All Fall Down by Christine Pope Page A

myself before the situation became even more compromising. I tried to tell myself that most of these strangers surely had no idea of my true status here—in my wool velvet gown with its embroidered bands at the neck and hem, the fine linen of my shift showing through the slashed sleeves, I must have looked no more a slave than the rest of them. Still, whatever Lord Arnad’s intentions, they couldn’t possibly be honorable, and handsome as he might be, that sort of dalliance was certainly the last thing on my mind.
    I hardened my tone to the sort of brittle flippancy I had heard my older sister use on unwanted suitors. “Indeed? Well, that must be welcome news to all the spinsters in the area.”
    For a second he just stared at me, as if not truly comprehending my words. Then he gave a laugh, if a somewhat forced-sounding one. “Indeed.” One muscle along his jaw tightened, and I could see his eyes narrow a bit, as if he were thinking something over. “Do you weary of this place?”
    “My lord?” I could only pray that the tendril of fear which had begun to trail its way up my spine had not found its way into my voice. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but I had a feeling it would not be much to my liking.
    “Come with me,” he ordered, as he gripped one of my arms and began to pull me through the crowd.
    Wrenching myself from his grasp was out of the question. He was a lord, and I was a slave, and even if I still had been an independent member of my Order, I had no idea what protocol required in a situation such as this. Instead, I quickened my pace to keep up with him, moving to his side so that it at least would appear that I walked beside him and wasn’t being dragged along like some chattel.  
    He paused in front of the dais, dropping his hand from my arm. Lord Shaine lifted surprised eyes to the two of us, his gaze resting on me for a second. Around him the other nobles halted in their conversations as well. Auren frowned, a forkful of Merime’s spice cake lifted halfway to her lips.
    “Lord Shaine!” Arnad called out, and I winced. Must his voice be so clear, so carrying?
    “Yes, Lord Arnad?”
    I felt suddenly as if every eye in the hall was fixed upon us. I could not meet Lord Shaine’s gaze but instead looked off at some neutral spot on the wall. Whatever Lord Arnad was planning, I knew I would not like it.
    Taking a breath, Arnad announced, “I would buy this slave from you, my lord!”

Chapter Six

    For the longest moment, silence reigned in the hall. I felt it ringing in my ears.
    Then the awful quiet was broken by Lord Shaine’s mild tones. “I am afraid, Lord Arnad, that she is not for sale.”
    Arnad made an impatient gesture. “She has rendered her services here, Lord Shaine, and your daughter now thrives. I have need of her skills on my own estate. Shall we say five thousand renads ?  
    From somewhere behind me I heard a gasp, but of course I dared not turn to see who had made the startled sound. Five thousand renads ? I knew Shaine had paid barely that sum for all five of us captives from Aunde, and we had fetched a good price, according to the whispers of the other slaves. An odd pecking order existed amongst the workers on the estate, based not solely on one’s duties but also on how much one had cost.  
    Lord Shaine’s expression did not flicker, although I noticed that Auren had given him the briefest worried glance, as if she were uncertain as to how he would react to such a proposal. “As I said already, she is not available—at any price.” He didn’t even look at me, but instead kept his gaze fixed on Lord Arnad.  
    I could feel the watching eyes of the hall fasten on Arnad and myself as we made our odd tableau before the high table. Never before had I been the center of so much unwanted attention, and the blood slowly rose in my cheeks, although I tried to stand as still as possible and keep my face as expressionless as Lord Shaine’s. How I wished that I stood