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A messenger in Amberian uniform (for clarification, Mandor's Amber) delivers a letter at the Rebman residence of Princess Islain, which was forwarded on to her in Arden:

"For the Attention of Her Royal Highness, Princess Islain,

Baroness Solitaire Helgram and Mr. Vikund Anansi, Bart. request the pleasure of your company on ____ at ____pm in the Marianas Restaurant, Rebma City.

RSVP."

Islain turned the letter coolly in her long, well-manicured hands. "How intriguing," she drawled aloud. "I especially like the blanks."

She turned and found a silverwhite seashell as well as the mystical engraving metal most Rebmans used for correspondence. It was a very simple enchantment and Islain had never bothered to learn it. She wrote:

I would be pleased to attend tomorrow at six o'clock. If you wish to avoid the long walk you may Trump to me as I believe you are acquainted with my sister who ought still to have a card for me. You have engaged my interest. Please do not disappoint.

The last letter was full of curls and grace, ornate and yet careless.

Islain took a yellow anemone from an arrangement on the table and set it on the seashell, then handed both to the waiting messenger.

The Marianas Restaurant was one of a select few in Rebma specifically designed with outsiders in mind. Many of those that had boomed in Amber's heyday had closed or reinvented themselves, but the Marianas remained defiant, a reminder of times past. It was modelled in the form of an Aladdin's cave, its arched roof supported with whalebone and festooned with nets, coral and sparkling starfish. The walls reflected rainbow colours like mother-of-pearl; even the tables, polished to mirror smoothness by the action of the waves, seemed modelled from giant shells.

It was early evening, and the rush had not yet started, but no-one could fail to notice when Princess Islain walked in.

Islain had not been in the Marianas Restaurant in centuries and noted with vague interest a few changes that had been made in decoration. Not nearly as many as she had expected, really. Her eyes turned to scan the crowd, ignoring the usual murmur of excitement in her wake. She thought she would have picked out the two she had come to meet even had they not come to meet her. While others were here not native to Rebma, the man held himself more comfortable in his skin than was usual of a tourist, and there was no mistaking the young girl's purple eyes.

Aside from the usual turning of heads, one man got to his feet, and their eyes met across the room. Dark-haired, dark-eyed but with a bright smile he bowed slightly, while the young woman at his side stared with wide-eyed curiosity. He straightened his jacket and strode to meet her.

"Good Evening Your Highness. Thank you for honouring us with your presence this evening. I am Vikund Anansi. May I present the Baroness Solitaire Helgram…"

The young woman had apparently been distracting herself with the formation of several air-bubble animals. An assemblage of lions, wolves, hippopotamuses, and alligators lazily floated around her as she busied her herself with a series of flowing hand motions. Her violet eyes radiated with delight as another air bubble formed on the table. It grew enormous ears and a fluffy tail, along with pathetically short legs and a pair of reading-glasses. Even at a distance, the creation exuded an aura of grumpiness.

When Vikund stood, it startled the woman and every animal burst simultaneously, temporarily obscuring her behind a wall of tiny bubbles. When she became visible once more, her cheeks were red and a sheepish smile dominated her features.

Tear stood and smiled bashfully up at Islain, hoping against hope her little circus act had gone unnoticed. She curtsied and bowed her head. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you. And when Master Vikund said we'd be dining with you. Well. It was. Really a treat, Princess."

Islain smiled first at Vikund and then at Tear, offering formal nods to return the greeting and the curtsy. She was rather more dressed than Rebman women often are, but significantly less than was the fashion in Amber. She seemed to be wearing a bustier of silver set with yellow and blue topaz, and over that a loose sari of a glimmering samite which sparkled through a myriad of different colors, but the base of which was white. The sari was barely opaque and there were times when the light shone through it. She wore sandals of silver and moonstone, with high heels, and as was usual for Rebman nobility, she was more covered by her jewelry than by her clothing. Hair swept up and back and pinned with topaz and pearls, she gave an impression of opulence... and of exotic beauty.

