Moons' Dreaming (Children of the Rock) (85 page)

Jordy looked at him sharply.
“
What do you mean?
”

“
They
’
re about to become rivals for a girl
’
s affections. It
’
s the last thing I expected, considering the difference in their ages. Lim
’
s nearly nineteen. Time for him to think about a wife. I
’
m sure he
’
s hoping that Tob
’
s first infatuation won
’
t last long, and that after it
’
s over Iris will want a young man closer to her own age.
”

“
I knew Iris and Tob were growing close this winter,
”
Jordy said.
“
I should have seen that Lim was getting involved, as well. Thanks for telling me.
”

“
Not that there
’
s much you can do about it.
”
Kessit got up with a rueful smile.
“
I wouldn
’
t be in your place, carter. Lim and Tob aren
’
t the only boys she
’
ll attract. A real beauty, graceful as a princess. Maybe we can hope she
’
ll make her choice and marry soon.
”

The woodworker
’
s words hung in the air after he
’
d gone. Jordy drew his arm away from Cyril and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The dance concluded with a burst of laughter and applause. Iris imperiously gestured several couples to form a line, and placed herself and Tob at the head. Graceful as a princess. Her red hair had grown a great deal in the past year. She wore it loose for the Festival, a luxurious cloud which, with her greenish eyes, gave her a striking appearance.

He sat up so abruptly that Cyril put her embroidery down and turned toward him with concern.

“
It
’
s all right. No one else will see it,
”
he murmured, the reassurance as much for himself as for her. He replaced his arm around his wife
’
s waist. As the shock lessened, a cold anger grew within him. He was going to have a serious talk with Jenil.
‘
This is Iris,
’
the Greenmother had said. Naturally he
’
d accepted the name without question. The oddities in the girl
’
s personality and attitudes he
’
d attributed to Soza.

The time had come to stop fooling himself. He
’
d seen a face and hair like hers only once, when he was a youth on his first visit to Edian. He
’
d managed to forget that day in the courtyard of King Hion
’
s castle. There wasn
’
t much he cared to remember of the life he
’
d led before wedding Cyril. But there was no point in denying this particular memory. Iris
’
s
resemblance to her mother was remarkable.

Her mother, Gallia, wife of Hion. Her mother, Queen of Rhenlan.

Oh, yes. Jenil had some explaining to do.

* * *

“
You
’
ve only been here a few days, why do you have to go?
”
Jeyn pouted and tried to look pleading. Ivey kept packing his bag. She tugged on his sleeve.
“
Look at me when I
’
m being petulant.
”

He laughed and grabbed her around the waist.
“
You
’
ve been taking Feather lessons, love. I
’
m not sure I like it.
”

“
She
’
s a bad influence on me.
”

“
Yes, she is.
”

Jeyn pressed herself against him.
“
Then stay in Raisal as a counter to her bad effect.
”

“
I
’
ll be back.
”
He kissed her, then let her go.

Outside, the last of the festival celebrants had begun to disperse. A burst of laughter carried from the field to the house on the still evening air, and the staccato drumming of hoof beats announced the departure of one of their more affluent guests. By any measure, this year
’
s festival had been a huge success. They had sent out word of Chasa and Feather
’
s marriage ninedays ago, and every village in Sitrine had sent a representative, if not an entire delegation, to witness the royal wedding. Greenmother Jenil came, too, but either Chasa forgot that he intended to have words with her, or he never tore his eyes away from his new bride long enough to notice the Dreamer
’
s presence. Jenil spent most of the day in Sene
’
s company, to their evident mutual satisfaction. Jeyn watched her father throughout the day, but saw no hint that he felt anything other than joy at the marriage of his son and his ward. Jeyn
’
s only disappointment in the entire day was that Aage had to leave immediately after the ceremony, to go help Morb.

That is, it was the only disappointment, until now. Jeyn sat on the bed beside Ivey
’
s pack. She was tempted to dump the contents out, or pull him down beside her, but folded her hands in her lap instead. She was used to the way the minstrel intermittently entered and left the king
’
s household. He
’
d been doing it for years. However, that was before he
’
d become so important to her. Last summer, she
’
d gotten used to his being more in than out of Raisal. She had hoped that pattern would continue this summer. Yes, the minstrel
’
s life was on the road, where he could attend to his singing and his duties as courier and spy. All very well and good, but she did not like the idea that her lover would be gone for a whole season or more. She was lonely already.

