‘You are not eating anything.’

‘How can I eat? I have betrayed my queen. And for what?

My parents considered you a good match—and I wished to be a compliant daughter. My friends considered you handsome—and I wished to be seen to be successful. You seemed to admire me—and I was flattered. I thought I saw a grey hair in the mirror and was afraid. But for all that, I hardly know you!

But my queen, who showed me kindness, who accorded me honour! See where she sits, the great Tar-Ancalime, pale and frowning, humiliated by her own husband! If she was not always gracious to him, does he not still owe her allegiance as both queen and wife? And did not I, even more than he, owe her obedience and gratitude?

How can I eat, when my queen does not? Each morsel chokes me, every sip burns in my throat. Oh, forgive me, forgive me, what

I said to you just now was cruel and unthinking. But my queen, my queen…!’

‘Faeleth, it is true, the humbled pride of our queen is not a good thing to see and her displeasure a heavy price to pay for your hand. But I cannot regret the bargain, not yet—not until I hear you say that you have come to know me well and still believe that this day held no compensation for its losses. But let us withdraw as soon as we can without being noticed. Hallacar’s costly victory needs no witnesses…’

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