A Caress Of Twilight   ::   Гамильтон Лорел

"Dame Rosmerta," I said, and tried not to sound as tired as Ifelt, "I need to be blunt here, which I know isn't polite, but I need some questions answered before I say yes or no to the feast."

"Of course, Princess," she said, making a slight bow as she said my title.

"Why is my presence so important to the king that he would give a feast in my honor days before Yule? The entire court has been working and planning for the ball for months. The servants and the functionaries must be frantic at the thought of a feast only days before the great event. Why would the king need to see me so badly before Yule?"

Her smile never changed, never wavered. "For that you would have to ask the king himself."

"That would be lovely," I said, "if you would be so kind as to put him on."

That threw her; confusion chased across her pretty face. I think most people would have just accepted that you didn't get to talk directly to the king, but too many important things were afoot to be that polite.

Rosmerta recovered, not as quickly as you'd have thought, but finally said, "I will ask His Majesty if he could speak with you. His schedule is very full, though, so I can make no promises."

"I wouldn't ask you to make a promise on Taranis's part, Dame Rosmerta. And I'm sure his schedule is very full; but I really do need the question answered. I cannot possibly agree to the feast without an answer, and I think getting the answer directly from the king should speed things up considerably." I smiled as I spoke, mirroring her own pleasant, nearly professional smile.

"I will give him the message. He may contact you rather quickly, so may I humbly suggest that you take this time to dress and present yourself in a manner more befitting your station." She smiled while she said it, but there was a tightness around her eyes that said she wasn't sure she should have said anything. Or maybe my thoughts were showing on my face while she was speaking.

"I think that I will present myself to the king as I see fit, Rosmerta." I'd left off the Dame deliberately. She was a minor noblewoman, and I outranked her. That I gave her the courtesy of her title was just that, a courtesy. I didn't have to do it.

"I meant no disrespect, Princess Meredith." She wasn't smiling now. Her face had closed down into that icy beauty that the sidhe are so capable of.

I ignored it, because to say almost anything was to accuse her of lying. Maybe she hadn't meant to be disrespectful; maybe she just couldn't help herself. "As that may be, Dame Rosmerta, as that may be. I look forward to hearing from the king.