“You are a mother,” the Chancellor said quietly, “and easily touched by pity. I am a commander. Janus and his foraging party set out this afternoon for the river valleys, and it may be that we can reassess the situation when they return.”
“It will be too late by then!” she insisted, and her brother caught her by the shoulders, looking down at her white, intense face, her burning eyes.
“Alde, please understand,” he said softly. She turned her face away, her cheek resting against the soft beaded leather of his gauntleted wrist. He put a gentle hand to her cheek and brought her eyes back to his. “Alde, my sister – don’t undermine me, I beg of you. If you go against me, the Keep will dissolve into chaos, and we will all perish. Please. Don’t go behind my back again.”
She nodded wretchedly, and Alwir placed a comforting arm around her waist. Alde leaned against her brother as if exhausted, her black hair spilling down over the velvet of his shoulder, and he led her back toward the Royal Sector that was their home.
Standing among the Guards, Gil watched them, two dark figures silhouetted in the leaping warmth of the torchlight. Well, what the hell, she thought. Now that Rudy’s gone, he’s all she has. And I can even understand Alwir’s not wanting to take in men who will hate him for turning them away before.
But nevertheless, she felt as if she had just seen a death warrant signed for that gentle priest and his ragged congregation among the ruins of the Tall Gates.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.
