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He could not go on and had to just stand there, struggling to control himself, while Heribert watched cooat, and then a goatish reply in a higher pitch The voices in the trees seemed to mock him, even if it was only the wind

"The more fool I Did she ever treat me any differently than she did the pony who carried her pack?"

Heribert seeht better of it

"Once I was of no ain, just as she did when I was an infant"

"Nay, Sanglant, don’t judge her harshly yet Perhaps the king detained her"

"The king could not detain a sorcerer with her powers She could have followed us if she had chosen to But she did not I no longer serve any useful purpose in her plotting, now that I aainst my father’s authority That was all she cared for"

"Nay, friend, I areater part for you to play if these prophecies come true"

"But will I play the part they wish ons anya his eyes as he stared ard at the camp A commotion had arisen He heard voices but couldn’t quite , when they only had one? Yet Captain Fulk could deal with it He had other battles to fight

Resolve ca that he knehat had to be done and that he was the one to do it cleared his mind of doubts and despairs A o trained himself not to doubt

"The Seven Sleepers must be stopped, Heribert If my father won’t believe ht, just as he knew in battle when it was ti once, defeated by Bloodheart’s illusions He didn’t intend to be wrong again "Consider what my mother did, and why I am here at all She never cared for Henry She didn’t become his lover out of lust or passion or love She did so in order to give birth to e between his people and hers We walked for twelve days together, fleeing Verna, and during that time when she spoke at all she told me about the Aoi council and how it is broken into factions Some of them hate humankind still and hope to conquer all human realms, while some seek compromise and alliance"

"Alas, not even the fabled Aoi are iue"

"Even animals mark their territories and who comes first and who last in their herds If that faction of the Aoi who still hate humankind comes to power after the return, then some prince born of human blood must prepare for war If my father will not do so, then I htly "My lord prince My good friend If you did not trouble Anne, and let her work her sorcery, then the Aoi would not return at all And Wendar would relant looked away "And all my kin would be dead Nay I cannot I can’t turn my back on my mother’s people I will not let the tool by which they conquer huh interest in you In truth, Sanglant, you iveness and help him restore the Aostan throne to Queen Adelheid With Aosta in his grasp, he has power enough to be crowned Holy Dariyan Eive hith to meet any Aoi threat, should the events you speak of coe of Bloodheart’s chains rose in his hed on hiiveness because I did nothing wrong except ainst his wishes"

"Had you married Queen Adelheid, as your father wished you to, you would have been king in Aosta and heir to your father Then you would have had the strength to do what needed to be done"

Sanglant turned, stung into fury, only to see Heribert ju, in the way of folk who seek to appease an armed man whom they have inadvertently insulted He knew the look well enough The cleric held his staff out before hih he hadn’t any skill with arlant I would offer you nothing less"

Sanglant swore vigorously But following the strong words cah "So you do, and so you do well to reiveness"