The carriage turned onto a wider street, and as the wheels clattered loudly over the cobblestones, the strange atmosphere of the Hearth of Sommerland slowly fell away from them. The buildings here were lower, the facades more colorful, and everywhere people crowded between stalls.

  "Ah, finally," sighed the duchess, leaning back more relaxed into the cushions. "After so much piety, I need something worldly to relax."

  Lady Beatrice laughed softly. "I was afraid you would order the driver to return directly to the townhouse."

  "Oh no! Culture and history are important, but we also want to have a little fun today." Rosalind turned to Innogen, a warm smile playing on her lips. "Lady Innogen, I would like to give you a gift. A small token of affection to welcome you into my family."

  Innogen blushed and shook her head. "Your Grace, that really isn't necessary. You have already shown me so much graciousness, and the time you have taken for me today-"

  "Nonsense," the duchess interrupted firmly but not unkindly. "I insist. A future member of my family deserves to be treated accordingly, and I will not hear a word of objection."

  Beatrice glanced at Valentina with amusement.

  The carriage stopped in front of an imposing building with large wooden windows. A shop assistant hurried over to open the carriage door and bowed so low that his nose almost touched the pavement.

  "Your Grace! What an honor to welcome you back to our humble establishment!"

  The jeweler himself, a tall, gaunt man with a stooped posture, came to meet them in the shop. His eyes lit up when he recognized the duchess, and he clapped his hands to get his assistants moving.

  "Bring the new pieces from the workshop! The best cushions for our guests! And the light summer wine that Her Grace so appreciates!"

  Within moments, they found themselves seated on upholstered benches while trays of sparkling jewelry were lined up before them.

  Valentina watched Innogen's expression as an assistant opened one box after another. The Ashbournes were wealthy, no question, but the Marcher lords lived a different life from the coastal aristocracy. Their riches went into fortresses and armories and granaries, not into such an abundance of luxury goods. Innogen's slightly widened eyes gave away that this level of opulence was foreign to her.

  "This one," said the duchess, who was also watching Innogen closely, finally, pointing to a simple but exquisite bracelet of polished gold set with small sapphires. "Yes, that's the one. We'll take this one."

  "An excellent choice, Your Grace," purred the jeweler. "The sapphires are of the highest purity. The exquisite setting is-"

  "The sapphires match your eyes, Lady Innogen," Rosalind gently interrupted his sales pitch. "It's exactly the same shade."

  She took the bracelet and placed it around Innogen's wrist herself.

  "It's beautiful," whispered Innogen, her voice a little hoarse. "I don't know what to say, Your Grace. I'm deeply moved."

  "And now to you two," the duchess continued, turning to Beatrice and Valentina. "It would be rude to overlook my faithful ladies."

  For Lady Beatrice, she chose a delicate hairpin with an amber stone set in its head. Beatrice accepted the gift with obvious delight.

  "And for you, Valentina."

  The duchess selected earrings with beautiful lavender grey spinels for her.

  "Your Grace, I..." Valentina was genuinely surprised. "This is too generous."

  "I believe in honoring those who serve me faithfully," Rosalind replied simply. "You have always performed your duties to me and my family impeccably, Valentina. I appreciate that."

  The sincerity in her voice took Valentina by surprise. This woman, whose husband regularly called her to his bed, always treated her with a kindness that both embarrassed and touched her.

  "Thank you," she finally managed to say.

  After the jeweler had received a bill of exchange signed by the duchess, accompanied by deep bows and effusive expressions of gratitude, they visited a perfumer whose shop was filled with a hundred different scents, and a fabric merchant who presented the duchess with the latest silk bolts from the East. Everywhere they went, they were received with the same deferential attention, doors opened for them, and assistants brought out the finest wares.

  "A very busy morning," the duchess announced contentedly as they climbed back into the carriage.

  The atmosphere was noticeably more relaxed than on the way there. Innogen looked at her new bracelet in the light streaming through the windows and turned her wrist to see the sapphires sparkle.

  "The perfumer was an interesting character," Lady Beatrice remarked dryly. "Did you notice how he kept flinching, as if he expected us to drop his bottles at any moment?"

  "He was nervous," agreed the duchess. "Probably because his shop has only recently opened. They say he comes from Padano."

  "He was more than just 'nervous'. He was shaking like a leaf in the autumn wind when you asked for the rose oil." Beatrice put on an exaggerated look of horror and imitated the man's hasty stammering: "O-of course, Your G-Grace, right away, Your Grace, I'll b-bring it, Your Grace..."

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Valentina laughed and even Innogen giggled behind her hand. The duchess shook her head, but the corners of her mouth twitched too.

  "Beatrice, you are impossible."

  While Beatrice continued to share her observations about the various shopkeepers, Valentina and Innogen's eyes met across the narrow space of the carriage. Innogen smiled, and something warm spread through Valentina's chest.

  The carriage stopped in the courtyard of the Greystone townhouse, and as soon as it came to a halt, the housekeeper, Dundee, hurried over to greet them.

  "Your Grace, the gentlemen are still in Parliament and have sent word that they wish to go directly to the tournament from there," she announced as she helped the duchess out of the carriage. "A light meal has already been set out in the small dining room. I thought that after such a busy morning, Your Grace and the ladies would appreciate some refreshments."

  "Excellent, Dundee. As always, you are very thoughtful."

  The table in the small dining room was set for four with fresh flowers in a clay vase. There was cold poultry in thin slices, fresh bread with a golden crust, salads with herbs and fresh vegetables, and a selection of fruits. Chilled wine was served with the meal, but it was diluted with plenty of water.

  "The Hearth was really impressive," remarked Lady Beatrice as she took a slice of bread. "I've been there twice before, but the architecture fascinates me every time."

