Wondering how I would make it through a hand-to-hand duel, I glanced around--and just then I saw one of Galdran’s equerries fall from his saddle, his banner-spear spinning through the air toward me. I...
Why did you get me drunk? I asked. I’m no rival of yours.She made a quick, sharp gesture of negation. A diamond on her finger sparkled like spilled tears, and I realized her fingers were trembling.It’...
Why did I laugh at his sorry, bedraggled appearance? Because ridiculousness made a repellant situation more bearable.
When I returned from the concert I wrote, in my very best hand, a letter to Flauvic requesting the favor of his advice on a matter of fashion. I sent it that night, and to my surprise, an answer await...
What? I yelled. And I opened my mouth to complain , but I recalled a certain interview, not long ago, that had ended rather abruptly when a candleholder had--ah--changed hands. Grimacing, I said in a...
We reached a path just as the beat of horse hooves sounded from not far ahead. I stepped back; Flauvic looked up as two riders trotted into view.My first reaction was blank dismay when I saw Savona an...
We all turned, and my brother appeared with four other gentlemen. Branaric called jovially, Found you, Mel, Nee. And he bowed to the other ladies, who in turn greeted the arrivals: Geral, Savona, Lord...
Waking to the sound of the bells for third-gold, I found myself staring up at a pair of interested brown eyes.She’s awake! my watcher called over her shoulder. Then she turned back to me and grinned....
Until that morning most of the journey had been made in silence, our stops to eat and change horses--again, Renselaeus beneficence: all we had to do was mention their name, and the horses were instant...
There’s no use in talking about the plan, because of course nothing went the way it was supposed to. Even the passage of time was horribly distorted. At first the ride to the hill seemed endless, with...
The riders fanned out, but my immediate escort rode straight to the overhanging rusty roof that formed a rudimentary barn. The Marquis dismounted and stretched out his hand to grip the bridle of my ho...
The Prince and Princess. Savona. Tamara. Bran and Nee. Elenet. Good people and bad, silly and smart, they would all be helpless victims.I’d left my sword in the saddle sheath, but I could still try. M...
Standing near one of the potted shrubs that isolated the food and drink, I sipped at the punch and started picking out individual voices from the chatter around me, and individual dancers from the mas...
So they sit like overfed fowl and watch Galdran Merindar break the Covenant by making secret pacts to sell our woods overseas? I retorted. He paused in the act of reaching for the camp jug. Break the...
So once again on an early spring day, I was ensconced in a coach rolling down the middle of the Street of the Sun. Again people lined the street, but this time they waved and cheered. And as before, o...
Shevraeth and I did not speak again; he kept working through his mail, and I, still tired and cold, curled up on a cushion and slipped into uncomfortable sleep.Waking to the sound of Bran’s cheery voi...
Regrets about leaving your home? she asked.No, I said--making my first Court white lie.Her relief was unmistakable as she sat back against the satin pillows, and I was glad I’d lied. I hope we make it...
One doesn't lose a self, like a pair of gloves or a pine. We learn and change, or we harden into stone.
My spirits were so glum I almost overlooked the two letters waiting on my writing table.When I did see them, my heart gave one of those painful thumps, and I wondered if these were letters of rejectio...
My friendly guise of the morning notwithstanding, I had no wish to blunder into the memoir room if Shevraeth was working there. I vowed…The thought vanished when I happened to glance out one of the m...