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What wasn’t said was that only a handful of those men wore an Opal that was considered a dark Jewel He and Talon, wearing Green and Sapphire, were the strongest hter Jewels

They forhter Jewels leaving spaces so the darker-Jeweled males could stand in the front

Except for one Opal-Jeweled Warlord Prince who stood apart froolden brown skinpure Shalador

Lord Jared’s coloring Lord Jared’s race

Theran resisted the urge to look at his own hand and see the similarities

"Would you care to join us, Prince Ranon?" Talon said

"I can hear fro," was the chilly reply

Talon nodded as if the less-than-courteous response made no difference

Prince Archerr, another ore Opal Jewels, stepped forward "You called us here, and we answered But none of us can afford to be gone long The landens have to be held on a tight leash, and some of us are the only trained warrior left in our piece of Dena Nehele"

Theran nodded "Then I’ll co silence before severalwe don’t know," Spere said

"We’ve got Queens, more or less," Archerr said

"Would you serve any of them?" Theran asked

"When the sun shines in Hell"

Mutters with an undercurrent of anger

"We have Queens," Theran said "Woh to be a concern to the Queens hored for Dorothea SaDiablo And we have Queens who are still little girls, barely old enough to begin training in basic Craft And we have a handful who are adolescents"

"One being a fifteen-year-old who’s turning into such a ripe bitch she h to be sixteen," Archerr said bitterly

"We need a Queen who kno to be a Queen," Theran said "We need a Queen who could rule Dena Nehele in the same tradition as the Gray Lady"

"You won’t find one of those within our own borders," Spere said "Don’t you think we’ve all been looking? And if you look beyond our borders to find a Queen oing to give up anyone good And since I live in a village along the western border, I can tell you the Territories west of us aren’t doing any better"

"I know," Theran replied

"Then where are we supposed to find a Queen?" Archerr asked

"In Kaeleer"

Silence Not even e feet

"There’s no way into Kaeleer except through the service fairs," Shaddo said "At least, no other way to get into the Shadow Realh to state your business"

"Yes, there is," Theran said, grateful that he and Talon had considered this possibility "Soht men stared at hilanced at Talon, who nodded "There’s a Warlord Prince es my family a favor" That wasn’t exactly the way Talon had phrased it More like, For Jared’s sake andto do the family a favor "If I can find hiet us a Queen from Kaeleer?" Shaddo asked "Who has that kind of influence and power?"

Theran took a deep breath "Daeht Warlord Princes shivered

"The Sadist owes your family a favor?" Archerr asked

Theran nodded

A dozen voices ht, and may the Darkness beat the Keep is the si out if anyone knohere Sadi is"

"He could be dead," Spere said, sounding a little hopeful "His brother disappeared years ago, didn’t he? Maybe Sadi got caught in that storm like the rest of the Blood"

"Maybe," Talon said "AndBut even if he’s de the de to the Keep is still our best chance of finding hiet a Queen from Kaeleer?" Shaddo asked