David Coe - Bonds of Vengeance
Здесь есть возможность читать онлайн «David Coe - Bonds of Vengeance» весь текст электронной книги совершенно бесплатно (целиком полную версию без сокращений). В некоторых случаях можно слушать аудио, скачать через торрент в формате fb2 и присутствует краткое содержание. Год выпуска: 2010, Издательство: Macmillan, Жанр: Фэнтези, на английском языке. Описание произведения, (предисловие) а так же отзывы посетителей доступны на портале библиотеки ЛибКат.
- Название:Bonds of Vengeance
- Автор:
- Издательство:Macmillan
- Жанр:
- Год:2010
- ISBN:нет данных
- Рейтинг книги:3 / 5. Голосов: 1
-
Избранное:Добавить в избранное
- Отзывы:
-
Ваша оценка:
- 60
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
Bonds of Vengeance: краткое содержание, описание и аннотация
Предлагаем к чтению аннотацию, описание, краткое содержание или предисловие (зависит от того, что написал сам автор книги «Bonds of Vengeance»). Если вы не нашли необходимую информацию о книге — напишите в комментариях, мы постараемся отыскать её.
Bonds of Vengeance — читать онлайн бесплатно полную книгу (весь текст) целиком
Ниже представлен текст книги, разбитый по страницам. Система сохранения места последней прочитанной страницы, позволяет с удобством читать онлайн бесплатно книгу «Bonds of Vengeance», без необходимости каждый раз заново искать на чём Вы остановились. Поставьте закладку, и сможете в любой момент перейти на страницу, на которой закончили чтение.
Интервал:
Закладка:
One of the guards glanced at Tavis, then quickly looked away, his face twisting sourly. Kearney had seemed afraid of him a few turns before, when they met at Kearney the Elder’s investiture. He since seemed to have accepted that Tavis was innocent of Brienne’s murder, treating the Curgh lord as he would any noble from a rival house. Glyndwr’s soldiers might consider Tavis a murderer, but their duke did not, and the young lord vowed silently to remember the boy’s courtesy when he finally reclaimed his rightful place in the Curgh court.
“To be honest, Lord Glyndwr, I’m not certain what you should do. I felt you should know who the woman was before extending to her the hospitality of your house. But as to her future, I would have to defer to Grinsa’s judgment.”
“The Qirsi? He’s but a gleaner.”
“He’s as wise as any of my father’s ministers,” Tavis said. “And the woman bears his child as we speak. I would ask you to consider his counsel before you do anything with the woman.”
Kearney appeared to weigh this briefly before nodding once. “Very well. Still, we’d be wise to guard against any possible dangers. Aside from your friend, I intend to keep all Qirsi out of her chamber. My father and I don’t suspect any of the white-hairs who serve Glyndwr, but we’d be fools to ignore all we’ve heard from other courts across the Forelands.”
“It seems a most sensible precaution, Lord Glyndwr,” Tavis said, and meant it. Kearney might look callow and ungainly, but there was more to this young duke than Tavis had thought. It seemed the king’s faith had been justified.
“I trust you’ve been treated well since your arrival, Lord Curgh,” the young duke said after a brief silence. Tavis noted that Kearney’s eyes were fixed on the nearest of the guards.
“I have, Lord Glyndwr. Your castle is all it was reputed to be, and more, as are those who serve in your name.”
“Thank you.”
Tavis expected the duke to leave then, but Kearney surprised him again, leaning against the opposite wall, as if intending to take up Tavis’s vigil as his own.
“You said she bears his child,” the boy began, meeting the young lord’s glance for just an instant. “Yet she sent an assassin for him?”
“Yes.”
The duke pursed his lips. “What does a man do after such a thing?”
Tavis gave a small, sad smile and shook his head. “I hope never to find out, Lord Glyndwr.”
Kearney grinned, but quickly grew serious again. “You also said that the woman hoped to stop your friend from reaching Kentigern. Do you believe she had something to do with. . with the events there?”
“We believe the conspiracy did. We suspect that they wanted to make me appear her killer in order to drive a wedge between my father and Aindreas of Kentigern.”
“It seems they succeeded.”
Tavis felt his throat constrict. They had indeed. True, with Grinsa’s help, and the timely intervention of Kearney’s father, the kingdom had managed to avoid a civil war. But Tavis’s father had been forced to relinquish his place in the Order of Ascension and Tavis had become an exile, cast out of his own court until he could prove his innocence, something he had not yet been able to do, though he’d confronted Brienne’s killer in a tavern in Mertesse. From all Tavis had heard, Aindreas still threatened war against Curgh and had even gone so far as to challenge the legitimacy of Kearney the Elder’s reign.
