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"It’s a shame she’s not pretty Can her looks be i h she no longer looks like a drown rat as she is not wearing cast off dresses from one ofhis feet on the edge of a dusty table

Severin set the lily aside and uncorked an inkwell "Have you established contact with Ranger Seventy Eight?"

"I have," Lucien said, slass of wine

"And? What did he say?"

"There was an altercation, but it is under control Seventy Eight is still on er Ten returned froht here," Lucien said, setting his goblet down to reach into his royal blue waistcoat and pull out a handful of folded papers

"Excellent," Severin said, briefly reading the first few lines of the report "He says the south borders are inactive"

"As they should be," Lucien said, finishing his wine

Severin shook his head "Our southern neighbors have ic in their lands than the rest of our allies"

"You distrust ic because over the last few years it has beco to fear It is those ield it that ed "I suppose it is that ith all things that are powerful Do you have your supplies list?"

Severin wordlessly handed over several erly scanned the abnorrows cold We should relocate to a war the winter e stocked with firewood, as we have done in the previous years Now, regarding Ranger Ten’s report"

By the ti with his half brother, dusk painted the chateau with lavender blue shadows There was a chill in the air--tonight would probably be the first frost of fall

Severin dis--the only horse that didn’t turn ith fear whenever he was near--and handed the aniroomed and cared for