"Jennifer Roberson - Final Exam" - читать интересную книгу автора (Roberson Jennifer)

"Oh, yes." His embarrassment faded, replaced with indulgent self-confidence, which she thought
alien to his open, boyish features and therefore looked a trifle odd. "It's all in the books, you know: the
virgin daughter of a king."

Ah. Well, she was the daughter of a king. And she was a virgin. But she didn't tell him yet, hoarding
it for herself. "A gentleman never asks."

The confidence disappeared. "He doesn't?"

"No."

"Then how does one find out?"

It was a fair question, she thought. But she didn't have an answer. "Perhaps one just knows."

"But I don't know." He was looking worried again. "It has to be a virgin. Otherwise it won't work."

She considered it a moment. Then leaned forward and asked, carefully, "What won't work?"

"The spell," he said testily. "I told you that already."

"Yes, well, you have ... but you haven't told me why." She set an elbow against the table and leaned
her chin into the heel of her hand. "I think it's only fair, me knowing why. After all, you did bring me
here against my will."

"I did, didn't I?" His tone and expression were glum. "Well, I'm sorry if I frightened you ... but I was
only doing what I was told."

"To steal women."

"To steal a woman," he clarified. "Specifically, the virgin daughter of a king." He shrugged. "I might
have asked-I'm the sort who would rather ask, really-but the books all said it was quite impossible to
find a willing virgin princess, so I'd better be ready to steal one." He sighed. "If I wanted the spell to
work."

"Which, of course, you do." She nodded angrily, then leaned farther forward yet. "What is this spell/
or?"

He brightened. Apparently even this young man, caught squarely between boyhood and adulthood,
enjoyed doing the one thing she'd learned all men liked to do: talk about himself.

"It's for my final exam," he explained. "I'm only an apprentice wizard, you see ... but I'm behind all
the others. If I

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