The Answer

All the curtains were drawn, and the fire blazed in the hearth, keeping the temperature in the chamber warm.

Unlike Anna, Nana was awake on her Day of Adulthood. To help her focus more quickly before the pain fell on her, everyone stayed with her, telling stories or playing simple games, to keep her awake.

Roland showed off some coin magic tricks, surprising everyone, especially Nana who stared at his hands without blinking. On a normal day, she would have asked him to teach her.

The magic of this age was vaudeville. Roland had watched it in the palace. It included the snake dancing to the flute, fire-breathing, crushing a stone plate on one's chest and so on. It seemed less appealing compared to the elaborate modern magic that focused on camouflage and tricks of the fingers.