Griffith kept his promise–at least in a technical sense. The iron ore arrived, just as he had agreed. But it never came all at once, Instead, he claimed that the transport wagons were insufficient, bringing only a tenth of the promised amount each time.
“All excuses,” Talassa said, her voice laced with irritation. “He’s just using this as a chance to see you. If he really wanted to send
the ore, he could have just let his men deliver it. Why show up himself?”
I didn’t respond. There was nothing to be angry about, nor did I feel moved by his persistence. If he truly wanted to earn my
favor, he should have sent me Giselle’s corpse instead.
But, strangely enough, Giselle remained alive. Two weeks had passed since her expected due date, yet she had not given birth.
