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Dangerous Aja, the Sovereign’s favorite killer, sits in a chair near the --a powerful panther of a wos’, and eyes with slitted pupils She is one of the Olyht to be technic She was Lorn’s last student before old andboy enters quietly fronize hirandson, Lysander No older than eight, but so very coal in his quiet, thin as a scarf But his eyes His eyes are beyond gold Alht they could nearly be said to shine Aja watches me appraise the boy She takes him onto her lap protectively and bares her teeth, their whiteness fiercely bright against her dark skin Like a great cat playfully saying hello And for the first tilance away froht as well have kneeled to her

"But there are always consequences," the Sovereign says "I’m curious What did you want out of that duel?"

"The same as Cassius au Bellona The heart of my enemy"

"Do you hate him so much?"

"No But my survival instinct is … enthusiastic Cassius, as far as I a His stock is lis"

"So it wasn’t for Virginia?" she asks "It wasn’t to clairy, but I’inia isn’t the sort of wos If I did it for her, I would have lost her"

"You have lost her," Aja growls from the side

"Yes I realize she has a new hooodoodlady, I do but lash out" I s, boyo," Fitchner says quickly "Don’t give a piss if Lorn taught you hoipe your ass Think twice on who you insult here The true blades of the Society do not duel for sport So ue"

I touch my razor

He snorts "If you were a threat, do you think they’d let you keep that?"

I nod to Aja "Another ti "Perhaps we should discuss why you are holding uard Are we under arrest? Am I?"

"Do you see shackles?"

I look at Aja "Yes"

The Sovereign laughs "You’re here because I want you to be"

An idea coe, I should like to apologize," I say loudly They wait forAnd so I find the manner of my actions nearly always distracts from their purpose The base fact is, Cassius deserved worse than what I supplied That I disobeyed you was not meant as insult by myself or the ArchGovernor Were he not unconscious on account of your dog"--I glance at Fitchner--"I wager he would do what needed to be done to make amends"

"Make amends," she repeats "For …"

"For the disturbance"

She looks to Aja "Disturbance, he says Dropping a dish is a disturbance, Andro yourself to anotheroff the arht is not a disturbance Do you knohat it is?"

"Fun, e?"

She leans forward "It is treason"