tIME BEFORE DAN—S SURE   o t slept all nig o ting in top he Darkness.

    S niged by gs and memories. No tle in it of springtime or to come. te stars still s. A  make out ts of the Ring Dive pier.

    One of t   carry her back.

    quot;K; Scelto said quietly from behind her.

    S turning. quot;Please. And t o talk about.”

    If s, if s it all in motion  giving ime for ation or fear, s possibly do t.

    So bustling efficiently in tc  of e of rooms.

    t going all nig not observe tumn rituals as t Brandin erfered oms or religion, and Dianora never lit a ne of t came to t. tern er sunset for ts.

    S about stepping out on t it looked mucoo cold. t do Camena di C sunrise t, o die on a urned  image too.

    quot;; Scelto said. quot;I made it very strong,quot; he added awkwardly.

    Surn at t, and  actle to see t nig look ted t o ing, even before she drank.

    S in one of tioned o tated a moment and t do so do tly. So muc or of t.

    taking a deep breat;Scelto, I need to be out on tain ties, but I ant. ?”

    an anso ion, not trying to judge or understand it. S sort of reaction, but realized, belatedly, t s h him.

    ;It oday.”

    s even asked ; run it?”

    supidly, and realized the answer even as he replied.

    quot;Camena,quot; ;I dont knoion. If ted to come che meadow as you always are.”

    quot;I o be alone,quot; sed. quot;And up tain.”

    quot;Alone ;   a plea.

    S part. quot;Some of to,quot; s;t do to leave you partway up.”

    Scle . Before ;I  say t  necessary. ther have by my side.”

    S say  o ion.  back t it would  him.

    ;Ill o find out  o be outside. If t, his.”

    Sefully and c and trim, infinitely reassuring in ence.

    S t ill dark outside. So to er today. Sed it at t. t a time for splendor of apparel.

    to  too migter.

    By time so urned. he had a queer expression on his face.

    quot;t; ;And Camena is not going to be executed on the wheel.”

    quot; o ; sinctive dread.

    Scelto ated. quot;t about t ed a merciful death already.

    Because tual conspiracy im, a tool.”

    S;And w has really happened.”

    Sceltos face roubled. quot;tter not to know, my lady.”

    It probably  soo far in t, and oo far yet to go. tering, or trying to seek ser. quot;Per;  I o tell me, Scelto.”

    er a moment: quot;I old t o be . . . altered. R  is necessary to  can take a long time, depending on tances.”

    tances, Dianora t, sickened. Sucing ed, normal young man h a love of his home.

    Even understanding o t Camena ed  erday, sill could not stop omacurning at tions of Sceltos erday. S. S afford to t Brandin t, ster off not t anyt all.

    quot;?quot; sersely.

    quot;Not yet. You ; Sension in  Camena ly disturbed him as well.

    quot;I kno; s;I dont t t  o slip aried to ogether now?”

    one eady and calm; Sceltos face greful. quot;e can try,quot; er a moment.

    quot;then come.”

    ed too long, or considered too muc. to move, and to keep on moving, until sain place.

    riads grace.

    beating rapidly, so out of o the main saishan corridor.

    t treaks of lig tern end. t trates raig t time—to see fear spark in today fear ool, and sools she could find.

    Scelto led  airo led to tside o  as side opened sepped t ing for os announcement. S by, and sa t  yesterday. today s smile.

    Beo speak one quick, cryptic sentence, and to a question. tsteps coming do later t beo caugo her.

    quot;I t ake a brave man to stop you today,quot; ly. quot;t erday. It is a good morning to be trying this.”

    It rying t.

    quot; did you tell t; sinuing to walk.

    quot;to a meeting  w erday.”

    Stle, considering t, and as so  faint illumination of t above tains.

    quot;Good,quot; s;Very good, Scelto. t is exactly ; t taking no notice at all. quot;Scelto,quot; s;I need you to find dEymon. Say I  to speak  ternoon for tell ing in two hours from now.”

    t somee t led out to the slopes of Sangarios beyond.

    Scelto stopped, forcing o do the same.

    quot;You are going to go  me, arent you?quot; he said.

    S lie to ;I am,quot; s;I expect to be back in time for t meeting. After you give o t kno already, so o send for me. Make sure tly to you, I dont care how.”

    quot;t; ly, clearly unhappy.

    quot;I kno. . two here.”

    quot;And if you arent?”

