ggk.thelionsofal-rassan-第32章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　It　had　everything　to　do；　Ines　had　long　since　decided；　with　the　time　when　he　had　lived　among　the　infidels。　All　three　of　the　difficult；　ambitious　sons　of　King　Sancho　had　spent　time　exiled　among　the　Asharites；　but　only　Ramiro　seemed　to　have　e　back　with　a　taste　for　the　ways　of　Al…Rassan　and　a　suspicious　softness　in　matters　of　faith。　It　was　perhaps　an　irony；　and　perhaps　not；　that　his　father　had　arranged　a　marriage　for　him　with　the　pious　younger　daughter　of　the　king　of　Ferrieres　across　the　mountains　to　the　east。
　　Ines；　whose　childhood　aspiration　had　been　to　be　accepted　among　the　Daughters　of　Jad　in　one　of　the　great　retreats；　had　accepted　her　betrothal　only　upon　the　advice　of　her　spiritual　counsellors；　including　the　High　Clerics　of　Ferrieres。　It　was　a　great　opportunity；　they　had　told　her。　A　chance　to　be　of　service　to　the　god　and　to　her　country　both。　The　young　man　she　was　marrying　would　likely　one　day　rule　a　part；　at　least；　of　Esperana；　and　Ines　could　use　her　position　to　influence　the　path　of　worship　in　that　troubled　land。
　　The　clerics　had　looked　entirely　prescient　when　Ramiro　was　named　ruler　of　mountainous　Jalofia　in　the　three…way　division　of　his　father's　last　testament。　And　then　even　more　so　when；　after　the　mysterious　death　of　his　brother　Raimundo；　her　husband　had　quickly　moved　west　and　claimed　the　crown　of　Valledo　as　well。　He　hadn't　been　able　to　hold　both　kingdoms…not　yet；　at　least…for　his　uncle　Bermudo　had　promptly　risen　in　Jalofia　and　seized　that　throne；　but　Valledo；　as　everyone　knew；　was　the　greater　prize。
　　What　the　clerics　hadn't　told　her…because　they　hadn't　known…was　that　the　young　man　she　was　marrying　was　fiercely　intelligent；　ambitious；　luridly　imaginative　in　carnal　acts　and　so　much　a　pragmatist　in　what　ought　to　have　been　firm　doctrines　of　holy　faith　that　he　might　as　well　have　been　an　infidel。
　　As　if　on　cue　to　this　distressing　line　of　thought；　the　king　appeared　in　her　doorway；　his　hair　and　clothing　still　damp　as　further　evidence　of　her　last　reflection：　what　self…respecting　man　bathed　as　often　as　King　Ramiro　did？　Not　even　the　Asharites　in　their　far…off　eastern　homelands　did　so。　Self…indulgent　bathing　rituals　were　characteristic　only　of　the　sybaritic　courts　of　Al…Rassan　where　they　had　not　even　the　decency　to　observe　the　ascetic　strictures　of　their　own　faith。
　　Too　much　time　in　the　courts　of　the　south；　Queen　Ines　thought　again；　and　at　a　point　in　life　when　he　had　been　young　and　impressionable。　She　glanced　sidelong　at　her　husband；　not　wishing
　　to　encourage　him　with　a　fuller　appraisal。　It　was　a　very　handsome　man　who　filled　her　doorway；　no　one　could　deny　that　much。　Tall；　well…built；　square…jawed。　If　his　hair　was　greying　early；　his　moustache　was　yet　black　and　there　was　no　evidence　of　faltering　reserves　of　martial　or　political　stamina　or　subtlety。
　　Or　of　faltering　in　more　private　dimensions；　either。
　　With　a　brief　gesture；　if　a　courteous　one；　the　king　dismissed　her　maidservants　and　slaves　and　the　two　guards　by　the　doors。　Ramiro　waited　until　they　had　all　taken　their　leave　then　strode　across　the　new　carpet　to　stand　before　Ines's　low　seat。　He　was　grinning。　She　knew　that　smile。
　　〃e；　my　wife；〃　he　said。　〃Events　of　this　morning　have　made　me　amorous。〃
　　Ines　refused　to　meet　his　eyes。　Almost　everything　made　him　amorous；　she　had　learned。　Clutching　her　sun　disk　like　a　small　shield；　she　murmured；　〃I'm　sure　it　was　a　ely　boar　you　slew。　But　was　there　no　one　of　my　lord's　concubines　who　might　have　assuaged　his　appetites　before　he　came　to　trouble　me？〃
　　Ramiro　laughed。　〃Not　today。　Today　I　have　a　desire　to　see　and　touch　the　body　of　my　life's　own　panion　as　consecrated　by　our　most　holy　god。　e；　Ines；　let　us　make　sport；　then　after　I　will　tell　you　what　happened　in　the　wood。〃
　　〃Tell　me　now。〃
　　Her　problem；　as　she　had　all　too　often　been　forced　to　admit　to　her　intimate　counsellors；　was　that　Ramiro　was　a　difficult　man　to　deny。　They　had　urged　her　to　use　his　desire　for　her　as　a　means　of　drawing　him　towards　a　truer　faith　but；　to　the　queen's　endless　chagrin；　the　effect　of　such　encounters　was　rather　the　opposite：　whether　it　was　his　natural　fervor　or　the　skills　he　had　learned…most　probably　among　the　courtesans　of　Al…Rassan…Ramiro　was　dismayingly　adept　at　subverting　her　best　intentions。
