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A Caress Of Twilight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 18 из 236He beat me nearly to death; beat me the way you'd strike a dog that got in your way. And that beautiful, glittering throng had all stood and watched him do it, and no one, not even my mother, had tried to help me. I agreed to meet with Maeve Reed later that day because for the first time I had enough clout to defy Taranis. To harm me now would mean war between the courts. Taranis might be an egomaniac, but even his pride wasn't worth all-out war.
Of course, knowing my aunt, it might not be war, at first. I was under the Queen's protection, which meant that anyone who harmed me had to answer to her personally. Taranis might prefer a war to the Queen's personal vengeance. After all, he'd be a King in the war, and Kings rarely see frontline action. If he pissed off Queen Andais enough, Taranis would be the front line all by his little lonesome. I was trying to stay alive, and they don't say knowledge is power for nothing.
Chapter 3
When the door closed behind Jeffery Maison, I expected the two guards to argue with me. I was half-right.
"Far be it from me to question the princess," Rhys said, "but what if the King objects to you breaking Maeve Reed's exile?"
I winced at the mention of the name out loud. "Does the King have the ability to hear everything said in daylight, the way the Queen hears after dark?"
Rhys looked puzzled at me. "I don't. . know."
"Then let's not help him find out what we're doing by saying her name out loud."
"I have never heard that Taranis has such a power," Doyle said.
I turned in my chair to stare at him. "Well, let's hope not when you've just said his name out loud."
"I have plotted against the King of Light and Illusion for millennia, Princess, and much of that plotting was done in broad daylight. Many of our human allies over the centuries have flatly refused to meet with the Unseelie after dark. They seemed to think that agreeing to meet during the day was a sign we trusted them, and that they could trust us. Taranis never seemed to know what we were doing, day or night," Doyle said, head to one side, sending rainbows dancing through the room from the diamonds in his ears. "I believe that he does not have our Queen's gift. Andais may hear everything spoken in the dark, but I believe that the king is as deaf as any human."
Anyone else I would have asked if he was sure, but Doyle never spoke unless he was certain. If he didn't know something, he'd say so. There was no false pride in him.
"So the King can't hear us talking thousands of miles away," Rhys said.
Of course, knowing my aunt, it might not be war, at first. I was under the Queen's protection, which meant that anyone who harmed me had to answer to her personally. Taranis might prefer a war to the Queen's personal vengeance. After all, he'd be a King in the war, and Kings rarely see frontline action. If he pissed off Queen Andais enough, Taranis would be the front line all by his little lonesome. I was trying to stay alive, and they don't say knowledge is power for nothing.
Chapter 3
When the door closed behind Jeffery Maison, I expected the two guards to argue with me. I was half-right.
"Far be it from me to question the princess," Rhys said, "but what if the King objects to you breaking Maeve Reed's exile?"
I winced at the mention of the name out loud. "Does the King have the ability to hear everything said in daylight, the way the Queen hears after dark?"
Rhys looked puzzled at me. "I don't. . know."
"Then let's not help him find out what we're doing by saying her name out loud."
"I have never heard that Taranis has such a power," Doyle said.
I turned in my chair to stare at him. "Well, let's hope not when you've just said his name out loud."
"I have plotted against the King of Light and Illusion for millennia, Princess, and much of that plotting was done in broad daylight. Many of our human allies over the centuries have flatly refused to meet with the Unseelie after dark. They seemed to think that agreeing to meet during the day was a sign we trusted them, and that they could trust us. Taranis never seemed to know what we were doing, day or night," Doyle said, head to one side, sending rainbows dancing through the room from the diamonds in his ears. "I believe that he does not have our Queen's gift. Andais may hear everything spoken in the dark, but I believe that the king is as deaf as any human."
Anyone else I would have asked if he was sure, but Doyle never spoke unless he was certain. If he didn't know something, he'd say so. There was no false pride in him.
"So the King can't hear us talking thousands of miles away," Rhys said.