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So he continued, "Carthya will become a tributary to Avenia I will becoh subject to e for peace between us" Another pause, then he said, "I know you don’t want to hear any of this, but I warned you on the night of your family’s funeral You could’ve had peace fronored ames with the loyalty of , I ss worse was one of my few talents

"I have shown my ability to take whatever I want from you, and I’ll take Carthya as well, if I have to But I’d nature on a treaty, there can never be any question of the arrangement between our countries"

This tih to reach me I turned ers and forcedyou peace, and a chance to live This is the only way you’ll leave this cah now that when I spit, it hit him directly in the eye I had ai for ine how I feel about yours"

He cursed and backhanded h to nearly knock me off my chair, but I didn’t care I had insulted hian said to his men "Does he look humble?"

In all fairness to his soldiers, until the , I probably had looked pretty hu an started to say so outside the building and burst inside He gave a hurried bow to Vargan, then said, "Pardon me, Your Excellency, but a diplo Jaron’s death He begs to see you at once"

My head whipped around What diplomat?

Terroas immediately beside my chair and put a knife to my throat

"Take hian ordered "I want this boy king to understand exactly what’s at stake if he doesn’t cooperate"

At knifepoint, two other soldiers dragged me to the head of the roo but stacked crates of supplies for the war Terrohispered again what he’d do if I breathed a word, and it didn’t sound very pleasant But there’d be no trouble from me More than anyone in this room, I wanted to knoho had conized the voice from any distance, and I wished it could’ve been als fro As is my duty at this ti Jaron" That was Harlowe’s voice

I wanted to cry out, to tell hiiven credit for But I kneould happen to both of us if I so much as cleared my throat

For reasons I couldn’t fatholy walked into Avenian hands And now, if I didn’t cooperate, Vargan would take him from me too