The moonlight seemed caught in the filmy net of the curtains blowing softly at the window, and the glow of those curtains provided a subtler, more perfect light than that of any’ candle.
It was very late – or to be more precise, very early.
Sparhawk had dozed off briefly, but his pale, moondrenched wife shook him awake. “None of that,’ she told him. ‘We only have this one night, and you’re not going to waste it by sleeping.’
‘Sorry,’ he apologized. ‘I’ve had a busy day.’
‘Also a busy night,’ she added with an arch little smile.
‘Did you know that you snore like a thunderstorm?’
‘It’s the broken nose, I think.’
“That may cause problems in time, love. I’m a light sleeper.’ Ehlana nestled down in his arms and sighed contentedly. ‘Oh, this is very nice,’ she said. ‘We should have got married years ago.’
‘I think your father might have objected – and if he hadn’t, Rollo certainly would have. WhatEver happened to Rollo, by the way?’
‘His stuffing all came out after my father sent you into exile. I washed him and then folded him up and put him on the top shelf in my closet. I’ll have him restuffed after our first baby is born. Poor Rollo. He saw some hard use after you were sent away. I cried all over him extensively.
He was a very soggy little animal for several months.’
‘Did you really miss me all that much?’
‘Miss you? I thought I’d die. I wanted to die, actually.’
His arms tightened around her.
%“Well now,’ she said, “why don’t we talk about that?’
He laughed. ‘Do you absolutely have to say everything that pops into your head?’
.When we’re alone, yes. I have no secrets from you, my husband.’ She remembered something. “You said you were going to tell me about that music we heard during the ceremony.’
“That was Aphrael. I’ll have to check with Sephrenia, but I rather strongly suspect that we’ve been married in more than one religion.’
‘Good. That gives me another hold on you.’
‘You don’t really need any more, you know. You’ve had me in thrall since you were about six years old.
“That’s nice,’ she said, snuggling even closer to him.
‘God knows I was trying.’ She paused. “I must say, though, that I’m getting just a bit put out with your impertinent little Styric Goddess. She always seems to be around. For all we know, she’s hovering unseen in some corner right now. ‘
She stopped suddenly and sat up in bed. “Do you suppose she might be?’ she asked with some consternation.
“I wouldn’t be surprised.’ He was deliberately teasing her.
.Sparhawk.” The pale light of the moon made it impossible to be sure, but Sparhawk strongly suspected that his We was blushing furiously.
‘Don’t concern yourself, love,’ he laughed. ‘Aphrael’s exquisitely courteous. She’d never think of intruding.’
“But we can never really be sure, can we? I’m not sure I like her. I get the feeling that she’s very much attracted to you, and I don’t much care for the notion of immortal competition. ‘
‘Don’t be absurd. She’s a child.’
“I was only about five years old the first time I saw you, Sparhawk, and I decided to marry you the minute you walked into the room.’ She slid from the bed, crossed to the glowing window and parted the gauze curtains.
The pale moonlight made her look very much like an alabaster statue.
‘Shouldn’t you put on a robe?’ he suggested. ‘You’re exposing yourself to public scrutiny, you know. ‘
“Everybody in Chyrellos has been asleep for hours now.
Besides, we’re six floors above the street. I want to look at the moon. The moon and I are very close, and I want her to know how happy I am.’
“Pagan,’ he smiled.
“I suppose I am at that,’ she admitted, ‘but all women have a peculiar attachment to the moon. She touches us in ways a man could never understand.’
Sparhawk crawled out of bed and joined her at the window. The moon was very pale and very bright, but the fact that its pale light washed out all colour concealed to some degree the ruin Martel’s siege had inflicted on the Holy City, although the smell of smoke was still very strong in the night air. The stars glittered in the sky. There was nothing really unusual about that, but they seemed especially brilliant on this night of all nights.
