The princess barely suppressed a sigh. She could not make out what Sanguine whispered to the servant girl—like as not it was something dirty, if she were to guess. Regardless, if this was the way things would be, she would try to be helpful. She finally spoke. “Your Majesty, there is one minor concern—Mr. LeChance is a scout for the Aserit, and they were expecting him back more quickly. We should dispatch a messenger to inform them of the delay and thank them for their patience.”<br/><br/>Secretly, Juli hoped that the delay would make the assassin’s employers suspicious of him—either enough to kill him outright, or to drive him into the hands of Theiri for real rather than just as a show. As much as she disliked mercenaries for personal reasons, she could not deny the inherent proficiency this one surely had for murder. In the long run, the royal court needed him either under their thumb or permantently removed.