“
Let me go with you,
”
she said suddenly.

“
Jeyn!
”

The idea seemed to surprise Ivey as much as it had her. She smiled slowly, even as Ivey frowned. Of course. Why not?

“
You told me once that when you had a lass you
’
d take her on the road with you.
”

He looked shocked.
“
I didn
’
t mean you!
”

Jeyn gestured around the bedroom.
“
If I
’
m not your lass we
’
d better have a talk about the rent.
”

He scratched his chin.
“
Would I be able to afford it, Highness?
”

“
No.
”

“
Then I suppose you
’
re my lass.
”

“
I know I am. I love you, Ivey.
”
She
’
d murmured it often enough while they
’
d been making love, but she had never said it, just said it, to him before. She held her breath.

He colored, looked pained, relieved, and finally gave her a delighted smile. His bright blue eyes answered her even before he said the words.
“
And I love you, Jeyn of Raisal. What do you think we should do about it?
”

“
You
’
re going to make love songs.
”

“
I
’
ve done that already.
”

“
And marry me.
”

He went back to rubbing his chin.
“
Very likely,
”
he agreed.
“
But, then what?
”

“
You
’
ll take me with you on the road. Feather can do almost everything I do around here. Besides, it
’
s time Chasa learned how to do more than bring home magical body parts and chase Abstainers. Take me with you.
”

“
That I will not.
”

“
I have a horse. Several horses. You wouldn
’
t have to walk with that old pony of yours.
”

“
I like to walk.
”

“
Please, Ivey?
”

“
It wouldn
’
t be safe, Princess. Your father
’
s not the only man in the three kingdoms who
’
s interested in other people
’
s business. Damon has plenty of spies of his own. You might be recognized. What if you were caught in Rhenlan? Have you forgotten Prince Pirse
’
s sister? Princesses don
’
t do well in Damon
’
s company. He could use your intrusion as an excuse to start a war with your father
—
or force an alliance by marrying you himself. Either way, you
’
d make too valuable a hostage. It
’
d be no better if you were found in Dherrica. No, you
’
re staying right here, where you
’
re safe. I
’
ll be back soon. I promise. I have work to do for your father. So do you. Right?
”

Slowly, Jeyn nodded.
“
All right. Still, I wish I could be with you. Maybe someday?
”

“
I hope so. Through Sitrine, at least. That would be nice. But it
’
s Rhenlan and Dherrica for me now.
”

“
All right, go alone. Just don
’
t get too lonely. I know your reputation, Ivey of Juniper Ridge.
”
Jeyn waved a finger at him.
“
I
’
d better not hear any new stories about you. To think I used to enjoy hearing about your singing pretty village girls into bed!
”

“
That was before I knew you. I
’
ll come home to you, love.
”

“
Soon?
”

“
Soon. We
’
ll discuss getting married then, all right?
”

“
Fall Festival?
”
she suggested.
“
Think how happy that would make Dad and Aage and Jenil.
”

He looked thoughtfully at her for a moment. His vows called him to the road, where he had long served the Children of the Rock by serving Sene of Sitrine. Jeyn worked toward the same goals, but the vows she lived by were not the same as his.
“
Is that what this is about? You want to please the Dreamers?
”

She stroked a finger across his collarbone.
“
No. I want to please you. I
’
ll miss you, minstrel.
”

“
I
’
ll miss you, Princess.
”
They kissed again. Ivey ran his hands down her back, memorizing the shape of her body, the taste of her mouth, the smell of her skin. Marriage wouldn
’
t change their vows. She would always be a ruling Shaper, he a traveling minstrel. Duty would keep them apart more often than it brought them together.

They would simply have to make the most of the time they had.

He turned and moved his pack from the bed to the floor.
“
I have to get an early start.
”

Jeyn lay down on the bed, and opened her arms wide.
“
In the morning,
”
she agreed.
“
After we
’
ve said a proper good-bye.
”

* * *

The stable smelled of used straw and damp horse hair. The horses themselves were gone, removed one by one as their tired owners reluctantly decided to go home.