The Charnel Prince - J. Gregory Keyes [180]
“Really?” Muriele interrupted. “You think I’m a bit angry with you? Robert, you’ve lost what little sense you ever had. I would far sooner die than cooperate with you in the least fashion.”
“Yes, you see? That’s what I was talking about. You’re angry. That’s why I’m so disappointed Charles isn’t here—then I would have a life dearer to you than your own to hold in balance. As it is, I must appeal to reason.”
“Lesbeth,” Muriele snapped. “Why did you kill Lesbeth? She could never have been queen.”
His face pinkened. “Surely you know why,” he said.
“How can you expect me to even begin to understand someone who would kill his own sister?”
“No one loved Lesbeth more than I,” Robert asserted, starting to look truly angry. “No one. But some things can’t be forgiven; some slights can’t be taken back.”
“What slights?”
“That you know!” Robert shouted, bounding to his feet. “Everyone knew! It was beyond belief.”
“Pretend that I do not,” Muriele said through gritted teeth.
He looked at her as if she were the one who had lost her mind. “You will really feign that you don’t know?”
“I so feign,” Muriele said.
“She—she didn’t ask my permission to marry,” he growled, his voice rising steadily in volume. “She asked William, oh yes, but she did not ask me.” The last word reported from his lips like a cauldron exploding.
Frost seemed to settle on Muriele’s spine. “You’re quite mad, you know,” she whispered, suddenly terrified, not so much of Robert as at things that must be in his head.
Some unidentifiable emotion worked across his face, and then he vented a bitter snicker. “Who wouldn’t be?” he muttered. “But enough of that. Why do you continue to distract me with these questions? The Craftsmen are camped outside the city and refuse to see me. Why?”
“Perhaps they don’t recognize the legitimacy of your claim, my lord.”
“Well, then, they’re going to die, which is a pity, because they will doubtless take many of the landwaerden forces with them. It’s just going to make people like you less, you know, and weaken us as a nation that much more.”
“You would set pikemen against knights? That is despicable.”
“They forfeit their knighthood in opposing the Crown,” Robert said. “I’m not going to wait for them to move against me. There are already reports that they are gathering their own footforces.”
“And of course, there is Liery,” Muriele said. “They will hardly stand still for what you’ve done.”
Robert shook his head. “I’ve made it clear to the Hansan ambassador that we will not object if their fleet sails against Liery.”
“The covenant between Crotheny and Liery is sacred,” Muriele said. “You cannot break that.”
“You broke it when you took a Lierish guard and used it against the landwaerden,” he retorted.
“That’s utter nonsense,” Muriele said.
He shrugged and stood. “In any event, if I were you, I would not look to help from Liery.”
“Nor can we look to their help when Hansa attacks us,” Muriele said. “We can’t be divided from them. Robert, this is insane.”
“You keep using words like that,” he said. “I wonder if you really know what they mean.” He waved his hands, as if to fan her words out the window. “Look, look, you can prevent this, Muriele. Call back the Craftsmen, bring back Charles. I remain as sovereign with you by my side, and all will be happy.”
“Are you actually suggesting that I marry my husband’s murderer?”
“For the good of the nation, yes. It is the most elegant solution possible, I’m sure you agree.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the window casement.
“Robert,” Muriele said, “I’m sorely tempted to do exactly as you suggest