Riyria Revelations #03 - Nyphron Rising by Michael J. Sullivan

Author:Michael J. Sullivan [Sullivan, Michael J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-02-17T22:00:00+00:00

Hadrian stared at Royce. He did not know how to feel about this. Part of him was excited, thrilled, vindicated, and part of him was certain Royce was insane.

"And you kept this from me?" Hadrian asked, astonished.

"I didn't want to tell you until I knew for sure. I thought Esrahaddon might be playing us."

"Don't you think I would have thought of that too? What do you take me for? Have you worked with me for twelve years because you think I'm stupid? How conceited can you be? You can't trust me to make my own decisions, so you make them for me?"

"I'm telling you now, aren't I?"

"It took you a whole damn year, Royce!" Hadrian shouted at him. "Didn't you think I'd find this important? When I told you I was miserable because I felt my life lacked purpose—that I wanted a cause worth fighting for—you didn't think that protecting the heir qualified?" Hadrian shook his head in disbelief. "You stuck-up, manipulative, lying—"

"I never lied to you!"

"No, you just concealed the truth, which to me is a lie, but in your twisted little mind is a virtue!"

"I knew you were going to take it this way," Royce said in a superior tone.

"How else would you expect me to take it? Gee pal, thanks for thinking so little of me that you couldn't tell me the truth about my own life?"

"That's not the reason I didn't tell you," Royce snapped.

"You just said it was!"

"I know I did!"

"So you're lying to me again?"

"Call me a liar one more time—"

"And what? What? You going to fight me?"

"It's dark in here."

"But there's no room for you to hide. You're only a threat until I get my hands on you. I just need to grab your spindly little neck. For all your quickness, once I get a grip on you it's all over."

Without warning, cold water poured down on them. Looking up they could see silhouetted figures.

"You boys, be quiet down there!" shouted a voice. "His Excellency wants a word with you."

One head disappeared from view and another replaced it at the opening's edge.

"I am Luret, the Imperial Envoy of Her Eminence the Grand Imperial Empress Modina Novronian. Because of your involvement in escorting a member of the royal court of Melengar to Her Majesty's enemy, the Nationalists, the two of you are hereby charged with espionage and hitherto will be put to death by hanging in three days' time. Should, however, you wish to attempt to rescind that sentence to life in prison, I would be willing to do so under the condition that you reveal to me the whereabouts of the Princess Arista Essendon of Melengar."

Neither said a word.

"Tell me where she is, or you will be hanged as soon as the village carpenter can build us a proper gallows."

Again they were silent.

"Very well, perhaps a day or two rotting in there will change your mind." He turned away and spoke to the jailor. "No food or water. It might help to loosen their tongues, besides there's really no sense in wasting it.

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