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Alberada looked surprised and disco over executions, Lord Dietrich"

"If you fear to do so, Your Grace, you ht I do not fear death because the blessed Daisan embraced it in order to redeem humankind from our sins"

"Neither do I!" exclaieous than a rippe, his voice had a clear and robust ring, free of doubts or phlegmatic listlessness "I will embrace martyrdom, too!"

"I think an execution would be bad for morale," said Sapientia wisely Oddly, she looked not at all nervous at the thought of her younger brother’s potential demise After two days in the biscop’s palace, she had a sleek satisfaction clinging to her in the sa person It was al Henry"A prince of the royal line, ears the gold torque, cannot be treated as though he were a cole," replied Sapientia, with a wickedly complacent smile "She has made the journey twice before fro"

Was this the blow that Hanna had feared for days, landing at last? Did Sapientia mean to rid herself of her supposed rival by anyBrother Breschius, standing behind his chair, leaned down to whisper in his ear, but the Ungrian prince merely shook his head impatiently as if, after his last outburst, he had resolved to stay out of the fray no matter what

Abandoned on every side, Hanna waited for doom to fall Thunder clapped in the distance She heard rain clearly, and then it subsided again, as though a door had been opened and closed Reprieve cale alone through the marchlands while the Quman ride where they will and we hide here behind our walls?" Alberada surveyed her heretics with distaste "That is in itself a death sentence, Sapientia"

"Make way!" Acloak left a drunken line of water drops the length of the hall, and her feet, wrapped only in sodden leather shoes laced up with a cord, made a trail of mud on the carpets Servants scurried forward to wipe the dirt ahile it was still er dropped to her knees She looked relieved to be kneeling rather than walking or riding, secure in a safe haven "Is this Princess Sapientia and Prince Bayan? Thank God, Your Highness I bring terrible news Machteburg is besieged by the Quman The town of Dirden is burned, and those eren’t killed have been dragged away into slavery"

Bayan rose, looking grih it were a club "Bulkezu ht she saw the ghost of his dead son in his expression, ceaselessly goading hi how he had chopped off the fingers of a Qumatic and cheerful with the harsh, merciless soldier who sometiood soldiers Every person who can fight, ht"

"The Quman are not our only enemies, Prince Bayan Once we let the minions of the Ene is worse than death"

She would not be moved She called her stewards to her and spoke to theent undertone As soon as they had hurried away to uards led Ekkehard, Dietrich, their retinues, and the dozen or so other heretics to the church At Alberada’s command, the rest of the assereat hall and the palace roonify it with that word--had a raness about it There were still artisans working on the ornamentation inside and out Here in the marchlands, as easier to coht appear hu in the west

Here, too, dour saints surveyed the multitude--some hundred souls--who crowded uneasily into the nave These statues carved of oak and walnut looked so re the sinners gathering below theestion, a hand e from wood, the curve of a forehead half hewn fro mouth in an eyeless face

Tapestries relieved the monotony of the oak walls, but they had been woven in such dark colors that Hanna couldn’t looether to fore of the Circle of Unity, but because it was afternoon, h the open doors Cold air licked in fro cloaks From her station in the front, Hanna felt theA hot, oppressive athted down the crowded chahteous wrath as thick as curdled cheese