ignore those who, like your brother’s wife, will think you strange—even dangerous? Peace between the princedoms depends on the balance of power between rulers. The faradh’im thread that web of power together, hold it steady.”
“Andrade’s web!” she said furiously. “Andrade, who ordered me to leave Goddess Keep and be Rohan’s wife!”
“Andrade,” he agreed calmly, “whose reasons are many and perhaps not the same as yours.”
“Then what does she want? Explain it to me!”
He got to his feet. There was pity in his eyes but his voice was cold as he said, “Do not order me, Sunrunner. You are not a ruling princess yet.”
She watched him go, rigid with fury. What did they want from her? Rohan had commanded her to play a role that hurt her; his cruel remark about her training could still make her flinch, for it implied a lack of trust in the only advantage she could bring him as his wife. Andrade was set on the marriage for reasons she did not trust Sioned to know. Urival refused to teach her things he did not trust her to use wisely. None of them believed in her except insofar as she could be useful to them.
She ran down the hallways to Urival’s chamber and demanded to be let in. Urival sat by the windows, gazing at her with quiet compassion. All her anger drained away, and she whispered his name, humiliated when her voice trembled with threatening tears.
“Ah, Sioned,” he murmured, and held open his arms to her. She knelt beside him and buried her face against his knee, shaking. Urival smoothed her hair, saying nothing until she was calm again and lifted her face to his. “Do you understand now? Do you see how difficult it will be for you?”
“I—I see Andrade on one side, and the faradhi traditions of the past. And Rohan is on the other, with my future and my heart. But if she doesn’t want me to use my gifts on his behalf, why did she command me to come here and be his wife? I don’t understand any of this, Urival! Help me!”
“I think she has faith that you’ll use your gifts wisely, and for everyone’s good—not just Rohan’s.”
“But they’ll both use me. I’m not a rope, tied one end to an ox and the other to a stallion, trying to make them pull in harness together!”
“I can guess who you cast in the role of ox,” he said, and she couldn’t hold back a smile. “There, that’s better,” he approved. “I’ll admit I’ve likened our dear Lady to less flattering animals, myself. Sioned, I’d rather see you as leading both those stubborn beasts along, your abilities as the link between them. They can only use you if you allow it, child. You’re free to choose.”
“Am I? I was born with the faradhi talents, and what I saw in the Fire gave me no choice at all.” She sighed and shook her head. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”
“You should be. Now go to bed and sleep, and tomorrow night I’ll teach you what you want to know.”
She gave a start. “But—you said—”
“Yes, and I made you think about a few things, didn’t I?” Sioned got to her feet. “You’re a crafty, stubborn old beast yourself, Urival. Why do we all let you get away with it?”
“Goddess blessing,” he said, smiling. “Off you go now, princess.”
She stared at him as he gave her the title, the first person ever to do so. He winked at her and made a shooing motion with his hands.
“You will be, you know. You’d be utterly wasted as anything else.”
As the days were measured off before the Hatching Hunt, neither Sioned nor Urival was much in evidence around Stronghold. Rohan knew it must be wrong to be so grateful she was busy elsewhere, but in truth he had too much to do to concern himself with her. But each night when he slid into bed he dreamed of her beside him, and each morning when the sun touched his face he thought, half-waking, that it was the caress of her lips. His occasional glimpses of her were always a shock; he had to remind himself that he could not yet call out to her, smile, go to her for a touch or a kiss, behave as if they belonged to each other. He could not even be caught looking at her. He prided himself on control of his expression, but he knew that any glance at