DANTE

She found me in the map room at the end of the day, which was where I usually ended up when the palace had finished demanding things from me and I needed somewhere to think that wasn't our bedroom.

I knew from her face when she came through the door that she was carrying something. Not distress exactly. The particular quality of contained alertness she had when information had arrived that needed careful handling.

She closed the door behind her.

"Sit down," she said.

"That's usually ...