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."We were told to expect you, but I was asked to verify the identity of any visitor, as a precaution."Fay thought Keari would be angry at what amounted to a question of his word, but instead he turned to her and lifted the front of her hood just enough for the captain to look in from his still-bowed position.When the man nodded, Keari dropped the hood and guided her toward the door, which another guard opened for them.She heard Lydia follow them through it.The room on the other side was a sitting room more richly appointed than any she had ever seen.Silk panels covered the walls along with paintings and statues.The seating was upholstered in fabrics so expensive her mind reeled.Even the tables were made of the glossy black wood threaded with white veins characteristic of the Asphor tree, one of the rarest and most costly materials she knew of.This room made her more aware of the wealth of the empire than she had ever been before.Surrounded by this opulence, three men occupied the room.Fay could just barely see them under the rim of her hood.Near one of the long, slender windows, looking out, stood an older man, his hair streaked with gray.His clothes were ornate, as if he had just come from a formal audience.He looked around as the door closed behind her and she recognized the Emperor's younger half-brother, Prince Arovan.His face wore an expression of bored disinterest which did not change when he saw them, though his eyes snapped with curiosity when he took in her hooded state.Fay was certain she had seen him before, but she couldn't immediately recall where.The second man could only be Keari's brother, Prince Orvios.He was in a chair to one side, and had paused in the act of carefully oiling a sword when they entered.She knew little of this prince, save that he was several years younger than Keari and favored martial prowess over intellectual pursuits.He was neither as tall as his brother, nor as handsome and seemed indifferent to the clothes he wore, which were rich but out of date.His face bore a scar along one side that narrowly missed his left eye.Those eyes hardened at the sight of Keari.He frowned at her but said nothing.On the couch in the center of the room sat the ruler of the Rianzire Empire, Valteray of House Mykorro.A worn leather-bound book was open in his lap, but he was looking up at the three of them with the keen gaze she remembered from her previous encounter.He hardly seemed to have changed at all since then, and only the fine creases around his eyes showed evidence of the twenty years between his age and that of his eldest son.His hair was still full with hints of silver peaking through it in places as it fell well below his shoulders.A well-groomed goatee gave his serious face an air of wisdom.She had nearly forgotten the resemblance between the two of them, the same strong jaw, the same narrow nose and high forehead.As they stood there, the Emperor turned to his younger son."It seems today is a favored day for you, Orvios.You get to escape from this room early.You too, Arovan.I wish to speak with Keari and his guest privately."Orvios' lips curled up at the corners for a second as he sheathed his sword and quickly left.Arovan stepped away from the window and bowed to his brother before leaving, though Fay thought she read reluctance in his posture.No one spoke until a few moments after the door had closed behind Arovan.Valteray said softly, "You may remove your disguise now, my dear."Fay swept her hood back with both hands and dropped into a deep curtsey, remaining there, waiting.There was a creak and footsteps approached, then a slender hand that was almost the image of his son's raised her from her obeisance.As she straightened, she saw the Emperor staring into her face with a gentle smile that she doubted many had ever seen from him.She had always seen him display a stern manner in public."My, how you have bloomed, Faylanna, more beautifully than any flower in all of my gardens.And yet I still see that young girl I met so many years ago.Please, sit."His compliments overwhelmed her a bit as she moved to one of the vacant chairs facing the sofa to which he had returned.Still, she remained silent, waiting to hear why he had summoned her for so private and urgent an audience.Lydia took the other chair opposite the Emperor, while Keari crossed the room to stand behind his father [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]