“Who’s the man in the blue robes up by the king?” I asked Tristan quietly when I had a moment’s peace from the nobles introducing themselves and pumping me for information.

  Tristan grinned, “Ah, that’s the Captain of the Guard, Callan. He’s the palace’s resident grump.”

  “Grump?” I raised an eyebrow at him.

  “Yes. And although he and I are on good terms, he’s definitely not fond of fey folk.” my uncle shrugged a little.

  “Ah, thus the permanent scowl in our direction. Although, given you said he’s on decent terms with you, it’s probably directed mostly at me.”

  “Yes, I’d assume he’s probably a little uneasy about you. I know he wasn’t pleased when he found out I was going to be having an assistant, though he never outright expressed this displeasure directly to me.” Tristan sounded thoughtful.

  “Well, I’m not here to cause trouble.” I shrugged, frowning a little.

  “Of course not. But it’s his job to be suspicious.” the ambassador reminded me.

  “How could I possibly be suspicious, though? I’m just an assistant.” I snorted, smiling a little.

  “You want to know what I think?”

  “Sure.”

  “He’s probably wondering why a pretty girl like you isn’t off catching a partner instead of working as a mere assistant for a lowly ambassador!” Tristan grinned at me.

  I rolled my eyes at him, but couldn't keep from smiling, “You’re as bad as my father, Uncle Tristan!”

  “It’s the truth!” Tristan shrugged, still smiling.

  Catching the grey eyes of the apparently disapproving captain glowering at me, I quickly schooled my expression into a serious one, and looked away.

  “I guess he doesn't approve of frivolity, either?”

  “No, he’s usually alright with that. Probably just grumpy at having to deal with another fey person around the place.” Tristan shrugged.

  “Great.” I sighed. It was a pity, really.

  Despite the captain’s somewhat short demeanor, he had an attractive enough face. Glinting, steely grey eyes framed by brown hair so dark it was almost black, though it probably looked darker than it was thanks to his pale complexion. The grumpy man had very fine, sharp features that were somewhat unusual to see on a human face. Normally that kind of good looks were reserved for fey folk, but it did pop up from time to time among humans, though such features on a human lacked the typical, other-worldly quality that fey folk had.

  My dad had it, Aunt Sibyl, Aunt Marrina, and Uncle Tristan had it. Uncle Arden and I had it too, although we were both only half-fey. My mama didn’t, but she was beautiful in another way, a way that had stumped my previously promiscuous father so much that he’d practically thrown himself at her, from what I understood. Shortly after I’d been born, they’d even gotten married magically, so that would never change, now. They were as in love as they’d ever been, and always would be.

  Another two of the nobles in the great hall with us approached Tristan and me. One of the women, a stick-thin woman with dark hair pulled back into a severe bun, had a snooty face and expression, as had most of the others, but her companion, a plump woman with strawberry blonde hair in a more gentle updo, with curls left to spring up around her face, much like mine, had an open, honest sort of expression, and a hesitant smile.

  “So, you’re Tristan’s new assistant, I hear!” The thin woman asked in a somewhat shrill, expectant voice.

  I curtsied politely. So far, deciding to research the kingdom, and its customs, had seemed to serve me well, and King Delric had even commented on my manners. The last thing I wanted to do was to be rude to anyone here, and learning what customs I could before arriving had seemed wise, if I wanted to be considerate of their culture.

  “Yes, I am. I’m Sage. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” I smiled politely, but warmly.

  “I’m Rina, and this is my little sister, Cecily. Our father is the baron of Virta. We’re here to attend the ball that’s to be held soon.” the Rina, the dark-haired woman said, sniffing and eyeing my clothing.

  My aunt had insisted on having only the finest quality clothing made, and had indeed sent me with a fair amount of fancy dresses for whatever occasion I might need, but she’d also commissioned a full set of work-appropriate clothing and travel wear, and at that moment, I was wearing one of the travel dresses.

  It was a simple, navy blue dress made and cut excellently. Despite its excellent make and quality, it wasn’t anything fancy, though anyone with a good eye for clothes would recognize how expensive such a dress would be.

  “Are all fey women as pretty as you?” Cecily, the red-headed sister spoke up, smiling warmly at me.

  I blinked, taken aback, but not unpleasantly. I felt my face heat. “I’m…not that pretty, actually.”

  “If you’re not pretty, then I’m a toad!” Cecily giggled, not unkindly.

  “Stop that guffawing at once, Cecily!” Rina sniffed haughtily, glowering at me. “She’s just being polite, can’t you see? Of course she knows how pretty she is! The men in the room haven’t stopped drooling since she came in!”

  My face burned more brightly, and I blinked, trying to think of something polite to say in response.

  “Ah, I’ll cut in here.” Tristan came to my rescue. “Sage is very pretty. She just doesn't think so.”

  “Uh…if you say so.” I muttered.

