"Quickening - 02 - Blood And Memory" - читать интересную книгу автора (McIntosh Fiona)

Virginity was wealth, he had counseled. More importantly, it was power. A virgin queen was an irresistible magnet for appropriate suitors. Except she wanted no husbandЕnot unless it was Koreldy.

She rubbed her tired but stubborn eyes and sat up. This would not do. Pulling on a soft robe to ward off the chill, Valentyna moved to the window and looked out toward the dark woodland she loved so much.

УIt might work,Ф she murmured as an idea gathered resonance in her thoughts. She could meet him somewhere outside of BriavelТs borders. Somewhere safe, where they could rendezvous in secret. If only she could feel his kiss just once more, it would be enough, she told herself naively, hardly believing it herself.

Her plans to meet with Romen outside of Briavel took rapid shape. She would take Fynch too. Between them they would mend friendships, renew loyalties, rekindle the flame that burned brightly between them all. She could apologize for making the hardest of decisions and she knew Romen already understood; his eyes had told her as much when they had regarded her so gently despite her harsh words. She could ask him why he had risked so much. They could set things straight between them. Her daydream had even rambled beyond to when perhaps she could find a way around the expulsion order; when time had healed and life was less precarious. Perhaps there was a chance for them in time.

УWhere are you now, Romen?Ф the Queen of Briavel whispered toward the trees, now determined to see her lover one last time, not knowing he was at this very moment just a few miles from entering her own castleТs walls.

Far sooner than she could have imagined, Valentyna would cast her eyes on Koreldy; kiss him just once more as she so desired.

LirykТs expression was grim. Beneath it anger seethed. This should not have happened. The Queen had deliberately granted life, given Koreldy the chance to make a new one elsewhere. She could have easily commanded death. There was friendship between the two, possibly more, if his intuition served him well.

He could not blame her. Who could help but fall under KoreldyТs spell?

They had emerged from the cover of the woodland that surrounded the northern rim of the palace grounds. Commander Liryk glanced to his left, where the body of the man he hardly knew but comfortably called friend lay dead in a cart, wrapped in sacking. Combined sorrow and guilt threatened to take over LirykТs checked emotion, forcing him to look away and back toward the castle.

Now they had arrived at the famous Bridge of Werryl, where past sovereigns, remembered faithfully in marble, stood proudly on either side and guided visitors into the palace. Liryk raised his hand toward the ramparts, where he knew his guards saw their fellow soldiers approaching through the light mist of dawn. The gate was up, he noticed, and he grimaced. He would have to take a hard look at security again and ensure the castle remained closed to all visitors until permission was formally granted. After ValorТs sudden death, everyone had been so careful, but more recently he had noticed a general slackening of the rules. With an assassin on the loose, who knew what could happen. Their queen must be better protected.

In the courtyard he wearily handed his horseТs reins to the stable boy and gave orders for Koreldy to be taken to the chapel and laid out. He, like his men, was tired. They had ridden through the night, determined to bring the body back as quickly as possible to ensure that the gossip fled with the evidence. It would flare and rage for a day and then hopefully be forgotten. There was no body, no sign that the grisly death had even occurred. The Forbidden FruitТs women would be entertaining in that same chamber this very nightЧno sign of the recent bloodshed in evidence. His mouth twisted at the thought. Poor Koreldy. He deserved better.

Well, no matter how tired he was now, the next hour would be his most difficult. He suspected that no matter how he counseled her, their headstrong queen would want to see the corpse for herself. He shook his head, resigned. Valentyna was an early riser. Best to go see her immediately and get this ugly business done.

Liryk made his presence known to another man he liked. Krell, the QueenТs chancellor and former servant to King Valor, was a calm and solid force among ValentynaТs advisers.

УMay I ask if it is urgent, Commander Liryk?Ф Krell said, shifting papers around his desk. УThis is quite an irregular hour to be requesting an audience.Ф

Liryk nodded. УSomething unexpected. She must be told.Ф

УBad news?Ф the Chancellor asked. LirykТs expression was enough to foreshadow the fact that this would not be a happy meeting.

Liryk would have told him everything anyway; Krell had that way of not showing unnecessary curiosity while still finding out what he felt he should know. It was a masterful skill. He was also a man to trust.

УIt is, IТm afraid. Koreldy is dead.Ф

The QueenТs servant looked up sharply from the neat piles of orderly paperwork he trawled through for his monarch. He had single-handedly eased Valentyna into her challenging role as ruler, allaying her fears, guiding her with informed skill, instinctively knowing what her father would expect. In terms of administering the realm, he was a blessing for them all and could rarely be ruffled. However, the expression on his normally well-guarded face was all shock at this moment. Liryk was convinced that Krell wanted to ask the Commander if he was quite sure but had checked himself.

Liryk confirmed it anyway. УIТve had him laid out in the chapel. I imagine the Queen will want to view the body.Ф

УIndeed. She will not be persuaded otherwise,Ф Krell replied, distracted. He walked around from his desk. УThis is dark news, Commander. IТm sorry to hear it. He was, in spite of the reason for his expulsion, a good man for BriavelЕФ

Liryk guessed that the Chancellor wanted to add that Koreldy was a good man for Valentyna as well. Instead the Chancellor held his tongue, asked him to wait. He would seek an appointment with her majesty immediately. He left Liryk alone with his bleak thoughts and fatigue.



When Liryk was shown into her study, he could see Valentyna had not slept well. Her eyes lacked their sparkle. Dark smudges beneath made them appear hollow in the much too pale skin. He wished once again he could escape this task and hoped Krell had forewarned her of the tidings.

She was wearing a satin robe and had obviously come in a hurry straight from her chambers, not caring about her state of dress, but then Valentyna never was one for vanity. He had known this fine young woman since she was newly born and she had always treated him as a kindly uncleЧshe still did, in fact. So the fact that she was in her night attire in his presence would not worry her one bit. He noticed she managed to muster a smile for him, rising above the reasons that had troubled her slumber.