Atheron climbed back to the throne while Hajin stayed beside the pack, still waiting on the physician somebody promised him. Didi followed her father with her eyes, the blanket folded against her ribs, as the guards slid back into place.
"My daughter tells me you carried her out from under the thing that slaughtered her entire escort," he said, his hands settling on the throne arms, "I cannot give those men back, but I can honor what you did for her,"
"so name your reward, and let us see whether your request lands softer than your entrance did."
The blanket creased under Didi's fingers at the word escort, and she stared hard at the floor until it passed.
Hajin shifted the strap off his side and bowed exactly as far as the fractured ribs would allow.
'Land comes with records, titles come with family trees, and their clerks already know which name to scratch out.'
