Troubled Waters by Sharon Shinn

Author:Sharon Shinn [Shinn, Sharon]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy, General, Epic
ISBN: 9781101444160
Google: qL0GQnyPDw0C
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2010-10-05T04:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

Early the following morning, Zoe met Darien Serlast in the kierten of the palace, which was bustling with activity even at that hour. She had sent Calvin to him with an urgent message the instant she returned from Elidon’s suite, and this was the meeting place he suggested. Almost immediately, they slipped outside to stroll along one edge of the river, so placid here it masqueraded as a lake. The weather was so cold that a rime of ice had formed all along the shallow shore, but there was enough of a current to keep most of the water fluid. Zoe had wrapped herself in her heaviest overrobe and pulled on a delicate pair of painted leather gloves. She was chilly, but the brisk air was refreshing, and she found it deeply soothing to be this close to flowing water. If Darien minded the temperature, he didn’t mention it.

“I wasn’t sure of the best way to get in touch with you,” she said. “Should I have written a note? Stopped you in the hallway?”

“Sending Calvin was the best choice,” he said. “And it’s always preferable to send a verbal message. Put nothing in writing. You never know how words might be misinterpreted.”

She sighed. “Just living here makes me tired.”

He laughed. “No, no, it should invigorate you with its constant challenges.”

She ostentatiously cast a glance all around them. They were highly visible to anyone who might glance out of a palace window, because there was very little ground cover near the shoreline. On the other hand, there was no convenient hiding spot where spies could lurk to eavesdrop on their conversation.

“Are we safe even here?” she asked, her voice derisive. “Should we cross the bridge to the halfway point and whisper to each other over the murmurs of the water?”

“I think we may speak freely,” he answered, grinning. “I suppose you have come to seek my opinion on some finer point of palace etiquette.”

“Just so. Even though I know you will lie to me when you like,” she said dryly, “you don’t seem to want me to stumble. So I trust you to warn me away from behaviors with catastrophic consequences.”

“I am relieved to think you trust me even that far,” he said.

“I received some advice from Elidon and your aunt Mirti, and I’m not sure it’s sound,” she said. “I’m not accusing them of trying to cause me trouble, but—”

He laughed again. “Oh, but they are both wily women who have complex agendas,” he said. “You are wise to wonder if they have your best interests at heart.”

She said bluntly, “They told me I should bring the Ardelays back in favor.”

Darien’s eyebrows shot up, and then his face assumed a thoughtful expression. “That would be an interesting step for you to take,” he said slowly. “The king has been debating the best way to mend the rift with Nelson Ardelay. He had considered inviting Nelson and his sons to one of the formal dinners, but this is better. It gives

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