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"The Queen tours the city every day, showing herself to keep spirits up," Selande said, "but I do hot think it helps ress here in the south to remind people they have a Queen; maybe she has had uards, and all but a handful of her soldiers, too Perhaps it makes the townsfolk feel safer Until she moves on Unlike everyone else, Alliandre herself apparently feels no fear the Prophet will coardens of Lord Telabin’s palace, , and keeps only a few soldiers, who spend most of their time in the kitchens Everybody in the city seeh, as they are with the Prophet In truth, uards on the walls, I think if Maseive him the town"

"They would," Meralda put in conte for mercy" Dark and stocky, Meralda was as tall as Faile, but the Tairen woman ducked her head at a frown froy There were no doubts who led Cha Faile, after Faile herself

She had been pleased there was no need to change the precedence they had established Selande was the brightest of them except perhaps for Parelean, and only Arella and Ca extra, a steadiness, as if she had already faced the worst fear in her life and nothing could ever be that bad again Of course, she wanted a scar like those some of the Maidens had Faile possessed several s one was idiocy At least the woer in the matter

"We made a map, as you required, lance at Meralda "We marked out Lord Telabin’s palace on the back as ardens and stables"

Faile did not try to ht A pity she had not been able to go herself; she could have mapped the interior, too No Done was done, as Perrin liked to say And it was enough "You are certain no one searches wagons leaving the city?" Even in the pale light, she could see confusion on many of the faces in front of her None knehy she had sent some of them into Bethal

Selande did not look confused "Yes, ht, and usted for adead leaves on the ground, and Faile wished she had Perrin’s ears His nose and eyes, too It did not matter if anyone saw her here with her retainers, but eavesdroppers would be so else "You’ve done very well, Selande All of you have" Perrin knew the dangers here, as real as any farther south; he knew, but like ht with his heart as often as his head A wife had to be practical, to keep her husband out of trouble That had been her mother’s very first piece of advice on ht, you will return to Bethal, and if you receive word from me, this is what you will do "

Even Selande’s eyes widened in shock as she went on, but no one htest protest Faile would have been surprised if anyone had Her instructions were to the point There would be soht have been

"Are there any questions?" she said finally "Does everyone understand?"

With one voice, Cha Faile answered "We live to serve our Lady Faile" And that meant they would serve her beloved wolf, whether he wanted theround, sleep eluding her That was her nahdin, for her mother, and Dorlain, for a family on an estate that had been hers A new life for an old life gone, but ties of the heart could not be cut And now Now

A faint crackle of dead leaves brought her head up, and she watched a di to her tent fro woman, kindhearted and well spoken Whatever her husband’s stock, she al Inexperienced That hdin let her head fall back on the cloak she had wadded up for a pillow Light, as she doing here? Taking service as a lady’s maid! No She would hold on to her confidence in herself, at least She could still find that She could If she dug deeply Her breath caught at the sound of footsteps close by

Tallanvor knelt gracefully at her side He was shirtless,on the smooth muscles of his chest and shoulders, his face in shadows A slight breeze ruffled his hair "Whatservice? What are you up to? And don’t tella new life; I don’t believe it No one does"

She tried to turn away, but he laid a hand on her shoulder He exerted no pressure, yet it stopped her as surely as a halter Light, please let her not treed to keep her voice steady "If you haven’t noticed, I must make my way in the world, now Better as a lady’s o on alone if service here doesn’t suit"

"You didn’t abdicate your wits or your pride when you gave up the throne," hethat! "If youLini get you alone" The man chuckled at her! He chuckled, oh, so richly! "She wants a ith Maighdin, and I suspect she won’t be as gentle with Maighdin as she ith Morgase"

Angrily she sat up, brushing his hand away "Are you blind, and deaf as well? The Dragon Reborn has plans for Elayne! Light, I wouldn’t like it if he siht me to one of his henchmen, Tallanvor It has to be!"

"Burn , but " He sounded as angry as she He had no right to be angry! "Elayne is safe in the White Tower, the Amyrlin Seat won’t let her anywhere near a on Reborn -- especially if he is! -- and Maighdin Dorlain can do nothing about the Aon Reborn, or the Lion Throne All she can do is get her neck snapped, or her throat cut, or --!"

"Maighdin Dorlain can watch!" she broke in, at least partly to stop that awful litany "She can listen! She can!" Irritably, she trailed off What could she do? Suddenly she realized she was sitting there in a thin shift and hurriedly folded her blankets around her The night actually seeoose bumps on her skin were froht roused a flush in her cheeks she hoped he could not see Luckily, it put a heat in her voice, too She was not a girl, to go blushing because a man looked at her! "I will do what I can, whatever that is The chance will co that will help Elayne,