The Charnel Prince - J. Gregory Keyes [209]
Lihta told him she would consider his suit and left. As soon as she was gone, Remismund sniggered and sang aside to Razovil:
How tender, how winningly guileless, gullible, foolish.
One night of love, and I’m done with her.
Then he and his churchish sycophant shared a laugh together, and the music became merry—and somehow demonic.
That ended the third act, as the instruments throbbed almost away. Muriele found that for the first time since the play had begun, she felt slightly released—that she could speak if she wanted to. She glanced over at Robert.
“I’m very much enjoying this play, Lord Regent,” she said. “My thanks for allowing me to attend.”
Robert glared at her.
“I think you misjudged my composer,” she added.
Robert’s breath was coming a little hard, as if he had been trying to lift something too heavy. “It’s a meaningless farce,” he said. “A silly show of bravado.”
“No,” Hespero averred, “it is a perfidious act of shinecraft.”
“If you’re looking for shinecraft, amiable Praifec,” Muriele said, “you need look no further than our dear regent. Stab him with a blade, and you will see that he does not bleed, at least not the same stuff men do. I’ve come to think you quite selective in which diabolic forces you despise and which you cozy up to, Praifec Hespero.”
“Hush, Muriele,” Robert snapped. “Hush before I have your tongue cut out.”
“As you cut out the tongue of the Keeper?”
Robert sighed and snapped his fingers, and suddenly a gag was forced into her mouth from behind. Once the first shock was passed, she did not deign to struggle. It was beneath her dignity.
The praifec started to say something, and then the instruments began building a tower of melody to welcome Lihta back to the stage.
The girl stood near the gaol where Gilmer was imprisoned and once again the two exchanged vows of love. Gilmer told her that he had heard the town would rise up at midnight. He spoke of his fears that they would all be killed, his frustration at not being able to join them, and most of all the pain of never having her for wife. He begged her to flee the town before it was too late. The croths and vithuls lifted his heartache into the air and offered it to the very stars.
Lihta followed his song with hers, and Muriele suddenly caught the echo of the tune that Ackenzal had played for her the first time she went to see him, the one that had brought such unwelcome and unaccustomed tears to her face. Now it brought the tantalizing sense that the final note was coming, the harmony that would at last release her from the first. But then the melody became unfamiliar again, as Lihta reminded Gilmer that his duty was her duty also. Suddenly they were singing the “Hymn of Saint Sabrina,” the saint who protects Newland, and a thousand voices suddenly joined the pair, for it was a song everyone in the audience knew. It was a mighty sound.
The lovers parted with the hymn dying on the wind. But before exiting the stage, Lihta met the tavern girl again, who asked her where she was going.
“To my wedding,” Lihta replied, and then she was gone.
The tavern girl, distraught, took the news to Gilmer, who sang in anguish while the girl tried to comfort him.
Then, unseen by them, Lihta reemerged, wearing her wedding gown of silvery Safnian brocade, the sum of her father’s fortune. As Gilmer wept, and the clouds gathered in the deep strings, Lihta went to Remismund. She met Razovil first, who made mock of her while at the same time suggesting several lascivious notions. Then she repaired upstairs, climbing slowly, stately, to Remismund’s room above.
On seeing her, Remismund resumed his charming facade, told her he would bring her joy and riches, and then excused himself to set his guard on watch, as he was soon to be preoccupied.
When he sang that, Muriele gasped through the rag in her mouth as she felt again Robert’s body upon her, his hands pushing up beneath her gown. Her gorge rose, and she feared she would vomit into the gag, but suddenly Alis’ hand reached and gripped hers tight.