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Him? Derian couldn t keep the disgust out of his voice, no matter how he
tried to school it. He s too ambitious. He wants it too much.
So I should neither choose someone who doesn t want the task nor someone who
does. That is quite a conundrum, Mister Carter. How shall I resolve it?
Derian could feel himself turning bright red, but he pressed on, determined
that if he was going to have to go through this peculiar interrogation he
wouldn t flub it completely.
Your Majesty, what I m trying to say is that the best candidate would be
someone who wants to rule but for the good of Hawk Haven, not solely for his
or her own good. Someone, like Elise, who doesn t want to rule is going to do
a bad job because either she isn t going to pay attention to the small details
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or she s going to resent them.
King Tedric snorted. Even I and I wanted to be king even I grow tired of
those small details.
Derian persisted. Someone who wants to rule because he ll have titles and
honors&
And power, don t forget power.
And power. That type of person is equally a bad choice because he s going to
make decisions based on how they ll affect his own importance. He s not going
to care about how they affect the people who live under his rule. Eventually,
they ll realize this. Common folk aren t as innocent as some of your noble
folk believe.
Yes. I know. My mother never let me forget that. I wish I had thought to
drill that into my nieces and nephews, but then I never thought that I would
be forced to pick one of them or their offspring to follow me. So, is Jet s
only flaw his ambition?
Shrugging, feeling himself already in so far that he could not get in much
farther, Derian said:
I think if he were made king no matter whose head wore the crown his mother
would wield too great an influence.
I saw you dancing with Melina earlier. So you don t like her?
Derian shook his head. I don t know her well enough to say that, sir. I do
know that her children respect her with a respect that is akin to fear.
So you re offering me a criticism that would apply to any of Lord Rolfston s
children and perhaps to
Rolfston himself. You narrow my choices dramatically with that small
statement.
Stubbornly Derian said, One of the first to befriend Firekeeper was little
Citrine. She made no secret
that her mother commands more than a mother s respect. I don t know the others
well, but I think the same must apply.
Interesting thought, young Carter, and one not altogether alien to my
observations.
King Tedric added nothing more and Derian waited quietly. The orchestra and
dancers were taking another intermission. As they milled about sipping their
chilled wine or punch, their gazes surreptitious or not often rested on the
king s dais.
All at once, Derian s self-consciousness came back to him. When he glanced at
the king, however, Tedric seemed unaware of the scrutiny from below. Perhaps a
king must learn to live with such continual observation. If so, Derian was
suddenly glad that he had betrayed Firekeeper s weakness to the monarch. His
wild wolf-woman could never live so.
Well, Derian Carter, King Tedric said at last. I had a mind to question you
further. It is refreshing to be counseled by one who speaks only of individual
merits and never of who is related to whom except as that is related to those
merits.
Derian colored. Thank you, Sire.
Don t think for a moment that those relationships don t matter. They do.
However, it is easy to forget that this one s daughter or that one s son is
also a person possessed of personal weaknesses and strengths. Don t you forget
that when you are older.
No, Sire, I won t.
King Tedric stretched slightly and smiled benignly at the young man. Now, you
have given me good counsel. What do you wish for your reward? I offer you
anything within reason.
Nothing, Sire. I am honored, really.
Tosh, of course you are, but still I wish to give you a gift.
An idea slipped into Derian s mind, as wild and insane as any he had ever had.
Even as he tried to dismiss it, he knew he would ask and accept the
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consequences.
Then, sir, I ask for the necklace that Lady Melina Shield is wearing this
very moment, the one she always wears.
The expression in King Tedric s pale eyes was shrewd, not startled, and Derian
wondered how much the old man knew, how much he merely suspected. All the king
said, however, was:
I fear I cannot give you something that does not belong to me. If you so
covet the necklace, why not have one made? Despite the pride with which Lady
Melina wears it, it is not so impossibly unique.
Derian drew in a deep breath. It had been too much to hope that he and his
friends problem would be so easily solved, but even as he nodded his
acceptance of what the king had said Derian wondered if
Tedric had just shown him a way out of at least part of their problem.
Tedric continued, Since you cannot think of something yourself, let me
choose. Dirkin, come here.
Sir Dirkin Eastbranch, who had been standing such silent witness to all their
conversation that Derian had never noticed his presence, stepped forth.
