considerations. With power comes responsibility, and we cannot set aside our duty to please ourselves."
"You and I—" she began, her mind filled with memories of the opposition to their growing love. Javanne's antagonism had fueled most
Marion Zimmer Bradley " Deborah J, Ross
of the obstacles, but there had been other problems as well. As Heir to Alton, Marguerida had attracted more than one other suitor, including Francisco Ridenow. In a wild moment, she wondered if Francisco thought to ameliorate the pain of his own rejection by uniting their children.
Mikhail said, "In the midst of all we had to contend with, we were both Comyn, legitimate, laran-Gifted , with full Domain-right. Neither of us could have married a chervine herder or a scullery maid."
"No, I can imagine the scandal that would have caused," she said, laughing.
And neither can Domenic , he sent the gentle thought. He is a true son of Hastur , meaning the legendary ancestor of the Comyn.
Marguerida's temples throbbed, a sickening pulse so very different from a natural headache. The Aldaran Gift again' ? And did it warn of some danger to Domenic rather than Mikhail?
I will drive myself to distraction at this rate and be of no use to anyone !
Gathering herself, she turned to her father. "Is Francisco serious about this marriage? Do you think it wise? How does his daughter feel about it?"
"He says she understands her duty, so I would say, yes, she is willing. As to his own motives…" Lew's expression darkened. "I have spent half the night turning around the different possibilities in my mind and am no closer to any conclusions. He could have a dozen different schemes."
"Could it be a trap?" she asked. "A ruse to lure us into trusting him?"
"Anything a Comyn does could be a trap," Lew replied dryly. "We have had a thousand years to perfect the art."
"On the other hand, the offer could be exactly as presented," Mikhail said, "a sincere effort to establish closer ties, so that a generation from now, this quarrel and all its potential for blood feud will be forgotten. We must give him that chance."
"Or it could place Domenic within Francisco's reach," Marguerida muttered, and she saw in her father's eyes that he had considered the same thing.
"We will not allow Domenic to come to any harm, no matter what happens," Mikhail said.
"The Comyn Council is very likely to regard the offer as genuine," Lew said. "In fact, we must consider the possibility they may decide this match is in their best interest and force the marriage."
"They couldn't!" Marguerida cried. "They wouldn't!"
"I am afraid they could and might," Mikhail said. "Remember, even in our time, the Heir to a Domain cannot marry without their consent. We will not permit such a thing, not if Domenic is adverse to the match. But it is better that the issue not be raised in Council. Fighting it might cost us allies that we need for other, more important battles."
Marguerida wondered what could be more important than the happiness of her son, but she realized that was an impossibly romantic notion. On Darkover, duty to one's family, the responsibilities of rank, and the welfare of the greater Domain, all took precedence.
"The marriage would not only reconcile Mikhail and Francisco but would ensure the future of Hastur and the Regency," Lew said. "The Council would argue, among other things, that Domenic is of an age to marry and produce sons to rule after him. They would be right. When Regis was his age, he had already fathered a number of nedestro children—"
"Are you suggesting that Domenic do the same?" Marguerida asked, appalled. Sometimes the loose morals of the Comyn were more than she could tolerate. It was one thing for someone like Kennard-Dyan to scatter his seed everywhere, with more illegitimate children than he could count, and quite another for her own, properly brought up son. She glared at Mikhail. " You did not behave that way!"
"I suspect Domenic is like me in this respect,"
"You and I—" she began, her mind filled with memories of the opposition to their growing love. Javanne's antagonism had fueled most
Marion Zimmer Bradley " Deborah J, Ross
of the obstacles, but there had been other problems as well. As Heir to Alton, Marguerida had attracted more than one other suitor, including Francisco Ridenow. In a wild moment, she wondered if Francisco thought to ameliorate the pain of his own rejection by uniting their children.
Mikhail said, "In the midst of all we had to contend with, we were both Comyn, legitimate, laran-Gifted , with full Domain-right. Neither of us could have married a chervine herder or a scullery maid."
"No, I can imagine the scandal that would have caused," she said, laughing.
And neither can Domenic , he sent the gentle thought. He is a true son of Hastur , meaning the legendary ancestor of the Comyn.
Marguerida's temples throbbed, a sickening pulse so very different from a natural headache. The Aldaran Gift again' ? And did it warn of some danger to Domenic rather than Mikhail?
I will drive myself to distraction at this rate and be of no use to anyone !
Gathering herself, she turned to her father. "Is Francisco serious about this marriage? Do you think it wise? How does his daughter feel about it?"
"He says she understands her duty, so I would say, yes, she is willing. As to his own motives…" Lew's expression darkened. "I have spent half the night turning around the different possibilities in my mind and am no closer to any conclusions. He could have a dozen different schemes."
"Could it be a trap?" she asked. "A ruse to lure us into trusting him?"
"Anything a Comyn does could be a trap," Lew replied dryly. "We have had a thousand years to perfect the art."
"On the other hand, the offer could be exactly as presented," Mikhail said, "a sincere effort to establish closer ties, so that a generation from now, this quarrel and all its potential for blood feud will be forgotten. We must give him that chance."
"Or it could place Domenic within Francisco's reach," Marguerida muttered, and she saw in her father's eyes that he had considered the same thing.
"We will not allow Domenic to come to any harm, no matter what happens," Mikhail said.
"The Comyn Council is very likely to regard the offer as genuine," Lew said. "In fact, we must consider the possibility they may decide this match is in their best interest and force the marriage."
"They couldn't!" Marguerida cried. "They wouldn't!"
"I am afraid they could and might," Mikhail said. "Remember, even in our time, the Heir to a Domain cannot marry without their consent. We will not permit such a thing, not if Domenic is adverse to the match. But it is better that the issue not be raised in Council. Fighting it might cost us allies that we need for other, more important battles."
Marguerida wondered what could be more important than the happiness of her son, but she realized that was an impossibly romantic notion. On Darkover, duty to one's family, the responsibilities of rank, and the welfare of the greater Domain, all took precedence.
"The marriage would not only reconcile Mikhail and Francisco but would ensure the future of Hastur and the Regency," Lew said. "The Council would argue, among other things, that Domenic is of an age to marry and produce sons to rule after him. They would be right. When Regis was his age, he had already fathered a number of nedestro children—"
"Are you suggesting that Domenic do the same?" Marguerida asked, appalled. Sometimes the loose morals of the Comyn were more than she could tolerate. It was one thing for someone like Kennard-Dyan to scatter his seed everywhere, with more illegitimate children than he could count, and quite another for her own, properly brought up son. She glared at Mikhail. " You did not behave that way!"
"I suspect Domenic is like me in this respect,"
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