"I know. Believe me, I know."

"If Adanir slacks on that I will make faces at him. And also research ways to kill people that are brainwashing things with fairies."

"Thanks."

"Yup. You're welcome."

What's this? A knock? At the door? How completely original and not at all like what's happened before in the past. Surely, this is a new benchmark in history.

Mira goes to open it.

"Hi. Nadi has been explaining to me that she takes explosive safety very seriously."

"Explosive safety, totally different. Well, not really, but shhh. Let me believe. Also, drop the accent, it's weirding me out."

"Sorry," sighs Adanir, in a vastly different accent. This one does not sound like it belongs to someone who is the crown prince. Probably why he doesn't use it. "Habit. Regardless - Mira, I've found someone with a fairy who's willing to investigate, and they're pretty sure that the fairy will protect them."

"That's good," says Mira, after a moment of nonplussedness at the accent shift.

"It seemed like something I thought you would like to know."

"It is. I just - I want her gone, I want it over, I want my dad."

He winces. "I'm working on it, believe me."

"I'll hold him to it, I'll make faces."

"How long can I stay here? When should I expect a ride to the place you want me to ask my fairy about wire-lacing?"

"I am not going to shuttle you off to a place for wire-lacing until all of the - this is handled, unless you genuinely want me to and need a distraction. Or something."

"I guess whether I need a distraction that involves leaving the palace depends on whether your library's any good. But I want to be doing something. I don't want to just - loiter around determining whether I agree with Nadi about the pillows' softness, worrying."

"The library's actually excellent, say what you will about the king, but the man knows his literature."

Adanir makes a complicated face.

"...I'm supposed to be avoiding the king, right? So if he hangs out in the library a lot maybe I'd better go try the wire-lace sooner rather than later after all."

"He's usually not there often, usually in the evenings, if you're there in the mornings I doubt you'll catch him."

"Okay. That should fill time."