"Katherine Kerr - Deverry 11 - The Fire Dragon" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Katherine)

temper like this in front of you. I meant no insult. Ye gods, can you find it
in your heart to forgive me?’

If she didn’t, Bellyra realized, Prince Maryn would have him flogged.

‘Of course I forgive you,’ she said hastily. ‘Do get up, Owaen! Branoic,
I forgive you too. But I’d much prefer to never see such again.’

‘My lady is too generous.’ Branoic ducked his head in her direction.
‘I’ll do my best not to shame myself in front of her again.’

‘Good. Don’t. And now you owe me an explanation. What eagles?’

‘It was my father’s blazon, your highness,’ Branoic said. ‘Not that I
was ever a legitimate son of his. But when I joined the silver daggers,
Owaen had me take it off my gear. It looked like his mark, says he — that
falcon he puts on everything he owns.’

Owaen crossed his arms over his chest and glowered at the cobbles.

‘And now my husband’s given you an eagle blazon?’ Bellyra thought
for a moment. ‘Well, make them a different colour. That’s what the
heralds did with the wyvern device, isn’t it? The usurper’s clan used green
for theirs, and so we took the same wyvern but made it red.’

‘My lady is as clever as she is beautiful.’ Nevyn said. ‘Branoic?’
 ‘A wise thought, your highness, and do it I will. Here. Owaen’s falcon
is red. What if I have a silver eagle? And I can have the heralds turn its
head in the opposite direction, too.’

‘Owaen?’ Nevyn turned to the captain.

‘That will suit, my lord.’ Owaen looked up at last. ‘My apologies to
you again, your highness.’

Bellyra collected her pages with a wave and turned to go. In the
doorway to the mam broch Lilli stood shading her eyes with one hand
while she watched the scene in the ward. Yet when she saw Bellyra
looking her way, she spun around and ran, disappearing into the shadows
inside. Poor child! the princess thought. She’s still terrified of me, and
here I would have liked her so much if only she weren’t Maryn’s mistress

‘You’ve both had a silver dagger’s luck,’ Maddyn said. ‘The prince
could have had you both flogged for this, fighting out in the ward like a
pair of drunken bondmen.’

‘True-spoken,’ Owaen mumbled. He was gingerly exploring his injured
eye with dirty fingers. ‘I didn’t know the princess would be right there.’

‘You might have looked.’ Maddyn turned to Branoic. ‘You, too.’