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A Stroke Of Midnight :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 292 из 293Once I’d thought Amatheon and Onilwyn were friends, but the message was clear from all the men. They were my guards, and they weren’t entirely certain Onilwyn was one of them.
He dropped to his knees in front of me. “I have heard such rumors, Princess Meredith. If even half are true, then I can only beg forgiveness and offer myself to your service.”
“And what of Prince Cel?” I asked. “What will you do when he is free once more and demands your loyalty back?”
“My oath was to the queen, never to him.”
“You gave him your friendship, Onilwyn.”
“Prince Cel has no friends, only toadies and bed partners.”
I stared into his face, tried to read a lie there, but found none. “I don’t trust this change of heart, Onilwyn.”
“Tell me what I must do to prove that I am sincere?”
I thought, and nothing came to mind. A high, mournful scream came from behind the doors at our backs. The men who hadn’t known of Gwennin’s fate jumped or looked toward the door. Onilwyn paled. “Who is that?” he whispered.
I told him.
“Gwennin was her ally.”
“No longer,” Doyle said. “Now he is only meat.”
Onilwyn looked at the floor, and when he raised his face back up, there was something in his eyes. Something close to pain. “Cel spoke of the day he could take his mother’s place. He means to take her place in every sense of the word, Princess. He craves to have the ladies of the court as his playthings. His fantasies are darker than you can imagine, Princess Meredith. He dreams of you, Princess. He says, if his mother would have you pregnant, then it will be his seed that fills your belly.” He said that last in a voice hoarse with dread, perhaps worried how I would take the news.
“I know of my cousin’s plans for me,” I said.
Onilwyn looked surprised. “Who…”
“A friend,” I said. I answered before Doyle could finish shaking his head, telling me not to reveal that Cel’s own guard had betrayed him. I did not trust this new, more sincere Onilwyn any more than he did.
“I would be your friend, Princess.”
“You just want sex,” Galen said, and he sounded a little hostile about it.
“Yes, as all of us do, but I offer true loyalty to her now.”
“What did you offer to her before?” Amatheon asked.
“I was Cel’s spy, as you were.”
“I supported his claim to the throne. I did not spy for him.”
Onilwyn shrugged. “Have it your way, but I came for the promise of sex, and to be Cel’s eyes and ears.
He dropped to his knees in front of me. “I have heard such rumors, Princess Meredith. If even half are true, then I can only beg forgiveness and offer myself to your service.”
“And what of Prince Cel?” I asked. “What will you do when he is free once more and demands your loyalty back?”
“My oath was to the queen, never to him.”
“You gave him your friendship, Onilwyn.”
“Prince Cel has no friends, only toadies and bed partners.”
I stared into his face, tried to read a lie there, but found none. “I don’t trust this change of heart, Onilwyn.”
“Tell me what I must do to prove that I am sincere?”
I thought, and nothing came to mind. A high, mournful scream came from behind the doors at our backs. The men who hadn’t known of Gwennin’s fate jumped or looked toward the door. Onilwyn paled. “Who is that?” he whispered.
I told him.
“Gwennin was her ally.”
“No longer,” Doyle said. “Now he is only meat.”
Onilwyn looked at the floor, and when he raised his face back up, there was something in his eyes. Something close to pain. “Cel spoke of the day he could take his mother’s place. He means to take her place in every sense of the word, Princess. He craves to have the ladies of the court as his playthings. His fantasies are darker than you can imagine, Princess Meredith. He dreams of you, Princess. He says, if his mother would have you pregnant, then it will be his seed that fills your belly.” He said that last in a voice hoarse with dread, perhaps worried how I would take the news.
“I know of my cousin’s plans for me,” I said.
Onilwyn looked surprised. “Who…”
“A friend,” I said. I answered before Doyle could finish shaking his head, telling me not to reveal that Cel’s own guard had betrayed him. I did not trust this new, more sincere Onilwyn any more than he did.
“I would be your friend, Princess.”
“You just want sex,” Galen said, and he sounded a little hostile about it.
“Yes, as all of us do, but I offer true loyalty to her now.”
“What did you offer to her before?” Amatheon asked.
“I was Cel’s spy, as you were.”
“I supported his claim to the throne. I did not spy for him.”
Onilwyn shrugged. “Have it your way, but I came for the promise of sex, and to be Cel’s eyes and ears.