"Sharon Green - Brat 1 - Princess Brat" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

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 Princess Brat 1

conquest of the independent kingdoms in our country. Everyone expected you to fail,
everyone but him. When you began to take the kingdoms over one after the other, he
was the first to pledge you his allegiance and backing voluntarily. Now he's a ruler under
you as High King, and seems to be delighted about that."

"Not seems to be, he really is," Derand corrected with a smile. "He also never stops
bragging about me, but has somehow managed not to alienate my brothers from either
of us. They're as strongly behind me as he is, so I owe him more than I can ever repay.
If he wants this alliance through marriage to work, I'll make sure that it does. I need a
wife to give me legitimate heirs anyway, so it might as well be the woman he chose. And
from the glimpses I've gotten over the years, she's grown up to be pretty."

"That's a help," Listan said with a thoughtful nod. "A pretty woman makes getting heirs
much more pleasant. What's she like beyond that?"

"I have no idea," Derand answered with a shrug, then gestured to the double doors they
had almost reached. "That's where I'll be meeting with King Ostrin, and I won't be long.
You and the others can either wait out here, or let them show you to a place with chairs
and refreshments. There's very little chance of our being attacked in this place."

"I'm sure you're right, but we'll still wait here," Listan said with ironbound politeness, that
protective look strong in his eyes. "Waiting won't kill us, especially since you won't be
long."

Derand simply shrugged again and nodded his agreement, knowing that argument would
be useless. Listan had certain ideas about how to protect him, and those ideas weren't
about to change. The man's inflexibility had kept Derand alive on more than one
occasion, so he'd be a fool to want to argue. Even here, where the people were all so
gentle and pleasant

The official Derand had been following paused at one of the doors, glancing back with
worry. When he saw Derand coming forward alone he seemed somewhat relieved, but
not completely. Even so, he opened both doors, stood to one side, and then cleared his
throat.

"His High Majesty, King Derand du Bahr of the Federated Kingdoms of Arvin," the man
announced, and then he bowed. Derand walked past him to look around, and the first
thing he saw was King Ostrin coming toward him. The older man was smiling broadly, the
smile Derand remembered so well from all the times he'd visited here. Ostrin was still a
handsome man with his dark red hair and light eyes, and also still seemed to be fond of
his best friend's son.

"Derand, how wonderful to see you again," Ostrin enthused, his hand outstretched as he
approached. "You've grown quite a lot in reputation since the last time you were here.
You're due congratulations for what you've accomplished, of course, and I don't mind