Page 13 (1/2)

"And what are you now?" Mott lowered his oord "You put on a façade of toughness, but I’ve seen you look frightened You pretend to care for nobody, but I didn’t miss your reaction when Latamer fell And you pretend that you could run fro back, but I hear the tone of your voice when you speak of them I don’t think you hate everyone half so e All Conner wants is for you to act on behalf of Carthya, rather than for yourself"

Mott had hit closer to the truth than he realized I didn’t want to think about my fears, or about Latamer, or especially about my family I handed him the sword and said, "Thanks for the lesson, but I’ll never be a prince"

"Interesting that you chose this sword, then," Mott said "It’s a replica of the one Prince Jaron once owned If Conner can look at you and see a prince, then it’s about time you did the same"

Mott escorted me back inside Farthenwood It was clear that his orders were to see I was never left alone He described to ed only off a drawing Conner’s father once made from memory, since Jaron’s sword had been lost when his ship was attacked I cared nothing about the story and didn’t even pretend to listen

"I should probably go back to the dining rooentle as you and I do"

"Then where?"

"Back to your roo"

"There’s nothing to do in ins your training for Conner’s plan, and I assure you it will be exhausting"

"Are you going to chain yourself to ain?"

He suarded If you try to escape, the vigil will catch you and then notify me Please believe me when I say you don’t want to disturb ht in a row"

"Are you one of Conner’s servants too?" I asked Mott "Does he own you?"

"I serve him, but he doesn’t own me My father worked for his father, so it was natural I should work for the son I believe in hie I hope in time you’ll believe in hi hio, he killed hian killed Latah it was on Conner’s orders" Mott was silent for ato be a priest and asks for no hero worship But he is a patriot, Sage, doing what he believes is best for Carthya Latamer never should’ve been chosen to come with us It was better that he die than fail in the challenges over these next teeks"

"I think Conner wanted us to see him kill Latamer Then we’d kno serious he is about this plan"

"Perhaps," Mott said "And if that was his idea, then it certainly worked"

I stopped walking for aMott to stop and look at et chosen for his plan -- is he going to kill them too?"

Mott put his hand on ain "He has to protect the secrecy of his plan See that you get chosen, Sage"

Errol aiting on a bench near my room e arrived Mott asked hi for bed

"I don’t need help dressing," I said to theo"

"Help him," Mott repeated

Errol looked atwith hed loudly enough for Mott to take notice of et this over with"

Mott waited outside Errol shut the door and began ruh the drawers of my wardrobe while I explored the rooe into a room of this size, and it seemed like a waste of space to have only three beds in here In sharp contrast to anything I ever experienced at the orphanage, the mattresses on these beds were deep and the blankets thick Each bed had a small wardrobe beside it, and a desk was near the center of the rooain have to live like I had at the orphanage filled h price

"Which is my bed?" I asked

Errol pointed to one at the far end of the room "That one"

"I want this one, near the "