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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 188 из 338"If your mother could only have seen his goodness, but she was blinded by the fact that he was Unseelie. I knew it would come to grief allowing herself to be part of a peace treaty. King Taranis used Besaba as chattel. It wasn't right."
"Mother wanted to wed a prince of the Seelie Court. None of them would touch her, because no matter how tall and beautiful she was, they were afraid to take her to their beds. Afraid they'd mingle their so pure blood with hers. They wouldn't sully themselves with her, not after her twin sister, Eluned, got pregnant after just one night with Artagan, trapping him in a marriage."
Gran nodded. "Your mother always thought that Eluned had ruined her chances for a Seelie marriage."
"She did," I said. "Especially after their daughter was born, and she… " I looked at Gran's face. "Looked like you." I reached out to her as I said it.
She took my hand. "I know what the Seelie think of my looks, child. I know what my other granddaughter thinks of the family likeness."
"Mother went with my father because King Taranis promised her a royal lover when she returned. Three years among the unclean, unholy, Unseelie Court, and she could come back and claim a Seelie lover. I don't think she expected to get pregnant in the first year."
"Which made the temporary arrangement permanent," Gran said.
I nodded. "That's why I'm Besaba's Bane at the Seelie Court. My birth tied her to the Unseelie Court. She always resented me for that."
Gran shook her head. "Your mother is my daughter and I love her, but she is very… confused at times about who she loves and why."
I was actually thinking that maybe my mother loved no one but her own ambition, but I didn't say it out loud. Gran was, after all, her mother.
The afternoon sun was low and heavy. "I need to check into my hotel and get dressed for the festivities."
Gran touched my arm. "You should be staying here."
"No, and you know why."
"I've put wards on my house and my grounds."
"Wards that can withstand the Queen of Air and Darkness? Or whoever else may be trying to kill me? I don't think so." I hugged Gran, and her thin arms wrapped around me, pressing me against her with a strength that should never have been held in such a delicate body.
"Have a care tonight, Merry. I could not bear to lose you."
I stroked a hand through that wonderful hair and saw over her shoulder a photograph. It was a picture of her and Uar the Cruel, her one-time husband. He was tall and muscular. They'd had to sit him in a chair and had her stand beside him.
"Mother wanted to wed a prince of the Seelie Court. None of them would touch her, because no matter how tall and beautiful she was, they were afraid to take her to their beds. Afraid they'd mingle their so pure blood with hers. They wouldn't sully themselves with her, not after her twin sister, Eluned, got pregnant after just one night with Artagan, trapping him in a marriage."
Gran nodded. "Your mother always thought that Eluned had ruined her chances for a Seelie marriage."
"She did," I said. "Especially after their daughter was born, and she… " I looked at Gran's face. "Looked like you." I reached out to her as I said it.
She took my hand. "I know what the Seelie think of my looks, child. I know what my other granddaughter thinks of the family likeness."
"Mother went with my father because King Taranis promised her a royal lover when she returned. Three years among the unclean, unholy, Unseelie Court, and she could come back and claim a Seelie lover. I don't think she expected to get pregnant in the first year."
"Which made the temporary arrangement permanent," Gran said.
I nodded. "That's why I'm Besaba's Bane at the Seelie Court. My birth tied her to the Unseelie Court. She always resented me for that."
Gran shook her head. "Your mother is my daughter and I love her, but she is very… confused at times about who she loves and why."
I was actually thinking that maybe my mother loved no one but her own ambition, but I didn't say it out loud. Gran was, after all, her mother.
The afternoon sun was low and heavy. "I need to check into my hotel and get dressed for the festivities."
Gran touched my arm. "You should be staying here."
"No, and you know why."
"I've put wards on my house and my grounds."
"Wards that can withstand the Queen of Air and Darkness? Or whoever else may be trying to kill me? I don't think so." I hugged Gran, and her thin arms wrapped around me, pressing me against her with a strength that should never have been held in such a delicate body.
"Have a care tonight, Merry. I could not bear to lose you."
I stroked a hand through that wonderful hair and saw over her shoulder a photograph. It was a picture of her and Uar the Cruel, her one-time husband. He was tall and muscular. They'd had to sit him in a chair and had her stand beside him.