Acen made sure I was presentable, going so far as to run a comb through my hair for me, as if I couldn't do it myself. He wore his formal guarding outfit, complete with three knives and his sword. Three visible knives, at least. As he led the way through the castle, I eyed him, trying to see if I could find any more knives hidden away.

Acen knocked on Tannix's door to announce our arrival, and entered without waiting for a reply. Tannix was standing by a floor length mirror, looking at himself. His reflection glanced at us briefly. "Acen, finally. Do you think this is right?"

He was wearing a long, dark blue top that seemed like a mix of tunic and jacket. A line of gold buttons ran down the jacket, just off centre. The bottom hem was cut at a slant. Underneath he was wearing white pants, and his usual boots had been replaced by white shoes.

"I don't think you could possibly wear that wrong," Acen said. "It doesn't look very complicated."

"No, but..." Tannix turned back to his mirror and fiddled with the end of the long sleeves. "It feels... stifling. If I was attacked while wearing this, I doubt I could properly swing a sword."

"Well, that happens to be exactly why I'm here. Not every noble is so eager to jump to his own defense."

"You look incredible," I chimed in, because he truly did. The jacket had been tailored perfectly.

The material glittered when he turned around again. "You always think that."

"I'm never wrong."

"Enough," Acen interrupted. "Managing you two is quickly becoming the hardest part of my job, isn't it? Tannix, stop playing with your sleeve. It's fine."

"I—Oh, I have something for you, actually. Both of you." Tannix went to the table and unfolded a bundle of cloth. There were eight cloak pins, made of bright, white silver. The front face of the pins was shaped like a wave, decorated with flecks of light blue. "I know it looks like water, but it's supposed to be wind. Their patron goddess is Virie." Tannix looked at me. "I can't remember her Zian name."

"Kitsa," I said. The pins were beautiful, but I couldn't help but note that there were eight. One for each of the knights.

"They're incredible." Acen gently picked one up and replaced the plain pin he had already been wearing.

Tannix lifted up another piece of cloth to reveal a silver bracelet, studded with the same blue flecks as the pins. "It reminded me of that red one you used to wear," he explained, as he offered it to me. "What happened to it?"

"I gave it to Ninavi." The bracelet was very similar to my red one—a hard circle of metal that I had to slip over my wrist. I slid it over my left wrist, exactly where I had worn the red one. "After you gave me that blue cloak. I didn't think it would match. Thank you, it's perfect. Did you get a gift, too? I mean, besides the clothes."

"I'm surprised you haven't noticed."

Suddenly it occurred to me that he had two rings on his left hand instead of the usual one. I grabbed his hand to get a closer look. The champion ring, with its white rectangular stone, was on his middle finger. The new ring was on his pinky. It was gold, with an engraving that looked Navirian around the band. A circular piece of the same blue decoration sat on top. It was a little larger than the pieces on the pins or my bracelet, so I had my first good look at it. It was unlike any stone I had ever seen—an iridescent swirl of colour that was mostly blue and black. As I tilted Tannix's hand to catch the light differently, part of it shimmered green and purple.

"What kind of stone is this?"

Tannix was unfazed by my manhandling of his hand. "It's a type of shell, actually."

"Oh. What does the writing say?"

"That I'm a friend to Navire, apparently." Tannix pulled his hand away from me. "I'll let you inspect it later. We're going to be late for dinner."

A Navirian guard led us to the surprisingly small dining room. Enormous windows dominated one wall, showing a wonderful view of the lake. Queen Navire and Mayah were already sitting across from each other at the square table. A servant pulled out the chair beside Mayah, and Tannix went to sit down. Unsure of why I had been invited, I trailed after Acen and stood against the wall beside him.

Food was served, and the three of them started talking idly. Not about the war or politics, but smaller, boring things. I quickly lost interest, and resorted to my usual game of trying to imitate the knight I was standing with. Acen stood with his left hand resting on his sword pommel, and his right arm down at his side. Without a sword it wasn't a stance I could copy. So I watched the way his gaze constantly moved around the room. To the doors, to the windows, to the nobles, to the other guards, back to the doors, and around again. He looked at everything.

The fourth or fifth time I looked around the room, a girl by the servants' door waved at me. Acen saw her as well, and gave me a subtle nod. Quietly, I walked across the room to join her. She pressed a tall glass decanter into my hands. The alcohol inside was golden.

"Ovaisi," she said. It could have been the name of the drink, or a Navirian word. I had no idea. "Lady Talidor. Lord Jandor." She mimed pouring.

"Lord West Draulin," I said quietly. Tannix wouldn't appreciate being known as the lord of the entire island. In practice, he did hold more power than the other families on New Teltar. That didn't mean he would like the title.

The girl shrugged, then picked up a second identical decanter from a cart behind her. "Queen Navire. Same." She waved her hand between the two decanters. "Need help."

"I can help."

She smiled, and walked towards the table. I followed her, and immediately realized how much I hated it. When I stood against the wall with the guards, I was invisible. Being in the middle of the room meant every guard was watching me.

The servant stepped beside the Queen and reached for her chalice, but the Queen waved at her to stop. She spoke in Navirian softly. The girl blushed, dipped in a brief curtsy, and moved around the table to serve Mayah.

Tannix, watching the exchange, didn't realize I was there until I was nearly done pouring his drink. He turned, and we startled each other. Confusion flittered across his face, and my hand shook just enough to spill some of the drink on the tablecloth.

"You're not a servant."

I froze, not sure how to reply, or even how to address him in front of the Queen.

The Queen spoke up, saving me having to answer. "My servant thought he was here to serve you. The rest of the ovaisi is for me, if you wouldn't mind." She picked up her chalice and held it towards me. "I apologize for any confusion. My servant was serving me from a different decanter, because that is the tradition. But I realized, given current circumstances, it might be seen as a slight. Therefore, Lady Mayah can have my ovaisi, and Lord Tandrix and I will share. If there is poison, Lord Tandrix, we will die together."