Your Majesty?
Give me one of the counselor rings. The men s ones.
Sir Dirkin reached into a leather pouch at his belt and drew forth a gold
ring. The band bore the royal eagle cast directly into the metal. Set in the
center was a cabochon-cut ruby. King Tedric s personal emblem, an
eight-pointed star, was incised into the stone and inlaid with a thin bead of
gold.
Here you are, Derian Carter, said King Tedric, fitting the ring onto
Derian s right index finger. You are now among those who may request my ear
at any hour of day or night. I know that you will not abuse the privilege.
Understand that this is a personal privilege. When I pass on to my ancestors,
you may keep the ring, but the privilege will vanish unless the new monarch
chooses to renew it. In return for this honor, I
inflict on you the added burden of making yourself available to me when I feel
desire of your counsel.
For the second time in a very short while, Derian discovered that he could not
speak. King Tedric chuckled.
A poor gift, you may think, giving you added duties under the guise of a
reward.
Derian found his tongue. No, Sire. Really. I am so honored. I don t&
Don t worry too much, King Tedric said and placed a wrinkled hand on his
shoulder. Have the ring sized as soon as possible. You wouldn t want it to
slip off.
Yes, Your Majesty.
And say nothing of our conference to anyone even to Earl Kestrel or
Firekeeper. If asked, simply say that I was bored and wanted a bit of common
conversation.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Now, Derian Carter, give me your arm and help me to the dance floor. The
orchestra is warming up. I
believe I will claim Lady Blysse for this dance. It will keep my contentious
nieces and nephews guessing.
Unfortunately, it will also raise poor Norvin s hopes unduly, but he is strong
enough to survive the eventual disappointment.
As Derian helped King Tedric down the few steps and signaled for Firekeeper to
join them, he couldn t help thinking that the old man was rather calculating,
even a bit wicked. It was an unsettling thought that maybe even a good king or
perhaps especially a good king might need to be so.
XXI
Elise awakened the morning after the ball aware that something momentous had
occurred, but a moment passed before she remembered what had happened. Then
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zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl fopke.keep.pl
Him? Derian couldn t keep the disgust out of his voice, no matter how he
tried to school it. He s too ambitious. He wants it too much.
So I should neither choose someone who doesn t want the task nor someone who
does. That is quite a conundrum, Mister Carter. How shall I resolve it?
Derian could feel himself turning bright red, but he pressed on, determined
that if he was going to have to go through this peculiar interrogation he
wouldn t flub it completely.
Your Majesty, what I m trying to say is that the best candidate would be
someone who wants to rule but for the good of Hawk Haven, not solely for his
or her own good. Someone, like Elise, who doesn t want to rule is going to do
a bad job because either she isn t going to pay attention to the small details
Page 211
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
or she s going to resent them.
King Tedric snorted. Even I and I wanted to be king even I grow tired of
those small details.
Derian persisted. Someone who wants to rule because he ll have titles and
honors&
And power, don t forget power.
And power. That type of person is equally a bad choice because he s going to
make decisions based on how they ll affect his own importance. He s not going
to care about how they affect the people who live under his rule. Eventually,
they ll realize this. Common folk aren t as innocent as some of your noble
folk believe.
Yes. I know. My mother never let me forget that. I wish I had thought to
drill that into my nieces and nephews, but then I never thought that I would
be forced to pick one of them or their offspring to follow me. So, is Jet s
only flaw his ambition?
Shrugging, feeling himself already in so far that he could not get in much
farther, Derian said:
I think if he were made king no matter whose head wore the crown his mother
would wield too great an influence.
I saw you dancing with Melina earlier. So you don t like her?
Derian shook his head. I don t know her well enough to say that, sir. I do
know that her children respect her with a respect that is akin to fear.
So you re offering me a criticism that would apply to any of Lord Rolfston s
children and perhaps to
Rolfston himself. You narrow my choices dramatically with that small
statement.
Stubbornly Derian said, One of the first to befriend Firekeeper was little
Citrine. She made no secret
that her mother commands more than a mother s respect. I don t know the others
well, but I think the same must apply.
Interesting thought, young Carter, and one not altogether alien to my
observations.
