"Oh! That's exciting," says Glynn. "Well, maybe not to you, I guess."

"I don't want my life to be quite that exciting. Too much statecraft, not enough swords."

"Castles are kind of exciting, though. To me."

"Oh, that. Yeah, that's not very exciting to me, I grew up there."

"Maybe I can visit sometime. And be excited about your cousin's castle."

"Sure, why not? You might want to get your own horse if you're going to make international trips like that, though, unless you packed a flying carpet."

"I probably should," he agrees.

"Horse breeders sometimes come around and try to advertise to us, since we're in the market."

"Do you know things about horses? Could you help me find a good one?"

"I know a few things. I'm not an expert but I'll help. First rule: don't get one that bites."

"That does sound important."

"Yep! If you disobey this rule you will find tadpoles in your drinking water for a year and a day. Also your horse will bite you."

"I do not believe you about the tadpoles," Glynn asserts.

"You caught me. That part only lasts a month. But horse bites, ah, horse bites are forever."

Giggle.

"Anyway, play chess by mail with Milo and he'll love you, win and he'll love you more but it will be a snarly love."

"Snarly love is fine with me."

"It seems to work for the, like, two people who've ever beaten him."

"So he's very good at chess?"

"Yeah. His dad can win, Reko - duke of Ferdinandia, technically no relation if I recall right - can win, I think that's it."

"So I'll be in distinguished company if I beat him."

"Yep. I play him sometimes but I never even expect to have a shot."

"I'll give it my best," he says, grinning. Jann has no way of knowing this, but it is the same grin he grinned when he asked how many instructors he would have to beat in practice duels before they'd let him into the school two years before the normal age with no money, no disclosed lineage, and no recommendations.

"And here's the dormitories. Your cohort's going to be down that hall, they don't assign rooms, just pick one that nobody's in and it's all yours. I'm upstairs, third on the right, if you have any questions you want to bring to your, what's my formal title, mentor? I will also be upstairs if you do not."