Keyes, Greg - Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone 02 by Keyes Greg

Author:Keyes, Greg [Keyes, Greg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-09-06T19:44:18+00:00

“You searched her hair?”

“Ah—no, Majesty. But I shall.”

He proceeded to do just that. Berrye took it with a tiny smile on her face.

“Do I seem so dangerous to you, Majesty?” she asked.

Muriele didn’t answer, but nodded toward the man-at-arms. “Please leave us, sir,” she said.

When the door was closed behind him, Muriele settled into an armchair.

“Lady Berrye,” she said. “Much has happened in the past few bells. Doubtless you have heard some of the rumors.”

“Some, Majesty,” she allowed.

“Someone tried to kill me last night.”

“That’s terrible.”

j

“Thank you. I know you’ve never wished me anything but the best of health.” Berrye looked puzzled. “I never have, Majesty. I have always admired you and wished you well.”

“Even when you were in bed with my husband?”

“Of course.”

“But it never occurred to you that it might bother me?”

Berrye shrugged. “That was a matter between you and His Majesty. If it bothered you, he was the one to tell. Unless I was the only one of his mistresses you took exception to.”

“You are too bold, perhaps,” Muriele said, “especially now, when you don’t enjoy his protection.”

“I have no one’s protection, Majesty,” Berrye said. “I am most acutely aware of that.” Something was wrong here, Muriele realized. Wasn’t anything the way she thought it was?

“You are too bold,” she repeated. “Where is the simpering, nervous girl who used to cower when I entered the room?”

Again, Berrye smiled faintly. “She died with William.”

“You will refer to my late husband as his Majesty or as the king or not at all, Lady Berrye.”

“Very well,” she said easily.

“Enough of this,” Muriele said. “My time is precious. You wrote to me claiming that I was in danger.

Within a few bells of that correspondence, there was an attempt on my life. If you want that head of yours to stay where it is, you’ll explain to me—this moment— precisely what you know.” If Berrye was surprised that Muriele knew she had left the note, she didn’t show it. She stood straight, without any fidgeting, and met Muriele’s gaze squarely. “I will tell you everything I know, Majesty, but I believe my letter also mentioned my own need for protection.”

“At this moment, you need protection from me. And the only thing that will save you is the truth.” Berrye acknowledged that with a small nod of her head.

“Do you know why His Majesty was on the headland of Aenah that day?” she asked Muriele.

i

Alis Berrye

“You’re going to tell me you know?”

“Prince Robert came to the king, in the Warhearth. He had been gone for some time, on a secret embassy to Saltmark. When he returned, he brought something with him—the severed finger of Princess Lesbeth.”

“Lesbeth.” Lesbeth was William’s younger sister, Roberts twin. She had long been missing.

“Prince Robert claimed that Lesbeth’s betrothed—Cheiso of Safnia—had betrayed her into the hands of the Duke of Austrobaurg, who was holding her hostage.”

“For what ransom?”

“Saltmark, you remember, was pursuing a war against the Sorrow Isles. The ransom was that His Majesty arrange to secretly aid them in that war.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.