"Stop that." Talon felt her cheeks flush again. "That's not it."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Talon. I don't blame you. She's a smart little thing, lots of spunk, and she's not bad to look at, either. Just be careful. That one's going to break your heart." Erinda rose to her feet before Talon could protest again. "Sounds like they're just about done in there," she said, jerking her thumb at the door. Talon could hear the sound of polite clapping, followed by chairs scraping against the floor. Erinda winked. "I'll see you tonight."

With that the busty little chambermaid trotted down the corridor, and Talon jumped up as the heavy oak door opened. The provincial viceroys began to pour out of the room, a few muttering under their breath while others seemed to be trying to hide amused smirks.

Talon waited for the Princess to emerge, which she did after a few moments. The King kissed his daughter briefly on the forehead, but Shasta did not return the gesture and marched stiffly down the corridor without a backward glance at her guardian. Talon followed behind as she always did until they had rounded the corner, and then Shasta suddenly stopped and leaned her forehead against the wall with a heavy sigh.

"Princess?" Talon inquired with concern.

Shasta turned to look at her with anger sparking in her amber eyes. "I'm beginning to understand why they don't like him," she spat bitterly. "You should hear the way he lets them talk to him, Talon, like he's some sort of nuisance who doesn't deserve to have an opinion in their affairs."

"You mean King Soltran?"

Shasta snorted. "He just lets them walk all over him, interrupt him, ignore every word he says. It's terrible. And Archduke Fickett...he's the one really running the show. He keeps throwing around my family's name like it puts him in charge." She dropped her voice into a screechy imitation of her great-uncle. "'As elder of the house of Rane, I say we should sacrifice small children to the barbarians of Dangar.'"

Talon snickered, but then realized the Princess wasn't smiling. "Wait, he actually made that a proposal?"

"That was the essence of it, yes. It was wrapped up in all sorts of fancy talk about building good foreign relations. I don't know, maybe I just didn't understand it, but that's sure what it sounded like to me. Half the other viceroys are just as bad, all with their own greedy plans to line their pockets at the expense of the Ithyrian people." Shasta put her hands to her head. "I know I'm not supposed to speak during these sessions, but all I wanted to do was stand up and say that as Crown Princess of the house of Rane I'm stripping every last one of them of their positions on the spot."

Talon lifted an eyebrow. "Why didn't you?"

"Because I don't have the power. Only the Ithyrian Regent can remove viceroys from their positions. And Father...Talon, I think he's too afraid of them." She closed her eyes, leaning back against the stone wall. "Today was the first time in my life I've ever been ashamed to be my father's daughter."

Talon didn't know what to say.

Shasta opened her eyes again. "I love him, Talon, but Goddess help me, I'm not going to let him condemn Ithyria into the hands of people like Fickett." She started walking again, heading for the turret steps. "I may detest Kumire, but if Father insists on keeping him around I'm going to learn everything I can from him. One day I'm going to clean up the mess these people have made of my kingdom."

Talon followed Shasta up the winding steps, considering the conviction in her charge's voice. It might not last. The Princess was prone to whims that flared brightly for a few days and then dissipated just as quickly. But somehow, this time, Talon was inclined to believe that Shasta meant every word.

As spring stretched on into summer, Shasta was determined to make good on her new resolution, devoting all her energy to her lessons. She even completed the extra assignments Kumire suggested and took on additional reading from the books in the palace library. She found that any time her enthusiasm for her studies would begin to wane, another court conference would take place. She always emerged from those meetings with renewed determination.

In autumn, King Soltran promoted Talon from corporal to the rank of second lieutenant, adding another gold bar to the collar of his uniform. This new rank came with new responsibilities, and Captain Vaughn began to bring some of the young recruits, still hoping to earn their own commissions, to the lesson hall so Talon could provide part of their training. Shasta overheard Vaughn tell the recruits that Talon had become an expert in battle theory, in command protocol, in nearly every aspect of a soldier's duties save actual combat experience. Usually a soldier of Talon's rank and experience would have been assigned to some field exercise by now, but as Shasta's guardian, Talon could not under any circumstances leave the palace.

