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"Your loyalty--no, your friendship--has been a great blessing in neur opposing a war Now Alexandra has brought e that ain"

Phillipe sat back, al over the chair before he made it steady "This furniture is the devil"

Cyprien smiled a little "Geoffrey loves to unsettle everyone" He took an envelope from his jacket "Should I fail to sway the others, you will need this when you return to America with Alexandra It names you as commander over all of the suzerains You will need to send copies to all of our jardins"

Phillipe didn’t touch the envelope "My place is still at your side, master"

"Not this time, mon ami If war is declared, Richard will naeneral I will not be returning for some ti weight on Cyprien’s shoulders "Alexandra will not go back without you The last time you were separated it almost destroyed your minds"

"That should serve ainst the Brethren," Cyprien said "I am not convinced we can prevail over them, not with the weapons and tactics they will employ Should I fall in battle Alex will be left alone"

They had spoken of this once before, Phillipe remembered, when Richard had taken Alexandra Michael had coht to the death over her His kenis, take back to her ho that his reed

"Phillipe?"

He looked at Cyprien, and the irony of the situation ive me your woman, master"

"You are like a brother to ht of her being with anyone else" He hesitated, and then added, "I had never considered how difficult that ht, when I went to look for you, and…" He glanced toward the garden

Phillipe thought of what he had said and done in the gazebo, and recalled the sounds Shalan had made, and rubbed his hand over his face "Mon Dieu"

"Your private life is your own," Cyprien said "Only now I realize howyour feelings"

"Master, it is not as you think I have been omen, and I have enjoyed them I love Alexandra like a sister It is only…" He trailed off, unsure of the words "At least now you knohy I cannot be what you are to her"

"That is why I struggle with this," Cyprien said "You should be free to choose your own life conize another man as such But Alex loves you, andyou to take her and bond her to you as your sygkenis For my sake, and for hers"

Phillipe loved theive "I will do whatever I can, master I promise you"

Chapter Twelve

Robin was tired and worried He knew that if he couldn’t find Nottingham and theChris to come with hi as Salva, but he knew that if the contessa killed her partner, Chris would never forgive herself

He had been kind and patient He had explained as much as he could, and had seen to her co him, but she was a stubborn wench She didn’t know about his past, how he kidnapped Marian to take her to Scotland and prevent her ham

Chris, like Marian, was completely devoted to her duty, andfor him He found it deeply ironic that the first ti-lost love, she wanted no part of him or his life

As with Marian, he had accepted it and silently pro Chris was ready to drop from exhaustion but too upset to rest, he had even assured that she would sleep through the nineteen-hour flight from Atlanta to Rome