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.During these meetings, they promised him accommodations upon his arrival, gave him mapswith the best routes to Dragon's Breath from Hawk Haven marked out, and smiled darkly when he refused to name who hewas bringing with him.Of course the bastards know, Waln thought in annoyance.They couldn't fail to know as Queen Valora herself said, theresimply aren't many who are willing to claim knowledge of the sorcerous arts.Momentarily, a suspicion flickered into his mind that this entire intrigue was a charade to get him to escort Lady Melina toNew Kelvin.He dismissed the idea as idiotic.If the New Kelvinese wanted her to come, all they needed to do was invite her.Her fervent interest in their land and its secrets had been obvious.To comfort himself, Warn Endbrook dreamed of a duke-dom.He'd settle for Dog Island, where he had been born, and ifany there thought to call him "Walnut"&He smirked as he thought about the things he could do with a title and a queen behind him.Elise couldn't decide whether the huge stack of invitations that arrived by every post, as well as by hand, was a welcome orunwelcome distraction from the darker concerns haunting her.Some were very welcome, such as the one from Duchess Kestrel, for Elise could be fairly certain that both Derian andJared would be present at that gathering.Another one that she welcomed was from Jet Shield on behalf of his mother and himself.Elise knew that her parents wereastonished that Elise accepted, for she had avoided Jet as much as possible since their engagement had been broken and shecouldn't help but feel a bit guilty when Aurella patted her hand approvingly."I really had thought," Aurella said, "that we would need to drag you there and that then you would make excuses to leaveas soon as possible."Elise colored and looked at the tips of her shoes."Mother, I was an idiot about Jet I know that now and I'm determined not to make another mistake.Like him or notand I don't Jet is the crown princess's brother.Never mind that Sapphire is technically King Tedric's daughter now.No oneis going to forget her birth family just like there are those who will never believe that Lady Blysse is not his granddaughter."Aurella patted Elise's hand."I'm proud of you.You've grown a great deal wiser about such things than you werelast summer.""I've learned at a hard school," Elise replied a trace bitterly, "and had a good teacher in your example.You've neverforgotten that Queen Elexa is your aunt and our family has benefitted from that.""It doesn't hurt," Aurella replied mildly, "that I like Aunt Elexa, but, yes, I've been aware all my life that if I was to givemy children my child any advantages I should cultivate that relationship."The sorrow that touched Aurella's delicate features when she mentioned "children" a reference to Elise's stillborn siblings made Elise hold her tongue when her mother moved the conversation to a less pleasant topic."Elise, on the matter of attachments," Aurella dipped her needle through her embroidery canvas as she spoke, "your fatherand I have been concerned that you are forming another."Elise swallowed hard, knowing what lecture was about to come."Sir Jared," Aurella said, as if unaware that the name on her lips sent an odd mixture of defiance and joy through Elise, "isby all accounts a good, brave, and intelligent man.He is well connected by birth and seems to have won the favor of both ofthe heirs apparent.Moreover, the talent with which he is blessed seems to say that he has found favor with his ancestors."Her needle dipped and rose as relentlessly her analysis continued:"However, Sir Jared is landless and without immediate prospects in that direction.The Surcliffes hold poor land andthough they are gaining some reputation for their wines, they show no sign of becoming anything but a solid trade family."In short," Aurella looked up and met her daughter's eyes, "he is not the man we would wish you to marry."Elise rubbed her hands across her face and said in tones not convincing even to herself, "I never said I wanted to marryhim," and then even more defiantly, "and he has never even hinted at such thoughts.""He wouldn't," Aurella said, needle rising and falling once more."He is a gentleman in the truest sense of the word.Heknows your station is above his own and would never insult you by suggesting a liaison.You would need to be the one topropose and even then you would probably meet resistance."Elise started.It had never occurred to her that Jared wouldn't offer for her.She had even daydreamed something alongthose lines: "My love, I have nothing to offer you but my heart and adoration.Even so, I beg you for permission to ask yourfather for your hand& "Her indignant snort was for her own idiocy, but Aurella quite reasonably took it as meant for herself."Your father and I are all too aware of how little a barony may come to be in the new kingdom of Bright Haven aproject we support with all our faith.The land your father inherited from his father has been borderland.Were it not that theBarren runs rough, we would have seen much fighting there.Even so, you have seen the graveyard."Recovering herself, Elise nodded."Peace means that our lands rather than being on the edge of a contested river will be in the middle of a prosperouskingdom.We have already begun to toy with the idea of canals to bypass the roughest reaches, but such would take moneybeyond our small treasury.Agreements could be reached with our neighbors to expand the canals into a great network [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]