It was Shasta herself who suggested a compromise. Every afternoon she accompanied Captain Vaughn and Talon on a ride across the grassy expanse of the southern moors. There she would sit atop her horse and watch her guardian and Captain Vaughn skulk around in the fields, hiding from imaginary enemies and planning survival tactics. She was greatly amused by the whole thing and teased Talon mercilessly throughout the exercises until one day Captain Vaughn threatened to pull her down off her horse and make her join them in the dirt.

That quickly sobered her up; Shasta had no desire whatsoever to go crawling around on the ground where there might be bugs or snakes or other undesirable creatures. Instead she spread a blanket on the grass where she could study, and their afternoon excursions often turned into an excuse for a picnic when Talon's training was done.

When the first snows began to fall, to Shasta's great disappointment, Captain Vaughn called a halt to their outdoor exercises. She knew there was no choice. She was forbidden exposure to the cold, dry winter air, and no one wanted a repeat of last winter's episode. Still, it meant the days dragged, and Shasta waited anxiously for the Winter Solstice celebration, the one part of the cold season that she actually looked forward to.

Traditionally, the Ithyrian royal family celebrated every Winter Solstice at the ancient Dervaughn estate on the bank of Indellus Lake, the biggest landlocked body of water in Ithyria. Three provinces formed its borders: Mondera to the northwest, Olsta to the south, and the capital province of Aster, where Ardrenn was located, to the northeast. The estate was owned by the exceedingly wealthy and traditionally royalist Dervaughn family. Captain Vaughn himself was a distant relative of the Dervaughns and accompanied the royal family every winter to the lake.

Talon disliked the annual visit, as it meant a long coach ride from the palace to the estate and a constant battle with the Princess over her health. She knew Shasta looked forward to the quarter-moon at Indellus because of the winter activities, sledding and ice skating, that the lake had to offer. It was the one time of the season that the court healer permitted her to spend time outdoors. But the Princess was still only allowed an hour in the snow at a time, and inevitably she was never ready to go inside when her time was up.

This winter, they were joined by an additional guest. Talon couldn't imagine how Chancellor Kumire had managed to get himself invited on the royal family outing, given his conduct, but it seemed like wherever they went, there he was, tagging along behind. The man was fast becoming Shasta's unwanted shadow.

Talon watched her own breath crystallize in midair as she crunched through the snow behind the Princess, carrying a large wooden sled on her back. The sled was not terribly heavy, certainly lighter than some of the feed sacks the Captain made her lug around during their exercises, but it was long and unwieldy, so she had to be careful not to lose her balance. Shasta was several steps ahead of her, a bounce in her step as she led the way to her favorite sledding hill. Talon had to grin in spite of herself. The past few moons of confinement indoors had been hard on her charge. Even at seventeen winters of age, Shasta had not lost her love of play, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for her to find an excuse for such activities.

By the time they reached the top of the hill there was a dull ache in Talon's shoulders, and looking down at the steep, snow-covered slope, she had the feeling she was going to be worn out by the end of the day. She swung the sled from her shoulders and set it down in the snow, then held out a hand and helped the Princess onto it.

Shasta tucked her skirts carefully around her legs so they would not get caught in the shiny runners, then flashed Talon a grin. "Push me?"

Talon gave the back of the sled a little shove, and the Princess squealed with glee as she flew down the side of the hill, slowing as the ground leveled. When the sled came to a stop, she stood and waved happily at Talon. Talon sighed. It's going to be a long day, she thought to herself as she carefully picked her way down to join the Princess at the bottom.

Shasta hopped onto the sled again and Talon picked up the rope, trudging back up the hill while pulling the sled behind her. She was lucky the Princess was such a small girl or her task would have been much more difficult. As it was, she felt slightly winded when they reached the top. Shasta jumped off to allow her to turn the sled around, but before she could settle herself for another ride, there came a hoot from the direction of the estate house.

