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She felt Vasher approach before he arrived Not only did he have a lot of Breath, but he atching her, and she could feel the slight fa him out of the crowd He stood out far

"Congratulations," he said as he approached, taking her arm

"Why?"

"You’ll soon be an aunt"

"What are you" She trailed off "Siri?"

"Your sister is pregnant," he said "The priests are going tois apparently re in his palace to celebrate"

Vivenna stood, stunned Siri Pregnant Siri, as still a little girl in Vivenna’sin the palace And yet wasn’t Vivenna now fighting to keep that thing on his throne?

No, she thought I haven’t forgiven Hallandren, even if I a not to hate it I can’t let Idris be attacked and destroyed

She felt a panic Suddenly, all of her plans seeless What would the Hallandren do to her once they had their heir? "We have to get her out," Vivenna found herself saying "Vasher, we have to rescue her"

He remained quiet

"Please, Vasher," she whispered "She’sthis war, but if your hunch is right, then the God King himself is one of those ants to invade Idris Siri won’t be safe with hiht," Vasher said "I will do what I can"

Vivenna nodded, turning back to the arena The priests ithdrawing "Where are they going?"

"To their gods," Lightsong said "To seek the Will of the Pantheon in for a chill

Vasher nodded "It is time"

LIGHTSONG WAITED BENEATH HIS CANOPY, a couple of servinghim, a cup of chilled juice in his hand, lavish snacks spread out to his side

Blushweaver brought ht Because she orried that Hallandren would be taken by surprise

The priests were consulting with their gods He could see several of the before their Returned, heads bowed It was the way that government worked in Hallandren The priests debated their options then they sought the will of the gods That would become the Will of the Pantheon That would beco could veto a decision of the full Pantheon

And he had chosen not to attend thisa child that he couldn’t even bother with the future of his people? Lightsong thought with annoyance I had hoped he was better than that

Llarih he had been down beloith the other high priests, he had offered no arguhts to hih priest knelt before hiod"

Lightsong didn’t respond He looked up, across the open arena to where Blushweaver’s canopy stood, verdant in the diht

"Oh, God," Llario to ith our kinsmen, the Idrians? Are they rebels who need to be quelled?"

Priests were already returning fro the will of their god or goddess Green for a favorable response Red for dissatisfaction with the petition In this case green reen

"Your Grace?" Llari stood They vote, but what good are their votes? he thought, walking out from beneath his canopy They hold no authority Only two votes really s flapped as priests ran down the ays The arena was abuzz with people They could see the inevitable To the side, Lightsong could see Llari him The man must be frustrated Why didn’t he ever show it?

Lightsong approached Blushweaver’s pavilion Alotten their answers, and the vast h priestess still knelt before her Blushweaver, of course, waited upon the dra stopped outside of her canopy Blushweaver reclined inside, watching hih he could sense her true anxiety He knew her too well

"Are you going to make your will known?" she asked

He looked down at the center of the arena "If I resist," he said, "this declaration will be for naught The gods can shout ‘war’ until they are blue, but I control the armies If I don’t allow them my Lifeless, then Hallandren will not win any wars"

"You would defy the Will of the Pantheon?"

"It is ht to do so," he said "Just as any of theht"

"But you have the Lifeless"

"That doesn’t mean I have to do what I’m told"

There was a moment of silence before Blushweaver waved to her priestess The woreen and ran down to join the others This brought forth a roar The people s had left her in a position of power Not bad, for a person who had started without cole soldier

With her control of that , diploe from this as one of the dom

And so could I

He stared for a long ht to Llari tunnels and of the risingthe horizon Could it be possible that they actually ?

He couldn’t decide About anything