Jacryn whirls into a block and parry, unable to keep the grin from her face. The other knights have accepted that she’s a woman without making any fuss about it, and other than where she goes to bathe nothing has changed. The knights fight her with all their strength and force her to become better, as they did when they thought she was a man. This is wonderful. And certainly nothing she could ever have gotten at the Casmenoc estate.

“Cinmahr, watch your footing! Irenis, uh, just keep going as you have been, very good job.”

The bad-weather salle makes all noises echo and increase. Jacryn can easily hear the trainees’ instructor. She smirks a little. The reason for Irenis’s skill is heartbreaking, but it’s kind of funny hearing her get pitted against her peers and those older than her and constantly come out on top.

“Heyo!” A man who must be the margravate’s heir Rudhek strides in. He has his mother’s coloring in almost every way—just darker skin—and his hair is back in many small, long braids. His goatee isn’t braided, but Jacryn figures it will be should it ever get that long.

The knightage cheers and sends friendly heckling his way. That would not happen back home, were it Aulan who walked in. Jacryn chalks it up to more of the Verith strangeness.

Lord Rudhek picks up a sword and swings it idly. “All right… Bactia! Mind if I steal your partner?”

Bactia, the explosive but excellent female knight, snarls at him but backs away. Jacryn bows slightly.

Lord Rudhek takes his place across from Jacryn. “Did you just get signed on?”

“Sort of. I am Dame Jacryn, late of the Casmenoc knightage.”

His eyes flash and he’s moving almost before the bell dings to start the match. Jacryn barely gets her sword up to block in time. Miscalculation! Bad miscalculation!

“Obviously you’re not one of the fifteen who had to get kicked out.” Lord Rudhek blocks her attempt at a counterattack with ease. “What happened?”

Jacryn falls back, hoping to get some air. “Sir Gurstel Dhorak was always a cad and his last night here attempted to assault Irenis. I had been standing guard to ensure that didn’t happen, but deserted my post to get Captain Bernsek to post guards who weren’t exhausted from two months of the same. Lady Bealuen kicked out those who turned a blind eye or actively helped Gurstel and sent them to their assignments early.”

Lord Rudhek follows her with the grace of a hunting tiger. “And you weren’t?”

“I didn’t turn a blind eye.” She should have done more, but she can say she didn’t turn a blind eye.

Lord Rudhek falls back to change tactics. Jacryn gets a breath in before she follows him.

“We’re going to take her in somehow. Maybe as a trainee, but probably as a cousin.”

That’s the best thing Jacryn has ever heard. “You’d best cherish her as your own little sister. Even after the novelty wears off. She’s been through far too much to suffer more.”

Lord Rudhek… stops stalking her. “I fully agree.”

Good.

“So why didn’t you turn a blind eye?”

“I was raised to have honor.”

Lord Rudhek snorts and lunges forward.

When he’s not trying to kill or interrogate her, Lord Rudhek is an amazing sparring partner. He’s fast, strong, and skilled. Jacryn is having fun!

So, naturally, Captain Bernsek calls her and Irenis over to him. Jacryn bows to Lord Rudhek. “Thank you for the spar.”

“Thank you for your advice.”

Bernsek nods as she and Irenis come up to him. “Lady Irenis, let me lead by reassuring you that you are not in trouble. The margrave and margravine would like to see you.”

—

Irenis fidgets with her sleeve as Captain Bernsek leads her and Dame Jacryn up to the margrave’s office. He said she wasn’t in trouble, but he could be mistaken. Or lying. Uncle Emmon liked to pull rugs out from under people.

They get to the office and Bernsek knocks. “I’ve brought Irenis and Jacryn.”

“Let Irenis in.”

Jacryn pats Irenis’s shoulder. “I’ll be right out here if you need me.”

Irenis swallows and steps into the office, balling her fists. She needs to not show weakness. She will be strong.

Lady Bealuen is standing braced on the desk, looking over Lord Maedis’s shoulder at whatever he’s doing. They both look up and Irenis only keeps moving forward through great effort. She stops and bows. “My lord. My lady.”

