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A Lick Of Frost :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 22 из 184I had realized only a day or so ago that I'd have given up everything to be with Frost and Doyle — including being queen — but for one thing: To keep these two men with me might require me to give up my birthright. And I was too much my father's daughter to let Cel have our people. But the regret in me was growing.
"Do you have a reply to the accusation, Princess Meredith?"
"My aunt is not perfect, but she loved her brother. I believe that with all my heart. If she discovered who killed him, her wrath would be the stuff of nightmares. None of her guard would have dared such a thing."
"Are you sure of that, Princess?"
"I think you might want to ask yourself, Mr. Cortez, Mr. Shelby, what King Taranis hopes to gain by this accusation. In fact, you might wonder what he might have gained from my father's death."
"Are you accusing the king of your father's murder?" Shelby asked.
"No, I am simply saying that the Seelie Court has never been a friend of my father's family. Whereas one of the queen's guard killing my father would have earned them a death by torture. I think if King Taranis could have plausible deniability of the deed, he would reward his own guard for it."
"Why would he kill Prince Essus?"
"I don't know."
"Do you believe he was behind the assassination?" Veducci asked. That fine mind was all there in those eyes.
"I didn't until now."
"What do you mean by that, Princess?" he asked.
"I mean I can't see what the king hopes to gain by the accusation against my guard. It makes no sense, and it makes me wonder what his true motives are here."
"He seeks to divide you from us," Frost said.
I looked at him, studying that handsome, arrogant face. I knew now that the cold arrogance was his mask when he was nervous. "Divide me from you how?"
"If he could plant such an ugly doubt in your mind, would you ever trust us again?"
I looked down at the table, at his pale hand on mine, my fingers against his skin. "No, I wouldn't."
"If you think about it," Frost continued, "the rape accusation is also meant to make you doubt us."
I nodded. "Maybe, but to what purpose?"
"I don't know."
"Unless he has taken leave of his senses at last," Doyle said, "he has a purpose to all of this. But I confess that I do not see what it could gain him. I do not like that we seem to be deep in a game and I do not know what we are playing."
Doyle stopped talking, and looked across the table at the lawyers. "Forgive us, please.
"Do you have a reply to the accusation, Princess Meredith?"
"My aunt is not perfect, but she loved her brother. I believe that with all my heart. If she discovered who killed him, her wrath would be the stuff of nightmares. None of her guard would have dared such a thing."
"Are you sure of that, Princess?"
"I think you might want to ask yourself, Mr. Cortez, Mr. Shelby, what King Taranis hopes to gain by this accusation. In fact, you might wonder what he might have gained from my father's death."
"Are you accusing the king of your father's murder?" Shelby asked.
"No, I am simply saying that the Seelie Court has never been a friend of my father's family. Whereas one of the queen's guard killing my father would have earned them a death by torture. I think if King Taranis could have plausible deniability of the deed, he would reward his own guard for it."
"Why would he kill Prince Essus?"
"I don't know."
"Do you believe he was behind the assassination?" Veducci asked. That fine mind was all there in those eyes.
"I didn't until now."
"What do you mean by that, Princess?" he asked.
"I mean I can't see what the king hopes to gain by the accusation against my guard. It makes no sense, and it makes me wonder what his true motives are here."
"He seeks to divide you from us," Frost said.
I looked at him, studying that handsome, arrogant face. I knew now that the cold arrogance was his mask when he was nervous. "Divide me from you how?"
"If he could plant such an ugly doubt in your mind, would you ever trust us again?"
I looked down at the table, at his pale hand on mine, my fingers against his skin. "No, I wouldn't."
"If you think about it," Frost continued, "the rape accusation is also meant to make you doubt us."
I nodded. "Maybe, but to what purpose?"
"I don't know."
"Unless he has taken leave of his senses at last," Doyle said, "he has a purpose to all of this. But I confess that I do not see what it could gain him. I do not like that we seem to be deep in a game and I do not know what we are playing."
Doyle stopped talking, and looked across the table at the lawyers. "Forgive us, please.