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A Caress Of Twilight :: Гамильтон Лорел
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"I know,"I said.
"You cannot be a dictator if you do not dictate."
"I am learning that a queen must rule those around her, truly rule them, but I am not learning that a queen must dictate to all around her. I am finding that the counsel of my guards, who you so wisely sent with me, is worth listening to."
"I have counselors," she said, and it sounded almost defensive.
"So does Taranis," I said.
Andais sat back against one of the bedposts. She seemed almost to slump, the one bare hand playing along the black ribbons on her dress. "But neither of us listens to anyone. The emperor has no clothes."
The last comment caught me off guard. It must have showed, because she said, "You look surprised, niece of mine."
"I didn't expect you to know the story."
"I had a human lover some time ago who was fond of children's stories. He read to me when I could not sleep." There was a dreamy wistfulness to her voice now, a true note of regret.
She continued in a more normal tone. "The Nameless has been freed. It was last seen headed west. I doubt it will get as far as the Western Sea, but I thought you should know, all the same." With that, she made a gesture and the mirror went blank.
My eyes were very wide in the glass. "Can you make the mirror so that no one can get through without signaling to us first?"
"Yes," he said.
"Do it"
"The queen may take that ill."
I nodded, looking at my scared face in the mirror, because now that I didn't have to pretend, I could look as scared as I felt. "Just do it, Doyle, just do it. I don't want any more surprises tonight."
He went to the mirror and made small gestures at its edges. I felt the spell prickle along my skin as I climbed back into the bed.
Doyle turned from the mirror and hesitated by the edge of the bed. "Do you still want company?"
I held out my arms to him. "Come to bed, and hold me while we sleep."
He smiled and slipped under the sheet. He spooned his body against mine until I lay cupped in his arms, his chest, his stomach, his groin, his thighs. He encircled me and I pulled the warm silken hardness of him around me.
He spoke softly as I began to drift off to sleep. "You do not mind that my grandmother was a hound of the wild hunt and my grandfather a phouka?"
"No." My voice was thick with sleep. Then I asked, "Could I really end up having puppies?"
"It is unlikely."
"Okay.
"I know,"I said.
"You cannot be a dictator if you do not dictate."
"I am learning that a queen must rule those around her, truly rule them, but I am not learning that a queen must dictate to all around her. I am finding that the counsel of my guards, who you so wisely sent with me, is worth listening to."
"I have counselors," she said, and it sounded almost defensive.
"So does Taranis," I said.
Andais sat back against one of the bedposts. She seemed almost to slump, the one bare hand playing along the black ribbons on her dress. "But neither of us listens to anyone. The emperor has no clothes."
The last comment caught me off guard. It must have showed, because she said, "You look surprised, niece of mine."
"I didn't expect you to know the story."
"I had a human lover some time ago who was fond of children's stories. He read to me when I could not sleep." There was a dreamy wistfulness to her voice now, a true note of regret.
She continued in a more normal tone. "The Nameless has been freed. It was last seen headed west. I doubt it will get as far as the Western Sea, but I thought you should know, all the same." With that, she made a gesture and the mirror went blank.
My eyes were very wide in the glass. "Can you make the mirror so that no one can get through without signaling to us first?"
"Yes," he said.
"Do it"
"The queen may take that ill."
I nodded, looking at my scared face in the mirror, because now that I didn't have to pretend, I could look as scared as I felt. "Just do it, Doyle, just do it. I don't want any more surprises tonight."
He went to the mirror and made small gestures at its edges. I felt the spell prickle along my skin as I climbed back into the bed.
Doyle turned from the mirror and hesitated by the edge of the bed. "Do you still want company?"
I held out my arms to him. "Come to bed, and hold me while we sleep."
He smiled and slipped under the sheet. He spooned his body against mine until I lay cupped in his arms, his chest, his stomach, his groin, his thighs. He encircled me and I pulled the warm silken hardness of him around me.
He spoke softly as I began to drift off to sleep. "You do not mind that my grandmother was a hound of the wild hunt and my grandfather a phouka?"
"No." My voice was thick with sleep. Then I asked, "Could I really end up having puppies?"
"It is unlikely."
"Okay.