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I sent her a fond look. “It’s hardly everyourfault.”

Flogging by proxy achieved the desired results with Alise. She hated for me to be hurt so much that she hardly ever misbehaved. She was as close to perfection as humanly possible.

“Those two,” she grumbled, sending a glare to where her older sisters had stood. “I’ll be glad to see them married and gone.”

I winced at that, becauseIwould not be glad.

When Feena and Sybilia married and left—a situation that would no doubt happen soon, because the king was already in betrothal talks with the country of Acton across the Dark Channel aswell as with the far-off Isle of Meru—Alise would quickly follow suit, and I was in no hurry to lose my favorite sister.

I did not know what her parents had planned for her, if they even had a plan yet... but they would. Eventually. They would not permit the loveliest and sweetest of the princesses to remain unwed. Not with the growing threat from the north. That would be a wasted opportunity. I’d gathered enough from snatches of conversations at court and between the king and the lord regent to know that Penterra was desperate to shore up its allies.

I swallowed thickly. When the princesses were married and gone, I would be alone. We may not be sisters by birth, but they were the only family I had ever known. What would become of me when I was no longer needed? What would I be then? The discomfort in my back paled in comparison to the heavy pang in my chest.

I might be trapped between worlds—royal and not royal, belonging and not belonging—but at least I knew my place, my purpose.

Once they are gone, this all ends. I will have to find a new place, a new purpose.

I pushed aside that insidious little whisper, which fed into my fears more and more of late. I sighed. No sense worrying about what I could not control. It wasn’t as though the king and queen would cast me aside, after all. They cared for me and would undoubtedly see me well situated.

“They don’t mean to get into trouble,” I said.

It went deep, this instinct to defend them, even to each other. I knew nothing else. I’d been doing it ever since I was five years old and it was decided I was old enough to start paying the price for my sisters’ misdeeds.

Alise rolled her eyes. “They don’tmeanto, but they do. They need to be mindful of how their actions affect you.” A little late for that. I resisted pointing out that if they hadn’t learned that lesson by now, they never would.

She seized my hand and tugged me from the chamber. “Come, Tam. Let us see what all the fuss is about.” Her gaze searched my face, pausing. “If you feel up to it, that is...”

“Of course I do. Let us go.” The border lords’ visit had been greatly anticipated. I was as curious as everyone else and eager for a glimpse of them.

We made haste to the Great Hall, where the king and queen would welcome the arrivals as they did all esteemed dignitaries. Feena and Sybilia were already there, seated in their chairs to the right of the queen, their shining faces rapt as they leaned forward anxiously.

We pushed through the crowd. Everyone in the palace was here to witness the spectacle. The lords and ladies of the court pressed in thickly around me, the odors of sweat and perfume on unwashed bodies rising up to fill my nose. A feeble breeze passed through the arrow slits in the walls, but not nearly enough to circulate air among the mob of onlookers.

My gaze shot to the double doors of the Great Hall, the pulse at my throat leaping. I could hear them coming—the heavy footfalls of the approaching warriors. My skin turned to gooseflesh, vibrating and humming as they drew closer. It was a strange sensation. At once thrilling and foreboding.

My mouth dried in anticipation. They would be here soon, standing before the dais, where the royal family was seated in an impressive tableau—where I, too, normally sat, in the chair next to Alise.

My gaze fixed on the two vacant chairs beside Feena. One for Alise and the other for me. I could not move forward. My slippered feet were planted, stuck to the floor for some reason. The instinct to cling to the perimeter of the room pinned me in place.

I nudged my sister. “Go on. Take your spot with them, Alise.”

She squeezed my hand and studied me curiously, replying lightly, “Let us both take our seats.” She always did her best to make me feel like I was one of them.

I slid my hand free from hers and placed it over my suddenly churning stomach. I didn’t want to sit in that chair up there in front of the outsiders. Not as uneasy as I felt. The very notion of it made me feel itchy all over... as if my skin were too tight.

“You know, I don’t feel that well,” I hedged. “I will retire to my chamber.”

She searched my face, nodding slowly. “Very well. You should ring for some mint tea.”

“I will do that.” Turning, I moved away, losing myself deeper in the crowd, but I did not leave the hall. I could not make myself do that. I was still curious. It just felt...saferto watch from a distance. Unseen.

Convinced that Alise believed me gone, I tucked myself against a far wall, behind a lady in a voluminous gown. I peered over the woman’s shoulder, hoping my red hair benefited me for once and helped me blend in with the bright scarlet of her headdress. If I was spotted, I could be compelled to take my usual place on the dais.

Suddenly a figure pressed close beside me. “What are you doing out here gawking with the rest of the court?” I jumped at the sound of the deep voice in my ear.

My hand flew to my chest, pressing against my suddenly galloping heart. “Stig.” I released a breathy little laugh. “You gave me a fright.”

A smile played about my friend’s mouth. He nodded to where my family sat. “You belong up there.”