I grin back at her.”Duchess Ina. How delightful to see you. What brings you here?”

  Ina laughs.”It seems that Oskar and Arvo are in quite a bit of trouble with the Dukes. All. Of. Them. Most invested in this trading venture with your king, and Arvo’s... practices led you to be put in a suite of rooms that... well... let’s say even my maids have working fireplaces. It’s no wonder you think Centis is a poor country with a struggling economy.”

  I nod in understanding. “And they’ve sent you to repair that impression, Your Grace?”

  Ina grins wickedly and nods over her teacup, “Yes, dear girl. We are going shopping. Bring some men. I’ve been given an unlimited budget to spend. Where would you like to start?”

  I think for a moment before I smirk back at her, “Perhaps there is an orphanage here in need of toys and clothing?”

  Ina gives me an appraising look, “Oh, I do like how you think. If they complain too much, they hate the poor motherless little mites. What a delightful way to tweak Oskar and Arvo, making them both like it. There are two of them, in fact, run by competing religious sects. We will need to visit both, of course, so that we appear impartial.”

  I smile widely at Ina, “I do love shopping for children’s things.”

  Ina gives me a knowing look. “Kenric will see to it that you have some of your own soon enough. I know just the place. We’ll go by the orphanages first and see if they can give us a list of what they most critically need.”

  Laughing, I nod in agreement. “I’d love to see some of the children we’ll be shopping for. If I can get a bit of a sense of them, we can make some better choices for them.”

  Smiling, Ina nods, “You are too kind, Víl?.”

  I shrug, “I have more trinkets than I know what to do with. I would love to see some of the local artists, though. Our rooms are a bit drab and need something to brighten them up.”

  I don’t dare say out loud that I can create anything I want with magic without spending a single copper. Most of our clothing is my own design, including Kenric’s wardrobe.

  Sagely, Ina nods, “Not all art is meant for walls. We should visit the jewelers. Some of their work is almost as exquisite as that headdress of strawberries and wild roses that you wore to dinner. It took me a few moments to realize that it was all made of metal and gemstones, not real roses and strawberries.”

  What Ina doesn’t realize is that it started as real strawberries and wild roses. I used magic to transform it into a jeweled masterpiece. That’s why it looks so authentic. It’s a very Fey way to create something, but not how humans usually make anything.

  Instead, I agree with Ina, since Kenric won’t be paying for this shopping trip. “As you wish. Do you think they might have a miniature version of the big mechanical clock in Varpua? I’d love to send one to my mother in Imelenora.”

  Smirking, Ina shrugs, “If they don’t, we’ll commission one. You quite liked Varpua, I take it?”

  Nodding, I smile. “I adored the clock. I went at midday for the full display. It was impressive. Your palace is also far more comfortable than the King’s, too. The people were so friendly and welcoming, so yes, I did enjoy my time there.”

  While I was there, watching the clock, I was recognized from Kenric’s stunt at the docks. Everyone hugged me and congratulated me on my upcoming wedding. A couple of the town guards even took it upon themselves to escort me and act as tour guides, pointing out other places I might want to visit. It was lovely, and I only hope I didn’t get them into any trouble.

  Duke Jellema had sent a couple of men with me, but I was struggling so much with the language that we didn’t understand each other very well. The town guards spoke a trade language I know, so talking with them was much easier.

  Ina laughs and takes my hand. “After that display with Kenric at the docks… I was surprised that the townspeople let you go. The people adore you, Víl?. Then you come here, tossing out candy and coins, and get another resounding welcome. If Oskar does anything too public, he’ll get a raft of criticism. Most of the dukes appreciated your help with the trade agreement. Even Keimpe unwound enough to admit you’d been of some help, which is high praise coming from that man.”

  I give Ina a bit of a grin. “I wanted everyone to try the candy. I hope it will be included in the next trade agreement. It’s quite delicious, and it seemed like a good way to introduce everyone to it.”

  I don’t tell her that it’s a Fey tradition that says essentially that we’re not coming here to kill all of you today.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  Ina nods her approval. “Oskar could learn a few things from you. I think his public approval has improved quite a bit since your arrival.”

  As much as I hate to admit it, I learned statecraft from Ellisar, and Ellisar is as wily as they come.

  Part of my goal here is to identify items Centis can buy from us, and the candy is one of the more popular items at home. It ships easily, and everyone seems to love it.

  “Let’s go see about tending to the less fortunate, shall we?” Ina and I set off in her carriage. The top is down, and we’re flanked by Inaba’s men as well as Duke Jellema’s men. Many stop to wave at us, and the same young boy tries to dart through the men. One of Duke Jellema’s men grabs his arm, but I wave at Inaba to let it happen.

  The soldier holding him releases him with a frown, and the boy jogs beside the carriage. “Are you going to throw more candy?”

  I laugh and shake my head. “I can’t. I already threw it all to the crowds.”

