The summons came as I was returning to my chamber, my exploration of the corridors complete for the moment. A young page—barely twelve, with the same watchful eyes as every northerner I had met—found me at the junction of two passages and delivered his message with formal precision.
"The Duke requests your presence in the great hall for the morning meal, my lady. I am to escort you."
I nodded, my heart quickening. The great hall. The great hall, where Kaelen presided over his domain and his people gathered to break their fast, was the centre of Frosthold's life. This would be my first appearance before the full household, my first test in the eyes of everyone who mattered.
"Lead the way."
