"I will have to give it to Neso now," he said"I...
"I will have to give it to Neso now," he said"I think you know that
Some things, it seemed, had not changed: always that grave, unexpected courtesy when he spoke to her of such thingsWhat need had the King of Ygrath to apologize to her for choosing one of his courtiers over another? She moved into the room, clinging to her resolution, and at his gesture she took the chair opposite hisBrandin's eyes rested on her with an odd, almost a detached scrutinyShe wondered what he would see
She heard a sound from the far end of the room and, glancing over, saw Rhun sitting by the second fire, aimlessly leafing through a picture-bookHis presence reminded her of something, and she felt her anger suddenly come back
"Of course you have to offer it to Neso," she said"Asoli is his prize for gallantry in the service of his King He scarcely respondedBriefly his mouth quirked, his expression mildly ironic; he still seemed preoccupied though, only half attending to what she saidThey'll call it something of that sort," he said absently"Not getting out of the way in time, it really wasD'Eymon was already arranging last night to have word louis vuitton spread that it was Neso who saved my life
She would not rise to thatShe didn't even understand why he was saying this to her
She said, instead, looking across the room at Rhun, not at the King: "That makes sense, and you must surely know that I don't careWhat I do not understand is why you are putting out lies about Camena's fate She took a breath, and then plunged aheadIt is such an ugly, vicious thing to doIf you must prepare a Fool to follow Rhun, why mar a whole man and a healthy one? Why do such a thing?"
He did not answer for a long time and she was afraid to look at himRhun, too far away to hear, and nonetheless stopped leafing through his book and was looking over at them
"As it happens, there are precedents," was what Brandin said at length, his tone still mildBut then, a moment later, he added, "I should probably have taken Scelto away from you a long time agoYou both learn too much, too quickly
She opened her mouth, but no words came outWhat could she say? She had asked for this
But then, glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw that Brandin was smilingAn odd smile, and there was something strange chanel pearls about his eyes as he looked at herHe said, "As it also happens, Scelto would have been right this morning, but his tidings are wrong by now
"What do you mean?" She felt the stirrings of a genuine uneasinessThere was a strangeness to his manner this morning that she could not lay a finger onIt was more than tiredness though, she knew that much
"I rescinded yesterday's orders after my ride," Brandin said quietly"Camena is probably dead by nowExactly as word has been put about
She discovered that her hands were clutching each other in her lapShe said fatuously, without thinking, "Is this true?"
He only raised his eyebrows, but she felt herself flush deep red"I have no need to deceive you, DianoraI told them to arrange for witnesses among the Chiarans, so there would be no doubtWhat would confirm it for you: shall I have his head sent to your rooms?"
She looked down again, thinking of Isolla's head bursting like a smashed fruitShe swallowed; he had done that with a gesture of his handShe looked back at the KingMutely she shook her headWhat happened on that ride? What was happening here?
Then, abruptly, she chanel bag gold chain remembered what else had occurred to him yesterdayOn the mountainside, at a place where a grey rock stood beside the runners' trackOne man sees a riselka: his path forks thereBrandin turned back towards the fire, one leg crossed over the otherHe laid the point of the iron down on the hearthstone, leaning it against his chair
"You haven't asked me why I changed the ordersThat's unlike you, Dianora
"I'm afraid to," she said, truthfully
He glanced over at that, his dark brows level now, the gray eyes intimidating with their intelligence"That's unlike you as welllike yourself either this morning
"Fair enough," he said quietlyHe looked at her for a moment in silence, then seemed to consider something else"Tell me, did d'Eymon make things difficult for you just now? Did he warn you, or threaten?"
It wasn't sorcery, she told herself fiercelyIt was only Brandin being what he was, aware of all the nuances that affected those in their orbits around him
"Not directly," she said awkwardlyOnce she might have seen this as an opportunity, but the mood this morning was so strangeupset about yesterdayAfraid, I think, of balances shifting bags louis vuitton here at the courtOnce word is safely out that it was Neso who saved your life I think the Chancellor will be easierIt won't be a difficult story for him to spread; things happened very fastI doubt anyone saw it clearly
This time, Brandin's smile as he listened was one she knew and cherished: equal to equal, their minds sharing the track of a complex thoughtBut when she finished, his expression changed
She looked away and down again, at her hands in her lapYour path is clear now, she told herself as sternly as she couldShe had been offered a vision of herself in green beside the seaAnd her heart was her own now after last nightThere was a stone holding it there, safe within her breast
Brandin said, "It would be easy to tell the Neso story, I agreeBut I did a great deal of thinking last night and then on my ride this morningI'll be talking to d'Eymon later today, after we watch the runners come homeThe tale that goes around will be the true one, Dianora
She wasn't sure she had heard him rightly, and then she was sure, and something seemed to reach a brim and then spill over a little, like an overflowing wineglass fake rolex swiss inside