'Thank you." She closed the door and went to the writing desk, rummaging around until she found a sheet of parchment.

What do you say to a daughter a world away, a daughter growing up without you...She dipped the quill carefully, and began to write.

"No...that's not..." She scratched through the words, knowing she couldn't afford to crumple the parchment. She'd just have to use one sheet for drafting, and then recopy.

A second beginning wasn't any better. Nor was a third, and she set the parchment aside at the knock on the door.

"Dalila, Lady Anna, with your breakfast."

"Come on in." Anna stood as the brunette brought in the tray-on which were piled a wedge of yellow cheese and fresh bread, a lopsided peach, and a large pitcher of water.

"We didn't cook anything, lady. If you want more..." Dalila waited.

"This is fine." Anna smiled. "How are the children?"

"Ruetha is doing well. I am letting her learn letters with the older bairns. I hope you do not mind...."

"That's fine. When she's older, she can learn numbers from Dythya as well."

"You would let her...?"

"Of course." Anna wanted to frown. "Dythya doesn't come from lordly blood. She got where she is because she's able. I want the same to be true for Ruetha and Anadra and all the young girls in the liedburg." And throughout Defalk-as much as possible.

"I would want that. Yet..." Dalila left the question unvoiced. "How long will that be possible?" asked Anna. "So long as I'm Regent, and if I'm a good one, a long time after that."

"You will be Regent for many years."

"We'll have to see." Right now, it doesn't look all that promising.

"You will." Dalila bowed, turned, and slipped out the door.Before eating, Anna did take the precaution of taking out the lutar and orderspelling the water. She found she finished everything, even gnawing the peach down to the pit. As she sipped another goblet of water, the headache faded, then vanished. Dehydration or low blood sugar or both.

After setting aside the tray, Anna wrote out the letter to Elizabetta, slowly, carefully, then wrapped the four golds she took from her wallet in old parchment and placed them in the crude envelope.

With a deep breath she stood. Carrying the lutar and envelope, she walked to the door, opened it, and stepped out. "I'll be working across the hall."

"Yes, Lady Anna." Rickel nodded, and he and Blaz followed her, resuming a guard position around the scrying room's door.

Anna closed the door, stepped forward, and glanced at the silvered waters of the pool. She set the envelope on the worktable. After retuning the lutar, and running through two vocalises, she lifted the lutar, and began to sing.

Bertmynn, Bertmynn, Lord I'd see, show his forces now to me....

The image in the silvered waters of the pool was that of a quay, where several barges were tied, and where men in brown carried barrels toward the barge in the foreground. At the side were several armsmen, almost lounging. The fact that there were buildings and greenery in the distance beyond the gray of the water confirmed to Anna what Jecks had said about Bertmynn loading on the River Dol.

After a time, she lifted the lutar again.

Rabyn, Rabyn, Lord who'd be, show his grandsire's lancers now to me....

The second image was less useful than the first, showing a column of lancers garbed in maroon and riding along a dusty road. Still, the length of the column indicated the lancers were on the move, possibly toward Elioch, and probably confirming the information that Jecks and Menares had gathered.

Now what? Anna released the second image and took a deep breath. First, you do something for you. After a moment, she lifted the lutar a third time.

Silver pool, silver pool, it's scrying time for my child silver pool, silver pool...

Even before she strummed the last chord, the silvered waters wavered into an image-her red-haired Elizabetta driving in a green car Anna didn't recognize, a faint smile on her face. Anna smiled in return. She's all right.

Then the water of the pool began to boil, and gouts of steam burst upward.

Anna jumped back, forcing the release couplet. Even after the image faded, the pool continued to boil and bubble,the roiling subsiding slowly.

Elizabetta is all right, though... that's what's important. But the tears that rolled down Anna's cheeks contradicted her words as she slumped against the heavy oak door, sobbing silently. Why... why? Why can't you even get a look at your daughter for more than an instant without the whole universe striking back at you...why?She picked up the envelope with the unsent letter and stepped out of the heat and humidity of the scrying room into the hallway, half carrying, half dragging the lutar with her. The eyes of both Rickel and Blaz widened as the steam and water vapor swirled out behind her.

"Lady... Regent?" stammered Blaz.

"I'll... be... all right." She walked across the hall and slipped quickly into her own chamber, sliding the bolt behind her, then dropping the unused envelope on the writing desk.

In the bathchamber, she looked into the mirror. Red face- blotchy as if burned- probably from the steam, wet cheeks... "You look like s.h.i.t..." Then...you feel like s.h.i.t, too. You couldn't even send the letter...not even one small letter.

