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She'd told him, "My subjects have providedday saving all of these refugees, my subjects and all-

since I am their queen, even if you let theer"

"I deduced that when they started with the obeisance and gifts and all They adore me Coins will be minted with my face on them It's in the works"

Chapter 16

Sabine had refused to budge Rydstrom allowed this because she reht have a future

Did Rydstroo out of his way to see her? Every da for her this very afternoon She wasn't at the hot springs, nor at the particular bluff where she liked to sit

But froa with others When Rydstro sharp jabbed him A basi­lisk scale? He peered around hi up here with the dragon?

He ran a hand over his side, over the tattoo All those years ago, Rydstro that a sorceress would captivate both a dragon-and a de outlandish things But her coht she jested They were awed by her beauty and leamed on her and the bold paint that ht she was a er

As Sabine could

she wanted, she was doubtless bilking others of their gold He suspected Sabine was stockpiling her winnings in a secret location-

He heard soDurinda They hadn't spoken rew tense

"They love her now," she said, sitting beside hily You know she still calls the children spawn and uses the pronoun it when referring to any of the and unaive s, then who are you to naysay?'"

Before Rydstro like a queen An unorthodox one to be sure, but a queen just the same"

"You believe that?"

Durinda nodded "Sabine had the power to fend off a dragon, and irls-the ones that she confused terribly about horse ive an educational class onthings of that nature Yes, she did ask for gold in return, but one could argue that was iven authority, she would enact social change"

He recalled what Sabine had said about the igno­rance of the women, the medieval state of Rothkalina, the lack of infrastructure

"And she's right about the fighting," Durinda contin­ue 'quietly "It can solve probleen-

teel society where eren't as strong as we could have been And ere defeated, holly unprepared for centuries of tyranny" She aze "Do you think Sabine would rest if she perceived her kingdom to be vulnerable?"