New Hope Square was packed to bursting with people. A sea of bodies stretched from one end of the plaza to the other, claiming every inch of space between the small, flat-roofed buildings constructed in the classic Eradian style. Desa wondered how anyone could breathe in a crowd that thick. She was grateful for her place on the stage, though she had no love for the duties that came with it. Greeting diplomats: This was what her life had become!
ThisHer role was a minor one; she wasn’t expected to do much more than stand and clap when the Leyrian delegates arrived. There might be some handshaking as well. But if left to her own devices, she would have stayed home and curled up with a good book after putting Brendan to bed. She was rediscovering her love of reading. As a girl, she had been
