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"I can help hien didn’t flinch in theher speak, but continued, "You two secure the kitchen and stall the e there"

Conner’s strained voice revealed the panic he felt "Sage?"

"Just get to that " I looked directly at Mott "Go now"

Mott nodded and took Conner’s aro"

"I will get there in time," I told Conner "Have Mott secure the kitchen for us"

They ran ahead and Ian How?"

"It was their last chance to make Roden the prince"

She reached for the hee "Where are you hurt?"

"Nowhere Everything’s fine Really" I smiled and held out et separated from Conner Do you think Mott has secured the kitchen yet?"

"I don’t know I don’t understand -- you faked that injury?"

"I’ve got to go now There’s not rabbed my arm "Your crown"

"I won’t need it"

"Sage --"

"Will you en?"

She pressed her lips together, then said, "What is it?"

This was harder to ask than I’d expected, but I forced the words out "Next tiivethe prince? Because I understand nohy you’re doing it"

"No, you don’t But you will If there is any reason to forgive me, will you try to do it?"

She nodded There was so much trust in her eyes, soto

I kissed her cheek, then said, "Wait here until Tobias returns with the crown With that, he’ll be able to get you both through to the throne room I wish I could take you with me, but this last part I have to do alone"

"Go, then, and ive you clearance"

The devils wouldn’t be a probleents I needed on ents was in full progress when Conner breathlessly entered the throne room He was the only one who had come in late, and his arrival caused an unwelcome disruption

"If there were any occasion for you to arrive on time, Lord Conner, this would have been it" TheEckbert He was almost asserved the king for his entire life He wasn’t a large or powerfully built man Quite the opposite, in fact, and yet he could command a room of a thousand with just the wave of his hand There was no one who had beenEckbert and feho had ever loved Carthya soface told the story of years of worry and the weight of counseling royalty on their reatest task of his career: peaceably finding a new king for Carthya Because if civil war broke out a for the throne, Carthya’s enemies would use the opportunity to advance on the country and destroy it