"Raymond E. Feist - Empire Saga 1 - Daughter Of The Empire" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

Nacoya was silent, then said, 'Daughter of my heart, your boldness is admirable, yet while this gesture
may gain you a day, a week, even more, in the end the Lord of the Minwanabi will move to obliterate all
things Acoma.' The old nurse leaned forward, insistent. 'You must find allies, and for that, only one
course remains open to you. You must marry. Quickly.'

Mara shot erect so abruptly that her knee banged the leg of the writing table. 'No!' A strained silence
developed, while a dislodged parchment floated in her soup dish.

Nacoya brusquely disregarded her mistress's temper. 'You have no other choice, child. As Ruling
Lady you must seek out a consort from among the younger sons of certain houses in the Empire. A
marriage with a son of the Shinzawai, the Tukareg, or the Chochapan would gain an alliance with a house
able to protect us.' She fell silent a moment, then said, 'For as long as any could. Still, time might tip the
balance.'

Mara's cheeks flushed, and her eyes widened. 'I've never seen any of the boys you have named. I will
not wed a stranger!'

Nacoya stood. 'You speak now from anger, and your heart rules your mind. Had you never entered
the temple, your husband would have been selected from those found acceptable by your father or your
brother after him. As Lady of the Acoma, you must do as much for the sake of your house. I leave you
to think upon this.'

The nurse wrapped old fingers around the box to be delivered by the Porters' Guild to the Lord of the
Min-wanabi. She bowed stiffly and left.

Mara sat in silent rage, eyes fixed unseeing upon the soaked parchment, which slowly sank in the
depths of the soup bowl. The thought of marriage evoked nameless fears, rooted somehow in her grief.
She shivered, though the day was hot, and snapped her fingers for servants to remove the food trays.
She would rest, and contemplate alone upon what her aged nurse had instructed.



***



Upon Keyoke's recommendation, Mara remained within the estate house throughout the afternoon.
Although she would have preferred to continue her review of the Acoma holdings by litter, her warriors
were too depleted; a retinue would be needed to ensure her safety in the open, leaving fewer guards
available for routine patrols. Too conscientious to remain idle, the girl studied documents, to acquire
further familiarity with the more distant assets of her family. She called for a light meal. The shadows
lengthened, and the heat of the afternoon settled into stillness.

In the course of her reading, the Lady of the Acoma had come to understand a subtle but important
fact of Tsurani life, one emphasized often by her father but only now appreciated: honour and tradition
were but two walls of a great house; power and wealth comprised the other two. And of the four, it was
the latter pair that kept the roof from collapsing. Mara clenched her fist against the handle of the scroll. If
somehow she could keep those enemies who sought her death at bay, until she could muster the strength
to enter the Game of the Council, then . . . She abandoned the thought unfinished. Keeping the Lords of