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“They killed randparents, didn’t they?” Reva asked “They killed them and they stole me”

He nodded “They waited until you had been put to bed The old couple were killed, the girl stolen from her bed, the farmhouse burned”

“And then many happy years in a barn,” Reva ht words to say

“Any names?” Vaelin asked the Gifted

“A few, my lord The priest would write them down to memorise He would burn the paper but the ive it to Lady Reva”

She reat temptation to smash her boot into his contented face, spoil his slu at her sleeve “There’s nothing more to learn here”

“I” Marken stammered “I do have his naave it to hi to walk to the tent flap “Burn it if you’re done,” she told Vaelin “No words are to be spoken for him”

“My lord,” Marken continued as they made to the leave “If I may About Brother Caenis”

“I’m aware of the matter, Master Marken,” Vaelin told him

“We didn’t follow you here to becoht,” Vaelin told him in a level voice “With Lord Nortah Your concerns are fully noted”

They walked in silence back to the causeway, Reva preoccupied with the Gifted’s tale, Vaelin no doubt pondering Brother Caenis’s revelation to the queen Alornis followed at a discreet distance, eyes scanning the city walls and her ever-present leather-bound bundle of sketches clutched to her chest, already filling up with renderings of the destruction behind the walls She had cried the day she found Reva standing a her, Alornis had thrown her ar an old ache that Reva found didn’t pain her in quite the same way

“The Seventh Order,” she said to Vaelin as they halted before the causeway “Not a legend after all But, I suppose you’ve known that a while”

“Yes” His face was soued as it had been recently, but still he seeh there was so I should have known, but didn’t”

“Brother Caenis?”

He nodded and changed the subject “What will you do with the naives you?”

“Hunt them down and subject the them”

“My Lady Governess favours harsh justice”

“They plotted the death of my uncle, with the full contrivance of the church that has compelled the people of this fief to servile respect for centuries They conspired with foul creatures of the Dark to subjectet their atteo on?”

He studied her face for a moment and she felt the harshness of her expression soften under the scrutiny “I’ that happened to you here, Reva If I had had any inkling”

“I know” She forced a sh we can offer only two courses, and no wine”

“I can’t There is lanced back at the caear and supplies in preparation for to known as the Queen’s Crusade

“She wantedback, “howany I’ll be leading them, the full House Guard plus five hundred archers”

“Reva, you have done enough”

Arken’s slack, lifeless face, the sword in his backThe archers flailing in the river as the arrows lashed downUncle Sentes dying on the cathedral steps“No,” she said “No I haven’t”

• • •

Veliss caht They had reverted to keeping separate rooe, more at the Lady Counsellor’s insistence than hers Their nuht have been overlooked in the store normality now the corpses and the worst of the rubble had been cleared away, and the cathedral reopened