Ehlana pulled his arms about her and sighed. “I wonder if Mirtai’s sleeping outside my door,’ she said. “She does that, you know. Wasn’t she ravishing tonight?’
‘Oh yes. I didn’t get the chance to tell you this, but Kring’s completely overwhelmed by her. I’ve never seen a man so bowled over by love. ‘
‘At least he’s open and honest about it. I have to drag affectionate words out of you.’
‘You know that I love you, Ehlana. I always have.’
‘That’s not precisely true. When I was still carrying Rollo around, you were only mildly fond of me.’
‘It was more than that.’
.Oh, really? I saw the pained looks you used to give me when I was being childish and silly, my noble Prince Consort.’ She frowned. “That’s a very cumbersome title. When I get back to Cimmura, I think I’ll have a talk with Lenda. It seems to me there’s an empty duchy somewhere – or if there isn’t, I’ll vacate one. I’m going to dispossess a few of Annias’s henchmen anyway. How would you like to be a duke, Your Grace?’
‘Thanks all the same, Your Majesty, but I think I can forgo the encumbrance of additional titles. ‘
“But I want to give you titles.’
‘I’m sort of taken with “husband” personally.
‘Any man can be a husband.’
“But I’m the only one who’s yours.’
‘Oh, that’s very nice..Practise a bit, Sparhawk, and you might even turn into a perfect gentleman.’
‘Most of the perfect gentlemen I know are courtiers.
They’re not generally held in high regard.’
She shivered.
‘You’re cold,’ he accused. “I told you to put on a robe.’
“Why do I need a robe when I have this nice warm husband handy?’
He bent, picked her up in his arms and carried her back to the bed.
‘I’ve dreamed of this,’ she said as he gently put her on the bed, joined her and drew the covers over them. “You know something, Sparhawk?’ She snuggled down against him again. “I used to worry about this night. I thought I’d be all nervous and shy, but I’m not at all – and do you know why?’
‘No, I don’t think so.’
“I think it’s because we’ve really been married since the first moment I laid my eyes on you. All we were really doing was waiting for me to grow up so that we could formalized things.’ She kissed him lingeringly. ‘What time do you think it is?’
“A couple of hours until daylight.’
‘Good. That gives us lots more time. You are going to be careful in Zemoch, aren’t you?’
‘I’m going to do my very best.’
‘Please don’t do heroic things just to impress me, Sparhawk. I’m already impressed.’
‘I’ll be careful,’ he promised.
‘Speaking of that – do you want my ring now?’
“Why don’t you give it to me in public? Let Sarathi see us keep our part of the bargain.’
‘Was I really too terrible to him?’
‘You startled him a bit. Sarathi’s not used to dealing with women like you. I think you unnerve him, my love.’
“Do I unnerve you too, Sparhawk?’
“Not really. I raised you, after all. I’m used to your little quirks.’
“You’re really very fortunate, you know. Very few men have the opportunity to rear their own wives. That may give you something to think about on your way to Zemoch.’ Her voice quavered then, and a sudden sob escaped her. “I swore I wouldn’t do this,’ she wailed. ‘I don’t want you to remember me as being all weepy.’
‘It’s all right, Ehlana. I sort of feel the same way myself.’
‘Why does the night have to run so fast? Could this Aphrael of yours stop the sun from coming up if we asked her to? Or maybe you could do it with the Bhelliom.’
‘I don’t think anything in the world has the power to do that, Ehlana.’
“What good are they all then?’ She began to cry, and he took her into his arms and held her until the storm of her weeping had passed. Then he gently kissed her. One kiss became several, and the rest of the night passed without any further weeping.
*Chapter 20
‘But why does it have to be in public?’ Sparhawk demanded, clanking around the room to settle his armour into place.
‘It’s expected, dear,’ Ehlana replied calmly. “You’re a member of the royal family now, and you’re obliged to appear in public on occasion. You get used to it after a while.’ Ehlana, wearing a fur-trimmed blue velvet robe, sat at her dressing table.