Fire Dragon - Katharine Kerr [11]
Nevyn had his chance to examine the brooch in but a little while, when Degwa returned to the women's hall with a basket of fresh-baked bread and a bowl of butter for the princess. She curtsied to Nevyn as well as she could with her hands full, then set her burdens down on a small table near Bellyra's chair.
“Would you like some of this bread, Lord Nevyn?” Degwa said.
“I wouldn't, but my thanks.”
Degwa drew her table dagger and began to cut a chunk off the round loaf. “Your Highness? It's quite warm and nice.”
“It smells wonderful,” Bellyra said. “Slather on the butter, please. Don't spare it.”
Degwa smiled and did as she'd been asked. Once the princess had her chunk of bread, Degwa pulled up another chair and sat down, facing Nevyn.
“Her Highness is looking quite well,” Nevyn said. “You and Elyssa are taking splendid care of her.”
“My thanks, my lord. We do try.”
“Despite my nasty habit of climbing all over the dun?” Bellyra joined in, smiling.
“Er, well, Your Highness, I wouldn't call it nasty. Worrisome, mayhap.”
Bellyra laughed and took another bite of bread.
“That's a lovely brooch,” Nevyn said to Degwa. “May I see it?”
“Certainly.” Degwa unpinned it. “It was a gift from an admirer.”
When she handed it over, Nevyn examined it: a flat riband of silver, twisted into a knot and set with two pieces of ruby-red glass. The feel of it bothered him, and while the two women chatted, he opened his dweomer sight. Although metals have no auras, of course, it exuded a faint greyish mist, particularly thick around the glass sets. When he turned it over, he saw a small mark graved at one end of the band: the letter A, the first letter of the word for boar. He'd seen it used before as a clan mark for the Boars of Cantrae.
Although he disliked the idea of spoiling Degwa's pleasure in the gift, he valued her safety more. He shut down the dweomer sight.
“How very odd,” Nevyn said. “This seems to have belonged to Lilli's mother at one time.”
“What, my lord?” Degwa leaned forward. “How can you tell?”
“Her mark is on the back. It's quite small.”
Degwa took the brooch back and made a great show of looking for the mark, but like most women of her class, she'd weakened her eyes with long years of fine needlework. At length she gave it up with a shrug.
“Well, if you say so, my lord,” she said, and her disappointment trembled in her voice. “I do wish it hadn't. We've heard far too much about that woman from the servants since we've been here.”
“I could be wrong,” Nevyn said. “Would you mind if I took it to show Lilli? She'll know for certain.”
“If it has the Boar mark upon it, I shan't want it.” Degwa held it up, then tossed it to Nevyn. “Have the silversmith melt it down, for all I care.”
“Now here,” Bellyra joined in. “It's still lovely, and Oggyn—”
“I shall talk to the councillor about this,” Degwa said. “I must say it doesn't speak well of the man, that he'd give a woman friend a gift of battle loot and from her long-sworn enemies at that.”
“Oh come now,” Bellyra said. “I've got lots of lovely things that Maryn got in ransom from some lord or another.”
“I assure Her Highness that I meant no insult.” Degwa turned slightly pink in the cheeks. “But I'd rather not accept cast-off jewelry from the Boar clan's sty.”
With that Degwa got up and swept out, leaving Nevyn with the brooch. When the door slammed behind her, he winced.
“My apologies, Your Highness,” Nevyn said. “I seem to have botched that thoroughly.”
“Better than letting her wear a thing with a curse on it,” Bellyra said. “I take it must be cursed, or you wouldn't have made up that story about wanting Lilli to see it.”
“Just so. That's what I get for lying.”
“Not exactly lying. Stretching a point, mayhap. But poor Decci! She's really quite demented when it comes to the Boars.”
That evening, when Nevyn was leaving the great hall after dinner, Oggyn followed him out, pulling on his beard and harrumphing under his breath. They walked a little way out into the open ward, where they couldn't be overheard.