When Scotty came up to Khediva the next morning, he was surprised to find his sister wearing an expression of calm determination that unmistakably meant she had made her decision. "Did you talk to Tirqwin, then?" he asked, sliding into a chair across the table from her.
"Yes. We will accept the adoption this morning. The official ceremony will be held at the Council of Ministers session this afternoon. Mara and Tirqwin plan to leave tonight."
Scotty cocked his head, trying to figure out what felt so odd about her announcement. "Aren't you gonna ask me if I'm sure?"
"No." Sabrina seemed to realize she had been too curt, because she added, "I thought you made yourself quite clear last night."
"Yeah, but I didn't think you were gonna come around without worrying it to death first."
Sabrina shot him a sharp look. "I have decided to become decisive."
He grinned, digging into his breakfast of scrambled eggs and hash browns. "Should be fun."
Khediva said, "Haaron reports he will be delayed, but that he and Éllina wish to speak to you, Sabrina."
"Oh, God, I offered Éllina a job yesterday," Sabrina groaned, remembering.
"So?" Scotty said. "You need all the help you can get. Bein' adopted won't change that."
Yes, but I didn't tell Éllina she'd be working for the Lady Regent.... "That's true," she said. "If anything, it'll add to my workload."
"Rayland told Mukryilla about it," Scotty said. "I ran into her this morning and she gave me this look, like she's gonna be harder on me than ever."
"Why does that make you think Rayland told her?"
He grinned again, finishing his mouthful. "Bein' Rayland's son isn't gonna make it cushy for me, Rina. Just the opposite. It's a lot to live up to, and everybody'll be watchin' the whole time to see if I trip up."
You have no idea.... "Yes, there will be a lot to live up to," she said. "Rayland is exceptional. It's...a terribly great honor."
"'Terribly' is probably the right word, all right," Scotty said. "Sounds like 'terrifying.'"
"You've changed your tune since last night."
"No, I haven't. I still wanna do it. I'm just realizin' all the stuff it'll mean."
"Wait until you read the protocol for a royal adoption ceremony. The last one was five thousand years ago, and the ceremony's based on an ancient Praxatillian rite, not a Miahn one."
"Boy, you don't waste any time, do you? You read the script already?"
"Yes." She did not tell him she had done so while searching for regency precedents. At least one of us should really be surprised, she thought wryly. She was in for it; she might as well derive what amusement she could from seeing Scotty's expression when he was asked to hail her as Lady Regent. "We have to wear white, something simple."
"Well, it'll be a change from all this purple. Want some chocolate milk?" He got up and went to the provender panel.
"No, but I'd take some hot tea."
He grinned, setting a steaming mug in front of her. "Tryin' to get used to bein' waited on?"
"I doubt I'll need to. I'm still going to be a working woman, remember."
Khediva announced, "Tirqwin and Mara are coming aboard."
Sabrina and Scotty finished chewing their food, took hasty swallows of their drinks, and got to their feet, poised to make their obeisances to Mara. But Mara flew in, heedless of protocol, and threw her arms around Scotty, who was closest. "Well met, cousin!" she cried, hugging him.
Scotty let out a surprised laugh. "Not yet, Mara, not till the papers are signed. Rayland could still change his mind!"
"He is delighted," Mara said, releasing him. "Would you like to be a prince, Scotty? I shall make you one, if you like."
"No!" he laughed. "All I want right now is to make Major, and that I have to earn."
"Quite right, too," Tirqwin approved, entering the room in Mara's wake.
Mara turned to Sabrina and hugged her tightly. "And you, my dear cousin. I have no need to ask what you would like."
To be let off the hook. "Oh, I'm looking forward to putting a bunch of aristocratic noses quite out of joint," she said lightly.
"You will be splendid," Mara said. In Sabrina's ear, she whispered, "Thank you."
Sabrina felt as if a burden had shifted to her shoulders from Mara's, and thought, It's not only for Khediva and Tirqwin that they have to go. Mara still needs some time, time to grow, time to learn to be a wife, to be herself, away from this. She felt better about her decision. Political service had never been her ambition, and it meant little to her, but she would have taken up any burden to see Mara whole and happy.
As Mara turned away, absently picking up Sabrina's cup of tea and sipping at it, Tirqwin came forward and spread an old-fashioned parchment on the table. "This is the adoption contract. I have read it; I do not think there is anything to object to, but naturally you will both want to read it yourselves."
Scotty looked at the complex Praxatillian script and made a face. "Blegh. It's too early in the morning for that, and I'm on duty in a minute anyway. Rina, you read it."
"It'll serve you right if I make off with the bigger allowance, then," Sabrina warned him, smiling.
"Be my guest. I got my military pay, and what do I have to spend it on around here anyway? I gotta run. Bye, everybody. Khediva, Praxatillus Control, please."
"Certainly. Good day, Scotty," Khediva responded, and Scotty vanished.
Mara sobered as she watched Sabrina bend over the scroll, frowning in concentration. "Sabrina," she said softly.
"Mara," Sabrina sighed, "I can't talk about it. I'll be lucky to get through it even without thinking about it anymore."
"No, I know, but I wanted to tell you something. I do not think even you know what a great gift it is you are giving me. But someday, I promise you, I will give you a gift equally great."
"You don't have to bribe me, Mara."
"It is not a bribe," Mara said indignantly. "I am only telling you what I have sensed in the Crystal. There will come a time when Tirqwin and I will give you what your heart most desires."
"Well," Sabrina smiled, "you're going to give me what my heart desires, and Tirqwin's already promised me a handsome prince, so I should be all set, if I can just survive this regency."
"You are already under my protection and the Crystal's surveillance," Mara said. "No one can threaten your life without my knowing it."
"Come along," Tirqwin said. "Rayland is waiting to see you."
"After I've read this," Sabrina insisted, turning back to the contract and scanning it as quickly as she could, occasionally asking Mara for a translation. It was basically an expanded version of what Rayland had outlined last night. Sabrina had only one problem with it. "Who picked out this name?"
"What do you mean? Is it not correct?" Mara asked, leaning over her shoulder to look. "Sabrina Marie ya Tassan nar Hamilton. It is the Miahn form."
"Rayland said we didn't have to give up our name. Devon is our name."
"But are you not equally entitled to your mother's name?"
"No. Not in our culture. I mean, I guess we could, but...." Sabrina trailed off in frustration. "We take our father's name, by tradition. To give it up, well, it's like an insult to our father."
"But you cannot be nar Devon. That was not your mother's family name."
Sabrina sighed, then said, "How about if we compromise. There's a precedent for a hyphenated name in our culture. Hamilton-Devon. How about nar Hamilton-Devon. Will that do?"
"Yes," Mara said. "It is odd, but I do not wish you to feel you have insulted your father. It shall be changed immediately."
"In the regency contract, too," Sabrina reminded her.
"Yes," Mara said. "I shall see to that." She looked curiously at her friend. "You did not tell Scotty about the regency?"
"No. Tirqwin told me when he wasn't supposed to; I didn't see the point in spreading it around and getting us all in trouble."
"Discreet as always," Tirqwin smiled.