The Black Raven - Katharine Kerr [157]
“Chance?” Bellyra was watching the crowd with eyes that seemed focused elsewhere. “I was born on Samaen, Maddo. Naught that happens on this day happens to me by chance.”
The quiet way she spoke turned him cold. He heard a voice like bells chiming deep in his mind, tolling out one of the prophecies that the gods give now and then to bards. Riddmar’s coming was ill-omened indeed. The gods, however, refused to tell Maddyn why, and he kept his sudden fear to himself.
Nevyn felt the omen as well, though his trained mind could separate the possible threat from the boy himself, who would be blameless in any danger his presence might bring. What that danger might be lay beyond his knowing, at least for the nonce; he intended to do everything he could to find out.
Since he was standing just behind Prince Maryn in the doorway to the central broch, Nevyn got a good look at the boy. Riddmar, Second Prince of Pyrdon, was a lean child who shared his half brother’s blond hair, grey eyes, and ready smile. When Owaen presented him to the prince, Riddmar pulled off his riding hat and knelt on the steps with a certain grace.
“You may rise,” Maryn said, smiling. “Welcome to Dun Deverry, brother.”
“My thanks, Your Highness.” The boy got up, then bowed. “It’s awfully big, inn’t?”
“Truly. And very confusing. Until you’ve been here for some while, don’t go exploring by yourself. You could well get lost.” Maryn paused, looking this way and that among the crowd in the ward. “I’ve no idea where my lady is. Nevyn?”
“I’ll go look for her, my liege, if you’d like.” Nevyn stepped forward. “I believe I heard that she’d gone outside to find lore for her book.”
“My thanks,” Maryn said. “But first—Prince Riddmar, this is Lord Nevyn, one of my councillors.”
Nevyn bowed while the lad watched him wide-eyed.
“Are you the sorcerer?” Riddmar said. “My father told me there was one. And he said I should never ever make you angry.”
“I am indeed,” Nevyn said gravely. “But I assure you that I never turn anyone into a frog.”
Riddmar smiled in sincere relief. Nevyn glanced around, saw Lilli standing off to one side, and beckoned to her. With a nod to Prince Maryn, Nevyn walked down the steps while Lilli hurried after. Together they made their way through the mob of armed men and horses. The Wildfolk of Air darted ahead of them and led them so purposefully that he knew that they must have spotted Maddyn in the general confusion. Sure enough, Nevyn found the silver dagger and the princess standing at a gate in the main wall. Behind them stood a pair of pages. Nevyn bowed to the princess. Lilli curtsied, but she stayed well back, and Bellyra never looked her way.
“Your Highness?” Nevyn said. “Your husband requests you join him.”
“Gladly.” Bellyra waved at the crowd. “Once I can get through.”
“The grooms are beginning to take the horses to the stables, so you won’t have long to wait.”
“Won’t you come with me, Nevyn?” Bellyra said. “There will have to be some sort of official meal or suchlike.”
“Which is precisely what I’d prefer to avoid, my lady, if you’ll release me.”
“Oh very well. There’s no use in my making you suffer.”
“My thanks, Your Highness. My apprentice and I have a working on hand.”
By circling the long way round by a devious little path between sheds and huts, they managed to avoid the mob in the main ward. Lilli walked with her head bent, looking only at the cobbles and the mud.
“If you want to regain the princess’s favor,” Nevyn said at last, “you might consider giving up her husband.”
Lilli looked up with tear-filled eyes. “I did try.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper. “Twice, in truth.”
“Indeed? What did he do?”
“The first time he just laughed. Yesterday he grabbed me and told me he’d never let me renounce him.”
“Ye gods! Did he hurt you?”
“He didn’t, but he did frighten me. I keep thinking, my lord, of what you said to me so long ago. Do you remember? You told me that because I kept refusing him it was a kind of ensorcelment.”
Nevyn growled under his breath. “I do remember, and now you’re trapped good and proper, aren’t