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friend and a panion in the tournament two days from now。 I'm afraid you won't want to work for my current wages。〃
Rudel reddened again。 〃I see。 I seem to be bound by what I just proposed； however。 I can understand your amusement。〃
Bertran shook his head； as another knock came at the door。 〃Not so。 I will be pleased to have you with me。〃 He grinned。 〃And diverted as well； I rather suspect。 I'll pay you what I was paying Blaise before he changed his status with us。 We can discuss this further at our leisure…indeed； we will have to。 For now； I'll greatly value discretion from all of you。〃 He turned to the door and opened it himself。
Serlo was there； standing a little behind an extremely tall； dark…bearded man with a lean； fighter's build。 The man was indeed masked and hooded； clad in unrevealing black for the night ride。 On the threshold he carefully took in the four of them； smiled thinly and removed his mask； revealing thick eyebrows and deep…set grey eyes。
〃You have unexpected panions； de Talair；〃 he said in accented Arbonnais。 〃In fact； if we count myself you seem to have assembled a room full of your enemies。〃 Notwithstanding this remark； he stepped across the threshold with easy confidence。 Bertran closed the door behind him。
〃My cousin Valery；〃 said the duke quietly。 〃One friend at least。 It appears you know both Blaise de Garsenc and Rudel Correze。 And I am certain they both know you。〃
Of course they did。 If Rudel's appearance had been a shock to Blaise； this man's arrival was something stupefying。 He had last seen those heavy…browed； calculating grey eyes almost two years ago on a frozen battlefield in the north。 A wan sun had been setting； dead men piled in the crimson snow and three generations of war lying like a curse behind the savagely contested battle being waged。
Blaise bowed with briefest formality； masking his thoughts。 Rudel and Valery bowed。 And then Duke Bertran； turning back from making the introductions； did the same。 One bowed to the monarchs of this world。 〃The younger Garsenc has prowess I have learned to fear；〃 said King Daufridi of Valensa； glancing at Blaise。 〃As for the Correze scion； I would rather have thought his prowess was cause for your own fears； or were last summer's tales idle？〃
〃They were not； your highness；〃 Bertran said； straightening。 〃But it seems； happily for my fragile peace of mind； that Rudel Correze now regrets accepting a contract to end the life of a man so inoffensive as myself and has joined my corans by way of redress。 Is this not so？〃
〃It is；〃 said Rudel。 〃I have seen the folly of my summer's ways； your highness。 En Bertran has been good enough to allow me to display the truth of that in his employ。〃 His tone was neutral and posed； but Blaise knew that Rudel； too； would be struggling to absorb the shock of this encounter。 It occurred to him； unexpectedly； to wonder if the countess of Arbonne knew anything about this meeting。
〃I begin to fear；〃 said King Daufridi of Valensa； 〃that your celebrated charms； de Talair； will prove too much for me as well。 I shall have to firm my resolution by remembering your own； ah 。。。 inoffensive words about me； from last spring。〃 He crossed the room in three long strides； his boots resonating on the floorboards； and picked up Bertran's lute from the table。 Striking three chords quite petently； he turned back to the four of them and chanted：
And what king lost to honour like craven Daufridi
Would retreat from that ice…field not to return？
Where went the manhood of Gorhaut and Valensa
When war was abandoned and pale peace brought
By weak kings and sons long lost to their lineage？
Bertran； at the side table pouring wine； paused in his movements； the decanter in one hand； a bemused expression on his face as he listened。 Daufridi finished； struck a last chord and gently laid down the lute。
〃Craven Daufridi；〃 he repeated musingly。 〃I must admit； I was intrigued by what you thought you could achieve by inviting me here。 I hadn't even planned on ing south to the fair this year。 I'm getting too old for tournaments。〃
Bertran lifted a glass and walked over with it to the king。 〃I am pleased that I intrigued you sufficiently to have you join us。 At the very least；〃 he murmured； 〃I have now learned that your highness performs my music with skill。 I have also been reminded that in my pursuit of balanced and well…shaped songs I ought to pay greater attention to possibilities the future might hold。〃
Daufridi； with a chuckle； took the glass and sank down into a deep chair。 He stretched out his long legs towards the fire and motioned graciously for the rest of them to sit。 They did。 The king looked at Bertran； irony manifest in his clever； bearded features。 He was of an age with the duke； Blaise knew； but looked older。 He too was scarred…the red weal of a sword wound ran down the left side of his throat to disappear beneath his clothing。 Blaise happened to know how far that sword stroke ran。 He had seen the blow。 It had ended a battle； though the man who dealt it had died in the doing by Iersen Bridge。
〃You will now proceed to tell me；〃 said Daufridi of Valensa； holding his wine up to admire its ruby colour in the firelight； 〃that your lines about my shameful cowardice were simply inserted for poetic symmetry。 That your real targets were King Ademar of Gorhaut and this man's father…〃 he gestured with the glass towards Blaise 〃…and any insult to me was deeply regrettable and most unfortunate and you sincerely apologize for it。 Galbert de Garsenc； incidentally； invited me to contribute to last summer's assassination fee。 I thought it greatly excessive and declined。 Just so you know。〃 He drank from his glass。 〃The wine；〃 he pronounced； 〃is excellent。〃
〃Thank you。 And so； I must say； is your reasoning and anticipation； your highness。 You have pletely preempted my own first words。〃 Bertran's expression and tone were grave。
Daufridi remained amused。 〃I am disappointed now。 Will political expediency cause a poet to so renounce his own creation？〃
Blaise had heard tales about this king； about the keen…edged； fierce intelligence； a hitherto absent quality among the ale…sodden； brawling kings of watery Valensa。 The very terms of the Treaty of Iersen Bridge； if nothing else； would speak to Daufridi's petence。 Money given； if a great deal of it； in exchange for land sought and not won in fifty years of war。 It didn't take a brilliant mind to judge who had gained the better of that treaty…if one left out what Gorhaut could now do with peace assured on its northern borders。 Blaise wondered； for the first time； if those Portezzan negotiators Valensa had employed had really shaped the exchanges of letters and emissaries leading up to the treaty； or had merely acted as trained mouthpieces for the will of this shrewd； hard king。
He had wanted so much to kill this man two years ago。
He remembered hammering his way in grief…stricken rage towards Daufridi in the agonizing moments after his own King Duergar had toppled like a great tree from his saddle with that arrow in his eye； his death cry towering like a raven of the god in the frigid northern air。 Blaise could hear it now； if he but closed his eyes。 It had been Cadar de Savaric； Rosala's father； who had battled through to Daufridi first and inflicted that savage red wound； before dying under the maces and axes of the king's guard。 Two giants of Gorhaut slain within moments of each other。
Two men who would have disembowelled themselves； Blaise thought bitterly； before signing the treaty of Iersen Bridge。 The treaty his own father had so slyly devised； surrendering the ancient northlands of Gorhaut for Valensan gold； with his own designs dark…hidden in the shadows。
〃I had always thought；〃 Daufridi was saying； smiling that thin； cool smile of his beneath the full； greying beard； 〃that the troubadours valued nothing in this transitory world of ours so much as the sanctity of their art。 Will you tell me now I was wrong all this time？〃
Bertran； in the chair opposite the king； refused to be baited。 Blaise sensed that the duke had prepared himself beforehand for something of this sort。
〃All other