TIME BEFORE DAWN—SHE WASNT SURE WHAT HOUR IT was—Dianora rose from bed and walked to the windows overlooking her baly. In the end, she had not slept all night. her, as it happened, had her brother, a very long way to the south, fighting in the Ember war and then sharing the beginning of spring on a hilltop won from the Darkness.
She herself had shared nothing with ahat night, lying alone in her bed, visited by ghosts and memories. Now she looked out upon a cold darkhat had little in it of springtime or the promise of growth to e. The late stars still shohough the moon had long si. A wind blew in from off the sea. She could just make out the banners flapping from the masts of the ships in the harbor beyond the Ring Dive pier.
One of those ships was newly in from Ygrath. It had carried Isolla the singer here. It would not carry her back.
"Khav, my lady?" Scelto said quietly from behind her.
She nodded without turning. "Please. And then e sit with me, we have something to talk about.」
If she moved quickly enough, she thought, if she set it all in motion without giving herself time for hesitation or fear, she might possibly do this thing. Otherwise she was lost.
She could hear Scelto bustling effitly in the small kit that art of her suite of rooms.
The fire had bee going all night. Ygrath might not observe the same spring and autumn rituals as the Palm, but Brandin had seldom interfered with local s ion, and Dianora never lit a new flame on any of the Ember Days. her did most of the women in the saishan, if it came to that. The eastern wing of the palace would be a dark place after su for two more nights.
She thought about stepping out on the baly, but it looked much too cold. There were no signs of life yet down below. She thought about a di Chiara. At suhey would probably bring him out, his bones broken, to die on a wheel in the sight of the people. She turned her mind away from that image too.
"Here is the khav," Scelto said. "I made it very strong," he added awkwardly.
She did turn at that, and her heart ached a little to see the helpless worry in his eyes. She knew how he would have grieved for her last night. The marks of sleeplessness were in his face; she supposed they were in her own as well. She could guess how she must look this m. She forced a smile and accepted the mug he offered. It was warm to her hand and f, even before she drank.
She sat in one of the chairs by the window and motioned him to the other. He hesitated a moment and then sat down. She was silent, weighing her words. She realized, abruptly, that she had no idea how to do this subtly. So much, she thought wryly, for the ical manipulator of the court.
Taking a deep breath, she said, "Scelto, I o be out on the mountain this m alone. I know all of the difficulties, but I have my reasons and they are important. How we arra?」
His smooth brow furrowed. He said nothing though, and she realized that he was thinking about an ao her question, n to judge or uand it. She had feared a different sort of rea, but realized, belatedly, that she should not have. Never with him.
He said, "It will depend oher they do the mountain run today.」
Her heart swelled with love for him. He hadnt even asked her reasons. "Why would they not run it?」
she asked stupidly, and realized the answer even as he replied.
"a," he said. "I dont know if the King will allow the spring run on the same d