Tiphaine’s face was blank save for a very slight lift of the eyebrow at the unspoken, by you.

Rodard had changed out of the plain set of battle armor; he’d be sharing the watches outside her door, but right now he was in a modest, sober set of gentlemen’s evening garments, a simpler version of what she was wearing. With a sword, though, and she knew that particular outfit had a lining of very fine mesh-mail in the houppelande. He and his brother were very good swordsmen; she’d trained them herself, passing on what Sandra’s instructors had drilled into her along with a fund of lethal experience that spanned two decades now. Along with many other skills.

“Armand’s on duty right now, isn’t he?”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Good. Get a crossbow; ordinary Armory pattern issue model. No quarrels, just the bow. Bundle it up and put it somewhere in the dining hall we’ll be going to. Get it done right now, then tell Lioncel where it is before we go in.”

“At once, my lady,” he said and was gone.

“My lady?” Lioncel said.

“Was that a question, squire?”

“No, my lady.”

There was a stamp and clash outside the door when she left; five crossbowmen in three-quarter armor came to attention, and three men-at-arms headed by Armand. She returned the salute and nodded aside slightly. The new-made knight stepped close enough not to be overheard.

“How would you get into those guest chambers, Sir Armand?”

Armand had the curved semicircular visor of his sallet helm up; it stuck out like the brim of a billed cap as he turned his head thoughtfully upward.

“Up the old elevator shafts to the storage levels,” he said after a tensecond pause. “If they’re anything like what I’ve seen in pre-Change buildings elsewhere they’ll be very climbable.”

Then another pause, and: “Hide until around three o’clock in the morning, then rappel down to one of the windows of the suite I wanted. A diamond-coated cutting cable would go through those grills in a few minutes; they’re just mild steel. I’d have used alloy there, myself, even if it’s harder to work into pretty vines.”

“How long?”

“The trip down and getting into the suite, fifteen minutes. Depending on how alert my lord the Count’s guards are; but usually, men don’t look up.”

“My thoughts exactly. Your suggestion?”

“Four men awake at all times in our quarters, moving in pairs between the rooms in the guest suite, beside the guard on the door here.”

“See to it. And would you have any difficulty in getting into the palace, given the perimeter wall and security arrangements you saw?”

“My lady, it’s commendable that the Count feels no need of any great precautions against his people.”

“Plain English, please, Sir Armand. Could you get in, and unobserved?”

“My lady, Rodard or I could do that at any time of day or night. Naked, while riding on a grizzly bear and playing a mandolin.”