JК
The Wizardwar :: Каннингем Элейн
Страница: 23 из 208The moment has passed."
"Before it did, you learned something important."
"Yes." Zalathorm cleared his throat then spun away and stalked toward the tower stairs.
Matteo fell into step and waited, but the king did not elaborate. After several moments, the jordain gave up any pretense of patience. Stepping into the king's path, he rounded to face him and affixed him with a challenging stare.
"With respect, my lord, you command me to defend the queen but tell me nothing that might aid in her defense!"
To Matteo's surprise, the king dropped his gaze first. "Magic is not the solution to every problem. Sometimes it creates as many problems as it solves. I was not aware of one of these problems until just now. There is nothing more to tell you." He held up a hand to forestall Matteo's ready protest. "Nothing, at least that is not held in silence by powerful enchantments and wizard-word oaths."
The jordain stood his ground for a few moments more, then fell back with a sigh. A wizard-word oath was sacred, unbreakable. This was not a matter of choice. As a consequence of swearing "by wind and word," the lips of a Halruaan wizard were magically sealed.
So there it was, then. Matteo's difficult task had taken a downturn into the realms of impossibility! He had twenty days to uncover a secret the king could not speak, a secret a nation of wizard-lords had not uncovered.
Twenty days, and each passing day left Tzigone alone, abandoned in a place of horrors beyond Matteo's imagining.
After a moment, he realized the king was studying him. "You are thinking of your friend," Zalathorm stated gently.
Matteo managed a faint smile. "I did not think any but a magehound could plumb a jordain's heart"
"She is her mother's daughter. Such women are capable of inspiring joy and pain in great and equal measure. I do not know a way to release your friend," he said, shrewdly anticipating Matteo's next question, "but may I make a suggestion?"
"Please!"
"Follow your heart where it takes you. Perhaps the daughter's secrets will shed light upon the mother's."
Matteo seized the king's arm, bringing them both to a stop. "Do you foresee this?" he said eagerly.
The king pulled away and fixed him with a searching gaze. "Can you conceive of any circumstance, jordain, in which you would willingly, even gladly violate an oath? Regardless of the cost to you, or the gain to another?"
Matteo hesitated, then shook his head.
"Then you are the better man. Once before, I paid love's price in honor's coin.
"Before it did, you learned something important."
"Yes." Zalathorm cleared his throat then spun away and stalked toward the tower stairs.
Matteo fell into step and waited, but the king did not elaborate. After several moments, the jordain gave up any pretense of patience. Stepping into the king's path, he rounded to face him and affixed him with a challenging stare.
"With respect, my lord, you command me to defend the queen but tell me nothing that might aid in her defense!"
To Matteo's surprise, the king dropped his gaze first. "Magic is not the solution to every problem. Sometimes it creates as many problems as it solves. I was not aware of one of these problems until just now. There is nothing more to tell you." He held up a hand to forestall Matteo's ready protest. "Nothing, at least that is not held in silence by powerful enchantments and wizard-word oaths."
The jordain stood his ground for a few moments more, then fell back with a sigh. A wizard-word oath was sacred, unbreakable. This was not a matter of choice. As a consequence of swearing "by wind and word," the lips of a Halruaan wizard were magically sealed.
So there it was, then. Matteo's difficult task had taken a downturn into the realms of impossibility! He had twenty days to uncover a secret the king could not speak, a secret a nation of wizard-lords had not uncovered.
Twenty days, and each passing day left Tzigone alone, abandoned in a place of horrors beyond Matteo's imagining.
After a moment, he realized the king was studying him. "You are thinking of your friend," Zalathorm stated gently.
Matteo managed a faint smile. "I did not think any but a magehound could plumb a jordain's heart"
"She is her mother's daughter. Such women are capable of inspiring joy and pain in great and equal measure. I do not know a way to release your friend," he said, shrewdly anticipating Matteo's next question, "but may I make a suggestion?"
"Please!"
"Follow your heart where it takes you. Perhaps the daughter's secrets will shed light upon the mother's."
Matteo seized the king's arm, bringing them both to a stop. "Do you foresee this?" he said eagerly.
The king pulled away and fixed him with a searching gaze. "Can you conceive of any circumstance, jordain, in which you would willingly, even gladly violate an oath? Regardless of the cost to you, or the gain to another?"
Matteo hesitated, then shook his head.
"Then you are the better man. Once before, I paid love's price in honor's coin.