"04.Prince of the Blood" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

Prince Nicholas, Arutha and Anita's youngest child,
had avoided the need to stand next to his sister, by
hiding from his father's sight. He stood behind his moth-
er's throne, beyond his father's gaze", on the first step off
the dais. The door to the royal apartments was hidden
from the eyes of those in the hall, down three steps,
where, in years past, all four children had played the
game of huddling on the first step, listening to their
father conduct court, enjoying the delicious feeling of
eavesdropping. Nicky waited for the arrival of his two
brothers.

Anita glanced about with that sudden sense mothers
have that one of their children is somewhere he
shouldn't be. She spied Nicholas waiting down by the
door, and motioned him to stand close. Nicky had idol-
ized Borric and Eriand, despite them having little time
for the boy and constantly teasing him. They just
couldn't find much in common with their youngest sib-
ling, since he was twelve years younger.

Prince Nicholas hobbled up the three broad steps and
moved to his mother's side and, as it had every day since
his birth, Anita's heart broke. The boy had a deformed
foot, and neither surgeon's ministrations nor priest's
spell had any effect, save to enable him to walk. Unwill-
ing to hold up the deformed baby to public scrutiny,
Arutha had ignored custom and refused to show the boy
at the Presentation, the holiday in honor of a royal
child's first public appearance, a tradition that may
have died with Nicholas's birth.

Nicky turned when he heard the door open, and Er-
land peered through. The youngest Prince grinned at
his brothers as they gingerly slipped through the door.
Nicky scrambled down the three steps with his canted
gate to intercept them, and gave each a hug. Eriand
visibly winced and Borric bestowed an absent pat on
the shoulder.

Nicky followed the twins as they slowly mounted the
stairs behind the thrones, coming to stand behind their

Homecoming 11

sister. She glanced over her shoulder long enough to
stick out her tongue and cross her eyes, causing all three
brothers to force themselves not to laugh. They knew
no one else in court could see her fleeting pantomime.