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A Kiss Of Shadows :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 237 из 338That you loved being queen more than you loved anyone or anything."
"My, you do have a long memory for eavesdropped conversations."
"You always spoke freely in front of me, Aunt, as if I were one of your dogs. You nearly drowned me when I was six. Now you're telling me that you would abdicate the throne for me. What in the land of the blessed could have changed your mind so completely?"
"Do you remember what Essus's answer to me was that night?" she asked.
I shook my head. "No, my queen."
"Essus said, 'Even if Merry never takes the throne she will be more queen than Cel will ever be a king. "
"You hit him that night," I said. "I never remembered why."
Andais nodded. "That was why."
"So you're unhappy with your son."
"That is my business," she said.
"If I let you elevate me to coheir with Cel, it will become my business." I had the cufflink in my purse. I thought about showing it to her, but I didn't. Andais had lived in denial of what Cel was, and what he was capable of, for centuries. You spoke against Cel to the queen at your peril. Besides, the cufflink could belong to one of the guards, though I couldn't fathom why, without Cel's urging, any of the guard would want me dead.
"What do you want, Meredith? What do you want that I can give you that would be worth you doing what I ask?"
She was offering me the throne. Barinthus would be so pleased. Was I pleased? "Are you so sure that the court will accept me as queen?"
"I will announce you Princess of Flesh tonight. They will be impressed."
"If they believe it," I said.
"They will if I tell them to," she said.
I looked at her, studied her face. She believed what she said. Andais overestimated herself. But such absolute arrogance was typical of the sidhe.
"Come home, Meredith, you don't belong out there among the humans."
"As you reminded me so very often, Aunt, I am part human."
"Three years ago you were content, happy. You had no plans to leave us." She settled back in her chair, watching me, letting me stand over her. "I know what Griffin did."
I met her pale gaze for a heartbeat, but couldn't sustain the look. It wasn't pity in her glance. It was the coldness in it, as if she simply wanted to see my reaction, nothing more.
"Do you really think I left the court because of Griffin?" I didn't try and keep the astonishment out of my voice. She couldn't honestly believe I'd left the court over a broken heart.
"The last fight the two of you had was very public.
"My, you do have a long memory for eavesdropped conversations."
"You always spoke freely in front of me, Aunt, as if I were one of your dogs. You nearly drowned me when I was six. Now you're telling me that you would abdicate the throne for me. What in the land of the blessed could have changed your mind so completely?"
"Do you remember what Essus's answer to me was that night?" she asked.
I shook my head. "No, my queen."
"Essus said, 'Even if Merry never takes the throne she will be more queen than Cel will ever be a king. "
"You hit him that night," I said. "I never remembered why."
Andais nodded. "That was why."
"So you're unhappy with your son."
"That is my business," she said.
"If I let you elevate me to coheir with Cel, it will become my business." I had the cufflink in my purse. I thought about showing it to her, but I didn't. Andais had lived in denial of what Cel was, and what he was capable of, for centuries. You spoke against Cel to the queen at your peril. Besides, the cufflink could belong to one of the guards, though I couldn't fathom why, without Cel's urging, any of the guard would want me dead.
"What do you want, Meredith? What do you want that I can give you that would be worth you doing what I ask?"
She was offering me the throne. Barinthus would be so pleased. Was I pleased? "Are you so sure that the court will accept me as queen?"
"I will announce you Princess of Flesh tonight. They will be impressed."
"If they believe it," I said.
"They will if I tell them to," she said.
I looked at her, studied her face. She believed what she said. Andais overestimated herself. But such absolute arrogance was typical of the sidhe.
"Come home, Meredith, you don't belong out there among the humans."
"As you reminded me so very often, Aunt, I am part human."
"Three years ago you were content, happy. You had no plans to leave us." She settled back in her chair, watching me, letting me stand over her. "I know what Griffin did."
I met her pale gaze for a heartbeat, but couldn't sustain the look. It wasn't pity in her glance. It was the coldness in it, as if she simply wanted to see my reaction, nothing more.
"Do you really think I left the court because of Griffin?" I didn't try and keep the astonishment out of my voice. She couldn't honestly believe I'd left the court over a broken heart.
"The last fight the two of you had was very public.