[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."Donelan shook his head."Have I told you how proud I am of you?" She held out a hand and he helped her up.The knife had made a deep cut into the leather, but had not gone through.Even so, Kiara would be bruised both from the attack and from the fall.The guards were already wrestling the attacker away.Soldiers herded the crowd back up the hill.Drummers and pipers seemed determined to drown out conversation with their music."Did you hear what he said? 'Isen-croft independent.'" Kiara shuddered."I imagine we'll find that he has ties to the divisionists.The sooner you leave for Mar-golan, the better."The rest of the evening passed uneventfully, save that the royal bodyguard was doubled.Principality arrested us with fewer guards, Kiara thought grimly.It's hard to tell the difference between being protected and being held prisoner.Donelan and Kiara agreed privately that it would be best, considering the circumstances, for both of them to keep their traditional roles in the feast.Kiara made the requisite toasts and clapped at the entertainers, but her thoughts were elsewhere.The feast ended at dawn; Kiara had never felt so relieved to see the guests depart.Maybe I'll be able to get into the spirit tomorrow for the joust, she thought.Tonight, I want nothing more than a warm brandy and a hot poultice.Donelan and Tice waited in Kiara's private sitting room while Carina attended to Kiara's injuries.Make bustled about, offering tea or cakes, and finally sitting nervously by the fire.In the privacy of Kiara's bedroom, Carina helped Kiara out of her gown.Kiara winced as she lifted her arms."You didn't tell me you were going to wear armor," Carina chided gen-tly."You didn't ask.After what happened to Jonmarc at Winterstide, I thought it might be a good idea." She managed a grin."And it felt good knowing how much I'd vex the dressmaker, covering up his creation with a cuirass!"Carina turned the cuirass over in her hands."From the strength of the blow, you'd be dead if you hadn't worn this." She let her hands slip over Kiara's shoulders and chest."No wonder you're sore.He might not have cut you, but he's broken a rib.""That explains why it hurts so much to breathe."Kiara tried not to fidget as Carina worked, knitting the broken bones and healing the deep bruise.Cerise mixed a powder into a hot cup of water and gave it to Kiara."Here.Drink this.Even with the healing, you'll be sore for a while.The bruise should be gone by the wedding, and the rib should be nearly healed.""I'd been looking forward to tonight," Kiara said, holding the warm cup close to smell the fragrant herbs."I expect everything to be different once I go to Margolan.I didn't realize that now, Isencroft is different, too."Cerise sat on the side of her bed."Times change.Nothing stays the same.""I never expected my wedding to create problems like this.It's hardly new—I've been betrothed to the heir to Margolan's throne since I was born.""But when the pact was made, we didn't know you'd be the only heir to Isencroft's throne.Originally, the marriage didn't create a joint kingdom.Years of drought and poor harvests did that.Isencroft's a proud country.We've fought Margolan in the past to remain independent.Some people see the marriage as handing over what many soldiers died to protect."Kiara sipped at the tea."Can't they see how bad things have gotten? We can't go on like this.""People see what they want to see," Donelan said from the doorway."Personally, I'm glad to see you worrying about policy.That means you're feeling better."Kiara held out a hand.Donelan leaned down and kissed her forehead."Have they learned anything from the attacker?" Kiara asked."Not as much as they hoped.Looks like he acted on his own—although he's hardly the only one to hold those ideas.""I should have reacted faster.I should have blocked him.""Even the guards didn't see it coming.Don't blame yourself.You're a fine fighter, Kiara.But you're not going to be able to rely on your skill alone.Once you and Tris are married, there'll be more than the usual pressure for an heir—especially if Tris plans to fight the rebel lord in the Southern plains.If there's truth to the rumors that Jared sired a bastard, the need for a legitimate heir will be even stronger.Excellent fighter though you are, my dear, you cannot—dare not—engage in single combat when you bear the child of the king." Donelan looked away."Tris will be more vulnerable until the child is born.Some people would profit if he were to die in battle without an heir, or without an heir of legal age.In Margolan, you won't be able to rule from behind the throne as you did in Isencroft."Kiara felt her stomach twist into a knot.We may have been safer in hiding among the vayash moru than we'll be in the open inside Shekerishet!"What of Trevath and Nargi?""Both lands have challenged Margolan's borders.Both have formidable armies.Curane's holdings are near the Trevath border.While I doubt Trevath will be so bold as to send troops to his aid, it'll be near enough that Trevath can see the strength of Margolan's troops and decide whether the time is right to strike.I doubt Tris could be victorious in a full war with Trevath just now.""And Nargi?""Nargi and Trevath agree only on their hatred of Margolan.If Trevath decides that Margolan's army is weak, an alliance between Nargi and Trevath to strike and divide the spoils would almost certainly be successful.""And if Margolan fell? What of Isencroft?"Donelan gave a short, bitter laugh."Isen-croft's fate is now tied to Margolan.Our allies are on the far side of Margolan.If Margolan falls to Nargi and Trevath, Principality, East-mark, and Dhasson would have their own share of problems.They won't rescue us.The raiders from the West or from across the Northern Sea would almost certainly return within a season.""So all our fates may turn on a single decision," Kiara said.Donelan met her eyes."Or a single arrow."CHAPTER TEN"ARE WE ready?" Lord Curane looked up at the small group that surrounded his table.In the center of the table was a large map showing the manor house of Lochlanimar and the southern plains of Margolan.Wooden markers stood where the Margolan army would soon camp.The five men looked at each other and then back and him and nodded."As ready as we'll ever be." Cathal, Lord Curane's seneschal, answered him."Except?""Sieges are unpredictable things, m'lord.Many things can go wrong.""That's what we have the mages for."Cathal pursed his lips, carefully considering his words."True enough.But it's easier to be the siege-bringer than the besieged.Once an army is encamped, our options will be limited."Curane's voice made his annoyance clear."We have provisions enough for months.The springs beneath the manor give us ample fresh water.The issue isn't our readiness—it's theirs.An army's vulnerable while it sets up camp.We can strike early and take them off.guard.The Margolan army is in tatters; its king is barely more than a boy.""He's a Summoner." General Drostan's gravelly voice commanded attention."Martris Drayke did, after all, defeat King Jared's armies and Foor Arontala.He overcame the Obsidian King and laid the spirits of the Ruune Videya forest to rest.It would be dangerous to underestimate him."Curane frowned."Mage or not, he can die.All the better if he falls before his own army, so that they can see his defeat.Once Margolan's here, we can chip away at them at our leisure.""This is business, gentlemen.Defeat the boy-king of Margolan, and Jared's son takes the throne.While he's a child, Margolan will need regents
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]