rh.royalassassin-第74节

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ith　dirty　water。　Shrewd　rebuked　the　Fool；　who　groveled　extravagantly　and　remorselessly；　and　then　dismissed　the　woman　to　get　dry　clothes　on。　I　sprang　to　my　opportunity。
　　　　　　　She　was　scarcely　clear　of　the　room　before　I　spoke。　〃My　liege；　there　is　something　I　have　been　wishing　to　petition　you　about；　for　some　time。〃
　　　　　　　Some　note　in　my　voice　must　have　alerted　both　fool　and　king；　for　I　instantly　had　their　undivided　attention。　I　glared　at　the　Fool；　and　he　knew　plainly　I　wished　him　to　withdraw；　but　instead　he　leaned　closer；　actually　resting　his　head　against　Shrewd's　knee　as　he　simpered　at　me　infuriatingly。　I　refused　to　let　it　rattle　me。　I　looked　at　the　King　beseechingly。
　　　　　　　〃You　may　speak；　FitzChivalry；〃　he　said　formally。
　　　　　　　I　drew　a　breath。　〃My　liege；　I　would　ask　your　permission　to　marry。〃
　　　　　　　The　Fool's　eyes　grew　round　with　surprise。　But　my　king　smiled　as　indulgently　as　if　I　were　a　child　begging　a　sweetmeat。　〃So。　Finally；　it　has　e。　But　surely　you　mean　to　court　her　first？〃
　　　　　　　My　heart　was　thundering　in　my　chest。　My　king　looked　entirely　too　knowing。　But　pleased；　very　pleased。　I　dared　to　hope。　〃May　it　please　my　king；　I　fear　I　have　already　begun　to　court　her。　Yet　know　I　did　not　intend　to　do　so　presumptuously。　It　just　。。。　came　about。〃
　　　　　　　He　laughed　good…naturedly。　〃Yes。　Some　things　do。　Though　when　you　did　not　speak　out　sooner；　I　wondered　what　your　intentions　were；　and　if　the　lady　had　deceived　herself。〃
　　　　　　　My　mouth　went　dry。　I　could　not　breathe。　How　much　did　he　know？　He　smiled　at　my　terror。
　　　　　　　〃I　have　no　objections。　In　fact；　I　am　well　pleased　with　your　choice　。。。。〃
　　　　　　　The　smile　that　broke　out　on　my　face　was　amazingly　echoed　by　one　on　the　Fool's　countenance。　I　drew　a　trembling　breath；　until　Shrewd　continued；　〃But　her　father　has　reservations。　He　has　told　me　that　he　would　like　to　delay　this；　at　least　until　her　older　sisters　are　pledged。〃
　　　　　　　〃What？〃　I　could　barely　utter　the　word。　Confusion　whirled　in　me。　Shrewd　smiled　benignly。
　　　　　　　〃Your　lady；　it　seems；　is　as　good　as　her　name。　Celerity　asked　her　father　for　permission　to　court　you　the　very　day　you　left　for　Buckkeep。　I　think　you　won　her　heart　when　you　spoke　so　plainly　to　Virago。　But　Brawndy　denied　her；　for　the　reason　I　have　told　you。　I　understand　the　lady　raised　quite　a　storm　with　her　father；　but　Brawndy　is　a　firm　man。　He　did；　however；　send　word　to　us；　lest　we　take　offense。　He　wishes　us　to　know　he　has　no　opposition　to　the　match　itself；　only　to　her　preceding　her　sisters　in　marriage。　I　acceded　in　this。　She　is；　I　believe；　but　fourteen？〃
　　　　　　　I　could　not　speak。
　　　　　　　〃Do　not　look　so　distressed；　boy。　You　are　both　young；　and　there　is　plenty　of　time。　While　he　does　not　choose　to　allow　a　formal　courting　to　begin　as　yet；　I　am　sure　he　does　not　intend　that　you　shall　not　see　each　other。〃　King　Shrewd　looked　on　me　so　tolerantly；　with　so　much　kindliness　in　his　eyes。　The　Fool's　eyes　flickered　back　and　forth　between　us。　I　could　not　read　his　face。
