“Taken her off, my dear, without consent.”
“Did you have to castrate him?”
“No. I’d have liked to, but it was thought not necessary. The poor girl — well, she was only a Sister of Samphron, but they’re not too bad.”
“And her parents?”
“Everyone suffers after the Time of Troubles, although the new emperor has worked wonders. Oh, yes, they were only too happy to make a gift to the SoR. I think the mistress has dedicated that sum to some new curtains for the refectory.”
“We need some of the targets to be restuffed. The girls seem to knock them to pieces wonderfully quickly these days.”
“I know! It is these new bows. They are so much more powerful and accurate than our old ones.”
Delia smiled and let the warm air flow over her head, turning her shoulders to feel the grateful heat spread
