ggk.asongforarbonne-第86节

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　　They　both　looked　up；　Bertran　calmly；　Rosala　wiping　quickly　at　her　eyes。　She　shifted　a　little　then　and　the　duke　rose；　allowing　her　to　stand　and　then　walk　forward。　A　little　too　late　Blaise　realized　what　she　was　about　to　do。　Quickly；　trying　to　forestall　her；　he　moved　into　the　room　so　that；　in　the　end；　they　ended　up　on　their　knees；　both　of　them；　facing　each　other　before　the　fire。　He　wouldn't　have　blamed　Bertran　for　laughing；　but　the　duke　was　silent　and　watchful。
　　The　lost　children　of　Gorhaut；　Lucianna　had　said　two　nights　ago。　Truth　to　that；　Blaise　thought。　Through　her　tears　he　saw　Rosala　offer　the　glimmer　of　a　smile。
　　〃Will　you　not　accept　my　homage；　my　lord？〃
　　He　shook　his　head。
　　〃You　will　have　to　bee　accustomed　to　this；〃　she　murmured。　〃Kings　can't　go　about　kneeling　to　women。〃
　　〃I　am　not　a　king　yet；〃　he　said；　〃and　to　some　women　I　think　they　can。　I　understand　the　duke　of　Talair　has　vowed　that　he　will　not　let　them　take　you　while　he　lives。〃　He　looked　at　Bertran；　whose　expression　remained　devoid　of　irony。　〃Hear　me；　then。　In　the　name　of　the　most　holy　god；　I　swear　I　will　keep　faith　with　you；　Rosala。　My　claim　to　the　throne　is　as　nothing　if　we　surrender　you　and　Cadar。〃　He　heard　the　roughness　in　his　own　voice　at　the　end。
　　It　was　the　first　time　he　had　actually　spoken　the　child's　name。　It　sounded　strange　to　him　as　an　infant's　name。　Cadar　was　a　name　of　power　for　Blaise；　for　an　entire　generation　in　Gorhaut；　given　their　vivid　images　of　Rosala's　father。　It　was　a　name　of　pride；　of　hope　。。。　if　the　child　lived　long　enough。
　　Rosala　shook　her　head。　〃We　should　not　matter　so　much；　he　and　I；〃　she　murmured。　〃There　is　too　much　at　stake　here。〃
　　Behind　her；　Bertran　said　quietly；　〃Sometimes　people　end　up　mattering　more　than　one　might　expect。　My　lady；　the　two　of　you　are　what　is　at　stake。　They　will　use　you　to　begin　the　war。　They　already　have。〃
　　〃Then　send　us　back；〃　she　whispered。　She　was　looking　at　Blaise；　not　at　Bertran。
　　〃It　would　make　no　difference；〃　the　duke　answered　quietly。　〃Not　now。　They　would　kill　you　and　keep　him　and　still　find　a　reason　to　e　down　on　us。　They　have　all　the　dispossessed　of　their　northlands　hungry　to　be　assuaged。　This　isn't　like　the　old　romances：　Elienna　carried　off　to　Royaunce　and　an　army　going　after　her。　This　is　pure　politics　now；　the　hard　game　of　nations。　My　lady　Rosala；　Arbonne　is　the　last　clause；　if　you　will；　of　the　Treaty　of　Iersen　Bridge。〃
　　Blaise；　closely　watching　her；　saw　the　handsome；　intelligent　features　accept　the　truth　of　Bertran's　words。　She　knew　as　much　about　these　things　as　Ariane　or　Lucianna；　or　indeed；　he　and　Bertran。　She　always　had。　There　were　tears　still　on　her　cheeks；　revealed　by　the　firelight；　awkwardly；　regretting　how　difficult　such　gestures　seemed　to　be　for　him；　he　brought　up　a　hand　and　brushed　them　away。　He　wished　he　were　more　graceful；　more　at　ease　with　himself。　He　said；　〃You　owe　no　homage　to　me；　Rosala。〃
　　She　looked　again　as　if　she　would　protest；　but　in　the　end　said　only；　〃I　may　thank　you　for　the　flower？〃
　　Blaise　found　that　he　could　smile。　〃I　would　expect　you　to。〃
