“Sul’Bayar,” Amon said. “The princess heir has asked you to let go of her. I suggest you do so.”

Micah blinked, then looked down at his hand on Raisa’s arm as if surprised to see it there. He let go and took a step back. “Raisa, listen, I didn’t mean…”

“You listen,” Raisa snapped. “You don’t own me. I don’t think I need to be interrogated if I want to spend some time with a friend. I don’t owe you any explanations.”

Amon stowed away his sword. “Your Highness, it’s late and we’re all tired. Why don’t you go on to bed, and we’ll both be on our way, all right?”

Raisa swallowed hard and stepped into the shelter of the doorway. Amon planted a hand on Micah’s shoulder and propelled him down the corridor. But the look Micah fired at Raisa over his shoulder said this wasn’t the end of it.

C H A P T E R  E I G H T

LESSONS
TO BE
LEARNED

“Mari, hurry up or we’ll be late!” Han said. He could hear the clamor of temple bells throughout the city, marking the half hour. “And pull a comb through your hair, will you? It looks like a rat’s nest.”

“But I don’t want to go to school,” Mari grumbled, lacing up her shoes. “Can’t we go see Lucius? He’s teaching me to fish.”

“It’s raining out. Besides, Mam doesn’t like you to visit Lucius,” Han said. “She thinks he’s a bad influence.”

“Mam doesn’t like you to visit Lucius,” Mari countered, struggling to disentangle the snarls in her hair. “And you still go.”

“When you’re old as me, you can aggravate Mam on your own,” he said, thinking Mari was too smart for her own good. Plus, she had a mouth that would get her into trouble. He should know.

He took the comb from Mari and used that and his fingers to put her hair in order.

“Mam won’t know, anyway,” Mari persisted, flinching when he pulled too hard. “She won’t be back from the castle ’til late.”

“Just shut it, Mari,” Han said unsympathetically. “If you can’t read and write and do figures, you’ll get cheated all your life. And how are you going to learn anything else?”

“Mam can’t read and write, and she has a job working for the queen,” Mari argued.

“That’s why she wants you to go to school,” Han said.