"I am pleased to meet you, Mr. Anansi," she turned to Tear, "your Ladyship. You are very kind." Suddenly she laughed, a sound as deep and throaty and mellow as her speaking voice. "But who on earth has been saying nice things about me in Amber? I would have imagined anything you heard of me there would make you wish as to stay as far away as possible."

A nervous smile warmed her lips. "I. Well. My godmother, actually. Madame E'lbram Orkneyinga. She served your family for several years. As a chef's assistant. She's always said that you inspired her to become the woman she is. The Pearl of Rebma, she calls you. I can see why." Her purple eyes skittered away like startled fish.

“Let's not stand on ceremony," Vikund said, "please, be seated and we can continue with a bit more comfort." He drew back a chair for Islain to take her seat. Islain nodded, still smiling. It seemed she was the sort of woman who appreciated the courtesies, but also the sort who expected them. She said to Tear, "I remember E'lbram very well. Lovely girl. I was sorry she had left Rebma for Amber, but now that I know for what reason I am content. Is this your first visit to Rebma, your Ladyship? Mr. Anansi?" "Yes, milady," Tear said, sitting down. "I've read all about it extensively. And know most of the dialects. But I've never had the chance to come here. Master Mandor keeps me busy, usually. So. I don't travel. But Master Vikund must have spoken to him. This trip was definitely unexpected."

"Gorgeous," said Islain.

Tear smoothed out her dress and then took a nervous sip of tea. She'd already written half a dozen pages of notes on how to explain this manifestation of Rebman physics. Her observations would be exceedingly useful for her future elemental experiments. Fortunately, her grimoire remained unaffected by the liquid environment, allowing her to document everything.

"I've not travelled to Rebma before, but I know people who have," Vikund answered with a smile. "I'm usually kept on a tight leash; it seemed a pity to pass up the chance to arrange a meeting with you. Who knows when next I'll be let out of the city?"

"Quite," Islain favored both with the smile of a cat who has found the cream. A waiter brought her an enormous orange and gold drink with a huge plastic sword crammed with fruit in it, as well as a purple umbrella and two thick straws. She sipped and smiled. "But if I may ask, why *would* you arrange this meeting, Mr. Anansi? Do you also have a sympathetic Rebman godmother?"

"Regrettably no," Vikund replied. "Meeting your sister would naturally incline me to seek you out, but I have not done so until now. Much as I would like to say that meeting a beautiful noble lady in a foreign land is the only reason, it is not." He took a deep breath, took a drink of the blue-green liquid that they referred to as wine in these parts, and started afresh. Clearly this was not a man used to giving short answers. "It is no secret where your sympathies lie, Your Highness. You would support those who strive against Mandor's government. We all live a long time, barring accident or misfortune, and it is not inconceivable that your cause might one day receive the boost it needs. A knife in the dark, the right kind of traitor, a revelation or miracle. The means is not important, but the result is what concerns me."

"Her Excellency's mother gave up her homeland for the love of an Amber citizen, and both paid for that love with their lives. Solitaire Helgram, this pearl of innocence you see before you, is a lady of today's Amber, and I would like to think of tomorrow's Amber too. What concerns me is that in the fires of war, some may see an enemy of Amber when in fact she is anything but. I am under no illusions about what those soldiers in Arden think of me. There may be a time when I cannot protect her. I am asking that you accept this lady for what she is, not what others may perceive her to be," he says. "For asking this, nothing less than a meeting in the flesh would do."

Tear, already a small woman by any standard, appeared to physically shrink as the conversation took an unexpected turn. Perhaps this illusion stemmed from the manner in which her violet eyes widened so profoundly. She stared up at Vikund in dismay, dread settling over her like ice settling on a thin branch. At any point, she felt she might break beneath its smothering weight.

Islain sipped her drink as she regarded her two companions. She seemed to be looking at Vikund a bit more than at Tear, but only by milliseconds.

"I see. How... sweet..." The princess looked up at the ceiling before responding. "You wanted me to offer my protection of the young Baroness should my faction succeed in wresting Amber from Mandor's control? I can easily agree to this, *if* Baroness Solitaire agrees not to fight our coming."