　　Bertran　laughed　quietly。　Rosala；　a　second　later；　returned　the　smile　tremulously；　but　then　she　lowered　her　face　into　her　hands。
　　〃How　can　we　speak　thus？〃　she　cried。　〃They　burned　women　tonight。　Because　of　me。　They　never　even　knew　who　I　was　and　they　were　taken　from　their　beds　and　raped　by　Ademar's　corans　and…say　nothing；　I　know　they　were！…and　then　they　were　burned　alive。　With　all　that　the　two　of　you　know；　will　you　tell　me　how　I　am　to　live　with　that？　I　can　hear　them　screaming　now。〃
　　Blaise　opened　his　mouth　and　closed　it。　He　looked　past　her　at　Bertran；　whose　eyes　were　shadowed　and　dark　with　the　fire　behind　him。　The　duke　said　nothing　either。　With　all　that　the　two　of　you　know。　He　knew　nothing；　in　the　face　of　this。　There　were　no　words　he　could　think　of　to　say。
　　So　he　spoke　her　name。　What　was　it　about　the　speaking　of　a　name？　Slowly　he　brought　up　his　arms　again　and　gently　took　her　head　between　his　hands　and；　leaning　forward；　he　kissed　her　on　the　brow。　He　wished　there　were　more　he　could　do；　but　there　didn't　seem　to　be。　Women　had　been　burned　tonight；　on　a　pyre　of　his　father's　long　dreaming。　Men　had　been　slain　and　mutilated。　He；　too；　could　hear　the　screaming。
　　〃In　the　morning　。。。　〃　he　said　roughly。　〃We　will　all　be　stronger　in　the　morning。〃　Lame　words；　an　empty　truth。　It　was　this　night　that　needed　dealing　with。　He　looked　over　at　the　duke　again　for　a　moment　and　then　rose　and　left　the　room。　Bertran　would　be　better　at　this；　he　thought；　than　he　himself　would　be。　There　was　less　history　here　for　the　duke；　he　knew　women　so　much　better。　There　was　an　ache　inside　Blaise；　though；　walking　from　her　chamber。
　　Oh；　Ranald；　he　thought；　said　it　aloud；　actually；　softly　in　the　empty　corridor。　She　might　even　have　made　a　man　of　you；　this　one；　if　she　had　been　allowed。　His　brother　had　been　at　Aubry　tonight。　Blaise　was　nearly　certain　that　Ranald　wouldn't　have　wanted　to　be；　but　that　didn't　matter；　did　it？　He　had　been　there。
　　Heavy　with　burdens；　of　past　and　future　both；　Blaise　suddenly　stopped　and　stood　very　still。　A　child　had　cried　out　in　a　room　behind　him。　He　listened　but　there　was　no　other　sound。　A　cry　in　a　dream　that　must　have　been。　Cadar's。
　　Did　new…born　infants　dream？　Blaise　didn't　know。　He　only　knew　that　he　could　not　turn　back；　could　not　now；　if　ever；　ask　Rosala　the　question　in　his　heart。　It　doesn't　matter；　he　told　himself。　It　makes　no　difference　at　all　to　anything。
　　A　lie；　of　course；　but　the　sort　of　lie　that　lets　one　carry　on。
　　
　　By　the　time　she　reached　the　top　of　the　stairway　and　saw　the　guards　outside　the　door；　Lisseut　was　already　regretting　she　had　e。　She　had　no　business　here；　no　claim　to　this　man's　attention；　especially　so　late　at　night　after　he　had　been　seriously　wounded　in　bat。　She　didn't　even　know　exactly　what　she　wanted　to　do；　or　say；　if　he　should　happen　to　be　still　awake；　and　should　happen　to　receive　her。　Someday；　she　thought　despairingly；　she　really　was　going　to　have　to　absorb　her　mother's　so…often…repeated　lesson　and　accept　that　one　did　not　always　have　to　follow　the　path　lit　by　impulse　and　first　reactions。
