We reached a path just as the beat of horse hooves sounded from not far ahead. I stepped back; Flauvic looked up as two riders trotted into view.
My first reaction was blank dismay when I saw Savona and Shevraeth riding side by side. The three lords greeted one another with practiced politeness; and when the newcomers turned to me, I curtsied silently.
By the time I had realized that the very fineness of their manners was a kind of message, somehow it was agreed--amid a barrage of mutual compliments--that Flauvic's escort could be dispensed with and the two would accompany me back to the Residence. Savona swung down from his mount and took the reins in hand, falling in step on my left side. Shevraeth, too, joined me on foot, at my right. They were both informally dressed--just returning from the swordfighting practice, I realized. Meanwhile Flauvic had disappeared, as if he'd dissolved into the ground.
All my impressions and speculations resolved into one question: Why did they think I had to be accompanied? "Please don't think you have to change your direction for my sake," I said. "I'm just out wandering about, and my steps took me past Merindar House."
"And lose an opportunity to engage in converse without your usual crowd of swains?" Savona said, bowing.
"Crowd? Swains?" I repeated, then laughed. "Has the rain affected your vision? Or am I the blind one? I don't see any swains. Luckily."
A choke of laughter on my right made me realize--belatedly--that my comment could be taken as an insult. "I don't mean you two!" I added hastily and glanced up at Savona {I couldn't bring myself to look at Shevraeth}. His dark eyes narrowed in mirth.
"About your lack of swains," Savona murmured. "Deric would be desolated to hear your heartless glee."
I grinned. "I suspect he'd be desolated if I thought him half serious."
"Implying," Savona said with mendacious shock, "that I am not serious? My dear Meliara! I assure you I fell in love with you last year--the very moment I heard that you had pinched a chicken pie right from under Nenthar Debegri's twitchy nose, then rode off on his favorite mount, getting clean away from three ridings of his handpicked warriors."
Taken by surprise, I laughed out loud.
Savona gave me a look of mock consternation. "Now don't-- don't--destroy my faith in heroism by telling me it's not true."
"Oh, it's true enough, but heroic?" I scoffed. "What's so heroic about that? I was hungry! Only got one bite of the pie," I added with real regret. I was surprised again when both lords started laughing.
"And then you compounded your attractions by keeping my lazy cousin on the hop for days." He indicated Shevraeth with an airy wave of the hand.
Those memories effectively banished my mirth. For it wasn't just Galdran's bullying cousin Baron Debegri who had chased me halfway across the kingdom after my escape from Athanarel. Shevraeth had been there as well. I felt my shoulders tighten against the old embarrassment, but I tried not to show it, responding as lightly as I could. "On the contrary, it was he who kept me on the hop for days. Very long days," I said.
My first reaction was blank dismay when I saw Savona and Shevraeth riding side by side. The three lords greeted one another with practiced politeness; and when the newcomers turned to me, I curtsied silently.
By the time I had realized that the very fineness of their manners was a kind of message, somehow it was agreed--amid a barrage of mutual compliments--that Flauvic's escort could be dispensed with and the two would accompany me back to the Residence. Savona swung down from his mount and took the reins in hand, falling in step on my left side. Shevraeth, too, joined me on foot, at my right. They were both informally dressed--just returning from the swordfighting practice, I realized. Meanwhile Flauvic had disappeared, as if he'd dissolved into the ground.
All my impressions and speculations resolved into one question: Why did they think I had to be accompanied? "Please don't think you have to change your direction for my sake," I said. "I'm just out wandering about, and my steps took me past Merindar House."
"And lose an opportunity to engage in converse without your usual crowd of swains?" Savona said, bowing.
"Crowd? Swains?" I repeated, then laughed. "Has the rain affected your vision? Or am I the blind one? I don't see any swains. Luckily."
A choke of laughter on my right made me realize--belatedly--that my comment could be taken as an insult. "I don't mean you two!" I added hastily and glanced up at Savona {I couldn't bring myself to look at Shevraeth}. His dark eyes narrowed in mirth.
"About your lack of swains," Savona murmured. "Deric would be desolated to hear your heartless glee."
I grinned. "I suspect he'd be desolated if I thought him half serious."
"Implying," Savona said with mendacious shock, "that I am not serious? My dear Meliara! I assure you I fell in love with you last year--the very moment I heard that you had pinched a chicken pie right from under Nenthar Debegri's twitchy nose, then rode off on his favorite mount, getting clean away from three ridings of his handpicked warriors."
Taken by surprise, I laughed out loud.
Savona gave me a look of mock consternation. "Now don't-- don't--destroy my faith in heroism by telling me it's not true."
"Oh, it's true enough, but heroic?" I scoffed. "What's so heroic about that? I was hungry! Only got one bite of the pie," I added with real regret. I was surprised again when both lords started laughing.
"And then you compounded your attractions by keeping my lazy cousin on the hop for days." He indicated Shevraeth with an airy wave of the hand.
Those memories effectively banished my mirth. For it wasn't just Galdran's bullying cousin Baron Debegri who had chased me halfway across the kingdom after my escape from Athanarel. Shevraeth had been there as well. I felt my shoulders tighten against the old embarrassment, but I tried not to show it, responding as lightly as I could. "On the contrary, it was he who kept me on the hop for days. Very long days," I said.
( Sherwood Smith )
[ Court Duel ]
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