The room in which we’re standing is much like the room I left, only bigger. It’s just as empty, other than the pool and the basin to one side, but it’s about three times the size. The decorations are more extensive too – interesting patterns of tiles are spread across the walls and fluted columns lead up to the ceiling. When I follow the white columns up I see that above our heads is a mosaic set in the ceiling. The first thing I notice about it is that there is a lot of gold. The second is that there are several different people, mostly men though not entirely, and each of them looks serious and is holding an object. One holds a book, another a set of scales, a third something that kind of looks like a frog. But all of them have a flaming sword set against a star somewhere on their clothes.

  Nicholas follows the direction of my gaze.

  “They are the previous kings and queens of Crownseat,” he comments quietly before his voice gains a wry tone. “The Starblades like to remind everyone who arrives that this is their home – and has been for generations.”

  “I see,” I acknowledge, tearing my eyes away from the mosaic. “And I suppose that each of the monarchs was known for something in particular?”

  “Precisely,” Nicholas agrees and then starts striding forwards. “Come. We need to get to our rooms.”

  I hurry to catch up and the rest of my Bound join me. The three guards trail behind us, sending wary gazes at the group of beasts I’ve brought with me. Still, they don’t seem actually afraid – I guess they’ve spent enough time around Nicholas’ Bound that they are used to having dangerous-looking beasts in their vicinity.

  We walk quickly through the palace. The same theme of grandeur continues through the corridors – they’re all marble-like stone, mosaics, and gold decorations. But oddly enough, it doesn’t feel chilly. I remember that when I visited museums and historical buildings which were built in a similar style, there was always an underlying coolness to the air within them. Here, that same damp cold isn’t present at all. I can only put that down to magic – when I send out an Inspect, I see plenty of it all around. I do make a conscious effort not to catch any person in my Inspect net, though, remembering Nicholas’ words about how impolite it is to do so.

  Not that there are very many people around.

  “Where is everyone?” I can’t help but ask. “Or is it usually like this?” We’ve been walking through the halls for around five minutes already and I’ve only seen three people, and all at the end of other corridors – no one has passed us at all.

  “It’s dinner time,” Nicholas explains. “I thought that it would be best if we arrive at a time when most are in the dining halls.”

  “Dining halls?” I ask, surprised. “There are several?”

  “Of course!” Nicholas replies incredulously, glancing at me briefly. “Perhaps you do not realise just how many people reside in this place. Quite apart from all the servants and slaves to staff it and the various centres of administration, there are mages, soldiers, scholars, representatives of various guilds, merchants, some or many members of various Houses, and all the various hangers-on who come along with those. If we are still here tomorrow, we will dine in the Golden Hall, the one where the King, his family, and the other Houses dine. There will be some non-House representatives too – the top mages, scholars, soldiers etc. along with any of the other factions who are currently being honoured. But that is certainly not the only hall.”

  “I see,” I sigh. “Actually, on that note, what are we doing for supper?” He said that we’ll only go to the dining hall if we’re still here tomorrow, after all. That must mean that he has other plans for our other meals.

  “That’s part of what Sarran is arranging,” Nicholas responds easily. “Though it might not be ready by the time we arrive, there will be a veritable banquet in our rooms within a short time. The service at the palace is known for its excellence – you do not need to worry about being left hungry.” He sounds amused.

  “Well,” I joke, perhaps a little darkly, “I hope that our last meal is tasty.” Nicholas flashes a sharp look at me.

  “Don’t make light of such things – especially not here!”

  I look around the empty corridor meaningfully.

  “There’s no one here,” I point out. Nicholas comes to an abrupt halt and I take two steps past him before I realise and stop myself. The rest of our party also halt in more or less order – Lathani yowls quietly and Fenrir hisses when the two accidentally collide.

  Nicholas is glaring at me as I feel his Seal closing around us.

  “There are always ears listening, Markus. You must remember that! You cannot make light of such matters, not when we still do not know why Ionith has summoned me.”

  “Ah, magic?” I ask, feeling realisation go through me – I should have thought of that. Nicholas nods sharply. It figures that I came from one place where most actions and some words were recorded for posterity by hidden cameras, to another where the same is done through magic. The samurans’ world feels relaxing by comparison. “Alright, I’ll watch my words,” I sigh. Nicholas eyes me for a long moment, then drops the seal and resumes striding down the corridor.