Islain turned to Tear. "I will not harm you, unless it is to protect my own life or those of my people. I hope that satisfies your... friend..."

Tear blinked in dumb response. She fought for her words, speaking them through a mouth of cotton. "Harm me? What have I done? That we'd even have to speak of this? Am I in danger? I'm sorry. I don't understand. Any of this."

She touched Vikund's arm, looking up at him desperately.

"The circumstances I describe may never come to pass," Vikund said, taking Tear's small hand in his, "but that does not mean we should not prepare for them. Your Highness, your word of honour is more than enough. I thank you."

Tear squeezed his hand as if attempting to extract some of his strength. She wanted to inquire further as the course of this unsettling conversation, but the discussions current had already moved on and left her behind. A troubled sigh escaped her lips and her eyes dropped, along with her spirits.

"You need thank me for nothing. I am not a monster, no matter what some in Amber might wish you to believe. When I do cause harm, it is only for a just reason," Islain said, then turned to smile reassuringly at Tear. "We're just discussing failsafes, in case of worst case scenarios. It is nothing to trouble yourself over unduly. Would you care for a Fisherman's Reef?" she gestured to her enormous drink. "This place used to be famous for them, when my father was King of Amber."

Tear nodded lightly, meeting Islain's smile with her own. "I'd like that I think. Thank you. It's a very pretty drink." She considered the woman for a moment more, studying this dark angel with a discerning eye. A conclusion emerged somewhere behind those violet eyes, but did not reach her lips. She remained silent as the conversation continued onward.

Islain managed to order the drink with a simple gesture and eye contact with one of the hovering waiters.

"Now then, let's pretend this is just a family reunion and put politics to one side," he suggested. "It makes for a poor appetiser but an even worse dessert."

Islain chuckled deeply. "A family reunion. That's right, they say you're my cousin... Did you have much to do with your father?"

"Putting his name on official forms is as close as we ever got," Vikund replied evenly. "I don't think he even knows I exist. Still, we can't be held accountable for the acts of our parents, can we?"

"Not at all," Islain said neutrally, stirring her drink, then taking out the umbrella and slowly sucking the liquor from its stick. "But it does put you in an interesting position with regard to Amber... *Prince* Vikund."

Vikund nearly choked on his drink - something that should really not be attempted in Rebma. It took a few seconds for him to recover, having momentarily forgotten breathing technique in Rebma. "I think I can honesty say," he managed, "no-one has ever called me that before."

Tear narrowed her eyes for a moment, as if trying to recognize the man sitting beside her. "Prince?" He voice had a subtle sharpness to it that did not match the timidity of the speaker.

"Well, Random was a king of Amber, and were I legitimised and recognised as his son, that would make me a prince," Vikund explained, his composure returned. "For the moment, I remain merely a lowly Baronet. I'm sure it would cause great amusement if that title was used in Amber."

Tear's eyes flashed with hurt and she turned away. A shudder passed through her tiny form, but whatever she was thinking remained a mystery.

Islain's pale eyes flickered from Tear's face and back to Vikund and she smiled catlike. "Random never sat the throne of Amber, Solitaire. According to Prince Gerard on the day of his death and the Chaosian takeover, Random had been given the symbol of kingship in the most mystical and fantastic of inauguration ceremonies. Apparently the old man knew he was going to die trying to repair the Pattern so he left his succession with our embodiment of hope: the Unicorn. And the Unicorn chose Random."

She shrugged and looked at Tear. "But he was part of the group ambushed on their way home and he lives out his life in exile much like my own, but further from felicity. Surely you've heard this story before?"

Tear nodded lightly, her eyes burning with guilt as she looked up at Islain. "I know about King Random," she said. "Master Mandor can't hide everything from me. Not like some people." She glanced over at Vikund and another flash of pain colored her features. She shook her head.

"It's wrong," she said, but as to what remained unclear.

