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Burrich had taught Hands well。 We exchanged a glance。 In accord； we turned our backs and began to go back into the stables。
〃I am Lance； a stable man for Duke Ram。 That horse was sold to my duke。 And not just him。 Two spotted mares； and a gelding as well。 I have the papers here。〃
As we turned back slowly the Tilth man proffered a scroll。 My heart lurched at the sight of a blob of red wax with the buck sign mashed into it。 It looked real。 Hands took it slowly。 He gave me a sideways glance； and I moved to stand beside him。 He had some letters； but reading was usually a lengthy business for him。 Burrich had been working on it with him； but letters did not e easily to him。 I looked over his shoulder as he unrolled the scroll and began to study it。
〃It's quite clear；〃 said the Tilth man。 He reached for the scroll。 〃Shall I read it to you？〃
〃Don't bother；〃 I told him as Hands rerolled the scroll。 〃What's written there is as plain as what's not。 Prince Regal has signed it。 But Cliff is not his horse。 He； and the mares and gelding； are Buckkeep horses。 Only the King may sell them。〃
〃King…in…Waiting Verity is away。 Prince Regal acts in his stead now。〃
I put a restraining hand on Hands's shoulder。 〃King…in…Waiting Verity is indeed away。 But King Shrewd is not。 Nor is Queen…in…Waiting Kettricken。 One of those must sign to sell a horse from Buckkeep stable。〃
Lance snatched his scroll back； examined the signature for himself。 〃Well； Prince Regal's mark should be good enough for you； with Verity away。 After all； everyone knows the old King is not in his right mind most of the time。 And Kettricken is； well 。。。 not of the family。 Really。 So； with Verity gone； Regal is…〃
〃Prince。〃 I spoke the word crisply。 〃To say less of him would be treason。 As it would be to say he were king。 Or queen。 When he is not。〃
I let the implied threat settle into his mind。 I would not directly accuse him of treason； for then he would have to die for it。 Not even a pompous ass like Lance deserved to die just for parroting what his master had no doubt spoken aloud。 I watched his eyes grow wide。
〃I meant nothing 。。。。〃
〃And no harm is done；〃 I filled in。 〃As long as you remember one cannot buy a horse from a man who doesn't own it。 And these are Buckkeep horses； owned by the King。〃
〃Of course；〃 Lance dithered。 〃Perhaps this is the wrong paper。 I am sure there is a mistake of some kind。 I will go back to my master。〃
〃A wise choice。〃 Hands spoke softly beside me； taking authority back。
〃Well； e along； then；〃 Lance snapped at his boy and gave the lad a shove。 The boy glowered at us as he trailed off after his master。 I scarcely blamed him。 Lance was the sort who must vent his ill temper somewhere。 。
〃Will they be back； do you think？〃 Hands asked me quietly。
〃Either that； or Regal must give Ram his coin back。〃
We silently considered the likelihood of that。
〃So。 What must I do when they e back？〃
〃If it's only Regal's mark； nothing。 If the King or Queen…in…Waiting's mark is upon it； then you must give him the horses。 〃
〃One of those mares is pregnant！〃 Hands protested。 〃Burrich has big plans for the foal。 What will he say to me if he es back and those horses are gone？〃
〃We have always had to remember that these horses belong to the King。 He will not fault you for obeying a proper mand。〃
〃I don't like this。〃 He looked up at me with anxious eyes。
〃I don't think this would be happening if Burrich were still here。〃
〃I think it would； Hands。 Don't take any blame to yourself。 I doubt that this is the worst that we'll see before the winter is over。 But； send me word if they do e back。〃
He nodded gravely and I left him； my visit to the stables soured。 I did not want to walk down the rows of stalls and wonder how many horses would still remain by the end of winter。
I walked slowly across the courtyard and then inside and up the stairs to my room。 I paused on the landing。 Verity？ Nothing。 I could sense his presence inside myself； he could convey his will to me and sometimes even his thoughts。 But still； whenever I tried to reach out to him； there was nothing。 It frustrated me。 If only I had been able to Skill reliably； none of this would be happening。 I paused to carefully curse Galen and all he had done to me。 I had had the Skill； and he had burned it out of me； and left me with but this unpredictable form of it。