  He looks crestfallen, so I reach into my purse and grab a few pieces. I manage to slip him some, and he grins at me before ducking back into the crowd.

  Ina laughs delightedly. “How do you know a street urchin?”

  I explained that he had slipped through the crowd to ask who I was when we arrived. Apparently, he told everyone, and that’s when the crowd started chanting my name.

  Ina laughs, “So that’s how they found out who you were? From an impudent little urchin?”

  I nod, “He didn’t seem like a threat. Just incredibly curious with the lack of decorum small boys often have.”

  Ina gives me a sideways look and asks, “What did happen to those magnificent carriages?”

  I shrug and sigh, “I think my cousins took them back with them.”

  Ina smirks and says, “Just as well. They’re far nicer than anything Oskar has. You’d probably been forced give them to him. I do hope they get home safely.” Ina laughs and tells me, “Rumor has it that they bought another ship because The Hamadryad wasn’t returning to Imelenora soon enough to suit them.”

  I give Ina a sad look. “They might well have. I think they were hoping to make it home in time for another of my cousins’ weddings. I’m rather upset about missing that, myself. It should be quite an event. Most of the royal family will be there.”

  I don’t tell Ina that the women evaporated like the wind because they weren’t real. I count my lucky stars that Inaba’s men got the letters to Captain Mabry, who seems to have told them what I asked.

  Ina pats my arm consolingly. “No matter. Let’s set about correcting your poor impression of Centis. Perhaps we can ship a wedding gift or two to your cousin.”

  I start to giggle, then quickly dissolve into laughter. Ina looks at me curiously. Finally, I manage to gasp out a sentence. “Perhaps a gift for Ellisar while we’re at it?”

  Ina shrugs and nods. “If you like, but why is that so amusing?”

  I am still laughing as I explain. “Something anonymous and phallic.”

  Ina raises an eyebrow at me and gestures for me to continue. “He is quite possibly one of the most annoying people I’ve ever met.”

  Ina laughs and shakes her head. “Perhaps something less phallic and more suitable? He is a king. I know a lovely shop that makes the most enchanting music boxes.”

  With that, I find myself swept into shopping with Duchess Ina. We arrive at the first orphanage. As I step out of the carriage, I pause to look at the building. It’s a large, bland stone monolith that resembles a courthouse or jail more than a children's facility. We step inside, and it’s clear that this was once something else, probably a jail, judging by the look of it. The large central desk, situated on its raised dais in the foyer, is empty. It's grim, but I can hear children playing and laughing.

  After a few moments, a young woman carrying an armload of laundry steps through the foyer and stops. “Can I help you?”

  I grin at Ina. “I think it's more about how we can help you. I’ve recently gotten… a bit of a windfall and wanted to share some of it.”

  Her eyes widen for a moment before she smiles back at us. “That would be lovely. If you'd like, you're welcome to come with me. I need to drop off these blankets. The weather’s starting to turn, and it’s a bit colder at night now.”

  I eye the blankets, and they’ve been laundered so many times that you’d need multiples of them to keep warm.

  This place needs bedding and perhaps better heating. “This seems like such a big building. Is it hard to heat?”

  The girl nods, “I’m Freydis, by the way, and yes, it’s beastly difficult to try to keep it warm. It was originally a jail, you see. We took it over when no one else wanted it because we could house more children here.”

  I look around, and the iron bars are missing. Some of the windows still have hinges, which suggests they likely had iron shutters as well. As we move away from the foyer, we step up onto a wooden floor.

  Freydis nods at the floor. “It’s nice to be off the cold stone this time of year. The children always seem to trip on the step, but then they’re generally running about.”

  I consider that for a moment, but it’s likely far too expensive. “How has the rest of the building been? It seems like converting a jail would be a lot of work.”

  Freydis nods again. “It has been, but it means that each of the children has their own space with a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe. It’s small, but it is theirs. Some of the things we hadn’t considered about this building turned out to be the most helpful. The kitchen was set up to feed many hungry mouths, so that’s been a blessing. The laundry has also been a benefit. After we tore down all the fencing and the old stables, there’s now a large play area with a high wall around it. It’s safe enough for us to let them out there with just a couple of staff and some of the older children to keep order. The first year here was a bit depressing with all the bars and locks. We told a couple of local blacksmiths they could have all the bars and iron shutters if they would come and take them down, so they did. That made things much better.

  The hallway offers only faint clues that it was once a prison.

  I nod, pondering this. “Tell us how we can best help you. Clothing? Food? Toys? What do these children need?”

  Freydis pauses briefly, as if making an internal decision. “Honestly, our biggest needs are writing materials, books, and beds.”

  Hmmm… chalks and slate, wax tablets and styluses, pens with ink and paper, books, beds, and bedding.

  That should be straightforward. “How many children do you have here?”

  Freydis sets her blankets on a shelf in a storage closet before turning to face us. “I can give you a list of names and ages.”