ggk.asongforarbonne-第81节

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　　Roban；　watching　with　frank　curiosity；　saw　the　woman　go　pale；　even　as　the　father；　beside　her；　smiled…and　then　slowly　stopped　smiling　as　implications　came　home　to　him。　Lucianna　Delonghi　said　nothing　at　all；　her　posure　seemed　shaken　for　the　first　time　the　chancellor　could　remember。　With　a　court…bred　instinct　Roban　turned　just　then　to　look　at　Ariane；　and　saw　how　thin　her　mouth　was　as　she　watched。　A　new　twist　here；　he　thought。　I　wonder　when　that　happened？
　　〃I　begin　to　think；〃　murmured　Bertran　de　Talair；　speaking　for　the　first　time；　〃that　we　may　have　all　found　more　than　we　bargained　for　in　this　man。　I　may　yet　learn　to　fear　him。　He　has　just　taken　his　full　revenge　upon　Bosiard　d'Andoria。〃
　　It　was　true；　Roban　realized。　This　was　a　very　public　rose　of　desire　offered　to　a　married　woman　whose　husband　had　been　banned　from　the　fair　for　trying　to　have　Blaise　killed。　Everyone　in　the　pavilions　and　most　of　the　mons　would　now　be　certain　they　knew　why。　No　wonder　Massena　Delonghi　was　no　longer　smiling。　Turning　back　to　the　Portezzan　pavilion；　Roban　was　in　time　to　see　the　Gorhautian　speak　one　word　to　the　woman；　and　the　chancellor's　line　of　vision　was　clear　enough　that　he　was　very　nearly　certain　that　the　word　was　farewell。　The　revenge；　he　considered；　might　not　be　only　upon　the　husband。
　　The　herald　was　busily　crying　Lucianna　d'Andoria's　name　as　Blaise　came　back　for　the　yellow　rose。
　　He　took　it　in　both　hands；　as　he　had　held　the　other　two；　and　turned　to　the　countess　and　the　queen。　He　looked　from　one　to　the　other　and　then　said；　calmly　in　the　stillness　of　the　morning　air；　〃This　one；　if　you　will　allow；　I　shall　keep　for　a　time。　In　my　own　country　of　Gorhaut　we　speak　love　privately　before　we　declare　it　to　the　world。〃
　　And　then；　before　either　woman　could　reply；　without　any　dramatics　at　all；　he　fainted。
　　And　that；　thought　the　chancellor　of　Arbonne　sagely　as　he　motioned　urgently　for　the　healers；　is　probably　the　first　act　of　this　entire　morning　that　wasn't　meant　for　an　audience。
　　As　it　happened；　he　was　wrong。
　　
　　〃You　might　consider　fainting　if　this　goes　on　too　long　and　you　want　to　get　out　of　here；〃　Rudel　had　murmured；　not　moving　his　lips；　as　Blaise　had　taken　the　first　rose。　〃Gallant　victor　pushed　to　his　very　limits。　They'll　like　that。　〃
　　Towards　the　end；　as　he　walked　back　from　Lucianna's　pavilion；　Blaise　had　decided　that　it　was；　indeed；　going　on　too　long。　He　hadn't；　actually；　expected　to　see　real　pain　in　her　eyes。　Anger　yes；　and　perhaps　a　scornful　pride；　but　not　that　sudden　pain。
　　Following　upon　everything　else；　it　made　him　feel　extremely　strange。　He　didn't　want　to　actually　collapse；　so　he　took　Rudel's　advice　and　allowed　himself　to　seem　to　do　so；　slipping　to　the　grass　and　letting　his　eyes　fall　closed。　He　heard　voices　of　sharp　concern　about　him；　the　countess　calling　for　aid；　Bertran's　voice　guiding　the　physician　through　the　pavilion's　seats　to　where　he　lay。　Rudel　and　Valery　quickly　contrived　a　litter　to　carry　him　upon；　and　he　heard　Hirnan's　brisk；　highland　accent　clearing　a　path　as　they　bore　him　away；　out　of　the　too…bright　sun　and　the　scrutiny　of　so　many　people。　Part　of　the　way　back　towards　the　castle　Blaise　did；　in　fact；　lose　consciousness；　but　not　before　the　thought　came　to　him；　quite　unexpectedly；　along　the　momentarily　undefended　pathways　of　his　mind；　that　Rosala's　child；　Cadar；　was　almost　certainly　his　own　son。
