"Sharon Green - [ebel 01 - Rebel" - читать интересную книгу автора (Green Sharon)

тАЬThe princes should be there as well, my lady,тАЭ the servant told her, obviously thinking sheтАЩd missed the
point. тАЬSince youтАЩve been invited here for a specific purpose - тАЬ
тАЬI wasnтАЩt invited, I was ordered to come,тАЭ Adair corrected the man immediately. But she kept her tone
bland, which seemed to upset him even more. тАЬNow that IтАЩm here, for whatever reason, IтАЩll do as I think
best. If bringing me breakfast is beyond you, IтАЩll just have to do without it.тАЭ
тАЬOh, no, my lady,тАЭ the servant protested as quickly as Adair had interrupted a moment ago. тАЬMaking a
guest in this palace go hungryтАж No, no, your meal will be here in just a few moments.тАЭ
He then bowed his way out as fast as he could move, and Adair found that he hadnтАЩt been exaggerating.
In only a few minutes there was a knock on her door, and then two servants were bringing in a cart
loaded with food. She let the two men serve her at the cozy table at the side of the room, but brought her
book along to give the two no chance for more intrusive conversation.
When her meal was finished and the servants had taken the cart and gone, Adair decided to go for a
walk. There was one part of the palace she remembered fondly, and it would be the perfect place to
spend some of her time. Once out in the hall she found a set of stairs going down, and being on the
ground floor let her orient herself. The area she wanted would be that way, she thought, off to the right
and a few corridors over.
The last turn brought Adair exactly where sheтАЩd wanted to go, a small area that was still indoors but also
outdoors. A wide square in the center of the area had grass and a couple of trees, the square completely
open to the sky. Arranged around the outside of the area under the overhang of the surrounding building
were chairs and small tables, a lovely place to sit and enjoy the pretty day. Or, as it happened right now,
to sit and enjoy the rain coming down.
Adair loved rainy days, so she took a chair and made herself comfortable.
The small table next to her chair had a large bowl filled with fruit, apples, pears, oranges, and something
else she didnтАЩt recognize. Having just finished breakfast Adair wasnтАЩt in the least hungry, but she kept the
bowl of fruit in mind in case she decided against joining the others for lunch as well.
The rain was coming down fairly hard, but Adair got to watch it in peace only for a little while. No more
than twenty minutes went by, and then footsteps told her she had company.
тАЬLady Adair, how nice to see you,тАЭ a voice said, and when she turned her head Adair saw that the
newcomer was Prince Lethan, the middle brother. тАЬI usually come to this spot when I want to be alone,
but I donтАЩt mind in the least sharing the place with you.тАЭ
тАЬI notice you didnтАЩt ask whether I mind sharing, but thatтАЩs hardly a surprise,тАЭ Adair said in the most
insulting drawl she could manage. тАЬYou and your brothers do take after your fatherтАжтАЭ
тАЬYes, we do try to do as our father does, but thatтАЩs not something we consider a sin,тАЭ Lethan returned,
the teasing quality gone from his voice as he stopped between Adair and her view of the rain. тАЬMy
brothers and I happen to admire our father, and you really had no right to speak to him as you did last
night. HeтАЩs a king, your king, and no one has a right to тАУ тАЭ
тАЬA right to tell him heтАЩs doing wrong?тАЭ Adair interrupted without hesitation, ignoring the manтАЩs
annoyance. тАЬDonтАЩt you think itтАЩs about time someone tried to set him straight? I wonder how much you
would admire your father if you were female instead of male. How would you like having other people
decide what youтАЩll do with your life, giving you no chance to make your own decisions or even listen if
you tried to speak on your own behalf? Just because IтАЩm female doesnтАЩt mean I canтАЩt - тАЬ
тАЬYou canтАЩt really believe that my brothers and I are free to do as we please,тАЭ Lethan interrupted in turn
with a sound of scorn. тАЬMayne, Nallis and I may be princes, but that just means we have more
obligations than ordinary men. When our father speaks weтАЩre required to listen to him and do as he says,
because heтАЩs not only our father heтАЩs also our king. Just as heтАЩs your king.тАЭ
тАЬAs I said, once this week is over IтАЩll be leaving the kingdom, so your father isnтАЩt my king,тАЭ Adair
pointed out, pleased with the way things were going. тАЬAnd even if it somehow turned out that I had to
stay here, IтАЩd still refuse to give him the kind of respect that everyone refuses to give me. As for me
obeying your father or mine, donтАЩt make me laugh.тАЭ
LethanтАЩs expression of frustration was a lovely sight, but prudence told Adair to look away from him.