“And he was so handsome,” Shawonda nodded, her eyes looking a little dreamy for a moment. “Not as handsome as Rudi . . . I mean the High King . . . but really cool. He had such beautiful manners, he made you feel special.”

The elder Thurston girl had a round face; she wasn’t overweight, a little gaunt if anything, but that seemed to be the way her bones went. Her sister was much prettier and she thought always would be, though still a child rather than a maiden.

And they’re the sisters of a ruler, of course, so it won’t matter that much for them, Yseult thought. They’re both clever, which is more important.

“Thank you,” Yseult said. “He was a gallant knight and a good man and a wonderful brother . . . except when he was being a jerk; you know how brothers are sometimes.”

They both nodded, and she went on: “He saved our family after . . . well, after what my mother did.”

“Like our brother Martin,” Shawonda said bitterly.

Janie took her hand consolingly. “It’s good to see Fred again, though, isn’t it?”

“Yes!”

They passed a knot of men-at-arms drinking outside a tavern that had spilled out to encroach on the way with trestle tables; they ignored the girls, sitting with their arming doublets half unlaced and intent on the tail end of a song:

“Now gracious God may save our King,
His people all well-willing,
Give his arms success at ending,
That we with mirth may safely sing”

And then the tune turned to a shout as fists pounded hard enough to make the tankards and baskets of bread jump:

“Deo gratias, Montivalia!
Redde pro victoria!”

The castle gate was even more crowded than the town; they barely crept in along the chained-off pedestrian edge of the drawbridge, but the squire who commanded the guard knew her face.

“My lady Liu,” he said, thumping fist to breastplate and bowing his head. Then he turned and called, “Make way for the Lady Liu and her guests! In the High Queen’s name!”

Nobody recognized the Thurstons yet, and it was uncertain how they fit into the Table of Ranks anyway; Yseult had decided that they were princesses, but wasn’t going to insist on full state just now. The soldiers thumped the butts of their guisarmes as well, then used the shafts to open a lane for them, and Yseult nodded in reply. Another sign that she was being eased into her new status; and that she was shining in the light of Huon’s reflected glory. It was certainly more agreeable that being a pariah under suspicion, but . . .

No, I must avoid bitterness. I have become cynical and reluctant to trust. My confessor is right; these are tasks I must work on. And these are nice girls who have suffered badly. My mother betrayed us, but at least she didn’t kill our father, as their brother did. Take up your cross, Yseult Liu.