"I was going to have my distant cousin, the Archduke Otrath, shortened by the length of his head, but he's such a pathetic foot that I discarded the idea and sent him home instead. Following a suggestion your friend Beldin made in Dal Perivor, I ordered the cretin to set his wife up in a palace in the City of Melcene and never to go near her again for the rest of his life. I understand that the lady is something of a scandal in Melcene, but she probably deserves some recompense for putting up with that silly ass for all those years.

"That's about all from here, Garion. We're really hungry for news of all our friends and we send them our warmest greetings and affection.

"Sincerely, Zakath and Empress Cyradis.

"Note that I'm deleting that ostentatious prefix. Oh, by the way, my cat was unfaithful to me again a few months ago. Would Ce'Nedra like a kitten? or maybe one for your new daughter? I can send two, if you'd like.”

In the early winter of that year, the Rivan Queen grew increasingly discontent, a discontentment and a waspish temper almost in direct proportion to her increasing girth. Some ladies might be uniquely suited for pregnancy; the Rivan Queen was uniquely not. She was snippy with her husband; she was short with her son; and on one occasion she even made an awkward attempt to kick the unoffending young wolf. The wolf nimbly dodged the kick, then looked with some puzzlement at Garion. "Has one somehow given offense?" he asked.

"No," Garion told him. "It is only that one's mate is in some distress. The time of her whelping is approaching, and this always makes the shes of the man-things uncomfortable and short-tempered. “

"Ah," the wolf said. "The man-things are very strange."

"Truly," Garion agreed.

It was Greldik, naturally, who delivered Poledra to the Isle of the Winds in the middle of a howling blizzard.

"How did you find your way?" Garion asked the fur-clad seaman as the two of them sat before the fire in the low-beamed dining hall with tankards of ale in their hands.

"Belgarath's wife pointed the way." Greldik shrugged. "That's a remarkable woman, do you know that?"

"Oh, yes."

"Do you know that not one man in my whole crew, took a single drink while we were at sea? Not even me. For some reason, we just didn't want any.”

“My grandmother has strong prejudices. Will you be all right here? I want to go up and have a chat with her."

"That's all right, Garion." Greldik grinned, patting the nearly full ale keg affectionately. "I'll be just fine." Garion went upstairs to the royal apartments. The tawny-haired woman sat by the fire, idly stroking the young wolf's ears. Ce'Nedra was sprawled rather awkwardly on a divan.

"Ah, there you are, Garion," Poledra said. She sniffed the air rather delicately. "I notice you've been drinking." Her tone was disapproving.