**BOOK II OF THE FOUR REALMS SERIES**
When war came for Azura, Fara of Calate lost everything. Her husband, her new home, her freedom. When her captor - the formidable commander of the Leoth army - saves her life, she begins to see the enemy as som...
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'Do not speak to me of the rumours and tavern hearsay of lowlanders,' Corryn warned the male standing before him. 'Speak to me of fact and truth. How certain are you?'
The scout, well-built and bearded, stood taller.
'I am certain, Corryn,' he said. 'Torrik of Zybar is dead. We heard it in a Tavern in Virheim, then again from a smith near the foot. Slain at the King of Calate's war council.' The male slid his gaze to where Theodan stood, arms folded near the corner of Corryn's pavilion. 'By a Leoth soldier.'
'What do you know of this?' Corryn asked, following the man's gaze.
Satisfaction coursed through him, regret too. Regret that it had not been his own blade, but he had kept his promise to her; in part, at least. Now Torrik's male line would follow. Had she been there to see it done? Had she rejoiced? Did she know it was by his design?
'Have you nothing to say?' Corryn urged him.
Theodan pretended to think about it. 'Have you any darkwine we might celebrate with?'
A smattering of restrained laughter spread through the group of Corryn's Raksha: men and women whose names he did not know. They sat cross-legged before him on well-worn woven rugs. Vala, Draden, and Ismene stood to his left.
Corryn was distinctly unamused. In fact, a dark, angry cloud had rolled over his eyes. 'You planned this? Without telling me of it?'
Theodan did not care for his tone. He stood straighter, turning his body fully toward Corryn Vane. 'I sent a soldier to Calate as an escort for the princess. I told him should he have the chance to wipe Torrik or his male line from this realm, then he should take it. For Leoth.'
'Tell me, Theodan, when were you planning on informing us of this?'
'If he succeeded, then I planned to inform you exactly as I am informing you now - when news reached us it was done. If he failed, then I had no plan to inform you, for it would be of no consequence.'
Anger stained Corryn's cheeks now. 'Of no consequence?'
'None.'
'You think that slaughtering - or indeed attempting to slaughter - Calate's ally in their war council before their king, would be of no consequence to us? It's true I do not have the working knowledge of Ethis's political factions as you do, Theo, but what do you think such an act might invoke? He is wed to Torrik's daughter for Gods' sake. You cannot think he will ignore this?'
'He will not go to war over Torrik of Zybar,' Theodan said.
Corryn looked stunned. 'You do not know that.'
'Torrik's death strengthens him. We've given him a gift, not a cause for war,' he reasoned.
Corryn said nothing for some moments. 'If you are wrong...'
