It was another few weeks before Tannix managed to return to the lower city. After proving I was capable of going out to the tavern, Baisan began to give me normal tasks again. He always sent Castin or Kassia with me, or came along himself. Although I knew he was just doing it because he was worried about me, the constant company was annoying. More than once, I managed to lose my escort, which always resulted in a lecture.

I was sitting through one of those lectures when Tannix appeared in the doorway. I sat cross-legged on the floor, picking at the bricks with my knife absentmindedly, not really listening to anything Baisan was saying. Everyone else was gone, it was just the two of us. I noticed movement in the doorway and glanced up. Baisan had his back to the door, so he carried on chastising me without noticing that my attention had shifted.

"What did you do?"

Baisan flinched and spun around, startled by the sound of Tannix's voice. I grinned. "Oh, nothing. He's mad at me for running off earlier today."

"You ran off?"

"Yes, well..." I trailed off and shrugged. Tannix was wearing one of his blue cloaks and had his sword strapped to his side. He hadn't bothered to hide who he was this time. "Gave up on blending in?" I said it like I was teasing him, but I was pleased. He looked better like this—dressed in expensive clothes that fit him properly, the rich blue that was unlike anything available in the lower city, the rings on his right hand. He looked perfect, exactly like he was supposed to look.

"I decided there was no point." He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "If someone tries to pickpocket me, I'll just arrest them."

I winced. "Please don't."

"Not one of your group," Tannix said.

"No one," I insisted. "You can just scare them away, there's no need to send anyone to jail. If anyone tries, it'll probably be a starving child, anyway. You wouldn't arrest a child, right?"

"I... No." He shook his head slowly. "I wouldn't. Forget I said that."

"Good." I got to my feet and walked over to him, ignoring Baisan's glance in my direction. "Are they still looking for me?"

"Not actively. You're to be arrested on sight, but no one is specifically looking out for you anymore."

"And... is anyone looking for you?"

"They have nothing on me. Unless you talk, and I'm not even slightly worried that you will, they can't link me to anything. Sure, I stepped in the way of a whip, which is—"

"You stepped in the way?"

He blinked, seemingly startled by my surprise. "Didn't I say that?"

"You said you got in the way. I thought you meant you spoke up. I didn't think you meant it physically."

"Oh." He uncrossed his arms, rubbed his right wrist absentmindedly, and crossed them again. "My sleeve cushioned the blow slightly, it—"

"He whipped you?" I interrupted again.

"Not... on purpose." Tannix shrugged. "I don't regret it. It stopped him, and I quickly convinced everyone else that the spectacle was over. It helps that you look twelve."

His teasing didn't distract me the way he probably hoped it would. "I'm sixteen."

The slightest smile fluttered across his lips. "I know. I just meant that you look young. And when I pointed it out, your audience realized they weren't entirely comfortable watching a child be beaten to death. Regardless, the director whipped me and I've generously neglected to write to my father about it. So I have him somewhat trapped. He'll have a hard time proving I'm involved in anything."

"I thought you said your name couldn't protect you if they thought the king's life was at stake."

"If there was any proof, it wouldn't. But without proof? Moving against my family is... risky. He would have to be absolutely certain, and he clearly isn't. So I'm safe. But how are you?"

It was an abrupt change but he obviously didn't want to keep talking about what he had done for me.

"Better," I replied simply.

He seemed relieved, but I didn't know if it was because of my answer or because we had moved on. "I'd like someone to look at your wrist, to make sure it's healing properly."

"Won't that cost money?" I asked, but I wanted to ask about his wrist. The one he had rubbed.

Tannix raised an eyebrow. "And since when has money been a concern?"

"Sometimes I forget that you're rich enough to throw hundreds of siyas into the ocean without worry," I said.

"I don't think you forget." Tannix looked over me at Baisan. "Do you mind?"

He didn't need to ask Baisan's permission. We all knew that. It was another piece broken from my imaginary ideal Telt.

Baisan still seemed a little shaken. "I guess not. He's getting restless anyway. Maybe when you bring him back he'll be more willing to sit around and heal."

"I doubt it," Tannix and I said, almost in unison.

"So do I," Baisan said.

Tannix handed me a blue bundle that I hadn't noticed him holding. "Here, put this on. I told the guards at the gate that I was coming down here to retrieve one of my servants."

"They need to ask?" I shook out the bundle, which opened into a blue cloak. It was duller than Tannix's, but still beautiful. I turned it around in my hands, inspecting it before draping it over my shoulders.

