And after?"
"As we discussed. Honor the Covenant. No more forced levies; tax reform; trade reestablished with the outside, minus the tariffs that went into the Merindar personal fortune. That's to start."
Bran shrugged, rubbed his hands from his jaw to through his hair, then he turned to me. "Mel?"
"I would prefer to discuss it later," I said.
"What's to discuss?" Bran said, spreading his hands.
"The little matter of the crown," Shevraeth said dryly. "If we are finished, I propose we withdraw for the evening. We are all tired and would do the better for a night's sleep."
I turned to him. "You said to Bran we can leave, whatever we decide."
He bowed.
"Good. We'll leave in the morning. First light."
Bran's jaw dropped.
"I want to go home," I said fiercely.
The Prince must have given some signal undiscernible to me, for suddenly a servant stood behind my chair, to whom Prince Alaerec said, "Please conduct the Countess to the chamber prepared for her."
I got up, said to Bran, "I'll need something to wear on the ride home."
He slewed around in his chair. "But--"
I said even more fiercely than before, "Do you really think I ought to wear home--even if it were mine, which it isn't?"
"All right." Branaric rubbed his eyes. "Curse it, I can't think for this headache on me. Maybe I'd better turn in myself."
He fell in step beside me and we were led out. I walked with as much dignity as I could muster, holding that dratted skirt out away from my feet. My shoulder blades itched; I imagined the two Renselaeuses staring, and I listened for the sound of their laughter long after we'd traversed the hall and gone up a flight of stairs.
"As we discussed. Honor the Covenant. No more forced levies; tax reform; trade reestablished with the outside, minus the tariffs that went into the Merindar personal fortune. That's to start."
Bran shrugged, rubbed his hands from his jaw to through his hair, then he turned to me. "Mel?"
"I would prefer to discuss it later," I said.
"What's to discuss?" Bran said, spreading his hands.
"The little matter of the crown," Shevraeth said dryly. "If we are finished, I propose we withdraw for the evening. We are all tired and would do the better for a night's sleep."
I turned to him. "You said to Bran we can leave, whatever we decide."
He bowed.
"Good. We'll leave in the morning. First light."
Bran's jaw dropped.
"I want to go home," I said fiercely.
The Prince must have given some signal undiscernible to me, for suddenly a servant stood behind my chair, to whom Prince Alaerec said, "Please conduct the Countess to the chamber prepared for her."
I got up, said to Bran, "I'll need something to wear on the ride home."
He slewed around in his chair. "But--"
I said even more fiercely than before, "Do you really think I ought to wear home--even if it were mine, which it isn't?"
"All right." Branaric rubbed his eyes. "Curse it, I can't think for this headache on me. Maybe I'd better turn in myself."
He fell in step beside me and we were led out. I walked with as much dignity as I could muster, holding that dratted skirt out away from my feet. My shoulder blades itched; I imagined the two Renselaeuses staring, and I listened for the sound of their laughter long after we'd traversed the hall and gone up a flight of stairs.
( Sherwood Smith )
[ Crown Duel ]
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