"What's wrong?" Vikund asked evenly. "The fact that family habitually lie to each other or that Amber's former monarch rots in a Chaosian jail?"

Tear shrugged her shoulders, refusing to look at him. "Both. And something more. But yes, it's wrong and horrible to use the King as a hostage. I think he should be free to rule. As he was ordained to. After one hundred years. We should be able to live together without. Threats."

Islain, who had been regarding the two with her head cocked slightly to the side and a curious expression on her nearly perfect features, let out a low hiss of air at that sentiment, almost a laugh.

She sighed faintly, her voice catching on briars. "As for the /other/ thing. You and I will discuss it later. Privately." She offered Islain an apologetic smile. "Men," she said, as if in explanation.

Vikund chuckled. "Precisely," he said, and took another drink.

Tear removed her hand from Vikund's. She set her napkin before her and began to idly play with a napkin; if one could call it 'playing.' Vikund had been with her long enough to realize this nervous habit typically emerged whenever the issue of family was discussed. Without ever touching it, she began folding the napkin with subtle flicks of her finger. Each perfect fold began to add structure and shape to the napkin, transforming it into an origami swan.

"I wish I could have met him," Tear said offhandedly. She smiled faint at Islian. "Your father, I mean. I've read his journals. He was very. Noble. And sad."

Islain looked at Tear as if she had never truly seen her before. Then she reached out and covered the young woman's hand with her own briefly. Her hands were cool and did not tremble. "I thank you for that. I think he would have liked you."

Tear blushed humbly; perhaps no greater compliment could have been provided her. She looked up into Islain's eyes and opened her mouth to say something.

Then the drink arrived for Tear and Islain took her hand away.

The young woman smiled bashfully. "Thank you," she said. The bashfulness transformed into childish fascination as she examined her colorful drink.

"I' was still a spark in my father's eye, so I never had the pleasure either," Vikund said, "but from what I understand, he always put Amber first. No-one can ask more from a king than that."

"A land is only as strong as a noble's love for their people," Tear cited reflectively. She reached over to undo her origami swan, neatly folding it on the table. With a keen fastidiousness, she removed the sword, umbrella, and straws from the drink and placed them on the napkin. There appeared to be some arcane manner as to their placement, but the meaning remained known solely to the young woman. She picked up the glass and sampled it carefully. "Ooooh. That's wonderful!" she chimed; a contented shiver passed through her tiny body.

Islain took a breath and then a deep drink of her own Fisherman's Reef. "Let us speak no more of the dead, but of the living. To the future," she said and raised up her glass.

Vikund raised his glass and touched it lightly to those of the two ladies causing it to chime. "To the future," he echoed, and drank.

"To the future." Tear touched her glass to the others' and then mimicked Islain's by quaffing a significant amount of her drink. She smiled happily and leaned back in her chair, cradling the glass in front of her. "Warm," she chuckled softly as the alcohol went right to her head. It appeared she would crash upon the Fisherman's Reef in the not-too-distant future, if she kept this up.

She offered Islain a faint smile. "You're so different from your sister. She watches over me, did you know? I guess that makes us like family too. Sort of."

The mention of Larissa smoothed Islain's features and she took another long drink. "It seems you have a number of powerful protectors, Baroness. All the same, I'll bite the bait: In simple terms, how do see us as different?"

"Protectors?" Tear said, surprised. She shook her head, which had become rather loosely fitting atop her neck. "No. I don't like that term. Too impersonal. People look out for me. Just like I look out for them. That's what friends do. And Larissa is my friend.

"And don't call me Baroness." She waggled her finger and then blushed embarrassedly. "Please? I'm just Tear. And that's who I am. Just Tear."

Tear took another happy sip of her drink. "Larissa has a hard exterior. All gruff and snippy and thorns. All business is Larissa. I like that about her. Her frankness is refreshing. You usually know where you stand with her. But she's pudding inside. Even if she would drink burning naphtha before admitting it. And that's why I love her so much."

