Therefore, the lady’s chatelaines slip the two girls extra rations. The lady herself knows their names and allows them to kneel behind her every month, after their heads have been shaved, when the holy fire of cleansing is lit, and prayers are said thanking the white-haired god for another month of blessed life. The household and court hangers-on have come to believe the white-haired god has anointed the very young Lady Eleawona by giving her two such favored atoners. Their presence has kept the lady safe, even during the dark winters when Spore sometimes gets inside buildings. Winter is always the worst. One terrible year the Highmost—the master who rules over the other masters—and his entire court and entourage died in an irruption that swept through a royal stronghold.

The disaster left a land divided between competing factions. The Highmost left five adult children. The girls knew this because every day the household said a prayer to honor the masters. Lady Eleawona was the daughter of the dead Highmost’s eldest child, a daughter. In the nameless land, a son will always inherit before a daughter, so after a quarrel with his younger brothers, the oldest son became Highmost in his father’s place.

The only thing that really changed in Lady Eleawona’s life, then, was that her cousin, Lord Thelan, began to travel with her court. He was a few years older than her, maybe fourteen. He was the son of the new Highmost, but his mother had been a lowly retainer, not a royal wife. Thus, Lord Thelan was not eligible to become Highmost, even though he was his father’s eldest child.

Yes, it makes no sense. It works differently here in the empire.

All the two girls knew was that there was a ceremony of betrothal between Lady Eleawona and Lord Thelan, a promise they would marry once they came of age in four or five years. No one was quite sure if Eleawona was pleased with the arrangement, but it wasn’t up to the young lady anyway, was it? Everyone said it was the bargain the new Highmost made with his elder sister to get her to agree to acclaim him as Highmost. Anyway, during the betrothal festivities even the atoners were given freshly baked bread and a slice of salted meat, so that was something to celebrate!

Lord Thelan was a most unusual individual in the nameless land: a royal child who talked to everyone. He trained with ordinary soldiers. He rode alongside the household staff. He even asked the names of the atoners. He was particularly curious about the nose-smart girl, the one called El in honor of Lady Eleawona. Occasionally he would ride at the front of the procession as if, by watching El walk, he could figure out her secret.

In this way, life went on for a year after Lord Thelan’s arrival. The court traveled on its usual itinerant route.