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"Who will you serve, Hanna, if youthere may be civil war between them? The princess cannot feed herself, much less lead an army"

"An army can be led in her name"

"Who would do so? Her sister?"

"Nay, not Princess Theophanu, unless she plays a deeper ga for so down bandits She’s a faithful steward King Sanglant named her duke of Saony, and she accepted"

"Then who?"

He shrugged "Only wondering, that’s all"

"Best I go and find Liath, if you wish to keep Prince Sanglant happy"

He considered this, still frowning

"What are you thinking?" she asked

"It would be easier for him were he to marry a proper queen, which he will not Still, the captain knows her of old and speaks no ill of her, although soic to bind the regnant to her"

She shook off his hand "I know her of old, too I’ll hear no ill words spoken of her She is not what you say she is Who has whispered these things? Who?"

He held up both hands as a shield against her anger "Here, now I’ood to look on, as any man will tell you"

Hanna snorted "There is more to her than whether men think her attractive!"

"Thiadbold swears she can hold her own in a fight That she saved the life of a Lion, in his old cohort, a few year back We saw it ourselves, just a few days back" He would not look at her Soht out from the treetops It’s said she can burn a

"Doesn’t that scare you?" He still would not look at her, and the sight of this big, stronget away from him

"I am not afraid of Liath," she retorted "Nor should you be"