Страница 74 из 93
Chapter 25
«A wise man shall promote himself to honor with his words, and he that hath understanding will please great men».[26]
Nothing more was said for many days. It was well into Advent before Sir Ke
He and Tiarnán MacRae had spent several hours that morning with the king and Seisyll Arilan, reviewing a sheaf of commissions delivered earlier from the royal chancery, all requiring the royal assent and seal. The snug withdrawing room was the perfect refuge from the weather outside, with a goodly fire on the grate and tapestries hung on the walls to keep the damp at bay: a favorite place for the king to work in wintertime. The scent of ci
«Thank you, Seisyll, Tiarnán. I think that will be all for now», the king said, leaning back in his chair to stretch. «Ke
Ke
«Thank you for asking, Sire. I'm mostly mended, I think. I rode for an hour yesterday, though I am feeling the effects today. But I attribute that more to a month out of the saddle than to the actual injury. In all, I am content».
«And I am happy to hear it». Donal scrawled his signature to a commission, glanced at the next, then pushed the remaining pile back to Ke
Ke
«Thank you», the king murmured, setting seal to the wax and then moving along the line with Ke
He imprinted his seal again. Ke
«Sire?»
«I am minded to give you the hand of Lady Alyce de Corwyn». He looked up as Ke
Ke
«Sire, I–I had not dared to hope. I am — most grateful, but this still does not address the question of whether the lady will have me».
«If I say she'll have you, she'll have you», the king retorted. «It will be up to you to make the match work. You're a good man, Ke
«Half Deryni», Ke
«That the Lady Alyce is Deryni?» The king snorted. «I think that means far more to churchmen than to sensible folk like you and me. It doesn't frighten you, does it?»
«No, of course not», Ke
«She'd be an adornment for your arm», the king pointed out. «And her son will be Duke of Corwyn. Your son would be Duke of Corwyn, and you would be his principal regent — which means that you would enjoy all the benefits of being duke yourself, other than the title. Alas, I can't give you that, but your descendants would have it».
Ke
«No, of course it isn't. But it doesn't hurt if one's prospective bride is rich».
'True enough».
«Good. Then, it's settled. I'll have the necessary documents drawn up. The betrothal can be a
Alyce learned of the king's decision several days later, just before Christmas. Quite unexpectedly, Zoë had been sent to Morganhall to spend Christmas with her younger sisters and aunts, so Alyce let herself be caught up in the preparations of the queen's household for the Christmas and Twelfth Night festivities to come.
The Lla
Alyce was sitting with the queen, watching the young princes tilt at rings on their new ponies, when the king came to sit beside her. Somehow, the queen's other ladies had found things to do that took them out of the royal enclosure.
«A pity it's so cold», Donal said, not taking his eyes from where Prince Brion was preparing to take another run at the rings. «Other than that, are you enjoying the afternoon?»
«I am, Sire», Alyce replied. «The princes are riding very well today».
«So they are», Donal replied. «We have their mother partially to thank for that». He paused to lift the queen's hand to his lips in salute. «It was she who insisted that only Lla
Alyce smiled. «For their size, Sire, they are the finest mounts one could wish — better, even, than R'Kassans, to my way of thinking, if only they grew somewhat larger. I had one when I was young. I adored her».
«There is another who would be adored by you», the king murmured, smiling as he took her hand in his and kissed it. «Oh, not I — or, only in the sense that I adore all the beautiful ladies in my queen's household».
Alyce looked at him sharply, then at the queen, whose expression declared her exceedingly pleased with herself.
«Alyce, dear, he is trying to tell you that he has chosen you a husband», she said. «And in that bumbling way of males, he is trying to be mysterious about it».
Suddenly she glanced out to the field, where Prince Brion was now galloping down the tilting lane, taking one — two — three rings in a row. Both his parents had risen to their feet as he passed, but sadly, he hit the fourth ring a glancing blow and missed taking it.
«Oh, well done, son!» Richeldis cried, waving her kerchief and bouncing up and down on her feet. «Donal, he has never done that well before! Wasn't it a brilliant run?»
The king sat back down, tugging at her to sit as well, but he was smiling.
«He did well», the king admitted. «Did you not think so, Lady Alyce?»
Alyce, who had also come to her feet, likewise sank back to her seat beside the king, still reeling from the queen's a
«You have chosen me a husband, Sire?» she managed to murmur.
«I have. He was riding earlier. In fact, you commented on his horsemanship, and his skill with the lance».
Numbly Alyce made herself review the last few hours, but no one came immediately to mind. If the man had been riding at the tilt earlier, it was not likely that he was one of the much older men at court — for which she was grateful — but who?
«Alyce», the queen murmured, leaning across the king conspiratorially, «he's referring to Sir Ke
26
ECCLESIASTICUS 20:27