"I told you that careful speech was sometimes necessary for survival. You thought about it for a moment before asking whether that was why adults were always so dull."
She smiled.
"I remember laughing at that. You were still a child, but you already had a habit of asking questions that people twice your age were afraid to ask. I told myself that you would either become a very useful man one day or cause a great deal of trouble."
Her smile slowly faded.
The pavilion became quiet.
Until now, the Queen Mother's stories had carried a certain warmth. She had spoken like an older woman remembering the amusing behavior of a child she had once known.
But something had changed.
Her attention was now fixed entirely on Julian. The amusement in her eyes had given way to something much more serious.
"Do you really not remember any of these incidents?" she asked.
Julian looked at her.
