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Fidelias sank into the war Nearby, Lady Aquitaine, dressed only in a robe of pale silk, placed Aquitaine&039;s signet dagger into a coffer on her dresser, and shut and locked it

"Andcared for," she assured hi, and she and her man went to their suite" She half smiled "They deserve the time, I think"

"I failed," Fidelias said

"Not entirely," murmured Lady Aquitaine She tested the teers on Fidelias&039;s te but suspicions"

"But he knows," Fidelias said He felt briefly dizzy as a sloave of waran to vanish into a molten cloud of blessed relief "He knows Aquitaine isn&039;t working in secret any longer"

Lady Aquitaine smiled Then she stepped around the tub and let the silk robe slip from her shoulders She slid into the water with Fidelias and wrapped her arms around the man&039;s shoulders "You worry too much"

Fidelias shifted uncoo Your husband-"

"Is busy," Lady Aquitaine purred She gestured, and in the water shapes rose, solid outlines as though dolls upon a tiny stage There were two figures there, on a great bed in a well-appointed cha, slow, heavy kisses

"There, sweet lady," Aquitaine&039;s voice, tinny and distantbetter?"

"Attis," a young wo" She shivered and began to sit up "I should go"

"Nonsense," Lord Aquitaine said "He&039;ll be handing out rewards for hours yet You and I have time for more"

"No," she murmured, "I shouldn&039;t" But Fidelias could hear the excitement in her voice

"You should," Aquitaine murmured "There That&039;s better"

"Such a lover," the woether like this whenever you desire"

"That&039;s right," Aquitaine said

"And Lady Aquitaine?" the woman asked

Lady Aquitaine&039;s lips split in a cool little smile

"She won&039;t be a proble"

Fidelias watched as Gaius Caria, First Lady of Alera, wrapped her arms around Lord Aquitaine and drew him closer to her

"You see," Lady Aquitaine purred, letting the iain "We have more than one knife at his back" She turned to Fidelias, her lips at his ear, and he felt hier "The story is not yet done"

Gaius Sextus, First Lord of Alera, descended to the Calderon Valley upon a winged steed of pure fire Around hi, and the Royal Guard in their scarlet capes, Knights Ferro and Ignus, Knights Aqua and Terra and Knights Fauna, all of theh blood Trumpets announced their arrival, and despite the vast numbers of men aloft, the air hardly seemed to stir The First Lord descended on Bernardholt with a full Legion in his train, and the people of the Calderon Valley turned out to meet him

Amara stood foremost before the crowds, and Gaius dis to a wisp of smoke as he did Amara knelt as he approached her, but he took her hand and raised her to her feet, eentle arms He wore the scarlet and azure of Alera, a blade at his side, and carried hih there seemed to be more lines of care worn into the corners of his eyes

He stood up and looked down at her eyes, s "Amara Well done"

Ahtened with pride "Thank you, sire"

The Legion settled behind theonflies, and Aown "Sire, I&039;ll present them to you in the order I discussed in er to meet them"

Amara called out, "Let Frederic of Bernardholt approach the Crown"

There was a startled gulp from the crowd, and someone pushed the tall, brawny youth up out of the crowd to the general laughter of the holders Frederic looked around, folding his hands nervously, then sighed and walked forward to Aan to bow, then knelt, then changed his hed and took the young iven to understand, young hts in single combat, armed with only a shovel"

"Spade, sir," Frederic corrected him Then flushed "That is, uh I hit them, yes sire"

"And I a in the east courtyard, protecting the children inside from harm at the hands of the Marat"

"Yes Withman"

Frederic sed and did Gaius drew his sword, and it gleae, loyalty, and resourcefulness in the face of enemies of the Realht of the Reales therein You are, from this day, a Citizen of the Realm, and let no man dispute your devotion Rise, Sir Frederic"

Frederic stood up, stunned "But but all I know is herding gargants, sir I don&039;t know about that fighting and whatnot Sire, sorry"

"Sir Frederic," Gaius intoned, "I wish all of hts knew a skill so useful" He smiled and said, "We will discuss, in time, your duties here"

Frederic bowed, clumsily "Yes, sir Thank you, sir Sire Sir"

Gaius gestured, and Frederic took a few dazed steps to one side

Amara called, "Let Bernard of Bernardholt come forth"

Bernard, dressed in rich fabrics of brown and woodland green, stepped forward fro his head

Gaius took Bernard&039;s hand and raised him "I understand you helped take over matters when Gram was injured"

"I only helped, sire," Bernard said "I did what anyone would have"

"You did what anyone should have," Gaius said "There is a difference

A broad difference Steadholder, your courage in the face of such overwhelain, Gaius tapped his sword to either shoulder "By the authority of the Crown, I do hereby dub thee Bernard, Count of Calderon"

Bernard&039;s head snapped up, and he blinked

Gaius ses therein, and so on Rise, good Count"

Bernard stood up, staring at Gaius "But Gram is the Count here"

"Gram is now a Lord, I&039;lance around "He has a conment in the Amaranth Vale nohile he recovers from his injuries I need someone who the local people respect and who I can trust to take over for him Also someone who the Marat will respect You&039;re it"

Bernard&039;s face slowly spread into a smile "Thank you, sire I&039;ll do my best not to disappoint you"

"You won&039;t," Gaius said "We&039;ll need to keep in close touch at first" The First Lord glanced aside at Amara and said, "I will have to appoint a special courier to be our go-between I&039;ll see if I can find so to come all the way out here"