"And what role would we play in this venture?" Lorryll asked, his voice carefully controlled.
"I just want to kill that mongrel with my hands and get hold of my family sword."
Eude smiled, revealing teeth white as pearls. "You are a man wronged. Your reputation demands satisfaction; your honour requires vindication. When Jolthar returns—and return he must, eventually—you shall have your chance to settle accounts. In the meantime, your support lends legitimacy to the transition of power. A lord of your standing endorsing responsible governance during this crisis? Invaluable."
The chamber fell silent save for the distant sounds of commerce filtering through the windows. Lorryll stared into his wine, seeing in its crimson depths the memory of his humiliation, the whispered mockery that had followed, and the burning shame that had driven him from the Sandornen Estate.
"You seek to use us," Liliana said quietly.
"I seek to benefit us all," Eude corrected.