    S;Stall. o do to, I told you.”

    longer, and t on. Just before reacaircase on t Scelto turned rig doairo t broug into anot- corridor. there.

    t beginning to stir.

    S Scelto. t. For a fleeting moment sempted to confide in o make an ally of a friend.

    could s and train of years t had led her here?

    S a ;Go no; s;Ill be all right.”

    it looking back stle o t out into the grey, cold beginning of dawn.

    It  al al ions, and it astes and styles in t had changed.

    arrived it tering exercise in topiary: fully trimmed in trees precisely spaced and arranged t ted benc easy intervals, eaced for fragrance and sidy box- at ter, and roary colors.

    tame and boring, t t time hrough.

    it deal time. ted seemingly at random ted groves of trees—brougain slopes and ts on ted benc flo t to go, and t, symmetrically pruned so gro, rees. the garden was a maze now.

    An underground stream apped and diverted and noer umble upon, rees for s. trange place no overgro certainly not neglected, but deliberately so give a sense of stillness and isolation and even, at times, of danger.

    times sucill cold and t beginning to  buds rees, and only t floo ter trees stood tall and dark against the grey sky.

    Dianora sook a deep breat tain, o t to break up; it er. Not yet tood at ter garden and tried to guide oeadiness and calm.

    Se in t s sure s to  years ago er splasorc pat o a gate umbled upon one day,  to orchem and blue Ilarion overhead.

    nigalked to  ies of flo princess born in some far distant oted bed of sno bloomed only in the dark.

    Dianora s off briskly do trees. After ty strides so sing. It ill cold. S up ess of some unknown sylvan god.

    And to to Morian and Eanna, t triad mig s to find. Sensely ahis was.

    At almost exactly t, Alessan, Prince of tigana  from Castle Borso in tandan oing in t  mighe world.

    Dianora  a bed of anemones, mucoo small and delicate yet to pick. te, regea ained by tain. Sopped and looked do tals s s ale of tars, cradled on such flowers.

    S t do.

    And sloely, searc pain as a spur, a goad, s up a mental image of o go on tales in .

    ted  to tain and s t in front of  s range to be  lost among trees, and Dianora realized, art, t it  many years since s been so alone.

    Sle later t and t time s of t t blue. S tone of trees.

    Vines and clumps of laren moss  t and . Sood a moment, irresolute, trying to orient orc nig , because  al.

    ten minutes later,  a pool and a ruffled reflection of , Dianora came to te.

    Sopped, suddenly cold again, t ted iron e o  once, but irely e  on t day of spring, but t, as rusted as t sain . S gone te into t about climbing, and looked up. ten feet  s t be oe to move forward when she heard a sound behind her.

    t it aftero understand  t ainside arting point. to expect t s find t rock, or find w shere.

    Surned in trees and t flohe riselka combing her long green hair beside a pool.

    t to be, s and so see if anyone else here.

    te alone in t of t  almost served ranslucent as Brandin   frige face.

    S  . She year

    tigana fell, too t as he hollows of her face.

    Brandin hen.

    s. Dianora didnt kno really knoo find. Selling verse, and it seemed t if so find it, it ely he Kings Garden.

    tiful, breakingly so, in a fas tle to do al beauty.

    Dianoras mout even try to speak. Sood very still in ce comb doone bencion to her.

    Sloremble, Dianora rees to stand before t pale, elusive creature of legend. S morning ligo ted one s fingers longer and more slender tals could be, and s it up to Dianoras face and touched her.

    touc not so cold as s ly, troked . And tic, alien smile deepening again, ston of Dianoras robe, and reaco toucs. One, and t  entirely secret smile all the while.

    Dianora rembling; s make op. Incredulous and afraid, s arily to tion of t toucs ain of e teet inside  even begin to understand. Sely, unable to speak. S o weep.

    t apologetically it seemed, did up tly as before, and toucears on Dianoras c o asted it.

    S suddenly, a t cast up on tide.

    And even as it came to  true, ure mig under moonlig  away.

    toucasted anotear.  so t again. It ive imagining, a pato oblivion. S and t, shook her head again.

    quot;Please?quot; s, needing, and afraid of  hing—could drive a riselka away.

    ture turned, and Dianoras   tood t so follow.

    to to ter and so Dianora did tion of blue sky overe gull slicing across tinels and trees not yet in leaf. And even as ser come back too soon,  among trees and feel it on  ter of tely calm, unruffled by so mucendril of t in its ohs.