The Queen's eyes hadn't left me. Silently, I poured the rest of the golden liquid into her chalice. I was hit with the suddenly absurdity of my situation. I was a Zian criminal. I wasn't supposed to be face to face with a foreign Queen.

When I was done, she smiled and lifted the chalice to her lips for a sip. Her gaze kept me locked in place. She was nothing like Tandrin. In my mind Tandrin was Tannix's brother, and being King Zianna was an afterthought. Even our previous king paled in comparison.

Tannix tried to free me. I heard him, but he sounded distant. "Finn, you can—"

"Finagale," the Queen interrupted. "My court is quite taken with you. Not many Teltish lords keep Zian thieves in their retinue. I have heard of the knights' duels and contests in the barracks. It sounds like Lord Tandrix keeps very talented company. What is your place in it? Are you a spy?"

I shook my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tannix pick up his chalice and take a large gulp of ovaisi. He wasn't going to be any help.

"No, your majesty." I tried to imagine her as a woman in Zianna. Or even as one of her women knights, like Angelys or Valari. "I was a thief. I'm not one anymore."

"You were not trained for this role? I thought it might be a specialized job. Some sort of unique branch of spy work."

"My childhood trained me to a be a thief," I said. "It was how I survived. When Lord Tandrix hired me, I didn't need to steal to live anymore."

"Why did he hire you?" the Queen asked.

With a clatter, Tannix put down his fork and knife. "To save him, and because I saw potential. Finn is being humble. He is still a thief. In Deorun, he used his skills to free us from prison. Then, he stole a ship so we could escape from the city. His exact place might be hard to define, but he is indispensable."

"Hmm... and Finagale, what do you think about everything Lord Tandrix has said? You were there when he addressed my whole court. What are your thoughts about his claims? As a Zian, not as a friend."

I couldn't think about Tannix and disregard what he meant to me. Knowing him was precisely why I believed in him. Why I knew that he meant every word when he praised his knights and their backgrounds. He meant every word when he said he wanted to change things. "I can't, your majesty," I said, before thinking about what I was going to say next. I saw Tannix go very still, and the queen tilted her head quizzically.

I took a deep breath. "If I try to think about his speech just from the point of view of a Zian, it means thinking of him as just a Teltan, and that isn't fair," I said. "We're both more than that, and isn't that exactly what his speech was about? Nobody should be judged solely by what culture they were born into. I believe in Lord Tandrix because I know him as a friend. I believe in King Zianna for the same reason. I trust them to work towards the goals Lord Tandrix described. It isn't a trust I give lightly, either. I still have family in Zianna, the other orphans and thieves I grew up with. I'm not blinded by my friendship with Lord Tandrix. Given the chance, he's going to help people like me. So are the King and Queen. And Lady Mayah."

Mayah gave me an encouraging smile.

"I grew up believing all Telts were rich and cruel," I continued. "I've learned better since then. I can see that change is possible. Prince Kalvahi told me that the only way to repair Zianna was to kill every Telt, but he's wrong. Zians, Telts and Crelans are all Ziannans, and together we can repair Zianna. If we survive the war. So, is Navire joining us?"

I was still held in the Queen's gaze, but the way she was looking at me had slowly altered. Curiosity had been replaced by recognition. As if she was suddenly seeing through me. Silence drew out in the dining room. I held the Queen's gaze, even though part of me wanted to step back and duck behind Tannix.

Then, Queen Navire nodded. "Navire will join Zianna."

Things became somewhat blurry after that. By the time dessert was served, I was standing against the wall with Acen again. I kept running through the conversation in my head, over and over again, trying to figure out where that courage had come from.

Tannix, Mayah and the Queen discussed some details, but they didn't go too in depth. I guessed that more of the councilmembers would have to be involved if anything important was really going to be planned out. Then the Queen said something that did catch my attention.

"Zianna was once our sister. With leaders like the two of you, I believe our countries can become sisters once again."

"That would be wonderful," Mayah said. "Please correct me if I am wrong, but I believe Navire's patron goddess and Zianna's patron goddess are sisters."

The Queen nodded. "And Deorun's patron is their brother. Navire is joining Zianna not just for ourselves or your people. We're joining for our desert brothers, as well. Deorun is being led by cruel people, but the Deoran people are not cruel. They must be saved from their leaders."

"It's a shame the Deorun noble family ends with Kalvahi." Mayah couldn't hide her distain when she said his name.

"It shouldn't have," Queen Navire said. "Prince Kalvahi had a younger brother, for a time. Little Valkiros. Tragically, the illness that killed Kalvahi's grandfather and father took his younger brother as well. When I meet with Queen and King Zianna, we will have to discuss what will be done with Deorun after the war. I am against Deorun becoming a puppet state."

"As are we," Tannix agreed. "The three kingdoms are better as allies."

"Yes, well." Servants whisked away plates as the Queen spoke. "I will return to Zianna with you, but it will take some time to be ready for the trip."

Tannix nodded. "Of course."

"And before we have those tiresome meetings, we must celebrate our new friendship. Tomorrow, you will both accompany me to Navire's Great Temple. We will ask Virie, and her brothers and sisters, to bless our union. Your guards are welcome, but weapons are not permitted inside the temple."

"Visiting your temple will be an honour," Tannix said. "My men will appreciate the invitation."

The Queen's eyes darted over Tannix's shoulder and locked onto me once again. "And Finagale, I do hope you will join us."

Whatever courage I'd manifested earlier was gone. My mind went blank, and I couldn't even put together the simplest thing to say to her. So instead, I nodded silently.