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Sween Myth-tery of Life :: Asprin Robert
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"Abdication thing?" I echoed weakly.
"Sure. I knew you didn't want to be a king. If you had, you would have kept the throne back when Roddie had you pose as him. Anyway, I figured that if you didn't want it bad enough, it just might make a big enough threat to lure you into playing consort for me instead."
She made a little face.
"I know it was weak, but it was the only card I had to play. What else could I do? Threaten you? With what? Even it I managed to come up with something that would present a threat to you and that menagerie of yours, all you'd have to do is wave your hands and blink off to somewhere else. It simply wouldn't be worth the effort and expense to keep tracking you down ... no offense. Going with the abdication thing, I at least had a chance of getting you to consider marrying me ... and if nothing came of it, no harm done."
I thought of the days and nights I had been spending agonizing over my decision. Then I thought about throttling the Queen.
"No harm done," I agreed.
"So," she said, settling back in her chair, "that's that. No marriage, no abdication. At least we can still be friends, can't we?"
"Friends? "I blinked.
Even though I had met her some time back, I had never really thought of Queen Hemlock as a friend.
"Why not?" she shrugged. "If I can't have you as a consort, I'm willing to give it a try as a friend. From what I've seen, you're pretty loyal to your friends, and I'd like to have some tie to you."
"But why should that be important to you? You're a Queen, and the ruler of a fairly vast kingdom to boot."
Hemlock cocked her head at me curiously.
"You really don't know, do you Skeeve? You're quite a powerful man yourself, Skeeve. I'd much rather have you as an ally, to the kingdom and for myself, than as an enemy. If you check around, I think you'll find a lot of people who would."
That sounded remarkably like what Badaxe had pointed out to me earlier.
"Besides," the Queen added, "you're a nice guy, and I don't really have many friends. You know, people I can talk to as equals who aren't afraid of me? I think in the long run, we have more problems in common than you realize."
"Except I'm in a better position to still be able to do what I want," I finished thoughtfully.
"Don't rub it in," Hemlock said, wrinkling her nose. "Well, what do you say? Friends?"
"Friends," I smiled.
On an impulse, I took her hand and kissed it lightly, then stood holding it for a few moments.
"Abdication thing?" I echoed weakly.
"Sure. I knew you didn't want to be a king. If you had, you would have kept the throne back when Roddie had you pose as him. Anyway, I figured that if you didn't want it bad enough, it just might make a big enough threat to lure you into playing consort for me instead."
She made a little face.
"I know it was weak, but it was the only card I had to play. What else could I do? Threaten you? With what? Even it I managed to come up with something that would present a threat to you and that menagerie of yours, all you'd have to do is wave your hands and blink off to somewhere else. It simply wouldn't be worth the effort and expense to keep tracking you down ... no offense. Going with the abdication thing, I at least had a chance of getting you to consider marrying me ... and if nothing came of it, no harm done."
I thought of the days and nights I had been spending agonizing over my decision. Then I thought about throttling the Queen.
"No harm done," I agreed.
"So," she said, settling back in her chair, "that's that. No marriage, no abdication. At least we can still be friends, can't we?"
"Friends? "I blinked.
Even though I had met her some time back, I had never really thought of Queen Hemlock as a friend.
"Why not?" she shrugged. "If I can't have you as a consort, I'm willing to give it a try as a friend. From what I've seen, you're pretty loyal to your friends, and I'd like to have some tie to you."
"But why should that be important to you? You're a Queen, and the ruler of a fairly vast kingdom to boot."
Hemlock cocked her head at me curiously.
"You really don't know, do you Skeeve? You're quite a powerful man yourself, Skeeve. I'd much rather have you as an ally, to the kingdom and for myself, than as an enemy. If you check around, I think you'll find a lot of people who would."
That sounded remarkably like what Badaxe had pointed out to me earlier.
"Besides," the Queen added, "you're a nice guy, and I don't really have many friends. You know, people I can talk to as equals who aren't afraid of me? I think in the long run, we have more problems in common than you realize."
"Except I'm in a better position to still be able to do what I want," I finished thoughtfully.
"Don't rub it in," Hemlock said, wrinkling her nose. "Well, what do you say? Friends?"
"Friends," I smiled.
On an impulse, I took her hand and kissed it lightly, then stood holding it for a few moments.