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A Lick Of Frost :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 15 из 184Which makes them royal consorts until one of them makes me pregnant. Then that one will be king to my queen. Until the choice is made, they are all royalty in the Unseelie Court."
"The three guards who have been charged by the king should be sent back to faerie," Shelby said.
"King Taranis was so afraid that Ambassador Stevens would see that the Unseelie Court was beautiful that he put a spell on the man. A spell that forced him to see us as monstrous. A man who would do such a desperate thing would do many other desperate things."
"What do you mean, Princess?"
"To lie is to be cast out of faerie, but to be king is sometimes to be above the law."
"Are you saying these charges are falsified?" Cortez asked.
"Of course they are false."
"You would say anything to save your lovers," Shelby said.
"I am sidhe, and I am not above the law. I cannot lie."
"Is that true?" Shelby leaned down and asked Veducci.
He nodded. "It's supposed to be true, but either the princess is lying, or Lady Caitrin is lying."
Shelby looked back at me. "You cannot lie."
"I have the ability, but to do so is to run the risk of being cast out from faerie." I squeezed Doyle's hand tightly. "I just got back. I don't want to lose it all again."
"Why did you leave faerie the first time, Princess?" Shelby asked.
Biggs answered that. "That question is off limits, and outside the charges in question." The queen had probably given him a list of questions I couldn't answer.
Shelby smiled. "Very well. Is it true that the Raven guards were forced into centuries of celibacy?"
"May I ask a question before I answer that?"
"You can ask anything you like, Princess, but I may not answer."
I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Doyle's hand tightened on my shoulder. He was right — mustn't flirt, until we knew exactly how it would be perceived. I toned the smile down, and asked my question. "Did King Taranis himself say that the Ravens were forced into centuries of celibacy?"
"I've so stated," Shelby said.
"No, I mean as truth, Mr. Shelby. Please bear in mind that even a princess may be tortured for going against her queen's orders."
"You admit that they torture people at the Unseelie Court," Cortez said.
"They torture people at both courts, Mr. Cortez. Queen Andais just doesn't hide what she does, because she's not ashamed of it."
"Are you stating for the record … ?" Cortez said.
"This will be a sealed record," Biggs said, "unless it goes to court.
"The three guards who have been charged by the king should be sent back to faerie," Shelby said.
"King Taranis was so afraid that Ambassador Stevens would see that the Unseelie Court was beautiful that he put a spell on the man. A spell that forced him to see us as monstrous. A man who would do such a desperate thing would do many other desperate things."
"What do you mean, Princess?"
"To lie is to be cast out of faerie, but to be king is sometimes to be above the law."
"Are you saying these charges are falsified?" Cortez asked.
"Of course they are false."
"You would say anything to save your lovers," Shelby said.
"I am sidhe, and I am not above the law. I cannot lie."
"Is that true?" Shelby leaned down and asked Veducci.
He nodded. "It's supposed to be true, but either the princess is lying, or Lady Caitrin is lying."
Shelby looked back at me. "You cannot lie."
"I have the ability, but to do so is to run the risk of being cast out from faerie." I squeezed Doyle's hand tightly. "I just got back. I don't want to lose it all again."
"Why did you leave faerie the first time, Princess?" Shelby asked.
Biggs answered that. "That question is off limits, and outside the charges in question." The queen had probably given him a list of questions I couldn't answer.
Shelby smiled. "Very well. Is it true that the Raven guards were forced into centuries of celibacy?"
"May I ask a question before I answer that?"
"You can ask anything you like, Princess, but I may not answer."
I smiled at him, and he smiled back. Doyle's hand tightened on my shoulder. He was right — mustn't flirt, until we knew exactly how it would be perceived. I toned the smile down, and asked my question. "Did King Taranis himself say that the Ravens were forced into centuries of celibacy?"
"I've so stated," Shelby said.
"No, I mean as truth, Mr. Shelby. Please bear in mind that even a princess may be tortured for going against her queen's orders."
"You admit that they torture people at the Unseelie Court," Cortez said.
"They torture people at both courts, Mr. Cortez. Queen Andais just doesn't hide what she does, because she's not ashamed of it."
"Are you stating for the record … ?" Cortez said.
"This will be a sealed record," Biggs said, "unless it goes to court.