"Getting away from the Order was one thing." He stepped forward, taking the cloak ties from my hands and tying them together for me. "Getting into the lower city was another. Yes, they needed to know why Lord Tandrix would be entering alone, and I needed to give them a reason that would explain me leaving with somebody."

"We can't just climb?"

"Can you climb?"

"No," I admitted grumpily. "Not yet."

"Exactly. Now, we can't have anybody knowing who you are, so keep your hood up and head down, and don't make eye contact with anybody." He smiled, as he reached over my shoulder to pull the cloak's hood over my head. "Try to act like a servant."

"It doesn't make any sense to have you lead," I complained, trailing after Tannix through the narrow streets. It was interesting to see how people reacted to him. Most ducked out of his way, but I saw a few people eye him curiously—the way I would have if I hadn't been with him. I wondered how much of the behaviour Tannix actually noticed, or if it all went unseen because he was so used to being respected and feared.

"The master always leads," he replied.

"Yes, but the master's lost," I said.

Tannix turned around, looking concerned, and I started laughing. I kept laughing as he looked at the buildings surrounding us, and then down the road. "The gate is just down there, isn't it?"

I nodded and managed to stop laughing. "Yes."

"Then what do you mean, I'm lost?"

"I lied," I replied with a grin. "I wanted to see what you'd do. It's interesting watching you down here."

"Is it?" He continued down the street.

I caught up with him quickly. "Yes, it is. Have you noticed that people are either scared of you or are considering robbing you?"

"How many people are considering robbing me?"

"About every third person we pass, I'm sure. Most of them aren't seriously considering it; I've only seen a couple people who I thought might jump on you."

"And you didn't say anything? Or tell them to leave me alone? You did that when we were here with Malte, didn't you?"

I smiled and pulled down the front of my hood to cover my face. "You think I want people to know that I'm with you? I'm Zianna's greatest thief; I can't go making friends with royalty."

"I'm not royalty," Tannix said.

"As good as, as far as we're all concerned." I gestured at the people on the street, including myself with them.

"You certainly look like royalty to me," a voice purred. I instantly knew what was going on, but Tannix seemed confused by the girl who was practically hanging off his left arm. She was wearing some sort of dress, which did not cover her nearly as much as it should have, and a ruby necklace I vaguely recognized. Her eyes were scanning Tannix, taking in his expensive clothing, his Telt features, and figuring out how much she could earn from a night with him.

"My lord," I said pointedly, pulling Tannix's attention away from her. I had nothing against her trying to make money, but there was something about her touching Tannix that I didn't like. "We should be going, should we not?" They both looked at me as I spoke, so I ducked my head to hide my face. If the necklace was one I'd stolen, I didn't want the girl to see me. Chances are she'd recognize me, even if she didn't know my name.

"Why leave now?" the girl cooed, and I looked up to see that her attention was fully on Tannix again. She was slowly running a hand down his chest. "Surely you want to stay. We've only just met..."

"No, he's right." Tannix pushed her away, although I was pleased to see that the push was gentle. She just wanted money; I could relate to that.

The girl looked upset and grabbed at his hand. "Oh, please."

I stepped up beside Tannix. "My lord has urgent business," I told the girl, still keeping my head down so that the hood covered most of my face. I pulled a little blue pouch from under my cloak and from that removed a few copper siyas, which I subtly slipped into her hand. Flashing money around would only get us more attention. She glanced at her hand, then eyed me suspiciously before disappearing into the crowd.

"When did you take that?" Tannix grabbed the pouch and slipped it into a pocket.

"When she was touching you. Were you tempted?" I wasn't sure why I asked, or what I wanted the answer to be.

"Confused."

"Your betrothed will not be happy to hear about this." I turned around, this time making him catch up with me.

"I said confused, not tempted," Tannix said.

"Of course."

I didn't lead for long, because we soon reached the front gate and I stepped back to let Tannix take over. Although I knew the guards would let him through, I still found it oddly unexpected. Being let through the gate didn't happen to Natives very often, aside for people who had special passes for work in the port or as servants in the upper city. The guards had rarely even given me a second glance. Now, as I followed Tannix through, I knew they were looking at me, and it was a little unsettling.

One of the guards on the other side was holding the reins for two horses, which Tannix walked right up to. Nervous, I followed, but didn't get close.

