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"Why was that necessary?" Tobias asked "What was she before? Some sort of criminal?"

"Bite those words!" Conner ordered "She was your queen, Tobias, and a respectable woman, always My only point is that Eckbert wanted to avoid a similar uproar with his son Now that Darius has been killed, the betrothal will pass to Prince Jaron, if he is found If you take the crown, you will one day take Aed to Darius --" Roden asked

"She was betrothed to the throne, not the prince A"

"Marry?" Tobias chuckled loudly, echoed by Roden and me

"Not until you’re older, of course," Conner said "But when the time comes, she will be yours"

"What does she look like?" I asked Conner raised an eyebrow, and I added, "Seeht not need to take care of her looks as much as one who has yet to catch a man’s eye"

"You shall see for yourself," Conner said "I have invited her to dinner at the end of this week"

"But if she sees us --" Tobias said

"You three will be in disguise as servants ast n to look at any of you But I want you to see her, to gain an understanding of her mannerisms and style It will help you after you take the throne"

"So what is she like?" Roden asked

"I’ll have you judge that for yourselves But I suspect she will appeal to you boys, and "

Roden and Tobias perked up at the prospect of seeing her, but I only slumped back in my chair Conner had collected another victiame, and the princess would never even know it

Back in our rooht to bed Tobias was at his desk, reading another book I lay onout theTucked beneath my pilloas a spool of thread, a needle, and a s shears I did have a tear in a shirt fro to repair it When I had enough privacy, I planned to cut the shirt up and sew a few pockets into the linings of my clothes The vest I wore in the daytime had only one useless pocket on the outside I needed a way to hide items inside my clothes, where nobody would think to look

After verifying the sewing items ell hidden, I sat up and stared out thenear arlin from my vest pocket, stolen from Conner’s pocket after dinner, and absentmindedly let it roll over er, I carried it with er

"Nice trick," Tobias said

"It helpsabout?"

"Ways to get you to stop talking to ht in this roo at?"

"Nothing"

"This is what you do during lessons as well Are you lost in your daydreaht have been like if I’d made other decisions"