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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 194 из 293“Answer so that everyone can hear you, niece.”
I had to clear my throat to make my voice carry through the hall. “Yes, she is with child.”
A sigh of murmurs ran through the assembled nobles.
Andais smiled, as if she was satisfied with the reaction. “Did you work a spell for her, a fertility spell?”
“Yes,” I said.
The murmur grew, swelling like the sea as it sweeps toward the shore.
“I heard her husband was dying even then, is that true?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Treatments for cancer can leave a man sterile or unable to perform.”
“Sometimes,” I said.
“But you managed a spell that got a dying man to perform one last time for her?”
“Yes.”
“Who played the part of the consort to your goddess? Who was god to your goddess for this spell?”
“Galen.” I pressed his hand against my chest, as I said it.
The ocean of murmurs burst upon us in a confused babble. Cries, almost shouts. Some did not believe it. I heard at least one male voice that I could not quite place say, “That explains it.” I would ask Doyle or Frost if they recognized the voice later.
Andais looked at Kieran still standing bound at the foot of the steps. “I slew Galen’s father before I, or the noble lady who brought complaint of magical seduction, knew she was pregnant. You almost slew a warrior who had helped work magic to create life in the womb of a sidhe woman and a dying human.”
Kieran looked confused, as if he was thinking very hard. “I would say I do not believe it, but you have spoken too much truth today, my queen, for me to doubt this. And you do not like Galen enough to lie to save him.”
“We never lie, Kieran.”
He bowed. “I meant…”
“I know what you meant.” She leaned back against her chair, almost cozily, like a cat settling in. “What did Cel’s people tell you that made you agree to do this traitorous thing?”
I expected Kieran to argue, or fight her, but he simply answered. “That the green man would bring life to her.” He nodded at me, since he could not point.
Andais looked at Dormath. “And what did Siobhan tell you?”
“That the green man would return life to the land of faerie.”
Kieran’s face showed his panic. He tried to fall to his knees, I think to bow lower, but hands caught him, kept him on his feet. “That is not what I was told, my queen, I swear it. I would never destroy a chance for our court to be brought back to what we were, never.
I had to clear my throat to make my voice carry through the hall. “Yes, she is with child.”
A sigh of murmurs ran through the assembled nobles.
Andais smiled, as if she was satisfied with the reaction. “Did you work a spell for her, a fertility spell?”
“Yes,” I said.
The murmur grew, swelling like the sea as it sweeps toward the shore.
“I heard her husband was dying even then, is that true?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Treatments for cancer can leave a man sterile or unable to perform.”
“Sometimes,” I said.
“But you managed a spell that got a dying man to perform one last time for her?”
“Yes.”
“Who played the part of the consort to your goddess? Who was god to your goddess for this spell?”
“Galen.” I pressed his hand against my chest, as I said it.
The ocean of murmurs burst upon us in a confused babble. Cries, almost shouts. Some did not believe it. I heard at least one male voice that I could not quite place say, “That explains it.” I would ask Doyle or Frost if they recognized the voice later.
Andais looked at Kieran still standing bound at the foot of the steps. “I slew Galen’s father before I, or the noble lady who brought complaint of magical seduction, knew she was pregnant. You almost slew a warrior who had helped work magic to create life in the womb of a sidhe woman and a dying human.”
Kieran looked confused, as if he was thinking very hard. “I would say I do not believe it, but you have spoken too much truth today, my queen, for me to doubt this. And you do not like Galen enough to lie to save him.”
“We never lie, Kieran.”
He bowed. “I meant…”
“I know what you meant.” She leaned back against her chair, almost cozily, like a cat settling in. “What did Cel’s people tell you that made you agree to do this traitorous thing?”
I expected Kieran to argue, or fight her, but he simply answered. “That the green man would bring life to her.” He nodded at me, since he could not point.
Andais looked at Dormath. “And what did Siobhan tell you?”
“That the green man would return life to the land of faerie.”
Kieran’s face showed his panic. He tried to fall to his knees, I think to bow lower, but hands caught him, kept him on his feet. “That is not what I was told, my queen, I swear it. I would never destroy a chance for our court to be brought back to what we were, never.