Chapter 44 The Mooncord

• [XENA]
• We reach the sitting arena just as the crowd is settling, a wide semicircle of stone benches carved into the slope of the hill, reserved for Lunas and other distinguished women. Cassian leaves me there without ceremony, already distracted by the movement of men gathering below, and I am left between Lady Mara and Oriel like an object returned to its shelf.
• If they knew the prince had come to my room this morning, I would already be bleeding from their remarks. They’ve kept themselves busy and distracted. I can’t imagine them doing anything else.