    Dianora dreurned to ture  ed by te face. the eyes were darker now, cloudy,

    and sural al man or  Dianora, fig s come er, but for a signing of  te stone in  stone into the pool.

    No ripples. No movement at all. tone sank  a trace of its passage. But ter cer, and darkened, and tions  of gulls. ter oo dark, it cast not Dianora felt take ly but inexorably back to t from to find truthis signing.

    And in ters sion.

    Not  all of t of the Ember Days.

    Instead, an image of anote spring or summer, anot  many people gat sound, constantly, he surge and sigh of waves.

    And in teps were leading her.

    Fear touc moment  beat slo. A deep calm came over  later, not  its burden of sorroance. For years s had known dreams of such an ending.

    t of tainty. And noo  last and Dianora sa it led to the sea.

    t sun of summer. t all.

    Some time later, it migs or ill beside o ter ted ers but seemingly as deep, and s not so many, a blink of an eye or t it took an autumn leaf to fall, as ture ime.

    quot;t; s;I understand.”

    And sood very still, not flinc all, as tiptoe and kissed  as tterfly, upon t of desire time, in termation asted of salt. t, Dianora kne all; only a quiet sadness like a smootone in t.

    Surned back to ted again, t of ter in the wind.

    she was alone.

    to ting for  ting on one of tone bencaff resting beside o   from among trees.

    Sopped and looked at t smile to s ifice of course, but an act sable expression s erday. , s , amazingly difficult, to sco tate. It  o be done.

    quot;You e,quot; soesy, as s;I  here are anemones beginning already.”

    quot;I ime,quot; dEymon said.

    S once imidated, but not noempt to reinforce y, but serday led ain o kill  nigraditions mattered. In any case, s his morning.

    quot;t ; s;Forgive me. It is good to see you looking so er yesterdays . . . confusions. ing long?”

    quot;Long enouged to talk about yesterday, I gat is it?quot; Dianora didnt tial remark from dEymon, let alone a pleasantry.

    Refusing to be rus do vacated and brusting her expression grow suddenly as cold as his own.

    quot; died yesterday,quot; sly, deciding only in t moment w ack would be.

    quot;; S  for ;t died because your people oo complacent or too slovenly to boty of Ygrathens.

    did you t danger could only come from t yesterdays guards to be dealt h, dEymon. And soon.”

    t itle e. , visibly biting back a s retort. Sriad kneo be a co do so, t. DEymons face ook a deep breato control himself.

    quot;t ; ;they are dead.”

    S expected t. S, to keep ure out of her eyes.

    quot;t; s on pressing age. quot;I  to knoc to Ygrat year.”

    quot;c tack.

    You heard.”

    quot;e all  kno Isolla and t; time te s into t merely tactical.

    For t time sation in o become a o here was a brief silence.

    quot;I did kno;  ion in them like an angry challenge.

    quot;I see,quot; said Dianora a moment later, and looked aing across most of ttle along ts ion in dEymons eyes old t his Queen?

    Dianora , tracking implications to t already been so after erday and he King.

    S, in fairly immediate danger as a consequence. t a man to be treated lig of to en years ago, and why.

    S y from s;onderful,quot; she said acidly.

    quot;Suc security. And noo do your pet courtier Neso simply o receive ting in Asoli, doesnt he

    King. how marvelously clever of you, dEymon!”

    Sed. For t time ;Is t ?quot; ly.

    S back a s denial. It  inconvenient for o think so, she realized.

    quot;Among ot; sted, as if grudgingly. quot;I  to knoalk to you about this.”

    quot;I t as muc; urning. quot;I rack of some—not all, I —of ts Scelto   erday, by t? In an attempt to o his side?”

    o underestimate the Chancellor.

    quot;It ,quot; s;You  ansion. hy do you favor him?

    You must kno of man he is.”

    quot;Of course I kno; dEymon replied impatiently. quot;  of  ed to Asoli because I dont trust  court. I   undue inconvenience. I trust t ansion?”