　　
　　Most　of　the　troubadours　were　loudly；　even　wildly　expressive　in　their　enthusiasm　for　what　had　just　happened。　Even　when　En　Blaise　de　Garsenc　fell　to　the　ground　in　a　faint　it　did　not　check　their　exuberant　spirit。　Remy；　it　seemed；　had　elected　to　forget　about　his　swordspoint　encounter　with　the　man　at　Midsummer。　He　would　probably　end　up　regarding　it　as　an　early　bond　of　blood　between　the　two　of　them。　Jourdain　and　Alain　were　already　speaking　of　a　hurried　collaboration　this　afternoon；　to　have　at　least　one　song　ready　for　the　evening's　banquet　in　Barbentain。
　　〃You　don't　look　well。　What　is　it？〃　Aurelian；　of　course；　the　one　who　always　noticed；　even　in　the　midst　of　pandemonium。
　　Lisseut　managed　a　shaky　smile　for　him。　〃I　don't　much　like　this　kind　of　thing；　I've　just　discovered。〃
　　〃Neither　do　I；　and　I　learned　that　some　time　ago。　It　is　over　now。　We　can　go。〃　He　hesitated；　looking　down　at　her　thoughtfully。　〃He　will　be　all　right；　you　know。　I　saw　the　physician　and　a　priestess　ing　over。〃
　　〃I　did　too。　I'm　sure　he's　all　right。〃　She　was　aware　that　there　was　an　expression　of　knowledge　on　his　part　in　what　he　had　just　said；　and　an　admission　in　her　brief　reply。　She　didn't　care。　He　had　given　out　the　white　rose　to　his　brother's　wife；　and　the　red　to　Lucianna　Delonghi；　who　was　as　beautiful　as　Aurelian　had　said　she　was。　He　had　kept　the　yellow　one。
　　Beside　her；　Aurelian　was　silent　for　a　moment。　She　saw　some　children　running　about　on　the　grass　now；　play…acting　battles。　People　were　beginning　to　leave　their　pavilion　and　all　the　others；　joining　the　milling；　feverish　crowd。　The　inns　were　about　to　bee　extremely　busy　in　Lussan。
　　〃And　you；　my　dear？〃　Aurelian　asked　finally。　〃Will　you　be　all　right？〃
　　〃I　don't　know；〃　she　answered；　truthfully。
　　
　　CHAPTER　14
　　The　blue　moon　is　full　tonight；　Ranald　realizes　belatedly；　lending　its　strange　luminosity　to　the　trees　and　rocks　of　the　mountain　pass。　The　creatures　of　the　otherworld　are　rumoured　to　be　able　to　move　between　their　own　land　and　this　one　on　nights　when　Escoran　is　full。　The　mountains；　in　the　shepherds'　tales；　are　the　haunts　of　many　of　them：　ethereal　creatures　the　size　of　flowers；　hairy；　great…footed　monsters　who　can　seize　and　devour　an　unwary　horse　and　rider　and　leave　nothing　but　bones　for　the　morning　sun　to　find；　or　the　spirits　who　steal　babies　from　their　cradles　by　the　fire　and　take　them　away　under　barrow　and　hill　forever。
　　Ranald　tries；　again；　to　decide　exactly　why　he　is　so　unhappy　to　be　here。　He　likes　hunting；　and　night　certainly　holds　no　terrors　for　him；　especially　not　in　the　pany　of　fifty　of　the　king's　best　men。　In　a　sense　this　is　simply　a　larger；　more　wide…ranging　hunt。
　　In　another　sense；　a　more　honest　one；　it　is　no　such　thing　at　all。
