“No need,” said Roland. “I don’t bend the knee to this Prince. Why would I? You think I’m the only one who has never acknowledged any of these events? There are others like me all over the world. We don’t despise him. We don’t love him. We want to be left alone.”

“Oh, I know that now, but do you realize what it is like to fear that at any turn you might meet some blood drinker who will not honor the Prince’s order of restraint and it will be a battle? I detest battle, Roland! I detest it. I tell you, the great Maharet was ready to die. If she hadn’t been, I would never have been able to strike her down. I don’t have it in me to slay other blood drinkers. I never did! And without Benedict…without Benedict…”

“And you think if they gave you a hearing, heard you out, invited you to Court, brought you into the inner circle, that Benedict might come back.”

Clearly this meant so very much to the one called Rhosh that he didn’t even reply.

“Well, listen, Rhosh,” said Roland. “I may have something that will help you. But it’s a secret, a powerful secret, and I won’t share it with you without your solemn oath. Give me that oath, never to reveal what I mean to share with you, and I will share it. And it may be something you and I can offer the Prince for whatever you want. I do think this Prince has it in his power to make things right for you. Seems they love him, the lately begotten. I hear they’re flooding to his court from all of Europe. Seems the whole world of the Undead clamors for his love.”

“Oh, true, of course, but it’s Gregory and Sevraine and Seth who rule, and that spiteful Marius, that liar, that cheat, that secretive sanctimonious Roman, who…”

“I know. But all of them will want this secret. Especially Seth and his doctor fledgling Fareed; and Seth is older than you are, Rhosh, and older than the Great Sevraine.”

“Seth’s not older than Gregory,” said Rhosh.

“What is he like?” asked Roland.

“No one really knows, not even Fareed. He’s the son of the great Akasha, there is no doubt of it. And it is said he confides in no one as to his secret thoughts, claiming only to be a healer, claiming only to bring other healers into the Blood so that we might be studied, understood.”

“I don’t like this,” said Roland. “No good can come of this studying of the Blood. But it’s all the more reason why this Seth will want this secret.”

“What are you talking about? What is this secret?”

“I have your oath, that we will ponder this secret together, and that if you have no interest you will not betray my trust?”