The envelope had been sitting on her desk since the week before classes began, and in all that time it had never once been moved.
It lay beside her Academy card, in the gap between the notices she meant to throw away and the papers that needed an answer by evening. Lady Sabine Ormont's seal had gone dull under the lamp. Elara at this point, had gotten used to working around it.
She slid the card out again. An opening-term reception for the territorial houses, with the date printed small at the foot, still ahead of her. Gervase's name stood in the first line, where it had been all along. Under the card lay the guest list she had set aside for study, and she had read it twice.
Lucavion had called this weeks ago, in passing. "Enough to offer assistance, introduce you to his acquaintances…" She hadn't liked how plainly he'd said it, and she liked it less now that it had come true in a window bay. Gervase had even mentioned the card on his way out. "She doesn't close a list early."