"Thank you," Tannix said, taking the reins of the larger horse.

"I see you found your servant, sir," the guard said.

"Yes." Tannix started adjusting the saddle. After a moment, he put a foot in one of the stirrups and pulled himself onto the horse's back. The guard handed him the smaller horse's reins. "Get up," he told me, with a tone I wasn't used to hearing from him.

Reluctantly, I approached the smaller horse. "I've never ridden," I whispered once I got close enough.

"You told me you had."

"Back when you thought I was a lord," I said.

Tannix sighed. "Not now. Climb up."

I didn't know how to ride, but I knew how to climb. I copied Tannix, slipping my foot into the stirrup and pulling myself up with my left hand. Tannix didn't hand me the reins, like I expected. His horse started to move and mine followed. Tannix sat comfortably in his saddle, his reins in one hand while still holding mine in the other. It took me a moment to get used to the movement of the horse below me. We were mostly ignored as we rode up the main pass, but occasionally a guard would nod or salute to Tannix. We stopped at a large gate similar to the last one, and only had to wait a moment before it was pulled open for us. Then we rode into the upper city.

The gate led almost directly into the marketplace so that traders wouldn't have to travel far. It was busier than the walkway had been and much more crowded. From horseback, the crowd almost looked like a river, splitting apart in front of us. Tannix rode to the edge of the crowd and dismounted, indicating with a wave that he wanted me to get down as well.

He tied my horse's reins to his saddle. "I didn't anticipate having to lead you around. So we'll walk. Are you hungry?"

"Do you even need to ask?"

He smiled. "No, I guess not."

Though we were no longer riding, the fact that the horses were following us still made it easier to walk through the crowds. The bright blue of Tannix's cloak also helped. We walked into the marketplace and passed a few stalls before we saw one with food. I rushed ahead of Tannix, worming my way through the crowd like I was used to doing. The stall was covered in baskets of different kinds of dried food. It was clearly foreign, dried so it would last longer while travelling. I scooped up a handful of some sort of wrinkly orange fruit and almost stuck one in my mouth when the merchant noticed me.

"Thief," he growled, reaching for a knife.

Tannix appeared just in time to stop the merchant from coming at me. "What did I tell you about waiting?" he asked me, sounding exasperated. "I apologize for my servant," he said to merchant.

The merchant looked confused about Tannix's arrival, but then the confusion turned to awe. "Oh no, my lord. My apologies. I should have known he was with you by the colour of his cloak."

Tannix looked at what I was holding, and then at the basket they had come from. He handed me his horse's reins and pulled out his coin pouch. Though the merchant protested, Tannix paid him anyway before pulling both me and the horses away from the booth.

"Really?" he asked once we were lost within the crowd again.

"What? I wasn't stealing, I was waiting for you. I thought you were closer to me than that. Besides, money is no concern, right?"

"Right. Let's go get your wrist looked at."

Luckily, the apothecary he took me to was not the one Kassia and I had stolen the salve from nearly two months earlier. Tannix made up a relatively convincing story about my wrist, as the physician poked and prodded at it carefully.

"You splint it with a bracer?" he clarified. "Inventive."

"I have some training in battlefield medicine," Tannix said.

"Well, it worked. I can't say for sure he'll regain full movement in his wrist, and it could take up to a few years before it stops feeling stiff," the physician said. "But the bones feel right. I suggest he keep resting it, and leave on the bandage for a few more weeks to provide support." He wrapped my wrist deftly. Tannix paid, and we left the apothecary.

On the way back, we passed by the marketplace again. It was even more crowded than before, but people weren't moving around. It didn't take long to figure out why. There was a platform in the middle of the marketplace usually used for announcements or executions. Now, it was surrounded by guards.

"What's happening?" I stopped walking, forcing Tannix to stop with me.

He didn't have to answer, because as soon as I'd finished speaking, the king walked up onto the platform, followed by his two daughters. I was intrigued. The king was dressed in a gold robe, and the crown on his head was so rich and expensive I'd have killed to get my hands on it. His daughters were wearing pale dresses made of a creamy yellow cloth. Both princesses were covered in jewellery, as well as the simple crowns sitting on their blond hair.

"Are we staying?" I asked, glancing at Tannix. He was lightly leaning against his horse's side, arms crossed. He nodded and I moved back to stand next to him. "The speech will probably be boring, so are we staying because you want to stare at the princesses? How will your betrothed feel about that?"

