Dark One Rising. Leandra Martin

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ style="font-size:15px;">      “It will pass, but creating more havoc for yourself is not going to make it go faster. You have to want to change.”

      “Okay, Alek. Stop worrying about me and I will do my best to change.”

      “Do your best to change, and I’ll stop worrying.”

      Dain laughed tiredly. “I think this evening is done. I should go to bed and get some rest, if I can turn my mind off long enough to do so.”

      “Take the time you need. Emerick and I will take care of the requests and dispatches. We will make up an excuse for you.”

      Dain looked at his friend and frowned. “It seems I make you do that quite often.”

      Alekzand’r didn’t reply. Dain got the hint.

      “No, I will be there. Have Emerick rouse me an hour before the first session and I’ll be there. I don’t want you and he to do my job anymore. I will hear my people and answer my own dispatches.”

      “Are you certain?”

      “Yes. I don’t know if I can change my ways with women, but I can at least start taking responsibility for my kingdom.”

      “That’s a start I guess. It will have to do.”

      “Alright then, bed it is.”

      Dain started for the door, and Alek stopped him. “Your Majesty.”

      Dain did not turn. He didn’t want to see Alek’s face, knowing exactly what he was going to ask, even before he asked it. “You are going to bed alone, aren’t you?”

      Dain winced. He knew it. He hadn’t planned on taking either of the women he had been with tonight to bed with him, but knowing what awaited him in the morning made him want to wile away the rest of the night in distraction. He could no more lie to Alek as he could his mother when she was alive. They knew him too well. Instead of turning to see Alek’s eyes boring into him, he answered from over his shoulder.

      “I suppose that would be the wiser choice.”

      “Indeed it would.”

      Dain decided no retort was needed and left the room to head up to his chambers. He hated being told what to do, but then again he supposed no one would feel the need to reprimand him if he behaved like a civilized human being. He really was a mess. He stopped to look at himself in a mirror on his way down a corridor and frowned.

      His eyes were red, his clothes were wrinkled and disheveled. He didn’t know when the dark circles under his eyes had appeared, but they were very noticeable. No wonder Alek was worried about his soul. Dain didn’t blame him. He was on his way down a road he would not be able to turn back from if he didn’t find a way to refrain himself from debauchery. He sighed and turned away from the mirror, heading to his room to get some sleep. Tomorrow would be a long day. He would get up and attend to his duties just as he promised, and he needed a clear head to do so.

      CHAPTER 2

      King Randor Breslin of Aaralyn, and his son, Kevaan Reese, looked down on the courtyard from a second- story window, watching the display of men-at-arms below. Two figures moved around the fighting arena with fury, feet kicking up the dirt underneath them, attacking and parrying each other’s onslaught with refined skill. One was large and strong, with fully defined muscles, the other small and quick, looking too frail to possibly win this match. The show was lengthy, but they were tiring, and soon a winner would prevail. The smaller figure finally beat his opponent, knocking the sword from his hand. The figure pulled off the safety helm and loosened a thick mane of golden red hair. She looked upon her opponent with a disarming smile. The other figure picked up his sword, bowed to his victor and walked away.

      The king looked to his son and shook his head. “Again? That’s the second opponent this week.”

      “She really is quite good,” Kevaan replied with a proud smile. “Everyone says so.”

      King Randor left his viewing place at the window and returned to his chair, sitting down with a sigh.

      “I know. I constantly hear this. My men are starting to feel inadequate.”

      “Well, no one has forced them to accept her challenges. Besides, I think they let her win most times, so they really have no need to feel less than the king’s best.”

      “That’s not the point, Kevaan. I have asked her to stop doing it, but of course, she doesn’t listen to me. She does what she wants, when she wants. I’m at my wits end. I don’t know what to do with her anymore.”

      “I guess she’s too old now to put over your knee,” Kevaan said smiling again.

      “I’m glad you find this so amusing, my son. This is your fault you know.”

      “My fault?”

      “You were the one to insist she learn the arts to protect herself.”

      “There were lots of times when both of us had to be away. I just wanted to make sure she’d be safe.”

      “That was a noble gesture to a sister from her brother, but this is why I have guards, to protect my loved ones.”

      “I thought it was practical at the time.”

      “But look to where it has led. She is not a normal girl.”

      “She’s never been a normal girl. Not since birth. You said so yourself. The gift of an Elvin made sword does not go to a normal girl. Then when mother died, she had no role model to guide her into womanhood. She had only you and I and a palace full of men, no woman to teach her. We did our best, but we as men can only do so much.”

      “We have a lot of female servants to help her.”

      “Yes, but they only knew how to serve her, not to teach.”

      “I guess we were too busy to notice; now it’s too late.” King Randor shook his head in dismay.

      Kevaan sat down next to his father and placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. “She has turned into an exotic beauty, and she knows how to act like a princess when necessary, whether it’s what she prefers or not. We didn’t fail completely. It will be alright, father.”

      “All the other women her age have been married for quite some time and are nursing babies, some on their second by now. Twenty-one is too old to be unmarried. Time after time I’ve told her she must choose a husband, but she refuses. I even gave her the option to find someone of noble blood that she loved, but even that didn’t work. Now my options have run out, and I’m left with only one.”

      Kevaan looked concerned. He knew what was coming and was sad for his sister. He loved her, but he knew this time he would not be able to get her out of it as he had always done in the past. This time she was on her own.

      “I must choose a husband for her. It’s time for her to marry.”

      “She won’t like this, father. You know she will refuse.”

      “She will have no choice this time. I have given her plenty СКАЧАТЬ