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border.”
    Father didn’t look up from his work. “I’m sure the emperor
has better things to do. And so do I. You’re dismissed.”
    Savyon stared at the top of his father’s head for a long
moment. “All right. I’ll write to the emperor, then.”
    Father set his pen down and looked up again. “You’ll be
wasting your time. What makes you think that a letter from you would even reach
the emperor?”
    “Well, I’m going to try, anyway. It’s better than doing
nothing.” Savyon turned on his heel and stormed back to his chambers. He threw
Ailsa’s letter down on his desk and paced across the room several times, his
fists balled so tight that his nails bit into his palms. He threw himself into
his desk chair and slammed his fist on the desk before taking out a clean sheet
of paper.
    The sharp nib of his pen cut right through the paper before
he even finished the address. The pen snapped in his hand. Savyon blew out a breath.
He’d better calm down a little before he attempted to write to the emperor,
anyway. He’d write to Ailsa first. That’d help. He sharpened another quill with
quick, jerky strokes.
    Dearest Ailsa,
    I am very distressed to hear of your trouble. In fact, I’m
so angry that I just broke the first pen I tried to write with. You should
never have been subjected to that—or forced to take the public coach just to
keep from arousing my father’s suspicions. I should have been there to protect
you and comfort you. I’m glad, at least, that you felt you could write to me
and that it helped a little.
    I’m going to write to the emperor about the security of
travelers on that coach line since my father won’t do it. But I don’t want you
to worry about the return trip. When you’re ready to come home, I’ll come
myself and bring you back safely. I promise.
    It can’t be soon enough for me. I miss you.
    Your Sav
    Savyon blew out another breath feeling his heartbeat slow to
something closer to normal. Writing to Ailsa had helped. He folded that letter
and sealed it. Then took out another fresh sheet to write to the emperor. If he
hurried, he could get them both into the courier pouch just in time.
     
     

Chapter 6: The Testing

    Ailsa walked with Grandmama the short distance to the Institute of Magical Arts, trying not to be nervous. She had a strong desire to chew on the
end of her braid, but was prevented by the rapid pace Grandmama set. She smoothed
down her dress for the fifth time. She didn’t like taking any test, especially
not the most important one of her life, while she was still tired from four
days of travel. She didn’t like feeling unprepared, either. No one had told her
what she was supposed to do or how to study for this test.
    Grandmama smiled. “Don’t worry. The testing doesn’t hurt. It
just takes a while sometimes.”
    Ailsa cleared her throat. Her mouth was unaccountably dry. “How
. . . how exactly is the testing done?”
    “That depends on what we’re testing for,” Grandmama replied
unhelpfully.
    Ailsa would have asked more questions, but they’d already
arrived at the Institute. She stopped to take it in. The Institute of Magical
Arts was huge. She could see at least twelve buildings from where she stood.
Each structure exemplified a different architectural style, as if they’d been
built over hundreds of years. She smiled inwardly. They probably had been. The
Institute and its companion Academy were even older than Far Terra.
    Nearly everything in Far Terra was made of stone or brick.
Some of these buildings were, too, but others were made of wood—a resource too
rare and precious to be used for construction back home. Rather than squatting
close to the ground, many of these buildings soared as if trying to touch the
sky. One even had a metal dome on its roof. The surrounding lawns, fountains,
gardens, and patios dotted with statuary that separated the buildings kept the varying
styles of the buildings from clashing as they might otherwise have done.