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passing.”
    I wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Um, okay, until later, then. And…thanks. Chartlann fionragh. ”
    Even though I’d expected it, I felt a pang when my grandfather abruptly disappeared. Reassuring myself that I’d be talking with him again soon—probably in the Grentl Archive—I put my palm over the pink stone. Before I could twist it to the left, a tap came on my bedroom door.
    “M, er, Excellency? That luncheon starts in five minutes.”
    “Shoot.” I’d forgotten all about that stupid luncheon. Important as it was, unlocking the Grentl Archive would have to wait. Quickly, I replaced the purple stone in its cubby and the Scepter in its special cupboard in my closet.
    “Coming!” I called to Molly.
    *     *     *
    Even without finger bowls to remind me of Rigel, the luncheon was painful to endure. Several Royal guests I’d met previously still had memory problems, thanks to Faxon, and introduced themselves like they were meeting me for the first time. It served as a brutal reminder that even if I saw Rigel again someday, even if he got some of his memories back, he’d never again be the Rigel I remembered. That Rigel— my Rigel—was gone forever.  
    My meeting afterward with Adara, the Head Mind Healer, was even worse. She’d been the one to oversee the extraction and display of Rigel’s memories, where the truth about the Grentl had come out. The very last time I’d seen Rigel. Maybe if I’d insisted on staying long enough to talk with him afterward…  
    I forced my attention away from that excruciating what-if to focus on Adara’s report on the progress of some of the very Royals I’d just seen at lunch.  
    “Unfortunately, most recoveries are progressing more slowly than we’d hoped, but we are developing new therapies constantly, some of which show great promise,” she was saying. “We are hopeful others will soon be able to return to their families, if not—immediately—to their duties.”  
    “What sorts of therapies are you using? Have any of those who had memories wiped recovered completely?” I tried not to sound as desperate for reassurance as I felt, but her expression was sympathetic.
    “Two people so far have made what appear to be nearly full recoveries, but they had suffered the least tampering, before Faxon became powerful enough to compel full cooperation from our staff. I regret to say that the memory erasures performed by those of us with more training have been much harder to treat.”
    Along with the sympathy I sensed from Adara, I also detected anxiety…and guilt. I had a suspicion why. “Tell me, Healer Adara, did you have a hand in Rigel Stuart’s memory erasure?”
    Though she nodded calmly enough, her emotions spiked sky-high. “I did, Excellency. Because of my qualifications and expertise, I was asked—” She darted a quick glance at Mr. O’Gara. “That is, he and his grandmother requested I supervise the procedure.”
    “So you were there for the whole thing, before and after? Did he—”
    Mr. O cleared his throat. “Excellency, we have only a few more minutes and if you don’t mind terribly, I’d very much like to ask about the status of my daughter Elana.”
    With an effort, I bit back the questions I was itching to ask—like whether Rigel had had second thoughts or any last words for me. Did I really want to know?
    “Oh. Of…of course. How is she doing?”  
    Visibly relieved, Adara immediately began talking about the O’Garas’ oldest daughter, who was still in the Mind Healing facility in Pryderi, and who had made notable progress.  
    Mr. O smiled broadly at hearing Elana was now recovered enough to receive visitors. “Thank you. Sean and Molly will be delighted to hear the good news about their sister. And now, I really must get the Sovereign to her next appointment.”
    Because he seemed so eager to hurry me away from Adara before I could ask any more questions, I tried to probe his feelings as we headed to my