then helped himself to more stew.

“So,” said Donal,

“I heard you found a woman.

What’s she like?”

YING

“I’m not hungry, so I’m not eating.”

Princess Ying, eight years old,

glared up at the new queen.

Nothing was right anymore. Nothing.

The queen didn’t say anything.

She took the knife from her belt,

cut Ying’s honey cake in two,

and popped half in her mouth.

“You took my cake!”

“You aren’t hungry.” The queen

spoke with her mouth full,

which was very bad manners,

and turned to leave.

The steward, waiting in the doorway,

cleared his throat noisily.

“Queen Hana, I had hoped

you might talk to the princess.”

“I didn’t have much to say.

The child is selfish.

How can I change that?”

The queen strode from the room.

Ying ran after her: “I’m not selfish!”

“Yes, you are. I’m selfish too.”

“You are?”

“Yes.” The queen led her entourage

out into the gardens, past the fish pond,

past lavender bushes thick with bees.

There were bees everywhere.

The queen sat down on the grass

(which she should not have done)

beside a row of thrumming beehives.

“He will worry about you.”

Ying frowned. “Who?”

“Your father,” said the queen.

“They will write to tell him

you refuse to eat, and then,

in a few days, to say you’re ill.”

“They shouldn’t write!”

The queen shrugged. “If they do not,

how will your father trust them

the next time he goes away?”

Ying scowled. She didn’t want

her father ever to go away again.

But he would. If he came back,

he would leave again. And again.

The queen said nothing more.

Bees bobbed on the blue flowers

in the grass at Ying’s feet.

“You’re trying to get me to eat.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

The queen shrugged.

“For your father, mostly.”

A bee landed on Ying’s thumb.

She held as still as she could.

If there was war, her father

might never come back.

Thinking about it did no good,

but she hadn’t been able to stop

since he left. “I’ll try to eat.”

“Good.” The queen stood up.

She did not take Ying’s hand,

or hug her, or claim

to be her friend.

THE HUNDRED DRAGONS OF SUMBRAL

And King Nariz entered the Shahness Pass with the full might of his army. Whereupon winged shapes, like unto birds, approached, but as they flew near, men saw that the greatest of the beasts was more than eight times the length of a horse. Thus came the hundred dragons of Sumbral to honor King Nariz and to fight alongside him. And such a gathering and such an honor had not been known in all the days of men.

Tahj, crown prince of Sumbral,

rode, silent, filled with doubt,

beside his father, King Vihaz,

as they entered the Shahness Pass.

Vihaz wore a golden winged crown

set with diamonds and rubies,

his horse arrayed in silver,

his armor burnished bright.

Behind them came the lesser princes,

captains, heralds, horse, foot soldiers,