　　　　　　　I　was　trembling；　as　I　had　not　in　months。　I　would　not　allow　this　to　continue；　to　bee　any　worse　than　it　was　already。　I　found　my　tongue；　formed　words　in　my　dry　throat。　〃My　king；　that　is　not　the　lady　I　was　considering。〃
　　　　　　　Silence　descended。　I　met　my　king's　eyes；　and　saw　his　look　change。　Had　I　not　been　so　desperate；　I　know　I　would　have　looked　aside　from　that　displeasure。　Instead　I　looked　at　him　beseechingly；　praying　he　might　understand。　When　he　did　not　speak　further；　I　attempted　to。
　　　　　　　〃My　king；　the　woman　I　speak　of　is　presently　a　lady's　maid；　but　in　her　own　right　she　is　not　a　servant。　She　is…〃
　　　　　　　〃Be　silent。〃
　　　　　　　It　could　not　have　been　sharper　if　he　had　struck　me。　I　was　still。
　　　　　　　Shrewd　looked　me　up　and　down　carefully。　When　he　spoke；　it　was　with　the　force　of　all　his　majesty。　I　thought　I　felt　even　the　pressure　of　the　Skill　in　his　voice。　〃Be　entirely　certain　of　what　I　say　to　you；　FitzChivalry。　Brawndy　is　my　friend；　as　well　as　my　duke。　Neither　he；　nor　his　daughter；　shall　be　offended　or　slighted　by　you。　At　this　time　you　shall　court　no　one。　No　one。　I　suggest　you　consider　well　all　you　are　offered　when　Brawndy　considers　you　favorably　as　a　match　for　Celerity。　He　makes　no　matter　of　your　birth。　Few　others　would　do　so。　Celerity　will　have　land　and　a　title　of　her　own。　As　will　you；　from　me；　if　you　have　the　wisdom　to　bide　your　time　and　do　well　by　the　lady。　You　will　e　to　find　that　it　is　the　wise　choice。　I　will　tell　you　when　you　may　begin　courting　her。〃
　　　　　　　I　summoned　the　last　of　my　courage。　〃My　king；　please；
　　　　　　　〃Enough；　Chivalry！　You　have　heard　my　word　on　this　subject。　There　is　no　more　to　say！〃
　　　　　　　A　short　time　later　he　dismissed　me；　and　I　went　shaking　from　his　rooms。　I　do　not　know　if　fury　or　heartbreak　were　the　force　behind　my　trembling。　I　thought　again　of　how　he　had　called　me　by　my　father's　name。　Perhaps；　I　told　myself　spitefully；　it　was　because　in　his　heart　he　knew　I　would　do　as　my　father　had　done。　I　would　wed　for　love。　Even；　I　thought　savagely；　if　I　had　to　wait　until　King　Shrewd　was　in　his　grave；　for　Verity　to　keep　his　word　to　me。　I　went　back　to　my　rooms。　To　have　wept　would　have　been　a　relief。　I　could　not　even　find　tears。　Instead　I　lay　on　my　bed　and　stared　at　the　hangings。　I　could　not　imagine　telling　Molly　what　had　just　transpired　between　my　king　and　me。　Telling　myself　that　not　to　speak　was　also　a　deception；　I　resolved　to　find　a　way　to　tell　her。　But　not　right　away。　A　time　would　e；　I　promised　myself；　a　time　when　I　could　explain　and　she　would　understand。　I　would　wait　for　it。　Until　then；　I　would　not　think　about　it。　Nor；　I　resolved　coldly；　would　I　go　to　my　king　unless　I　were　summoned。
　　　　　　　As　spring　drew　closer　Verity　arranged　his　ships　and　men　as　carefully　as　tokens　on　a　game　board。　The　watchtowers　on　the　coast　were　always　manned；　and　their　signal　fires　kept　ever　ready　for　a　torch。　Such　signal　fires　were　for　the　purpose　of　alerting　local　citizenry　that　Red…Ships　had　been　sighted。　He　took　the　remaining　members　of　the　Skill　coterie　Galen　had　fashioned　and　distributed　them　in　the　towers　and　on　the　ships。　Serene；　my　nemesis　and　heart　of　Galen's　coterie；　remained　at　Buckkeep。　