　　Even　now；　in　the　middle　of　a　hot　summer's　day；　with　carpenters　hammering　and　a　barrage　of　shouting　outside；　and　with　the　stem　words　of　the　world's　end　still　echoing　in　her　ears；　Queen　Ines　found　herself　breathing　a　little　more　quickly　at　the　images　her　husband's　presence　had　conjured　forth　within　her。　After　almost　twenty　years　and　with　the　full　knowledge　of　the　impious　evil　of　his　ways；　this　was　still　true。　And　Ramiro　could　read　it　in　her　as　easily　as　her　clerics　could　read　from　Jad's　most　holy　Books。　He　reached　down　now；　not　ungently；　and　plucked　the　god　disk　from　her　clasp。
　　〃Hold　me　like　that；〃　he　murmured；　laying　the　disk　aside　and　lifting　her　to　her　feet　with　his　strong　hands。　〃Love　me　the　way　you　love　the　god。〃　Then　he　slipped　his　arms　around　her　and　drew　her　close　so　that　she　was　made　inescapably　aware　that　the　king　of　Valledo　was　wearing　nothing　at　all　beneath　his　white　silk　robe。　And　that　pressing　awareness；　as　he　tilted　her　head　to　meet　his　kiss；　brought　back　for　Ines　all　the　wildly　disturbing　sensations　she　always　felt　when　this　happened。
　　I　will　have　to　atone；　she　told　herself　as　their　lips　met。
　　He　began　unravelling　the　cloth　that　bound　the　coils　of　her　red　hair。　She　would　seek　holy　counsel　and　support　later。　Her　own　hands；　unbidden；　as　if　bearing　weights；　came　up　along　his　robe；　feeling　the　hard　body　beneath。　Ramiro　drew　back；　then　lowered　his　head　again　hungrily。　He　bit　at　the　corner　of　her　lip。
　　There　would　surely　be　wise；　consoling　thoughts　from　her　advisors　of　the　soul　later；　the　queen　told　herself。　Her　fingers　seemed　now　to　be　laced　behind　his　head。　She　pulled　his　hair；　not　gently　at　all。　The　king　laughed。　He　smelled　of　some　eastern　spice。　That；　too；　was　unsettling。　It　was　unfair。　She　would　need　such　a　great　deal　of　help　to　guide　her　back　to　the　pure　realm　of　the　spirit。　For　the　moment；　though；　as　her　husband　smoothly　lifted　and　then　carried　her　over　to　the　wide　couch　he'd　had　brought　into　her　new　suite　of　rooms；　the　queen　of　Valledo　was　rather　more　preoccupied；　to　her　great　and　enduring　confusion；　with　increasingly　explicit　matters　of　the　flesh。
　　At　one　point　she　cried　his　name　aloud；　and　at　another；　suffused　with　her　eternal　mixture　of　desire　and　shame；　she　found　herself　riding　above　his　supine　form；　knowing　that　this　mode　of　congress　was　yet　another　decadent　legacy　of　Al…Rassan；　but　unable　to　stop　herself　from　gasping　aloud　with　the　pleasure　it　gave　her。　Pleasure　of　the　world；　she　told　herself；　somewhat　desperately；　moving　up　and　down　upon　him　while　his　fingers　teased　and　circled　her　breasts。　Of　the　world。　Only　of　the　world。　The　realm　of　the　god　was　otherwise。　It　was　eternal；　holy；　golden；　transcendent；　shining；　not　bound　to　the　mortal　bodies　of　frail…
　　〃Oh　my！〃　said　the　queen　of　Valledo　then；　as　if　in　great　surprise；　and　held　herself　extremely　still。
　　The　second　cry　that　escaped　her　a　moment　later　was；　in　its　own　way；　an　admission。
　　〃Tell　me　about　what　happened；〃　she　said；　some　time　after。
　　He　liked　to　lie　with　her；　entangled　indecently；　after　congress。　That　much；　at　least；　she　was　able　to　deny　him。　Ines　had　donned　a　robe　and　had　forced　him　to　clothe　himself　as　well；　before　summoning　one　of　her　women　with　refreshments。　Amused；　satiated；　Ramiro　had　obeyed。
　　The　woman　brought　ale　for　him　and　a　pear　infusion　for　the　queen　and　then　withdrew。　Now　Ramiro　lay　indolently　upon　the　couch　while　Ines　sat　on　a　nearby　bench；　needlework　in　hand。　She　was　making　a　new　pouch　for　her　sun　disk；　to　hang　from　her　belt。
　　〃It　went　surprisingly　well；〃　Ramiro　said；　turning　on　his　side；　his　head　propped　on　one　hand。　He　looked　at　her　with　such　frank　admiration　it　brought　color　to　her　cheeks　again。　〃Thank　you；　by　the　way。　I　do　prefer　it　when　you　leave　your　hair　down；〃　he　said。
　　She　hadn't　intended　to。　An　oversight。　She　was　wrongfully　proud　of　her　hair；　and　as　a　penance　kept　it　tied　tightly　back　almost　all　the　time。　Self…consciously　she　pushed　a　strand　from　her　eyes。　He　would　laugh　at　her　if　she　be