But what about Serene？ Or Justin； or any of the others of the coterie？ Why was not Verity using them to keep in touch with what was happening； and to let his will be known？
A creeping dread filled me。 The messenger birds from Bearns。 The signal lights； the Skilled ones in the towers。 All the lines of munications within the kingdom and with the King seemed not to be working very well。 They were what stitched the Six Duchies into one and made of us a kingdom rather than an alliance of Dukes。 Now； in these troubled times； more than ever we needed them。 Why were they failing？
I saved the question to ask Chade； and prayed that he would summon me soon。 He called me less often than he had once； and I felt I was not as privy to his councils as I once had been。 Well； and had not I excluded him from much of my life as well？ Perhaps what I felt was only a reflection of all the secrets I kept from him。 Perhaps it was the natural distance that grew between assassins。
I arrived at the door of my room just as Rosemary had given up knocking。
〃Did you need me？〃 I asked her。
She dropped a grave curtsy。 〃Our lady； the Queen…in…Waiting Kettricken； wishes you to attend her at your earliest convenience。〃
〃That's right now；； isn't it？〃 I tried to get a smile out of her。
〃No。〃 She frowned up at me。 〃I said ‘at your earliest convenience； sir。' Isn't that right？〃
〃Absolutely。 Who has you practicing your manners so assiduously？〃
She heaved a great sigh。 〃Fedwren。〃
〃Fedwren is back from his summer travels already？〃
〃He's been back for two weeks； sir！〃
〃Well； see how little I know！ I shall be sure to tell him of how well you spoke when next I see him。〃
〃Thank you； sir。〃 Forgetting her careful decorum； she was skipping by the time she reached the top of the stairs； and I heard her light footsteps go cascading down them like a tumble of pebbles。 A likely child。 I doubted not that Fedwren was grooming her to be a messenger。 It was one of his duties as scribe。 I went into my room briefly to put on a fresh shirt； and then took myself down to Kettricken's chambers。 I knocked on the door and Rosemary opened it。
〃It is now my earliest convenience；〃 I told her； and this time was rewarded with a dimpled smile。
〃Enter； sir。 I shall tell my mistress you are here；〃 she informed me。 She gestured me to a chair and vanished into the inner chamber。 From within； I could hear a quiet muttering of ladies' voices。 Through the open door I glimpsed them at their needlework and chatter。 Queen Kettricken tilted her head to Rosemary； and then excused herself to e to me。
In a moment Kettricken stood before me。 For an instant I just looked at her。 The blue of the robe picked up the blue of her eyes。 The late…fall light finding its way through the whorled glass of the windows glinted off the gold of her hair。 I stared； I realized； and lowered my eyes。 I rose immediately and bowed。 She didn't wait for me to straighten up。 〃Have you been recently to visit the King？〃 she asked me without preamble。
〃Not in the last few days； my lady queen。〃
〃Then I suggest you do so this evening。 I am concerned for him。〃
〃As you wish； my queen。〃 I waited。 Surely that was not what she had called me here to say。
After a moment she sighed。 〃Fitz。 I am alone here as I have never been before。 Cannot you call me Kettricken and treat me as a person for a bit？〃
The sudden change in tone took me off balance。 〃Certainly；〃 I replied； but my voice was too formal。 Danger； Nighteyes whispered。
Danger？ How？
This is not your mate。 This is the leader's mate。
It was like finding an aching tooth with your tongue。 The knowledge jarred through me。 There was a danger here； one to guard against。 This was my queen； but I was not Verity and she was not my love； no matter how my heart set to beating at the sight of her。
But she was my friend。 She had proven that in the Mountain Kingdom。 I owed her the fort that friends owe one another。
〃I went to see the King；〃 she told me。 She gestured me to sit and took a chair of her own across the hearth from me。 Rosemary fetched her little stool to sit at Kettricken's feet。 Despite our being alone in the room； the Queen lowered her voice and leaned toward me as she spoke。 〃I asked him directly why I had not been summoned when the rider came in。 He seemed puzzled by my question。 But before he could even begin an answer； Regal came in。 He had e in haste； I could tell。 As if someone had run to tell him I was there； and he had immediately dropped everything to e。〃
I nodded gravely。
〃He made it impossible for me to sp