Talia folds the letter and places it in her jewelry box with the others. She smiles knowing that in a few days she will be able to send the letters to her father and wait anxiously for his replies. Anna and Nissa are lounging on the bed reading books Talia lent them and she crawls in beside them and opens the book of fables Lucian had given her to read. She flips through and comes across one that catches her eye. Settling back against the blankets, she begins to read:
“Once there was a woman with beauty that was unmatched. Everywhere she went she was admired by men, hated by women, and adored by children. Her name was Xingah. Xingah had an affinity for knowledge and a thirst for knowing as much as she could about the world around her. She visited many places in search of books and scrolls
