The memory of the man's fingers biting cruelly into her arm as he hissed a veiled that, that of the back of his hand striking her hard enough to send pain radiating across her cheekbone and up to her eye, were still too vivid for her to misunderstand how dangerous Rochefort was. Neither could she forget the more intimate and unthinkable cruelty of his attack on the Queen. A man who believed he had such license was not just unpredictable, he believes himself untouchable.

"I will," she swore, knowing as he must that her loyalty to the Queen would trump her personal safety if she were put to the test. That there was not a thing on heaven or earth she wouldn't do to try and save the Queen and the sweet babe who would one day, by the grace of God, be the next King of France.

After a moment she gave him a slight smile and added, "If you could do one more thing for me?"