Chancellor Kumire was waving at them enthusiastically while Bria clung to his arm and Lyris walked beside them. The Princess groaned. "Did they have to bring him along?"

"How's the snow, Your Highness?" Kumire asked cheerfully, his loud, nasal tone echoing in the still morning air. A little servant boy came puffing up behind, dragging two sleds with him, and deposited them at the top of the hill.

"It's lovely, Chancellor."

Talon could hear the irritation in Shasta's voice. Kumire's smile widened, revealing sharply pointed teeth on either side of his mouth.

"Will you ride with me, Highness?" he asked, indicating one of their sleds.

"Thank you, Chancellor, but...uh..." Talon was surprised when the Princess grabbed her arm. "Actually, I promised Talon he could ride with me today."

Obediently Talon helped the Princess onto the sled, then settled herself behind her, one long leg on either side. She spoke quietly into Shasta's ear. "Are you sure you wouldn't rather ride with the Chancellor, Highness?"

Shasta shot her a dirty glare and called, "See you at the bottom, Chancellor!"

With both of them on the sled it went much faster, and when they reached the base of the hill they glided quite a bit farther before coming to a stop. Shasta twisted to address Talon over her shoulder. "That's not funny. I don't want that man touching me."

"You'll hear no arguments from me." Talon got off the sled and grabbed the rope to pull her charge back to the top.

They made several more trips down and back, and Talon noticed with irritation that after Shasta's rejection, the chancellor had decided to ride with Bria. She could guess whose idea that had been. Her youngest sister's crush on Kumire showed no sign of abating any time soon. It seemed the more Talon argued with Bria about it, the more her sister seemed determined to flaunt it in her face.

Talon kept a close eye on the position of the winter sun, and after an hour it was time for Shasta to return to the estate to warm up. She let the Princess talk her into making one more run, and so she got on the sled behind Shasta and started them off. One corner of Shasta's skirts got loose this time, however, and as Shasta attempted to retrieve it so the fabric wouldn't be shredded beneath the sled runners, she accidentally threw off their balance. The sled tipped over just as they reached the bottom of the hill.

Talon tightened her grip and rolled to break the fall for the Princess, hitting the ground hard. When they stopped moving, she found herself lying in the snow on her back. The impact had temporarily knocked the wind out of her, and it took a moment to remember how to breathe. Shasta seemed to be all right, though she was unwittingly pinning Talon beneath her. "Oops," she said, blinking down at her.

Talon was suddenly very aware of the soft, gentle weight of Shasta's body pressing into her chest. She wiggled, but Shasta didn't move.

"I just noticed," the Princess said, "that you have very pretty eyelashes. They're so long and dark and curly. A woman would give anything for those lashes. How come the Goddess wasted them on a boy?" She peered closely at Talon's face. "You know, you're just too pretty for a boy altogether. That's just not fair."

Talon opened her mouth but couldn't think of a suitable reply. Instead, she grunted, "Um, Princess, if you wouldn't mind..."

"Oh. Sorry." Shasta rolled away so Talon could get up.

"We should go back to the main house now," Talon said, standing and brushing snow from her trousers.

Shasta sighed, but didn't argue, and Talon knew the Princess was getting tired. Not that she would admit it, of course. She took the rope and waited for Shasta to seat herself back on the sled before returning them to the top of the hill. On the way up, her mind flooded with worried thoughts. The last thing she needed was to arouse the Princess's suspicions about her gender. She wondered if it was possible to cut one's own eyelashes, or thin them out at least; anything to avoid drawing attention to them again. It was a bizarre thought.

"We're going in," Shasta called to her companions. "You coming?"

"I will," Lyris said, but Talon watched Bria meet the chancellor's eyes.

