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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
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“So this won’t work with just anyone?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Only with those who are truly meant to be yours.”
“Define ‘mine’?” I asked.
Doyle frowned. “I am not sure how to define it, in truth. Sometimes a fighter would come just when you needed him, and he would take oath. Sometimes it was a seeress, but they would be exactly who and what you needed to succeed at whatever quest had begun.”
“The marks only start collecting people when there’s great need,” Rhys said.
“But once marked, it cannot be undone,” Hawthorne said.
“The queen’s marks faded,” I said.
“Best not say we told you that,” Rhys said. “Not outside this room.”
“I will gladly take oath to the princess,” Adair said. He laid his helmet on the bedside table and began unfastening the armor at his hands and arms. Frost moved to help him. It was easier to get in and out of plate armor with help.
I pressed my hand to Adair’s bare forearm, but nothing happened.
“Shit,” Rhys said.
Doyle nodded. “To join Andais and prove worthy of her mark, we had to fight.”
“I do not think fighting will win them Merry’s mark,” Frost said.
“How important is it to mark them tonight?” Galen asked.
“The queen will be coming to fetch her for the call,” Frost said.
“I would feel better if we did at least one. If she lies with Adair and still his skin does not take the mark, then perhaps she has called all she needs to win.” Doyle moved to Adair’s other side to help hurry him out of his armor. Frost, after a moment, went back to working on the other side. They began dismantling Adair’s armor, exposing bits of skin and the undergarments that kept the metal from rubbing.
He looked from one to the other of them, and said, “You are jesting with me?”
“We do not jest,” Doyle said, as he and Frost undid the straps that held the cuirass. They lifted together and peeled him out of most of the ornate armor. There was still a bandage on his side where Hafwyn had conserved her magic and not healed him completely.
“I do not share Meredith lightly,” Frost said. He got the last of the armor off the other man. He began to help strip away the cut and bloodstained padding. “But what if we lose our battle because we lack one strong warrior more?” He shook his head hard enough to make his silver hair sparkle in the dim light. “I will not have my jealousy risk her safety, or the safety of my brother guards.
“So this won’t work with just anyone?” I asked.
He shook his head. “Only with those who are truly meant to be yours.”
“Define ‘mine’?” I asked.
Doyle frowned. “I am not sure how to define it, in truth. Sometimes a fighter would come just when you needed him, and he would take oath. Sometimes it was a seeress, but they would be exactly who and what you needed to succeed at whatever quest had begun.”
“The marks only start collecting people when there’s great need,” Rhys said.
“But once marked, it cannot be undone,” Hawthorne said.
“The queen’s marks faded,” I said.
“Best not say we told you that,” Rhys said. “Not outside this room.”
“I will gladly take oath to the princess,” Adair said. He laid his helmet on the bedside table and began unfastening the armor at his hands and arms. Frost moved to help him. It was easier to get in and out of plate armor with help.
I pressed my hand to Adair’s bare forearm, but nothing happened.
“Shit,” Rhys said.
Doyle nodded. “To join Andais and prove worthy of her mark, we had to fight.”
“I do not think fighting will win them Merry’s mark,” Frost said.
“How important is it to mark them tonight?” Galen asked.
“The queen will be coming to fetch her for the call,” Frost said.
“I would feel better if we did at least one. If she lies with Adair and still his skin does not take the mark, then perhaps she has called all she needs to win.” Doyle moved to Adair’s other side to help hurry him out of his armor. Frost, after a moment, went back to working on the other side. They began dismantling Adair’s armor, exposing bits of skin and the undergarments that kept the metal from rubbing.
He looked from one to the other of them, and said, “You are jesting with me?”
“We do not jest,” Doyle said, as he and Frost undid the straps that held the cuirass. They lifted together and peeled him out of most of the ornate armor. There was still a bandage on his side where Hafwyn had conserved her magic and not healed him completely.
“I do not share Meredith lightly,” Frost said. He got the last of the armor off the other man. He began to help strip away the cut and bloodstained padding. “But what if we lose our battle because we lack one strong warrior more?” He shook his head hard enough to make his silver hair sparkle in the dim light. “I will not have my jealousy risk her safety, or the safety of my brother guards.