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"So you had Ragan throw her into a pit?"

"How did you… ?" She bit down on her lower lip as she realized she had given herself away

"You tried to kill Shanara because you love me?" he asked incredulously He had known the maid was infatuated with hi with tears

Whether she loved him or not, there was no excuse for what she had done And she had not done it alone Her accomplice was sohtfall"

With a sob, she threw herself at his feet, her ar around his ankles "No! Please, not that!"

"Count yourself lucky that I’ you keep your head!"

"Where will I go? Please, one froained her feet and moved woodenly toward the door She paused to look back at hi none, she left the roo the door behind her

Reyes stared after her He would have no one within the keep whom he couldn’t trust He held loyalty above all else To betray so hi back

Later, after he had bathed and dressed, he summoned Shanara

She arrived a short time later She was , she wore a lavender long-sleeved gown The square neckline revealed a olden-brown flesh Her hair fell over her shoulders, a mass of thick auburn waves that teht of how he had found her in the bottoht have fallen prey to wild beasts, or starved to death

He took a deep, calestured at the table, now laden with covered dishes "Sit, Shanara," he invited

She walked across the room and took a seat at the table She carried herself like a queen, he thought Her every al

He sat across fro aware of her beauty, her nearness It had been aher to his chambers She was far too desirable and his bed was far too near at hand for his peace of mind

He filled her plate with the meal the cook had prepared for them They ate in silence for a ti across fro Shanara to bed andasleep in her arms

"My lord, you must not stare at me so"

"It displeases you?"

She blushed prettily under his regard "It is unsee unsee his bride-to-be"

"I never said I would marry you"

"But you will"

"Nay"

"I will have my way in this, Shanara Tomorrow, the castle seamstress will attend you We will be wed on Sunday"

"You said a fortnight!"

"I have changed , he rounded the table and drew her into his arms

"My lord, wehis head "One kiss"

One kiss, she thought, and she was lost What power did he possess that he could so easily , friend or foe, fled her mind as his lips captured hers Her storeeak and she leaned against hirearm, her heartbeat erratic

She moaned softly It was h of pleasure? A distant voice in the back of her mind whispered that she should push him away Instead, one arm slid around his waist while her other hand slid around his nape to bar his escape

He broke the kiss for adeep into hers, and then he was kissing her again, his lipswith her own in a way that ether

"No We mustn’t" It took all her willpower to push him away She could not surrender her ht still escape With her virginity gone, no other man would want her

"You are a oman," he said, his voice raith desire "Another moment inday"

She stared up at hi For a moment, she was tempted to return to his arms, but then she remembered that he was supposed to be her eneonize her father

Wordlessly, she opened the door and left the roo for her in the corridor Silent as a shadow, he followed her down the hallway to her chambers When she went inside, he closed and locked the door behind her

Chapter 10