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Isabel hooked her finger around her bracelet, rubbing the ser and thumb "And Rokan--"

"Rokan was raised by court officials, too But my father had time for him Oh, yes He was the heir He had to be trained and molded"

Isabel re techniques and said, "I don’t think he hed shortly "Rokan was a stubborn brat when he was a child, even worse than he is now But the point is that he loved ht disapprove of hiet their respect for tradition, isn’t it? Frouess that’s why Rokan has it and I don’t It’s why he rode out to get you even when I told him it was the worst idea he had ever had"

"That," Isabel said, "and the fact that he’s a stubborn brat"

She actually surprised a s But the point, Isabel, is that I’ht call a realist, and Rokan is not That’s why I’ himself"

"Are you?" Isabel said in as neutral a tone as she could ht and ride and all that--er until it’s right in front of his face He’s not afraid of anything" Clarisse laughed without hu, to make up for it"

Isabel just looked at her

"I’htly to one side,her hair tumble over her shoulder in a riotous wave "But of course, you would know that, wouldn’t you?"

For once it was not a challenge She was offering an alliance

Isabel was dangerously tempted In some ways Clarisse was better at this than she was; it shouldn’t have been possible, but it was true Clarisse knew more about Rokan, andpeople Isabel could use Clarisse

Or Clarisse could use her

The teret behind It was too risky She didn’t understand the princess at all; didn’t understand her oals, the contradictions in what she said and in the ways she acted There was no way Isabel could control Clarisse

"You advised Rokan not to coht, are you?"

Clarisse considered her for a moment Then one corner of herin as almost a smile "I think," she said as she stood, "that that remains to be seen"

Isabel watched Clarisse walk away It was entirely possible, she thought as she rose froest mistake since the moment she let Rokan fasten that bracelet around her wrist

Will aiting in Rokan’s roo because he hadn’t been invited to talk with him and Clarisse Rokan stopped in the doorway, almost more afraid than he had been when he first saw the snowcat But there was no disappointer

"I liked her," Will said

Rokan clenched his jaw When he spoke, he htest effort to control his voice and was surprised when it eht I knew her I sahat I wanted to see, I suppose I fooled myself"

"She fooled you," Will said "She’s not a bad actress, is she?"

"No She’s not I didn’t even think she was capable of telling a lie…" His voice wavered there a bit Careful, Rokan

So behind hiown, slashed into barely decent pieces by the snowcat meant for him Her skin beneath the strips of fabric hole and clean, though he had seen her flesh torn into ribbons Her eyes ide and intent, watching him

It felt like a reproach Rokan took a step back and said, "I’m not you, Isabel I’m human, and I believed what I wanted to believe I didn’t want to be alone I wanted her to love me"

She blinked Will, unhelpfully, said, "Clarisse didn’t like Daria"

"Clarisse doesn’t like anyone," Rokan snapped "She didn’t understand Daria, that was all They were too different"

"I guess she understood her better than you," Will said

His tone wasn’t accusing, or sharp, but Rokan’s breath caught He gave his brother a slow, sideways look Will was grihtly, but the expression was for Daria, not for him

Rokan exhaled It had to happen eventually, he knew One day Will would look at him the way he had once looked at his father The hero worship would drain from his eyes, and in its absence would come hate--hate because he wasn’t a hero, wasn’t worthy of worship Sooner or later it would happen

But not today He couldn’t bear it today Not right after the way Daria had looked at him, in that second before she vanished

He faced the Shifter again She would see hi He was not a person to her, only a king For once he welcoo"

His brother scurried out of the roo the Shifter a wide berth Isabel didn’t even acknowledge hiain?" she said

It was a stupid question Not really a question, then-- the conversation "I don’t know I don’t want--" He took a deep breath and stepped back again "I don’t want to talk about it now All right?"