    Simate old ;It does,quot; s;Killed by whom?”

    quot;t s  about t t t it  take Neso long to give them cause.”

    quot;Of course. And then?”

    quot;And tigate and find t Neso y of gross corruption,  e some man or ot tion of Nesos mets a neaxing Master and promises fairer measures in ture. I t s affairs in nortime.”

    quot;Good,quot; said Dianora, trying to ignore t some man or ot;And very tidy. I o add: t; Saking anot came doo bedrock, sive and a concubine, and ern Palm. On to measure t to focus on those.

    DEymon looked coolly do  her gaze on his, her eyes wide and disingenuous.

    quot;It ;  lengt;t you so favored tured you. One  minded, t you ed to come.”

    Perilously, uncannily near to t sing  serious in .

    So relax, and smiled. quot; pleasant meetings suc; s one c;I do favor  t  many suchens, Im afraid.”

    a moment. t;t; But before so interpret eit;I seriously t of  nig, or suggesting you be freed and made a citizen of Ygrath.”

    quot; extremes, my dear!quot; S;Didnt you teac balance is everything?”

    quot;I did,quot;  rising to . ; youve done to

    t t?”

    quot;,quot; sy, quot;erday?”

    quot;t is not at all t. Obviously.quot; t of color in  ;I  s. In time, I very nearly forgot to mention t t for you. I intercepted t reacing in the library.”

    S to , as agitated as  ;; she asked quickly.

    quot;Not very.  seem to mind being late. tell .”

    quot;I could tell ; Anger almost c for control.

    quot;And so could I. And so, I suppose, could Solores. e seldom do, do  pointed out, is everyt is e  forget it.”

    Sried to t  failed. ened es! And all ting for her, and dEymon had known.

    Surned, abruptly and dismally conscious of  robe and t t sime to go back up to ty.

    Scelto ly over remarks. ic, tercepting thing he could have done.

    Sopped by tood alone in tick, a tall, gray, t trees. turned overcast again.

    Of course it  spitefully.

    t did t maneuvers matter, in t o do, and so noting t inner quiet descend upon one of sorro its center still. Ssey. DEymon, taken aback, sketched an awkward bow.

    Dianora turned and  t Scelto airs, along a nort t of t of reflex and  more tion in t ed hrough her hopelessly wind-blown hair.

    tered, o one of kno s in  and keep it from flying away.

    Brandin anding o t a very old map of t  turn. S t, tains running all to ts Empire to t and by Ygrato t overseas.

    t ains of t t and a fire  to deal s. s

    were muddy;   riding very early.

    S ter  not ter of ever else  , but t  night.

    S;Forgive me, my lord. I o only just noell me you ing ; quot;ing ; terested. he map.

    S lie to t;taxing Master question in Asoli. I ed to know why he favored Neso.”

    t  of amusement in ;Im sure dEymon told you something plausible.”

    urned finally, and gazed at  time. ly t al.

    But so  leave  stayed ant, but more to ackno crut t s extremely careful now.

    Brandin sank into a cired, as muc s sime. quot;I  to Neso no; ;I t. Im sorry.”

    Some t seemed,  c grave, unexpected courtesy o iers over anoto to ion, and at ure sook te ed on  a detaciny. S he would see.

    Sting by ture-book.  her anger suddenly come back.

    quot;Of course you o offer it to Neso,quot; s;Asoli is ry in t; ill seemed preoccupied ttending to w she said.

    quot;Gallantry, courage. t somet sort,quot; ly. quot;Not getting out of time, it really  nigo  it was Neso who saved my life.”

    S rise to t. S even understand wo her.

    Sead, looking across t R at t;t makes sense, and you must surely kno I dont care.  I do not understand is  lies about Camenas fate.quot; Sook a breat;I knorut is suco do.

    If you must prepare a Fool to follow Rhing?”

    ansime and so look at oo far ao opped leafing t them.

    quot;As it s,quot;  lengtone still mild. But t later, ;I saken Scelto aime ago. You botoo mucoo quickly.”

    S no .  could sly this.

    But t of t Brandin range about  ;As it also o  idings are wrong by now.”

    quot; do you mean?quot; S tirrings of a genuine uneasiness. trangeness to  s lay a finger on. It iredness t much.

    quot;I rescinded yesterdays orders after my ride,quot; Brandin said quietly. quot;Camena is probably dead by noly as .”

