Chapter 68, Epilogue

"So what exactly is a Queen's Champion?" Teia asked.

Penli made a face as he fussed with his clothes. He stared hard at his reflection, muttered a few invectives, and pulled off his sash to retie it for the fiftieth time. "Hmm?" he asked as he caught the exasperated look Teia was giving him.

"What is a Queen's Champion? Nobody has ever explained it, though I've asked before."

"Sorry, apple dumpling. It's nothing much." Penli smoothed his tunic and then picked up the sash again—only to have it taken away by Sendaar, who deftly set to work wrapping and knotting it. "Queen's Champion is a special posting, somewhere between bloodgiver and commander and steward. They are her voice and sword, especially in times of war. They're neither civilian nor military, beholden to no one but the queen. In olden days, they fought on her behalf in personal duels and other such things, and represented her on the field of battle when it was too dangerous for the queen herself to fight."