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"We haven’t had as rowled

"Then I suppose I’ll be on h probably not long enough for him to notice She was shaken, and wanted to make her escape But she also wanted to knohat the memory meant, when it had happened, and why she had caredpast her than about the one that had pierced her side "In the ainst you Know that the Shifter never disdains any assistance in protecting her prince"

No nificant, her tone proclai of nearly-invisible muscles beneath the smooth fat of his cheeks It was a e it without spitting

"Don’t be so secure in your power, Shifter You think Rokan trusts you--a creature without a heart, without a soul? I told him exactly what you are when he caht protect hi into his castle"

"Really?" Isabel said, adopting a curious tone "Did he take your advice?"

Albin drew hiht--which was still only a few inches taller than Isabel "He heard what I said, and he won’t forget When you eventually turn on him, he’ll remember He’ll know that I was the only one who tried to protect him from you"

"How kind of you to take matters into your own hands" Sheto swoop up the knife, then co to a stop only inches from the sorcerer She was faster than any human, and Albin had no time to summon up a spell He stumbled back several steps, and she smiled demurely as she held the knife out to him, hilt first "Don’t worry I won’t tell Rokan about this char demonstration of your power"

Not yet, she ah sorcerer turned on his heel and walked down the long hall After all, why make Albin into Rokan’s enemy? Let him be hers She, clearly, could handle hiainst her ribs, so that she lay awake for a long tireen canopy stretched above her bed, was the possibility of a siainst Rokan Her own safety could wait until his was assured Her own safety, in fact--she realized with neither surprise nor resentment--was of no concern at all

Isabel spent half the next day exploring the castle; she was deterh it blindfolded and knohere every step and turn would take her The castle was a eways and roo into one another on round floors, upper floors crammed with narrow corridors and closed doors She soon discovered that she had an instinctive sense for where she was, no et there; soround itself, disregarding the structures built upon it It was a helpful sense to have

That afternoon Rokan went to the practice ground to work on his swordplay--part of his daily routine, Isabel was pleased to learn Today the ritual had been transforuard and a few of the nobles co Isabel went, too, so she could judge his skill for herself

The practice ground was little e open square between the stables and the kitchens She was the first spectator to arrive; the only people in the square were thoseup benches to accoh some standard exercises in the center of the square He wore loose breeches and a black silk tunic embroidered with silver threads--not, Isabel suspected, his usual practice clothes

As she took a seat on one of the already set-up benches, he sheathed his wooden sword and walked over, plopping down next to her and leaning back on his elbows "Are you planning to participate? Because if half of what’s said about the Shifter’s skill is true, your identity wouldn’t stay secret for long"

"I’m just here to watch," Isabel said a bit coolly The prospect of her prince being under attack--even fake attack--y, not in the mood for hu to be here, too" Rokan’s face softened when he said her naer eyes "She’ll arrive any minute now You should sit with her and talk to her After all, she may also be under your protection so the next hour with a deiness "My tiht pose a threat to you"

Rokan shrugged "The guard is loyal They wouldn’t threaten me, even if they don’t particularly respect htness around his uard Why not? "But even if they are loyal, it will be useful to knowout at the square "You need allies?"

"Did you think I would spend all uard?" He blinked, and she knew that hat he had thought But based on the skills she was constantly discovering she had, that couldn’t be the case "It’s more subtle than that I prefer to prevent attacks before they’re launched, to dissolve conspiracies before they’re formed To help you keep Saainst you I need to know everything about your allies and enemies to do that effectively"

Rokan stood, drew his wooden sword, and swung it in a slow arc above his head before h a series of practice slashes and parries Isabel adh he would have appeared raceful if his shoulders hadn’t been set so stiffly "Daria will be one of your allies"

Spirits She did not have the patience for this "I’ll keep that inwith an underhanded thrust, before he turned to her and rested the point of the wooden sword on the ground "And she could use a friend"

"The other women don’t like her much, do they?" Isabel leaned forward and put her elbows on her knees, trying to sound syood excuses She’s a northerner, and the southerners wish you had chosen one of thehborn northern woht have chosen instead"

Rokan’s eyebrows lifted "You figured that out in less than a day? Members of the court must be chattier than they used to be"

Isabel didn’t kno chatty they used to be, but she shrugged and said, "Not really I can learn a lot fro"