"Mindy L. Klasky - Glasswright Journeyman" - читать интересную книгу автора (Klasky Mindy L)

another tale."

"Mair, you're not being fair!"

"Nothing is ever fair, Rai. Your king needs you to attend him."

"It's hardly necessary тАФ "

"It's hardly necessary for you to sulk up here with your glass and your treatises. You need to
leave this tower. You need to walk down the stairs, to your own apartments. You need to put
on your mourning gown and attend your king and his guest in his apartments."

Rani sighed and shoved away all her other arguments. There had been no reason for Hal to
embarrass Rani in public. There had been no reason for him to turn his back on her, no
reason for him to treat her like a dismissed servant while he primped and preened for that
Pepper Isles lackey, for the Briantan princess.

Nevertheless, in her heart, Rani knew that Mair was right. Hal was frightened. His kingdom
needed to rebuild immediately. He needed to protect his subjects. If Hal could not, there were
too many restless border lords who would try. Border lords or foreign kings from the lands to
the east and the south, restless neighbors who would look at Morenia's troubles as a
wide-open door to opportunity.

Rani could show Hal just how wrongly he had treated her if she helped him complete his
negotiations with the Holy Father. She held on to that thought as she accompanied Mair
down the stairs. She let the Touched girl help her into her stiff gown of black mourning silk.
As Mair combed out Rani's gleaming hair, arranging it to fall straight and clean like a
maiden's, Rani reminded herself that Morenia deserved her negotiating skill.

She'd show Hal. She'd show him just how narrow minded and foolish he'd been to ignore her,
when she had only More-nia's best interest at heartтАж "Thank you." Rani managed to smile at
her friend.

"My pleasure, yer ladyship," Mair drawled, slipping back into the Touched patois of her
youth. "If ye think ye're prepared't' take on yer kingтАж"

"I'll let you know how the dinner goes."

"Oh, no!" Mair leaped for the door of Rani's chamber. "I'm coming with you."

"Mair, you said yourself that this is a private dinner, in Hal's own apartments. He won't have
time to attend to youтАФ"

"Aye, the king isn't likely to waste his time on the likes of me. But who's to say the king's men
won't spare a lady a few kind words?" Mair curtseyed deeply, lowering her gaze in a gesture
that might have been humble, if not for the carnal glint in her eyes.

"You're still after Farsobalinti?"

" 'After him' makes me sound like a bitch in heat."