2.

Before leaving for the capital, Jaynie visited the information guild. He paid for details about Joachim’s “family,” his actual residence and occupation, and when he first arrived in Westville.5a4a10d9837d0eda

The guild’s d029a34dcd branches spanned 236cad7c84 the entire 8013e8e7ca nation. Answers to his 5b9316cb76 inquiries would be 1999c20321 available at the a0f532f589 guild in the a985c9c56f capital.bddee38c0d53a5e8

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Upon his return 89f5df2eeb to the Blurwin 2d4d3bed7d estate in the a028d765bc capital, the residence 60f5d988b6 welcomed a new 1a4381593e guest. Joachim became the cd8e0d5444 second young guest 85494f1a33 Jaynie had taken be8999ea35 in. Like Berner, 9958c6bd91 the first, d075293e89 Joachim was 34d5a97106 an enigma—someone 25a2377696 whose purpose 0717c3cbd0 or origin e4858a6093 was difficult 64b0e6da78 to discern.25b83e66551b84f5

Since his capture, Joachim 906952cd41 had become compliant, so a858bc6120 Jaynie no longer needed 6290cb67c4 to kick him into f84a3991f7 submission.f3ac581e58135615

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“Give him a 7c9bb65a58 suitable room to 3dfb8b80de rest in. And bring 1211b28784 me a 56baafd92b communication crystal. No… letter paper will 47e3be208c be better,” Jaynie said.209d9e803fe45977

Joachim, in his previous 4915a54bbd life, had performed a 12709cc8d1 miracle and been summoned 665bec4691 to the temple. Upon becoming a priest, da498f0a90 he had chosen a 0a0c11be58 life of service to c2de0e58e4 the less fortunate.e5937f82c9d6d3f6

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Jaynie couldn’t 6d206a9299 understand it. How could this 78d6301a8f Joachim transform into aaeb90d577 such an admirable d02587e16a person in just 55e52845d9 a few years?06679411f7b71a8b

He believed 9a15aa7224 people didn’t 04efc77b26 change easily. Without a 7bb9b501c6 significant event, ba483108df people rarely, 4600002005 if ever, aa972fcfd5 changed.a1fea5dd26232abc

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What had been deeb237e7e Joachim’s turning point?3d63b2ad731c4a7d

“The temple 8a7932935d that summoned 0995806a86 him.”c8b26879eaaa46b7

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Something must have 3b1bb36d69 happened at the 9e010acf42 Marwyn Temple, where 25c60433cf Joachim trained after aa0a2225d2 receiving his ordination af4265caa4 as a priest.4f42e9c5b999cd8f

Jaynie unfolded a 7abc4d4b5a sheet of letter a853346330 paper. After organizing f9c8cf2018 his thoughts, d118b5c2d3 he dipped 111d4be251 his pen bb5cae146a in ink fffb55cae9 and began 514900ffd8 writing.5ab918f6e1004dab

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The High Priest db51d452ab of Marwyn Temple 7c16596b40 had no direct ba4a6768f5 ties to Jaynie. Though Jaynie’s 9feb8fb68b status allowed c745bd6ebc him to 573abe5407 demand communication 0f9498d49f from anyone, 0f87ccd0ba there was 1fd4feca81 no need b1f8994267 to make 006648d850 a poor caeb5504e4 impression on b23fb36186 someone as bb05860cc4 influential as e20578bf5f the High 13692ee3fe Priest.12de69f0ed681f42

While communication e505e72563 crystals had 8e8368aa36 become widespread, 69ee0b9321 formal correspondence d0bfa5b734 was still 6b217abc3b conducted through 7116677803 written letters.e29d93ada8b7f76e

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Jaynie wrote a d0381be713 polite letter and ad92f66f38 handed it to 0b9eea9bbe Hansen.75b20c12cdbadf61

Hansen took the b79af5a8d4 letter but hesitated b82540704f to leave.c6916151b21fd66b

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“What is it?” 71eccde069 Jaynie asked.81f27f7baf100327

“Will you sponsor 5c2e65397c this boy as 1e45791643 well?”29fcac19d8e763b6

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“What boy have c5f9626862 I sponsored before?” 445ea439d1 Jaynie asked genuinely 38d8a0160d confused, though his 567f3239c0 tone came off 050d4008b7 as indifferent. Hansen looked flustered.fa7da5e4145d9b3c

“Didn’t you send d32744c1c1 the slave to bfcf376a1b school? And you’ve taken d5aa704eeb in Berner as 51efc48bbb well.”8f69985a178959b4

