The Lord-Protector's Daughter by L. E. Modesitt Jr. Page B

“They were Alectors, though.”
    â€œThe Alectors ruled before the Great Cataclysm, for thousands of years, and women had power. So did Rachyla, and she and Mykel created Lanachrona.”
    â€œWhere did you hear that?”
    â€œI read it in some of the old journals in Father’s study, before he knew I was interested. He moved them after he found out I’d been reading them.” Salyna smiled. “I’d already finished them by then.”
    â€œDid he say anything…about your reading them?”
    â€œHe just told me he was removing them so I didn’t get any wrong ideas. He said I had to live in the world as it was now, not as it had been.”
    Mykella sighed. That sounded so like her father.
    â€œFather has trouble seeing beyond what is,” Salyna said. “Mother told me that…just…before…before she died.”
    Why had Aelya told Salyna and not Mykella? Because Salyna was the tallest and strongest and most beautiful?
    â€œShe didn’t say anything to me.”
    â€œYou were always the practical one. She probably didn’t think you needed that advice.”
    Truthful as Salyna’s response sounded, Mykella could also sense that her younger sister felt that way as well. She paused. In the past tenday, she’d begun to know what people felt. Was that because of the soarer? Or was she just imagining she knew what they felt?
    â€œMykella…why are you looking at me like that?”
    â€œI’m sorry. I was just thinking that you really think I’m that practical.”
    â€œI do. Aren’t you?” Salyna’s words came out with a wry tone.
    Mykella managed to laugh. “I’d like to think so. Sometimes I wonder.” As she did at the moment, when she was basing her actions on suspicions without hard proof, and feelings she could sense and had never been able to sense before.
    â€œThat’s something you don’t have to wonder about.”
    â€œIf I’m going to be practical, I need to get to the Finance study,” Mykella said.
    â€œSee?” Salyna grinned.
    After leaving Salyna and washing up, Mykella walked slowly toward the Finance chambers.
    Kiedryn was already at work, and Mykella settled herself at her own table, where she began to check the individual current account ledgers. There were no new entries of tariff collections from the bargemasters or the other rivermen. She didn’t expect any, since all the accounts were current, and the next collections would not be posted for several weeks at the earliest. So she walked to the shelves and took down the ledger that held the current accounts of the Southern Guards.
    The accounts there showed a surplus. Mykella frowned. The Guards had not used what had been set aside. In fact, the expenditures were almost one part in ten lower than at the same time in the previous year, and that was with barely more than half of winter left to run in the year.
    At that moment, she heard a hearty voice in the corridor outside the Finance chambers—Berenyt’s booming bass.
    â€œJust heading in to see my sire—if he’s there. If not, I’ll harass old Kiedryn.” Berenyt was two years older than Mykella, despite the fact that his father, Joramyl, was younger than his brother, the Lord-Protector. Berenyt had taken a commission as a captain in the Southern Guards and ended up in command of Second Company, one of the two charged with guarding the palace and the Lord-Protector, and one of the three stationed directly in Tempre.
    Mykella couldn’t make out to whom Berenyt was speaking, but she could sense that the other was male, and vaguely amused. She was not. After what she’d seen in the Table and what she’d discovered, she didn’t want to see him anytime soon, much less talk to him.
    That hope was dashed as the tall and blond Berenyt pushed his way into the Finance study and planted himself before Kiedryn.
    â€œIs Father