Smugly, he announced, "Bria and I will stay out here for a little longer."

"Suit yourself." Talon picked up the sled, swung it over one shoulder, and started walking.

Shasta trotted up behind her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Talon, are you sure you want to leave Bria alone with him? After what he...you know."

Talon shrugged. "Bria's sixteen. She's old enough to make her own mistakes." But her voice was tight. Stupid, irresponsible girl. I'm tired of fighting with her. She wants to be alone with the chancellor, fine. It would serve her right if he did try to take advantage of her. She ground her teeth. Of course, then I'll have to kill him.

As the Princess and her sisters left, Bria batted her eyes playfully at Kumire. "Another ride, Chancellor?"

His gaze was fixed on Shasta, who was happily marching away alongside her tall protector.

Bria reached up and placed a hand to Kumire's face. "Forget about her, Chancellor. She doesn't know a good man when she sees one." Her eyes flickered from his face down the length of his body, then back up again. "I, on the other hand," she leaned into him while running a hand up the inside of his thigh suggestively, "can fully appreciate your many excellent qualities." She began to unfasten the buttons on the front of his trousers.

"Bria, now is not the time..."

"They won't be back for a while." She slid a hand through the opening and heard his sharp intake of breath as her fingers found their mark with little difficulty. His eyes fluttered closed involuntarily. "I'm going to make you forget all about her. I don't want you thinking of anyone but me."

"You're too young," the chancellor panted as her strokes picked up rhythm.

"That's never stopped you before." She nuzzled his neck sweetly without ceasing the motion of her hand. He stopped protesting, and Bria grinned. Shasta might be the Princess of Ithyria, but she couldn't have Kumire. Bria was determined that, in the end, the chancellor would belong to only her. She was very good at getting what she wanted.

Chapter Eleven.

On the night of the Winter Solstice, the Princess and her two ladies-in-waiting sat in the great room of the Dervaughn estate, the floor littered with ribbons and bright scraps of fabric. It was Solstice tradition to exchange gifts with family and friends, and so the evening had passed in squeals of delight as the girls unwrapped packages of jewelry and perfumes, small toys and sweet breads. The King was always most generous, not only showering his beloved daughter with presents but ensuring that Talon and her sisters received gifts as well.

Talon lounged on the floor before the fire, admiring the finely crafted silver sheath Soltran had commissioned especially to fit the ever-present sword she wore at her hip. The metal guard was much nicer than the leather one that was standard issue for soldiers, and she noted with a trace of amusement that the King had the silver engraved with a swirling pattern that was faintly feminine. She slid her sword blade in and out of the sheath a few times, appreciating the close fit of the metal. It was extremely well made.

She looked up as Lyris suddenly rose from her spot by the Princess's chair and bowed before the King. "Your Majesty has been most kind to us. I do not know how we could ever hope to thank you for your thoughtfulness."

Soltran smiled back at her and inclined his head. "You are most welcome, Lady Lyris." Shasta had bestowed both sisters with this new honorific, insistent that since all other members of court bore titles, her ladies-in-waiting should be granted them as well.

"Your Majesty, if I may..." Lyris bit her lip. "I have a request to make of you." Talon lifted her eyebrows. Lyris never asked anyone for anything.

The King also seemed surprised, and he leaned forward in his chair. "A request? Well, it is Solstice, and I am in a generous mood. Now is a good time to ask a favor."

"I would like..." Lyris twisted her fingers nervously. "That is, with your permission, I would like to take vows at the Ithyrian temple."

Talon's jaw dropped, and hers was not the only one. "What?" she and Shasta exclaimed, in near-perfect unison.

Lyris blushed, but did not look away. "I have thought very hard about this, Majesty. Since the day we first came to attend the Princess in the palace, I have felt a pull within me. A calling, if you will. I have come to love the Goddess with all my heart, and I wish to serve in Her temple."

Shasta blinked. "You want to be an Ithyrian priestess?" she asked incredulously.

