The Will of the Empress - By Tamora Pierce Page 0,29
common error, then," he apologized. "But you should brace yourself, because you will certainly hear it enough at court."
Sandry shrugged. "The court may gossip as it likes," she laid, propping her chin on her hands. "It's of no consequence to me. If I meant to stay, I would take an interest, but I don't."
That made her cousin sit back and frown at her. "You don't mean to stay?"
"I told you in my last letter that I would be going home in the fall," replied Sandry. "You did get my letter?"
Ambros rested his knife and fork on his now-empty plate and sipped his glass of tea. "Yes, but..."
Sandry waited. He seemed just like his letters: dry and fussy, methodical and precise. She knew he never made overblown promises about the wealth from a harvest or a new mine. If anything, he would tell her to expect less than the funds that usually arrived. If something concerned him, she was prepared to pay attention.
Finally he said, "The empress believes you will change your mind. She is certain of it."
Sandry smiled. Is that all? she thought. "I'll explain," she promised, patting her new-met cousin's hand. "I hardly ever say things I don't mean. Once she gets to know me, she'll understand that."
"Would staying here be so bad?" he asked. "You have hardworking tenants who would adore you, and lands that require the touch of their rightful mistress. True, we have some malcontents, but they are everywhere. We could easily double our mule breeding if you were to grant us the monies to do so. And grain dealers need a hand on the rein. I caught Holab trying to short-weight us on barley twice last year. If you don't watch them every second ..." He caught himself and smiled. "I'm sorry. My wife says I will talk estate affairs until people's ears fall off if I'm not stopped."
"But why should I take your place, when you know and love the holdings so much?" Sandry asked. "You know every inch of the ground, and my mother hardly ever even visited. You know those people by name, and you look after them. My uncle Vedris needs me. What will I have to do here? Be a butterfly while you continue to do all the work?"
"You will have a husband to take care of such things," Amhros replied steadily. "The empress wishes you to be an ornament of the court. No doubt you'll be given a place there, Mistress of the Imperial Purse, or chief lady-in-waiting —"
"With maids who are far better informed than I am about palace ways to do things," Sandry told him. "I will be bored silly. And you know the saying, 'A bored mage is trouble waiting to unfold.' As for marriage . . .The man I marry would have to be very unusual, Cousin. I doubt I will meet him at court."
Ambros sighed, then covered a yawn. "Forgive me," he apologized.
Sandry got to her feet; Ambros did the same. "Forgive me for keeping you from your bed when you're obviously worn out," she said. "Don't let me keep you up a moment longer. Will you be coming to the palace with us tomorrow?"
The older man smiled thinly. "Her Imperial Majesty does not invite me to intimate court occasions," he explained. "She once informed my wife that I was as dry as a stick and not nearly so interesting."
"Then she doesn't know you at all," Sandry replied firmly. She dipped a polite curtsy. "Good night, Cousin."
Ambros put a hand on her shoulder. "Clehame —"
"Sandry," she told him. "Just Sandry. Lady Sandry, if we're in public, I suppose. But Sandry the rest of the time."
"Sandry," Ambros said, his eyes direct, "the empress can be quite determined."
Sandry smiled brightly at him. "She seems very reasonable. I'm certain that, when the time comes, I won't have to insist."
* * *
Chapter Five
The 29th day of Goose Moon, 1043 K.F.
The Hall of Roses, the imperial palace
Dancruan, Namorn
The next morning, Daja watched her friends as the four of them waited in an outer chamber to be announced to the empress. Sandry busied herself with a last inspection of their clothes, tugging a fold here, smoothing a pleat there — simply fussing, because the clothes adjusted themselves. When she reached for Briar's round tunic collar, he thrust her hands away. "Enough," he told Sundry firmly. "We look fine. Besides, she already saw us in our travel clothes. This fancy dress ought to be good enough."