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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 204 из 293His hair was short and black, and just under his bangs were two long graceful antennae, as black as his hair. His eyes were large and almond-shaped, and a perfect blackness like Doyle’s, or Sage’s come to that. His skin was very white in contrast to all that darkness. The woman turned her head to gaze up at me, and she, too, had long graceful antennae. It was rare for any of the demi-fey to have antennae, but for those without wings it was doubly surprising.
The two pale oval faces stared up at me. There was a little more squareness to his jaw, a somewhat daintier curve to hers. He was a little taller than she, a little more broad of shoulder, narrow of hip, but beyond the basic differences that made them male and female, they looked identical.
“You’re twins,” I said, “Pennyroyal, Penny and Royal.” It was a custom among the demi-fey to divide a name up among twins.
He nodded. She just stared at me. They were even dressed alike in gauzy tunics of deep purple. They were both dressed in more clothing than the majority of the demi-fey. Her dress covered her from neck to knees. His tunic covered him from neck to knees, as well. I realized as I looked at the wingless ones that they were all dressed in a similar fashion. The winged fey men went for what amounted to kilts or loincloths of gauze. The women were in mini-dresses or less. Only Queen Niceven wore a gown that swept to her ankles. She was their queen, she got more clothes, but I’d never noticed the marked difference in clothing between those who had wings and those who did not.
“I have not agreed to this,” Niceven said, and came to hover at my shoulder.
“Please, Your Majesty, let me try. You do not know what it is like to be without wings, doomed to walk or ride forever.”
She crossed her arms over her thin chest. “I feel for your plight, Royal, and all of you who are so cursed, but you might get a great deal more than just wings from touching this one.” She motioned at me. “Look what has happened with the green knight.”
“Would having one of your people able to conjure such enchantments be a bad thing, Your Majesty?” he asked.
She came to hover near my face. “How can I trust you, Princess, when you have insulted me and my court so severely?”
Doyle said, “You spoke of an insult when you first arrived. You said the princess had done it. What has she done?”
Niceven turned in the air so she could see him, then moved backwards so she could see us both as she spoke. “You arrested one of my people without asking my permission. Beatrice was not sidhe, she was mine.
The two pale oval faces stared up at me. There was a little more squareness to his jaw, a somewhat daintier curve to hers. He was a little taller than she, a little more broad of shoulder, narrow of hip, but beyond the basic differences that made them male and female, they looked identical.
“You’re twins,” I said, “Pennyroyal, Penny and Royal.” It was a custom among the demi-fey to divide a name up among twins.
He nodded. She just stared at me. They were even dressed alike in gauzy tunics of deep purple. They were both dressed in more clothing than the majority of the demi-fey. Her dress covered her from neck to knees. His tunic covered him from neck to knees, as well. I realized as I looked at the wingless ones that they were all dressed in a similar fashion. The winged fey men went for what amounted to kilts or loincloths of gauze. The women were in mini-dresses or less. Only Queen Niceven wore a gown that swept to her ankles. She was their queen, she got more clothes, but I’d never noticed the marked difference in clothing between those who had wings and those who did not.
“I have not agreed to this,” Niceven said, and came to hover at my shoulder.
“Please, Your Majesty, let me try. You do not know what it is like to be without wings, doomed to walk or ride forever.”
She crossed her arms over her thin chest. “I feel for your plight, Royal, and all of you who are so cursed, but you might get a great deal more than just wings from touching this one.” She motioned at me. “Look what has happened with the green knight.”
“Would having one of your people able to conjure such enchantments be a bad thing, Your Majesty?” he asked.
She came to hover near my face. “How can I trust you, Princess, when you have insulted me and my court so severely?”
Doyle said, “You spoke of an insult when you first arrived. You said the princess had done it. What has she done?”
Niceven turned in the air so she could see him, then moved backwards so she could see us both as she spoke. “You arrested one of my people without asking my permission. Beatrice was not sidhe, she was mine.