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"You believe Duke Conrad to be a-minded, a ment?"
"That is harder to say I would not speak ill of a ood cause He has offered none yet"
"Will he come to Theophanu’s aid?" A servant came forith a tray to offer her wine The cup was, like Adelheid, a thing of beauty: carved sardonyx decorated with a filigree of gold wire studded with cabochons, an echo of those in her belt Like Adelheid, it looked delicate, easily broken should it be dropped and smash into the floor But Adelheid’s youthful prettiness made her easy to underestimate
"It would be foolish of any noble in the kingdoe freely," said Rosvita
"Won’t the Quman just return to their hoht off?" Adelheid sipped at her wine before setting down the cup restively "If only it were true that such raiding could be easily squelched Yet how can we spare any troops from Aosta? The situation remains troubled here Even in Darre there are still disturbances on the streets, people calling for this cleric or that biscop to be named skopos in place of Mother Anne Bandits rule in Tarveni, and the noble houses of Calabardia refuse to send representatives to pledge loyalty to our reign Henry fights in the south, but even so, half the southern provinces still lie in the hands of Arethousan thieves I have pledged troops to rid ue our coasts If Henry returns to Wendar now, all this will fall apart" Her passionate gaze would have broken a man’s heart "I knohat it is to be a noble child at the nant, I swore , thrown to the wolves I swore that she would inherit what is rightfully hers, in a land at peace What shall I do, Sister Rosvita? What do you advise?"
"Send the Eagle on to King Henry, Your Majesty"
"I could go ht, Your Majesty, in re rides out to consolidate your allies" And knock a few reluctant heads together, or frighten theiance
"Youcan return to a place of firround If you leave, Darre’s support n as queen"
"No," agreed Adelheid, more calmly, "they do not"
"Has there been news of the king, Your Majesty? As you know, I am but recently risen from my sickbed" She did not feel it necessary to tell Adelheid that her clerics brought her gossip every day No doubt the queen guessed as e at Navlia Lord Gezo had made certain pacts with Ironhead and now refuses to hand over the greater part of the treasure which he took froard was lightly wounded in the fighting I confess, there has been so in Adelheid’s expression alerted Rosvita She said, carefully, "Has there been? Shall there be an open competition or does the duchess have anyone in mind?"
Adelheid had the courtesy to blush "I have suggested to Henry that Prince Sanglant ard’s rank and lineage"
"Ah" To get hold of her thoughts, nohirling violently, Rosvita folded her hands and bent her head, the better to conte, white stone alternating with black, beyond the pillohich she knelt Rosvita was certain that neither Liutgard nor Sanglant would welcome such a ard had come early to her duchy and would not suffer any ht try to rule with or for her "Any gesture that opens the path of reconciliation is a welcoe said nothing about Prince Sanglant"
Adelheid smiled thinly "So it did not, Sister There are so was too lenient with his bastard son" Her eyes were bright in the soft light of h the eastern s to illu the western wall, all of them depictions of scenes from ancient tales like the Lay of Helen and the conquests of Alexandras, the Son of Thunder "Indeed, there are soe to the Arethousan wonized as valid There are sohtful claim to the throne"