Elspeth wonders if she should expect to be able to do any of these things. Probably not. Someone would've noticed if singing were magic at home, probably.

Probably. Magic items should work just fine for her. They can ransack the armory for some weapons if Elspeth wants them and some rings that glow in the presence of enemies and so forth.

Might be useful if it won't compromise their escape. Elspeth doesn't want to have to bite everything that might need holes in it.

I'm a good shot and mediocre with a sword but if your main advantages over us are strength and speed you'd probably want a sword or something. Or a mace but you don't strike me as the bludgeoning weapon type.

Elspeth's never tried to wield a weapon before. Would've been pretty useless against anyone she couldn't casually overpower untrained with her bare hands. She doesn't know if she's the bludgeoning weapon type. If some of the swords are sapient maybe one of them will like her or something.

Maybe. 

I really am sorry.

As far as I know none of this is your fault. Elspeth is now addressing herself again. Memory is hunting down information on sword use, she has to have somebody who's picked up a sword in here, there we go, sword information processing underway.

Nah, but, like, your life was nice and now everything sucks and we're about to make it suck more. I know the feeling. I don't like being a part of it even if it's not my fault.

That's fair. Well, last time my life suddenly started sucking it all turned out to be an improvement in the long run.

Oh?

Yeah, for the first few years of my life my mother and I were constantly on the move hiding from the previous shadow government and then they found us so she had to take over the world and that worked out pretty well.

I'm glad. 

No guarantee this will turn out the same way but it's vaguely encouraging.

I think things are likelier to turn out badly if we go into them intending to take over the world. The King'll notice and not be amused.

I don't intend to personally take over the world. I run public relations, not any of the administrative stuff.

Okay. And I guess if your mother's people come and find you they'll be powerful enough that it might not matter.

She will probably not try to take over the world unless Aunt Alice says she can do it.

If she has enough power to make it look to the King like it'd be a close fight she can also just ask him to swear to be less awful in exchange for being left alone, I expect he'd agree to that.

Might do. There's plenty to do back home and a substantial improvement here for negligible time investment would probably appeal.

That would be a good thing for us to be intending to do, if we want to go anywhere near the King.

I can only intend things so confidently on Mama's behalf, but noted.

If you think you'll be able to truthfully tell your mother that that seems like a good way to make things lots better here without requiring a ridiculous amount of work, think that'll do.

They encounter some people. "This is Elspeth," Aredhel says impatiently. "She was expected, do you pay any attention to orders at all? We're going back to my home. Ride along with us, we require an escort."

Elspeth did not think she was expected, and everyone present can read Elspeth's thoughts. 

Expected by my husband, not by her, Aredhel tells them privately. 

Elspeth can't understand the local language yet. She is however totally Elspeth.

That'll have to do.

Their commanded escort is more resentful than suspicious. They ride on in. They have to switch to memory-dumping people as soon as someone thinks to ask Eol, but hopefully they'll be close before it comes to that.

Elspeth is mostly thinking about swords. She wonders what sapient swords are like.