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The girl’s eyes et and she hugged the Prince fiercely, protectively, and sobbed against his shoulder He held her, pressing her close, srateful she could not see his face, at the stored across his features as he clutched her He had loved her since she was a child, loved her in abstraction for who she would becoe of what her character would be as a result of all her suffering But squeezing this woman, this woman of flesh and blood, was deeper than an abstraction He could already feel his heart throbbing with joy as well as loo the wo death The pain of the thought was exquisite, a deep poignant shard that penetrated to his soul The tighter she clung to him, the deeper the burr stabbed him

When she had recovered from her tears, she pulled away and looked up at hi in her wet eyes

"You orried I would abandon you," he said hoarsely, collecting a tear from her chin

She shook her head "No I was s of the Medium incorrectly I am relieved that I hearkened to them That I trusted them"

He smiled "Well…I will offer you what relief that I can You have suffered the ill will and opinion of the world long enough When you leave Leigh Abbey, you will not return to Coain You will spend the rest of your days in Pry-Ree, a queen-enerations since our people had one" He cocked his head to the side, drinking in her face, her expression, the light he saw e from her countenance The insidious whispers that she and herHe would not see any marks of tattoos on her skin, or a brand on her shoulder to know the truth Her very countenance radiated warhtful as he asked her, "Do you kno they pronounce this Abbey in Pry-rian?"

She nodded confidently "I do – for I have studied your ue since I was thirteen It sounds similar, but there is a different inflection They would call it ‘Lia’"

The Prince smiled as he felt the barb stab even deeper "A beautiful name"

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE:

Hillel

Lia was asleep alainst the cushion of the pallet in the loft, and she slept deeply The weariness had seeped into her bones and with littleon the memory of his smile and the forcefulness of his arms wrapped around her, she slept and did not stir until Martin crept up the ladder and shook her shoulder For aof sleep, his face foreign with the crisscross of tattoos, al forinto the paddock and realized the day was ebbing fast

"You should have wokenher eyes

He shook his head sternly "Best that you were not seen today A retinue arrived froe of Dieyre I did not see the man, but I understand that he and Forshee are enemies"

Lia’s heart strained orry "Colvin," she whispered

Martin gazed at her sternly "Focus on your task, lass Not on his Dieyre was looking for you Hisif a flax-haired lass had been seen One without tattoos and carried a blade It hen you arrived as you did, before the other stablehands were here I have waited until they all left to drink their cups of cider Noe can go, but keep your hood up Here – sory"

She was and she took the ratefully and devoured it The spices were different than what she was used to, but it was still tasty and satisfied her hunger He also produced soe of cheese, and a half-eaten piece of bread

After she finished the meal, she followed hih the rear, heading back to the hidden garden she had eth They walked stiffly together, listening keenly for the rowdy sounds of onlookers and passersby

"You know more about ill happen than you can say," Lia said, seeing how deliberately quiet he was

"Aye, lass" His face was stern, his blue eyes narrowed

"Is it because of the binding? Is that what keeps you fro followed "It is and it is not I do not know everything that will happen Or what order it will happen in What I was told was very sharp at tireat many years which has faded my memory I know the most important points But some of it I expected to happen at Muirwood Abbey and it did not Maybe it will happen here"