Privately　I　wondered　why　Verity　used　her　there；　as　a　center　for　the　coterie；　rather　than　having　each　member　Skill　individually　to　him。　With　Galen's　death；　and　August's　forced　retirement　from　the　coterie；　Serene　had　taken　on　Galen's　post；　and　seemed　to　consider　herself　the　Skill　Master。　In　some　ways；　she　almost　became　him。　It　was　not　just　that　she　stalked　Buckkeep　in　austere　silence　and　wore　always　a　disapproving　frown。　She　seemed　to　have　acquired　his　testiness　and　foul　humor　as　well。　The　serving　folk　now　spoke　of　her　with　the　same　dread　and　distaste　they　had　once　reserved　for　Galen。　I　understood　she　had　taken　over　Galen's　personal　quarters　as　well。　I　avoided　her　assiduously　on　the　days　I　was　home。　I　would　have　been　more　relieved　if　Verity　had　placed　her　elsewhere。
　　　　　　　But　it　was　not　up　to　me　to　question　my　king…in…waiting's　decisions。
　　　　　　　Justin；　a　tall　gangly　young　man　with　two　years　on　me；　was　assigned　as　coterie　member　to　the　Rurisk。　He　had　despised　me　since　we　had　studied　the　Skill　together　and　I　had　failed　so　spectacularly　at　it。　He　snubbed　me　at　every　opportunity。　I　bit　my　tongue　and　did　my　best　not　to　encounter　him。　The　close　quarters　of　the　ship　made　that　difficult。　It　was　not　a　fortable　situation。
　　　　　　　After　great　debate；　with　himself　and　me；　Verity　placed　Carrod　aboard　the　Constance；　Burl　at　the　Neatbay　Tower；　and　sent　Will　far　north；　to　the　Red　Tower　up　in　Bearns　that　manded　such　a　wide　view　of　the　sea　as　well　as　the　surrounding　countryside。　Once　he　had　arranged　their　tokens　on　his　maps；　it　made　a　reality　of　the　pathetic　thinness　of　our　defenses。　〃It　reminds　me　of　the　old　folktale　of　the　beggar　who　had　but　a　hat　to　cover　his　nakedness；〃　I　told　Verity。　He　smiled　without　humor。
　　　　　　　〃Would　that　I　could　move　my　ships　as　swiftly　as　he　did　his　hat；〃　he　wished　grimly。
　　　　　　　Two　of　the　ships　Verity　set　to　duty　as　roving　patrol　vessels。　Two　he　kept　in　reserve；　one　docked　at　Buckkeep；　and　that　was　the　Rurisk；　while　the　Stag　anchored　in　South　Cove。　It　was　a　pitifully　small　fleet　to　protect　the　Six　Duchies'　straggling　coastline。　A　second　set　of　ships　was　being　constructed；　but　it　was　not　expected　they　would　be　finished　soon。　The　best　of　the　seasoned　wood　had　been　used　in　the　first　four　vessels；　and　his　shipwrights　cautioned　him　he　would　be　wiser。　to　wait　than　to　attempt　to　use　green　wood。　It　chafed　him；　but　he　listened　to　them。
　　　　　　　Early　spring　saw　us　practicing　drills。　The　coterie　members；　Verity　privately　told　me；　functioned　almost　as　well　as　carrier　pigeons　at　relaying　simple　messages。　His　situation　with　me　was　a　more　frustrating　one。　For　his　own　reasons；　he　had　chosen　not　to　disclose　to　anyone　his　training　of　me　in　the　Skill。　I　believe　he　was　enjoying　the　advantages　of　being　able　to　go　with　me　and　observe　and　listen　undetected　to　the　everyday　life　of　Buckkeep　Town。　I　understood　that　the　Rurisk's　master　had　been　given　word　that　I　was　to　be　heeded　if　I　requested　a　sudden　change　in　course　or　announced　that　we　were　required　at　a　certain　location　immediately。　I　fear　he　saw　this　mostly　as　Verity's　indulgence　of　his　bastard　nephew；　but　in　this　he　followed　his　orders。
　　　　　　　Then；　one　early　spring　morning；　we