His armor sat on its stand, breastplate dulled with age, greaves worked with interlocking swirls. Ordinarily, Godwin would have waited for a page to help him, but now he threw it on, fastening buckles, tying stays. He knew he should be making his way to the queens chambers, going to tell her that another of her daughters was in danger. Right then, Godwin could have faced a thousand armies, but he couldnt face doing that.

What he was about to face was bad enough. Lenore was in danger, had probably faced horrors that were almost beyond imagining. Even with all his armies, Godwin didnt know if they would be in time to retrieve her, or what foes they would face in the attempt. All he knew was that he couldnt face losing another daughter, not now.

I will get her back, he said aloud. Whatever it takes, I will get my daughter back.

CHAPTER THREE

Rodry was furious, his anger bubbling up in him the way lava might have bubbled in one of the volcanoes of the far north, hinting at worse to come. Servants rushed past him, and Rodry had to move himself carefully out of their path; he wasnt like his brother Vars, wasnt the kind of man who would take his frustrations out on another.

Frustrations? That wasnt the right word when his father had just humiliated him for doing something that he should have done in the first place.

A group of his friends were approaching now, and Rodry waited for them. None of them were yet the knights they wanted to be, but at least he could depend on them to support him.

Your father seems angry, one of his friends, Kay, said. He sounded nervous about the whole thing.

Youre just nervous because youre the one who escorted the ambassador down to the border, Mautlice said. He was the son of an earl, always good to have on a hunt, and strong with it.

I wont let him do anything to hurt all of you, Rodry said. Ive already told him that it was down to me alone.

There was no need, Seris said. He was plump and dressed in layers of velvet, always quick with a quip, but just as quick to back Rodry up.

I appreciate that, Rodry said. I have two brothers who will happily dance around what they really want to say. I value people who say what they feel.

You seem pretty angry about all this, Kay said.

That wasnt a big enough word for what Rodry was feeling now. Humiliated, maybe. Frustrated that he couldnt seem to do the right thing. Frustrated with his father, who had already sent Nerra away, who seemed to be angry with him even though hed done the only honorable thing when it came to the ambassador, and who seemed to be determined to pander to Finnal and his family, in spite of the rumors about him.