The young girl cocked her head and smiled. "But you. You're soft on the outside. Beautiful and mysterious and eloquent. Every man in this room is looking at you. And you know it. Your hardness is on the inside, I think. Where no one will ever see it. Unless you wanted them to."

Tear's smile warmed, "But you both share something. Honor and a deep sense of duty. It's what really makes you both so beautiful. And why I like you very much."

She gazed into her empty glass and let out a giggle. "That was gooood."

Islain listened quietly to Tear's words. On occasions, she nodded slightly, drinking slowly. On other occasions, her eyes turned to Vikund to judge his reactions. Still other times, they drifted upwards to the glittering ceiling and she seemed far, far away.

Finally, she said, "You speak masterfully, Tear. I think that you see very deeply for one so young. Honor and duty - well, whatever else we are, we are both our father's daughters."

Tear hunched her shoulders and gave a timid smile. "Thank you, Princess. I'm not that good though. At reading people." She glanced over at Vikund for a moment, her smile fading before she looked back at her elder. "I'm sure I could learn. A great deal from you. If you're. Willing."

Suddenly she smiled and seemed to return to the present from whatever reverie or memory had captured her. "I'm glad you liked the drink. Would you care for another?"

Tear returned the smile, her bright, rosy cheeks aglow with the early signs of inebriation. "Uh-huh. Please? This was wonderful. I don't think I've ever had something quite like this before. Very tasty." She cocked her head, "Will you share another one with me?"

"I would be delighted," said Islain.

She glanced up at Vikund. "Should we have some food too? I'm suddenly peckish."

"Of course," Vikund said with smile. "Maybe you should go easy on the mango juice until you've had something to eat, eh?" He passed the menus around and gestured for a waitress. "Visiting the Magnolia proved a valuable experience. I don't know how I'd have negotiated the menu otherwise."

"But you have me," Islain protested smoothly. "I can negotiate any treacherous water, and most especially any in the city of my birth. I'm not certain how the specialties have changed, however. It is usually safe to choose a seafood dish."

She glanced at her own placard only momentarily before putting it away and ordering another Fisherman's Reef.

Tear didn't even look at the menu. She smiled up at their waitress, "Arròs negre with scallops and shrimp, please. And another Fisherman's Reef, as well. Oh! And he and I will have a small bowl of suquet de peix to start." She touched the waitresses hand. "And please. If you have crema rebmana, could we have three? I know it takes time, so~E Thank you, miss."

Vikund smiled at this familiarity, and nodded slightly to the waitress.

She let out a happy chuckle and sat back in her seat. "This must be very dull to you, Princess, but I've never tasted true Rebman cuisine. Well. I eat Auntie's all the time, but her café obviously isn't underwater. So it's not really the same."

"I wonder if your aunt is going to come back to Amber with a host of new ideas," Vikund speculated. "I'll be interested to see the revised menu at the Magnolia after we get back."

"Oh, I'm sure she will," Tear chimed. "She has several of her own recipes to trade in kind. So, we'll be eating like Rebman royalty soon. I just hope she can get all the ingredients sent regularly. Squid ink has to be just right, you know. Otherwise, it ruins the dish. And the fish needs to be~E I'm prattling again. Sorry."

She shifted uncomfortably. "You two would probably prefer to discuss politics than menus. I'm being rude."

"Oh, I think I'm done with politics for the evening," Vikund said, "though I'd like to think if Her Highness wished to discuss it at some future point, she would consider my door metaphorically open."

"Food *is* a far safer topic," Islain agreed, "and will serve to keep me on better behavior. I find so few opportunities to spar on politics in Arden, since we are all of similar mind, and my points grow rusty. Rather than attempt to spear my new family with such poisonous poinards, I will talk of anything you wish." She smiled at Vikund. "For your metaphorical door I thank you, but your actual one is far too close to Mandor's. We shall have to put off our political discussions for the duration."

Vikund inclined his head in deference. "As you wish," he smiled. "If we make it as far as dessert, I recommend the 'Push-the-boat-out'. Between the three of us, we might manage to finish it."

