"Elliott,.Kate.-.Crown.Of.Stars.3.-.Burning.Stone" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elliott Kate)

could no longer count his ribs.

As the wind turned and positions shifted, Alain heard Father
Hugh's pleasant voice on the breeze. "Alas, and like some
dogs, he'll leap into any body of water if not restrained. Come,
Your Highness. This is not fitting."

Sapientia's party retreated to the woodland while the
huntsmen dealt with the kill, although some few of the ladies
with her could not resist a backward glance.

Lavastine sighed audibly. A flurry of movement came from
within the king's party as certain ridersЧmostly
womenЧmade to leave with Princess Sapientia's party while
others, including the king, began to dismount.

"Come," said Lavastine as he signaled to his attendants. "I
return now to the king. Alain, you must choose your place as
you think fit."

By this time half a dozen of Prince Sanglant's entourage had
begun to strip, to follow him into the water, and Alain saw that
the king meant to bathe as well, as if to lend royal sanction to
his son's action.

Alain felt it prudent to stay near the king, so he followed
Lavastine and in this way was able to jest with several young
lords whom he had befriended. Steadfast forged ahead, still
on a scent. She growled, and Fear padded forward to snuffle
in the grass beside her.

Where the bluff gave way to a negotiable embankment,
servants had come forward to hack through brush clinging to
the slope to make a path for the king down to the water. The
prince, waist-deep in the sluggish current, now plunged in
over his head and struck out for the opposite shore.
Upstream, the fishermen collected their baskets and made
ready to leave. They lingered to stare as the king made his
way down the embankment and left his rich clothing to the
care of his servants while he took to the cool water. The
splashing and shouting and laughter had long since drowned
out any sound of Sapientia's party as it retreated into the
forest.

"Do you mean to come in, Son?" Lavastine swung down off
his horse. As soon as the count's feet touched the ground,
Terror tried to herd the count away from a thicket of brambles
while the other hounds set up such a racket of barking that the
prince paused half out on the opposite shore to turn and see
what the commotion was, and King Henry spoke a word to an