Blood of Dragons - Страница 63

Carson replied with a terse, ‘Shut up.’

Reyn startled everyone when he stepped into Hest’s path. ‘Who are you? Go back with the others until you are judged.’ He met Hest’s stare eye to eye.

Hest responded with wide-eyed shock. ‘But … but I’m Hest Finbok! I’ve come all this way to find my wife Alise! I hired passage on the newest and swiftest ships I could find to come in search of her. When treachery by the captain let it fall to Chalcedean pirates, I thought all was lost. But here I am! Sweet Sa, your miracles never cease! I am here, and alive, and so is my darling wife! Alise, don’t you know me? Has your mind been turned by this harsh place? I am here now, and you need no other protector than your loving husband.’

His words, she thought, danced all through the truth, never touching it. Reyn, startled, stayed as he was as Hest stepped around him.

‘No.’ It was the only word she could manage. Her throat was dry, her heart pounding. She could not find breath to say more than that, but she clung to Leftrin’s arm as if it were her only lifeline in a wild sea storm. And he did not let go of her. He stood firm at her side.

Leftrin spoke in a low growl. ‘The lady says “No”.’

‘Take your hands off my wife!’ Hest ignored Reyn’s challenge of him as he stepped around the Elderling to glare menacingly at Leftrin. ‘She is obviously not right in her mind! Look how she stares! She does not recognize me, poor thing! And you, scoundrel, have taken advantage of her! Oh, my Alise, my darling, what has he done to you? How can you not recognize your own loving husband?’

She felt a low rumbling from Leftrin as if he snarled like a beast. His arm in her clutch had become hard as iron. He would protect her, he would save her. All she had to do was let him.

‘No,’ she said again, this time to Leftrin. She squeezed his arm reassuringly and then stepped out of his shelter. She stood free of him, and the wind off the river blew past her. Her unbound hair lifted in wild red snakes and she knew a moment of dismay as she wondered how ridiculous she looked, her skin weathered, her woman’s body garbed in the bright colours of an Elderling as if she did not know her age or her place in the world.

Her place in the world.

She squared her shoulders. As she walked forward, Reyn stepped toward her as if to offer her his arm and support. She waved him off without meeting his eyes. She advanced on Hest, hoping to see some flicker of doubt in his eyes. Instead his smile only widened as if he were truly welcoming her. He actually believed that she would resume that role, would pretend to be his loving, dutiful wife. That thought touched fire in her soul. She halted before him and looked up at him.

‘Oh, my dear! How harshly the world has treated you!’ he exclaimed. He tried to put his arms around her. She set both hands to his chest and pushed him firmly away. As he staggered backwards, it pleased her that he had not expected her to be so strong.

‘You are not my husband,’ she said in a low voice.

He teetered a moment, then caught his balance. He tried to recover his aplomb. But she had seen the sparks of anger flare in his dark eyes. He tipped his head, solicitous, his voice stricken. ‘My dear, you are so confused!’ he began.

She lifted her voice, pitched it for all to hear. ‘I am NOT confused. You are NOT my husband. You broke the terms of our marriage contract, rendering it void. From the earliest days of our marriage, you were unfaithful to me. You entered into the contract with no intent of keeping yourself to me. You have deceived me and made me an object of mockery. You are not my husband, and by the terms of our marriage contract, all that is mine comes back to me. You are not my husband and I am not your wife. You are nothing to me.’

It was gratifying to see the surprise on his face. This was not what he had expected. He had thought to take control of her just as easily as he once had. But it was frightening, too, to watch the expression in his eyes shift. How quickly he reassessed the situation, how swiftly he found a new tactic and a new balance.

‘Unfaithful? Me?’ He stood taller. ‘How dare you! Would an unfaithful man have risked all to come this far to rescue you from this place? You! Traders of Bingtown and Trehaug, I call you to witness!’ He spun back on the dumbfounded prisoners who were taking in the scene as if it were a puppet play. ‘This is my wife, Alise Finbok! I sent her, at her most earnest wish, to visit the Rain Wilds. How she became caught up in this expedition, I do not know, though I know that some of you were there when she embarked on it. I do know she is rightfully married to me, and if this beast has alienated her affection for me, then he must answer for it! Annul our marriage agreement she can, if that is truly her own heartfelt desire. I will set her free! But I have not violated our contract and I will not be denied my rightful claim on properties she has acquired during our marriage!’ He spun back and pointed a finger at Leftrin. ‘And you, scoundrel, do not think you will go unpunished for your part in this! You have stolen my wife’s affection and alienated her from me. The Council shall sit in judgment on you. Prepare to forfeit every greasy coin, every bit of property, even that stinking barge you own for this grievous insult to me and my family.’

