He marked it.
“Nothing of significance.”
He nodded, then. “Your legitimacy has been questioned.”
“Yes. Constantly.”
“And you were not given the opportunity to prove your legitimacy.”
“Oh, I was,” was her bitter reply. “But never, ever publicly. The Caste Court did not know of my existence until I was almost seven. They were deeply suspicious of me, of my mother, when I finally came to their attention, and they tested me. Thoroughly.” She looked down at her hands. “I wish I had had a chance to speak with your Aerian. I would have told him what life aspraevolowas actually like.”
Nightshade’s smile was slender, but genuine. “He grew less unhappy with the passage of time.” He rose; he hadn’t eaten much. He bowed to the table, and to his brother. “It is late, and I am expected at the castle. It was an honor to meet you.”
Chapter 6
Breakfast, the meal that Kaylin was never allowed to skip, was waiting. Moran had already come down from her room, and was speaking quietly to Annarion, of all people, when Kaylin entered the dining room.
“Where’s Mandoran?”
“He should be here shortly.” It was Helen’s disembodied voice that answered. “There was a minor accident in the training room this morning; I have been making adjustments.”
“Did it hurt him or you?”
“We are both quite fine,” Helen replied, which wasn’t much of an answer. But Kaylin had come to recognize that tone of voice. It was the only answer she was going to get.
Kaylin started to sit, but Helen interrupted her.
“Teela’s coming to the door. Tain is with her. Shall I let them in?”
“Yes, please.”
Helen appeared at the door to the dining room less than five minutes later, slightly in front of Teela and Tain. “Mandoran asks me to tell you that you will have to leave without him. He should be able to accompany you on the morrow.”
“What, exactly, did he do?”
“He tried to walk through a wall,” Annarion replied.
“Let me guess. He didn’t bounce.”
“No. He did some damage to the wall, and some to himself, but managed to separate the two before more serious injury could occur.”
“Why in the hells was he trying to walk through a solid wall?”
“Curiosity. He’s been playing with shape, form and solidity. We can’t do it outside, at the moment.”
She stared at Annarion. “Are you telling me youcando it inside?”
“I can’t.”
“But Mandoran can.”
“Yes. But Helen says he’s practically screaminglook at mewhile he does it. But louder. He hasn’t tried it outside of Helen’s borders. And he won’t,” he added quickly. “But he wouldn’t have had the mishap if he weren’t trying to do it silently.”
“Why can’t you do it?” Kaylin asked him.
“I don’t want to try, which is considered cowardly by half our cohort, and sensible by the other half.”
“I consider itextremelysensible,” Teela said. “And I’m sitting right in front of you.”
