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when he was interrupted by a knock at the tower door.
    Crystalorn’s head turned. “What’s that?”
    “I believe someone is at the door,” Amberglas said, rising. “That’s what knocking usually means, particularly knocking on a door, though not always. Unless of course you mean to ask who’s outside, in which case you really ought to learn to say what you mean. Or mean what you say, which isn’t at all the same, but frequently has the same effect.”
    Amberglas reached the door as she finished speaking and opened it. A man in the full dress uniform of a Barinash captain stood on the doorstep; behind him, Jermain could see several mounted guardsmen. “Such a lot of visitors today,” Amberglas murmured. “Do come in.”

CHAPTER 3
    E ltiron stared morosely out the narrow window of his chambers. In the two hours since his father had told him of his proposed marriage, he had made and discarded one plan after another for escaping his predicament. He had considered killing Terrel Lassond in a duel; unfortunately, Terrel was unquestionably a better swordsman than Eltiron. Besides, killing Terrel, though it would certainly be satisfying, would do nothing to stop the wedding.
    He had also considered, briefly, killing himself instead of Terrel, which would certainly stop the wedding but which had no other advantages as far as Eltiron could see. Killing the Princess would also stop the wedding, but Eltiron couldn’t bring himself to seriously consider it.
    Running away might help, but Eltiron had nowhere to go and no way of earning a living, even if he could escape the inevitable search. He might insult his prospective bride so badly that she would refuse to have him, but since the marriage was a political one her father would probably force the girl to marry him anyway, and Eltiron had no desire to have a wife who hated him. Eltiron had even considered marrying someone else secretly, then announcing the fact at the last minute, but he could think of no one he wanted to marry, and it would be foolish to exchange one unknown and unwanted girl for another.
    A knock at the door interrupted Eltiron’s thoughts. He turned and started across the room, then hesitated. He did not really wish to see anyone; perhaps if he did not respond, whoever it was would go away. The knocking came again, and with a sigh Eltiron moved forward.
    He had taken two steps toward the door when a voice on the other side said clearly, “You call that knocking? Out of the way, feather fingers, and let me do it.” An instant later the door shook under a series of blows that sounded as if someone were hitting the wood with a very large hammer. “Eltiron! Open it up before I knock it down!”
    Eltiron unfroze abruptly and sprang forward. “Vandi!” he shouted as he flung the door open. “If I’d known it was you, I wouldn’t have taken so long.”
    The woman in the hallway turned a pair of penetrating gray eyes on him for a moment, then snorted. She threw back one side of her cloak and began ostentatiously dusting splinters off the pommel of her sword. “Fine welcome for a traveler. I could have ruined the whole hilt on this while you dawdled.”
    “If it comes to that, you did ruin my door,” Eltiron said. “It wasn’t meant for pounding swords on.”
    “How else was I going to get your attention?” the woman demanded. She stopped brushing at the sword hilt and ran her fingers through her graying blonde hair. “If you think I have nothing to do but—Here! What do you think you’re doing?” The last sentence was addressed to the slightly flustered guard who was edging between her and Eltiron.
    “My, um, lady, you’re wearing a sword,” the guard said.
    “No, I’m holding it. What does that have to do with you?”
    “I’m afraid you can’t carry a sword in the presence of the Prince,” the guard said apologetically.
    The woman made an elaborate show of returning the sword to its sheath. “All right, I’m not carrying it. Now,