She looked back into the mirror, into the too-thin face, at the golden silver- blonde hair that belonged to a teenager and framed blue eyes that had seen too much. She blotted her face with cool water, and kept blotting. There were times when having makeup would have still been a help, youth spell or not.

Finally, she returned to the writing desk and tucked the envelope into the drawer. Just try to send it... with another note... maybe you can tell her to write something and that you'll try to recover it with sorcery in a few weeks...

would that work? Who knew what would work? Even all of Brill's books offered little and rather incomplete guidance.

She gathered herself together, then stepped back into the corridor and headed down to the receiving room, and the business of the day. Based on what Jecks had already offered the night before, a long week awaited her. Another long year...

more likely. She reclaimed the lutar case and carried the cased instrument down the stairs.

Once in the receiving room, already warm, with its single high window, Anna looked at the pitcher of murky water. After a sigh, she took out the lutar and orderspelled the water. Without water-clean water-she wouldn't get through the day. Then, she poured a goblet, and took a swallow, before settling into the chair behind the table. She lifted the bell and rang it.

A dark-haired page-Skent-peered in. "Yes, Lady Anna?"

"Skent... it's good to see you. Ah... will you see if Counselor Dythya is free to meet with me?"

"Yes, lady." The door closed.

Anna picked up the first scroll in the pile. It was from Lord Birfels of Abenfel. She began to read.

... You may recall when you were in Abenfel, Lady and Regent. that we had discussed the possible consorting of Lysara with Hoede, the son of Lord Dannel of Mossbach...

"In short." Anna murmured to herself, "we intend to marry off Lysara to Hoede immediately unless you come up with a better match. And better means someone with more lands and golds, not brains." She wondered if Dannel was as thickheaded as his youngest son. The problem was simple enough, but simple didn't mean solvable. Anna had started a school for fosterlings in the liedburg, which functioned as a combination capital and administrative center. Many of the lords of the Thirty-three regarded the fostering school as more of a matchmaking opportunity. Lysara was beautiful and bright, and would be totally miserable consorted to the stubborn, arrogant, and thickheaded Hoede. Unfortunately, Annadidn't have the faintest idea of who might be a better match. You mean you haven't had time to think about it.

What could she say? She set aside Birfels' scroll and picked up the next one- from Vyarl, the Lord and Rider of Heinene. She read quickly, but the scroll said little more than what Jecks had told her the night before about the gra.s.slands and the fires.

The next scroll was from Hadrenn, the self-styled Lord of Synek. whom she'd made one of the Thirty-three earlier in the year, effectively expanding Defalk's borders a good hundred and fifty deks eastward and probably increasing the territory under the Regency by close to twenty percent. If he and you can hold it against Bertmynn.

Hadrenn's words were to the point.

... the golds you have sent have allowed me to increase my armsmen by tenscore, but the usurper Bertmynn receives many more golds from both the Maitre of Sturinn and the Liedfuhr of Mansuur.... Already, Bertmynn's forces move south to take Elahwa from the Council of the Freewomen....

That meant that Ebra was split into three factions-the free-women apparently held the port city of Elahwa and at least some of the surrounding area; Bertmynn held the northeastern third; and Hadrenn the western third. Who or what the free-women were was another question to which she needed an answer. Anna nodded and set the scroll in the pile that required her to do something... when she could figure out what.

The next scroll was from Ustal, the elder son of the late Lord Vla.s.sa of Fussen.

Anna began to read, then winced, and forced herself to continue.

The Regent in Falcor, Greetings from Ustal, the son and sole heir of Lord Vla.s.sa of Fussen. For many years, Fussen has paid liedgeld it could sore afford, and received nothing in return, save drought, disruption, and the loss of levies at the Sand Pa.s.s. Thus, as heir to Lord Vla.s.sa, I must insist that the Regency use all its powers to ensure the rightful and traditional succession in Fussen.

If the Regency feels it cannot adjudicate and enforce the rightful succession, then I further must insist that Fussen be allowed to determine its own affairs...

Anna shook her head as she finished the scroll. After Ustal's scroll, Jecks or Dythya had set the one from Falar, the younger son of the late Lord Vla.s.sa of Fussen. Anna began to read it, gingerly.

To the Regent of Defalk, Sorceress of the Land, and Lady of Mencha, Your graciousness, with heavy heart and burdened conscience I send this missive.

Because you have sacrificed much for Defalk, and will doubtless sacrifice more in the years to come, your heart may also be heavy with the news of dissension about the succession in Fussen. Unlike others, I have been reluctant to address you, yet address you I must, not for my sake, but for the sake of the people of Fussen....

Anna smiled. Young Falar or his advisors were far from stupid.

