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Villaood harvest, a mild winter, the Jinna bandits beaten back out to sea--all these will pacify the Aostan nobles more than any battle can"

"So we must hope," replied Rosvita, "because if reports are true, the southern counties will not yield easily Is that the queen co the crowd of folk gathered at the gate, but he was quickly disappointed

"Clerics all," said Villah to show it

Hathui rode forward toparty halfway Presbyters in red cloaks and clerics garbed in robes of white sang a hyold thuribles; even at this distance, the heady scentheat of the su a broad-brimmed hat, like those Aostan clerics favored, but it was so hot that even such shade gave trifling respite from the heat Fortunatus had remarked several times that it was so hot that not even flies troubled thele man resplendent in rich vesteolden than his hair He knelt in the dirt before the king

"Your Majesty, Her Most Blessed Majesty Queen Adelheid has sent me to receive you into the city and to escort you to her She awaits you in the Ivory Pavilion"

"I had thought she would greet erously low voice "I did not ht before her like a h wore no hat Sweat gleamed on his brow, but he looked otherwise cool and collected as he lowered his voice to speak in a voiceand his closest coors of birth, but her physicians still confine her indoors in this heat She had a pair of fainting spells soht cause another"

Henry had the grace to change color, and his htened into a line of annoyance, shifted subtly to mark concern "Escort me to her at once"

They rode into the city to the accoarlands, thrown by the populace Clearly, Adelheid had won their love in the , foreigner though he was, for freeing them from Ironhead’s tyranny

But Villa in a low voice "Do you see how they call for ‘Father Hugh’? Look at their faces The flowers are for the presbyter, not for the king"

Yet Hugh walked huh Hugh were the king’s servant He was, auise of a humble frater--except, of course, for the richness of his clothing

"Do you think so?" whispered Rosvita How could she tell, as garlands fell onto the avenue, a mass of lilies and roses, poppies and narcissus, to ? Villarown so suspicious?

The northern road struck straight through the city to the heart, where the twin palaces lay Along the lower southern slope of Ae walls almost obscured the hill itself, but to the northwest a rocky escarph parapets to the river beneath The road ramped up, buttressed by a complicated series of arches, and they disrooone, all trace of Ironhead, his whores, and his furnishings had been swept out of the palace Arethousan carpets ornamented the corridors Brass hooks set into the walls supported oil lales, griffins and dragons, a pair of phoenix, and a flock of golden ss Every shutter had been taken down, every rooht A crowd of servants beat dust out of tapestries A trio of girls polished the brass fittings on the doors

The Ivory Pavilion was not the grandest hall in the palace, but the intirandeur that many a vast hall could not rival Narro slits allowed a breeze to work through the chamber, but otherwise the thick stone walls as well as the shade of cypress trees in the gardens set to either side of the old building allowed the inhabitants soh a porch screened off by doors so cunningly carved in a pattern of intertwined roundels that those within could look out upon any courtiers aited beyond, hoping for admittance