Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (62 page)

“
We were discussing Abstainers,
”
Sene said mildly.

“
It doesn
’
t matter,
”
Ivey persisted.
“
I
’
m not going on another hunt. I
’
m not dragging back here to wait around until some other emergency crops up, either.
”

Sene leaned forward, gaze intent on the younger man.
“
You are in my service, are you not?
”

“
Aye, that I am. As a messenger, or to gather information. As eyes and ears and even voice for you. I should be on the road, Majesty.
”

“
To serve me, you must serve the best interests of the Children of the Rock. At this moment, you can best serve me by helping to defend the Children against our enemies.
”
He added his most winning dimpled smile.
“
For a few more ninedays, at least. You leave with Chasa tomorrow.
”

Ivey gestured toward the windows. The storm obligingly howled louder.
“
The summer is almost over! You
’
ve had no word of Pirse
’
s movements or Palle
’
s activities for ninedays now.
”

“
The roads will still be there waiting for you,
”
Sene said.
“
Chasa needs your help. Travel with him. Deal with these Abstainers. When you
’
ve finished, Chasa will drop you on the north coast of Rhenlan, and you can resume your travels.
”

“
I
—”
Chasa began, but closed his mouth when Sene flicked his glance his way. Jeyn, wisely, kept out of the confrontation altogether.

Ivey shook his curls behind his shoulders and set his jaw firmly, then he pushed his chair back and stomped to the door. The heavy wood slammed shut behind him.

“
I
’
m glad we understand one another,
”
Sene said to the closed door. He absently rubbed at his forehead.
“
I am going to the library for some peace and quiet. Chasa, gather your supplies. You two,
”
he added to Jeyn and Feather,
“
will have to fend for yourselves.
”

Chasa followed his father from the room, pausing long enough to make sheep eyes at Feather in passing. She turned her back on him and, as soon as the door closed again, asked Jeyn,
“
Have you seduced him yet?
”

Jeyn
’
s fair skin flushed bright red. Her eyes strayed toward the door before she looked directly at Feather.
“
Who?
”

“
Ivey. Curly hair. Dherrican accent.
”
She pointed.
“
He went that way.
”

Jeyn fidgeted with the long strands of her amber necklace.
“
Why would I want to seduce Ivey?
”

“
Because you
’
re not good at being coy.
”
Feather crossed her arms.
“
Because you talk about him when he
’
s not here, and insisted that your father describe every move he made, every word he said while the two of them were away. You tease him and flirt with him and take almost as good care of him as you do Aage. Besides, Sene
’
s decided you
’
re going to marry a minstrel instead of a builder. He says the minstrel
’
s worth more to him than the builder, anyway. I think you should get on with it before Ivey dies of embarrassment.
”

“
You and my father have discussed me and
—”
Jeyn
’
s eyes widened in dismay.

Feather cut the princess off before she could start a tirade.
“
The way you and your father discuss me and Chasa.
”

The princess sighed.
“
Matchmaking. This house is full of matchmaking.
”

“
It
’
s all the Dreamers
’
fault,
”
Feather replied.
“
Sene says so.
”

“
Sene says too much,
”
Jeyn complained. Her eyes strayed back to the door. She stood.
“
Wish me luck.
”

* * *

The servant in the hall told Jeyn that Ivey was bathing. She knocked on the door of his room anyway.

“
Are you dressed?
”
she called, then turned the knob and entered.

He stood in front of the copper wash basin, wearing trousers and a towel over his bare shoulders. His hair lay in damp ringlets on top of the towel.
“
What if I
’
d said no?
”

She pulled the door closed and smiled at him.
“
I probably would have come in anyway.
”
Then she stopped her teasing.
“
I was worried about you. You
’
re upset. How can I help?
”

He rubbed idly at his hair with the end of the towel.
“
I wish you could, Princess.
”

“
Sit down,
”
she instructed.
“
That
’
s an order.
”
He continued to loom over her, water dripping on the carpet between them. She changed to a cajoling smile.
“
Please?
”

With a faint smile he sat gracefully on the edge of the chair.
“
There. Is this better?
”

“
Much. I didn
’
t ask my father to keep you
…
available
,
you know.
”

