Irenis has to say, training is actually fun when she isn’t having to keep an eye out for Gurstel or the other idiots.

Most of the Casmenoc knights are gone now, off to fight on the ramparts. Irenis doesn’t know how to feel about not being sent with them. None of the Verith knights bat an eye at her. It’s all very confusing, so Irenis just trains with the trainees and tries not to think about it.

Is Jacryn no longer here?

Lady Bealuen strides out of the castle and waves. “Captain Bernsek, a moment of your time!”

Captain Bernsek immediately jogs off toward her. Irenis adjusts her stance and starts going through the drills she was taught.

“Hey commoner.”

Ugh. Here comes Modred. He’s just like Bleiryn. Irenis ignores him.

“Hey! I’m talking to you!”

Twist, parry, step in, stroke.

And, in a move Irenis still can’t quite believe even though she’s seen it happen every day since she got here, Cinmahr flies in to whack Modred with his sword. “Quit! Being! Stupid!”

“CINMAHR!”

That’s not Captain Bernsek. Irenis drops back and looks that way.

There are many children, Irenis’s age or slightly older, tumbling toward the fight. Irenis considers what she knows of kids her age, her previous experience with fights, and decides to make herself scarce before she’s blamed for it. Especially since most of them have Lady Bealuen’s golden eyes. Who is more likely to be in trouble for a fight, noble children of the house and their friends, or one unwanted bastard? Best to leave now.

Fortunately, Captain Bernsek offers her an out by appearing and flagging her down. “There you are! Lady Bealuen has an announcement to make.”

There’s Lady Bealuen herself, with Jacryn trailing behind her. In a dress. Irenis blinks.

The kids are grinding Modred’s face into the dirt. Lady Bealuen gives them a sideways glance, then stands tall with her hands behind her back. “May I have your attention, please?”

The training grounds quiet down.

“I am pleased to announce that we have a new knight to join the household. This is Dame Jacryn, formerly of the Casmenoc knightage. Make her welcome!”

Irenis blinks up at Si—at Dame Jacryn, who has ribbons in her hair. Jacryn winks and explains quietly, “It wasn’t safe to be a woman around Gurstel. He mistook me for a boy when we were growing up and I decided to retain that safety when I realized he didn’t remember me.”

“I see.” That makes a lot of sense.

Lady Bealuen marches off to break up the trainee fight. Irenis looks around. “Should I return to training now?”

Captain Bernsek looks down at her. “In just a second. The cousins are back from the academy for their break and I think she wants to introduce you to them.”

“Why?”

Lady Bealuen comes back shooing children in front of her. “…understand the impulse, but you can’t just beat up everyone who does something wrong.”

“He doesn’t listen to us!”

“We’ll talk about this later. For now, I want you all to meet someone.”

Irenis wipes a bit of dirt off her knee.

“This is Irenis, formerly of the house Casmenoc. She’ll be staying here while we figure out where to put her.”

Irenis bows. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.”

“Irenis, honey, these are my nieflings. My son is still in the capital because his academy lets out today, so he still has to travel home.”

Irenis nods. “Yes, my lady.”

“You may go ahead and socialize with them, all right?”

UM. Technically, if Irenis weren’t an unwanted bastard, they’d be of appropriate ranks to do so, but Irenis is an unwanted bastard.

Cinmahr bounds up and slings his arm over her shoulders. Irenis tenses up, but it’s not bad. Just unexpected. She relaxes her shoulders consciously and he doesn’t pull away. It’s. Nice.

“So!” Cinmahr points out each cousin as he names them. “This is Adulene, Inran, Pegirn, Cordis, Kelstren, and Gwenlin. Gwen’s oldest until Rudhek gets home.”

Irenis tries to bow again, but can’t exactly with Cinmahr’s arm over her shoulders.

“And Rusal, Brinan, and Sefer are with their nannies upstairs. We should go meet them!”

“Okay?” Irenis follows obediently, falling in next to Adulene.

Adulene smiles down at her. She’s a fairly tall, plump girl with dark tan skin and dark purple hair. “So what do you like to do in your spare time?”

