Beatrice`s frustration with her prince`s delay rekindled when the sons of the other great lords came to call on her. Escorted by their sisters, the young lords presented themselves to Beatrice one by one as they each returned from school to the capital. She hoped Prince Anryniel might be among them—perhaps sneaking into her company disguised as heroes in fairy tales sometimes did. From behind her veil, she peered at each new son carefully, looking for anything about them that could be described as scrawny.

　　 "My lady, please meet my brother Jacob," said Sarah, Lady Tommasi`s eldest daughter. With Gruffydd`s son still not returned, he took precedence over the other sons who came to visit her.

　　 Jacob Tommasi was not scrawny at all. Though not yet fully grown at only sixteen, he already looked to be on his way toward growing into a bear-like figure, with wide, hunched shoulders and a thick beard that stretched down his throat. Despite his size, he tried to hide behind Sarah after his bow, and muttered his pleasantries to Beatrice`s feet.

　　 Sarah`s sigh ruffled her veil. "My brother asks how does your ankle, lady? He heard about your fall at Lady Teqwyn`s dance&"

　　 Beatrice winced. She could expect that talk would spread about her injury, but she did resent having it brought up. She forced her response through gritted teeth, "He`s so kind to ask. It fares much better."

　　 Jacob seemed almost grateful to slink off to Gruffydd`s library where Riccardo lounged with the other sons after they made their appearance.

　　 The sons of Teqwyn visited next. Twin boys, both at school in Amwarren. They had no sister to escort them, so their mother made their introduction. Lady Teqwyn fussed about them both before she would let them bow to Beatrice, making sure that Jareth`s collar was straight and that Idris kept his curls tucked under his hat. They both greeted Beatrice with warm, open smiles. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

　　 "My lady is more beautiful than the papers say," said one of them. Beatrice would have to make it a point to learn to tell the two apart.

　　 "You`re too kind," she murmured. She wanted to say, This is just powder and embroidery—you should see me without my veil! She wondered whether the lip colors she`d brought from home would spoil before she had the chance to wear them again. She didn`t dare apply too much underneath a veil, lest it stain.

　　 Last came Mayelor`s sons, Caden and Bryn. Caden had graduated from Amwarren University the previous year, and Bryn was two years behind Prince Anryniel. Beatrice studied them carefully from beneath the rim of her veil as she nodded to them graciously. Their sister, Little Mari Mayelor, was far younger than both—she lisped their introduction through a loose baby tooth and her veil slipped off her head where her pins fell out.

　　 Beatrice smiled warmly at the girl and gestured her over to help pin it back up. She thought she saw an appreciative quirk to Caden Teqwyn`s mouth as he watched Beatrice help his little sister. As he climbed up the stairs with his brother, she thought she heard him say, "It`ll be nice to have a new Queen&"

　　The day dragged on into evening, and Beatrice ran out of sons to meet. Out in the streets, she could hear the sounds of festivity—music and laughter, and the crunch of gravel underfoot as people walked up and down the street outside Gruffydd`s mansion on their way to parties. With all the sons coming home, nearly every house that night had something planned to celebrate.

　　Beatrice felt a little sorry for Gruffydd. From the dining room, she watched the man come into his house. She saw how he greeted the sons as they came down from his library. He shook their hands, clapped them on the shoulders. Then, when their sisters took leave of Beatrice, Gryffudd sent them on their way back to their fathers.

　　He stood in the doorway to his mansion and watched them go. After a moment, he turned to go back upstairs. For the briefest instant, his eyes met Beatrice`s. She thought they shone a little more brightly in the lamplight than they should have.

　　He misses his son, Beatrice thought. He`s as impatient as I am for this wedding.