  "You were right, Beatrice, Illuminator Windbert was an excellent guide," agreed the duchess. "His enthusiasm was quite endearing, and you can tell he knows what he's talking about."

  Valentina nodded and sipped her wine. The conversation was moving on safe ground, and she was grateful for that.

  "Relax a little," Vyxara recommended.

  Innogen looked at her new bracelet again, which sparkled in the sunlight. "I must thank you again, Your Grace. This gift is truly too generous."

  "No, certainly not," the duchess waved her hand dismissively, but her smile was warm. "It suits you perfectly."

  After the first half of the meal had passed in pleasant conversation, the duchess steered the conversation in a different direction.

  "I must confess, I'm curious," she said, leaning back slightly and looking at Innogen and Valentina. "You two have known each other for two years now, haven't you? How did you become friends?"

  Valentina and Innogen exchanged a quick glance, and Valentina felt a smile touch her lips.

  "It was in Professor Veilford's Planar Geometry class," Innogen began to tell the story. "In our first year, not long after the semester started. A few weeks in, maybe."

  "We were supposed to analyze a complex Essence pattern and achieve a specific effect," Valentina continued. "I had suggested a, well, somewhat unconventional solution."

  "Unconventional is an understatement." Innogen shook her head with genuine admiration in her voice. "Professor Veilford stood pondering her diagram just muttering to himself. He usually says 'Right!' or 'Wrong!' right away. At first, I thought he was going to reprimand her, but then he smiled."

  "I was so nervous I almost felt sick," Valentina admitted.

  "And I," said Innogen with a soft laugh, "was so curious that I went up to her after the exercise. I really wanted to know what her solution was and how she had come up with it. And then I saw..." She paused and gave Valentina an apologetic look.

  "She means my geometry book," Valentina finished the sentence. "It was in terrible condition. A very cheap copy that I had gotten third or fourth-hand. And the copyist hadn't put much effort into it to begin with. The pages were almost loose in the binding and the diagrams were barely legible."

  "So I offered to share my folio with her," Innogen said simply. "We sat together in the library for hours that afternoon, discussing planar geometry. And then everything else."

  The duchess smiled, but her green eyes flashed attentively. "How charming. Friendship based on intellectual admiration."

  "Innogen has helped me more than I could ever repay," Valentina said quietly. "Not just with books. With everything."

  "But Valentina got me through every difficult exam," Innogen objected. "Her explanations are better than most professors'."

  "You're a good team," Vyxara remarked in Valentina's head.

  "Do you have any other close friends at the university?" the duchess asked casually. "A larger circle of friends?"

  "Oh there's Crispin Gillespie," replied Innogen. "A good friend of both of us. His father is a baron, a vassal of the Duke of Mirkshire. He is very talented in Essence Theory and originally wanted to work with Professor Veilford after graduating, but... well, I don't think he's so sure what he wants to do later on at the moment."

  "The last year has been very hard on him," Valentina added, her voice softening, "He was seriously ill during the plague and... it was just a difficult situation last year."

  A shadow passed over the faces of both young women, and the duchess bowed her head.

  "You're talking about the investigation through the Illumination, I assume," she said gently. "Master Lucian kept me and Cosimo informed about it. It must have been terrible."

  "It was," Valentina confirmed cautiously.

  "But we carried each other through," said Innogen. "Especially when Crispin fell ill, there were moments when I didn't know how we would get through the next day. But Valentina was always there."

  "And Innogen was there for me."

  Lady Beatrice, who had been listening silently to the conversation, cleared her throat slightly. "I've heard that Professor Whitehall is a strict professor. Is that true? I once had a cousin who studied with her and complained constantly."

  The distraction was as elegant as it was transparent, and Valentina was grateful for it. The conversation then turned to lighter topics, and they shared amusing anecdotes about professors, the quirks of university life, and the challenges and peculiarities of the various different subjects.

  But the duchess wasn't finished yet.

  "Valentina," she said after a while, her voice taking on a thoughtful tone, "your achievements are truly admirable. How you fought your way out of poverty through the power of your talent and the help of your friends and won the Greystone Competition."

  Valentina felt her neck tense, but she kept her face calm.

  "Valentina is very close to our family," the duchess said to Innogen. "My husband continues to take a keen interest in her advancement, and he often speaks of her talents and dedication. Isn't it a stroke of luck that Valentina now finally has opportunities befitting her abilities, Lady Innogen?"

  The words were harmless enough, but Valentina recognized the trap. The duchess wanted to know if Innogen knew the true nature of her arrangement with the duke.

  "What a fantastic woman," Vyxara sighed.

  Innogen replied with a calmness that Valentina admired. "I am overjoyed for her, Your Grace. Valentina deserves every support she gets. Her talent is so extraordinary, it would have been a waste if it had remained undiscovered."

  She did not look over at Valentina. No telltale glances, no nervous gestures. Just apparent sincere joy for a friend who had made it.

  But there was something in her voice that was almost a little too controlled. As if she had rephrased her answer a few times before she had even heard the question.

  The duchess tilted her head slightly, and Valentina could practically see her processing and sorting through the information. Then she smiled and changed the subject with the same ease with which she had introduced it.

  "Well, we should slowly get ready for the tournament. The afternoon will be exciting." She rose, and the others followed her example. "Lady Innogen, a guest room is available for you to change. Margaret will assist you."

  "Thank you, Your Grace."

  As they left the dining room, Valentina finally dared to exhale slowly.

  "She knows now that Innogen knows," Vyxara murmured in her head. "But she seems to accept it. At least for now."

  "For now will have to suffice," Valentina thought back as she walked down the corridor to her chambers.