“If I have children someday,” said Lovisa, “I won’t expect them to blame my parents for the wrongs I do to them. They get to blame me.”

Katu studied her, a smile playing around his lips. “You’re a good kid, Lovisa,” he said. “Have you considered a career as a judge?”

Lovisa snorted. “Parliament appoints judges. Have you noticed the kind of person who gets elected to Parliament?”

“Become a judge,” he said, “then throw Parliament in prison.”

Snorting again, Lovisa stood. “Come play City?”

“Between you and me,” said Katu, “I don’t think we have a choice.”

—

The boys couldn’t convince Katu to stay for dinner, because Katu had a date.

“A date!” Viri squealed. “Who do you have a date with, Katu?”

“A lovely woman who happens to be one of my doctors,” Katu said.

“Can’t you bring her here for your date?” said Viri, a suggestion that sent Lovisa into a fit of coughing at the notion of Katu trying to romance someone over dinner at the Devrets’ house, in the company of three constantly interrupting little boys.

So Katu went away, but Lovisa stayed. She was shy around Mari’s parents at dinner. She didn’t want their eyes or their questions; but then she always found herself watching them curiously, trying to listen in on their conversation with each other, because they actually enjoyed each other’s company. They never minded if the boys amused themselves with an increasingly loud conversation of their own.

Mara, who was an Industry rep in Parliament, announced tonight that the zilfium vote, originally scheduled for December, was being pushed to late spring.

“What?” said Lovisa. “Why?”

“Now that a military use has been found for zilfium, we all need more time to research and debate,” Mara said. “It’s one thing to open Winterkeep to trains and faster boats. Explosive weapons is a whole other matter.”

“But aren’t the weapons going to be destroyed?” said Lovisa, who knew the rumors. “Didn’t the blueprints burn in a fire at the queen’s hotel?”

“Even so, what was invented once can be invented again,” said Mara.

“Well then,” said Lovisa, “is it safe to ban a weapon in Winterkeep if the other nations in Torla are likely to be developing that weapon for themselves? And anyway, shouldn’t Queen Bitterblue be part of the conversation, since she has so much zilfium?”

Mara considered her approvingly. “Have you chosen a party, Lovisa?”

The old familiar impatience rose in Lovisa at this tiresome question. “Doesn’t that choice generally come down to where one’s self-interest falls?”