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"So let the holy St Herodia speak her blessings upon Us all,

For her word is the word of truth"

As he finished, he heard the prince mutter an exclamation just as Lord Hrodik jumped to his feet

"Look here, cousin!" cried the young lord as a dozen townsfolk entered the hall, looking nervously about the at the head of the party with the scarf signifying her status as a respectable householder tied over her hair was even prettier than the servingwolant rose with cup in hand and his fa smile on his face

"Come, Mistress Suzanne," exclaimed Hrodik impatiently as she and her kinfolk hesitated "I have called you to attend led at his own joke Certain of his attendantsover at the prince to see if he found the comment as funny as Hrodik did But the prince had not taken his gaze from Mistress Suzanne’s person since she’d entered the hall Hrodik h table andout to the center of the hall, his feet half smothered in rushes, where he must become the center of attention simply by virtue of his position

"You lant, for truly he is a noble prince and no harm will colant what help we can be to him, here in Gent His soldiers aren’t properly outfitted for this winter weather I mean to convince him to abide a while here while we provide hinificence" He alerness as he beckoned to the pretty servingwoman, who appeared at a side door "Coifts which I mean to present to the prince, so that he may later boast of the fine hospitality he lant still hadn’t taken his gaze from Mistress Suzanne, but she had not looked at hilance The man beside her kept his hand on her arm

"Well," Heribert murmured as Zacharias sidled over to stand behind his chair, "there’s one who’s as handsolanced down at Heribert with a sharp smile composed more of irritation than amusereed Heribert co down the path of debauchery, even after his wife died"

"How can sinless congress, when a woether for mutual pleasure, be counted debauchery? The Lord and Lady conceived the Holy Word between them, Brother, is that not so? Is not the universe and Earth their creation, brought about by desire?"

"By joining together in lawful congress"

Sanglant laughed, and every soul in the hall turned to look at hiood to dispute church doctrine with you" He sat down abruptly and lowered his voice "But I swear to you, friend, 1 do not think I can reer"

Lord Hrodik bustled forward to meet the servant Frederun, who held a fine scarlet cloak in her arrabbed the cloak out of her arht and a crowd The cloak was masterfully woven out of thread dyed a rich scarlet hue and triolden dragons twined each about the next

"This is the work of Mistress Suzanne, whohness Let ift, for truly it is worthy of your eotten quite breathless with excitelant’s arms His thin, pi weaver forward, although she came reluctantly

"Fine work, truly," said the prince in a tone that suggested that he praised the woman as much as the cloak She still did not look at him

"How many cloaks do you need for your soldiers?" demanded Hrodik "Truly, you have full sixty soldiers in your retinue"

"Seventy-one," said Sanglant

The weaver paled "My lord, I can’t supply you with so much cloth in so short a time!"

"Nay," cried Lord Hrodik expansively, "it need not be a short ti thaws co I see no reason they can’t abide with us for two months or more!"

The poor weaver looked ready to faint, but Zacharias had a strong hunch that it was not the order for cloth that made her anxious but the presence of the prince, as still watching her as he ran a finger lightly around a tracery of dragon outlined in fine golden thread