  I mean, I was pretty enough, sure, but in terms of high fey folk, I was just a normal amount of pretty, not like my Aunt Marrina, who was positively stunning with her gorgeous, warm brown skin, brilliant cerulean blue eyes, and gorgeous, thick blue hair, shot through with green highlights and purple lowlights. She and her scarlet-haired sister were both considered true fey beauties.

  “Indeed.” Rina studied me somewhat coldly.

  To my surprise, Cecily came to the rescue in the conversation. “Your traveling dress, it’s simple, but it’s very well-made!” she observed with an easy smile.

  That was a topic I could handle. “Thank you! It has pockets!” I informed them, excitedly sticking my hands into said pockets.

  “Oh, that’s wonderful!” the younger sister laughed.

  I cast my gaze briefly over their clothes, which were also very fine. “Both of your dresses are lovely!” Given I couldn't lie, this was the truth. I continued, “I love the colors! That purple compliments your eyes so nicely, Rina! And Cecily, the blue looks so nice with your hair.”

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  “Of course they look nice, our father only uses the best seamstress in the land!” Rina sniffed, but I could tell she was pleased at the compliment. She immediately changed the topic, which caught me slightly off-guard. “So, unlike Tristan here, you clearly have fangs. Do you have any other…fey attributes?” she said the word fey like it was a curse, and she was dirtying her lips by pronouncing it.

  It was meant to be an impertinent question, that much was obvious from the somewhat cruel glint in her eyes.

  “Oh, that doesn't matter.” Cecily said quickly, shooting a disapproving look at her sister.

  But I managed to collect myself swiftly, and offered an easy smile, “It’s only natural that you’d be curious. Yes, I do have fangs, well-spotted! My eyes are probably unusual to you as well. I also have claws, but I keep them retracted, since it’s too easy to scratch myself or someone else by accident with them. I also have some scales on my shoulders and back, but they’re typically covered by my clothing.”

  “Scales? Like a lizard?” Rina seemed affronted, though she was the one who’d asked such a rude question.

  “I can’t think of anything other than a lizard with scales.” I shrugged, still managing to keep a polite smile plastered on my face. “I got them from my father. Only he has wings, and four eyes as well. Oh, and his fangs are venomous. Mine aren’t.” Honesty and kindness in the face of rudeness seemed like the best policy. Besides, it was only Rina who seemed intent on being rude, Cecily, on the other hand, seemed fairly sweet and polite.

  “Wings? Can he fly?” Cecily gasped in amazement.

  “Yes. He used to take me up when I was little.” I told her, smiling at the fond memories. “Still takes my mother up, from time to time.”

  “Does she not have wings?” Cecily asked.

  “No, she doesn't.” I shook my head. “My mother is human. I’m only half-fey.”

  “Oh dear gods, a half-breed.” Rina muttered beneath her breath.

  Unprepared for such a comment from a human, I didn’t manage to hide my flinch, and Cecily shot her sister a horrified look, then said quickly, “Rina, I think Mr. Feathers is waving you over.”

  “Oh?” Rina looked around, caught sight of a toothy young man who was indeed waving at her, although he might have been waving at Cecily as well, and said, “I should go see what he wants. You go back to father and mother, Cec.” she said, waving airily at us as walked away somewhat rudely.

  Once her sister was out of earshot, Cecily turned to me, “I am so, so sorry! She was so rude to you!”

  I blinked, finally managing to collect myself, then smiled, “It’s not anything I’ve not heard before, only normally I hear it from fully fey folk.”

  “That doesn't make it any better, or right.” Cecily shook her head. “She used to not be like that, but ever since she made friends with Princess Dierdra, well…she’s changed.”

  “I see.” I murmured, not sure what else to say.

  The kind-hearted redhead forced a smile, “Feathers had been trying to catch her attention for a while, I should have told her sooner, maybe she wouldn't have had the chance to be quite so rude to you, if I had.”

  “It’s quite alright. Your kindness makes up for it.” I assured her, smiling warmly at her.

  “I don’t know about that.” Cecily’s smile was now wry. “She also probably thinks you’re a peasant, and below her, which is ridiculous. Our daddy might be a baron, but he was given his title for services rendered to the crown after becoming a wildly successful shipping agent. We’re literally working class too, but she conveniently forgets it. Although I guess we’ve only known luxury our entire lives, given daddy made it big before we were even born. But I know enough about clothes to know that a dress like that, simple though it is, would cost a good deal. I highly doubt you’re just a peasant.” she paused, then added hastily, “Not that there’s anything wrong with being a commoner, anyways. Not everyone is lucky enough to be born into a life of luxury, like we were, of course.”

  I grimaced a little, “You’re…not wrong, I’m not entirely a commoner, although like you say, there’s nothing wrong with being from the working class.. But do you mind if I don't talk about it? I’d rather be treated like a normal person here, a peasant, even. I just…I want to stand on my own two feet. Tristan giving me a job was enough of a favor as-is.”

