"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 02 - Darkspell" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

offer of peace.тАЩ He turned in the saddle to look up at Gweniver. тАШMany a blood feudтАЩs ended with a
wedding, my lady. Take my second son for your man and rule the Wolf lands in the name of the Boar.тАЩ

тАШIтАЩd never let kin to you lay one filthy finger on me, you bastard!тАЩ Gweniver yelled at the top of her
lungs. тАШAnd what do you expect me to do, follow that false king you serve?тАЩ
 BurcanтАЩs broad face flushed in rage.

тАШI make you a vow,тАЩ he snarled. тАШIf my son doesnтАЩt have you, then no man will, and that goes for your
sister, too. IтАЩll cursed well claim your land by right of blood feud if I have to.тАЩ

тАШYou forget yourself, my lord!тАЩ Ardda snapped. тАШI forbid you to remain on temple land for another
minute. Take your men away and make no more threats to one who worships the Goddess!тАЩ

Burcan hesitated, then shrugged and turned his horse away. Yelling orders, he collected his men and
withdrew to the public road at the foot of the hill. Gweniver clenched her fists so hard that they ached as
the warband spread out in the meadow on the far side of the road, technically off the demesne that
supported the temple but in a perfect position to guard it.

тАШThey canтАЩt stay there forever,тАЩ Ardda said. тАШTheyтАЩll have to go to Dun Deverry soon to fulfill their
obligation to their king.тАЩ

тАШTrue spoken, but IтАЩll wager they stay there as long as they can.тАЩ

Leaning back against the rampart, Ardda sighed. Suddenly she looked very old, and very weary.

The civil wars had come about in this wise. Twenty-four years past, the High King died without a
male heir, and his daughter, a sickly young lass, died soon after. Each of his three sisters, however, had
sons by their high-ranking husbands, Gwerbret Cerrmor, Gwerbret Cantrae, and the Marked Prince of
the kingdom of Eldidd. By law, the throne should have passed to the son of the eldest sister, married to
Cantrae, but the gwerbret was heavily suspected of having poisoned the King and princess both to get at
the throne. Gwerbret Cerrmor worked that suspicion to claim the throne for his son, and then the prince
of Eldidd laid a further claim on the basis of his sonтАЩs doubly royal blood. Since GweniverтАЩs father never
would have declared for a foreigner from Eldidd, the Wolf clanтАЩs choice was made when the long-hated
Boars supported the Cantrae claim.

Year after year, the fighting raged around the true prize, the city of Dun Deverry, taken by one side
one summer only to fall to another a few years later. After so many sieges, Gweniver doubted if there
were much left of the Holy City to claim, but taking it was crucial to holding the kingship. All winter it had
been in Cantrae hands, but now it was spring. Everywhere across the torn kingdom the claimants to the
throne were mustering their vassals and reaffirming their alliances. Gweniver was certain that by now her
clanтАЩs allies would be in Cerrmor.

тАШSo listen, Maccy,тАЩ she said. тАШWe may have to stay here all summer, but eventually someone will bring
his war-band and get us out.тАЩ

Macla nodded miserably. They were sitting in the temple gardens, on a little bench among the rows of
carrots and cabbages. Macla, who was sixteen, was normally a pretty lass, but today her blond hair was
pulled back in an untidy knot, and her eyes were red and puffy from weeping.

тАШI just hope youтАЩre right,тАЩ Macla said at last. тАШWhat if no one thinks our lands are worth having? Even