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Swallowing Darkness :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 20 из 242You do believe that," Gran said.
"Of course," I said, and my voice was as calm as hers was growing strident.
"He would ha' killed your father at the queen's orders. He would ha' killed you."
"He was the Queen's Darkness. I know that, Gran."
"How can ya sleep with him, then? Knowing the blood that must be on his hands."
I tried to think how to say it so she would understand. Her reaction had caught me completely off guard. I didn't like that, and not just for the normal reasons that a granddaughter might not like her grandmother hating her husband-to-be. I didn't like that she had been able to hide this level of hatred from me all these years. It made me wonder what else I'd missed, what else she'd hidden.
"I could say simply that I love him, Gran, but the look on your face says that won't do. He is my Darkness now. He would kill at my orders now. He is one of the greatest warriors to ever walk the courts, and he is mine now. He is my strong right hand, my killing blow, my general. In all the courts I could not have taken a king who would have made me stronger than Doyle."
Emotions chased across her face so quickly that I couldn't follow them all. Finally, she said, "So ya took 'im to your bed because it was good politics?"
"I took him to my bed because the Queen of Air and Darkness ordered him to my bed. I never dreamed that I could part her Darkness from her side."
"How do ya know that he is nae still her creature?"
"Gran," Galen said, "are you feeling all right?"
"Ne'r better. I just want Merry to see the truth."
"And what is the truth?" Galen asked, and his voice held a tone. I studied his face, but his eyes were all for Gran. It made me study her, too. Her eyes were a little wide, her lips parted, her pulse rate up. Was it just anger, or was it something else?
"They cannae be trusted, ana of them."
"Who, Gran?" Galen asked. "Who cannot be trusted?"
"The queen's men, girl." She addressed me now. "Ya grew up knowin' the truth of that. She must see the truth." The last was whispered, and she had lost her accent. She was upset: the accent wouldn't lessen, not on its own.
"Did you see anyone from either court when you went to her home?" Doyle asked.
Galen actually thought about it before saying, "No, I didn't see anyone." He put too much emphasis on "see."
"What's wrong with her?" I asked softly.
"There be nothin' wrong with me, girl," Gran said, but her eyes were a little too wild, as if the spell, for it was a spell, was growing stronger.
"Of course," I said, and my voice was as calm as hers was growing strident.
"He would ha' killed your father at the queen's orders. He would ha' killed you."
"He was the Queen's Darkness. I know that, Gran."
"How can ya sleep with him, then? Knowing the blood that must be on his hands."
I tried to think how to say it so she would understand. Her reaction had caught me completely off guard. I didn't like that, and not just for the normal reasons that a granddaughter might not like her grandmother hating her husband-to-be. I didn't like that she had been able to hide this level of hatred from me all these years. It made me wonder what else I'd missed, what else she'd hidden.
"I could say simply that I love him, Gran, but the look on your face says that won't do. He is my Darkness now. He would kill at my orders now. He is one of the greatest warriors to ever walk the courts, and he is mine now. He is my strong right hand, my killing blow, my general. In all the courts I could not have taken a king who would have made me stronger than Doyle."
Emotions chased across her face so quickly that I couldn't follow them all. Finally, she said, "So ya took 'im to your bed because it was good politics?"
"I took him to my bed because the Queen of Air and Darkness ordered him to my bed. I never dreamed that I could part her Darkness from her side."
"How do ya know that he is nae still her creature?"
"Gran," Galen said, "are you feeling all right?"
"Ne'r better. I just want Merry to see the truth."
"And what is the truth?" Galen asked, and his voice held a tone. I studied his face, but his eyes were all for Gran. It made me study her, too. Her eyes were a little wide, her lips parted, her pulse rate up. Was it just anger, or was it something else?
"They cannae be trusted, ana of them."
"Who, Gran?" Galen asked. "Who cannot be trusted?"
"The queen's men, girl." She addressed me now. "Ya grew up knowin' the truth of that. She must see the truth." The last was whispered, and she had lost her accent. She was upset: the accent wouldn't lessen, not on its own.
"Did you see anyone from either court when you went to her home?" Doyle asked.
Galen actually thought about it before saying, "No, I didn't see anyone." He put too much emphasis on "see."
"What's wrong with her?" I asked softly.
"There be nothin' wrong with me, girl," Gran said, but her eyes were a little too wild, as if the spell, for it was a spell, was growing stronger.