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Then Gray said, “Perhaps Lady Vae would be willing to join you”

“I don’t think any of us could stop her,” Cassidy said

Ranon snorted softly Before Cassidy’s arrival, no one here had seen a Sceltie Vae had been an education for all of them

Powell, the Prince as the Steward of the court, pushed away from the table “With your perin the day’s work”

Cassidy nodded “When I return, I’ll stop at your office to review anything that requires my attention”

“Certainly Ranon? When you have a moe”

“I’ll join you shortly,” Ranon replied

“Lady Shira and I will be ready in half an hour,” Cassidy told Archerr

“I’ll see you later,” Gray said, brushing a fingertip over the back of Cassidy’s hand

He’s coht as Gray and the rest of themore like the Warlord Prince he should have been

When the last man left the rooe—and Cassidy pushed the full plate of food in front of him

“Lady,” he protested

“I ate,” Cassidy said “But we’ve agreed to live lean and not cook more than we need for each meal You were out with the honey pear trees, and I had a feeling that there ot here”

Living lean In the reserves, winter was called the Season of Hunger, so he knew about not wasting food And he knew the unspoken rule of this court: Once everyone was served, as left could be eaten by anyone anted more The Blood’s bodies needed more fuel than landens’, and the darker the Jewel a person wore, the more food that person needed in order to remain a healthy vessel for the power that lived within So everyone illing to eat another helping when it was available

Because he’d been late, and because of Theran’s ree that even hunger barely made tolerable

“If you have no objection to a solitary ”

“I’ve no objection,” he said He touched his fork to the edge of the plate “Thanks for this”

He waited until Cassidy and Shira left Then he began eating with enthusiasm As he poured the last of the coffee from the pot, it occurred to him that Cassidy had not only saved so spell on the plate so the food wouldn’t get cold

A s, perhaps A simple courtesy But when sireat deal about how she would treat her people—and, hopefully, how she would treat his

CHAPTER 2

KAELEER

Lying facedown on the large bed, Daeroaned with relief as his wife’s skilled hands coaxed his backto ease the tightness didn’t hurt either