Part 20 (1/2)
It was all right.
Later, as he sat on the balcony drinking mead and watching the owls, Olone came. She was as tall as a young tree, with blonde hair floating loose in the sea breeze, and she sent tentative coercive emanations stealing into his mind, feather-touching the erotic triggers.
”No,” he told her.
”I'm sorry, my King.” She was wearing a translucent gown without a sash that fell from her shoulders like silvery water. ”I only thought to help you in your need.”
”And what else?” he inquired softly. His own coercive-redactive probe went into her so subtly that she was without suspicion, intent on her artless manoeuvreing.
”I wanted to tell you how glad I am. That you won. That both of the traitors are dead-and Tonn with them! I am yours forever if you want m e.”
Aiken laughed very gently.
She stood proud before him, one hand resting on her abdomen. ”And I have conceived your child.”
”So have sixty-seven other Tanu women. I'm the King.”
”I thought you'd be pleased!” she cried.
He sipped his drink, gaze veiled, mind inspecting her proud young ego. ”I know what you thought, Oly. What you think.
When I believed that Mercy was dead, when I was drained and weakened after the fight with Felice, you gave me great comfort and helped heal me. I'm grateful for that, and I'm happy that you carry one of my sons. But don't ever think you can manipulate Me, Coercive Sister.”
Frantic mental walls crashed into place. She backed toward the balcony door. ”My King, forgive me-”
”Poor Oly. Your ambition is a futile one, and mortally dangerous. I've had enough of queens for now.”
”I-I was foolish and presumptuous. Don't hurt me!”
He was rea.s.suring. ”Not if you accept that I've changed.”
She hesitated. Her fear dissipated and her aspect softened as she realized that he was not angry but amused, and sad. ”Shall I leave Goriah, then?”
”Of course not. And just because we don't share a bed, don't think that I've lost my fondness for you. You're a marvellous randy Tanu la.s.s, and we'll share sweet houghmagandy anon.
But not now. You can give us a wee kiss, though!”
She burst out laughing and flew to him, and kissed him first with caution and then with full pa.s.sion. And he held her lightly as she surrendered to ecstatic relief, and her mind confessed, and he forgave. Later, she sat on the floor at his feet and said, ”Is it true? That you've swallowed the minds of Nodonn and the Queen in the manner of the legendary heroes of our lost.
Duat world? And if you bedded me now, with the conquering fire still investing your mind, then I'd be taken, too?”
He tried to explain. ”Elizabeth says that what I did-and you must believe that it was done without my conscious volition-was to subsume the metapsychic attributes of Mercy and Nodonn. I know nothing about your Duat legends. I certainly didn't eat two people alive, and I didn't drain their souls and imprison them inside my head-”
”-even though you were afraid that you had,” Olone whispered.
”Dear Oly. You're n.o.body's fool. Is my royal indisposition the talk of the castle?”
”We know that you do not sleep. That you are deeply troubled.”
”Don't you think I have reason to be? You know how the Firvulag have broken the peace accords.”