10

“Lovely,” she said. “Don’t worry, Barion, if the wolves of Nightfall excel at anything, it’s ensuring our guests are well-fed.” She smiled at him, and then gestured at a handful of servants lingering near the front door. They hurried forward to the coach. “My staff will show you to your quarters, Barion. As for you, Lady Reyna, I’ll escort you to your quarters myself. The staff will bring your things.”

“Thank you,” I said with another small curtsy.

I followed Lady Glennis into the manor. The front hall was immense, with vaulted ceilings and polished stone floors; the low heels of her boots echoed through the space. The stained-glass windows were covered, but the room was well-lit with torches and a huge, roaring hearth, making it feel warm and cozy despite its size. She led me up the immense staircase in the center of the hall, then down a narrower path, to what I assumed must be the guest quarters.

“I hope the journey was kind to you?” Lady Glennis asked.

“Oh, it was lovely,” I said. “I’m thrilled to see more of Frasia.”

“Wonderful,” Lady Glennis said. “We are still waiting on some of the contestants to arrive, hence the lack of welcome meal.”

“Please, I didn’t expect—”

Lady Glennis held up a hand, cutting me off. “The King’s Choice has historically been quite a formal affair.”

“...Yes?” I said.

“Here in the Court of Nightfall, we do things a bit differently. Certainly there will be formalities involved, but the Choice will be a gift both to the king and the people of Efra. We hope to put on a series of events that will be both fun and exciting for all participants and spectators. This week will be full of events, and a final score will be tallied at the end to decide the finalists.”

Fun and exciting. I wasn’t sure what that meant—but I had the sense that all the history cramming I’d done wasn’t going to be the knowledge I leaned on the most in the coming weeks.

“Right this way,” Lady Glennis said. She opened one of the fine wooden doors in the hallway. Somehow the servants had beaten us here; my trunks were already in place.

The room was spacious, with a big window overlooking a dining table, a four-poster bed, and an overstuffed armchair in front of a hearth, surrounded by—

“Oh, my!” I said. “What an incredible collection!” I rushed forward, momentarily forgetting my manners in my excitement. The hearth was surrounded by shelves, filled with books of all kinds, books I hadn’t seen in the library at Daybreak. Novels, history, even poetry—I immediately found a thin volume of Shiangan seafaring poetry and flipped it open.

“A fan of literature, then?” Lady Glennis asked.

My face flushed. I snapped the book closed and straightened up. “Yes. I’ve always been an avid reader.”

“As am I,” Lady Glennis said. She strode past me to the bookshelves, then pulled out a narrow, plain volume and handed it to me. “Read this alongside the poetry,” she suggested. “It will enhance your appreciation.”

I beamed at her, then hugged both books close to my chest. “Thank you, my lady.”

“I’ll leave you to get settled,” Lady Glennis said. “Your dinner is ready for you” –she nodded to the covered platter on the table— “and tomorrow you will meet your lady servants and hear more about the upcoming Choice.”

I nodded. “That sounds wonderful.”

“Get some rest,” she said. “Tomorrow will be a big day.”

Lady Glennis smiled at me, and her expression was unreadable again. I wasn’t sure what impression I’d made—but it didn’t seem bad. That was a good start and was the balance I was trying to strike. I had to represent my pack well.

Just not well enough to win.

She left just as briskly as she’d arrived, and as the door closed behind her, I was left alone in the big room with its crackling fire and waiting dinner. I was anxious, but grateful for the privacy.

A week, Lady Glennis had said. The main events of the Choice would only last a week. Anticipation thrilled me as I sat down at the small table for my dinner. I could be back in Daybreak before I even knew it. Back with Griffin—and back to start a life of my own.

3

“G ood morning!” A bright voice cut through my sleep, and I blinked awake. Someone threw open the curtains at the window and sunlight flooded the room. Apparently, it’d snowed in the night, and the light was blindingly bright as it reflected off the landscape outside and into the room. I cringed and squinted.

“Hope you slept well, milady,” the young pup who had thrown open the curtains chirped. She couldn’t have been more than sixteen, with curly auburn hair barely tamed by a strip of fabric, and a bright, buck-toothed smile. “I’m Rue, this is Amity. We’ll be your ladies-in-waiting for the course of the Choice.”

Amity set down an immense platter of food on the cleared table—they must’ve been in here cleaning up my dishes while I was still sleeping. Amity’s hair was long and black, styled in twin braids falling over her shoulders. They both wore simple canvas dresses with white aprons.

“Lovely to meet you,” I mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

With the platter deposited on the table, Amity hurried out of the room, and then back in, this time with her arms laden down with huge, fluffy towels. She went into the ensuite bathroom and I heard the water start to run.

“If you’re hungry, there’s breakfast,” Rue said. “Best to have your strength up at the start of the day, that’s what Lady Glennis says.”

“I agree with her.” I was still half-asleep. In Daybreak, I didn’t see my maids until I’d readied myself. These two teenage balls of energy were different, but not entirely unwelcome. “Smells good.”