§ A troubled look darkened the viscount’s face as he struggled with my question. Rather than wait on his delayed answer, I gave my reasoning. “We already discussed this, My Lord. Mr. Beretin, who was in charge of riverfront shipping inspections, is a close relative of the viscount of a territory with ports convenient for transferring smuggled goods from Tain …

§ As I hurried behind the very rapid Rod, I fussed at him for not answering my question. “No time,” is the only reply I received as we all but ran the length of the Solar, from my desk at one end to the War Room (what would normally be my private dining room) at the other. As we passed …

§ I didn’t get to read through Mother’s notebook for Inda before Amalis reported to the castle. I barely had time to review Amana’s report of her overnight investigation, then flip to the Viscount’s information in the notebook to skim through it while he waited for me in the solarium. That was my own fault, though. I took much time …

§ I’ve mentioned this previously, but I don’t need nearly as much sleep as a mortal. The circadian rhythm of both fairies and vampires is highly syncopated. Their sleep/wake cycle has neither a relationship to day and night nor any set rules as to the length or limits, and few fairies have an established sleeping habit. It can only be …

§ Rhea, in possession of Mireia’s body, waited for our response with the same mild smile she had worn since she entered the room. Rod and I exchanged glances, but he showed confusion and displeasure rather than my anxious frown. Her words were cause for alarm to my ears, but I realized that I had not explained the situation to Rod. …

§ For the record, Amana did apologize for trying to ground me. It seems she’s been raising Inda’s daughter and son, an incredibly rare pair of fairy twins, and the words had come out by reflex. They’re in their thirties, but that’s still children by fairy standards.  When we parted for the evening, she promised to bring them to the …

§ Rod agreed in the end, but we didn’t go immediately to ask Mireia, for two different reasons. First, she wasn’t present. She had convinced Rod to let her go to the attack site, the destroyed Narses Army Headquarters, to use her healing powers on the many still in need of care. And second, I needed to brief Amana about …

§ My troublesome fiance wasn’t beside himself for long. He stopped once I grabbed his wrists (thus taking control of the hands currently gripping my shoulders) and hissed under my breath, “Your Highness, my maids are present!” My lady’s maid Genette had been watching with polite amusement– she was already acquainted with my emotional fiancé– but the two chamber maids …

§ I have developed a liturgy of sorts, a ritual of all the things I need to do before entering into combat. I draw Durandal and a magic focus (the Starfire Jade Writing Brush, this time), I inform him whether he’s going to shield automatically or wait for me to call it out, and I begin the [Body Fortification] skill …

§ “Big Sis fast fast!” I received this faint praise from my little sister as she flew upside-down with her arms crossed behind her head while looking up at me. It made it difficult not to believe she was making fun of me. “You could at least pretend that you have to make an effort at this speed!” I retorted. …