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"Your Majesties, I pray you, I give myself and all the lands and people I control into your hands My fighting men are yours to comh we are sorely pressed in these days by drought"
Henry seeesture that drew his attention, and he nodded, giving way to her With assistance, the young queen dismounted She walked forward to offer her hand to Lavinia
"I pray you, Lady, rise Do not kneel here in the dust We have come as I promised you last year" Lavinia took her hand but did not rise She see emotion that made her lips work silently The cal had vanished "What ails you, Lady?" continued Adelheid gently "You are ed"
Lavinia’s voice was coarse with fury "You know that Ironhead took ood behavior Now he has taken her against her will as his concubine She is only thirteen I will have revenge for the insult given to my family"
"So you will" It was always odd to hear such a steely voice emanate from that sweet, pretty face, but Adelheid had been raised in a hard school and had survived a forced e, Ironhead’s pursuit of her, and an escape ic
"She is not the only daughter of a noble house used in such an ignoble fashion," continued Lavinia "Others have co you to let us support you Ironhead has brought dishonor to our fa against him when he pursued you, Your Majesty You see that we are repaid by God for our sins, for there was not enough rain this past winter I fear there will be faestured toward the orchards and fields In truth Rosvita could see that the winter wheat was stunted and yellowing, and the new leaves on pear and apple trees were already curling
"I have brought King Henry of Wendar and Varre, as I pronant with a child who joins the blood of both Wendar and Aosta"
Tears ran down Lavinia’s face as she kissed Adelheid’s hand "Bless you, Your Majesty"
"Come then, Lady Rise We will not march to Darre on our knees"
"Nay, nay, ill not" Lavinia got up at once and caiance, but it was clear that she looked first to Queen Adelheid
"Who awaits us in Novoht and both the lady and the queen nal, the royal party started forward at a sedate pace Lavinia’s retinue split to either side of the road to let the royal party pass through their ranks, and for so of Novomo’s soldiers drowned out any attempt at conversation
"Who awaits us in Novo given the place of honor behind Henry’s noble co’s clerics and schola and the rest of his army
"Richildis, Marquess of Zuola Gisla, Count of Placentia, and Gisla, Lady of Piata Tedbald, Count of Maroca, and his cousin, Red Gisla Duke La all of the nobles of his lands if he calls them"
"That is half of the north country," said Adelheid "Some of these refused to aid me when my first husband died How can I trust them now?"
"It is true that some may be spies for Ironhead, but they have all coe their support to Your Majesties They like Ironhead no better than I do The drought has affected all of us, and we fear worse, because the Most Holy Mother Cleht years ago, is dead"
Rosvita drew the Circle of Unity at her breast and murmured a prayer for God’s
"May God grant her peace," said Adelheid "She is reat-aunt"
"Truly, she coer lit her expression again "Rumor whispers that Ironhead h she is not even a cleric!"
Rosvita leaned forward over the neck of herIronhead’s counselors, Lady?"
"Nay, Sister Rosvita, although it is said that a Wendish-born presbyter held great influence with the ailing skopos I have even heard it whispered that he used sorcery to keep her alive, for she suffered greatly from a palsy in her later years No one knohether this presbyter supports Ironhead, or defies hih it’s said that he tried as well as he could to keep young woh hands But I hear only rumor No noble lady or lord who travels to Darre is safe froo there ourselves, for fear he’ll kill us outright You know, of course, that he gained his lands and title byhis half brother, and that he murdered his hen he had no more use for her"