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TERREILLE

Keres She tasted the eggs and made a face As she pushed her plate away—and noticed Correne doing the same—Theran walked into the small breakfast room

That was unusual She and Correne, the “Ladies of the court,” had breakfast alone, leaving the nments for the day and were allowed to be fools before they had to put on their manners

It ht be unusual to see hi was perfect

“Theran, what in the na with the cook today?” Kers are unacceptable And the beef isWell, I can hardly choke it down”

“I suggest you try,” Theran said in an odd voice “The woman as the cook’s assistant has a blind eye and a weak ar the best she can”

“Why is she doing it at all?” Correne asked, sounding pouty

She was going to have to talk to the girl about when a good pout worked and when it caused nothing but trouble—and judging by the look in Theran’s eyes, being anything but helpful today was going to cause trouble

Ignoring Correne, Theran watched Kerned yesterday”

She heard a hint of accusation in his voice “Because I had to discipline Birdie?”

Theran’s face tightened “You call it discipline You said it was necessary, and I’ood reason But Dryden called it abuse, said it was the saed Queens used to inflict on servants—and the kind of treatment I had promised him no one would endure in this house So the senior servants resigned, along with four of the stable lads It lanced at Correne “Ladies”

Stunned, Kermilla watched him walk out of the room That little bitch Birdiehad to be disciplined The other servants should have accepted that!

“What did he ed Queens?” Kermilla asked

Correne pulled her plate back and began eating “The Queens ere destroyed by that witch storo” She shuddered “I heard it swept through the whole Realm and consumed lots and lots of people”

“How many Queens?” Kermilla whispered

“The Territory Queen and all the Province Queens Lots of the District Queens too That’s why Cassidy had to co Queens establish a court when they’re eighteen, which is before the age ofto the Darkness”

“Why would they do that?”

“The old Queens are too old to rule ain control of the Provinces” Correne leaned forward “I got a letter from a friend yesterdayShe said so whole districts as their personal territory and ruling like they wereQueens ”

Having males rule on a Queen’s behalf wasn’t that unusual—at least, not in Kaeleer—but Correne sounded shocked And with good reason If thecontrol and ruling without a Queen’s leash, the young Queensruled by Warlord Princes instead of the other way around

And the Queen who could stopthat change would have the loyalty of every other Queen in this land

“Look, look, look!” Powell danced into the breakfast roo a handful of papers over his head

Mo into a piece of toast—which Birdieand Maydra pointed out that she hadnot had towhile she, Shira, and Reyhana watched the gleeful Steward