"Oh, don't forget the cream rebmana, I ordered," Tear said, smiling softly. "They're light desserts, but sweet. Maybe a half order? Unless you're really hungry."

"One would be amazed the amount of food necessary to fuel the blood of Oberon," said Islain lightly. "Corwin, for example, reputedly ate like an ox. I know Uncle Gerard did. Even Flora can put it away when the situation does not suggest otherwise."

Tear nodded sadly. "And yet, we don't gain weight," she said, as if this were the most tragic thing to be uttered by the human tongue. "I eat and eat. And I'm still. Scrawny. I'm doubly cursed. By Amber and Chaos. Someday I want to have hips. And~E" She gazed down at her chest with a frown. "Other things. I wish I could have a classical body. Like most noble women. I'm tired of looking like a little girl."

Vikund smiled. "You have plenty of other things, and anyone foolish enough not to recognise the beauty that shines from your eyes is not worthy of attention. You should be proud of how you are made, rather than strive to fulfil someone else's ideal."

"I think you're wonderful just as you are," he added.

Tear blushed brightly and leaned over to hug Vikund tightly. After a contented sigh, she gave him a light pat on the arm. "You're so infuriating. How can I be mad. When you say something so. Beautiful?" She shrugged with a grin. "Besides. If you like the way I look, then why should I change? You're the one I want to impress. You and you alone."

"Oh, you flatter me. I rather think you aspire to impress Master Mandor, too. Judging by your long apprenticeship, I believe you've managed that," Vikund answered.

Islain took this golden opportunity to glance around the room. She disliked the new positioning of the musician's grotto, as it quite effectively shielded anyone coming in the side entrance from view for at least five seconds. She felt much more comfortable thinking about tactical architectural mistakes than witnessing the soft beauty of mutual care in people whose lives she fully intended to ruin.

She shifted in her seat, trying to regain some height and stability. She wavered for a moment and threatened to sink back into the seat. After a quick shake of her head, Tear had regained her equilibrium. "Would it be rude of me to ask about the Forest Arden?" she asked nervously. "It's another place I've wanted to see. But~E well~E people say it isn't safe for a young woman like me."

"I am not..." Islain hesitated. "Not rude. Not at all. But my views on Arden are perhaps a trifle colored by my own experience. You've seen paintings no doubt? It is... the grandest and most beautiful old forest in the universe. There is a feeling of deepest tranquility. Beyond that, I fear I conflate Arden with Julian, so any further commentary would take on that shade."

She toyed with her drink. "Some day I hope you will have a chance to see all the places you wish, Tear. Free from constraints about what is or is not safe."

Tear regarded Islain for a moment, her violet eyes glimmering thoughtfully. After a brief pause, she lifted her glass and let out a timid cough. "I propose a toast then," she said in an alcohol-induce moment of social courage. "To the hope for freedom. That someday, we can all walk where we may, be as we wish, and no longer live in fear. To the hope we can all be. Safe." She chewed her lip, suddenly conscious of the words she'd spoken aloud and to whom.

"Freedom and safety,"Vikund said, raising his glass.

If Islain noted anything untoward in the toast, she made no sign, simply raising her glass and clinking softly on the others, though she did not speak. She drank deeply, but there was still no sign of intoxication in the Princess.

"Are you missing some of the home comforts, Your Highness?" Vikund enquired lightly.

Islain laughed. "Of course. I was born in one splendid court, grew up in another and learned to be a woman in still another. I am a city girl, albeit one that has come to appreciate the beauty of the countryside. I miss my bath-tub in the palace the most I think. Showers can be rigged and there are pools to bathe in, but soaking in hot water is a true delight."

Tear wrinkled her nose in confusion, wondering why exactly then that Islain didn't simply go back to her apartment in Castle Amber. But something about the tone of the conversation told her not to ask. Instead, she began to work on consuming her second drink.

"So you might envy your sister just a little after all," Vikund smirked. "Don't worry, I won't tell."

"There's no shortage of hot water here, after all," he said.

Islain did not return the smile. "Envy Larissa? No. Not even if she takes a hot bath six times a day. Her position is far more precarious than mine."