"I doubt she'd be pleased," Tannix replied, without taking his eyes away from the royal family. "But that's not why we're staying. Believe it or not, I take an interest in our country's politics."

"Of course you do," I said with a sigh. "Someone might die and put you next in line for the throne."

"More than one person would have to die for that to happen."

"How many?"

He cast me a quick glance. "At least ten."

I couldn't tell if he was joking or not. "Sure you're not just attracted to the princesses?"

"I thought everyone was attracted to the princesses," Tannix replied.

I shrugged. "They're too perfect for my taste."

"I thought you liked perfect things."

"I love perfect things. I like perfect people. The problem is that I'm a thief from the lower city, and I can't get perfect. Those princesses would never even give me a second look if I did try to earn their affections. So why even imagine it? I'm used to having very little. I could see them enjoying your company, though." I could see most people enjoying his company.

"But if you did have a chance, which one would you rather marry?" Tannix asked.

"Marry?" I laughed. "If I was to be involved with either of them, it would be as their slave."

"Which one?" Tannix repeated, with a firmness that demanded an answer. His tone didn't match our lighthearted joking. I got the feeling he was looking for a particular answer, but I didn't know what it could be.

"Megara, I think," I replied after a pause. The king was talking, but neither of us were listening to him. "Esmeranda will be queen, after all, and needs to marry someone who would make a good king. Like you."

"I would not."

"You would," I said. "You have training and talent and money and the right kind of personality, the people would love you as king. Not to mention that you look like a prince."

Tannix glanced down at his clothing. His rich blue cloak and crisp white shirt. The sword on his belt and the rings on his fingers. He didn't see what I was seeing. "I do not. I look..."

"Very rich."

"Yes, well. I am very rich, but that's the only true thing you said." Tannix glanced at me and ruffled my hair affectionately. "But thank you."

"It's all true, don't lie to yourself." I pushed him away, trying to act unimpressed. I was distracted by a thought. "Megara's full name is Esmegara, isn't it?"

Tannix nodded. "Yes, why?"

"I just remembered something my mother once told me," I said. "She had worked in the upper city the evening before, and we were walking home when the royal family came out to make a speech. It was the first time I ever saw them. All four of them, the queen was still alive. We stopped to listen. I don't know why, nothing the king had to say would matter for us. But I remember what my mother told me. She said that the princesses had part of our language in their names. Esm. It means that they're royal girls."

"I didn't know that. Your language," he paused. I could almost see him trying to figure out how to say what he was thinking without being insensitive. "I know it's lost."

"It was stolen," I said. I could remember the way my mother had described it to me perfectly. "I had trouble making sense of that when I was little. I didn't understand how someone could steal a language. My mother told me that Telts were the kind of thieves who steal peoples' homes and their languages and their gods. The worst kind of thieves."

Although the marketplace was as loud as ever, it seemed quiet as silence fell between Tannix and me. He looked thoughtful and I was drifting back into more memories about my mother.

"I'm beginning to see why you dislike us." It was said with completely sincerity. Another broken piece.

"I dislike Telts because I'm supposed to. But I don't dislike you because you're not like the rest of them." I shrugged. "There's nothing we can do about it now. The language is gone and all we have left is a few commonplace words."

"Lord Tandrix?" The voice took us both by surprise. I pulled the front of my hood down a bit to hide my face and watched out of the corner of my eye as Tannix shook hands with one of the two men who had approached us. They were both older than he was, but from the way they were treating him, it was clear that he was higher ranking.

"Good afternoon," Tannix replied warmly. He nodded in the direction of the king. "Have you been listening?"

The two men exchanged a glance. "Not really," one said. "We've just arrived; we're here to talk to Lord Meyat. Your father hoped we would see you." He reached into a bag he had draped over one shoulder and pulled out a folded piece of paper, which he handed to Tannix. "Have you really not been back to New Teltar in four years?"

Tannix slipped the note under his cloak. "I decided that I might as well wait until I'm out of training," he replied.

The men nodded appreciatively. "You're very dedicated," the talkative one said.

"It's a good trait," the second added.

Tannix smiled. "Yes, thank you. I hope your meeting with the director goes well."

"Thank you, my lord," the second man said. The three of them shook hands again before the two men walked off.

I watched them go as something started to fit together in my head. It took me a moment to realize that Tannix was saying my name, and I interrupted him. "The director's name is Meyat?"

Tannix nodded.

"Does Meyat begin with an M?"