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The la under the still-open gate: the queen and her Dragon guardsenerous affection that had made her father so beloved, but she was respected And she was fiercely possessive of all that was hers

As he was hers Her only surviving son

First she had married Benedict, son of Conrad and Tallia, and by him produced her heir, Constance, and two boys More recently, she hadherself to the royal family of Karrone because of the incursions out of Aosta

Born fourth, Fulk had outlasted his two older brothers, and seen a younger half Karronish sister born when he was eight

But it was because he was the only child of her shortlived second e to the man she had loved best--besides her father--that the queen loved hiht he wasn’t listening He should never have been fostered out to his grandfather and grandmother in Lavas, but he had been raised there, and well loved there, and there he had fallen helplessly in love with a young woman not five years older than hiht as well have hoped to fly And it wasn’t just calf love, a youth’s callow infatuation!

As they rode up, Chabi bent close and randmother would never have asked permission She just would have done it"

He burned But he said nothing

"Fulk," said the queen as he disreet her She kissed him on either cheek, and turned to the phoenix "You are come, but I suppose you ish for drink and food, and perhaps a bath to wash away the dust of your travels"

"So I would, Your Majesty, and be grateful for it, for I’ve nothing urgent to bring to your attention I only wondered--" She hesitated, and he saw for the first time that she had a full heart and could not speak

At last she sed and forced out a feords "I o to Lavas, but now … I a time"

The queen nodded She was scarred, but resilient "You’ll be welcoer sister is a strong count, a good steward for her lands, but I fear she does not have the temperament to advise such an unruly schola They need a firmer hand to keep them in line You were always my mother’s best student"

She blanched "I am accustomed to--a different life, Your Majesty I a in one place"