Varuz glanced nervously sideways at Bayaz, then gave a stiff bow. 'Hospitals will be set up in the Agriont, then, your Majesty. The barracks will be opened to the people. The palace we had probably better leave sealed, at least until things get worse.'

Jezal could hardly bear to imagine what worse might look like. 'Good, good. See it done.' He had to wipe a tear from under his eye as he turned away from the smouldering city and made for the long stair. The smoke, of course. Nothing but the smoke.

Queen Terez sat alone, framed in the window of their vast bedchamber.

The Countess Shalere was still lurking around the palace somewhere, but it seemed she had learned to keep her scorn well out of Jezal's way. The rest of Terez' ladies she had sent back to Styria before the Gurkish blockaded the harbour. Jezal rather wished that he could have returned the queen herself along with the rest but that, unfortunately, was not an option.

Terez did not so much as glance in his direction as Jezal shut the door. He had to stifle a heavy sigh as he trudged across the room, his boots muddy from the spitting rain, his skin greasy from the soot in the air outside.

'You are treading dirt with you,' said Terez, without looking round, her voice as icy as ever.

'War is a dirty business, my love.' He saw the side of her face twitch with disgust when he said the last two words, and hardly knew whether he wanted to laugh or cry at it. He dropped down heavily in the chair opposite her without touching his boots, knowing all the while that it would infuriate her. There was nothing he could do that would not.

'Must you come to me in this manner?' she snapped.

'Oh, but I could not stay away! You are my wife, after all.'

'Not by choice.'

'It was not my choice either, but I am willing to make the best of things! Believe it or not I would rather have married someone who did not hate me!' Jezal shoved one hand through his hair and pressed his anger down with some difficulty. 'But let us not fight, please. I have enough fighting to do out there. More than I can stand! Can we not, at least… be civil to one another?'

She looked at him for a long moment, a thoughtful frown on her face. 'How can you?'

'How can I what?'

'Keep trying.'