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"Only a couple of hours I couldn’t sleep" She picked up one of the place cards and used it to fan herself "Jayr let me set up a minilab so I could update the database and take a peek at her blood"

Michael recalled how interested Alexandra had been in testing the seneschal’s blood "Have you co on it" She sthe shared pathogen factors in Jayr’s blood"

He sowns and attention, and devote theive you equal pleasure are vials and lanced up as the musicians ended the set "Is that Scarlet up there? What does he play?"

"Will favors the lute, and plays it very well, but I think he "

Locksley’s seneschal stood at the balcony railing and propped his foot up, placing one hand against his chest "When I see Kyn appear beside each other unarentle with one another, I know no finer joy" He cast a jaundiced eye down on the crowd "I also know that, like the chastity of a rich hter swept around the room, and the dancers left the floor to refresh thean to play a soft, sweet tune to acco

"Bryd one brere, brid, brid one brere,

Kynd is come of love, love to crave

Blythful biryd, on rave

Hie am so blithe, so bryhit, brid on brere,

Quan I se that hende in halle:

Yhe is whit of lime, loveli, trewe

Yhe is fayr and flur of alle

Mikte ic hire at wille haven,

Stedefast of love, loveli, trewe,

Of mi sorwe yhe may me saven

Ioye and blisse werethe song again in English

"Bird on a briar, bird on a briar,

mankind is come of love, love thus craves

Blissful bird, have pity on arland around the railing, Scarlet plucked a flower and tossed it down to Alexandra, who caught it with a look of shocked pleasure

"I aht, bird on a briar,

When I see that handmaid in the hall:

She is white of liht I her at my will have,

Steadfast of love, lovely, true,

From my sorrow she may me save

Joy and bliss would wear me new"

Scarlet bowed to Alexandra and Michael, then picked up a lute, struhthearted tune

"That is a planxty," Michael told her "They rarely have lyrics set to the minstrels, or to honor their patrons"

Alexandra twirled Scarlet’s flower between her fingers "I get the feeling you put hi at face value, Michael thought, and then wondered why that bothered hi before America was even discovered"

She reached over and hooked her hand around his neck "Thank you," she said, and kissed hi "Whenthe fool, will you dance with lanced at Michael "Am I allowed to, or are predance diplomatic talks required?"

Before he could answer, a squabble broke out between two Kyn women at the next table Michael had seen them at various assemblies but didn’t recall their naown hissed an old curse in Anglo-Saxon, reached over, and slapped a sneering blonde in a glittering black sheath The blonde answered with a vile threat in archaic French Jewel-encrusted copper daggers appeared and the Nor the brunette in the upper arm The brunette snapped her wrist and slashed the blonde’s right cheek Alexandra saw the blood and started to rise, but sat down as the wounds healed over and the brunette hit the blonde again, this tied at each other and toppled to the floor

Michael signaled two guards, who separated the writhing wouests followed theo "What was that all about?"

"A recent feud, I iine," Michael said

"Rather an old one," Robin corrected "Lady Helvise, the brunette, is Saxon Lady Desora, the blonde, is Norman"

Michael shook his head "They should not have been seated together"

"Why not?" Alexandra asked

"Normans are conceited and obsessed with courtly behavior," Robin said "They believe in using utensils, napkins, and having their ressive and boisterous Their ather around a spit, and rip half-cooked chunks fro Oftiland, it was a stray Norman That is why one never sits a Saxon next to a Noruys," Alexandra said "Who cares what you were during the Middle Ages?"

"Spoken like a true American," Robin said "Every nationality, however, has their sins The English are cold and indifferent, the Germans lewd and brutal, the Spaniards fickle and faithless, the Irish self-indulgent and superior"

"Really" Alexandra nodded toward Michael "How about the French?"

"They’re the worst" Robin leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper "Arrogant, opinionated snobs, the lot of theo shopping with this guy when he’s looking for a new suit?"

Robin nodded "It did not take that long to fight the Hundred Years War"

"I aone deaf"

As they laughed together, calls for another song were shouted froham and his Saracens , his face turning to stone

Scarlet stood and this ti it as the other uests fell silent He saluted his hae to notice Will’s voice softened with s, and will not cease

For song is vanity,

but lo, I’ll tell ye of the Hood