A Fair Hand

The sixth episode of Tremontaine.

## Synopsis

House Tremontaine prepares for its annual Swan Ball, despite needing to cut expenses. Applethorpe trains Kaab. Diane dictates invitations to the Swan Ball to Rafe. Micah writes another letter to her family.

Kaab returns home, finding the quiet unnerving enough she draws her weapons. However, the silence is due only to unusual news, which, after making a point about Kaab's absences, Chuleb shares: Diane has invited the Balam to the Swan Ball.

Kaab tries to make up for her absence by learning as much as she can about the ball and why Diane invited them. She examines the invitation and recalls that Rafe has become William's (under)secretary.

Kaab meets Micah and Rafe at the Ink Pot, telling Micah that a copy of the chart Micah wants is being made. Rafe has friends with him, one of whom, Henry, seems taken with Kaab. Kaab asks Rafe about the Swan Ball. He describes some of the food. Micah is determined to have Rafe bring some of Reuben's turnips to Tremontaine House for the ball, as Reuben can carve them into swans--and while he's there, he can explain to Reuben more about why Micah needs to stay in the City. Kaab agrees that Rafe will do this.

Kaab returns home, convinced she has learned little. However, Saabim and the cook listen to her description of the food that will be served at the Swan Ball, and the cook notes that the menu is not impressive, but rather, designed to hide a lack of wealth. Saabim says that she and Chuleb had already begun to suspect that Diane needs money, and that this is why she came to the Balam. However, Diane has been unable to lower the chocolate tax, and her husband did not attend the meeting of the Council of Lords where the subject was supposed to be discussed.

Saabim is not sure what the Balam should wear to the Swan Ball, as they cannot wear old outfits in the style of the Xanamwiinik and do not have time to order new ones, and their own clothing, while fine for entertaining merchants in their own home, is not appropriate for the Swan Ball on the Hill. Nevertheless, she is pleased with Kaab, and Kaab is touched by her aunt's praise.

The next day, Kaab, Micah, and Rafe are in North Market. Micah explains her idea about turnips to her cousin Reuben, but he tells her that the duchess doesn't need or want their turnips. Even if she does plan to serve turnips, her food orders were put in weeks or months earlier. He makes a joking suggestion that Micah attend the Swan Ball. Rafe tries to avert the inevitable by buying turnips, even though Reuben tells him it's past the best time for them.

Micah asks Rafe to help her go to the Swan Ball. Rafe refuses and gets into an argument with Micah and Kaab. Kaab says that she will help Micah get into the Swan Ball. She brings Micah to Tess. Vincent is there as well.

Tess forges an invitation for Micah. Kaab gives Micah the charts Tess forged, complete with changes. Tess has made another sketch of the locket Ben's father gave him.

While Micah would rather go as herself to the ball, she is persuaded to go as "Thomas Abney", a boy who is "minor country nobility".

Rafe decided to visit William at his tailor's. Rafe complains about how Diane is treating him, and William makes it clear that he doesn't think Diane knows about their affair, and that neither he nor she has ever had one since their marriage. Rafe pretends to believe that she doesn't know about the affair but is convinced, correctly, that she does.

Tess brings Micah, Kaab, and Vincent to Vanessa's, a shop run by Madeleine that seems to sell just about everything, although it specializes in clothes, whether cast off or otherwise acquired. Madeleine finds an outfit for Micah to wear as a boy at the Swan Ball.

While trying to figure out what she should wear, Kaab spots a feather and mentions that her family has much better feathers. Tess suggests that the Kinwiinik wear their own clothing, feathers and all, but in Xamanwiinik styles. Vincent agrees that this will avoid the social traps of wearing either purely Kinwiinik clothing or purely Xamanwiinik clothing.

## Timeline

No mention is made of whether Diane visited the Davenants.

The Tremontaine Ball is the same time as when students sit for exams. Rafe was going to try to have his before the Board of Governors voted, but is probably not rushing at this point.

It is past prime turnip season, but green cabbage is in season.

One week earlier: Two parlor maids and an undercook were dismissed
from Tremontaine, supposedly for some minor infractions, but likely to
cut back on expenses. This may or may not have overlapped with Episode 5

Vincent has been training Kaab from before dawn until after dark for the last few days, which means that it has been at least that long since the last episode. Kaab also knows by now that Rafe is William's (under)secretary, and Saabim has heard of this as well, as Rafe's mother has been boasting about it.