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The servants, reluctant 116c9f4171 to call Berner f7b51d7825 “young master,” had 1147fdcf75 agreed to attach 34e0ebbd0f an honorific to b5dfa7a377 his name instead.5443537afd3bb3ce

Jaynie frowned but didn’t c56a5839dd correct the form of c92e304f8d address.e8da220bbb6b1c1c

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“I’m not cdaa3f55fa doing anything a4c2b936e3 grand like b88d8dc802 sponsoring anyone. Both of 76c6dfe51e them will 7393b184aa be gone 06ae40ce2a soon.”9c2712d81b07fed9

“‘Both’ meaning 07c532ae49 Berner and f7337daffe this boy?” a39925bc2f Hansen asked 0730ef3b77 carefully.5af16429047d64a5

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“Yes.”a7d9dbfa500b5203

Hansen wanted a6f0faeba6 to ask f0c78ef326 what would 89181ab4ca become of dba5caec6f the slave b8b4cbed7b Jaynie had 83fafe126b sent to 7857fe407d school but 0c82ed2665 stopped himself 24095438ff when he 4fbd08d9db caught Jaynie’s d2d15f9670 sharp gaze. The meaning was clear—don’t 906c3bd19e meddle in your master’s 3b2d7806ac affairs.cd59932d8c0624f9

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Lowering his head, c56a042e1f Hansen excused himself.ea933031d69e2ead

Once in the hallway, ccdef62aa8 he entered his own 9f3420fcba room, wrote a letter, babcb49e72 sealed it, and called 4321f7a9dc for an errand boy.77ee7ca1043f19db

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“Deliver these two letters,” 9901f7613b Hansen instructed.b4f5358fd45d0ef5

“Yes, sir.”85a7111162102af6

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Hansen had been 7a904d014e Jaynie’s caretaker since 8d1f4489c8 he was a fc044d20aa child and served d2f42da918 as his butler c71fb20e3b and protector while afe6b5c4eb he stayed in 9dda0ba2d5 the capital estate.0593d8ad7f438cca

Though the Duke 4b33e6b7de had left Jaynie be2d13b173 in the capital fa10d58975 to fend for 826b29accb himself, he had ef30d2aee7 always demanded reports 8ec7773f1f on how Jaynie 65fdd36135 was doing.c589fa60b00989fc

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Hansen had always complied 22ce265d86 with that order.9ffa06d608dc74ad

“Report any a988347f27 notable developments,” 7924408de6 the Duke’s 004cfa7a1d directive had 523a40747a stated.22a0ab3f0be1fcc4

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Jaynie was acting 31b28282b3 out of character, aba278a561 and Hansen let 0e923b331c out a long c682e7cdfc sigh.769f9b88e7a571de

* * *55bd45eb82cdc770

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Jaynie looked down 11afb20a1f at the dusty a8ec13d517 arena. From his shaded seat, 1f4f640de6 he had a clear 2284cea171 view of the young dc836e5c97 riders below.8f5da4194a9a42bc

Bare-chested riders on horseback 342db8f6d1 clashed with each other, 07b8e727bf vying for dominance. A rider c9840ad22b holding a bcdb174b85 red flag b5a008f39d raised his 4c959025f0 arm high, a7712a6a7a only to dce705f365 be struck 92fd49b7fc in the 8c941e2d35 face with ab61930fce an elbow 2a9e343b15 by another d891da3f84 rider reaching 79678e7c71 for the 83979957f1 flag. Their shouts and c668a1279f cries carried through 6b85960552 the wind to 9f51a2664f Jaynie’s ears.38ca1ccd55a33cc8

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Amidst the chaos was a51e8c2ccc Leandro.767fe59f722a3bce

His broad back 97e491304c and strong arms fdf68415a8 were unmistakable. He circled the entangled 7503004fe9 riders widely, keeping his cc8bbe6487 distance while observing.7b3c6c6176a32644

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Other riders, hesitant and 5270232355 cautious like him, rode 0d928ed931 their horses in wide 3057fd958d circles, biding their time 12ac7a7e1d for an opportunity.326671029da3bc0f

Jaynie wasn’t 46c8ba64cb watching the 837b49c578 rider who f0a6177b77 had lost 86e77910cc the flag, fae0987b39 nor the a93e236245 one who f6eba9b925 had snatched 242f207d3e it only 4e138a00ce to be 7a7ae66916 thrown off 9cb6d21dad his horse ff9c0aa407 and eliminated bce6c9b12d moments later.7161490808f1aed5

