"Yes, Greatfather.”

"Good. Now, about the wedding ceremony itself …"

Rain strode down the corridor to King Dorian's private office on the second floor of the palace, where Dax and the king were waiting for him to join them. Annoura was in court, as was Marissya, protected for the moment by her own quintet rather than her mate. This meeting with Dorian was one Dax and Marissya had prompted, and Rain had reluctantly agreed to. If dahl'reisen had begun murdering Celierians in the north, the Fey must help put an end to it.

A pair of Royal Guardsmen flanked the door to the king's office. They bowed as Rain approached and granted him entrance, closing the door behind him. The office was a spacious, wood-paneled room, designed more for comfort and efficiency than pomp. Tall windows overlooked a view of the south gardens, their partially open, slatted wooden shutters admitting plenty of light while obstructing unwanted observation from below. A matching pair of golden leather armchairs faced the large, heavily carved desk that dominated the room.

King Dorian, standing near one of the windows, smiled pleasantly as Rain entered. "Greetings, my Lord Feyreisen. I hope you have found your palace accommodations acceptable." Rain gave a brief nod. "I regret putting you through that circus in the courts yesterday, but it was necessary. We are a country of laws, and even noble visitors must live by them. I trust the girl, your shei'tani, is fine and suffered no ill effects from the excitement?”

Rain's spine stiffened and his eyes narrowed. "She is well. I would not leave her were it otherwise." The implication was a grave insult. Dorian blinked in bewilderment. "Yes, of course. I meant no offense.”

«Celierian consider it polite to ask after the health of one's mate,» Dax murmured silently. «It was the same, before the Wars.»

Rain had a vague memory, long forgotten, of a similar incident many centuries past. «I remember now. I didn't like it then either. They should take better care of their mates, so the question of their mates' health need never be in doubt.”

With Dax's laughter rippling through his mind, Rain shook off his irritation and got straight to the purpose of the meeting. "I have come to discuss the situation in the north. Dax and Marissya tell me you believe dahl'reisen have begun murdering Celierians.”

Dorian nodded. "There've been half a dozen attacks in the last two months, and twenty Celierians slain since First Moon this spring. Another ten since harvest last fall. Mostly farmers and village folk along the northern march. The Border Lords had been keeping the situation quiet, but now that the pamphleteers and newspapers have wind of it, all hope of quietly resolving the problem is gone." He explained about the witnesses and showed Rain the recovered Fey'cha. "Dax has already told me it's unlikely the blade was left behind by accident.”

"Beyond unlikely," Rain agreed. "All blades forged in a Fey smithy have a weave spun into them so their owners may summon them back to their sheaths after use. The spell works on any blade within half a mile of its owner. It was either left deliberately as a challenge, or stolen and left to cast suspicion on the Fey." He examined the dagger and the name-mark forged on it. "I don't recognize this mark, but it does appear to be a true Fey'cha." «Dax, send an image of the mark to all the Fey. See if any of them know it.»

Turning his attention back to Dorian, he added, "As for witnesses to a dahl'reisen crime, that, too, is unlikely. Dahl'reisen live outside our laws. If it serves them to manipulate mortal minds, they would likely do so. Not even Marissya would be able to tell the false memories from the true ones. Still, you should bring the witnesses in for Truthspeaking, just in case they are using these rumors of dahl'reisen murders to hide their own crimes.”King Dorian shook his head. "Sebourne—the lord whose lands were attacked—has already refused. He says the witnesses are terrified of having their minds manipulated by the Fey, and he's angry enough over the number of murders on his land to support them." Dorian cast an apologetic glance Dax's way. To suggest that Marissya would misuse her powers was a grave insult.

"Is there a map that shows where the raids have taken place?" Rain asked.

"Here." Dorian walked around his desk and opened a narrow door in the corner of the far wall. "We started monitoring the incidents after the first half-dozen deaths last year." He pulled out a large map of Celieria mounted vertically on a wheeled spongewood backing. A handful of colored pins set with tiny annotated flags were scattered across the northern border. "Except for the fact that most of the raids have taken place in the villages along the Celierian-Eld border, there is no apparent pattern to the attacks.”

Rain examined the collection of pins. The raids had taken place over a thousand miles of border land, ranging from Bolla near the eastern coast all the way to Toulon in the west.

"What would a band of dahl'reisen gain from slaughtering Celierian peasants?" Dorian asked. "That's what I cannot understand.”

Rain cast a glance back over his shoulder. "Have you considered the possibility that it might not be dahl'reisen? Fey enemies are numerous, and as you know, the greatest of them lies just across your northern border.”

The king's brows rose. "You think the Eld are behind this?”

"The possibility must at least be considered.”

"But the Eld have no more reason to kill Celierian peasants than dahl'reisen do."