"Jean Lorrah - Empire 02 - Dragonlord of the Savage Empire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lorrah Jean)

who had remained faithful in the face of Drakonius' attack. Then, to Lenardo's shock, she had
announced, "The portion of land southward from the border of Lilith's land, east from Wulfston's, and
west from mine I give to Lenardo."



Lenardo had asked her to cede those lands to the Aventine Empire as part of a peace treaty he hoped
to negotiate as her emissary. Instead, she had given them to him, telling him that if he chose, he could
return the lands to the Aventine Emperor. "He will take them, I guarantee it. And after that he will listen to
nothing you have to say; I guarantee that, too."



Lenardo was forced to agree. The empire allowed Readers no power; they were the only citizens
without the right to be elected to office. Only when he looked at his homeland from a new perspective
did Lenardo question the customs that had taught him not to want money or propertyтАФtokens given to
failed Readers who must leave the Academies to live among nonReaders.



But if his own empire had kept control over him, had not Aradia done so as well? The land she had
given him was surrounded on three sides by Aradia, her brother, and their closest ally. True, Lenardo
had asked her for Zendi ... but she need not have divided the conquered lands in precisely that fashion.
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On the other hand, she had left him with no border unprotected, except the southern border, which met
the walls of the empire. No rival Lord Adept could attack Lenardo without first taking one of the three
powerful Adepts whose alliance had defeated Drakonius.



Lenardo could not be certain of Aradia's motivations, for Adepts were the only people he could not
Read. She was a possessive ruler, and yet she wanted him to learn to rule: "It is the only way you will
make what you want of the world."



Lenardo fingered the wolf s-head pendant, symbol of his allegiance to Aradia. It was alabaster, carved
so that a vein of violet beneath the translucent surface formed the eyesтАФAradia's violet eyes, her pale
skin, pale hair, perfect embodiment of the symbol. He recalled her smile, at once animal-innocent and
wolf-cunning. He and Aradia shared a dream: an Academy at Zendi where Adepts and Readers would
learn to work together. As long as they shared that dream, she would not be his enemy.



Most of Lenardo's train had kept on along the road toward Zendi, Lenardo's new home. It was also an
old home to him; he had been born there, when it was still part of the Aventine Empire. Now he planned