Page 137 (1/1)

Lord Hrodik was clearly almost beside himself in his desperation to please the prince, and now he noticed Sanglant’s fascination with the dragon embroidery He leaped forward to take the linen-shrouded object out of the servant’s arly beautiful helest the fierce visage of a dragon

Prince Sanglant ju the rushes with a resounding thud He thrust the cloak into Heribert’s arainst the table as if he feared his legs would give out

"Where did you get that?"

Hrodik looked startled and not a little scared by the prince’s vehehness We recovered a great deal of ar and Count Lavastine returned Gent to hunty Lord Wichman had this piece restored and polished, but he allowed no man to wear it Nor did he take it with hiht the Quhtened "What of the rest of the aruise a blossoh truly his voice always sounded hoarse

"Wichman’s companions commandeered most of it," Hrodik said, "and his mother Duchess Rotrudis sent stewards to carry off the rest Nothing as rich as this piece, of course, but all of it well made and--" He broke off, a look of horror on his face Sta nonsense, he set the helmet on the table between a platter of chicken eaten down to the bones and a bowl of fish stewed in broth

"I pray, grant hness" His hands were actually shaking "I ift this to you, for it was yours once, was it not? When you were captain of the King’s Dragons"

Sanglant hesitated, then touched the helh it were an adder After a h the eye slots and lifted it to exaon inlay, the raised wings wrapping around the hel down its foe Zacharias could not interpret the expression on his face, deep e beneath a taut control Without a word, he tucked the helesture obviously remembered more by his body than by hisat anyone orany polite excuses He siht be seen on a man who had watched his beloved co even one

So he had, hadn’t he? Zacharias had heard the story of Gent from Fulk’s soldiers, but it was a story they only told when out of the prince’s hearing

Yet wasn’t that why soldiers followed hiave his heart to thelant knew the na theht with therieve over any of the fallen, and pay fair restitution to the families of those who, if God so willed it, did not survive

"Come with me," said Heribert in a low voice

Zacharias didn’t need to be told twice, but at the door he paused to look back just as Lord Hrodik, waking as though from a stupor, spoke in an almost apoplectic voice

"Go now, Mistress, coo to his cha his soldiers need"

The weaver had a pleasant voice, low andyou, Lord Hrodik, it seeued by a lowly common woman such as myself I and the other weavers in Gent can provide what you wish, if you will only allow us to--"

"Nay! Nay! I will have him satisfied exactly as he wishes! I am still lord over this town You will abide by my command!"

"I pray you, Brother" The whisper cawo in the shadohere door met wall Heribert had already vanished down the hall With all the s along the outside wall of the corridor shuttered, it was too dark for him to make out her face "Does the prince know that woman? The weaver?"

"I have not been with the prince more than five months I know little of his past Yet I must counsel you, sister, do not let lust overmaster you I do not knohat binds you to this place, but surely you realize that the prince will ride on, and you will remain behind"

"I am bound as a servant here, Brother Will you counsel me now to accept meekly what God have ordained for such as me? Is all happiness to be denied me?"