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A Lick Of Frost :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 101 из 184She had reduced him to a red ruin for what? Forwhat! I wanted to scream it at her.
Rhys's arms tightened around me, as if he had read my intent.
"You lied about taking Rhys to your bed," she said at last.
"No," I said. "We just got off the mirror from the goblins." I wiped at my eyes and turned to face my queen. How I hated her.
"You seem a little pale and uncertain for sex, niece of mine." Her voice purred with pleasure at the effect she was having on me. Was that it, just a game to see how awful she could make me feel? Was Crystall so unimportant to her that he was just a body to use to hurt me?
"I will have Sholto fetch Rhys home. He can enchant my mirror as he enchanted yours, then he can join me, as he's always wanted to." She looked at Rhys then. She gave him the full look of those triple gray eyes. "You do still want me, don't you, Rhys?"
That was a dangerous question. Rhys spoke, carefully, "Who would not want to lie with your beauty? But you wanted Merry to be with child, and I must be here to do my duty by her, as you ordered me to do."
"And if I ordered you home?" she asked.
"You gave your oath that all the men who had come to my bed would be mine," I said. "You swore it."
"Except for Mistral. He I did not give to you to keep," she said.
"Except for Mistral," I said, voice soft, and fighting to be even.
"Would it upset you more to see Rhys stretched across my bed like this?"
Again, a dangerous question. I thought of several things to say, then settled for the truth. "Yes."
"You cannot love them all, Meredith. No woman can love them all."
"True love, no, my queen, but love them, yes. I love them because they are my people. I was taught that you take care of those who are in your charge."
"My brother's words keep haunting me from your mouth." She flung her hand up, and I think not on purpose sent blood splattering across her side of the mirror. "Sir Hugh has contacted me. There is talk that Taranis will be forced to be a sacrifice to bring life back to his people. There is talk of regicide, Meredith. Talk that the Seelie Court has suffered under his reign of madness." There was something about the way she said that last that made my stomach clench.
Frost said, "He was quite mad this morning, my queen."
"Yes, Killing Frost, yes, you are still there. Still by her side. The Seelie want me to know that they mean no insult by offering you their throne."
"Is it done then?" Frost said.
Rhys's arms tightened around me, as if he had read my intent.
"You lied about taking Rhys to your bed," she said at last.
"No," I said. "We just got off the mirror from the goblins." I wiped at my eyes and turned to face my queen. How I hated her.
"You seem a little pale and uncertain for sex, niece of mine." Her voice purred with pleasure at the effect she was having on me. Was that it, just a game to see how awful she could make me feel? Was Crystall so unimportant to her that he was just a body to use to hurt me?
"I will have Sholto fetch Rhys home. He can enchant my mirror as he enchanted yours, then he can join me, as he's always wanted to." She looked at Rhys then. She gave him the full look of those triple gray eyes. "You do still want me, don't you, Rhys?"
That was a dangerous question. Rhys spoke, carefully, "Who would not want to lie with your beauty? But you wanted Merry to be with child, and I must be here to do my duty by her, as you ordered me to do."
"And if I ordered you home?" she asked.
"You gave your oath that all the men who had come to my bed would be mine," I said. "You swore it."
"Except for Mistral. He I did not give to you to keep," she said.
"Except for Mistral," I said, voice soft, and fighting to be even.
"Would it upset you more to see Rhys stretched across my bed like this?"
Again, a dangerous question. I thought of several things to say, then settled for the truth. "Yes."
"You cannot love them all, Meredith. No woman can love them all."
"True love, no, my queen, but love them, yes. I love them because they are my people. I was taught that you take care of those who are in your charge."
"My brother's words keep haunting me from your mouth." She flung her hand up, and I think not on purpose sent blood splattering across her side of the mirror. "Sir Hugh has contacted me. There is talk that Taranis will be forced to be a sacrifice to bring life back to his people. There is talk of regicide, Meredith. Talk that the Seelie Court has suffered under his reign of madness." There was something about the way she said that last that made my stomach clench.
Frost said, "He was quite mad this morning, my queen."
"Yes, Killing Frost, yes, you are still there. Still by her side. The Seelie want me to know that they mean no insult by offering you their throne."
"Is it done then?" Frost said.