"Politics," Tear said offhandedly, rolling her eyes. And then she blushed brightly, cringing in her seat. "Well. We. Did say we. Weren't talking about them. Right?"

She glanced between her tablemates, "I don't want us. To get mad at one another. And politics. Brings out the worst in people."

Tear sighed, deflating as she stared out into the crowd. "When I get older. I'm going to make sure things change," she said quietly, but she did not appear to be speaking to her companions.

"Sibling rivalry would not usually count as politics, but in this case it probably does," Vikund conceded. "Perhaps you should tell the princess about your nine seals instead," he suggested. "Or since I have asked a boon of the princess, perhaps I could offer one in return?" He looked at Islain enquiringly.

"No, on that one Tear was right. I was speaking of politics, and for that I beg you forgive me. Old habits die hard, and politics were my bread and butter two hundred years before you were born." She smiled gently, regarding Tear and then Vikund with a beatific gaze, like that of a benevolent queen. "A boon, eh, Mister Anansi? All right, I think I do have one to ask of you: An answer to a simple question that I will ask you in private. An honest answer."

Tear's cheeks flushed and gave a silent nod. She stood up unsteadily and walked away without a word. Apparently, she had grown so accustomed to being dismissed, of being on the outside, that she had reacted automatically. She continued toward the door, pausing only once to look back at Vikund before disappearing outside.

Islain had the grace to look concerned, if not sorry. She turned to Vikund, leaned forward and spoke very softly.

They had a short conversation before Vikund got to his feet and went after Tear. He took her arm to steady her. "I'm sorry about that. Please, come back. I believe the food is about to arrive."

Tear, who had been playing with a school of garishly colored fish, turned around and smiled faintly. "I'm used to it," she said. "Not to worry." She leaned on him as he led her back to the table. When she arrived, she slid into her seat and pushed the drink away. Its allure had faded along with her spirits.

The meal passed quickly. Little more was said, and no further conversation was invited. Vikund obviously thought better of ordering the dessert he threatened to, and the Creme Rebmana topped off the evening as intended. "I'm sure you have other visits to make, Your Highness, please don't let us detain you," he said. "I do hope we can do this again sometime."

Islain raised her eyebrows at this, which sounded suspiciously like a dismissal.

Tear's eyes felt heavy and her limbs leaden. Between her first introduction to hard liquor and the rich meal, the young woman felt as if she could fall asleep right in her chair. But having endured numerous and prolonged sessions with Mandor that tested her fortitude, she grasped for and found her second wind. A nice walk along the promenade might do her some good. The 'discussion' she'd intended to have with Vikund could wait for another time.

She offered Islain a gentle smile. "It was a pleasure to meet you," she said. "I hope. We haven't kept you."

"The pleasure was, I am certain, all mine," said Islain with an amused sincerity. "And I too, hope that we shall again meet, perhaps in Amber, to share food and drink. And then we shall have more to say to one another. Enjoy the rest of your stay in Rebma. Perhaps I might suggest some museums and gardens to explore if you have the time."

Tear smiled shyly, "Maybe. You and I could have a ladies' day? I'm sure Vikund would be bored to tears by things that would delight us. If. You've the time. That is."

"I'm afraid I must return to my uncle in Arden tomorrow. For the remainder of the day, however, I am entirely at your disposal." Islain looked the girl over closely. "I can promise it will be worth your time."

Tear smiled warmly and clapped her hands; her energy renewed by this opportunity. "Please?" She turned to Vikund. "May I? I know you wanted to spend time together. But if this is my last chance for awhile. I'd like to take it. I swear, I'll be safe. And I can contact you if I need you." She touched her brow and smiled as if thinking about a shared secret.

"Of course you can," Vikund smiled. "I'll be around if you need me."

Tear stood up and bent slightly to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, my love," she whispered. "I'll see you tonight. Maybe we can have a quiet dinner?"

After final arrangements were made, Tear allowed Islain to lead her out and into the city... and to whatever fate might await her there.