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"I pray you, King Henry, do not rown dark and the chah the cypresses outside Adelheid’s banner, hung fro up and settling down as though an invisible daimone’s hand toyed with it No one had lit la faced cleric

Even the servants understood that so monumental was at stake Servants could sle for power sooner than anyone else

"Very well," agreed Henry softly "It’s true I understand practical matters better than sorcerous ones I know that a wonant in Salia But if you are indeed Taillefer’s granddaughter, then youstruggle over the crohich none of us desire Your aspiration seeh, Sister Anne, but of what use can you be to me if I support your election as Holy Mother, skopos over all the church?"

Anne lifted cupped hands A silvery sphere of light spun into being just above her palhed sharply, like a wo

Anne raised her ar up her hands The silvery globe dissolved into sparks of shi and fluttering throughout the chaht threw the scenes carved onto ivory into relief: a lady with her falcon; the entomb the troops to battle; the tortures of St John of Hamby, each one depicted in exquisite detail

Anne stood Each white butterfly spark bloomed with color--ruby, sapphire, emerald, carnelian, aquamarine, amethyst and rose quartz, banded chalcedony, iridescent opal--each one as lustrous as a ge Rosvita’s head ache at the sa as butterflies swarmed around his head to form a crown of luleamed there, crowned in splendor

The sparks vanished, leaving theht and a cool, pale wohtened and half in awe, the servants hurried to light laht spun itself into delicate threads and, at last, into nothing, si until it disappeared

"Illusion," littered just as brightly as had those dancing sparks In his expression gleaer

Queen Adelheid looked no different than he did, dazzled, thirsty for more

Even Henry God save theain, his voice as hoarse as that of a famished man who has just seen a feast laid out on the table

Villanal she could not read Nor could she speak to ask hi so deeply around them, a cloak thrown over the assembly

Can we trust her?

Rosvita no longer doubted Anne’s right to wear the gold torque Granddaughter of Taillefer and Radegundis, daughter of Fidelis and the foundling girl Lavrentia; a nore such a wolass, as blue as lapis lazuli, off the parquet floor She displayed it in her palently, and a brilliantly blue butterfly opened its wings and fleay, quickly lost in darkness She did not s A woman with so much power does not need to smile, or to frown

"Do not turn away from me, Henry, Lord of Wendar and Varre," she said, untroubled by the agitated currents roiling around her "For without my aid, you will have no empire to rule"

7

EVERY soul tainted by the touch of ht where they are least expected: hates, loves, fears, passions, envies and angers, lies and truths Every soul born on Earth can never be free of thees, she will never be pure fire

She will always be trapped in her body

She hit the ground running, half crouched, bow ready Here in the sphere of Jedu, a light snow fell She loped over a plain marked by hundreds of sular folds, every lump and swell concealed under a blanket of snow Cold flakes dissolved on her lips, swirling around her naked body The only place she as along her spine where her quiver gave her skin so snow Her toes had already gone nu on needles It was a bad place not to have any clothes