Then suddenly Tamara was before me. "But we have strayed far enough from our purpose. Come, friends. I bid you to be silent. The Countess did promise to entertain us by describing her adventures in the late war." I thought, trying to recall what she'd said--and what I'd promised. My thoughts were tangled, mixing present with memory, and finally I shook my head and looked around. Every face was turned expectantly toward me.
My vision seemed to be swimming gently. "Uh," I said.
"Mouth dry?" Tamara's voice was right behind me. "Something to wet it." She pressed a chilled goblet into my hands.
I raised it and saw Savona directly across from me, a slight frown between his brows. He glanced from me to Tamara, then I blocked him from my view as I took a deep sip of iced--bristic.
A cold burn numbed my mouth and throat, and my hand started to drop. Fingers nipped the goblet from mine before I could spill it. I realized I had been about to spill it and looked aside, wondering how I'd gotten so clumsy. My hand seemed a long way from my body.
Even farther away was Tamara's voice. "Did you really fight a duel to the death with our late king?"
"It was more of a duel to the--" I felt the room lurch as I stood up.
That was a mistake.
"A duel," I repeated slowly, "to--" I wetted my lips again. "To--burn it! I actually had a witty saying. Fer onsh…once. What's wrong with my mouth? A duel to the dust!" I giggled inanely, than noticed that no one else was laughing. I blinked, trying to see, to explain. "He knocked me outa the saddle…y'see…an' I fell in the--in the--"
Words were no longer possible, but I hardly noticed. The room had begun to revolve with gathering speed. I lost my footing and started to pitch forward, but before I could land on my face, strong hands caught my shoulders and righted me.
I blinked up into a pair of very dark eyes. "You're not well," said Savona. "I will escort you back to the Residence."
I hiccuped, then made a profound discovery. "I'm drunk," I said and, as if to prove it, was sick all over Lady Tamara's exquisite carpet.
My vision seemed to be swimming gently. "Uh," I said.
"Mouth dry?" Tamara's voice was right behind me. "Something to wet it." She pressed a chilled goblet into my hands.
I raised it and saw Savona directly across from me, a slight frown between his brows. He glanced from me to Tamara, then I blocked him from my view as I took a deep sip of iced--bristic.
A cold burn numbed my mouth and throat, and my hand started to drop. Fingers nipped the goblet from mine before I could spill it. I realized I had been about to spill it and looked aside, wondering how I'd gotten so clumsy. My hand seemed a long way from my body.
Even farther away was Tamara's voice. "Did you really fight a duel to the death with our late king?"
"It was more of a duel to the--" I felt the room lurch as I stood up.
That was a mistake.
"A duel," I repeated slowly, "to--" I wetted my lips again. "To--burn it! I actually had a witty saying. Fer onsh…once. What's wrong with my mouth? A duel to the dust!" I giggled inanely, than noticed that no one else was laughing. I blinked, trying to see, to explain. "He knocked me outa the saddle…y'see…an' I fell in the--in the--"
Words were no longer possible, but I hardly noticed. The room had begun to revolve with gathering speed. I lost my footing and started to pitch forward, but before I could land on my face, strong hands caught my shoulders and righted me.
I blinked up into a pair of very dark eyes. "You're not well," said Savona. "I will escort you back to the Residence."
I hiccuped, then made a profound discovery. "I'm drunk," I said and, as if to prove it, was sick all over Lady Tamara's exquisite carpet.
( Sherwood Smith )
[ Court Duel ]
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