"Andre Norton & Lackey, Mercedes - Elvenbane 1 -The Elvenbane" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

"No, my lord," the overseer protested, barely able to get the words out.
Serina noted that he was trembling slightly, his hands clenched to keep from
giving himself away.

Dyran held him frozen with his eyes alone, a bird helpless in the gaze of a
deadly viper. "You would be correct to believe that Dorion prefers his
concubines to insipid little elven maids. Nevertheless, Dorion intends to do
his duty and breed an heir, however distasteful and depressing that may be.
As I did. And you have a suitable daughter. Nubile, of breeding age. Barely,
but close enough. Nubile is all that Dorion requires; frankly, I think he might
even prefer it if she were unwilling. You will wed her to Dorion, Goris. See
to it."

The overseer went white-lipped, but nodded; rose slowly and painfully to his
feet, and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Goris--"

The overseer turned, like a man caught in a nightmare, his face gray with
dread.

"See to those forge chains yourself. You have enough magic for that." The
elven lord smiled sweetly. "That is, if what you have told me is true. Barely
enough, but that will do. If you show you are willing to exert yourself on my
behalf, I might arrange for your daughter to be divorced once she breeds."

Dyran laughed as the overseer plodded to the door, his head bowed, his
shoulders sagging. Serina knew why he laughed. If Goris had "just barely"
enough magic to mend the forge chains, that meant that he would be lying
flat on his back with exhaustion for weeks afterwards, and be unable to use
what magic he did have without suffering excruciating pain for a month or
more.

As for Goris's young daughter, the elven overseer Dorion would undoubtedly
bed her as soon as he wed her, and keep bedding her lovelessly until she
conceived, then abandon her for the arms of his concubines.

Dyran reached for his wine and waited for his seneschal to bring him the
next piece of business. Serina refilled his goblet as soon as he removed his
hand from it. She had no pity for Goris's daughter. If the girl wanted to
succeed, she would have to be as ruthless as any other elven lord or lady. If
she could not manage that, she deserved what came to her.

Goris doesn't know that his forge chains were sabotaged. That was one of
the many advantages of being at Dyran's side constantly; when the damage
was first reported, Serina had been privy to the report, and to the knowledge
that they had been weakened by magic. The saboteur might even have been
Dorion; for the moment, however, Dyran chose to assume it was the work of
one of his rivals on the Council. It might well have been; that kind of