Inos sniggered, then became suddenly wistful. “Oh, we can win a point or two, now and then. But it still isn’t fair.”
“No, it isn’t. What are you going to do about it?”
“Oh! I’ve just made an epochal discovery, haven’t I? Inosolan’s Guide to the Universe! I suppose everyone sees it in her time! Did you experience the same shattering revelation at my age?”
“I was older than you, I think. But it is the way of the world, and we must just play the cards we are dealt.”
“Or refuse to play at all?”
Kadolan sighed quite genuinely. “No, my dear. That is not an option—not for anyone, and especially not for you. And even if the rules are unfair, all we can hope is that everyone plays honestly.”
Inos showed her teeth. “I’ll keep them honest!”
Overconfidence would be her next danger, of course. Regretfully Kadolan decided that she would have to be frank, although she hated to hazard this precious bridge of trust and understanding they had so painfully built to each other. But now the stakes were high, time was very short, and the perils great. She reached out to the sketch book on Inos’s lap and turned back the page that Inos had so casually flipped just before seeming to notice her aunt’s approach.
The big clock tick-tocked, tick-tocked, thin-slicing eternity.
Kade said, “It’s a very good likeness, my dear. I had not realized how talented you were.”
Inos was scarlet, eyes glinting furiously. She did not speak.
“Tell me about him.”
“I love him.”
“Yes, I think you do. But tell me about him.”
“What more is there to tell?” Inos was hurt now, and angry, and defensive. “What else matters?”
“Quite a lot, dear. You see, Sir Andor was a mistake.”
Inos drew a deep breath, and Kade interrupted before emotion could provoke indiscretion.
“I mean that he was not invited here to meet you. He was not invited here to meet anyone. He was not invited here at all, Inos. He brought letters of introduction, of course. It was the duke who asked him to stay.”
“Oh.” Inos was far from stupid. She smiled triumphantly. “So it was chance? Not the dowager dragon? The Gods intervened!”
“Possibly. The trouble is… his letters were signed by some very odd people. His Grace has many curious friends for a man of his rank—artists and builders. The nobility write introductions for one another all the time, of course, but one of Sir Andor’s references came from an artist, and another from a scholar. Most nobles would not accept such letters.”
“And the others?”
“From quite minor gentry. Ekka has been making inquiries. They now admit that they hardly know him.”
A dangerous frown came over her niece’s face. “Are you suggesting that Sir Andor is a fraud? An imposter? Because—”
“I’m not suggesting any such thing, Inos. You spent five weeks in each other’s company. You must have talked about yourselves. So you tell me about him.”
Inos turned away quickly to stare at the window. Her hands moved restlessly. “He had to leave upon a matter of honor. It may be dangerous, he said. But he promised to return, and I certainly trust—”
“That wasn’t what I asked, dear.” Kade spoke softly, treading gently. “Who is his father? Does his family have money? Land? Titles?”
Looking suddenly much younger—looking rather like a cornered fawn—Inos said, “Those things do not matter!”
“They do not matter very much, I agree. A good man is a good man, and I believe that your father might even accept a commoner, if he was a man of honor and good qualities. But they may matter if Sir Andor deliberately set out to win the heart of a princess by pretending to be something other than what he is.”
“He did. Did win the heart of a princess.”
“Then it does matter. Inos, you must see that?”
Again Inos turned her head to study the snowy scene beyond the casement, the drifting flakes. The big pendulum behind her stroked more seconds off their lives.
“Yes,” she said at last. “I see. I do see, now. I don’t know—he told me nothing about his family.”
“You did not ask?”
“No. I didn’t. I would now, I think… He is knowledgeable, very well traveled. He has had very wide experience. And charm! Oh, Aunt, you must admit he has charm!”
“Mountains of charm! Ranges of mountains of charm. Very good company, I agree. Krasnegar would be a much brighter place with Andor there.”
“Even the jotnar would like him! In a week he would have the rock itself turning cartwheels.”
“Polar bears would bring him the catch of the day.” That had been a childhood joke between Kade and Holi.
Inos missed it. “He is obviously a gentleman.”
“Obviously he acted like a gentleman while he was here.”
Inos blushed furiously. “Yes, he did!”
“I did not mean it that way, dear. He did not say when he would return?”
“No. But he will! I am certain.”
“Then we must just wait, I suppose.”
“And meanwhile keep the parade going?”
“Ekka says she has almost run out of candidates.”
“Good!”
Kadolan bit her lip. Obviously this conversation had served its purpose and should now be drawn to a close, but she had one more necessary spoonful of wisdom to administer. It also would hurt, but better to hurt more now, while Inos was already upset, than to wound her again on another occasion. Still no word had come from Krasnegar, and there should have been something. It would not be fair to burden Inos with mere suspicions—and Kade kept reminding herself that they were only suspicions—but time might well be running out, and the child had perhaps forgotten the stakes in this game she was being forced to play.
“How do you judge, my dear?”
Inos frowned. “Judge what?”
“Whom. How do you judge the candidates? Against Sir Andor?”
“Against Father.”
That could never be true. “Then you are comparing very young men in a difficult and unfamiliar setting against a mature king in his own kingdom. Is that fair?”
“Is it fair that I should have to judge at all?”
The situation was hopeless. Holindarn had insisted that his daughter be allowed to choose, and obviously she would have the Andor man or no one, and the Andor man was not available. Maybe in another year or so, when she had grown up more and had time to forget that first awesome flash of romance… all of which was exactly what Kade had told Ekka half an hour ago.
She sighed and rose. “Just be grateful that you have the chance to judge at all, dear.”
“Is that a threat?” Inos was reaching for her anger.
“Of course not. I’m trying to give you a warning: Remember what your father said.”
The anger was held back, momentarily. “About what?”
“About war. If the Impire and Nordland went to war over Krasnegar… whichever side won, do you think you would be allowed to choose a husband then?”
But Inos had not forgotten the stakes. The Kinvale lacquer cracked to show the frightened child hiding under the ladylike decorum. “Ah, yes! What a pity Thane Kalkor is married! What a pity you and Ekka can’t invite him here, also, so you could parade me around in front of that one!”
Kade had no need to fake a shudder. “His manners would be the problem, dear, not his marriage. If he fancied you, then he’d just give his current wife to one of his churls and take you in her place. They do that all the time.”
7