　　More　than　anything　else；　she　knew；　it　had　been　the　news　from　Aubry　that　had　drawn　her　here。　It　hadn't　taken　long　for　the　tidings　to　sweep　downstairs　through　Barbentain　and　race　along　the　great　hall；　where　those　joglars　and　troubadours　honoured　with　places　in　the　morning's　pavilion　were　offering　their　performances　after　dinner。
　　The　music　had　stopped；　of　course。　One　did　not　sing　liensennes　of　courtly；　unrequited　love　or　ribaldries　of　enthusiastically　answered　passion　in　the　forests　of　Arbonne　when　news　came　of　a　village　destroyed　and　women　burned　alive　by　the　king　of　Gorhaut。　Love　had　no　place　in　the　scheme　of　things　in　the　wake　of　such　horror。
　　But　if　that　were　the　case；　what；　in　truth；　was　she　doing　here；　hesitantly　approaching　a　doorway　on　this　upper　level　of　Barbentain？　Alain　had　agreed　to　wait　a　little　while　for　her　downstairs。　She　didn't　much　want　to　walk　back　to　the　inn　alone。　An　old　man　had　been　murdered　in　an　alley　a　few　nights　ago。　There　were　too　many　unknown　people　from　too　many　countries　wandering　in　the　darkness　of　Lussan　during　the　fair。　She　hadn't　had　the　courage　to　ask　Aurelian　to　wait…he　knew　too　much；　after　this　morning。　It　was　the　first　time　Lisseut　could　remember　that　she'd　wanted　to　hold　something　back　from　him。　Alain　was　easier；　they　had　their　understandings　after　two　seasons　together　now。　He　wouldn't　even　speculate。
　　The　horror　of　the　tidings　from　Aubry　had　drawn　her　back；　in　a　single　dark　leap　of　memory；　to　that　garden　in　Tavernel　last　summer；　when　she　had　listened　from　a　place　of　hiding　on　the　wall　and　learned　who　the　bearded　northern　coran　was；　and　heard　him　speak　with　Rudel　Correze　of　war　ing　with　Gorhaut。　Now　everyone　knew　who　he　was；　since　this　morning；　and　war　was　no　longer　ing；　it　was　upon　them。　And　the　coran　she　had　impulsively　followed　that　Midsummer　night　had　claimed　Gorhaut's　crown　today。
　　On　that　thought　she　almost　did　turn　back；　but　she　had　reached　a　place　where　the　wall　torches　lit　the　corridor；　and　she　realized　that　the　guards　outside　his　door　were　watching　her。　One　of　them　she　knew；　a　coran　from　Vezét；　from　a　farm　not　far　from　her　father's。　She　wasn't　sure　whether　she　was　happy　about　that　or　not。
　　Having　been　seen；　though；　and　almost　certainly　recognized；　she　was　not　about　to　turn　and　skulk　away。　Grateful　that　she　looked　presentable；　at　least；　in　her　newest　tunic　bought　for　the　fair　and　the　vest　Ariane　had　given　her；　and　aware　that　if　the　guards　knew　her　they　would　almost　certainly　also　know　she'd　been　among　the　selected　performers　tonight；　Lisseut　walked　forward　with　her　head　high。
　　〃Hello；　Fabrise；〃　she　said　to　the　man　she　knew。　〃I　didn't　realize　you　were　in　Barbentain。　Is　your　father　well？〃
　　He　grimaced　briefly　in　response。　〃He　is；　I　thank　you。　Will　you　tell　us　what　you　are　doing　here？〃　Formal；　extremely　formal。　No　warmth　at　all。　They　had　clearly　been　instructed　that　guard　duty　tonight　outside　this　door　was　not　ceremonial。　After　Blaise's　declaration　this　morning　it　stood　to　reason；　and　after　the　attack　on　Aubry　tonight　every　coran　in　Arbonne　would　be　on　edge。　Again；　Lisseut　wondered　why　she　had　never　listened