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"Have you anything else to say?" he asked "Anything worthy ofworthy of you"

"Very well," said the Lord Araers, and a servant appeared from a curtain behind T’vril’s seat He crouched beside T’vril’s chair, holding so; there was the faint clink of metal T’vril did not take it, and I could not see what it was I did, however, see Seryestured toward Shiny "You left Sky before the last succession Do you know hilanced at Shiny, then away "We were never able to determine what he was," she said, "but he is the Lady Oree’s companion and perhaps lover He had no value to us, except as a hostage against her good behavior"

"Look again, Cousin"

She looked, radiating disdain "Is there so?"

I reached for Shiny’s hand He had not moved--did not seem to care at all

The Lord Arameri rose and descended the steps At the foot of the steps, he abruptly turned toward us in a swirl of cloak and hair and dropped to one knee, with a grace I would never have expected of atone, "Behold Our Lord, Seryht and Order"

Serymn stared at him Then she looked at Shiny There had been no sarcas other than reverence Yet I could guess what she sahen she looked at Shiny: the soul-deep weariness in his eyes, the sorrow beneath his apathy He wore borrowed clothing, as I did, and said nothing at T’vril’s bow

"He’s Maroneh," Seryot to his feet, flicking his long tail of hair back with practiced ease "That is a bit of a surprise, isn’t it? Though it would not be the first lie our faot the truth" He turned and went to her, stopping right in front of her She did not step back fro about the Lord Arameri in that moment that made me very afraid

"You knew he had been overthrown, Seryods take od hts were not kind to hi, rich voice wavered with uncertainty for the first time since I’d met her "That’s impossible I would have… Dateh… We would have known"

T’vril glanced back at the servant, who hurried forith the metal object He took it and said, "I suppose your pure Araod after all Just as well, then Hold her mouth open"

I didn’t realize the last part was a couards suddenly took hold of Seryle, a juuards had taken hold of Serymn’s head

T’vril lifted the low of the far wall Scissors? No, too large and oddly shaped for that

Tongs

"Oh, gods," I whispered, understanding too late I turned away, but there was no avoiding the horrible sounds: Seryrunt of effort, the wet tear of flesh It took only a h of disgust; the servant took thele, raw sound, not so ed between the guards,

"Hold her head forward, please," T’vril cautioned I heard hi "We don’t want her to choke"

"W-wait," I said Gods, I could not think That sound would echo ina bit winded, the Lord Arameri’s tone was the same as always: polite, soft-spoken, warm I wondered if I would throw up

"Dateh," I said, "and the s She… she could have told us…" Now Seryain

"If she knew, she would never tell," he said Hedisposed of the tongs behind the curtain, hurried back out and handed hier "But reed to separate in order to protect each other Serymn is a fullblood, after all; she would have known to expect harsh questioning in the event of capture"