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I shrugged "I already said that things could be better But they could be worse too Cheer up, Roden!"

"Do you re here at Farthenwood? Tobias was still asleep, or we thought he was You said it didn’t matter if you died, because there was no one left who loved you and so your death wouldn’t cause anyone pain"

I reo now

Roden’s eyes shifted to Ien "That’s not true for you now, obviously But it still is for me If you have to sacrifice me to win this war, and to save your own life, I will be honored to go that way"

"You’re being ridiculous," I said "Either ure out some way to save us both Personally, I prefer the latter"

Roden en "If they do take us, then without Jaron, they’ll have no reason to keep you here So once you’re free, will you do me a favor?"

"Of course"

"I have only the one naravestone, like a servant or an orphan would But I’m more than that now, and I don’t want to be remembered only as Roden"

"Youthat of ave his thanks, but he already seemed to have another name in mind He said, "When I was a baby, an old Avenian woman was my caretaker But it was a brutal winter and she became sick Before she died, she left me with a midwife and told her my mother had been named Havanila She ave ravestone, Roden of the house of Havanila"

Havanila The name echoed in my ears

"Why have you never told me this story?" I breathed out the words, barely able to use ed as if none of thatto tell Obviously my parents were dead, which is how I came into that old woman’s care Why?"

I closed my eyes and shook my head Roden’s mother had a name I’d never heard anywhere before, except froer son, the infant who had been taken in an attee could be made, the Avenian woman who had taken him died Unaware of his noble birth, the e, where he reht him to Farthenwood Roden was chosen because he looked a little like me, and I’d often been told that I looked somewhat like Harlowe’s other son and Roden’s brother, Mathis

Except they were family, and I was not

Roden had a father Who would be in attendance toallows Roden deserved to know that, to look Harlowe directly in the eyes for a final farewell

And yet I couldn’t force the words out Fro, Harlowe had been as a father to me Once Harlowe knew his son not only lived, but had been so close for all these weeks, his heart would naturally leave reedy on my part -- I knew that it was -- and yet I felt desperate for any sort of faift Not yet anyway I wanted a father

With that, I scowled inwardly, berating ivable selfishness I already had a father Not alive, but I had his name and history, and memories I could hold on to Some of them were better than others, but the failures were e of having stood before hi a thief I should have explained then why I had taken the coins, and made him understand me Or better yet, I should have tried to understand him If I had, I kne that my father would have helped that