"Rawn, Melanie - Dragon Star 2 - Dragon Token" - читать интересную книгу автора (Dragon Stories)

Pol wished he could be as lucky. He lolled back in the bathЧa fresh one, his sand-sodden daughters having

done their work on the firstЧlistening to the faint sounds of drawers and hangers as Meiglan unpacked their scant belongings. Above him, the vaulted ceiling to the bathtub alcove was a dark blue canopy playfully strewn with flecks of silver. He was alone with the painted stars.

When Meiglan came in with clean clothesЧRiyan's, sent by a servantЧPol asked, "Meggie . . . what gives them the right?"

She turned from folding a shirt onto the sink counter. "Who, my lord?"

"The Vellant'im. They're destroying our world and we don't even know why." "They won't destroy it. You won't let them." "They already have. You and I ought to be at Dragon's Rest watching the snow fall."

"That world isn't lost, Pol." She sat on the edge of the tub and dipped a wedge of shaving soap into the water, rubbing it into lather. "We can go back."

"Can we? It'll never be the same. They're killing our world. What if I can't stop them? What if nothing I do is enough?"

Meiglan was quiet and still but for her quick, nervous fingers. All at once she whispered, "There's nothing you can't do. Please don't talk this way."

She had always believed in him, always trusted that everything he said and did was exactly right. If mistakes were made it was because other people had said or done the wrong things. No one else had ever looked at him with such simple, enduring faith.

"I'm sorry, love. I shouldn't be saying these things, especially to you. You have so much else to worry about." He shook water from his hair. "It's that damned ceilingЧall those stars hanging up there like answers I can't reach."

She gave him a little smile. "They'll jump down from the sky into your hands, just as in that song Lord Ka-zander sings."

He swept a finger through the soap lather and daubed bubbles on her nose, chuckling. "Do you know when I love you best, Meggie? Besides when we're in bed, that

is," he added, to make her blush. "It's when you're standing in front of your fenath, and your hands are like birds fluttering over the strings, picking each note so delicately and quickly I can barely follow. Sometimes I'm selfish enough to be jealous that other people are listening when you play."

Meiglan blinked her surprise. "PolЧI play only for you. To hear you sing."

"Do you, love? Do you forgive me that the music's gone?"

Now she looked shocked. "It's not your fault! Don't ever think any of this is your fault!"

It was exactly the opposite of what he'd been taught all his lifeЧthat as High Prince, everything was his responsibility and his faultЧbut Meiglan didn't see him as the High Prince. He was her husband, her lover, the father of her children. With remorse stabbing him, he realized he hadn't been any of those things for a long time now.

And the living Hell of it was that husband, lover, and father was all he really wanted to be. He wasn't like Rohan. He didn't want to ruleЧnot if it meant this kind of life.

And yet he was becoming very good at war. He was coming to enjoy it.

"Goddess, how I want to go home," he whispered. "Forgive me, Meggie. I know you do, too. I shouldn't even talk about it. I justЧI need to remember, sometimes. That we had a life before all this. That the world wasn't always like this."

She was quiet for a long time, quiet and still. "Pol . . . my world is you, and the life you made for us. When you weren't thereЧ" A small tremor ran through her. "I don't know anything about armies or castles at war or tending the wounded. I'm no use here. All I can do is stay out of everyone's way. But I'll try to do better, to help you. I'm High Princess now," she finished, sounding as if she said it to convince herself and had little hope of succeeding.

Churl! he accused himself. Complaining to her when

she's afraid and won't admit it because it would worry me. At least I was brought up to be High Prince from the day I was born. If it's not the way I pictured it, that's my problemЧnot hers. She's got more courage than I do.

He made himself smile. "So you are. And a fine, proud, beautiful High Princess you makeЧwith only one slight flaw. You will forgive me for observing that your grace is absolutely filthy and needs a good scrubbing."

"After you're done here, I'llЧPol!" she squealed, laughing as he pulled her into the tub with him, fully clothed.