The day before the episode begins: Rafe takes Micah to the University library.

As the episode begins, Duchamp and the rest of the Tremontaine household are preparing for the Swan Ball, and have been for some time. Diane dictates invitations to Rafe, which should mean that the ball is still some weeks off, although we aren't told how far in advance invitations generally get sent in the Land. Still, it must be more than a week, because she says that the Lindleys' invitation can wait a week to be sent.

Diane talks Rafe through writing invitations. Rafe watches the invitations being carried out of Tremontaine House to be delivered. Micah tries to write a letter home.

Since Kaab has been training until after dark, it is presumably the next day when Micah, Kaab, Rafe, and Rafe's friends meet in the Ink Pot and Micah learns what a ball is.

The day after that, Micah and Rafe and Kaab go to speak with Cousin Reuben at the North Market. Micah decides she wants to go to the Swan Ball, and Kaab brings her to Tess for a forged invitation. While they're there, Kaab gives Micah the fake charts. Rafe visits William at his tailor's. Kaab, Tess, Micah, and Vincent go to Vanessa's, where Madeleine finds clothing for Micah, and Tess helps Kaab solve the fashion problem of what the Balaam will wear to the Swan Ball.

## Arc / Plot Points

Tremontaine House is preparing for the Swan Ball with a tighter budget than usual. Some servants have been let go, theoretically for minor infractions, but more likely to cut corners. No more can be dismissed before the ball if there are to be enough servants for the ball.

The clavier in Tremontaine House has a wobbly leg.

Vincent has been training Kaab. This has kept Kaab away from her family enough for her relatives to chide her about it.

Diane is dictating invitations to the ball to Rafe. While she is clearly taking digs at him, if he were interested, he would learn a great deal about the nobles on the Hill. He doesn't realize that one of the invitations is addressed to Kaab's family.

It is Micah's turn to name Bessie's calf, even if she isn't at home when it is born, and she picks the name Trigonometry.

Diane has invited the Balam to the Swan Ball. Kaab offers to find out more about it, as she knows Rafe is William's (under)secretary.

The Balam cook can tell from Kaab's description of Rafe's description of the menu for the Swan Ball that Tremontaine House is trying to conceal financial difficulties.

The Balam know that the reduction of the chocolate tax is not happening and that William missed the Council meeting where it was supposed to be discussed.

Reuben suggests Micah go to the ball, presumably as a joke. But... he's known Micah all her life, right? Does he not expect her to take this seriously? Naturally, she does take it seriously, and this leads to an argument between Rafe and Kaab and Micah. It also seems to lead to Rafe buying some turnips in an unsuccessful attempt to keep Micah from wanting to go to the ball.

Tess's desk has bottles of perfumes for forging love letters and seals, which is probably confirmation that Reynald didn't destroy her tools of the trade when he broke in.

Kaab gives Micah the charts Tess copied, complete with errors.

Tess forges an invitation for Micah for the Swan Ball. Micah is going as "Thomas Abney", a country boy of minor nobility.

Tess has made a new sketch of the locket Ben showed her. She shows it to Kaab and Vincent.

William believes that Diane doesn't know about his affair with Rafe. Rafe is sure that Diane does, but he pretends otherwise. William has never had an affair before, and Diane has never had an affair.

William is being fitted for a crimson and burgundy outfit. Rafe says that the colors suit him.

Madeleine runs a shop called Vanessa's. She can get just about anything, so long as one isn't overly worried about legalities or having something brand new. Embroidery is taken out of handkerchiefs and so on. This is where Micah gets her outfit for the Swan Ball.

Madeleine knows Vincent and that he likes wine.

Tess suggests that the Balam wear their own clothing, but in the styles of the Hill. Vincent agrees that this will work.

## Cultural and World Information

Neither the Kinwiinik and Xanamwiinik allow noble women to go to parties unaccompanied, unless they are widows.

Kaab's aunt Ixnoom has a passion fruit plant, which is probably unique in the City, though likely common in Bikiinha. While the plant has never produced a fruit, it is still alive.

In the Land, the annual Swan Ball and the University's exams are in the spring.

Mid-morning is the best time to sell villages in the City. Rafe is aware of this. Reuben is too, but he still takes the time to talk to Micah and her friends.

Durham's is a tailor shop in the center of Threadneedle Row in the City.