"Mercedes Lackey and Roberta Gellis - Ill Met by Moonlight" - читать интересную книгу автора (Lackey Mercedes)

nonentity, but the whole household depends on Dunstan. He will retain his authority if not his title."

"Remind me to tell him that Lord Denno will assure him his salary if he be superceded."

Aleneil smiled. "I think that just, but not necessary. He is besotted of the child, and so are Ladbroke and
Tolliver, who keep her stable. None would overlook any danger to her and all of them swear that there
has been no intrusion from Underhill in all this time."

He nodded briskly. "Good enough. Still, I need to become reacquainted with her. She liked me well
enough when she was a babe, but nothing compared with what she felt for Harry. If your FarSeeing is
true—and I have never known it not to be—you and I will be with her when she is crowned, so she must
get to know me."

"Crowned." Aleneil's smile turned to a frown. "My brother, you must never forget that is only one of the
Seeings. There are two others. One is only dull and disgusting, but the other is of the dull-haired queen
with the swollen belly. We all feel it. The Great Evil will grow inside her. If that comes to pass, I do not
know if Underhill will survive. We must keep Elizabeth safe and in the line of succession. We must."

But now Denoriel straightened unconsciously in his chair, looking more like his old self—and a
knight—than he had in many a season. And when he spoke, it was with all of the old certainty. "If we
must, sister dear, then depend upon it. We will."




Chapter 2
It took Aleneil a week to convince Katherine Champernowne, Elizabeth's governess, that she should
admit a foreign merchant to the little girl's presence. That he was noble, connected to Hungarian royalty
helped . . . a little. That he had been the duke of Richmond's favorite—a fact attested to by several of
King Henry's courtiers—also helped, at least enough that Mistress Champernowne agreed to introduce
him to Elizabeth. From there on, she said, it was up to Lady Elizabeth herself. She was perfectly capable
of exchanging a few icy politenesses and ending the interview.

On the day assigned, a bright but chilly Tuesday in late March, Denoriel passed through the old Gate
Magus Major Treowth had established for him not far from Hatfield. The old palace was still a frequent
residence for Lady Elizabeth, not princess now, but at least acknowledged as the illegitimate daughter of
the king. For a time, some had hoped that Great Harry might claim otherwise, but he himself had stepped
away from that abyss—he had recognized Elizabeth too openly and for too long to claim now that the girl
was of another's get. Miralys emerged from a patch of woods alongside a farm road. Aleneil on Ystwyth
followed almost on Miralys's heels.

Aleneil's frown of concern relaxed when Denoriel turned in his saddle to make a gesture of success. But
he did not look at her long and had to struggle with his own expression before it gave her new cause for
worry.

Not that the strong magic of the Gate had harmed him. He was no more aware of it—perhaps less
aware—than he had ever been. It was Aleneil he found it hard to look at. He could not get accustomed
to her appearance as Mistress Alana. Aleneil was beautiful—all Sidhe were beautiful—and Mistress
Alana offended his eyes. She was . . . well, not ugly; plain was the best one could say. Her hair was a
dull, muddy brown, her eyes small and pale fringed with scanty eyebrows and eyelashes paler than her