"Jane Lindskold - Firekeeper Saga 3 - The Dragon of Despair" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lindskold Jane)

on the assumption that the news has not yet reached the king."

"I say," Edlin said, straightening slightly. "Why would New Kelvin's king need to keep his wedding
secret?"
All eyes turned to Grateful Peace.

"A wedding to a foreigner," the former thaumaturge replied, "would most certainly need to be kept
secret, at least until the government decided how to present the matter to the public. As you may recall
from your visit to our land, we of New Kelvin entertain a somewhat inflated view of our worth in
comparison to that of other people."

"Right-o!" Edlin said, grinning. "Sorry. Overlooked that, don't you know."

Earl Kestrel shook his head, disapproving as always of his son's casual attitude. He himself, as
Firekeeper knew, would never admit forgetting something├╣at least as long as he could pretend otherwise.

"May I continue with the business at hand, Edlin?"

"I say!" Edlin said. "Of course you can, Father! I'd be the last to stop you."

Blind Seer was the only one to snigger aloud and only Firekeeper knew the wolf was laughing.

"This news has the potential," Norvin Norwood continued, "to have severe ramifications for our entire
kingdom. Princess Sapphire is new to her position. Her mother is feared. This strengthening of Melina's
position could greatly weaken the crown princess's support. Therefore, it is important that the news reach
the king and his heirs as quickly as possible. The more time they have to prepare, the more wisely will
they react."

His pale grey gaze came to rest on Firekeeper and for the first time she understood why she had been
included in this gathering.

"Firekeeper," the earl said, "do you think you could get Elation├╣that peregrine of yours├╣to carry a packet
to the king?"

Firekeeper stiffened. She had dreaded a request like this since the winter before when Elation had
deigned to carry a report to King Allister of Bright Bay. For hundreds of years, since before the Plague
that had sent the Old World rulers back across the sea and left their colonists to fend for themselves, the
Royal Beasts had sought to hide themselves from a humanity that had initially treated with them as friends
only to later attack them as enemies.

Her own emerging from across the Iron Mountains with Blind Seer and Elation had been the beginning of
the end to that secrecy. True, few knew that the tales that were now widely told were true, not merely a
minstrel's fancy, but among those who suspected the truth were some of the most powerful men and
women in Hawk Haven. They would not hesitate to use whatever tools they might if those tools would
stay a crisis.

"No," the wolf-woman replied bluntly. "I will not. Elation will not. The Royal Beasts are not your
servants, any more than King Tedric is their servant. Why not send a pigeon?"

Duchess Kestrel answered for Earl Kestrel, who was frozen with displeasure.