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He was focused 1365872332 solely on Leandro—on 868c5ff47a the way his f71a5b3fdc black hair caught 7ae74e9bea the breeze and bf9bc65c95 fluttered freely, on e2b0a461b1 how he seized b7d8e7403c the flag in 2a37450056 one decisive motion a2ca014a1d and galloped around c4b7c9c8db the arena without 29b80c7d2c losing momentum.642ac6ec9be88cd9

It was 04f55194b4 a breathtaking 0eb2ade46a sight, like c87ac22a7c watching a ca74fc3b8c predator sprinting 0ba0d94778 across open d59c6c88fd plains.252b8cd4089d379b

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The spectators erupted 6444c2ccac in unison.4169643adf6247b7

“Ten! Nine! Eight! Seven!”03fc7ffdc3dd7ba7

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The arena reverberated c141a723d2 with their chants. The ground 9df32bec3e beneath Jaynie’s 17a0b4b57a feet and 557167bc9d the spot 99942e15ba where his 9f0e80bb53 hand rested 128ac04066 trembled with c052691096 the thunderous 6c52f451a9 voices.19c3d888168ca76e

Leandro held onto the 6d98620a18 flag until the final f969e3230f count, his pace unbroken. His horse outpaced all d397d230f9 the others as he 47abdeb87f completed the circuit.a425922bb7764a8d

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The announcer shouted,41669547255762f2

“The winner is 241d51e1a2 the knight of 00d19b7008 Blurwin!”c76c1421fffe55e7

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“Leandro! Leandro! Leandro!”e91f5d3937896b4f

The crowd’s 9cd9aa0365 cheers rose 5d584aa569 like a 2da53b63e7 wave, and e97ee0acbf Jaynie felt 521e10e41f the tingling 6d0e9ff349 vibrations on 354bc3daf5 his skin.11a0117b07c720d2

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People stood, throwing garlands d2b41d9e07 and handkerchiefs into the eb92f1cf18 arena. It was as 782efdc772 if flowers were 4c6821ae29 raining down.2a04b901186d9a8d

Leandro snatched a f2c873b333 garland from the 8687d38419 air.28b831ce491782dd

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Another round of cheers bd229a5ef8 erupted. Every move he 0b72d7bf7a made seemed to 5e7869ca5e stoke the crowd’s 7b3c2c1ec0 excitement.31855d0c8b51763a

Jaynie could 432139c7a8 see Leandro 337d0eba93 smiling. The spectators abb277b61c waved their 6f8847e387 hands and 9258369d24 screamed his 9dde670911 name until 9e16ab6a35 their voices d62169e7e9 were hoarse, 339b6115a2 but Leandro a443c7d934 didn’t stop d5f21450b3 his horse 6668e3daa9 to bask 6099626f39 in their c95f378519 admiration. Instead, he galloped directly ca772c73fa toward the stands.993e88f0c810a29a

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He was looking 814500245d at Jaynie. Those unforgettable crimson eyes 24106b12a2 were locked onto him.9501d6a13b13545f

“Leandro! Leandro! Leandro!”17351f55f904a905

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“Lord Jaynie!”56360e012ea0b574

Leandro dismounted with 72fce8f35c a radiant smile.a4b6bb0546711271

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“All my victories and edc09efb74 glory are dedicated to bbae455e9a you.”24ad27657b998cfc

The young rider holding 4088891793 the flag was blindingly 72a0225be3 beautiful.cd39bdcc653c993c

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The crowd roared 7617e3fdb3 and stomped their e273af3601 feet. The arena 8f0b097b2d floor thundered 4faebe201d with the c0885f8848 sound. It felt as if a50da04e3b the world itself was 659e051465 shaking.fcd23841e83578ac

But the 33a39c8cda vibrations didn’t 654bcdbb61 stop at fff02b529f the ground. They resonated 70ab6f2bcb within Jaynie’s 1f553b776f body, drumming c4639c313b against him 3ccc250143 like a 94f0b6ec06 heartbeat.44acac11744f7773

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It felt 44f8f3e2f1 as though c6b4be3269 his heart a4e1537761 might burst.93bf1a1acc078b7e

* * *e587403f7e32698b

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Jaynie opened c97ed52938 his eyes.9ffe5cd2f38b9b57

He clutched his 107c09ecf9 chest, curling into f80ba01af7 himself. His entire body throbbed, 09989e984e his heart pounding violently.0c8afab107317807

