seventeen and she’s quite nice. Her full name is Advantage, but she thinks it’s too long. She’s very friendly and tells funny stories and, well, I don’t know, she’s just more comfortable to be around than most girls. She doesn’t always seem to be, you know, so aware that she is a girl. She acts just like anybody else. Lord Shemshy of Shoaks is her uncle.’ He shrugged a shoulder, dismissing my concern over who she was. ‘Anyway, she wanted to play, and even when I warned her that she’d likely lose the first few games, she said she didn’t care, that in fact if I would play her five straight games, she’d wager she’d win at least two of them. One of her friends overheard that and came close to the table, and asked what the wager was on the bet. And Lady Vance said that if she won, she wanted me to go riding with her on the morrow – that’s today – and that if I won, well, I could name my own stakes. And the way she said it was, well, daring me to make her bet something that might be a bit, well, improper or …’
‘Like a kiss,’ I suggested, my heart sinking. ‘Or something of that sort.’
‘You know I wouldn’t go that far!’
‘So how far did you go?’ Did Chade know anything of this? Or Kettricken? How late last night had it happened? And how much wine had been involved?
‘I said if she lost, she had to bring breakfast for Civil and me to Mirror Hall and serve it to us herself, owning up that what had been said earlier was true, that Stones is not a game that a girl can master.’
‘What? Dutiful, this game was taught to me by a woman!’
‘Well –’ He had the grace to look uncomfortable. ‘I didn’t know that. You had said it was part of your Skill-training. I thought my father had taught it to you. So … wait. Then a woman helped train you in the Skill? I’d thought it had only been my father who taught you.’
I cursed my carelessness. ‘Leave that,’ I commanded him crossly. ‘Finish your story.’
He snorted, and gave me a glance that promised he’d come back to his question later. ‘Very well. And besides, it wasn’t me who said that to Elliania, it was Civil, and –’
‘Said what to Elliania?’ Dread clutched at me.
‘That it wasn’t a game for a girl’s mind. Civil said it to her. Civil and I were playing, and she came up and said that she’d like to learn. But … well, Civil doesn’t like Elliania much. He says she is just like Sydel, that girl who insulted him and trampled his feelings, that Elliania is only interested in making a good match. So. He doesn’t like her to stand near us when we talk or are playing games of chance.’ He flinched before my scowl, and added grumpily, ‘Well, she’s not like Lady Vance. Elliania is always being a girl, she’s always so aware of what are proper manners and what courtesies are due between folk. She’s so correct that she’s always wrong. If you see what I mean?’
‘It sounds to me as if she is a foreigner at the court, intent on complying with our customs. But go on with the story.’
‘Well. Civil knows that about her, that she always strives to be absolutely correct in her manners. So he knew that the fastest way to be rid of her was to tell her that in the Six Duchies, Stones was considered a man’s occupation. He explained it to her in a way that seemed like he was being kind, but at the same time it was horribly funny, in a cruel sort of way, because she doesn’t know our language or our customs well enough to realize how ridiculous his excuse was … Don’t look at me like that, Tom. I didn’t do it. And once he had begun to do it, there was no way I could put a stop to it without making it worse. So. Anyway. He had told her that the Stone game wasn’t for girls, and Elliania had left us and gone off to stand near her uncle’s shoulder. He was playing toss-bones with her father, at a table on the other side of the hall. So. She wasn’t anywhere near us when Lady Vance sat down. Well. I set up the game and we began to play. The first two games went exactly as I had supposed they would. On the third game, I made a silly mistake, and she won. The fourth game, I won. And now – I think I deserve credit for this – halfway through the fifth game, I realized how it might be seen as improper when she lost if she actually did come to serve breakfast to Civil and me. I mean, even Duke Shemshy might see it as an insult, his niece acting as a servant to us, even if it didn’t bother Elliania or Mother. So. I decided it might be better to let her win. I’d still have to take her riding, but I could make sure there were others with us, perhaps even Elliania.’
‘So you let her win.’ I said the words heavily.
‘Yes. I did. And by then, because she had been quite excited when she won the third game, laughing and shouting and calling out to all that she had bested me, well, by then there was quite a group of people gathered around us, watching us play. So, when she won the final game, she was crowing over her victory, and one of her friends said to me, “Well, my lord, it seems you were badly mistaken earlier when you said this was not a game a girl could master.” And I said … I only meant to be clever, Tom, I swear, not to offer insult. I said –’
‘What did you say?’ I asked harshly as he faltered.
‘Only that no girl could master it, but perhaps a beautiful woman could. And everyone laughed, and lifted glasses to drink a toast to that. So we drank, and then it was cups down. And only then did I realize that Elliania was standing there, at the edge of the crowd. She hadn’t drunk with us, and she didn’t say a word. She just stared at me, with her face very still. Then she turned and walked away. I don’t know what she said to her uncle, but he stood up immediately and gave over the game to her father, even though there was quite a stack of coins riding on the outcome. And the two of them left the gaming hall and went directly to their chambers.’
I leaned back in my chair, striving to think my way through it. Then I shook my head and asked, ‘Does your lady mother know of this yet?’
He sighed. ‘I do not think so. She excused herself early from the gaming last night.’
‘Or Chade.’
He winced, already dreading the councillor’s opinion of his rashness. ‘No. He, too, left the tables early. He seems weary and distracted of late.’
Too well did I know that. I shook my head slowly. ‘This is not something that can be solved with the Skill, lad. Wiser to take it immediately to those who know diplomacy the best. And then do whatever they say.’
‘What do you think they will demand of me?’ There was dread in his voice.
‘I don’t know. I think a direct apology might be a mistake; it would only confirm that you had insulted her. But … oh, I don’t know, Dutiful. Diplomacy has never been my talent. But perhaps Chade will know something you can do. Some special attention from you to confirm that you do think Elliania is beautiful and a woman.’
‘But I don’t.’
I ignored his bitter little contradiction. ‘And above all, do not go out riding alone with Lady Vance. I suspect you’d be wise to avoid her company entirely.’
He slapped his hand on the table in frustration. ‘I can’t back out of paying my wager!’
‘Then go,’ I snapped. ‘But if I were you, I’d be sure that Elliania rode at my side, and that your conversation was with her. If Civil is as good a friend as you say he is, perhaps he can help you. Ask him to distract Lady Vance’s attention from you, make it appear as if he is the one accompanying her on the ride.’
‘What if I don’t want her attention distracted from me?’
Now he sounded simply stubborn and contrary, as vexing as Hap the last time I had seen him. I simply looked at him, flat and level, until he cast his eyes aside. ‘You’d best go now,’ I told him.
‘Will you go with me?’ His voice was very soft. ‘To speak to Mother and Chade?’
‘You know I cannot. And even if I could, I think you’d best do this on your own.’
He cleared his throat. ‘This morning, when we ride. Will you go with me then?’
I