The Dragon Revenant - Katharine Kerr [198]
“I cannot believe that Blaen, well-intentioned though he is, is the proper person to arrange an important marriage.”
“And I disagree. It’s too late, anyway. By now his speeded courier will be at Ygwimyr’s with the letter asking for his sister.”
“Rhodry, you’ve never met the lass. I have.”
He shrugged and strode to the window to look down.
“Why are you so set on a marriage-bond with the Auddglyn? I simply don’t understand.”
“My apologies, Mother. There’s somewhat you don’t know.” He turned with one of his unhuman sunny smiles.
“On the Auddglyn coast there’s a town called Slaith. Ever heard of it? Of course not—neither have most people. It’s a pirate haven, and Ygwimyr’s known of it for years and done naught about it. Why? Because he doesn’t have a fleet. When he marries his sister to me, he’ll get the use of mine, because in return I’ll get the right to sail into his rhan and burn that stinking filthy hellhole to the ground.”
Although he was still smiling, his eyes were terrifying, not with the blind berserker rage she’d seen so many times before, but with an icy hatred, self-aware and murderous. Involuntarily she stepped back a few paces.
“By all accounts Aedda will make a decent-enough wife,” Rhodry went on. “Since the one woman I want in all the kingdom is beyond my reach, any other will do well enough—so long as she’s related to Gwerbret Ygwimyr.”
“I see.” Although she wanted to say more, her mind seemed to have failed her, and for the first time in her life, she truly did feel that she was growing old. “Well, there’s naught that I can do about it, then, is there?”
“Naught.” He smiled again, more normally, and softened his voice. “Ah, Mother, my apologies. We’ll soothe Elrydd’s feelings with a good chunk of gold, and in a year or two, it’ll all be forgotten and done with. If his lass is a great beauty, she’ll have better men than me hunting her.”
“Well, that’s certainly true enough.”
At the steel in her voice his smile disappeared.
“Since His Grace has matters so well taken care of,” she went on, “I’ll be returning to Dun Gwerbyn soon, if indeed His Grace intends to leave that rhan in my hands.”
“By every god! What do you think I’d do, steal your rightful inheritance over some little thing like this?”
“It’s not a little thing, Rhodry. That’s what you’re refusing to understand. For a man like you the wrong kind of marriage can poison his whole life—and his rule. You need a partner, not a mouse. Why can’t you just make some ordinary war pact with Ygwimyr …”
“Because he’s a jealous, suspicious bastard, and there’s not a hope in all three hells of him letting me on his lands unless I’m kin. Mother, I’m not discussing this any more.”
“Then listen to one last thing I say. If I’ve read Aedda aright, she’ll grow to hate you, and if she does, you’d best make very sure who fathers her younger sons.”
For a long moment he paused, his mouth half-caught in the strangest smile she’d ever seen on a man’s face, a stunned amusement, a laughing disbelief. Then he did laugh with a toss of his head, an utterly elven gesture that froze her heart as she realized what that smile must mean.
“Oh no doubt,” Rhodry said. “Mother, on that matter I’d trust your word beyond the oaths of a thousand priests, I would indeed.”
The time for fencing was long gone.
“You know the truth, then, don’t you?” she said, forcing her voice calm.
“I do, at that. I’d never blame you for a thing, mind.”
“My thanks.” Slowly, and as casually as she could manage, she found a chair and sat down. “You know, I never told you about your father because I was afraid you’d abdicate. You did have such a fine sense of honor, Rhoddo, and I somehow always knew that the rhan would need you one day.”
“So I did, and so it did, and you were right enough, weren’t you?” All at once he sighed and ran both hands through his hair. “But all that’s a long time behind us, Mam. Aberwyn’s mine, and cursed and twice-cursed I’d be before I gave her