"Kate Elliott - Jaran 4 - The Law of Becoming" - читать интересную книгу автора (Elliott Kate)

quarrels within their ranks."

"Spoken like your brother," said Ilya softly.

"No doubt," replied Tess dryly. She felt a stab of guilt. She much preferred war in the abstract,
discussing it, directing it, from out here on the plains, never having to see her words put into action.
"Did Vasha send a letter?"

Ilya's shoulders tensed. "Just a few lines, that said nothing."

"And?" she asked, hearing the silence he did not want to fill.

"No mention of him by Sakhalin at all, but appended to Vasha's letter was a lengthy diatribe from
Katerina on how badly he's getting along." He paused. Tess waited him out.

Finally, on a let out breath, he finished. "I shouldn't have let him go."

"You should have. Ilya, he had to leave, to go out on his own. You can't keep him in camp. He has
to grow up, to become his own man. Otherwise-—"

"Otherwise?" Ilya demanded. This was not the argument Tess had wanted, but she braced herself
to carry on with it anyway. "He will never be accepted as my heir in any case, Tess, so what does it
matter?"

"He must be accepted as himself. Whatever else comes, will come. We can't know what that will
be."

"He doesn't get along well with other people."

"You have been protecting him, Ilya. He has to learn to fend for himself."

"He can't fend for himself. He's too young. He's hotheaded and he plays the prince's son too
often."

"He's a good boy, Ilya. You know that, damn it. I admit he has too high a sense of his own
consequence at times, but he's willing to learn. But for God's sake, he's nineteen now. He'll never
become a man unless you are willing to let go of him."

"But what if he—?"

"You have to let him make his own mistakes!"

Ilya relapsed into a stubborn silence. Irritated, Tess eyed him, feeling equally stubborn. After a bit,
she began to enjoy the sight of him fulminating. He did it so splendidly.

His lips quirked. "I don't want to argue with you," he said in a stifling tone.

"You don't want to, but you like to," she retorted instantly. "Well, my love, Vasha is riding with
Sakhalin's army now. He's out of your hands for the time being." She forcefully restrained herself from
adding: And it's just as well.