into a deep sleep at those times when I come to you.
of fealty to my teacher, lord, and master. . Never fear, it shall not harm him. And he shall of support and loyalty to his designs. . .
awake recalling nothing of my visits.”
He turned and started to walk into the misty tunnel. For a moment, Laera simply sat there, stunned, her mind racing. The lock of hair was more than just a token. If it could be used to cast a spell …
“Callador, wait!” she cried.
He paused inside the tunnel, his dark figure indistinct inside the swirling mist.
“This lord who has become your patron,” she said. “Tell me his name!”
The swirling mist began to dissipate. But before the tunnel disappeared, she heard the wizard speak the name …
“Raesene.”
The word spread far and wide throughout the realm that the emperor sought a bride. Dispatch riders were posted to all the holdings of the nobility throughout the empire, and before long, every member of the aristocracy with an eligible daughter was petitioning for her to be considered. Of those aristocrats with more than one unmarried daughter in the household, some put forth the names of their eldest, some proposed their youngest, while others still proposed them all, inviting the emperor to take his pick as if he were choosing puppies from a litter.
The higher-ranking nobles, mindful of the proper protocol in matters of this kind and wishing not to make a misstep, all sent representatives to court, some with written scrolls that they delivered, setting forth replies. Others sought a direct audience with the lord high chamberlain so that they could repeat verbatim speeches they had memorized, extolling
the virtues of the young noblewoman on whose behalf they acted.
Aedan was soon swamped with petitions and appointments. Each day, he received envoys who came with prepared speeches, scrolls, locket miniatures, and full-size portraits of the women whose cause they were advancing. Dozens more had taken up residence in rooming houses throughout the city, all waiting for their turn. Other nobles, especially the lower-ranking ones whose contempt for proper protocol .
was not as great as their ambition, had actually packed up their daughters and brought them to the capital, hoping to present them personally for the emperor’s inspection.
It seemed every noble in the realm, from archduke to baronet to minor lords of small estates, had at least one daughter to present, and Aedan felt hopelessly ill qualified to choose from among them all.
Even had he felt confident in his abilities to select a list of final candidates to present before the emperor, he could not handle it alone.
He learned that very quickly There seemed to be no limit to the measures some nobles would employ to influence his choice. Many came with handsome gifts, while several offered outright bribes, and one viscount, who was as desperate for advancement as he was utterly unscrupulous, had even offered Aedan his youngest daughter for a mistress if he would advance his eldest for the emperor’s consideration.
Aedan held audiences with nobles who came to parade their daughters before him, decked out in their finest gowns to show their poise and beauty or display their talents. He heard so many ballads strummed on harps and lutes and sung with widely varying degrees of aptitude that he began to hear them in his sleep, and he saw so many examples of embroidery and weaving that his eyes began to cross.
“I cannot bear it any longer, Ariel,” he said one weary night, so driven to distraction that he couldn’t sleep. “I never imagined there would be so many of them! This task is taking up all of my time, and I am falling hopelessly behind on other vital matters. This was your idea!
You have to help me. Please!”
“Leave it to me,” said Ariel. “You go on about the business of the empire, and I shall handle the selection process. Just put it out of your mind. I will present you with a final list of candidates when I am done.”
“I really don’t think you have any idea what you are letting yourself in for,” Aedan said.
“Oh, I think I do,” Ariel replied. “And what is more, I will be pleased to do it. I have longed for some task that would occupy my time and make me feel useful. Besides, a woman really would be better suited for this sort of thing.”
“I don’t know,” said Aedan dubiously. “It is not that I lack confidence in your abilities, it is just that I am not sure you know Michael well enough to choose the sort of woman he would want.”
“Perhaps not,” Ariel replied, “but I think I can choose the sort of woman he needs. And that is really more important. If she is the right woman, she will make him want her, rest assured.”
With considerable relief, Aedan turned over to his wife the task of screening the candidates, and Ariel set about it with methodical determination. She quickly assembled a committee of ministers and women of the court to assist her. Lord Dorian, chief clerk of the Ministry of the Exchequer, was appointed to her committee so that he could consult his records and keep her apprised of the landed worth of every noble who proposed a daughter as a candidate. Lady Arlen was chosen to assist in making an evaluation of the social graces of those candidates who came in person. Old Rhialla, the senior midwife of the palace, was brought in to make determinations as to the health and constitutions of those applicants who presented themselves to the committee, the better to ensure that anyone chosen
