df.therunelords-第5章

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　〃She　will　marry　me；〃　Gaborn　said。　He　felt　confident　he　could　sway　the　princess。
　Myrrima　raised　a　brow。　〃How　could　you　imagine　so？　Because　it　would　be　pragmatic　to　ally　herself　with　the　wealthiest　kingdom　in　Rofehavan？〃　She　laughed　musically；　amused。　Under　normal　circumstances；　if　a　peasant　had　laughed　him　to　scorn；　Gaborn　would　have　bristled。　He　found　himself　laughing　with　her。
　Myrrima　flashed　a　fetching　smile。　〃Perhaps；　milord；　when　you　leave　Heredon；　you　will　not　leave　empty…handed。〃
　One　last　invitation。　Princess　Sylvarresta　will　not　have　you；　but　I　would。
　〃It　would　be　foolhardy　to　give　up　the　chase　before　the　hunt　has　begun；　don't　you　think？〃　Gaborn　said。　〃In　Understanding's　House；　in　the　Room　of　the　Heart；　Hearthmaster　Ibirmarle　used　to　say　'Fools　define　themselves　by　what　they　are。　Wise　men　define　themselves　by　what　they　shall　be。'　〃
　Myrrima　rejoined；　〃Then　I　fear；　my　pragmatic　prince；　that　you　shall　die　old　and　lonely；　deluded　into　believing　you　will　someday　marry　Iome　Sylvarresta。　Good　day。〃
　She　turned　to　leave；　but　Gaborn　could　not　quite　let　her　go。　In　the　Room　of　the　Heart；　he'd　also　learned　that　sometimes　it　is　best　to　act　on　impulse；　that　the　part　of　the　mind　which　dreams　will　often　speak　to　us；　manding　us　to　act　in　ways　that　we　do　not　understand。　When　Gaborn　had　told　her　that　he　thought　she　would　do　well　in　court；　he　had　meant　it。　He　wanted　her　in　his　courtnot　as　his　wife；　not　even　as　a　mistress。　But　intuitively　he　felt　her　to　be　an　ally。　Had　she　not　called　him　〃milord〃？　She　could　as　easily　have　called　him　〃Your　Lordship。〃　No；　she　felt　a　bond　to　him；　too。
　〃Wait；　milady；〃　Gaborn　said。　Once　again　Myrrima　turned。　She　had　caught　his　tone。　With　the　word　〃milady；〃　he　sought　to　make　his　claim　on　her。　She　knew　what　he　expected：　total　devotion。　Her　life。　As　a　Runelord；　Gaborn　had　been　raised　to　demand　as　much　from　his　own　vassals；　yet　he　felt　hesitant　to　ask　as　much　from　this　foreign　woman。
　〃Yes；　milord？〃
　〃At　home；〃　Prince　Orden　said；　〃you　have　two　ugly　sisters　to　care　for？　And　a　witless　brother？〃
　〃You　are　perceptive；　milord；〃　Myrrima　said。　〃But　the　witless　one　is　my　mother；　not　a　brother。〃　Lines　of　pain　showed　in　her　face。　It　was　a　terrible　burden　she　held。　A　terrible　price　for　magic。　It　was　hard　enough　to　take　an　endowment　of　brawn　or　wit　or　glamour　from　another；　to　assume　the　financial　responsibilities　for　that　person。　But　it　became　more　painful　still　when　that　person　was　a　beloved　friend　or　relative。　Myrrima's　family　must　have　lived　in　horrible　poverty；　hopeless　poverty；　in　order　for　them　to　have　felt　pelled　to　try　such　a　thingto　gift　one　woman　with　the　beauty　of　three；　the　cleverness　of　two；　and　then　seek　to　marry　her　to　some　rich　man　who　could　save　them　all　from　despair。
　〃However　did　you　get　the　money　for　the　forcibles？〃　Gaborn　asked。　The　magical　irons　that　could　drain　the　attributes　of　one　person　and　endow　them　on　another　were　tremendously　expensive。
　〃My　mother　had　a　small　inheritanceand　we　labored；　the　four　of　us；〃　Myrrima　said。　He　heard　tightness　in　her　voice。　Perhaps　once；　a　week　or　two　ago；　when　she'd　newly　bee　beautiful；　she'd　have　sobbed　when　speaking　of　this。
　〃You　sold　flowers　as　a　child？〃　Gaborn　asked。
　Myrrima　smiled。　〃The　meadow　behind　our　house　provided　little　else　to　sustain　us。〃
　Gaborn　reached　to　his　money　pouch；　pulled　out　a　gold　coin。　One　side　showed　the　head　of　King　Sylvarresta；　the　other　showed　the　Seven　Standing　Stones　of　the　Dunnwood；　which　legend　said　held　up　the　earth。　He　was　unfamiliar　with　the　local　currency；　but　knew　the　coin　was　large　enough　to　take　care　of　her　small　family　for　a　few　months。　He　took　her　hand；　slipping　it　into　her　palm。
　〃I。。。have　done　nothing　for　this；〃　she　said；　searching　his　eyes。　Perhaps　she　feared　an　indecent　proposal。　Some　lords　took　mistresses。　Gaborn　would　never　do　so。
　〃Certainly　you　have；〃　Gaborn　said。　〃You　smiled；　and　thus　lightened　my　heart。　Accept　this　gift；　please。　You　will　find　your　merchant　prince　someday；〃　Gaborn　said；　〃and　of　all　the　prizes　he　may　ever　discover　here　in　the　markets　of　Bannisferre；　I　suspect　that　you　will　be　the　most　treasured。〃
