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"I hear rumor she bides in Gent I have also heard a rureat ares in order to wrest Wendar from her, or to restore it to his father But rumor is a fickle lover, as I knoell I do not knohat to believe They say Henry was crowned emperor in Aosta"

"Emperor!" For the space of three breaths Constance was too shocked, or angered, to speak "Surely he coht come to our rescue rather than chase dreaht"

"If only I sent an Eagle, but none returned I have no ers to send, Lord Geoffrey You must send one of your people to Gent"

"Captain Ulric has offered er, Your Grace, but I have co you to write a missive yourself and send one of your people with the soldier, with aOtherwise how can the princess believe us? She must knohat Sabella and Conrad hatch between thees of peace or war to be a trap laid to ambush her"

"Emperor," whispered Constance "Whether this bodes well or ill I cannot say" Her gaze had strayed Now she squeezed Geoffrey’s hand and let it drop, indicating that he should rise "They will look for you, and if you are discovered here, all is lost I can write a e, and perhaps, if we are fortunate and God favor our suit, I can s Captain Tammus has strict directions fro, as you will see, because Sabella fears precisely what you suggest--that one of these ear loyalty to ht to my kinfolk I dare not risk it The punishment is severe, as we have seen to our sorrow"

"Punishment?"

"I sent a novice to carry word of ht back ten days later and dumped in my courtyard, mutilated and quite dead Captain Tae who atteo," said Ivar

Lord Geoffrey started around, as startled as if he had forgotten Ivar was there

Constance srimly "So you have said ht you succeed when poor Sister Bona died so horribly?"

"They will not hunt down a dead man, Your Grace"

"A dead man!" Geoffrey’s skin washed so pale that Ivar feared the h Ivar’s words had, for hi

"A dead e, Brother Ivar What do you propose?"

"We are prisoners, too, Your Grace I have considered our situation at length, but it is only recently while in conference with Sister Nanthild that it has occurred to le out one brave soul With Lord Geoffrey’s plea, it seeht"

"Sister Nanthild is a oman, it’s true, but only God can restore the dead to life once the soul has left the body"

"We need only the appearance of death, Your Grace"

"I see" Her gaze held him, and he looked away first, because she saw too deeply and too well "You are willing to take the risk, Brother Ivar? Knowing that you leave your compatriots behind, under ain?"

"I am These are desperate times, Your Grace"

"And you chafe in these bonds, whereas your friends are content enough to rest here after the troubles they have endured Very well, Brother Ivar" She held out a hand, stained with ink and heavy with calluses where she gripped her quill, and he knelt before her and kissed her biscop’s ring "I, too, ao Appoint a rendezvous and have your man wait there for five days If Brother Ivar has not arrived there in that time, he will not co Sister Nanthild brewed a concoction of valerian, pennyroyal, and two drops of a , Ivar screwed up his courage and drank the potion in one gulp as Sigfrid, Erriot bright red-when she cried "I can’t bear to think of losing you, Ivar, but I know you are doing what must be done There isn’t anyone else the biscop can trust"

"Many she can trust," said Sigfrid, "but none as strong Ivar o"