Maren returned to the war room the following morning, and Jasmine met her with the same hard, deliberate clarity she'd once brought to every Council hearing that had tried to define her worth before she'd had the chance to define it herself. She had slept little the night before, turning over every possible phrasing of the terms she intended to set, determined to leave no room for ambiguity Maren's order might later exploit.

"I've spoken with my children," Jasmine said, before Maren could open with whatever careful diplomacy she'd prepared. "They understand, as much as any child their age can, what's being discussed on their behalf. They've made it clear...