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to meet this mysterious foreigner?” I asked as Aiden sobered up.
    “I’ve met him, actually,” he said. “Not a talkative fellow.”
    “He’s just serious about his work,” Iniga said. “He’s also still adjusting to living here, I think. He seems a bit overwhelmed with court life.”
    “That’s understandable,” Aiden said. “I’ve had enough fittings this past month to last me a lifetime.”
    A trickle of jealousy ran through me. Both Aiden and Iniga were out in court, and I was not. They never seemed to mind the difference in stations between us, but times like this reminded me of my standing. I was just an artisan, even if I was a good one. Aiden was a nobleman’s son. Iniga was a nobleman’s daughter and a gifted artisan—possibly the best on the island—even though she was only a year older than me.
    And she was observant too. She glanced nervously at Aiden as she noticed my silence. “Evie,” she said suddenly, “I have just the thing for you. I know you’re a lost cause when it comes to glass, but I have a few palace masks you might want to look at.”
    “Oh?”
    “Yes, they were given to me to try to repair or take to pieces if there was no saving them. I don’t have to return them for several days. Maybe you’d like to take a look at them?”
    She knew I wouldn’t be able to resist. “Of course! What’s wrong with them?”
    “Some maids were clumsy and spilled wine on the silk. I needed to either cover the stains or replace the fabric, and it looks like it’ll be the latter. Actually,” she said, brightening, “would you like to try your hand at that? I’ll pay you for your work, of course.”
    “You know I’d do it for free for you.” I couldn’t help but smile. “And don’t pay me at all if you just have to do the work all over again.”
    She waved that comment aside and assured me that I’d be fine. “They’re just serving masks, nothing too fancy. Come with me, and I’ll go get them right now. Aiden, do you mind watching my stall?”
    “Not at all. I’d like to look at what else you’ve got in here anyway.” He’d drifted off to study a mask that looked like it was carved entirely out of mahogany and painted with a glossy finish of some sort.
    “And keep an eye on Hachi. Make sure he doesn’t fall in the canal,” I said, scanning the crowd for my dog. He was still by the water’s edge, his tail wagging as he jumped around. He seemed to have attracted the affection of a small boy, who was cheering and clapping at him as his nurse haggled over a fine tunic.
    Iniga took me by the wrist and led the way into the palace. The guards at the gate didn’t even give her a second glance. They already knew her mask and her business wellenough, and her presence was enough to let me through as well. This part of the palace was the servants and artisans’ work quarters anyway, and guards were posted along the hallways and at the entrances to workrooms. If we’d gone by the main gate or even the gate that led to nobles’ housing, we probably would have been stopped or questioned.
    Other maids and servants were milling around us. I had to nearly jog to keep up with Iniga’s quick pace. I had never been inside the palace before, and I felt like Iniga might be up to something.
    She greeted a handful of maids gossiping outside her workroom and waved at the guard, who nodded in return.
    “Here we are,” she announced, pushing the heavy door open for me.
    Her workroom was clean, though clearly well used. Large containers and bags were everywhere, though I didn’t know what was in them. Two large furnaces were also there with piles of coal and stacks of wood nearby. I spied several long wooden tools that I knew were used for throwing glass to make bowls and vases. Some tools I didn’t recognize.
    “Are those used to make the glass masks?” I asked, pointing them out as Iniga looked for the soiled server masks.
    “Hmm? Sort of. We’re still trying out a few different