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A Caress Of Twilight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 79 из 236Galen didn't have it in him to survive court intrigue; he just didn't.
But Doyle didn't take offense. His gaze slid from Galen to me. He arched an eyebrow, as if asking what to do.
"You act as if you are already king, Galen," I said, and it sounded harsh even to me, because I knew he was thinking no such thing. But I had to get him under control before Doyle stepped in, I had to lead here, not Doyle.
The look of astonishment on Galen's face as he turned to me was so genuine, so Galen. Almost any other of the Queen's Ravens would have been able to guard their expression better than that. His emotions had always been painted on his face.
" I don't know what you mean." And he probably didn't.
I sighed. "I gave one of my guards an order, and you have stopped him from carrying out that order. Who but a king would supercede the orders of a princess?"
Confusion chased across his face, and his hand fell slowly away from Doyle's arm. "I didn't mean it that way." His voice sounded young and unsure of itself. He was seventy years older than me, yet politically he was still a child, and always would be. Part of Galen's charm was his innocence. It was also one of his most dangerous flaws.
"Do as I bid, Doyle."
Doyle gave me the lowest and most courtly bow he'd ever given me. Then he went for the bedroom door and the mirror beyond.
Galen watched him go, then turned back to me. "Merry, please don't put yourself in that creature's power because of me."
I shook my head. "Galen, I love you, but not everyone is as inept politically as you are."
He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, my sweet, that I'll negotiate with Niceven. If what she asks is too great a price, I won't pay it. But trust me to take care of things. I won't do anything stupid, Galen."
He shook his head. "I don't like this. You don't know what Niceven's become since Queen Andais has been losing some of her hold on the court."
"If Andais lets her power slip, then others will hurry to grab it up. I know that, Galen."
"How? How do you know that, when you've been away while it's all been happening?"
I sighed again. "If Andais's power has slipped so that her own son, Cel, would plot around her, if her power has deteriorated to the point where the sluagh are being used to police her court instead of being the ultimate threat that they should be, then everyone must be scrambling to pick up the pieces. And they will do their best to keep the pieces they grab."
Galen looked at me, uncomprehending.
But Doyle didn't take offense. His gaze slid from Galen to me. He arched an eyebrow, as if asking what to do.
"You act as if you are already king, Galen," I said, and it sounded harsh even to me, because I knew he was thinking no such thing. But I had to get him under control before Doyle stepped in, I had to lead here, not Doyle.
The look of astonishment on Galen's face as he turned to me was so genuine, so Galen. Almost any other of the Queen's Ravens would have been able to guard their expression better than that. His emotions had always been painted on his face.
" I don't know what you mean." And he probably didn't.
I sighed. "I gave one of my guards an order, and you have stopped him from carrying out that order. Who but a king would supercede the orders of a princess?"
Confusion chased across his face, and his hand fell slowly away from Doyle's arm. "I didn't mean it that way." His voice sounded young and unsure of itself. He was seventy years older than me, yet politically he was still a child, and always would be. Part of Galen's charm was his innocence. It was also one of his most dangerous flaws.
"Do as I bid, Doyle."
Doyle gave me the lowest and most courtly bow he'd ever given me. Then he went for the bedroom door and the mirror beyond.
Galen watched him go, then turned back to me. "Merry, please don't put yourself in that creature's power because of me."
I shook my head. "Galen, I love you, but not everyone is as inept politically as you are."
He frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, my sweet, that I'll negotiate with Niceven. If what she asks is too great a price, I won't pay it. But trust me to take care of things. I won't do anything stupid, Galen."
He shook his head. "I don't like this. You don't know what Niceven's become since Queen Andais has been losing some of her hold on the court."
"If Andais lets her power slip, then others will hurry to grab it up. I know that, Galen."
"How? How do you know that, when you've been away while it's all been happening?"
I sighed again. "If Andais's power has slipped so that her own son, Cel, would plot around her, if her power has deteriorated to the point where the sluagh are being used to police her court instead of being the ultimate threat that they should be, then everyone must be scrambling to pick up the pieces. And they will do their best to keep the pieces they grab."
Galen looked at me, uncomprehending.