Dimitri had grown taller and filled out in the year since she’d last seen him, and he had a new confidence about him. He’d brought her a linen marsh cloak, embroidered with leaves and ferns in subtle mist colors.

To put a fine point on it, Raisa was still Dimitri’s liege lady, as the Shivering Fens was still ruled by the Fells.

“I hope things are well along our border,” she said in Common, smiling and stroking the fine linen.

“I would let you know if they were not, Your Highness,” Dimitri said solemnly. “The new commander at the West Wall is a woman, but she is surprisingly fair and easy to deal with.” He was teasing her.

“Perhaps she is fair and easy to deal with because she is a woman,” Raisa replied.

Dimitri laughed. “You may be right,” he said. “Speaking of fair, I have not forgotten that you owe me gylden,” he said. “You also promised to send me a clean river.”

“I’m working on it,” Raisa said with a sigh. “Let’s talk again after the coronation, before you go back home.”

When Raisa returned to her rooms, Magret helped her strip off her formal coronation clothing. She lay down on her bed in her cami and drawers, meaning to take a nap before dinner. She hadn’t slept much the night before, thanks to Han Alister, and she needed some rest if she hoped to keep her face out of her plate that evening.

She was just drifting into sleep when a knock rattled the door. Cat came and stood guard at the foot of her bed, while Magret rushed to answer, grumbling under her breath. After a few minutes of whispered conversation, she shut the door and returned to Raisa’s bedside, her face a thundercloud of disapproval.

Raisa propped up on her elbows. “What is it, Magret?”

“There’s a messenger from Lord Hakkam outside. He says the king of Arden has finally arrived.” Magret sniffed, to show what she thought of disrespectful, tardy kings. “He and his party are at Regent House and he’ll be joining you for dinner. He’s requesting a brief audience with you before dinner so he can offer his congratulations in person since he missed the ceremony this morning.”

There goes nap time, Raisa thought. I don’t like King Geoff already.

Reading Raisa’s expression, Magret said, “Your Highness, I’ll say you’re resting, and the flatlander king will just have to wait until dinner.”

Raisa shook her head wearily. She sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. Her feet didn’t even touch the floor.

“No, I want to get the measure of the man, and that will be impossible to do at dinner, or at the ball after. And I don’t want to be meeting with him at midnight.” She yawned. “Will the queen of Arden be at dinner?”