"Greg Keyes - Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone 3 - The Blood Knight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Keyes J Gregory)

honey andтАФMuriele's favoriteтАФmaiden moons, saccharine turnovers filled with
almond paste.
"Please, please," Robert said, taking a drink of his wine and gesturing broadly at
the treats.
Muriele regarded her wine for a moment, then took a sip. Robert had no particular
reason to poison her at the moment, and if ever he did, there wasn't anything she
could do about it. Everything she ate and drank in her prison tower came ultimately
through him.
The drink was surprising, not wine at all but something with a honey taste.
"There," Robert said, setting his goblet on the table. "Lady Berrye, is it to your
liking?"
"It's very sweet," she allowed.
"A gift," Robert said. "It is an extraordinarily fine mead from HaurnrohsenтАФa
present from Berimund of Hansa."
"Berimund is very generous lately," Muriele remarked.
"And he has a high regard for you," Robert said.
"Obviously," she replied, unwilling to curb her sarcasm.
Robert drank again, then took the cup in both hands, turning it slowly between his
palms. "I noticed you enjoying the tapestries," he said, peering down into his mead.
"Do you know the man depicted here?"
"I do not."
"Hairugast Waurmslauht, the first of the house of Reiksbaurg. Some called him
the blodrauhtin, or Blood Knight, because they say that after slaying the monster, he
drank the waurm's blood and mingled it with his own. He thus partook of its
strengths, as did his every descendant. And for that reason the Reiksbaurgs have
remained strong."
"They weren't so strong when your grandfather drove them out of Crotheny,"
Muriele noted.
Robert wagged a finger at her. "But they were strong when they took the throne
away from your Lierish ancestors."
"That was a long time ago."
Again he shrugged. "Hansa is mightier now than it was then. R's all a great dance,
Muriele, a red duchess pavane. The emperor of Crotheny was Lierish, then Hansan;
now he's of Virgenyan descent. But wherever his blood comes from, he is the
emperor of Crotheny. The throne remains."
"What are you suggesting, Robert?"
He leaned onto his elbows and regarded her with an almost comically serious
expression.
"We stand on the brink of chaos, Muriele. Monsters from our darkest Black
Marys roam freely across our countryside, terrorizing our villages. Nations gird for
war, and our throne, seeming weak, presents a target few can ignore. The Church
sees heresy everywhere and hangs whole villagesтАФwhich seems hardly productive
to me, but they are, after all, among our few allies."
"Nevertheless, you are not going to give the throne over to Marcomir of Hansa,"
Muriele asserted confidently. "You've worked too hard to steal it for yourself."
"Yes, that would be silly, wouldn't it?" he agreed. "No. But I shall do what kings
often do to secure their power. I shall marry.
"And so, dear sister-in-law, shall you," he added.
"I've made myself quite clear," Muriele replied. "Murder me if you want, but I will
not marry you."