"Raymond E. Feist - Kingdom of the Isles 2 - The King's Buccaneer" - читать интересную книгу автора (Feist Raymond E)

last year, Squire Harry had provided an abrupt change to Nicholas's solitary
ways, forever dragging the Prince off on some foolish enterprise or another.
Life for Nicholas had become far more exciting since the arrival of the middle
son of the Earl of Ludland. Given his rank and two competitive brothers, Harry
was combative and expected to be obeyed, barely observing the difference in
rank between himself and Nicholas. Only a pointed order would remind Harry
that Nicholas wasn't a younger brother to command. Given Harry's domineering
ways, the Prince's court was probably the only place his father could have
sent him to have his nature tempered before he became a regular tyrant.

Nicholas brushed out his wet, neck-length hair, cut in imitation of his
father's. Alternately drying it with a towel, then

THE KING 's BUCCANEE K

15

brushing it, he got it to some semblance of respectability. He envied Harry
his red curls, hugging his head. A quick toweling and a brush, then off he
went.

Nicholas judged himself as presentable as he was likely to make himself under
the circumstances, and left his room. He entered the hall to discover Harry
already dressed and ready, attempting to delay another serving woman, this one
several years his senior, as she was bound upon some errand or another.

Harry was dressed in the green and brown garb of a palace squire, which in
theory made him part of the Royal Steward's staff, but within weeks of his
arrival he had been singled out to be Nicholas's companion. Nicholas's two
older brothers, Borric and Erland, had been sent to the King's court at
Rillanon five years before, to prepare for the day Borric would inherit the
crown of the Isles from his uncle. King Lyam's only son had drowned fifteen
years earlier, and Arutha and the King had decided that should Arutha survive
his older brother, Borric would rule. Nicholas's sister, Elena, was recently
married to the eldest son of the Duke of Ran, leaving the palace fairly empty
of companions of suitable rank for the young Prince before Harry was sent into
service by his father.

Clearing his throat loudly, Nicholas commanded Harry's attention long enough
for the serving woman to make her getaway. She gave the Prince a courteous bow
coupled with a grateful smile as she hurried off.

Nicholas watched her flee and said, "Harry, you've got to stop using your
position to annoy the serving women."

"She wasn't annoyed—" began Harry.
"That wasn't an opinion," said Nicholas sternly.

He rarely used his rank to command Harry about anything, but on those rare
occasions he did, Harry knew better than to argue—especially when his tone