  I eye him uncertainly for a moment and then follow as the others around me start moving. Is Nicholas stressed? He certainly seems more reactive than he has been so far. I suppose it wouldn’t be surprising, all things considered.

  The corridors continue being empty until, abruptly, we encounter someone else coming from a side corridor. We almost collide with the woman who rounds the corner just before we get to it. Fortunately, due to the previous collision, everyone has been travelling a little further away from each other and the abrupt halt is better managed. Lathani still yowls quietly in protest and Sirocco sends me irritation at almost being dislodged from her shoulder position.

  I absently send them apologetic feelings, but my attention is on the woman and her two guards who have, intentionally or not, blocked our path.

  She’s covered in jewels, that’s the first thing I see. I’ve never seen someone shine quite as much as she is – it’s like she took a shower in gemstones and at least half of them stuck to her on the way down. It takes me a moment to actually make anything else out past their gleam and glimmer.

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  Her skin is very pale, that’s the next thing I note, and her hair is black. Her eyes are a silvery grey, but their colour is far outshone by the jewels that outline them like most women would use makeup to do. She’s also short, as all the women I’ve seen so far have been – maybe it is genetic rather than something more sinister, then? Surely someone covered in as much wealth as she is wouldn’t be short on food? Then again, perhaps gemstones aren’t worth as much in this world as they are on Earth – I can’t know how much having magic changes the ease of finding and extracting precious minerals and metals. Though, gold is still clearly valuable here, so perhaps magic doesn’t make so much of a difference.

  I snap out of my thoughts as the lady puts her palms together, pressed against her chest, and dips into a bow while dipping her head slightly. The hand gesture is something I haven’t seen yet and I wonder if it’s because it’s a noble to a noble, or whether it’s to stop her voluptuous curves from accidentally escaping her low-cut robes in the course of the bow. Or perhaps it’s to highlight them – the framing is rather pleasant for the eyes.

  Nicholas clears his throat pointedly, and I look over to see him dipping his head to the lady. I blink briefly then awkwardly copy him. We haven’t had time for those etiquette lessons yet and Loran isn’t here to guide me – if he even could considering the differences between his experience and this situation.

  A moment later, Nicholas lifts his head and the lady rises out of her bow. I copy him.

  “Lord Titanbend, what a surprise,” the lady starts, her tone revealing nothing more than light curiosity. “I hope you are well?”

  “Never better, thank you. Lady Deepdelve, I must say, you are positively shining today. I do not need to ask to see that things are well with you and your House.” The lady titters slightly in polite laughter. I immediately dislike the sound of it: it’s just so fake, especially since, even as she laughs, her eyes are cold. Lady Deepdelve might be pretty, though it’s hard to tell with all the jewels coating her, but something tells me we’re not likely to become friends of any sort.

  Her grey gaze comes to rest on me coolly. Nicholas flicks a glance my way and the faint expression on his face reveals that he’s not altogether pleased, though I’m not entirely sure why not. Does he not want to introduce me for some reason?

  “Lady Deepdelve, let me introduce you to my heir, Lord Markus.”

  Real emotion plays across the lady’s face – pure surprise. A moment later, other shades of emotion creep into her expression – curiosity, realisation, and I’m pretty sure I’m not mistaken in seeing calculation there too.

  Everyone looks at me expectantly and my mind goes abruptly blank in panic. This is my first time meeting another noble, apart from Nicholas himself, and that wasn’t exactly a normal situation. I have no idea how to not offend this lady – perhaps this is why Nicholas was reluctant to introduce her. Nicholas clears his throat and I realise that I have to do something.

  Without thought, I fall back on habit from the last time I was in civilisation and step forward, holding out my hand.

  “Nice to meet you,” I say politely. When the lady hesitates, uncertainty in her expression, I realise that it’s more than likely they don’t shake hands in this culture. I should have just gone for another awkward head-tilt! But I’ve done it now – dropping my hand and stepping back would probably be worse than just brazening it out.

  A moment later, Lady Deepdelve puts her hand in mine. I give it a brief shake, then release it and step back again, belatedly wondering whether I should have kissed it or not. I decide not – for all I know, kissing hands here is used for a marriage proposal or something!

