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"Lower your voice," Conner said "I have no intention of ruling Of course, at the end of teeks, none of you will know enough about ruling to take that on alone I will be there, to guide you as an adviser, to protect you, and to guard our secret When you are ready to rule alone, I will serve in any capacity you choose forto hter than thethat you have pulled your country back froe?"

"Carthya’s notfor the doors to leave "Frankly, I hope Avenia destroys it"

Mott aiting alone on the other side of the doors Obviously, he kneould be discussed in there and had chased the other servants away

I stopped when I saw hi a bit as I waited for him to clunk me over the head or co room There was no cowardice in my nervousness His hits came without mercy

But he only nodded at me "You clean up well, for an orphan"

"I had help"

"Where were you going?"

I scratched an itch on h yet Somewhere I can be alone"

Mott apparently had no inclinations to leave me alone He put an arm on my shoulder and steered me down the hallway "Come with me"

We walked outside to a courtyard in the rear of Farthenwood lined with torches that flickered in the breeze On one ere several swords Each was different One had a longer blade, another was thinner, another was jagged on one side The tangs varied, frorip to ones wrapped in leather or crowned in jewels Onewarrior, another to a mercenary I suspected that one of these was supposed to appeal to a prince

"Choose one," he said

"How do I know the one that’s right for me?"

"It’s the one that calls to you," Mott said

I reached for one with a th The hilt rapped in dark brown leather, and a circle of deep red rubies was set into the porasp and landed on the ground

Mott darted forward and retrieved it, like I’d co the sword

"This is obviously too heavy for you," he said "Choose another one"

"It was heavier than it looked, but it’s fine now," I said, lifting it with both hands "I chose it because it called to me"

"Why?"

I smiled "It has rubies on it I could sell those for a lot of money"

"Try it and I’ll use this sah as punishment Have you ever held a sword before?"

"Sure" I’d once held the sword of the Archduke of Montegrist after sneaking into a roo I’d taken it, just to adht, but I hadn’t held it for long before I was caught My punishh, but it had been worth it just for a fewa sword as fine as his

"What’s your training with a sword?" Mott asked

"I suspect not enough to make a fair match between you and me"

Mott s room Despite what he describes as your limitations, you do have a chance to take the role of the prince But you e you can Now raise your sword" He deht, nearly parallel to his body, and tilted outward "Like this This is first position"

I followed him and moved my sword as he did "Like this?"

"Get used to the feel of it in your hand Swing it back and forth Learn to control it, to balance it"

I obeyed Despite its weight, I liked the feel of the sword I liked me with this sword in my hand It stirred up memories of how I used to be, before the day-to-day survival that coe