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A knock rapped on the door

Before an announceer entered, with Prestwich looking flustered

"Aldermaston, I warned her that…"

He held up his hand "What is it now, Queen Dowager?"

She looked at Lia and Colvin, at theirto ask for fresh horses for our ride tomorrow But I am told, as you say, that Muirwood does not have sufficient stables? What guests are these, Aldernize the Earl of Forshee, I aer at the sudden interruption "The other is the Abbey hunter They were indeed caught by the stor froled damp hair to muddy boots Lia had never met someone so darkly beautiful before Raven hair spilled down her back She wore a raven dress threaded with silver weave and a bodice cut so low that it was shocking Earrings made of diamonds and ropes of jewelry around her neck and throat, with a large spider-like ainst her pale olive skin She looked a, but her eyes disdaining

"A very strange choice in hunters," the Queen Dowager said ly "I had heard he was an old lint canized you I have gratitude to be returning in time for the Whitsun Festival A quaint tradition in this country I shall look forward to dancing with you"

The sunrise ca the heavens in orange and gold The thunderheads loomed over the Tor and another blast see the already rounds into an iatehouse toward the kitchen

"Thank you for walking the grounds with ht now, Pasqua and the girls have been awake for a while getting ready to feed all these guests Pasqua will be in high dudgeon because it was unexpected and the ovens will be hot Which et a warm bath And since she is awake and I have not slept, I will sleep in her bed in the manor house instead of up in the loft" She s behind barrels and listening to Pasqua in high dudgeon I understand you completely"

"Get some rest, Colvin If you leave your clothes with Prestwich, I will clean thehtful of you May I join you there?"

She looked at hi work"

"But I enjoy your co with you as well, if you recall and preferred to wait until daylight"

The words sent a thrill through her heart "What about now?"

He smiled "We are both exhausted Later then?"

"Very well I will be anxious to knohat it is When it comes time for you to move on to another Abbey, you will be tired of me I have not had anyone I could talk to like this…before I enjoy being with you" A question came to her mind and before she could think better, it blurted out "A few days ago, I saw you and Ellowyn by the laundry What were you talking about?"

He looked thoughtful, his gaze ahead at the sunrise "The Medium I tried to explain it in ter – that the Leering nearby could summon water as well as ly "So really I was teaching her so it in a fa that she would understand better – water and scrubbing and purple flowers – that it would help her"

"Did it?" Lia asked, already suspecting the answer

He shook his head "She is still so frightened by it You would make a better teacher than my sister or I That the power of the Mediu for its freedom But the Alder about you"

Lia was grateful to be spared that Oh, she pitied Ellowyn’s inability to es – her noble bloodline, her training in languages and toirl

They reached theto him as he entered while she went on to the kitchen Already the separation froether in ways that did not exist with others, not even Sowe They had shared hunger and thirst, slept on the sarove by a Leering with her face carved in it, buried a man under a pile of stones They even shared a blood-stained battlefield in common There were no forced words between the about what to say next And he had so written in his tome She pulled open the kitchen doors, anxious to clean herself before seeing him