Alise cursed the weakness that made her legs shake. ‘You were unfaithful!’ she cried out again, and she could not control the waver of her voice.

‘My dear, you are not yourself!’ he cried again, heartbreak in his voice. ‘Come back to me. Forgiveness is still possible. I will take care of you, restore you to a safe life where you are free to pursue your studies in quiet and calm. Say but the word, and I will see that no word of this scandal ever touches your family or your name.’ He looked earnestly into her eyes, the picture of a wronged but forgiving man.

But she clearly read his threat, couched as an offer of forgiveness. Her family. Her reputation in Bingtown. Did she care for such things any more? She thought of her mother, of her younger, unwed siblings. Her family had no wealth, only their status as honourable Bingtown Traders, folk who always kept their bargains. The scandal he threatened could destroy them. She hesitated, duty to her family’s name shredding her heart.

‘You were unfaithful. From the very first night you made her your bride. I will testify to that.’

She scarcely recognized Sedric’s voice. It thrummed with deep passion. He pushed his way past the staring keepers to stand beside her, lifted her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm. She clutched at him and felt his unseen trembling as they confronted together the man who had dragged them both through so much misery.

Hest drew himself up straight and sparks of scorn danced in his eyes. ‘Ah. My valet. My runaway servant. Do you think I don’t know of your private bargains? Your disgusting dealings with Chalcedean merchants to sell them dragon parts? Do your friends know of that? Now that they do, will they believe you? A man who lies once will lie often.’

Sedric went even whiter but his voice was steady. ‘My friends know all, Hest. My dragon knows all. And she has forgiven me.’

That rattled Hest. Alise’s thoughts scattered as one part of her mind rejoiced. You never saw that he might have a dragon, did you, Hest? You saw his changes, but you could not truly imagine how much he had changed.

But Hest had not changed. He recovered as neatly as a tumbling acrobat who comes to his feet again. Only those who knew him well recognized the tiny pause of uncertainty before he spoke. He still played to the crowd as he disbelievingly asked, ‘And knowing of your treacherous nature, you think they will believe whatever foul thing you say? You will testify against me? You, Sedric Meldar, a lowly servant? Then do so now, before all of us. Tell us then, give us one instance of my unfaithfulness to my wife. Just one will do.’ His gaze was sharper than a knife. Alise saw victory dancing in his dark eyes.

Sedric drew a breath. The trembling she had felt as she gripped his arm stilled. He spoke clearly, his voice pitched to carry to everyone there. ‘I shared your bed for years, before you took Alise as your wife, and for years afterward. You spent your wedding night with me. And in the years that followed, you made her a laughing-stock among our fellows. In that circle, all knew that you disdained the company of women for that of men. I was your lover, Hest Finbok. I helped you deceive her, and did not speak up when you mocked her.

‘And if need be, I will stand before all of Trehaug, and all of Bingtown and attest to that. You were an unfaithful husband to her, and I, I was a treacherous friend.’

Alise stared at Sedric as he committed social suicide. But he turned and met her gaze and said, ‘And again, Alise, I am so sorry. Would that I could take back those years of your life and give them to you unscathed.’

Her eyes brimmed with tears. Sedric had just destroyed all chance that he could ever return to Bingtown and resume his life. Even if he remained in Kelsingra for ever, if even one Trader returned to Bingtown, all would know not only what he had done to her, but what he was. ‘I forgave you, Sedric. I told you that a long time ago.’

‘I know that,’ he said very quietly. His hand covered hers as he added, ‘But I did not deserve your forgiveness then. Perhaps I can say I have earned it now?’

‘You have,’ she said quietly. ‘And more. But, Sedric, what have you done? All will know that you …’