King Tedric added nothing more and Derian waited quietly. The orchestra and
dancers were taking another intermission. As they milled about sipping their
chilled wine or punch, their gazes surreptitious or not often rested on the
king s dais.
All at once, Derian s self-consciousness came back to him. When he glanced at
the king, however, Tedric seemed unaware of the scrutiny from below. Perhaps a
king must learn to live with such continual observation. If so, Derian was
suddenly glad that he had betrayed Firekeeper s weakness to the monarch. His
wild wolf-woman could never live so.
Well, Derian Carter, King Tedric said at last. I had a mind to question you
further. It is refreshing to be counseled by one who speaks only of individual
merits and never of who is related to whom except as that is related to those
merits.
Derian colored. Thank you, Sire.
Don t think for a moment that those relationships don t matter. They do.
However, it is easy to forget that this one s daughter or that one s son is
also a person possessed of personal weaknesses and strengths. Don t you forget
that when you are older.
No, Sire, I won t.
King Tedric stretched slightly and smiled benignly at the young man. Now, you
have given me good counsel. What do you wish for your reward? I offer you
anything within reason.
Nothing, Sire. I am honored, really.
Tosh, of course you are, but still I wish to give you a gift.
An idea slipped into Derian s mind, as wild and insane as any he had ever had.
Even as he tried to dismiss it, he knew he would ask and accept the
Page 212
ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.html
consequences.
Then, sir, I ask for the necklace that Lady Melina Shield is wearing this
very moment, the one she always wears.
The expression in King Tedric s pale eyes was shrewd, not startled, and Derian
wondered how much the old man knew, how much he merely suspected. All the king
said, however, was:
I fear I cannot give you something that does not belong to me. If you so
covet the necklace, why not have one made? Despite the pride with which Lady
Melina wears it, it is not so impossibly unique.
Derian drew in a deep breath. It had been too much to hope that he and his
friends problem would be so easily solved, but even as he nodded his
acceptance of what the king had said Derian wondered if
Tedric had just shown him a way out of at least part of their problem.
Tedric continued, Since you cannot think of something yourself, let me
choose. Dirkin, come here.
Sir Dirkin Eastbranch, who had been standing such silent witness to all their
conversation that Derian had never noticed his presence, stepped forth.
Your Majesty?
Give me one of the counselor rings. The men s ones.
Sir Dirkin reached into a leather pouch at his belt and drew forth a gold
ring. The band bore the royal eagle cast directly into the metal. Set in the
center was a cabochon-cut ruby. King Tedric s personal emblem, an
eight-pointed star, was incised into the stone and inlaid with a thin bead of
gold.
Here you are, Derian Carter, said King Tedric, fitting the ring onto
Derian s right index finger. You are now among those who may request my ear
at any hour of day or night. I know that you will not abuse the privilege.
Understand that this is a personal privilege. When I pass on to my ancestors,
you may keep the ring, but the privilege will vanish unless the new monarch
chooses to renew it. In return for this honor, I
inflict on you the added burden of making yourself available to me when I feel
desire of your counsel.
For the second time in a very short while, Derian discovered that he could not
speak. King Tedric chuckled.
A poor gift, you may think, giving you added duties under the guise of a
reward.
Derian found his tongue. No, Sire. Really. I am so honored. I don t&
Don t worry too much, King Tedric said and placed a wrinkled hand on his
shoulder. Have the ring sized as soon as possible. You wouldn t want it to
slip off.
Yes, Your Majesty.
And say nothing of our conference to anyone even to Earl Kestrel or
Firekeeper. If asked, simply say that I was bored and wanted a bit of common
conversation.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Now, Derian Carter, give me your arm and help me to the dance floor. The
orchestra is warming up. I
believe I will claim Lady Blysse for this dance. It will keep my contentious
nieces and nephews guessing.
Unfortunately, it will also raise poor Norvin s hopes unduly, but he is strong
enough to survive the eventual disappointment.
As Derian helped King Tedric down the few steps and signaled for Firekeeper to
join them, he couldn t help thinking that the old man was rather calculating,
even a bit wicked. It was an unsettling thought that maybe even a good king or
perhaps especially a good king might need to be so.
XXI
Elise awakened the morning after the ball aware that something momentous had
occurred, but a moment passed before she remembered what had happened. Then
Page 213
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