SOLVED. YA fantasy book. Only remember one scene where main character plays a game involving heavy metal fans. [s]

[Crystalguo]

I can't remember much from the book but I'm going to try to provide as much information as I possibly can. This book is a young adult fantasy book, it vaguely reminds me of Throne of Glass but it is NOT Throne of Glass. The main character is a girl and she somehow ends up at living at a castle with a prince, they become friendly and I think he likes her. Anyway, she's super bada** and can fight and stand up for her self. She may or may not be an assassin or a princess in secret or something, I'm not sure.

In the one scene I remember, the main character and the prince is in the gardens and she bumps into this princess (I think) from another kingdom. The princess is there to learn the culture of this kingdom, I think, and secure an alliance, I think. I also remember the prince being rather worried about the two girls meeting up and being friends. So the main character and the princess are rather friendly together and the princess invites her to play a game that her and her hand maidens are playing together. The game involves the girls standing in a circle and throwing this metal fan with razor sharp blades into the air and catching it. The princess and her handmaidens were really surprised when the main character not only knew how to play the game but was really good at it, especially since the other girls of the court looked down on the princess and didn't bother to get to know her culture or people. When the main character was little, she was sent to the princesse's kingdom to learn their culture and so she learned the game. The princess and her handmaidens are also really good fighters, theirs fans are razor sharp after all.

There may or may not be magic, I can't remember. There might have been a war or some type or revolution or fight or something. I remember the book was published within the last 10 years, probably around when The Mortal Instruments was published. It might be a series, I don't quite remember. I was rereading Song of the Lioness when this scene popped into my head and all I can think is this book reminds me a lot of Throne of Glass so maybe the plot or the characters are similar in some aspect to those books.

Any help will be so appreciated! Thanks in advance!

[Amy]

It's in a squeal series to Song of the Lioness. Protector of the Small.
I'm not sure which of the books it is though.
Author Link
Tamora Pierce
First book in series link
First Test

[Crystalguo]

I hate myself. You’re absolutely right. I have the book in my library and completely overlooked it cause I’d been reading Throne of Glass and was projecting. Jeez, I’m stupid. Thank you soooooooo much!!! You really helped!