  Lady Deepdelve is left with her hand awkwardly raised in the air before she lowers it. Nicholas clears his throat again, but this time it sounds faintly embarrassed. Blood rises up my throat and I do my best to clear it away with Flesh-Shaping – going bright red would probably just make this even more awkward. Clearly, I’ve misstepped.

  “My new heir is from a long distance away,” Nicholas tells the lady offhandedly as if he’s not making excuses for my behaviour. “His people have some rather odd customs. But no doubt he will adapt to the proper way of doing things in no time.” I clench my teeth together for a moment, a muscle no doubt ticking in my jaw. I know why Nicholas is saying that, but it irritates me to hear the man speaking so disparagingly of Earth when he knows nothing of it. Then again, this is probably just a front for the lady’s benefit. At least, I hope it is.

  Lady Deepdelve titters again, raising one hand coquettishly to her cheek.

  “With you providing the example, Lord Nicholas, I’m sure he will soon be nothing but the picture of propriety.”

  A thin smile makes its way onto Nicholas’ face – as fake as Deepdelve’s laughter. He dips his head briefly.

  “You honour me, Lady Deepdelve.” I don’t think I’m imagining the slight emphasis on her name. “However, you must excuse us. We have important business tomorrow and need our rest.”

  “Of course, Lord Titanbend,” Lady Deepdelve answers immediately, dropping her hand and straightening up. “Will we see you at Hunter’s ball?”

  “Perhaps,” Nicholas answers noncommittally. “If not then, some other time soon.” He dips his head briefly again. “Lady Deepdelve.”

  The lady steps to the side of the corridor, her two guards following her lead, and then she dips back into the same bow as before.

  “Lord Titanbend.”

  Nicholas leads us past her and we pick up the pace soon after. Once we’re a corridor away from Lady Deepdelve and her entourage, Nicholas looks at me with weary determination.

  “Don’t anticipate sleeping much tonight – we urgently need to ensure that you know the basics of etiquette here.”

  “Yeah,” I sigh, thinking back to that very awkward introduction. “I get that. But do we have to do it overnight? You’ve got the meeting with the King tomorrow – don’t you want to get a decent night’s sleep ahead of that?”

  “Ideally, yes,” Nicholas agrees, “but given how we have just run into a noble despite my best efforts, I don’t think that we can afford to leave it later. We have no idea what will happen tomorrow, and leaving you without even the basics of understanding is just plain dangerous. We’re lucky that Deepdelve is one of the Houses in our territory of Azaarde, and thus wasn’t likely to take offence at your attempt to…what were you even attempting to do?” he asks with confusion.

  “Shake hands,” I explain. “It’s how we meet people back in my world.”

  “Shake hands? Well, anyway, we don’t do that here. Touching someone who is not one of your intimates is just not done. Bowing to the correct degree is how we show respect or intentional disrespect with other nobles.”

  “I got that impression,” I sigh, not looking forward to spending the night learning how to bow.

  “Good. Now, Deepdelve didn’t take offence, but she is a notorious gossip, so we can assume that your appearance will be over the palace by tomorrow, as will the fact that you are from ‘far away’. That will earn you a significant amount of scrutiny, but hopefully also a little more leeway as long as it’s clear you’re trying to be respectful and adapt. Of course, there will always be those who take the first opportunity to take offence, but they are unavoidable.”

  “I’m aware,” I remark, thinking about a couple of people I knew who were always on the defensive, sure that they were being treated badly and just looking for ways to prove it. With a bit of guilt, I realise that I might have been acting a little bit like that with Nicholas since I arrived – always assuming the worst of him. In fact, my offence at his words a few minutes ago is another example. The knot which had drawn tight in me relaxes a little at the lack of judgement in his voice now – it was just a front earlier.

  Nicholas looks ahead again and I see his eyes narrow. I follow his gaze and see another figure move to stand in the middle of the corridor, his arms crossed. He must have come from a side corridor because he wasn’t there when I last looked.

  “This is one of them,” Nicholas warns me tensely. “Say nothing to him – if I must introduce you, simply dip your head and stay silent.” I nod in acknowledgement, but he’s already sped up a little so he leads the group. Coming to a halt a few paces away from the man in question, he folds his own arms. “Lord Torrent. What a pleasure.”

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