GHOSTSOFSHATTEREDLIVES

 

throughtheirmouths.Aplaquehungaroundeachone’sneckanddeclaredthecrimethathaddamnedeachofthemtodeath,treason.

Courage clenched as they rode past the remnants of the executed. “Oh,that’snotprettytoeventhinkabout.”

“ThosewhobetraytheEmpiremustserveasanexampletoothers,”Karinasaid. Gwynarraremainedsilentastheyrode. Karinaclosed thegapbetweentheirhorsesandleanedover. “Nothingtosay,princess?”

Gwynremovedallemotionfromherexpressionsavefor

regal poise.“I will have enough to say about imperial policyatSt. Hiltegardt’s.Untilthen,Ichoosetoremainsilenton thematter.”

TheGoldenEagleInnandTavernsatatonevertexofa trianglewhoseothertwopointsweretheImperialPalace andSt.Victus’Cathedral.Thewoodenwallswerepainted intheSlavinskytraditionwherewoodenwallsweremadeof varnished red oak and then adorned with gold and silver filigree designs painted atop the red.Purple and gold curtainsflutteredintheartificialbreezefromwithintheEagle.The tavern resembled a restaurant with circular tables seating eithertwo, four,oreightpatrons.Asthetrioenteredthe Golden Eagle in the early hours of the afternoon,only a handfulofpatronssatinthetavern,andmostofthemsat atthegraymarble-toppedredoakbar.

Gwyn’seyesscannedtheroom, notingtheartisanal Arcanyxcrystal candlesticks atop the white linen tablecloths.The perpetualflamesproducedbythecrystalsflickeredand dancedahand’sbreadthabovethecandlesticks. Insteadofalargecauldronsimmeringcommunalstew,smallsimmerpotsfilledwithflowersandsweetherbsglowedastheircontents