  “You’re admirable, Sage.” Cecily said earnestly, “I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to move away from my home to work in another country where my people weren’t necessarily thought well of.”

  I laughed a little, “You might surprise yourself! People are often capable of far greater things than they ever imagine!”

  My mother, for instance, fell directly into that category. She thought she’d be the last in her family with her healing ability, but she’d wound up getting the gift re-affirmed by the goddess who’d given it to my family thousands of years before. But thanks to mama’s actions and choices, we now all had full magical capabilities, though I’d have had them anyways, given my father was fey. On that note too, not only had my mother re-established her family’s gift, but she’d also married my father. Though my father himself didn’t have a title, his big sister was a duchess, and he himself had the ear of the king, not to mention that king’s total trust, which meant that he had a considerable amount of power. Though he wielded that power with a large amount of gravity and responsibility, which was somewhat surprising, given his otherwise carefree, silly demeanor. I highly doubted my mother ever thought she’d wound up with a full complement of magical powers, much less married to one of the most powerful fey men alive.

  “You’re too kind, Sage.” Cecily smiled, “Despite my sister’s rude treatment of you, I think I’d like to be friends. If you’re not too busy with work to have friends?” she looked to Tristan, who’d stayed politely out of the conversation after rescuing me.

  “Oh, I won’t keep her so busy that she won’t have time for friends, I promise!” Tristan grinned, his dark eyes twinkling mischievously. “Sage is like a niece to me, I won’t let her do all work and no play! I actually intend to ask the king to let her attend the upcoming ball as a guest. After all, we’re both diplomats from the feylands, it would be totally acceptable!”

  “It would!” Cecily giggled, “We’ll have fun at the ball! I’m usually a wallflower, but it’d be nice to have another person to talk to, this time!”

  Though I was displeased at the idea of going to a ball, I liked the idea of having a friend to talk to at one. “I’m sure it will be lovely.” I smiled.

  “Excellent!” the redhead beamed at me. “Well, I should go back to my parents. It was lovely to meet you, Sage!”

  “You too, Cecily.” I nodded.

  Tristan and I were quiet for a few moments as my new friend made her way back to her father and mother, who’d been watching our interactions with their daughters with polite, interested smiles.

  “Did I do okay?” I asked softly.

  “You made a new friend, you did wonderfully!” my uncle assured me with a nod.

  “Well, I’m not sure her sister liked me much…” I muttered, frowning slightly.

  “She’d already made up her mind to not like you, I think, given how she acted.”

  “Probably.” I sighed. “And why are you already trying to get me involved in politics? I’m just your assistant. I’m here to do paperwork and stuff, not attend parties!”

  “I’m not trying to get you involved in politics, I’m trying to get you involved in fun! You work too hard, you gotta let yourself cut loose sometimes, kid!” Tristan laughed a little.

  “Fine. What if the king says no, though?”

  “He won’t. He’s a nice man.”

  “He seemed like one, but that doesn't mean he’ll want an assistant running around the ball as a guest.” I shook my head.

  But Tristan smiled, “Though still just a little bit wary of fey folk, King Delric is actually closer in personality to Asher than you’d guess. He thinks the nobility is too stuffy, rightly so.”

  “Ain’t that the truth.” I snorted.

  “So don’t worry, you’ll be allowed to attend as a guest. I’ll point out that it’s a good opportunity for us to put a good foot forward for fey folk, and build better bonds between our kingdoms.” Tristan said, shrugging.

  “That’s a fair point.” I sighed. “You’re good at your job, aren’t you?”

  “Yep!” the ambassador said cheerfully.

  I tilted my head as I asked, “Will I have to sign something like you did, promising to not use magic and stuff?”

  “Yes, we’ll do that once open court is over.” the ambassador motioned at the line of common-folk waiting patiently on the plush red carpet to speak to their king, “We’ve been invited to a small dinner party with Delric and his family.”

  “I see.” I nodded. “Will I need to wear some of my more fancy clothing for that?”

  “Yes, I think that would be wise. Not ball-gown fancy, but definitely not your work clothes.”

  “Alright.”

  “He’ll probably have you sign the binding document while we’re there, before or after the meal. Are you still okay to sign?”

  “Yes, I wouldn't have come all this way if I’d changed my mind about that. I’m happy to refrain from using magic while I’m here.”

  “It’s not a pledge to entirely refrain from magic, either. It’s just while you’re in the palace, really. And you’re allowed to use it as needed to heal or protect yourself or others. I expect you’ll be able to do a good deal of good in the infirmaries here, if you want. I’m not a healer, so I can’t help in that way, but you might want to mention your healing abilities.”

  “I will, then. It’ll be good to be able to help them. It’d also be really good for fey image here, to have one of us working to heal folks, wouldn't it?”

  “It will.” He nodded.

  “And it’s good. Marna will like that.” I smiled, glad to get the opportunity to do some good. Healing was, after all, in my blood.