Earlier in the evening when Lorenso asked about her half-brother, Juli only replied quietly, “I may trying talking to him, but in the short time I’ve known him he has struck me as nearly impossible to deter in these matters.”<br/><br/><br/>Juli relaxed somewhat as the night when on, though knowing that the queen would be giving some sort of major announcement still had her mind returning to speculation from time to time. When the strange soldier nodded to her, she nodded back—it was not an acknowledgment one would usually give to a princess, but it was good to know many of the soldiers still considered her one of their own and greeted her as such. For her part the former officer did not know too much about this “Exile” as he was called. But he did have that distinctive look and armaments she recalled seeing once or twice, back on occasions when the Ghosts were working among the regular military. And Juli was more comfortable with Lenally spending time around him than the enigmatic assassin or her lecherous half-brother.<em>It’s amazing the girl’s parents aren’t here yet—if she were my daughter I’d be worried sick about her bounding about recklessly in the heart of the enemy’s castle</em>But then, Juli supposed that’s what the Blood Raven bodyguard was for.