“Wrong arm, dear.”

“How do you know that, Philo, dear?"But Philologos had had enough of being condescended to. "Because, Lamion, I am not as dumb as you think I am, even if you are."By the time Lamion had parsed this to make sure that there was in fact an insult at the end of it, Hilarion had laid a restraining hand on his arm.”

“Upset at the sight of blood?" he said. "Not my wife, Ornon.""Your blood, " the ambassador pointed out. Eugenides glanced at the hook in his arm and conceded the point. "Yes," he said.”

“He waved at his attendants. "I dragged them like a ball and chain all the way across the palace and back.""If sterner measures are called for, we can find a larger ball and chain." The queen turned and disappeared into the partment."Oh, dear," Eugenides muttered as he followed...The queen's sterner measures, dispensed by the Eddisian Ambassador, arrived before dawn.”

“On the bed, Eugenides stirred restlessly. "Upset at the sight of blood?" he said. "Not my wife, Ornon.""Your blood," the ambassador pointed out.Eugenides glanced at the hook on his arm and conceded the point. "Yes," he said. He seemed lost in memory. The room was quiet.”

“No," he said. "Relius was right and I was wrong. You are My Queen. Even though you cut my head from my shoulders, with my last breath as a noose tightens, to the last beat of my heart if I hang from the walls of the palace, you are My Queen. That I have failed you does not change my love for you or my loyalty.”

“You have to believe him, because he's going to have your entire palace up in arms and your court in chaos and every member of it from the barons to the boot cleaners coming to you for his blood, and you are going to have to deal with it."Attolia smiled. "You make him sound like more trouble than he is worth."No," said Eddis thoughtfully. "Never more than he is worth.”