The Will of the Empress - By Tamora Pierce Page 0,117

rolled us toward shore, they might not even have noticed."

"But the shore would," Tris said. "Besides, Her Imperial Majesty and her pet puppy dogs wanted a wind. Can you imagine how His Grace your uncle would react if every time he asked for something, everyone around him asked for the same thing?"

Sandry winced. Uncle Vedris had expressed his opinions of such fawning behaviour very forcibly in the past. "They wouldn't do so more than once," she said as Gudruny responded to a knock on the door.

Daja came in, looking oddly uncertain. Rizu stood by her shoulder. "I — I told Rizu it would be all right if she joined us."

Sandry beamed at the pair. "Of course you may," she told Rizu, glancing back to make sure neither Briar nor Tris was about to make a liar out of her. Briar's eyebrows were slightly knit; Tris had that same politely interested expression she had worn that afternoon while talking with Quen and Ishabal, but neither one said anything. Sandry continued, "You never asked permission to join us at Landreg Castle, Rizu — why start now? Gudruny?"

The maid was already rearranging chairs and settings for a fifth person at the table. As soon as she finished, they all sat down to eat.

To Sandry's relief, everyone relaxed once they were eating. They talked about the ball for the Lairan ambassador in two weeks' time and that day's sail. Now that they knew more people at court, Rizu could tell stories about them that the others would understand. She and Daja remained for a while after the footmen cleared away the plates, then excused themselves and left.

There was a long silence once Gudruny had retreated to her own room. Briar concentrated on the willow shakkan, Gently he urged it up from its ugly, bent-over stance, raising it to the limit the trunk could handle even with his magic to make it more flexible. Once it was as straight as he could make it for the time being, he fashioned a sleeve of heavy wire to help it keep from folding down again. Tris petted Chime as the glass dragon gave off her singing purr. Sandry peered at her embroidery and waited for one of the others to say something.

At last, Briar sat up. "Just because she has a partner now doesn't mean the partner is one of us," he grumbled. "You don't see me dragging a girl everywhere."

Tris looked at him steadily. "Have you cared enough about a girl to want us to accept her?" she asked.

Briar couldn't meet her level gaze. "Well, Evvy," he mumbled.

"Evvy is your student," Tris replied quietly. "Face it, Briar, you don't like any of your bits of entertainment enough to worry if we know who they are."

"At least I don't pretend Caidy ought to belong to our circle," protested Briar.

His words were like a needle's jab. Sandry looked up. "We're not a circle," she said tartly. "Daja and I reopened our bond. You two don't even care, so why does it matter if Daja brings Rizu?" Her mouth trembled. "They're in love. You should be happy for them."

"In love enough for Rizu not to tell everything she's heard if the empress asks it?" Briar demanded hotly. "I think not. Rizu's all right, but I think she belongs to Berenene first and anyone else second." He looked down at his hands. All the flowers on both had sprouted tiny black roses. "Face it, Daj' won't be coming home with us," he went on. "For that matter, will either of you? I've seen that Shan look at you when Berenene isn't around, Sandry. And you can't tell me they didn't offer you good coin to stay on, Tris."

Sandry glared at him. "The empress isn't offering you the moon to stay?"

"The whole palace is talking about how you alone have her permission to enter the greenhouses at any time," added Tris. "The gardeners say she's never let anyone but herself recommend pruning, but they have orders to take such direction from you. And I've heard she's offered you a bottomless purse and the post of imperial gardener if you stay."

"You hear too festering much," complained Briar. "How would you know, when you always hide?"

Tris looked at him over the rim of her spectacles, and tapped one ear.

"Oh." Briar grimaced.

"These halls are chimneys for drafts and chatter, dolt," Tris informed him firmly. "Leave Daja and Rizu be. They'll do as they need to."

"Daja won't thank you for saying anything against Rizu," Sandry