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least passed muster. Despite her dislike for him, she had to admit that Ryan's was well done, and the smug smile that crept over his face as he sat back in his seat suggested that he thought so too.
    Finally, Andersen brought Javier's design up on the screen. The way its simple elegance concealed its complexity startled Dara, and she studied it intently. There was no denying the design's superiority.
    Suddenly, Letizia jabbed her sharply in the ribs with an elbow. Confused, Dara glanced over at her master, who shifted her eyes toward Ryan. He stared at the screen, his jaw working, his hands clenched so tightly on the arms of his chair his knuckles had gone white.
    Guess I'm not the only one who's unhappy about losing.
    Resigned, Dara listened stoically as Andersen pronounced Javier's design the best.
    "Thank you, sir," Javier said, his face betraying nothing of his emotions.
    "There's more to this than meets the eye," Letizia muttered as they left the room. She strode away before Dara could ask what she meant.
    The rest of the day passed in a flurry of activity, leaving Dara precious little time to think about what had happened. She had to drag her tired body to the door to meet Jonathan.
    "Feel like a little walk in the park?" Jonathan asked. She almost declined due to fatigue but she noticed his eyes were dancing, telling her he had something important to share, and she didn't have the heart to disappoint him.
    "Sure," she said, hoping he wouldn't hear the reluctance in her voice.
    When they reached the park, he led her down a less popular path, one they'd taken it many times over the years because it afforded them a modicum of privacy in the midst of the crowded dome. There were few people about, and Dara felt surprisingly energized, the tension draining out of her as they strolled.
    "So, what is it you want to tell me?" she asked, her voice teasing.
    "I had the most amazing day," Jonathan gushed. "I nailed it, Dara."
    He launched into a long description of how he'd wowed his master, and it surprised Dara to find her mind wandering. Usually, she hung on Jonathan's every word, just as anxious for his success as for her own. Dismayed, she realized she envied him. Everything seemed unfairly easy for him.
    Ashamed of herself, she trailed a hand along one of the many statues. Though no two were alike, there was an overall sameness to the park, and its charms had long since faded for Dara. It was a pleasant enough place to walk, and it had a nice playground for the younger children, but there was little else to recommend it to her.
    "Do you ever wonder what it would have been like, to walk in one of those green parks we saw in our history books?" she asked Jonathan. She hadn't even realized she'd interrupted him until she took in the hurt look on his face.
    "Is everything okay?" he asked.
    "Oh, Jon, I'm so sorry. I'm such a jerk. Things have been so stressful for me, but that's no excuse."
    Though he still looked a little hurt, he waved her words away. "It's fine, Dara, really. I'm sorry things have been so difficult. I hope that my talking about what's been happening to me isn't making this harder on you."
    "No! No, I don't want you to think that!" she said, horrified by the truth of his words. She dropped her eyes, hoping he wouldn't see her expression. He didn't deserve this. The fact that things were rough for her didn't give her the right to ruin his happiness.
    "Okay, well, I just don't want you to think that I don't sympathize with you, because I do," he said, his voice quiet.
    "I know." She stopped walking and took his hands in hers. "It's just one of many reasons why I love you."
    He smiled and squeezed her hands. "I love you too, you know. If there were some way I could fix this for you, make it easier on you..." His smile melted into an expression of earnest seriousness.
    "I know." She hugged him, resting her head against his chest. Every word he spoke increased her guilt.
    "You stole it from me, you asshole," a voice