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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 197 из 293“Is this true, Hafwyn?”
The guard swallowed hard and turned around to face the queen. She dropped to one knee without being asked or told. “Yes, Queen Andais, it is true.”
“You had the ability to heal grievous wounds by touch and he forbade you to use your gift?”
Hafwyn kept her face down, but answered, “Yes.”
Andais looked at me. “She is yours, but I cannot allow you to strip Cel of all his guards. Even a queen cannot help another sidhe break their vows of loyalty and service.”
“Hafwyn breaks no vow coming to me, for she made no vow to Prince Cel. I am told that many of the prince’s guard made no new vows to Cel.”
Something passed through Doyle’s eyes that let me know he at least understood why this was worth the risk.
Andais frowned at me. “This cannot be true. Cel offered my brother’s guards a chance to join his service after Essus’s death. They made vows to serve Cel.”
Hafwyn abased herself lower on the floor, but said, “My queen, Cel told us you gave us to him. He did not ask our permission or if we wished to serve him. He told all of us that our vows had been made to a prince, and he was a prince.”
“He said you all chose to serve him,” Andais said in a voice gone hollow with surprise.
Hafwyn kept her face pressed to her hands on the floor, but she answered. “No, my queen.”
Andais looked at Biddy. “Did you give your vow to Cel?”
Biddy shook her head. “No, and he never asked for it.”
Andais turned back toward the throne. “Dogmaela, did you give oath to Prince Cel?”
“No, my queen,” she said, eyes wide, and face a little frightened.
Andais screamed, a loud, sharp, inarticulate scream that seemed to hold all her frustration. “I would never have given my brother’s guard to anyone, not even my own son. All those who did not make oath to Cel are free to choose to leave his service.”
“Are we free to offer our service where we wish?” Hafwyn asked, her head raised just enough to look up at the queen.
“Yes, but if you wish to go to the princess’s service my order stands. To serve her, you must truly serve her in the way that the guard has always served my blood and my house.”
It was Biddy who said, “Prince Essus did not force us to serve him and only him.”
Andais looked at her, and shook her head, then looked at me. “What would you do with your guards if I allowed it?”
“I would free the women of the celibacy since, as you pointed out, they cannot get me pregnant.
The guard swallowed hard and turned around to face the queen. She dropped to one knee without being asked or told. “Yes, Queen Andais, it is true.”
“You had the ability to heal grievous wounds by touch and he forbade you to use your gift?”
Hafwyn kept her face down, but answered, “Yes.”
Andais looked at me. “She is yours, but I cannot allow you to strip Cel of all his guards. Even a queen cannot help another sidhe break their vows of loyalty and service.”
“Hafwyn breaks no vow coming to me, for she made no vow to Prince Cel. I am told that many of the prince’s guard made no new vows to Cel.”
Something passed through Doyle’s eyes that let me know he at least understood why this was worth the risk.
Andais frowned at me. “This cannot be true. Cel offered my brother’s guards a chance to join his service after Essus’s death. They made vows to serve Cel.”
Hafwyn abased herself lower on the floor, but said, “My queen, Cel told us you gave us to him. He did not ask our permission or if we wished to serve him. He told all of us that our vows had been made to a prince, and he was a prince.”
“He said you all chose to serve him,” Andais said in a voice gone hollow with surprise.
Hafwyn kept her face pressed to her hands on the floor, but she answered. “No, my queen.”
Andais looked at Biddy. “Did you give your vow to Cel?”
Biddy shook her head. “No, and he never asked for it.”
Andais turned back toward the throne. “Dogmaela, did you give oath to Prince Cel?”
“No, my queen,” she said, eyes wide, and face a little frightened.
Andais screamed, a loud, sharp, inarticulate scream that seemed to hold all her frustration. “I would never have given my brother’s guard to anyone, not even my own son. All those who did not make oath to Cel are free to choose to leave his service.”
“Are we free to offer our service where we wish?” Hafwyn asked, her head raised just enough to look up at the queen.
“Yes, but if you wish to go to the princess’s service my order stands. To serve her, you must truly serve her in the way that the guard has always served my blood and my house.”
It was Biddy who said, “Prince Essus did not force us to serve him and only him.”
Andais looked at her, and shook her head, then looked at me. “What would you do with your guards if I allowed it?”
“I would free the women of the celibacy since, as you pointed out, they cannot get me pregnant.