highness.”
Marla smiled even wider, hoping to put the girl at ease. “We’ll have three weeks in a carriage on the way to Krakandar to test each other’s mettle, Luciena. I’m sure it will be an enlightening time for both of us. Now, do you accept my offer or not?”
“Must I give you an answer immediately?”
“What could you possibly need to consider?” Marla asked impatiently.
“One of your conditions is that I swear allegiance to the House of Wolf-blade, your highness. You say you want me to use my father’s fortune to aid your son’s ascension to the throne some day. Don’t I have a right to see what sort of a prince you would have me swear my allegiance to, before I take such an oath?”
Marla stared at her in surprise. Part of her was quite offended by the girl’s manner. Another part was thinking: This girl is going to be formidable when she gets her hands on her father’s business .
“You’ve more cheek than a street urchin, Luciena.”
“And whose fault is that, I wonder? Wasn’t it you who paid for my education?”
Marla frowned. “Very well. You may accompany me and my husband north to Krakandar. We will discuss your future further once you have met Damin and made up your mind about him. Speak to Xanda on your way out. He’ll make arrangements for your slave to have your trunks delivered to the palace. I assume you’ll want her to accompany you?”
“Yes. Thank you, your highness.”
“I’ll see you the day after tomorrow then.”
Realising she was dismissed, Luciena rose to her feet and curtseyed. “As you wish, your highness.”
Luciena turned and walked to the door. Marla waited until she was almost there before adding as an afterthought, “One other thing, Luciena.”
The girl turned to look at her. “Your highness?”
“Don’t get any ideas about my nephew.”
“I beg your pardon?” Luciena asked, quite shocked.
“He’s young, handsome and completely out of your class, Luciena. I will find a suitable husband for you when the time comes. Someone less . . . exalted. Don’t presume to think I will allow you to make such a decision for yourself.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, your highness.”
“I’m sure you do,” the princess corrected. “Good day, Luciena.”
The young woman curtseyed again without speaking and fled the room.
Marla leaned back against the cushions and smiled with satisfaction. Behind her, the curtain rustled softly and Elezaar stepped out of his hiding place, where he’d listened to the entire exchange.
“What did you think of her?”
“Interesting young woman,” he remarked, waddling around the piled cushions to face his mistress.
“Interesting indeed,” Marla agreed.
“One thing I don’t understand, though. Why warn her away from Xanda?”
“Because she’s seventeen and she thinks she hates me, Elezaar. What better way to give voice to that hate than to openly defy me?”
“You think that by forbidding her a relationship with Xanda, she’ll deliberately set out to have one? Does Xanda have any idea that you’re using him so blatantly?”
“Of course not.”
“Don’t you think he’d be upset?”
“Wasn’t it you, Elezaar, who pointed out that my nephew is too full of raging lust and bravado to notice what I’m up to?”
“Still, you might want to warn him of your plans.”
“I will. When the time is right.”
“Before or after the wedding?” Elezaar asked pointedly.
“After he’s in love,” Marla told him with a smile. “It won’t matter what I tell him then.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I know for a fact that people in love don’t listen to anything but their own hearts,” she replied, her smile fading. The pain of her own lost love was still a raw wound Marla carefully concealed from the rest of the world, even after all this time.
“Perhaps that’s a good thing,” the dwarf shrugged. “Love is supposed to be blind,
Marla smiled even wider, hoping to put the girl at ease. “We’ll have three weeks in a carriage on the way to Krakandar to test each other’s mettle, Luciena. I’m sure it will be an enlightening time for both of us. Now, do you accept my offer or not?”
“Must I give you an answer immediately?”
“What could you possibly need to consider?” Marla asked impatiently.
“One of your conditions is that I swear allegiance to the House of Wolf-blade, your highness. You say you want me to use my father’s fortune to aid your son’s ascension to the throne some day. Don’t I have a right to see what sort of a prince you would have me swear my allegiance to, before I take such an oath?”
Marla stared at her in surprise. Part of her was quite offended by the girl’s manner. Another part was thinking: This girl is going to be formidable when she gets her hands on her father’s business .
“You’ve more cheek than a street urchin, Luciena.”
“And whose fault is that, I wonder? Wasn’t it you who paid for my education?”
Marla frowned. “Very well. You may accompany me and my husband north to Krakandar. We will discuss your future further once you have met Damin and made up your mind about him. Speak to Xanda on your way out. He’ll make arrangements for your slave to have your trunks delivered to the palace. I assume you’ll want her to accompany you?”
“Yes. Thank you, your highness.”
“I’ll see you the day after tomorrow then.”
Realising she was dismissed, Luciena rose to her feet and curtseyed. “As you wish, your highness.”
Luciena turned and walked to the door. Marla waited until she was almost there before adding as an afterthought, “One other thing, Luciena.”
The girl turned to look at her. “Your highness?”
“Don’t get any ideas about my nephew.”
“I beg your pardon?” Luciena asked, quite shocked.
“He’s young, handsome and completely out of your class, Luciena. I will find a suitable husband for you when the time comes. Someone less . . . exalted. Don’t presume to think I will allow you to make such a decision for yourself.”
“I’m sure I don’t know what you mean, your highness.”
“I’m sure you do,” the princess corrected. “Good day, Luciena.”
The young woman curtseyed again without speaking and fled the room.
Marla leaned back against the cushions and smiled with satisfaction. Behind her, the curtain rustled softly and Elezaar stepped out of his hiding place, where he’d listened to the entire exchange.
“What did you think of her?”
“Interesting young woman,” he remarked, waddling around the piled cushions to face his mistress.
“Interesting indeed,” Marla agreed.
“One thing I don’t understand, though. Why warn her away from Xanda?”
“Because she’s seventeen and she thinks she hates me, Elezaar. What better way to give voice to that hate than to openly defy me?”
“You think that by forbidding her a relationship with Xanda, she’ll deliberately set out to have one? Does Xanda have any idea that you’re using him so blatantly?”
“Of course not.”
“Don’t you think he’d be upset?”
“Wasn’t it you, Elezaar, who pointed out that my nephew is too full of raging lust and bravado to notice what I’m up to?”
“Still, you might want to warn him of your plans.”
“I will. When the time is right.”
“Before or after the wedding?” Elezaar asked pointedly.
“After he’s in love,” Marla told him with a smile. “It won’t matter what I tell him then.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because I know for a fact that people in love don’t listen to anything but their own hearts,” she replied, her smile fading. The pain of her own lost love was still a raw wound Marla carefully concealed from the rest of the world, even after all this time.
“Perhaps that’s a good thing,” the dwarf shrugged. “Love is supposed to be blind,
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