But I think the time has come for a different perspective, one that is innate in you. It is a problem, I have come to realize, with our Court upbringing. No one, including Elenet, has the gift you have of looking every person you encounter in the face and accepting the person behind the status. We all were raised to see servants and merchants as faceless as we pursued the high strategy. I'm half convinced this is part of the reason why the kingdom ended up in the grip of the likes of the Merindars."
I nodded, and for the first time comprehended what a relationship with him really meant for the rest of my life. "The goldenwood throne," I said. "In the letter. I thought you had it ordered for, well, someone else."
His smile was gone. "It doesn't yet exist. How could it? Though I intend for there to be one, for the duties of ruling have to begin as a partnership. Until the other night, I had no idea if I would win you or not."
"Win me," I repeated. "What a contest!"
He smiled, but continued. "I was beginning to know you through the letters, but in person you showed me that same resentful face. Life! That day you came into the alcove looking for histories, I was sitting there writing to you. What a coil!"
For the first time I laughed, though it was somewhat painful.
"But I took the risk of mentioning the throne as a somewhat desperate attempt to bridge the two. When you stopped writing and walked around for two days looking lost, it was the very first sign that I had any hope."
"Meanwhile you had all this to deal with." I waved westward, indicating the Marquise's plots.
"It was a distraction," he said with some of his old irony.
I thought about myself showing up on his trail, put there by servants who were--I realized now--doing their very best to throw us together, but with almost disastrous results. It was only his own faith that saved that situation, a faith I hadn't shared.
I looked at him, and again saw that assessing glance. "The throne won't be ordered until you give the word. You need time to decide if this is the life you want," he said. "Of all the women I know you've the least interest in rank for the sake of rank."
"The direct result of growing up a barefoot countess," I said, trying for lightness.
He smiled back, then took both my hands.
I nodded, and for the first time comprehended what a relationship with him really meant for the rest of my life. "The goldenwood throne," I said. "In the letter. I thought you had it ordered for, well, someone else."
His smile was gone. "It doesn't yet exist. How could it? Though I intend for there to be one, for the duties of ruling have to begin as a partnership. Until the other night, I had no idea if I would win you or not."
"Win me," I repeated. "What a contest!"
He smiled, but continued. "I was beginning to know you through the letters, but in person you showed me that same resentful face. Life! That day you came into the alcove looking for histories, I was sitting there writing to you. What a coil!"
For the first time I laughed, though it was somewhat painful.
"But I took the risk of mentioning the throne as a somewhat desperate attempt to bridge the two. When you stopped writing and walked around for two days looking lost, it was the very first sign that I had any hope."
"Meanwhile you had all this to deal with." I waved westward, indicating the Marquise's plots.
"It was a distraction," he said with some of his old irony.
I thought about myself showing up on his trail, put there by servants who were--I realized now--doing their very best to throw us together, but with almost disastrous results. It was only his own faith that saved that situation, a faith I hadn't shared.
I looked at him, and again saw that assessing glance. "The throne won't be ordered until you give the word. You need time to decide if this is the life you want," he said. "Of all the women I know you've the least interest in rank for the sake of rank."
"The direct result of growing up a barefoot countess," I said, trying for lightness.
He smiled back, then took both my hands.
( Sherwood Smith )
[ Court Duel ]
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