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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 153 из 293She let him cup her face for an instant, then she drew away from him, and said, “Take me to the queen, take me to a cell, I care not. But take me away from him.”
Hawthorne drew her to her feet and rebound her hands, checking the knots. “What do you want me to do with her, Princess?”
“It is my right to be taken before the queen,” Kieran said.
“Yes, it is, but it is not her right. If Cel were free, then we would take her to him, but…” I shook my head, and looked away from her ravaged face. “Frost.” I buried my face against his chest. “Frost, I don’t know what to do with her.”
“Take her to a cell. Tell Ezekiel she is not to be touched until he hears further from the princess.”
“What of Kanna?”
“Take her, as well.”
“The lords?”
“Take them to the queen, see what she does with them.”
He assigned different guards to the duty. He sent Dogmaela along with the lords. She spoke to me as she pushed Kieran past me. “I am not a lover of women.”
It was such an odd comment that I just answered it, “Neither am I.”
“But Hafwyn…”
I realized then that while we’d been trying to solve the mystery of Galen’s assassination attempt, and Cel’s treachery, that she had been worrying about her virtue. She wanted to be free of Cel, but not badly enough to lie with a woman. To be free of Cel, I would have slept with things that had never even been human, and never would be. I knew a lesser evil when I saw it. Looking into Dogmaela’s face, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I still had visions of Melangell’s eyes dancing inside my head. I’d probably have nightmares about it.
“I will bed Hafwyn and anyone else who wishes to come with me, not because I am a lover of women, but because I would not leave anyone in Cel’s power if I could save them. Now take Kieran before the queen and report truthfully and fully about his crimes.”
She went, and the others went with her, two of the guard carrying the still unconscious Lord Innis between them. He left a trail of fresh blood as they vanished around the corner.
Aisling had his golden veil wrapped around his face and hair again. The bloody cut on his side was almost healed.
“You gained from using your power,” I said, my face still half-hidden against Frost’s chest.
“I gained from besting her at her own game, yes. Once she was almost a match for me.”
“She has lost much of who she was,” Frost said.
“Once she was Sweet Poison.
Hawthorne drew her to her feet and rebound her hands, checking the knots. “What do you want me to do with her, Princess?”
“It is my right to be taken before the queen,” Kieran said.
“Yes, it is, but it is not her right. If Cel were free, then we would take her to him, but…” I shook my head, and looked away from her ravaged face. “Frost.” I buried my face against his chest. “Frost, I don’t know what to do with her.”
“Take her to a cell. Tell Ezekiel she is not to be touched until he hears further from the princess.”
“What of Kanna?”
“Take her, as well.”
“The lords?”
“Take them to the queen, see what she does with them.”
He assigned different guards to the duty. He sent Dogmaela along with the lords. She spoke to me as she pushed Kieran past me. “I am not a lover of women.”
It was such an odd comment that I just answered it, “Neither am I.”
“But Hafwyn…”
I realized then that while we’d been trying to solve the mystery of Galen’s assassination attempt, and Cel’s treachery, that she had been worrying about her virtue. She wanted to be free of Cel, but not badly enough to lie with a woman. To be free of Cel, I would have slept with things that had never even been human, and never would be. I knew a lesser evil when I saw it. Looking into Dogmaela’s face, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I still had visions of Melangell’s eyes dancing inside my head. I’d probably have nightmares about it.
“I will bed Hafwyn and anyone else who wishes to come with me, not because I am a lover of women, but because I would not leave anyone in Cel’s power if I could save them. Now take Kieran before the queen and report truthfully and fully about his crimes.”
She went, and the others went with her, two of the guard carrying the still unconscious Lord Innis between them. He left a trail of fresh blood as they vanished around the corner.
Aisling had his golden veil wrapped around his face and hair again. The bloody cut on his side was almost healed.
“You gained from using your power,” I said, my face still half-hidden against Frost’s chest.
“I gained from besting her at her own game, yes. Once she was almost a match for me.”
“She has lost much of who she was,” Frost said.
“Once she was Sweet Poison.