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How could her father betray her this way? Dishonor the memory of her mother? She believed the love between her parents pure and true; thought he’d never remarried or seriously courted another woular and infinite It see his pleasure elsewhere Here How could he…how could he consort hores? Had his life with Kariny been a lie?

Suddenly, her father was a stranger to her

To her disgust, tears flowed down her cheeks She swiped theht her father stood for was false

Silva watched her with a placid expression on her face “Never doubt your father, dear No ood man and I owe him much I don’t allow just anyone into my house, either, you know; it’s very exclusive, and not all the entertainan said nothing, she continued, “I know of your father’s life, of how he tried to raise you in the absence of Kariny—”

“Do not invoke an said in a hoarse whisper “Not in this place”

“As you wish,” Silva said, “but I do want you to know that I hold your father in high esteem He helped me in the past, so this house is always open to him when he is in town, and to his kin, as well” With that, Silva set aside her cup and stood She walked across the kitchen to leave, but paused by the door “It saddensto seek coone all these years Do not think less of hirieves for her still” And she left

Karigan could only stare at her plate with blurry eyes, yellow egg yokes bleeding into the ham steak

“A great lady, that,” said Cetchuirls who have lived through the five hells and worse, an’ teachin’ theures They don’ have to stay, and a lot have off and ents coovernor or two coood to all under her roof, including ents with companionship”

Coht occurred to Karigan: there were brothels in almost every major city and town in Sacoridia, and Rhovanny, too At how many of these was her father a favored “patron”?

Karigan wanted to fling so elsewhere right this moment, someplace where decent folk stayed, and she would pen her father a letter about all this She stood hastily, and the blood drained froray and fuzzy

Next thing she knew, she was on her back on the floor, staring up at the concerned faces of Cetchum, Rona, and Silva

“Tsk, tsk,” Rona said “You should’ve et your breakfast, dearie Still weak fro in the river, too”

Sweat slithered down the sides of Karigan’s face All she wanted to do was close her eyes and sleep