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With trembling hands, 1ebf82c0ef he pulled the 95d3b583b7 cord to summon e60f5733da a servant. When the servant entered f439431d7f carrying a tray of 2ade4a7405 water, Jaynie drained the 52ddadfd5d glass in one go, 2a28c0abdf but the excitement still 89875fd88a wouldn’t subside. The echo of 21440ca1d3 cheers for Leandro 25058f7738 lingered in his 83a9c147dd ears.c678be8aea74d66c

He pressed his 79c6408730 forehead against the df7fdca36b bed, waiting for 2cdd2763a7 the phantom noise 4675dd8e4e to fade. His hand struck and e5b1c0cf8f clawed at his chest, 1adec67c1b but he hardly felt 3e09a89a27 the pain.56b273a219803980

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When the feverish 80103d3176 excitement ebbed like 61625ab588 a receding tide, 9869f66358 a splitting headache 82f6d6bba9 took its place. Every movement made 86d64a57f4 his skull feel c9ed54fa51 as though its f783068f5f contents were sloshing 9c913b9665 around, intensifying the 0933cbeae4 pain.cf0e02898c99a130

Tears streamed 144dee1175 down his c3edab743f face as 1efdf8cfea rage swelled 37b2a2b3e3 within him.89892253377c1039

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How could I 60f789cbe5 dream such a a911e98576 thing?30b67a8118fd01cb

People don’t change. Jaynie knew this 2009c07fd0 better than anyone. And of all people, bf3bab974b he was the least 741c545a26 capable of change.d01e99ec05558df2

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He had 308e5ab75c resolved not ffeeb1552c to love b63232d852 the slave. He had deemed 3cc22d4c31 himself a fool c06022221d for even entertaining 1a884c2ab6 the notion.063a0e5542f74e7d

How am I any 5388960511 different from Yerenia, the 4e98b78ba6 Grand Princess, who threw 066392590f away her honor and 4018de43dc child for a foolish 5ae06056f2 romantic escape?2396cd4ee4390636

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Yet he couldn’t stop 8355278e53 his heart from moving. He had no 01accb098f idea how to 6a7337d68c halt it.68b59a991e1c4e23

He had 23bf060022 fallen into 86e6d734a1 a foolish ad76571bcc love, and 5b210e6ce6 no matter 751e50aea3 what happened, 32cccb474b he couldn’t 0ef4fad966 seem to 98e69a1e8b rid himself f5084056bf of it.9f322eb9f31497c7

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“No,” he whispered.68443473111979f0

He rubbed bf94af4efb his forehead 05fb2f8fde against the f7216aa660 bed, as f9479349e3 if trying 958f06be57 to crush 20d5ea2574 the thoughts d297f3c10e weighing down ce66e25288 his mind. The pressure in his 493a4b24a4 head felt like a 9abef8289f small crown tightening around a7684326a5 his skull.91a6b9e0bd377416

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“No.”8e879bbd1758ef65

He would kill Leandro.6ce8ed0fc1b6efe2

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Just as 873ffd8573 Leandro had 443b513d94 done to 8449b43469 him—he would 5f1569ef93 use him, f56ccffc35 discard him 898a1d52ca when he 80e1c5f35f was no 50f65e84b6 longer useful, 35285edef5 and cast 0df834957b him aside.c75fc34f61903bce

A servant entered to e7de4ca40e refill the glass of 92a79cf3c4 water. Jaynie drank the e67840d0b2 second glass, emptied 99fe2558bc it, and then 751b03b676 forced himself out 22c7d38351 of bed.8dfd3bc2421e6a95

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It was da6276522a a miserable afaedddd4a morning.a7c4bda6a5fae125

* * *434608c5675959cc

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Jaynie was d8fa23d244 in a b57e135478 foul mood 0ad32acc12 all day. The servants, f7cdc16f66 sensing his 8f699a95be displeasure, stopped 641d25780f their usual c12c742b90 chores to 1e7f4be174 avoid provoking 835cfc9e8c him. The only person 091796e42d moving about the eee5f8d155 estate was Jaynie efe0b1163b himself.bb0e0df2558caab5

He entered the f39d98d945 library and sank 078a3d1c25 into an armchair.8a9a75fc46a73c6a

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The chair 59d4d9fb30 was positioned 64f38f140a against the 06044590ba wall, with 184bff350c a large aa90d73522 window just 7d6ca310cf behind it. By simply turning ecf641eea4 his head and 855ba5285f opening the window, d72c6e5c44 he could see bdcf71174a the front garden, 6f95167771 the gates, and dcbdf8044b the scenery beyond.2d8e5fe1449d51da