... my elder brother has abused the trust of the people and squandered the substance of Fussen, so much so that the merchants and freeholders have requested that I seek the succession and pledged their lives and coins to that end....Anna's lips tightened. If... if what the scroll said was indeed true, matters were a mess in Fussen. Behind Falar's scroll were Jecks' responses-identical to each brother-stating that the Regent was returning from repairing the ford at Sorprat and would be addressing the concerns of the succession upon her return.

Anna nodded. She never had to tell Jecks anything twice. He's told you things twice... that he shouldn't have had to. Anna winced at the thought.

"Counselor Dythya," announced another page-Resor.

"Have her come in." Anna set down the scrolls, for the moment.

"Lady Anna." The gray-haired and stocky Dythya bowed as she entered the receiving room.

Anna nodded to the seat across the small conference/worktable from her. "Where do we stand with our golds?"

"I thought you might wish to know." Dythya smiled and extended a single sheet of parchment. "Those show what the liedstadt has received, and what remains in the treasury."

Anna looked at the precise black script numbers: six thousand golds from Cheor, three thousand from Suhl, two thousand from Stromwer, and two thousand from Dumar....

"Dumar owes another four thousand golds," Dythya pointed out.

"And we owe the Ranuan Exchange a thousand."

"Not until harvest."

"Have it sent now. We could use the goodwill."

"My lady..." Dythya cleared her throat. "About the accounts..."

Anna skipped to the bottom line... barely a thousand more than what her expeditions of submission and conquest had brought in. "You're going to tell me that we're spending more golds and that we're spending them faster than we planned?"

"Yes, lady."

"How much faster?" Anna's voice was wary. She took another swallow of the water.

Already the room felt stifling, despite the open window behind her.

"Almost four thousand golds more." Dythys eased a sheet of parchment across the table.

Anna scanned the listing. Nearly a thousand golds more in supplies for the liedburg-to replace food stocks and other things that Barjim had not. Anna had authorized that. Four hundred golds for wrought-iron stock for the weapons smith- whom they had to replace. Nearly a thousand golds in silvers paid to the armsmen who had followed and supported Anna in her campaign to subdue the rebellious Suhlmorran lords of Defalk and Lord Ehara of Dumar. Eight hundred golds for replacement mounts... Anna took a deep breath. She'd authorized most of the expenditures. "But after we pay every- thing, we still should have almost seven thousand more than at the beginning of summer."

"Six thousand if you pay the Ranuans, and you cannot count on the liedgeld being paid on time," Dythya pointed out."Only from Cheor, Elheld, and Mencha," Anna replied, adding after a pause, "and Stromwer, Suhl, Lerona, Abenfel, and Pamr."

A surprised look crossed Dythya's face, as if a quarter of the lords paying on time were a novelty. "That is true."

"But you're right," Anna replied. "We will be cutting it close. I still want to pay the Ranuans, though. If we, or any of the lords, have to borrow from them in the future, it might make it easier. We also may need allies, and a land that repays its debts is a better ally than one who doesn't." She paused. "If you would draft a scroll and make the arrangements with Arms Commander Hanfor to ensure the repayment reaches Encora safely?"

"Yes, lady."

"Also... perhaps you could draft a scroll to go with that party, and copies that could be sent elsewhere. We'll offer a twenty-gold bonus for weapons smith. Five golds after examination of his work, five golds after the first month, and ten golds after the first year."

Dythya nodded.

"How is the schooling going for the pages and fosterlings?"

"Well enough for most..." Dythya's voice was cautious.

"Except Hoede is becoming impossible?"

"He has difficulty with numbers. He has little interest in them, and less in learning them from a woman."

Anna shook her head sadly. "How about the others? What about Nelmor's heir- Tiersen, is it?"

"After the first weeks, he is fine. His sister had a word with him, I believe."

A smile crossed Dythya's lips.

Anna smiled as well. Had the timid Ytrude actually had the nerve to advise her brother? "Any other problems?"

"No. The others learn well. Some, like Cataryzna and Lysara, know as much as I do already, and even young Secca has begun to do complicated sums like the others. Skent is the best of the young men, but Jimbob works hard."

That the heir of Defalk worked hard was good, but Anna hoped at least some of the motivation was internal, rather than provided by his grandsire externally.

"Lord Jecks, lady," announced Resor.

Anna motioned for the white-haired lord to enter. "Will that be all?" asked Dythya, standing. "Just for now," Anna said. "I wanted to know how things stood before I started thinking about spending golds."

"Would that more rulers thought such, my lady," Jecks offered as he bowed to Anna.

Dythya bowed and slipped out of the receiving room. With Anna's gesture, Jecks took the seat the counselor had vacated.

"How am I supposed to deal with the mess in Fussen?" she asked him."As Regent, you must reach a decision about which will inherit-and quickly."

"I don't know either one."