Chapter 9: The KawjLater, clean and with both of them in fresh clothes from Tarquin’s wardrobe, he led Five to the chapel.
Five looked around curiously as he followed Tarquin across the small round room. He stopped next to Aethelreda’s tomb, and tapped his fist over his heart in the shortened version of the shield’s pledge of fealty, showing respect to the dead.
“Thank you,” Tarquin said. He took a moment and made the full mage pledge of fealty, kneeling next to the tomb and flattening both his palms over his heart.
When he stood, Five pointed at the carving of Aethelreda and then mimed lowering a crown onto his head.
“Yes.” Tarquin nodded. “That was Aethelreda, the Queen’s Consort. My blood mother. She died during the Battle of Telir.”
Five put his hand over his heart in the way that
