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The Painted Man bowed "Apologies, Your Grace," he said "No disrespect was meant"

Rhinebeck seemed soruff "Euchor will try to find a way out of the Pact like a coreling longs for a gap in the wards, but without support fro the Krasian host"

"You would violate the Pact yourself?" the Painted Man asked

"Intercede in unity, the Pact says," Rhinebeck growled "Should I clash with the desert rats alone, only to have Euchor sweep in and destroy both our weakened ar?"

The Painted Man was silent a long time "Why me, Your Grace?"

Rhinebeck snorted "Don’t be s of you If your arrival causes half the stir in Miln that it has in Angiers, Euchor will have no choice but to adhere to the Pact, especially if you sweeten the call with your battle wards"

"I won’t withhold theain," the Painted Man said

"Of course not," Rhinebeck said, grinning, "but Euchor need not know that, ay?"

Rojer edged closer to the Painted Man A skilled puppeteer, he could shout or whisper withoutthe sounds appear to co to be rid of you," he warned, so the others did not hear or notice

But if the Painted Man heard hin "Very well, I’ll do it I’ll need your seal, Your Grace, so Duke Euchor knows the e is authentic"

"You’ll have whatever you need," Euchor pro said, "the Lord Janson bade ation from Cutter’s Hollow is at an end"

"Thank you, Es went "Please inform Lord Janson that ill meet them in the antechamber e have finished our tea" Ema curtsied smoothly and vanished Wonda threw back the rest of her cup and got to her feet

"There is no need for haste, young lady," Araine told her "It does ain It teaches the

The duchess irl, and let me have a proper look at you," she said Wonda ca her worn and patched clothes, the jagged scars on her ho out to squeeze her shoulders and ar livestock

"I can see why you chose to lead abuilt like one Do you regretat suitors?" Leesha got to her feet, but the duchess , and Leesha kept her tongue behind her teeth

Wonda shifted her feet uncoht"

Araine nodded "What’s it like, girl, to stand aood to kill demons They killed my da and a lot of my friends So to keep us behind them when the demons caot pounced on for looking out for some woman instead of themselves, they wised up quick"

"The men here would be worse, by far," Araine said "I had to abdicate pohen h my eldest son was an idiot, and his brothers little better Creator forbid a woman sit the ivy throne I’ve always been a little jealous of the way old Bruna do just isn’t done here"

She eyed Wonda again "Not yet, anyway," she allowed "Stand tall in the night for iers, and never let anyone, man or wo a proper bow at last "I swear it by the sun"