　She　held　the　coin　in　awe。　People　never　expected　one　as　young　as　Gaborn　to　speak　with　such　grace；　yet　it　came　easily　after　years　of　training　in　Voice。　She　looked　into　his　eyes　with　new　respect；　as　if　really　seeing　him　for　the　first　time。　〃Thank　you；　Prince　Orden。　Perhaps。。。I　tell　you　now　that　if　Iome　does　accept　you；　I　will　praise　her　decision。〃
　She　turned　and　sauntered　off　through　the　thickening　crowd；　circled　the　fountain。　Gaborn　watched　the　graceful　lines　of　her　neck；　the　clouds　of　her　dress；　the　burning　flames　of　her　scarf。
　Borenson　came　up　and　clapped　Gaborn　on　the　shoulder；　chuckling。　〃Ah；　milord；　there　is　a　tempting　sweet。〃
　〃Yes；　she's　altogether　lovely；〃　Gaborn　whispered。
　〃It　was　fun　to　watch。　She　just　stood　back；　eyeing　you　like　a　cutlet　on　the　butcher's　block。　She　waited　for　five　minutes〃Borenson　held　up　his　hand；　fingers　splayed〃waiting　for　you　to　notice　her！　But　youyou　day…blind　ferrin！　You　were　too　busy　adoring　some　vendor's　handsome　chamber　pots！　How　could　you　not　see　her？　How　could　you　ignore　her？　Ah！〃　Borenson　shrugged　in　exaggeration。
　〃I　meant　no　offense；〃　Gaborn　said；　looking　up　into　Borenson's　face。　Though　Borenson　was　his　bodyguard　and　should　thus　always　be　on　the　watch　for　assassins；　the　truth　was　that　the　big　fellow　was　a　lusty　man。　He　could　not　walk　through　a　street　without　making　little　crooning　noises　at　every　shapely　woman　he　passed。　And　if　he　didn't　go　wenching　at　least　once　a　week；　he'd　croon　even　at　the　woman　who　had　no　more　shape　than　a　bag　of　parsnips。　His　fellow　guards　sometimes　joked　that　no　assassin　hiding　in　between　a　woman's　cleavage　would　ever　escape　his　notice。
　〃Oh；　I'm　not　offended；〃　Borenson　said。　〃Mystified；　maybe。　Perplexed。　How　could　you　not　see　her？　You　must　have　at　least　smelled　her？〃
　〃Yes；　she　smells　very　nice。　She　keeps　her　gown　in　a　drawer　layered　in　rose　petals。〃
　Borenson　rolled　his　eyes　back　dramatically　and　groaned。　His　face　was　flushed；　and　there　was　a　peculiar　excitement；　an　intensity　in　his　eyes。　Though　he　pretended　to　be　jesting；　Gaborn　could　see　that　Borenson　had　indeed　been　smitten　by　this　northern　beauty　more　than　he　cared　to　admit。　If　Borenson　could　have　had　his　way；　he'd　have　been　off　chasing　the　girl。　〃At　least　you　could　have　let　her　cure　you　of　that　vexing　case　of　virginity　you　suffer　from；　milord！〃
　〃It　is　a　mon　enough　malady　for　young　men；〃　Gaborn　said；　feeling　offended。　Borenson　sometimes　spoke　to　Gaborn　as　if　he　were　a　drinking　partner。
　Borenson　reddened　even　more。　〃As　well　it　should　be；　milord！〃
　〃Besides；〃　Gaborn　said；　considering　the　toll　a　bastard　child　sometimes　took　on　a　kingdom；　〃the　cure　is　often　more　costly　than　the　malady。〃
　〃I　suspect　that　that　cure　is　worth　any　price；〃　Borenson　said　longingly；　with　a　nod　in　the　direction　Myrrima　had　gone。
　Suddenly；　a　plan　blossomed　in　Gaborn's　mind。　A　great　geometer　had　once　told　him　that　when　he　discovered　the　answer　to　a　difficult　calculation；　he　knew　that　his　answer　was　right　because　he　felt　it　all　the　way　down　to　his　toes。　At　this　moment；　as　Gaborn　considered　taking　this　young　woman　home　to　Mystarria；　that　same　feeling　of　rightness　struck　him。　Indeed；　he　felt　that　same　burning　pulsion　that　had　drawn　him　to　this　land　in　the　first　place。　He　yearned　once　again　to　take　Myrrima　back　to　Mystarria；　and　suddenly　saw　the　way。
　He　glanced　at　Borenson；　to　verify　his　hunch。　The　guardsman　stood　at　his　side；　more　than　a　head　taller　than　Gaborn；　and　his　cheeks　were　red；　as　if　his　own　thoughts　embarrassed　him。　The　soldier's　laughing　blue　eyes　seemed　to　shine　with　their　own　light。　His　legs　shook；　though　Gaborn　had　never　seen　him　tremble　in　battle。
　Down　the　lane；　Myrrima　turned　a　corner　on　a　narrow　market　street；　breaking　into　a　run。　Borenson　shook　his　head　ruefully；　as　if　to　ask；　How　could　you　let　her　go？
　〃Borenson；〃　Gaborn　whispered；　〃hurry　after　her。　Introduce　yourself　graciously；　then　bring　her　back　to　me；　but　take　a　few　minutes　to　talk　as　you　walk。　Stroll　back。　Do　not　hurry。　Tell　her　I　request　an　audience　for　only　a　moment。〃
　〃As　you　wish；　milord；〃　Borenson　said。　He　began　running　in　the　swift　way　that　only　those　who　had　taken　an　e