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She gave him a puzzled look that made him smile Then he looked away It seeht at her “I was seventeen the first ti field Warlord Princes are born to stand on the killing fields, and everything we are gives us the temper and the instinctive skills to be predators and killers But it also takes maturity to accept what you do on those fields I was seventeen, and I wasn’t ready Neither were any of the other boys ere training in that camp up in the mountains But a decision had been one beyond cruel in what she was doing to the people, and part of that decision was to pay whatever price needed to be paid”
“So they sent young men to support the experienced warriors,” Cassidy said “Is that why you’ve kept such a strict watch over Janos, kept him hidden from the Queens?”
“That’s why I didn’t want him to face that before he had to
“I reht to talk to the leaders He couldn’t be with us for the attack I think he was co field farther north Besides, Talon couldn’t fight in daylight, but he was the best instructor we had When he was done talking to the leaders, he took a couple of ot to behi and win the battle, I told him I was afraid to fail And he said, ‘Don’t fail until you fail’ So I didn’t We destroyed that Queen and the warriors she sent against us Most of us survived” Ranon hesitated, then decided not to tell her that some of the boys who survived went back into the ain “There have been plenty of tis have looked too bleak for any hope to survive, when I watched otherto save e could There were days when I thought I couldn’t stand to see another friend die, but I’d tell ht for my people I hadn’t failed yet I don’t know if that helps”
“It does,” Cassidy said “Yes, it does Thank you, Ranon”
He touched her shoulder When she didn’t pull away, he drew her against hi
“We’ll do all right, Cassie,” he said as he eased back “And since our land will be a third of Dena Nehele’s size, there will be two-thirds less” Suddenly dizzy, he staggered back a step
“Ranon?” Cassidy grabbed his ar?”
“We didn’t think of it I se didn’t”
“Think of what?”
“The tithes”
She looked baffled Completely, totally baffled “What about them?”
“You’ll only get a third of the tithes you would have gotten if Dena Nehele stayed whole” How could they have overlooked so that obvious?
More bafflement “I knoell and I reviewed the accounts this week to make sure the court could still support itself, and we can, Ranon All of you will receive your quarterly income”
“What about your income?”
“I’ll have plenty”
He wasn’t sure he believed her, so he’d talk to Powell Oh, he was certain that thecourt’s expenses would be paid, and everyone ed a ould get the full wage He just wasn’t sure Cassidy would have a copper left to call her own The wo that little detail aside
He huffed out a breath and watched it cloud the air between them “You know, it’s colder than Hell out here I could use a hot drink and some breakfast How about you?”