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She bobbled her cup and almost spilled the coffee
Gallard’s sadness spread over her like a s blanket
“The court is beggared, Kerize for the criticisantly when you first took over rule of Bhak and Woolskin that we haven’t been able to pay all the debts”
Kermilla swayed in her seat “Then raise the tithes Squeeze a little more out of the damn landens”
Gallard dabbed his mouth with a napkin “When you demanded that I raise the summer tithes in order to provide you withyour visit, I obeyed and used some of the extra incouards their quarterly incoe treasury had been drained The an to fall into debt because they couldn’t pay their bills You deain When told what they would be required to pay for the autumn tithes, the landens refused to harvest their crops They let them rot in the fields They said that since their children were going to starve anyway on the little that was left, they saw no reason to work and sweat in order to feed you”
“How dare they!”
“We tried to keep things contained, but you didn’t answer nored my pleas for your return Then Lady Darlena and Lady Sabrina’s Stewards showed up to review the accounts and to personally receive the Queens’ shares of the autumn tithes They were almost buried under the coes”
“That’s done,” Kers with the ive me for income now?”
“There’s nothing”
“Of course there’s so ”
“There’s nothing”
“Don’t you have—”
He shook his head too quickly Resentment bubbled up inside her
“I’ll see Sabrina tohtly
“Tomorrow is the first day of Winsol,” Gallard said “Except for e Winsol”
“Thisis an eency!”
“No, my dear, it is not But it is a smear on our reputations that wehas a price We acted imprudently, and noe must pay the consequences”
It wasn’t a smear onher reputation Just because her First Circle hadn’t had balls enough to keep things under control didn’t meanshe should bear the blame
“How soon can the servants open up my side of the house?”
“You would have to discuss that with Lady Sabrina or her Steward He closed that side of the house since it wasn’t in use”
She wasn’t getting anywhere with hi “Where is Jhorma?”
“Jhor Winsol elsewhere this year,” Gallard said “Since none of us are froes I elected to stay and catch up on paperwork—and to e After darkest night, the Master of the Guard will return, and I’ll go home for a visit”
“And what am I supposed to do? My house is closed up, my court is scattered, and no one seems to care that I came back to celebrate the most important holiday with my people!”
“We didn’t know you were returning Frankly, Kermilla, we had no reason to believe you would return to Bhak”
“Why wouldn’t I return? I rule here”