It made her want to cry, but she could not cry, because she had to take care of Blessing.

At the gate, Feather Cloak waited with her entourage. Inside, lord Hugh called them together. “I must leave,” he said to them. Their expressions were anxious, but they listened obediently. “I have sworn to these Ashioi that I will not teach them or aid them if any of you are harmed. I stand by that. You will be protected.” He smiled gently. “Yet make yourselves useful. If you have marketable skills, let yourselves be coaxed into sharing.”

‘Any chance we can share with the women?” asked Theodore. “They sure look at us invitingly, if I must say so.”

‘And them wearing almost nothing but the skin they were born in,” said Scarred John appreciatively.

The others chuckled, and then looked downcast.

“Would it be going against God, my lord?” asked Theodore. “They’re heathens. It might be wrong.”

“Yes, they are heathens. Therefore we are enjoined to bring them into the Circle of Unity. Do not fear to associate with them. But only if they ask first, lest you unwittingly break their laws.”

This command the soldiers liked well enough, but Anna clutched Blessing’s arm and wished only to be allowed to sit down in the shade. The heat made her dizzy.

Lord Hugh departed, but as the men spread out to explore the courtyard, the handsome man appeared at the gate. Anna had figured out that the man was Blessing’s great-great-uncle. Like Prince Sanglant, he was restless, even impatient. His gaze roved, and he spotted Blessing. He called out, “Come!”

Anna knew that word well enough! “What does he want?” she asked Blessing.

The girl considered her uncle with an eagle’s brooding gaze. She bit her lip. She grasped Anna’s wrist and tugged her closer to the gate. He scared Anna. He was fierce and he looked unkind, but Blessing walked right up to him and spoke in the language of the Ashioi. He laughed, and it was obvious even to Anna that these fluent words did not surprise him; he had guessed all along. When he spoke, replying, Blessing gasped out loud. She yelped with joy. She released Anna’s arm and hopped in a circle.

“He says he’ll take me, he’ll train me in arms to be a mask warrior, like the others. Right now! So I can kill bad people. He won’t make me wait, not like my daddy did.”

“You can’t go with them, Your Highness!”

“Why not? I can go! I hate it here. He’s given me a new name, and I like it better!”

“What name?” she asked, as her voice was throttled by fear. The uncle did not even look at her, because she didn’t matter to him. He only looked at Blessing, with a cruel smile.

“He calls me ‘Little Beast.’ I like that name!” She danced over to his side, and he was so delighted that he tousled her dark hair as if with affection.