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Birgitte trotted down the hallway, glancing out a hen she passed The sky leaked a strengthening drizzle Utterly dreary Gaidal would have liked this weather He loved the rain On occasion, she’d joked that drizzle suited his face better, ht, but she missed that h the servants’ quarters Ina section of the building that washad been Ogier built, and they had particular views about such things The rand as it was elsewhere, with tiled mosaics of red and white

The rooh to hold an entire faenerally preferred to take herhall Four separate hearths crackled here in defiance of the dreary night, and off-duty servants and Guards laughed and chatted Soe a monarch by the way he treated those who served him If that were the case, then the Andoran palace had been designed in a way to encourage the best in its queens

Birgitte reluctantly passed by the inviting scents of food, and instead pushed her way out into the cold su Just uncomfortable She pulled up the hood of her cloak and crossed the slick paving down to the Plulow, and the Guardsmen on watch stood outside in wet cloaks, halberds held to the side

Birgittefrom the lip of her hood, then pounded on the thick oak door It opened, revealing the bald-headed, eant on duty A stout man, he had wide hands and a calht he should be in a shop so shoes, but the Guard took all types, and dependability was often more important than skill with the sword

"Captain-General!" he exclai rained on," she snapped

"Oh, atehouse It had a single crowded roo twice as ate as usual, but they would only have to stand outside an hour before rotating with the atehouse

Three Guards box while an open-fronted iron stove consu with the four soldiers was a wiry man with a black scarf wrapped around the botto was scruffy, his head topped by aout in all directions Brown eyes glanced at Birgitte over the top of the scarf, and the itte took off her cloak and shook it free of rainwater "This is your intruder, I assueant said "How did you hear about that?"

She eyed the intruder "He tried to sneak onto the palace grounds, and now you’re dicing with hieant and the other men looked sheepish "Well, my Lady--"

"I’"

"Er, yes," Macer continued "Well, he gave up his sword readily, and he doesn’t see scraps froet hiain"

"A beggar," she said "With a sword?"

Sergeant Macer scratched his head "I guess that is kind of odd"

"You could chareneral on a battlefield, couldn’t you, Mat?" she said

"Mat?" the man asked in a faood woar who has a quite interesting past, if you care to listen to it--"

She eyed hiitte," he coet warm for a spell"