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other’s mouths as they laughed at their mother’s dramatics. It was the first time Brystal had seen her brother smile in weeks.
    “I can’t believe you did that,” he said.
    “Your examination is more important than breakfast,” Brystal said, and began sewing the rest of the buttons. “And you don’t need your cards—I’ve practically memorized all the old schoolbooks you’ve given me. Now, I’ll name a historical act and you tell me the history behind it. All right?”
    “All right,” he agreed.
    “Good. Let’s start with the Border Act of 274.”
    “The Border Act of 274… the Border Act of 274…,” Barrie thought out loud. “Oh, I know! That was the decree that established the Protected Paths through the In-Between so the kingdoms could participate in safe trade.”
    Brystal winced at his answer. “Almost, but no,” she said gently. “The Protected Paths were established with the Protected Paths Act of 296.”
    Barrie groaned and pulled away from Brystal while she was in the middle of sewing. He paced around the sitting room and rubbed his face with his hands.
    “This is pointless!” he grumbled. “I don’t know any of this! Why do there have to be so many numbers in history?!”
    “Oh, that’s a really interesting story, actually!” Brystal happily informed him. “The Southern Kingdom developed a calendar system when the very first King Champion was crowned! It was so efficient that the other kingdoms began using the same— Oh, I’m sorry, Barrie! That was a rhetorical question, wasn’t it?”
    Her brother had dropped his arms and was staring at her in disbelief. He had meant it as a rhetorical question, but after hearing his sister’s explanation, he realized he was wrong about the invention of the calendar, too.
    “I give up!” Barrie declared. “I’m going to quit the university and become a shopkeeper! I’m going to sell rocks and sticks to small children! I won’t make much money, but at least I’ll never run out of materials!”
    Brystal was losing patience with her brother’s attitude. She grabbed his chin and held his head still so she could look him in the eye.
    “Barrie, you need to snap out of it!” she said. “All your answers are coming from the right place, but you keep putting the cart before the horse. Remember, the law is history, and history is just another story . Each of these events had a prequel and a sequel—a cause and an effect. Before you answer, put all the facts you know on an imaginary timeline. Find the contradictions, focus on what’s missing, and then fill in the blanks the best you can.”
    Barrie went quiet as he thought about his sister’s advice. Slowly but surely, the seed of positivity she had planted in him began to grow. Barrie gave Brystal a determined nod and took a deep breath like he was about to dive off a high cliff.
    “You’re right,” he said. “I just need to relax and focus.”
    Brystal released Barrie’s chin so she could continue repairing his wardrobe while she also repaired his self-confidence.
    “Now, the Border Act of 274,” she said. “Give it another try.”
    Barrie concentrated and didn’t make a sound until he was certain he had the right answer.
    “After the Four Corners World War of 250, all four kingdoms agreed to stop fighting over land and their leaders signed the Border Act of 274. The treaty finalized the borders of each kingdom and established the In-Between zone between nations.”
    “Very good!” Brystal cheered. “What about the In-Between Neutralization Act of 283?”
    Barrie thought very carefully, and his eyes lit up when the answer came to him.
    “The In-Between Neutralization Act of 283 was an international agreement to neutralize the In-Between zone so none of the kingdoms could claim it as their territory! As a result, the In-Between was left with no authority and became a very dangerous place. Which then led to the Protected Paths Act of 296—OUCH!”
    Brystal was so proud of her