　　He　looks　over　to　his　left　and　stares　for　a　long　moment　at　the　grim　profile　of　the　only　man　who　seems　even　less　pleased　than　he　to　be　here。　Fulk　de　Savaric　had　the　misfortune　to　be　paying　one　of　his　rare　visits　to　Cortil　when　the　message　came　of　his　sister's　flight　and　the　king　decided　that　same　evening　to　ride。　Ademar　had　made　it　clear　that　the　dukes　of　Garsenc　and　Savaric　were　not　merely　being　given　the　opportunity　to　join　his　pany。　They　were　expected　to　do　so。　Loyalty；　the　message　was　explicit；　was　very　much　at　issue　on　this　ride。
　　For　two　days　and　a　night；　with　a　second　night　upon　them　now；　they　have　been　in　the　saddle；　changing　horses　three　times；　eating　at　speed　and　usually　at　a　gallop。　Ranald　has　never　seen　King　Ademar　like　this；　so　intense；　so　focused　in　his　rage。
　　This；　he　decides；　is　probably　what　is　disturbing　him　most。　That　the　king　is　visibly　so　much　more　incensed　than　he　himself　by　Rosala's　flight　with　the　child。　It　is　almost　as　if　she　fled　from　Ademar　and　not　Ranald。　In　some　ways　that　might　even　be　true。　Not　that　he　harbours　illusions　about　the　strength　of　his　relationship　with　his　wife；　but　Ranald　does　wonder；　almost　wistfully；　if　she　would　have　risked　so　much；　including　the　life　of　the　unborn　child；　just　to　leave　Garsenc　and　his　own　pany　if　his　father　and　the　king　had　not　also　been　part　of　the　picture。　Large　parts；　both　of　them；　with　Galbert　threatening　to　take　the　babe；　and　Ademar　threatening　。。。　what？　A　seduction　of　the　wife　of　the　most　powerful　duke　in　the　country？　A　ravishing　of　her　if　she　proved　unwilling？
　　It　seems；　on　the　evidence；　that　she　has　indeed　proven　unwilling；　has　chosen　the　astonishing；　surely　terrifying　option　of　flight　alone　to　another　country　rather　than　trust　her　husband　to　guard　and　shelter　her　from　his　father　and　their　king。　And　what；　he　wonders；　whether　one　considers　it　by　the　light　of　day　or　the　blue　shining　of　this　moon；　do　all　these　things　say　about　the　character　and　strength　of　Ranald；　duke　of　Garsenc；　who　is　even　now　riding；　however　unwillingly；　in　the　wake　of　his　king　across　the　mountain　pass　towards　a　slaughter　in　Arbonne？
　　In　the　end　it　is　precisely　as　easy　as　any　experienced　soldier　might　have　predicted　it　would　be。　The　three　Arbonnais　corans　in　the　watch…tower　on　the　southern　slopes　of　the　range　are　accustomed　to　traffic　from　the　north　during　the　month　of　the　Lussan　Fair；　and　utterly　confident…as　they　have　every　right　to　be…of　the　truce　that　always　acpanies　a　fair。
　　Ademar　halts　his　full　pany　out　of　sight　and　sends　five　corans　down　towards　the　tower。　They　are　greeted　with　courtesy　by　the　guards；　offered　shelter　and　food　and　straw　for　the　night。　The　three　Arbonnais　are　killed　even　as　these　offers　are　being　made。　On　the　instructions　of　the　king；　as　the　signal　is　given　and　the　rest　of　the　pany　rides　up；　the　three　guardsmen　are　decapitated　and　castrated　and　the　wooden　buildings　beside　the　stone　tower　are　set　on　fire。
　　They　ride　more　swiftly　then；　to　be　ahead　of　any　message　in　the　flames。　A　short　time　later　they　sweep　down　upon　the　nearby　hamlet　of　Aubry　like　a　wild　hunt　out　of　the　shepherds'　night　terrors：　fifty　howling　men　on　horses；　swords　out；