Blood of the Fold

He turned to the watching faces. They were a considerably more quiet and compliant group than they had been the last time, as they waited in tense anticipation.

“Duchess Lumholtz — whom you all know is soon to be named queen of Kelton — has committed her people to the cause of freedom, and wished you to be here to witness as she signs the documents of surrender."

"Richard," she whispered as she leaned a little closer, "I must.. have them looked over by our barristers first… just to be sure everything is clear, and there will be no misunderstandings."

Richard smiled reassuringly. "Though I'm sure you will find them quite clear, I've already anticipated your concern and took the liberty of inviting them to the signing. ' Richard held a hand out to the other end of the dais. Raina seized a man's arm and urged him up the steps. "Master Sifold, would you give your future queen your professional opinion?"

He bowed. "As Lord Rahl says, Duchess, the papers are quite clear. There is no room for misinterpretation."

Richard lifted the ornately decorated document from the desk.”With your permission, Duchess, I would like to read it to the gathered representatives, so they may see that Kelton wishes this joining of our forces to be unequivocal. So they may see your bravery."

Her head rose with pride before the eyes of the representatives of the other lands. "Yes. Please do, Lord Rahl."

Richard glanced to the waiting faces. "Please bear with me; this isn't long." He held the paper up before himself and read it aloud. "Know all peoples, that Kelton hereby surrenders unconditionally to D'Hara. Signed, in my hand, as the duly appointed leader of the Keltish people, the Duchess Lumholtz."

Richard set the document back on the desk and dunked the quill pen in a bottle of ink before offering it to Cathryn. She stood stiff and unmoving. Her face had gone ashen.

Fearing she would balk, he had no choice. Summoning strength he knew he was stealing from what he would need later, he put his lips close to her ear, enduring silently the torturous wave of longing at the warm fragrance of her flesh.

"Cathryn, after we finish here, would you go for a walk with me, just the two of us, alone? I dreamed of nothing but you."

Radiant color bloomed in her cheeks. He thought she might put an arm around his neck and thanked the spirits when she didn't.

"Of course, Richard," she whispered back. "I, too, dreamed of nothing but you. Let's get this formality over with."

"Make me proud of you, of your strength."

Richard thought that, surely, her smile would make others in the room blush. He could feel his ears burn at the meaning her smile conveyed.

She took the quill pen, brushing his hand as she did so, and held it up. "I sign this surrender with a quill from a dove, to signify that what I do is done willingly, in peace, and not as one defeated. I do it out of love for my people, and a hope for the future. That hope is this man here — Lord Rahl. I swear the undying vengeance of my people on any of you who would think to harm him."

She bent and scrawled her sweeping signature across the bottom of the surrender document.

Before she could straighten, Richard produced more papers and slid them under her.

"What…"

"The letters you spoke of, Duchess. I didn't want to weigh you down with the tedium of having to do the work yourself when we could put the time to a better purpose. Your aides helped me draw them up. Please check them, just to be sure all is as you intended when you made the offer last night.

"Lieutenant Harrington, of your palace guard, helped with the names of General Baldwin, commander of all Keltish forces, Division Generals Cutter, Leiden, Nesbit, Bradford, and Emerson, and a few of the guard commanders. There's a letter to each for you to sign, ordering them to turn over all command to my D'Haran officers. Some of your palace guard officers will accompany a detachment of my men along with the new officers.

"Your adjutant aide, Master Montleon, has been of invaluable assistance with the instructions to Finance Minister Pelletier; Master Carlisle, the deputy administrator of strategic planning; the governors in charge of the trade commission, Cameron, Tuck, Spooner, Ashmore; as well as Levardson, Doudiet, and Faulkingham of the office of commerce.

"Coadjutant Schaffer, of course, drew up the list of your mayors. We didn't want to offend anyone by leaving them out, of course, so he had several aides help him work up a complete list. There are letters here for them all, but of course the letters of instruction are the same, with just the proper name to each, so you only have to check over one, and then just sign the rest. We'll handle it from there. I have men ready to ride with the official document pouches. A man from your guard will accompany each, just to make sure there's no confusion. We have all the men from your guard here to witness your signature."