Me, I’m done with romantic entanglements. Everybody I get involved with is either forbidden or unavailable or mad at me.

For instance: Han Alister was by turns brisk and businesslike, cold and unreadable, or slightly mocking. He deftly deflected or ignored Raisa’s many attempts to restore or rekindle their friendship.

They’d had one “tutoring session,” and it had been a disaster. Alone together in her privy chamber, she’d rattled on like a runaway horse, dissecting the politics at court until she was entirely bored with herself.

Han had sat there clenching the arms of his chair, stony-faced and glaze-eyed, like he wasn’t hearing half of what she said. Raisa was exquisitely aware of him, constantly measuring the physical and emotional distance between them.

Their next two sessions had been canceled and rescheduled—once by him, for undisclosed reasons, and once by Raisa because of a conflicting meeting.

Why does he even bother? she thought. I am at a total loss for what to say to him that would do any good. I don’t know how to go about rebuilding trust between us—or if that’s even possible.

There is one thing I can do, Raisa thought. I can’t give Han Alister a pedigree, but I can give him a title. And a home to replace the one that was burnt on Marianna’s orders. Maybe that would make him feel more secure—more at ease at court.

She thrust away the nagging thought that neither her father nor the Bayars would be happy about it.

I’m not here to make them happy, she told herself.

Plans for her coronation proceeded amid the hard work of governing. Invitations to the coronation ball were sent out, and acceptances flooded back from throughout the Seven Realms. Some were likely curiosity-seekers who wanted to see what the headstrong princess heir would do next now that she was on her own, without maternal supervision.

Those who hoped to woo and wed her would come, for fear she might be married off in a hurry and they would miss an opportunity.

Others were no doubt looking to enjoy a week of hospitality at somebody else’s expense. Or maybe they were eager to see what a real witch looked like.

Most of the thanes from Arden declined, citing the demands of the ongoing war. But, to Raisa’s surprise, King Geoff Montaigne of Arden sent word that he would attend, along with his queen and two children.

He must be feeling more confident about his hold on the throne, Raisa thought; to leave Arden at this time. From what the queendom’s spies reported, Geoff had mustered near unanimous support among the war-weary southern thanes.

Raisa hoped he wasn’t another Gerard. At least this Montaigne was already married.