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‘Every wohed, ‘provided that she can charreed ‘Gold is for adults Children don’t wear it’

‘You’re hardly a child, Mirtai,’

‘I ah a certain ceremony Silver, Melidere – or steel’

‘You can’t make jewellery out of steel’

‘You can if you polish it enough’

Melidere sighed ‘Fetch me the silver chains, Talen,’ she said At the s He didn’t like it very er than he was

There was a polite knock at the door, and Talen veered over to answer it

Ane entered He bowed to Ehlana ‘I’ve spoken with Fontan, your Majesty,’ he reported ‘He’s sending to the garrison at Canae for two Atan legions to escort us to Matherion I’m sure we’ll all feel ion, your Excellency?’ Talen asked, crossing the roone replied He smiled at Ehlana ‘With two thousand Atans at your disposal, your Majesty could conquer Edom Would you like to establish a toe-hold on the Daresian continent? It won’t really be all that inconvenient We Tamuls will administer it for you – for the usual fee, of course – and we’ll send you glowing reports at the end of each year The reports will be a tissue of lies, but we’ll send the with the profits?’ She actually sounded interested

‘Oh no, your Majesty,’ he laughed ‘For sodom in the whole empire ever shows a profit – except Tadoe, your Majesty, and vanity You’d have another title and another crown’

‘I don’t really need another crown, your Excellency I’ve only got one head Why don’t we just let the King of Edodoreed ‘Edoroheat there, and wheat-farroup of people all obsessively interested in the weather’

‘How long is it likely to be until those legions arrive?’ Sparhawk asked him

‘A week or so They’ll come on foot, so they’ll make better time than they would on horseback’

‘Isn’t it the other way around, your Excellency?’ Melidere asked hiht horses hed

‘Did I say so funny?’ Melidere asked