Hide from people who would get her in trouble? Train? Explore the castle? None of those are answers that people would like to hear. Irenis chooses a good, non-offensive activity. “I like reading.”

“Cool, me too! I like fairy tales and stuff! What do you like to read?”

Oh, no. Irenis’s real answer is non-fiction to learn about the world, but obviously she can’t say that now. “I like those, too.”

Cinmahr leads the group up through the castle to the family’s floor. Irenis hesitates. “Are you sure I’m allowed up here?”

“You’re with us!” Inran, a boy with Verith-purple hair, golden eyes, and pale skin, skips ahead. “We’re allowing you up here!”

Well, all right. Irenis follows them, keeping a sharp eye out for people who will disapprove of her presence. But the maids don’t give her a second glance.

They get into a large room on the north side of the castle, where light pours in from a huge bay window with cushions on the seats. The wallpaper is a light, gentle green with white patterning. There’s carpeting on the floor, but it’s not very plush and luxurious. It’s old and worn down from years of being played on. Scattered around the room are various play structures, like a climbing frame, a house large enough to walk in and out of, and a swingset and slide.

On the swings is a half-elf toddler with purple hair and golden eyes. He cheers as his nanny pushes him in the baby swing.

In the house is a little girl with amethyst hair running back and forth, counting. Each time she gets to eight, she pauses, then starts over. Her nanny appears to be keeping count of how many times she’s gotten to eight.

Cinmahr bounds in. “Hi, Rusal! Hi, Sefer! Where’s Brinan?”

“He was being bratty, so he’s being spoken to about his actions.” The girl’s nanny looks up. “A pleasure to see you once again, Cinmahr.”

Irenis gulps. What does ‘being spoken to’ entail?

“Who’s this?”

Irenis shrinks back. She knew this was a bad idea, she should go, quickly—

“Oh, this is Irenis!” Cinmahr bounces back over and slings his arm around her shoulders. “Aunt Bay says she’s staying here for the time being and we should keep her company!”

A nanny outranks every servant but the head maid and butler. Irenis tries to bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you—”

“Why are you doing that,” demands Cordis, who looks exactly like Inran except for parting his hair differently and constantly scowling.

Irenis freezes. What is she doing wrong? She’s trying to bow! Is he mad about the lack of curtseying? She didn’t have time to change!

Gwenlin smacks Cordis lightly on the shoulder. “Be nice to guests. If she wants to bow to the nannies, she can.”

Cordis turns to snap at Gwenlin. Irenis slides out from under Cinmahr’s arm and goes to find a book to read. The Children’s Atlas of Asgrentwa looks extremely interesting, especially since that’s probably the country the margrave hails from, but Adulene is watching. Irenis can’t risk losing her favor. She picks out a fairy-tale book and carefully sits in the windowseat so she isn’t smudging the expensive glass panes with her sweaty tunic.

Adulene comes to sit next to her and pulls out an embroidery hoop. “Do you sew at all?”

“Enough to mend, but I’m not good at embroidery.” Irenis was never given the option. Good embroidery thread is too expensive to waste on the bastard.

“Fair. I’m really good at it, but that’s just because I do it so often.” Adulene sets to work on her handkerchief without further comment. Irenis pretends to be reading the classic tale about a peach tree that dispenses ball gowns while she observes the Verith children.

None of them are the heir, of course. They’re all the children of the margravine’s family.

Adulene is the daughter of the margravine’s eldest brother Jamenoc, which confused Irenis the first time she read it. Logically, her father should be the margrave. Brinan, the brat who has not appeared, is her younger brother.

The twins Inran and Cordis are the sons of Hughal Verith. They dote upon their younger sister, Sefer, who is so concerned with counting.

Cinmahr is the son of Kerenol Verith, the third brother of Lady Bealuen, and Rusal is his younger brother. Their mother is Tialha Nafina, an elven baroness who married extremely well for her rank.

Pegirn, Kelstren, and Gwenlin she can’t place. They don’t look like Veriths.

They are all extremely loud and cheerful. Irenis watches them with envy.