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Swallowing Darkness :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 6 из 242"I get to do it."
"No," I said, "and I thought you were afraid of Taranis."
"I was, maybe I still am, but we can't let this go, Merry, we can't."
"Why? Because your pride is hurt?"
He gave me a look. "Give me more credit than that."
"I will challenge him, then," Sholto said.
"No," I said. "No one is to challenge him to a duel, or to kill him in any other way."
The three men looked at me. Doyle and Rhys knew me well enough to be speculative. They knew I had a plan. Sholto didn't know me that well yet. He was just angry.
"We can't let this insult stand, Princess. He has to pay."
"I agree," I said, "and since he brought in the human lawyers when he charged Rhys, Galen, and Abeloec with attacking one of his nobles, we use the human law. We get his DNA, and we charge him with my rape."
Sholto said, "And what, he will risk jail time? Even if he would allow himself to be put in human jail, it would not be enough punishment for what he has done to you."
"No, it's not, but it's the best we can do under the law."
"Human law," Sholto said.
"Yes, human law," I said.
"Under our laws," Doyle said, "we are within our right to challenge him and slay him."
"That works for me," Rhys said.
"I'm the one he raped. I'm the one who is about to be queen, if we can keep our enemies from killing me. I say what Taranis's punishment will be." My voice grew a little strident at the end, and I had to stop and take a breath, or two.
Doyle's face betrayed nothing. "You have thought of something, My Princess. You are already planning how this will help our cause."
"Help our court. For centuries the Unseelie Court, our court, has been painted black in the human world. If we have a public trial accusing the king of the Seelie Court of rape, we will finally convince the humans that we are not the villains of the piece," I said.
Doyle said, "Spoken like a queen."
"Like a politician," Sholto said, and not like it was a compliment.
I gave him the look he deserved. "You're a king, too, of your father's people. Would you destroy your entire kingdom for vengeance?"
He looked away, then, and there was that line to his face that showed his temper. But as moody as Sholto was, he didn't hold a candle to Frost. He had been my moody boy.
Rhys came to the bedside. He touched my hand, the one to which the IV needle was taped. "I would face the king for you, Merry. You know that."
I took my free hand and held his, and met that one blue-ringed eye.
"No," I said, "and I thought you were afraid of Taranis."
"I was, maybe I still am, but we can't let this go, Merry, we can't."
"Why? Because your pride is hurt?"
He gave me a look. "Give me more credit than that."
"I will challenge him, then," Sholto said.
"No," I said. "No one is to challenge him to a duel, or to kill him in any other way."
The three men looked at me. Doyle and Rhys knew me well enough to be speculative. They knew I had a plan. Sholto didn't know me that well yet. He was just angry.
"We can't let this insult stand, Princess. He has to pay."
"I agree," I said, "and since he brought in the human lawyers when he charged Rhys, Galen, and Abeloec with attacking one of his nobles, we use the human law. We get his DNA, and we charge him with my rape."
Sholto said, "And what, he will risk jail time? Even if he would allow himself to be put in human jail, it would not be enough punishment for what he has done to you."
"No, it's not, but it's the best we can do under the law."
"Human law," Sholto said.
"Yes, human law," I said.
"Under our laws," Doyle said, "we are within our right to challenge him and slay him."
"That works for me," Rhys said.
"I'm the one he raped. I'm the one who is about to be queen, if we can keep our enemies from killing me. I say what Taranis's punishment will be." My voice grew a little strident at the end, and I had to stop and take a breath, or two.
Doyle's face betrayed nothing. "You have thought of something, My Princess. You are already planning how this will help our cause."
"Help our court. For centuries the Unseelie Court, our court, has been painted black in the human world. If we have a public trial accusing the king of the Seelie Court of rape, we will finally convince the humans that we are not the villains of the piece," I said.
Doyle said, "Spoken like a queen."
"Like a politician," Sholto said, and not like it was a compliment.
I gave him the look he deserved. "You're a king, too, of your father's people. Would you destroy your entire kingdom for vengeance?"
He looked away, then, and there was that line to his face that showed his temper. But as moody as Sholto was, he didn't hold a candle to Frost. He had been my moody boy.
Rhys came to the bedside. He touched my hand, the one to which the IV needle was taped. "I would face the king for you, Merry. You know that."
I took my free hand and held his, and met that one blue-ringed eye.