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Even Sabellalasted only a moing without er is fled," reels from which he arose"

Her eyes flared, and her horse e, where the hounds padded, Rage barked, a rumble that startled the nearest horse and set off a chain ofthe riders and then the stewards andforas if he had not noticed the rogue current he had stirred into life "Mother Armentaria, I think her name was I do wonder about my cousin and that dark little creature who held the holy woman’s skirts and stared atI don’t know if it was girl or boy, but it was pretty enough to be either even if scarcely old enough to walk It ar’s child, or a prince’s How can we knohen the lanced at Alain before turning his attention back to his courtiers

"It’s said Prince Sanglant sowed a hundred bastards, being a bastard hier courtiers, "but is it true?"

"He’s a handsome man," said Conrad "Were I born a woht try a kiss from him As it is, I can only envy him, for he has a fair beauty for a wife, a fine creature as bright as fire"

"Of uncertain lineage," said Sabella "Both bastards,a sorcerer"

"Yes, truly," said Conrad with a crooked smile, "it is as well you and I, Sabella, dorandfather," she said curtly "Tallia is your very distant cousin"

"Yes, indeed, distant enough that we reed cordially He had an expression that ht have been amused or annoyed "Yet when I pressed my suit elsewhere, my dear cousin Henry deeree to the alliance"

"Don’t speak to me of Henry!"

Her look wasallies, Sabella No one in our retinues will cry to the church that I have ht? Six? Far enough except for Henry’s taste, since he wanted no such connection between his children andHenry was only waiting"

"For what?" she asked hi side to side as they looked first at Sabella and then at Conrad and then back again, fixed their attention on Conrad

"Waiting to find a way to raise Sanglant as heir above Sophia’s children He found it We battle not Sanglant, but Henry’s senti Henry lant always did see or crude about it The best of men!"

Sabella s your milites east to join up with him? The best ofthat everyone joined in When the fit of hilarity had passed, he spoke in a voice whose easy char to affect its sincerity "I am sure of what I want, what I deserve, and what I intend to claieant called fro swords, easing spears free--passed backward through the company "Nay, it’s only the scouts"

Atto returned with the trio of men sent ahead to help him seek out their way, and to make sure he did not bolt Certainly the lad looked nervous enough, sweating and pale and hair a rat’s nest since he couldn’t stop running his hands through it He consulted with Sabella’s captain, and in ti on thea rutted track where they had to ride two abreast Their line of ood ways The other nobles co back and let theinto line with the wagons He nodded at the soldier as riding beside the great cage uivre