother?” she said quietly. “I’ve got it mostly written, and I can finish it up and put it on your bed to take with you.”

“Well, a’course,” Hallie said. “But how will I find her? Where does she stay?”

“Lord Averill is friends with her,” Raisa said. “If you take it to him, he’ll make sure she gets it. And if there’s an answer, you can carry it back to me.” Raisa paused. “But make sure you put it right into his hands. No one else’s. All right?”

“I got it,” Hallie said, nodding.

“And please don’t mention it to anyone else,” Raisa said. Especially Amon Byrne, she thought.

Hallie shrugged. “If that’s the way you want it. Now, what about dinner? I know you’re not one to go to taverns, but it’s a holiday, after all.”

Raisa shook her head. “Thank you for asking, but I’m going to eat in the dining hall, do some reading, then go to bed early.” She yawned extravagantly. “If I’m still awake at midnight I’ll walk out into the quad and watch from there.”

“We’ll stay, then, and have dinner with you here,” Talia said. “We can keep you company. Maybe you’ll change your mind about the fireworks.”

“No,” Raisa snapped. “I am fine. Please don’t ruin your plans because of me.”

She looked up. Amon stood in the doorway, his gray eyes shadow-dark with pain.

And so they left, with many backward looks, but no more attempts to sway her.

Raisa walked over to the nearly empty dining hall. For once there was plenty of meat, and also spun sugar cakes and solstice cookies, iced to look like little suns. She walked back to Grindell and recopied her letter to Queen Marianna. After leaving it on Hallie’s bed, she spread her books out on the table in the common room and opened A Brief History of Warfare in the Seven Realms. Despite the title, it was eight hundred pages long. Good thing she didn’t have to read the long version.

She’d no doubt have Tourant again the next term for recitation in History of Warfare II. Assuming she managed to pass part one. It seemed impossible that she should fail a subject that she found so fascinating. She wished Master Askell administered the exams instead of Tourant.

Raisa opened her book and soon lost herself in reading. Several of the chapters on the use of magic in warfare referenced Hanalea, who had used a three-pronged approach after the Breaking to fight off pirates, bandits, and invasion from the south. The warrior queen had been an innovator, a risk taker. Her legacy endured to this day.