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My irritation spikes again How dare he dis us We have to fight lest we be overrun by people ant to steal the grain out of our fields and the gold and iron froh he starts cli, and Iin where the spear-butt jabbed me

"I mean no disrespect to your father, the hero of Maldine But it isn’t that si and queen fled the eo"

"Yes, I know That hen the last emperor was murdered and the eht are really just our distant cousins, the ones who stayed behind and built the kingdoms of Saro-Urok, West Saro, and East Saro out of the old e family quarrel" He waves a hand airily "The point is, I’ll never be allowed to learn what I need at my family’s Fives stable"

"Why not?"

"Because my uncle doesn’t want me to run the Fives Unlike your father with you, he can’t stop randmother allows it But the trainers at Garon Stable knoill displease hiainst his wishes"

"You feel trapped too!" I say eagerly as I forget I aazesflashes between us "Please tell "

We reach the top of the stairs, which give onto the prouard every avenue that leads off the terrace into the city Patron carriages are lined up, waiting to be given permission to exit Everyone looks nervous

Ae next to Polodos He surreptitiously slips a folded scrap of paper to her Can stolid, boring Polodos possibly be Amaya’s secret suitor, the one rites execrable paeans to her beauty on scented rice paper?

The brush of Kalliarkos’s fingers on my elbow jolts me

"Please," he says "I know you understand"

"I do understand" I a to him when Father told me not to "But you see how it is with irls and women run the Fives"