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"Since the weather keeps hi Truly, he has more cock than sense!"

"Isn’t that true of er woht eyes, and pox marks on her cheeks "Here, Fastrada, I’ll take the cloak up to his lordship He fancies me, and I want some of that honey he hoards, for my family to trade for cloth for my sister’s dowry"

"Take care, Uota, that you don’t walk into a fire so hot that it burns you," replied Frederun quietly

"I hadn’t heard you were so shy," retorted Uota with a flash of anger, "in the days before Lord Wichave yourself freely enough if the lord was of princely disposition"

"Hush, Uota!" cried Fastrada, although Frederun made no reply except to sink down on the bench beside Anna "You’re a latecomer here You can’t knohat any of us suffered--"

Uota took the cloak and flounced out

"Here, now," began Fastrada as the other servants turned away to give the illusion of privacy, although truly there were no secrets in the servants’ hall "Frederun--"

The younger woman raised a hand to forestall further comment, and after athe silver plate

Anna examined Frederun with interest and pity It see in cowoman: they had survived the worst kind of hardship and found themselves in a decent and even prosperous life, with a warnized in Frederun’s expression a discontent like her own, bothersome and mysterious Why couldn’t she just be satisfied, as Matthias was?

Little Helen looked up suddenly, slid the rose from behind her ear, and presented it to Frederun

"Ai, thank you, child!" Tears welled up in Frederun’s eyes She brought the rose to her face and sniffed at it, sone Where did you find such a lovely treasure?"

Anna signed as well as she could, and unlike many people, Frederun watched her hands carefully, intent on what she was trying to communicate "By the city wall? Nay, here, the palace wall Ah, of course! It’s one of the offerings folk leave" Her face shuttered, growing still and thoughtful, as she touched the wooden Circle that hung froet," shethe rose’s withered petals before collecting herself with a shake of the head "Will your auntcloak as fine for her betrothed, the tanner she’s to ?"

Anna smiled and nodded, but what flashed across Frederun’s expression was difficult to understand: Pain? Longing? Envy?

"She’s done well, has your aunt None knows better than I what she suffered in Stelesha her there How could I have known it was to cohtened up sharply with a frown "No sense in sorrowing over what’s past, is there, little sister? You’ve suffered more than I, poor child, not able to speak a word" She wiped a smear of soot off Helen’s delicate face "And this poor creature, ill becoue her all her years?"

Helen smiled beatifically up at Frederun, for she was always the happiest of creatures as long as she was fed and clean A pang gripped Anna’s heart, hearing truth in Frederun’s words Probably Helen would never be quite right in the head, and her child’s beauty, if it held as she greould only bring her grief

"Coet you ho for you and the little one with dusk co, she had just turned to call to one of her woust of wind, and two of thetheir hands together to warm them

"Ho, Mistress Frederun!" cried one in a voice too loud for the hall, pitched to carry over the wind "There’s a great party of soldiers and their noble lord ridden in, corant thes at the armory," added his coht a rabbit when the shadow of an owl skiht it be? Is it Wichman, returned?"

"Nay They coht the Quman I saw no banner, nor did I speak to the outriders You’ll have to go into the hall to see who it ht be"