"With the King's permission, yes."

"You would choose the Goddess's service over my daughter's?" the King asked.

"I did not mean it that way, Majesty," Lyris said. "I love attending Princess Shasta. I have never been so happy in all my life as I have been these winters in her service. But in gratitude to Your Majesty for the wondrous kindness you have shown us, it seems right that we should follow Ithyrian tradition. Talon is dedicated to service in the royal guard, and I, as the eldest daughter of our family," there was a note of irony in her voice that only her siblings and the King understood, "would like to dedicate myself to the Goddess." Her dark eyes shone. "But more than this, Majesty, I feel called to the Goddess's service in a way that is difficult to explain. I am meant to serve Her. I feel certain of it."

"You are only a moon or so older than Shasta, are you not?"

"Yes, Majesty."

"Which means you will reach eighteen winters in less than a half-moon. You are aware that most of those who enter Ithyris's service have already completed their winter of pledge by their eighteenth birthday?"

Lyris dropped her eyes shyly. "I have spoken with the high priestess at the palace temple, Majesty. She says that if I enter the pledge on my eighteenth birthday, it will not be too late for me to take vows when I become nineteen."

"I see." The King drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair. "I have been told that when a girl is meant to serve the Goddess, she does indeed feel a calling, as you described it. And yours, Lady Lyris, must be particularly strong for such a modest girl to summon the courage to ask me for it." Lyris flushed again, and he chuckled. "You and your brother and sister have served me well, as well as any Ithyrian family. I am inclined to grant your request. But there will be a condition." The King turned and looked at Talon, his deep blue eyes piercing. "During your time of pledge you will continue to attend to the Princess, and once you have taken vows you must not leave the palace temple to serve elsewhere."

Slight confusion appeared on Lyris's face, but she did not ask for an explanation. Talon understood well, however, and gave the King a nearly imperceptible nod to show she comprehended his meaning. The King would allow Lyris to become a priestess if that was her wish, but she had to remain on the palace grounds as insurance on the Princess's life. Soltran had not forgotten the terms of their agreement. Shasta's life was tied to those of Talon's sisters, even if they did not know it, and not even status as an Ithyrian priestess would exempt Lyris from the consequences should anything befall the Princess.

Lyris curtsied deeply. "Your Majesty, if that is your wish I will gladly obey and remain at the palace temple as long as you desire."

Soltran inclined his head. "Very well. Lady Lyris, you may have my permission to pursue a life of dedication to the Goddess."

Talon had never seen her sister look so happy, but her own feelings were a jumble. She was incredibly proud of her sister's courage and grace. But she was also afraid for her. Talon knew what dedication the life of a priestess required. Lyris was going to give up her family identity. She would belong only to the Goddess. If that was her desire then Talon would be happy for her, but she was going to miss her gentle, soft-spoken sister. After taking vows, Lyris would no longer be her sister by anything but blood.

She must have looked more pensive than she realized, because suddenly Lyris was kneeling beside her, searching her face with dark eyes. "Talon, are you all right? You don't mind, do you?"

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

Her sister nodded emphatically. "More than anything."

"Then you have my blessing."

Lyris threw her arms around Talon's neck and kissed her cheek. "You're the best brother in the world, you know that." She gave a little wink and Talon chuckled.

"I do my best."

Later that night, as Talon lay on the carpeted floor beside the Princess's bed in a guest room of the Dervaughn estate, Shasta peered over the edge of the mattress. "Did you know Lyris was going to do that?"

Talon shook her head. "I was just as surprised as you were."

"I wonder why she'd want to be a priestess," Shasta mused. "I mean, she could never get married, or have children, or do anything fun. She'll have to spend all day inside swinging incense burners and chanting prayers. What kind of a life is that?"

"Doesn't sound like much fun to me either, but..." Talon shrugged. "I guess that's what she wants. Lyris has always been a quiet sort of person. I think she'll be happy serving Ithyris."