"Patricia Kennealy - TK 02 - The Throne of Scone" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kennealy Patricia)

chamberlain withdrew. He returned the obeisance with the curt nod of a
sovereign, concealing his distaste, and indicated that they might sit in his
presence. But they carefully waited until he had resumed his own chair before
they did so.
"My lords," murmured Elathan, freeing them to speak.
"We extend the felicitations of the Cabiri Emperor Strephon, long may he
reign, to his noble cousin of Fomor," said the emissary who seemed senior of
the two. "And, of course, the Imperium's deepest sorrow for the untimely
demise of Your Majesty's royal father, in so abhorrent a manner."
Elathan did not reply at once. "We thank our cousin Strephon for this earnest
of his sympathy and concern," he said then. "You are here to take up your
diplomatic duties, my lordтАФ?"
"I am called Emen Gaitz, Majesty," said the ambassador, looking more than a
little chagrined, for Elathan should certainly have known his name, and, the
envoy almost instantly realized, undoubtedly did . . . "May I present my
colleague Chamara?" he murmured, chastened.
"Your credentials?"
Silently Emen Gaitz extended a gold diptych to Elathan, who broke the thin
seal and gave the contents a cursory scan.
"Your Majesty will find all in order . . . We are indeed appointed duly by the
Emperor to the court of Fomor, but we have also another errand, of somewhat
more delicacy, entrusted to us by another member of the Imperial family."
Elathan, frowning slightly, set the diptych aside and leaned back in his
chair, steepling his long fingers under his chin and waiting for them to
continue.
It was Chamara who now took up the conversation. "We know well of the high
regard." he began, "in which Your Majesty of Fomor is held by His Highness
Jaun Akhera, the Imperial Heir, and, feeling certain that this regard is fully
reciprocatedтАФ" Here he faltered, for Elathan's face was
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completely devoid of expression, but he rallied and went on. "We have in any
case been instructed by Her Imperial Serenity the Princess Helior, acting for
her son Jaun Akhera, to inquire respectfully of Your Grace if you would not
deign to reconsider your position, and reopen hostilities against Keltia."
Keltia . . . The word buzzed in Elathan's ears like a bee-bird, made the room
swim before his eyes. What in the name of all gods did he have to do, to prove
to folk that he was sincere in his stated policy, that he wanted to be friends
with the Kelts, and with Aeron . . .
"The Princess Helior, no less than her son, is surely aware of the
circumstances under which I recalled my armies from the Keltic war. What could
Fomor possibly hope to gain by resuming the ill-considered fight that killed
her king?"
"Among other things, lord, vengeance for that king's death," said Emen Gaitz
eagerly. "It was Aeron Aoibhell, Keltia's own queen, who struck down your
royal father. She is now, as Your Grace knows, a common fugitive, and Jaun
Akhera holds her throneworld in the teeth of everything the Kelts can throw
against him."
"And that says much for Jaun Akhera. But that is still no good reason, in fact
no reason at all, why I should bring my armies again to a fight I had no wish