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"Nay," said Gerwita faintly, "for the Lavas hounds didn’t come into the possession of the Counts of Lavas until Count Lavastina’s son Charles Lavastine inherited after the death of his mother Most said it was a curse set on him by the Enemy, that Charles Lavastine killed his own father and hter to supplant hihtly before her and seeer to shrink into the bedcovers "The story is well known in northern Varre, Sister My fa Abbey"

"Was it never spoken of that the Counts of Varre were therefore related to the Eed, looking horrified to be the center of attention of fully four persons She wrung her hands nervously "No"

"That seeitimate descendants," said Fortunatus

"In Salia, daughters cannot inherit a title, only sons," said Ruoda, "and in Varre, sons inherit only if there are no daughters"

"Gundara would have been wise to settle her younger son in a place where he could be easily lost, and easily retrieved should his older brother die without an heir" Rosvita drew the laes of the Annals Her eyes weren’t as keen as those of her young assistants She ad the reign of Taillefer, but the words the that her clerics had not already e of four No indication of his upbringing or later career graced these pages, intended as they were to vindicate the actions of Skopos Leah as she brought down the power of Taillefer’s hter, Biscop Tallia Perhaps the child was sent to Varre to be raised with his intended bride, hidden in plain sight, the erandson who by reason of his birth to one of the ehters could never contend for the Salian throne But his children, should he survive, e

"Was Charles Lavastine the only child of Lavastina and Hugo?" Rosvita asked of Gerwita

"Nay, Sister Count Lavastina died in childbed al birth to her second child, another boy, called Geoffrey"

"Ah, yes" Rosvita rerandfather of the Geoffrey whose daughter became count after Lavastine’s untimely death There was a trial--"

Ruoda, it transpired, had a cousin who had witnessed the trial for the inheritance of Lavas county She would have spent all night telling the particulars of the strange behavior of Lord Alain and the Lavas hounds and the victory of Geoffrey and his kinsfolk, but it was late, and there waswhen, Rosvita supposed, Henry would at long last announce his intention to return to Wendar before snow closed off the mountain passes

Theychairls and a straw mattress for herself by the door

It seemed to Rosvita that she had scarcely fallen asleep when she was rudely awakened

"Sister Rosvita! Wake up!" A single la the air as the person holding it shook her

"I pray you!" Rosvita swung her legs out froht like tonight Her shift tangled in her legs as she squinted into the darkness A wasn’t a fist pounding on her door but only the hammer of her heart "What is it?"

"Come quickly, Sister A nized the voice, shaken noarped by horror and tears "Is that you, Hathui? What trouble has brought you to ht?"

"Cole was so overset that she could only repeat these words

Frightened now, Rosvita groped in the chest at the foot of her bed for a long tunic and threw it on over her head She had only just gotten it on, and it was still twisted aardly sideways, when Hathui boldly grabbed her wrist and tugged her urgently

Rosvita got hold of a belt and stu her toe on the open door, and at last hearing the door snick closed behind her Hathui lifted the lahtened her tunic and looped the belt twice around her waist

"Do you trust aze, Rosvita saw terror and a passionate rage, reined tight "You must trust ht I pray you, Sister, it may already be too late"