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“This takes us up to some thirty thousand new mouths to feed, does it not, brother?” she asked her Lord of the Queen’s Purse
“Thirty-one thousand, six hundred and twenty,” the brother replied with customary alacrity “Thank the Departed for Lord Al Bera, or they’d all be starving”
“Quite” Lyrna decided not to add that, but for her newly acquired subjects, her army would have been on the ed to loiter in this ruin, ensuring the people were fed and training new recruits, fierce in their desire to get at the Volarians but lacking the strength to s provided by the Meldenean fleet had been less copious than she had hoped for, barely a ton of grain so far, though the pirates who came and went from the harbour seemed fairly well attired in silks and jewellery The Shield had yet to h Ship Lord Ell-Nurin had arrived the previous day, the deck of the Red Falcon laden with captured arrows once destined for Varinshold
There was a loud rap on the door and Orena went to open it, revealing Benten lowered to one knee “Lord Al Sorna and Lady Al Myrna, ain at Brother Hollun “I look forward to tomorrow’s report, brother”
He bowed andaside as Vaelin and the Lady Dahrena entered “I would talk to the lord and lady in private,” Lyrna told her court, who duly bowed and withdrew, Iltis with obvious reluctance as he rarely let her out of his sight these days, but knowing better than to argue the point Lyrna watched Vaelin and Dahrena rise in unison, their movements almost as synchronised as those e at their matched, neutral expressions she wondered if they were aware of it, of how unnerving it was to see, or how painful
A queen is above jealousy, she reiven for thinking otherwise
“Lady Dahrena,” she said, keeping her tone as light and brisk as she could “I have been pondering your report on the rich gold deposits to be found in the Reaches From what I can surold to pay our current and future debts to the Meldenean ave a short nod “I believe so, Highness”
“Strange that I can recall no instance when King Malcius expressed an awareness of such riches within his Realed, well rehearsed “The full survey of the deposits was not yet cohness In truth, I suspect there are lad, my lady Such wealth may well serve as the saviour of this Realm in years to come, for we havein the ground, hundreds of miles ahilst thewith one best placed to organise their efforts”
She saw the uniformity “My queen?” Vaelin asked in a hard voice
Lyrna took a breath, suretful s this , for it had never been one of her best “Lady Dahrena, it is my hard duty to order your immediate return to the Northern Reaches where you will exercise the Queen’s Word until such time as Lord Vaelin can resume his duties Ship Lord Ell-Nurin’s vessel waits in the harbour to carry you there With kindly weather you should reach the North Tower in three weeks, his ship being so uncoathered to transport Captain Ultin’s ht,” Vaelin stated, Dahrena standing expressionless at his side “Sending them aill cause trouble”
“I’ll speak to the of a pick is worth a hundred strokes of a sword Besides, they’ve done enough fighting to justify any claihness,” Dahrena said before Vaelin could speak “Iregret the necessity of your order” She glanced briefly at Vaelin before lowering her gaze “However, I can find no arguument fro and co forward to clasp the sreat and wondrous It will never be forgotten, nor is it over Bring ht buy justice”
She released Dahrena’s hands and stepped back, forcing herself to aze hard to bear This is not jealousy, she wanted to say You know me better than that
“You ish to say your farewells,” she told them “I have business with our new arrivals”
• • •
The newcoroups to make their way to Warnsclave over the past week, they were rich in children One of the hts on the march had been the plethora of small corpses, often herded into houses and burnt to tiny rehtered like unwanted livestock and left to rot in the open Seeing so h they weretheir mean accommodations
“Brother Innis,” Brother Hollun introduced a thin e at Rhanses in the woods for weeks”
“Brother” Lyrna returned the rave respect “I thank you, with all my heart Your deeds credit the Faith”