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The feeling in the air was gone, as if a question had been answered

"Ten days’ labor," the Warlord said "And I’ll bring the gold marks when--"

"No," Cassidy said "The three of you are forbidden to set foot in the landen section of this town You couards gasped Even the Warlord Princes who supported her looked stunned

"You will report to the Steward of the court and give the payment to him," Cassidy said

"Can’t come up with that much all at once," the Warlord said

"Then you’ll work out a payement with the Steward--and if you don’t shoith the pay up on your doorstep to find out why And they can take the payht, Cassidy, Theran said You’ve just told him the Warlord Princes can rip him apart without penalty

She looked at him with eyes still filled with fury

He didn’t know this woman Didn’t know this Queen

But he kneith cold certainty that he was seeing the Old Ways of the Blood, and that under the same circumstances, the Warlord Princes in Kaeleer wouldn’t hesitate to do the Queen’s will

And he wondered for the first ti the Old Ways back to Dena Nehele had been a er Warlords, finally settling on the one ore the Suirl loses her eye because of the stone you threw, you forfeit a hand This is the Queen’s Justice"

"Queen’s Justice"

It was a shout, a battle cry And Theran heard his own voice raised with the others

Nothey could somehow slide out froathered and were held by the Queen’s leash And by nightfall, the whole toould know for certain that these Warlord Princes belonged to Cassidy

"Prince?" asked one of the guards who had escorted the pony cart

"Prince Ranon is the Master of the Guard’s second-in-co another truth

"Escort those three back to their houard "Prince Archerr will assist you"

The guard glanced at Cassidy "I’ll inform the others of the Queen’s command We’ll make sure these Warlords don’t come back to this part of town"

The Warlords were led away

"Lady?"

At the sound of Shira’s voice, they all turned

Cassidy looked at Shira, then past her

"The rock cairl’s eye," Shira said "I can’t say for sure yet that there isn’t any darit in the eye, plus the cut just beside it froot the eye cleaned out and have the first stage of healing salves on the injury I gave her a sedative I’ll give herto hurt and sleep will help her heal I’ll co"

The man stepped forward "Lady, if we’d sold that piece in the market, ould have asked for fifty silver otten thirty"

"Today it orth one hundred gold marks," Cassidy said

Theran felt her shudder That was the only warning he had before her legs buckled

He grabbed one arrabbed the other

"Fetch a chair," the man told his son

The youth darted under the canopy and came back with a chair They dumped Cassidy in it and pushed her head down

"Are you hurt?" Shira asked "Is she hurt?"

"I feel wobbly," Cassidy said

"Keep your head down," Theran said, tugging the club out of her hand

"I’ve never attacked anyone before," Cassidy said "Lucivar taught ht temper for a knife I worked on the moves lots of times in practice--Lucivar has a lust for practice--and I kept practicing because it was good exercise and a kind of mental discipline But I’ve never hit anyone before and meant it Well,anything," Shira said "What’s wrong with her?"

"First-fight nerves," Ranon said "She’s just shaky"

"I’ve got a bit of soed a look with Ranon They both knew about the "bit of so" that was brewed in stills and cost a lot less than the liquor that didn’t require ahis own container

It will fuzz her nerves, Ranon said

"Thanks," Theran said as he rose to follow the s and s for tea The man took a cup and saucer, then filled the cup halfway frolanced at Theran, then poured a bit more