“Yes,” he murmured. “I suppose they did.”
“Forgive me, Lord Curgh, but my point is this: if this woman was involved with Lady Brienne’s murder, then she can help prove your innocence.”
Tavis stared at the boy as if he had just conjured mists and winds like a Qirsi.
“I’m not certain anyone would listen to her,” he said, hoping the duke would gainsay him. So many times already in the turns since Brienne’s murder, Tavis had thought that his redemption was at hand. The discovery of blood on the window shutter outside his chamber in Kentigern Castle; his encounter with Brienne’s spirit in the Sanctuary of Bian; his struggle with the assassin in Mertesse. Yet each time, his hopes had been dashed. “She’s a Qirsi traitor. Some will claim that she’d say anything to escape execution.”
“Perhaps. But others may listen.”
He had denied himself the luxury of hope for so long that he couldn’t bring himself to embrace it now.
“Not the ones who matter. Not Galdasten or Eardley or Rennach. Certainly not Kentigern.”
“Perhaps not at first. But you have to try. Surely you don’t mean to ignore the possibility.”
Tavis would have smiled had it not been rude to do so. He remembered what it was to be this young. Not very long ago he would have argued much as Kearney did now. But Aindreas’s prison had aged him. Every cut of Kentigern’s blade, every searing touch of his damned torches had struck at Tavis’s faith in justice, or even in the mercy of the gods.
“No, Lord Glyndwr. I won’t ignore the possibility. But neither will I celebrate my absolution prematurely. I’ve done that before, to my rue.”
The boy nodded, seeming to sense that there was more at work here than he could fathom.
A lengthy silence ensued, to be pierced at last by a long wail from within the chamber that trailed off into gentle sobs. A moment later came a different sound, unexpected after so much anguish, and welcome as rain after drought: the cry of a babe.
For just a few seconds it was easy to forget that this was the child of a Qirsi traitor. Even the guards grinned.
“I should tell the prelate,” the duke said, pushing away from the wall. Then his face reddened. “Though I suppose the child’s mother will prefer that the prior come from Morna’s Sanctuary.”
This time Tavis did smile. “I would think so, yes.”
Kearney started leave. “I’ll send a message.”
“Don’t you want to see the child?”
The boy shook his head. “I still remember when my brother was born, and my sister as well. I’m not very fond of babies.”
Tavis watched Kearney walk away, deciding that he liked this boy-duke. Finding himself alone once more with the guards, the young lord allowed himself a quick glance at the men positioned around him. Still, none looked at him. Even their duke’s acceptance was not enough to overcome their suspicions.
The baby soon stopped crying, to suckle, or perhaps to sleep, but still Grinsa did not emerge from the chamber. After some time Tavis began to wonder if he should return to their room rather than wait any longer. Abruptly he realized that his journeying with the Qirsi was about to change drastically. Perhaps it had even come to an end. Grinsa was a father now and regardless of whether or not the woman was to be punished, Grinsa’s first responsibility had to be to their child. For all he knew, the gleaner had forgotten that he was in the corridor and had no intention of leaving the woman’s side until morning. Tavis could hardly blame him, and yet neither could he deny that he felt angry, even betrayed.
Just as he was ready make his way back to the chamber, however, the door opened, and the gleaner stepped out into the hallway, his skin flushed deep red, and his hair damp with sweat. In the past nine turns, he and Grinsa had been pursued by the king’s guard in Aneira and the soldiers of Kentigern. Yet Tavis had never seen the gleaner look so weary.
“Is she all right?” the young lord asked.
“Yes. They both are, though we almost lost each of them in turn.” A smile touched his lips and was gone. “I have a daughter. Cresenne tells me she’s to be called Bryntelle.”
“This was her decision? You have nothing to do with naming your own child?”
“You forget. My daughter is Qirsi. She’ll always bear my name. Bryntelle ja Grinsa. I couldn’t have chosen any better.”
Читать дальшеИнтервал:
Закладка:
Похожие книги на «Bonds of Vengeance»
Представляем Вашему вниманию похожие книги на «Bonds of Vengeance» списком для выбора. Мы отобрали схожую по названию и смыслу литературу в надежде предоставить читателям больше вариантов отыскать новые, интересные, ещё непрочитанные произведения.
Обсуждение, отзывы о книге «Bonds of Vengeance» и просто собственные мнения читателей. Оставьте ваши комментарии, напишите, что Вы думаете о произведении, его смысле или главных героях. Укажите что конкретно понравилось, а что нет, и почему Вы так считаете.