It was a tremendous slap. Liv took a step back.

Aglaia had made a reference to the burning of Garriston before, but Liv had never heard anything remotely like that. In truth, Liv had no idea, but considering the source, she was willing to bet it was a lie. "The Prism didn't have anything to do with that."

"And you know that because he said so? Your mother died in those fires. Your father led the fight against Gavin Guile."

"What do you care about Garriston? Ruthgar fought on the Prism's side. Your father fought beside Gavin."

"And my brother is the governor of Garriston, so I'm in a position to know things," Aglaia said. She lowered her voice and leaned in. "And maybe now you are too."

So that was what this was about. "No," Liv said. "I'm finished with you, with Ruthgar, and with your lies." Fealty to One. That was the Danavis motto, with strong suggestion that it was fealty only to one. And Liv wasn't about to serve this one.

"Welcome to your new life, Liv. You're important now. You are a player in the great game, and your hand isn't all bad. You see, Liv, you might be Tyrean, but no one's going to hold that against you anymore. It will only make you more remarkable for overcoming such a handicap. The good life can be yours."

"You can't buy me," Liv said.

"We already did."

"Things are different now. By the Prism's own command."

Aglaia's eyebrows rose slowly, making her horsey face seem even longer. It was a practiced gesture, but then, nothing about her was genuine. "I've been working with you for, what, three years now? And I went back through my notes. I never thought you were a thief, Aliviana Danavis. But now you're abandoning your duty after three years of schooling. Three years we've supported your every need-"

"Oh so generously, too!" Liv said.

"If it had been more generous, your debt would be that much greater now. Here's my question, Liv. What kind of woman are you?"

It was the same question that had put a quill in Liv's hand to sign away a fortune. With her new friendship with Gavin, she could probably tell the Ruthgari to go bugger themselves. What could they say against the Prism's decision? And though Liv had gone from a nothing-a monochrome talented in a minimally useful color-to a bichrome, she still wasn't worth fighting over. Plenty of each nation's investments went bad. Drafters died or burned out, or switched loyalty in the last year of their training. Every nation tried to steal drafters, and the Ruthgari were more successful at it than anyone else, so surely they wouldn't fight too hard to keep Liv.

But to be a Danavis was to act with honor. Always.

"What do you want?" Liv asked.

"You've been an embarrassment to me, Liv. The hardly talented daughter of a rebel general. But now you're going to be a jewel in my crown. You will be my vengeance on those who thought to slight me. And for that, I need you to be a success. You'll already be collecting a generous allowance from the bursar out of the Chromeria's general fund. Keep that, and we'll pay you double as well. We'll forgive your debt and the years of service you already owe us. Hell, if you play your cards right, you can draw allowances from three or four nations before you leave the Jaspers. Indeed, you won't need to leave the Chromeria at all, if you serve us well. Think about that: you can have a life here, at the center of the world, where everything important happens. Bed who you want, marry who you want, give your children every advantage you were denied. Or you can go serve some lordling somewhere, writing letters and examining his wife's bed to see if she's faithful to him, hoping he'll give you permission to marry someone you can tolerate. Out of all the nations, Ruthgar is the best to serve. And the worst to offend."

"But why do you want me to spy on the Prism? He's never done anything to offend Ruthgar."

"We like to keep an eye on our friends. It helps us remain friends-"

"And yet you were just telling me how I could do this to hurt the man who killed my mother. Which is it, Aglaia? Do you want me to betray him to hurt him, or it's not really a betrayal at all because you aren't going to hurt him?"

"Well said," Aglaia said. But then she continued, unflappable, "The point is, you may be able to damage the man personally who is responsible for so much havoc in your country, but your interference, your betrayal-perverse girl, insisting on calling the service of your own country a betrayal-your 'betrayal' won't result in war. These lands have seen enough of that."

It took Liv a moment to digest. It did make sense. In a way.

"But this is impossible. I don't know the Prism. He's talked to me once. Once."

"And he liked you."

"I don't know that I'd go that far."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to get someone next to that man? We're going to give you all this just for trying. Besides, we know he has a weakness for Tyreans." A tiny, quick lift of her eyebrows showed that she was honestly surprised that the Prism would have such bad taste. "Maybe you can use this son of his to get close to him. We don't care."

It was bad enough to be asked to betray the Prism, but to use Kip to get to him? No. Kip was a good boy. Liv wouldn't do it. There was only one way out of this, and she'd known it all along.

Liv pulled out three coin sticks. "This is how much the Ruthgari government has spent on my upkeep for the last three years. With interest. Here, take it. I'm done with you. I'm free. I don't owe you anything."

Aglaia Crassos didn't even look at the coins. She didn't ask how Liv had gotten so much money. In truth, it had taken signing over a writ to an Abornean moneylender that would allow him to receive her allowance directly, and a ruinous interest rate. Liv was a pauper once more. She'd have to sell some of the marvelous dresses they'd given her just to stay afloat. "Liv, Liv, Liv. I don't want to be your enemy. But now that you're finally worth something, I'd swive a horse before I'd let you go. You have a cousin who was here when you first arrived. Showed you how things work here, yes?"

"Erethanna," Liv said.

"She's a green serving Count Nassos in western Ruthgar. She just petitioned to marry some blacksmith. The count has put a hold on it-at my request."

"You…" Liv said, trembling.

"Lovely couple, apparently. So happy together. Tragic if the count decided the land needed Erethanna to marry another drafter to increase her odds of having gifted children."

"Go to hell!"

"And your own studies can be opposed. And rumors can be started from dozens of corners about all sorts of despicable things you've done. We can poison any well when you finish your studies and are looking for work. You can't stay under the Prism's patronage forever. The second his eyes turn elsewhere…"

"I'm not worth that much to Ruthgar," Liv said, real fear constricting her throat.

"No, not to Ruthgar. But to me you are. Your attitude has made you worth my full attention. And if you make me look bad, I will make you mourn the day you ever met me."

"I already do." Liv felt deflated. "Get out. Get out before I kill you with my bare hands."

Aglaia stood, grabbed the money sticks, and said, "I'll take these for my troubles. After you've reconsidered, you know where to find me."

"Get out!"

Aglaia walked out.

Liv was left trembling. Not thirty seconds later, there was a knock on the door. That was it. Liv was going to kill her. She strode to the door and threw it open.

It wasn't Aglaia. A beautiful woman stood there. A Blood Forester, with the oddly pale, freckled skin that still seemed strange to Liv even after years at the Chromeria, and red hair like a flame. The woman was dressed in a slave's dress, but it was tailored to her lean figure, and a finer cotton than Liv had ever seen any slave wear. A nobleman's slave?