“No need to be so formal. Go ahead and take a seat.” Lord Maedis indicates the chair in front of the desk.

Irenis obediently takes a seat and folds her hands in her lap. She keeps her right hand balled up for strength, but hides it with her left hand. She needs to be effortlessly strong.

Lady Bealuen sits down across from her. “Do you remember, the night Gurstel got kicked out, I said that you would stay here for the time being?”

“Yes, my—” Wait, they said she didn’t need to be so formal, what’s the right answer? “Yes, I remember.”

“Excellent. The reason I wanted to deliberate over my decision was to see if the nieflings and Rudhek would get along with you.”

Irenis hasn’t even met Lord Rudhek yet, just seen him sparring with Jacryn. She clenches her fist tighter. Now what?

Lord Maedis says sharply, “You’re bleeding.”

Oh, no. Irenis glances down and tries to curl her hands up so she doesn’t drip blood on her uniform or the floor. “I’m sorry.”

Lord Maedis opens his desk drawer and pulls out a small wooden case. “Here, let me see?” And then he comes around the desk and kneels in front of her.

Lady Bealuen stands up. “Since the nieflings very much like having you around—”

WHAT. The news startles Irenis enough that she lets Lord Maedis have her hand without dithering or freaking out.

“—and have already been campaigning to keep you, we’ve decided to have you stay here indefinitely, as one of us.”

Irenis blinks. Why? She’s barely spoken unless one of the Verith children starts the conversation. There’s no proof that she’s a sword master. She hasn’t even been able to demonstrate that she’s useful for gathering information. Why would they want to keep a useless, boring bastard? And what does she mean, one of them?

Lord Maedis is poking the small crescents in her palm with a bit of fluff on a stick. It stings. Irenis bites the inside of her cheek rather than express such, though. She wants to know what the fluff is, but knows better than to ask such an off-topic question. “I would of course be honored.”

“Do you actually want to stay here, though?” Lady Bealuen fidgets with a paperweight. “I know this is very different from the Casmenoc home. If you don’t want to stay here, for whatever reason, we won’t be insulted and we’ll help you set up a new life wherever you wish. So think about it, all right?”

Irenis obediently thinks about it. She could go home, back to the Casmenocs… who would just make her turn right back around. She could go live in one of the villages they passed… but what village needs a spy or a sword master? She shies away from the thought of applying to a mage tower, the idea filling her with shivering apprehension. And what mage tower would take her?

Staying here is really her best option. “I would like to stay here. Thank you for your hospitality.”

Lord Maedis smiles up at her and finishes bandaging her hand. He’s very good at it, which Irenis guesses she should expect. “That’s wonderful. We’re glad to have you.” He holds out one hand. Irenis blinks and lays her left hand in his palm. His hands are large next to hers, but not absurdly so. He cleans her nails with a wad of the fluff, and the question finally forces itself past her lips. “What’s that?”

“This?” Lord Maedis holds it up. “It’s a moonweed ball. The fibers come from the same plant as the fibers for the tapestries, but they were processed differently. This one was processed for cleaning wounds.”

She didn’t get scolded for asking a question. Can she risk another? “Um… was the stick also a moonweed ball?”

“It was. Up we go.” Lord Maedis helps her out of her chair like she’s a noblewoman at dinner. “That one was processed the same, but a smaller bud on a stick is best for precision work and very small wounds.”

Irenis can’t risk a third question. Three questions is usually the annoyance threshold beyond which she starts getting yelled at. She bites her tongue.

Jacryn is leaned against the far wall when they exit the study. She bows. “My lord, my lady. Hello, Irenis. What happened to your hand?”

Irenis looks at the floor. “Um. I bunched my fist too hard.”

Lady Bealuen takes her other hand. “I’ve done that before. Let’s get you set up in your new rooms, all right?”

“Yes, my lady.” Irenis follows her. Jacryn falls in behind them.