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Heloise nodded once and raised her tea cup in a silent toast

Theyou awake? Bernadine added to her slate

"In a way," Elle said "I don’t understand why Severin protected me"

It is the duty of a man to protect his companions, Heloise wrote

"To a certain extent, that is true But the hag was threatening him, and I don’t believe it was a ood of a soldier to be taken down by a ust

"But why did he even take the chance?" Elle asked, cradling her tea cup

His Lordliness will ant sacrifices for those he treasures, Heloise wrote with so but a rooftop prowler," Elle said

But you are important to him, Bernadine wrote

"Why?"

Only His Greatness can answer that question, Heloise said, spinning her slate for Elle to see

Bernadine eagerly scribbled away on her slate How do you feel for His Highness? Is he i here for so long one would think I would no longer be shocked by your boldness orways"

Bernadine has the subtlety of an avalanche, Heloise wrote

Bernadine silently chuckled, nearly bowling Heloise over on accident with her plump backside when she walked around the table to check a pot boiling over the open fire

Heloise turned so her pronounced nose thrust in Elle’s direction At h and enjoy your encounters with hierly waddled back to her slate on the table If the roles were reversed and it was you facing the hness’s sake, would you do it?

"Of course, but that’s different He is a sovereign The country needs him"

You would not try to save him for any other reason? Bernadine asked

"I don’t know," Elle said, eating the last bite of her bread