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Neena sighed, then nodded. Together they rose and pulled on their clothes.
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Then hand in hand they slipped back into the forest.
Chapter 15
By the time they got back to the camp in the hollow tree, Neena was ready to
make love again. They lay down in the musty darkness among the dried vines and
leaves and joined once more. After that Neena seemed contented at last, and
slowly drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face. Blade lay quietly beside
her for a while. Eventually he was able to ignore the rumblings of his
half-empty stomach and join Neena in sleep.
They slept through the rest of the day and most of the night. In the gray
light before dawn Blade awoke to find Neena already up and rummaging through
the gear. As he watched, she gave a little cry of triumph, and drew out of one
bag a wide golden bracelet. It was studded with enormous emeralds that blazed
with a magnificent cold green fire even in the semidarkness.
"Blade, raise your left arm."
There was a note in Neena's voice that Blade had never heard before. It was
unmistakably a note of command, but at the same time surprisingly gentle.
Blade obeyed.
Neena snapped the bracelet open, put it around Blade's left wrist, and snapped
it shut again. She let his arm drop, then rocked backward, kneeling naked
before him. Her eyes fixed themselves intently on
Blade's face.
"Now, by the will of the gods, by the laws and customs of Draad, and most
important of all, by my choice, you are betrothed husband to me, Neena,
Princess of Draad."
Blade hadn't seen this coming, but he wasn't particularly surprised, and not
at all unhappy about it. To be betrothed to a woman of high rank would give
him a place in Draad that might prove valuable. To be betrothed to Neena, with
her beauty, skill, and lively wit, would be far more than useful. It would be
a very agreeable experience indeed.
His ruby ring that he'd snatched back from Lord Desgo was on his finger.
Slowly he took it off.
"Neena, it is your turn. Hold out your left hand."
Blade took the small, strong hand and thrust the ring on to the index finger.
It was too large to stay on any of the others. He smiled as Neena raised her
hand to look at the ring, then spoke.
"Now, by the will of the gods, the laws and customs of England, and by my
consent, you are betrothed wife to me, Blade, Prince of England."
To his surprise he saw tears glimmering in Neena's eyes. He said nothing, only
reached out and brushed one hand lightly across her cheeks, brushing away the
tears.
"I am happy, Neena," he said.
"So am I," she said, her voice not quite steady. "My father-well, whether he
is happy or not, I doubt he will say anything against you. He has long known
that I would have no husband except one I chose for myself. I have chosen you,
and as he loves me, I think he will not let himself hate you."
That was just as well with Blade. He had no objection to marrying Neena. He
would, however, rather not make an enemy of King Embor by doing so.
"In fact," she went on, "I think he may find good reason to be happier with
you than with any man of
Draad. Any of the warriors or chiefs' sons I might otherwise have chosen would
be of one clan or another. The clan of my husband would rejoice. The others
would not, and some of them might raise their voices or even their spears
against my father. This is not the time for the feuding of the clans of Draad,
not when Trawn may march against us at any time.
"Queen Sanaya will be another matter. She will be-"
Neena broke off, looking worried about having perhaps said too much.
Blade placed a finger under her chin and tipped her head up until their eyes
met. "Neena, I cannot be all that you will want and need in a husband if you
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do not tell me what dangers may face me in Draad. You have said enough about
Queen Sanaya to make me wonder about her. I have met such women as her before,
and they have seldom been my friends."
"You see clearly, Blade," said Neena. "You also speak the truth. I shall tell
you of her, although it may
seem almost too simple. Sanaya knows that if I take a husband, I may soon bear
a son to him. Then she will no longer be the only bearer of sons to the royal
house of Draad. Her position will be weakened, and if she angers my father as
she has done in the past, he may not again hold back from setting her aside."
"I see."
"You do not see everything. If Sanaya-fears this, she will be desperate, and
when she is desperate, she becomes dangerous. She will be dangerous to both of
us, but she will concentrate on you."
Blade nodded. "I shall be on the alert."
"You certainly should be. I do not know how far Sanaya may go to defend
herself. You should also take care for your own desires. Sanaya is extremely
beautiful, and is said to be experienced and skilled as well. I would take it
much amiss if you were to bed her."
Blade nodded again. He was tempted to ask Neena exactly what she would do to
him if she "took amiss" something that he did. He decided it might not be
wise, and instead changed the subject.
"Do you find the ring beautiful?"
"Yes. There is no such stone in all the forests of Gleor or the earth below
them." [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]