“
Aye.
”
His blush covered his entire torso, an intriguing sight for Jeyn.
“
If you were anyone else
—”

“
But I
’
m a Shaper.
”

“
You
’
re a pretty girl with a concerned father.
”

“
Who
’
s a king.
”

“
Who
’
s a king,
”
he agreed.
“
And you
’
re a Shaper. And Shapers
….”
He waved the subject away.
“
I need to travel. It
’
s part of what I am. I need to know what Palle is doing, and where Pirse is, and there are things going on in Rhenlan
—”

“
There are Keepers planning to overthrow their Shaper rulers,
”
she interrupted him.
“
My father, my Shaper father, doesn
’
t see any other course for the Keepers of Rhenlan. All Shapers aren
’
t greedy and irresponsible, you know.
”

“
I know that!
”
He leaned forward.
“
I wouldn
’
t work for your father if I didn
’
t admire him. That doesn
’
t trouble me.
”

“
Then what does?
”

“
You. Me. Us. Dreamers.
”
He touched her chin with just the tips of his fingers, then quickly put his hand back in his lap.
“
I never thought I
’
d care for someone favored by the gods.
”

“
It isn
’
t much of a favor.
”
Her voice rose.
“
Yes, the gods selected my family. For all the celebration and awe, what it comes down to is that I
’
ve got to make Dreamer babies. That scares people away
—
people I could be close to. I don
’
t want it to scare you away. Besides, it touches us all, Ivey.
”

He pulled back a little.
“
It does, I suppose. I haven
’
t been thinking about the consequences of this prophecy nonsense.
”

She did not want him to go all moody on her again. With a teasing smile, she made a show of examining his bare torso.
“
You
’
ve gotten a bit more muscle, but you
’
re still too thin. That
’
s because you don
’
t eat.
”
At her careful scrutiny he straightened slightly and tossed his hair off of his shoulder. She refused to be distracted.
“
You haven
’
t eaten today, have you?
”

“
You
’
re altogether too maternal, lass. No, I didn
’
t eat.
”

“
Because you were too busy working up the courage to yell at a king.
”

“
Foolish of me.
”
He leaned closer to her once more.
“
Especially when I could have been kissing a princess instead.
”

“
You could still kiss the princess,
”
she suggested softly. When he didn
’
t move, she reached up, slipped her hand behind his neck, and pulled him toward her.
“
Do I have to do everything around here?
”

He didn
’
t answer. He did kiss her.

* * *

Pirse tied his horse
’
s halter rope to the upper rail of the yard fence, well away from Doron
’
s garden. He tugged self-consciously at the hem of his tunic, which bore stains and inelegant
ly
mended tears, evidence of his summer
’
s work. He really should have replaced it in Dundas. He would have, if an unexpected guard patrol had not forced him to divert to the west. Still, the diversion had
led him here, a couple of nine
days earlier than he usually arrived. Better to come shabby and early to the Fall Festival, than not at all. Or so he hoped Doron would see the matter.

The scent of chicken and sweet basil greeted him as he stepped into the house. The sight of the familiar room and its furnishings, the one place in all Dherrica that he could think of as home, combined with the appetizing aroma of supper to bring a heart-felt smile to his face. He said a cheery,
“
Guess who?
”
then stopped.

Voice, expression, thought itself froze as his clever, beautiful, strong-willed dyer-woman turned away from the steaming pot to face him. Her face glowed with more than the heat of the fire. The severity of its lines was gone, softened, a subtle shift in proportion of flesh over bone. Her eyes were bright with good health and flashing anger. Pirse hardly noticed her fury. What caught and rooted him stupidly in place was the high, rounded, unmistakable bulge that distorted the once-smooth lines of her blouse. She threw the wooden spoon she held in her hand at him, and he didn
’
t even try to duck.

“
You lying, conceited, vowless excuse for a man! Guess now, is it? Well, I
’
ve no time for your foolishness, and less time for your fantasies. Get out!
”

Pirse reeled back a step from the verbal assault.
“
Doron, what are you saying? What happened?
”
He couldn
’
t take his eyes off her belly.
“
What have you done? With whom?
”

He closed his eyes with pain. Fool, to have come to think of this place as his home.
“
Or will you tell me it
’
s no business of mine?
”