    S cuously,  t;Is true?”

    s ;I o deceive you, Dianora. I told to arrange for nesses among t.   for you: s to your rooms?”

    Sing like a smas. S ure of  tely s  ride?  was happening here?

    tly, s else o erday. On tainside, at a place rack. One man sees a riselka: here.

    Brandin turned back to of tone, leaning it against his chair.

    quot;You  asked me ws unlike you, Dianora.”

    quot;Im afraid to,quot; sruthfully.

    t, imidating elligence.

    quot;ts unlike you as well.”

    quot;You arent very . . . like yourself eithis morning.”

    quot;Fair enoug; ly.   in silence, to consider somet;tell me, did dEymon make t for you just now? Did en?”

    It  sorcery, sold  mind-reading. It ed ts around him.

    quot;Not directly,quot; s unity, but trange. quot; about yesterday. Afraid, I ting  t. Once  t it  be a difficult story for o spread; t. I doubt anyone sa clearly.”

    time, Brandins smile as ened rack of a complex t. But when she finished, his expression changed.

    quot;I did,quot; ;I sa clearly.”

    S old ernly as s. S  nigone  t.

    Brandin said, quot;It o tell tory, I agree. But I did a great deal of t nigalking to dEymon later today, after cale t goes around rue one, Dianora.”

    S sure sly, and to reactle, like an overflowing wineglass inside her.

    quot;You sen,quot; sly but s look up.

    Srong sense t s afford to look up.

    quot;; sent on erlocked fingers. quot;o bote, and nohis?”

    so long t eventually siously. urned back to t anding beside able looking over at tly like the King.

    quot;Did I ever tell you,quot; said Brandin of Ygratly, quot;to tell me as a c Finavir?”

    one, tting, tinuity of his reply.

    quot;No,quot; sried to tty to add, but failed.

    quot;Finavir, or Finvair,quot;  on, not really ing for  looking over at ;ales it ten eitimes. t often ories t come from before te things down.”

    t back, still gazing into ttle nearer to tory.  one of t in both hands.

    Brandin said, quot;In Ygratale is sometimes told and sometimes believed t ts and ts— one of many  into time. to be far off, scattered among tars, invisible to us.”

    quot;t; Dianora said quietly ando. In teac riad burned people for saying as muc; It rue; the plague years, long ago.

    Brandin said, quot;e never burned or . t sometimes, but t is anothing.

    my nurse used to tell me  some of us are born over and again into various of til, at t, if ime into Finavir or Finvair o wrue gods dwell.”

    quot;And after t?quot; s o  of this day.

    quot;After, no one kneell me. Nor did any of ts and books I read ;I never liked my nurses legend of Finavir. tories, some of te different and many of t for some reason t one stayed  bot seemed to make our lives ial in tance only for  ters, here and now.”

    quot;I t; sle in  mood. quot;But ory?”

    t of questions.

    And Brandin said, quot;Because during ts t year and more I have had recurring dreams of

    being reborn far a; raig  time since beginning tale, and eady as ;And in all of t my side and not, and no one ween.”

    S all, too blind to see. And suddenly sears of se, urgent  so be .

    Brandin said, quot;Dianora, I needed you so muc nigened myself. I did not send for you only because I o somery to come to terms  o me ion, no more t: so t not t t pacing or at my desk, trying to riddle out where my life has now come.

    it means t my o kill me, and fail only because of you. And t t, consumed by it, I only realized near da I  you alone all nig?”

    I  time to stop, s ears, trying to see  never to leave t to il I die.

    quot;I made a decision on my ride,quot; ;I   t s. Since I , since I cannot possibly c I am committed to doing  be prepared to pay all of t th.”

    Se unable to stop ears.  toucowards her.

    Beed mask of pain and need, and sometimes sa face. She closed her eyes.

    quot; ; s was o speak.

    And told . Named for ened, ears falling more slo lengto understand t the wheel was coming full circle.

    Listening to Brandins grave voice over ter in ers of t of foreknoaking tood the pool.

    S and kne it o er all. Yet even so, and most terribly of all, s  to come, w so do.

    S on ots alone t , listening to ance beto t at  and laid oucroking it, do t o  t love.

    S quietly, s stop o flo for love of  to t , and s most bitterly of all for trayals yet to come. All trayals t lay ing outside time, op, o carry them.