Hawkmistress! A DARKOVER NOVEL by Marion Zimmer Bradley

“Swordswoman Romilly – and I know what my father would say to that; he shall have no chance.”

“Under favor, Romy,” said Alderic, looking directly into her eyes, “Your father loves you and mourns you as dead; and so does your stepmother. May I beg you as your friend – and theirs, for your father has been more than kind to me – to send them word that you live.”

She smiled wryly. “Better not. I am sure my father would rather think of me dead than earning my bread by the sword, or wearing the earring of the Sisterhood.”

“I would not be quick to be too sure of that. I think, when you left Falconsward, he changed; it was not long after that, that he bowed his head to the truth and gave Darren leave to return where he was happy. You must have been blind, deaf and dumb, Romilly, if you did not know that you were the favorite of all his children, though he loves you all.”

“I know that,” Ruyven said, lowering his eyes, and his voice was strangled and harsh, “I never thought he would bend so far. I too have been harsh and stiff-necked. If we come alive from this war – Bearer of Burdens, grant that! -” he interjected in that stifled voice, “I shall go to Falconsward and be reconciled to him, and beg him to make his peace with the Towers, so that Rael may have proper training for his laran before it is too late. And if I must abase myself to him, so be it. I have been too proud.”

“And you, Romilly?” asked Alderic. “He has grieved for you so terribly that he has grown old in this single year.”

She blinked tears from her eyes. It tore at her heart to think of her father grown old. But she insisted, “Better he should think me dead, than that a daughter of his should disgrace him by wearing the earring-”

Alderic shook his head. “I cannot persuade you, but would it ease your heart to know that Mallina was married to Dom Garris at Midwinter?”

“Mallina? My little sister? To that – that disgusting lecher?’ Romilly cried, “and you say my father has changed?”

“Be not too quick to judge,” Alderic cautioned, “Garris dotes on her, and she, to all appearances, on him – even before they were wedded, she confided to me that Garris was not so bad at all, when she came to understand him; she said, the poor fellow has been so lonely and unhappy that his wretchedness drove him to all kinds of things, and now he has someone to love him and care about him, he is completely changed! You should see them together!”

“God forbid,” Romilly said, shaking her head, “but if he makes Mallina happy, better her than me!” She could not imagine how anyone could tolerate that man, but Mallina had always been something of a fool, perhaps they deserved one another! “Anyhow, Mallina would be the kind of docile and obedient wife that Garris wanted.”

Ruyven said, “You are so fond, you say, of my father; but have you yet gone to greet your own?”

“My father can willingly dispense with my company,” Alderic frowned stubbornly. “He has never sought it; he sees only my mother in my face.”

Romilly remembered what she had guessed before she left Falconsward; Alderic was Carolin’s son! And therefore, rightfully heir to all these lands….

She bowed and said, “Let me take you to your father, my prince.”

Alderic stared and laughed. “Romilly, Romilly, my young friend, if you have believed me the king’s son, better that you know now how you have misjudged me! Carolin’s sons are safely in the care of the Hastur of Carcosa, and I have heard rumors that Carolin is courting a certain leronis of Tramontana-” he smiled at Ruyven and said, “That was in the air even before you left the Tower, my friend.”

“And Domna Maura has promised to wed him, if the Council gives leave,” said Ruyven, adding grimly, “Providing any of us escape this war. Rakhal fell upon us with clingfire-arrows; we managed to fight him away, but he will rally and be upon us again, and the Bearer of Burdens knows alone what devilry of laran-work he will fling against us when next he comes! So make haste to greet your father, ‘Deric, for this is but the lull before the storm, and by this time tomorrow we may be fighting for our lives! Would you greet your Gods after death with the stain of kin-strife still upon you? For it is most likely you have come only to die at your father’s side.”

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *