She no longer felt any fear at all; only a quiet...
She no longer felt any fear at all; only a quiet sadness like a smooth stone in the heart
She heard a ripple of sound and turned back to the poolThe cypresses were reflected again, their images ruffled and broken now by the movement of the water in the wind
When she looked away again, pushing her hair back from her face, she saw that she was alone
When she came back out to the open space before the palace doors d'Eymon was waiting for her, dressed formally in grey, his Seal of Office about his neckHe was sitting on one of the stone benches, his staff resting beside himScelto hovered by the doors, and Dianora saw the flash of relief he could not hide when she came out from among the trees
She stopped and looked at the Chancellor allowing a slight smile to show on her faceIt was artifice of course, but an act she could do unconsciously by nowIn d'Eymon's normally inscrutable expression she read edginess and anger, and other signs of what had happened yesterdayHe would probably be spoiling for a fight, she guessedIt was difficult, amazingly difficult, to switch back to the manners and affairs of stateIt was also something that had to be done
"You were dolce and gabbana handbags replica late," she said mildly, walking towards himHe had risen, with perfect courtesy, as she approached"I went walking in the gardenThere are anemones beginning already
"I was precisely on time," d'Eymon said
She might once have been intimidated, but not nowHe would be wearing the Seal as an attempt to reinforce his authority, but she knew how badly yesterday would have unsettled himShe was fairly certain he would have offered to kill himself last night; he was a man for whom the old traditions matteredIn any case, she was armored against him: she had seen a riselka this morning
"Then I must have been early," she said carelesslyIt is good to see you looking so well after yesterday's Have you been waiting long?"
"Long enoughYou wanted to talk about yesterday, I gatherWhat is it?" Dianora didn't think she had ever heard an inconsequential remark from d'Eymon, let alone a pleasantry
Refusing to be rushed she sat down on the bench he had just vacated and brushed her brown robe smooth over her kneesShe clasped her fingers in her lap and looked up, letting her expression grow suddenly as cold as his own
"He almost died yesterday," she said flatly, deciding only in rolex watch that moment what her tack would beDo you know why, Chancellor?" She didn't wait for his answer"The King almost died because your people were too complacent or too slovenly to bother searching a party of YgrathensWhat did you think? That danger could only come from the Palm? I expect yesterday's guards to be dealt with, d'Eymon
The use of his name and not his title was deliberateHe opened his mouth and closed it, visibly biting back a swift retortShe was pushing things, Triad knew how hard she was pushing with this, but if ever there was going to be a chance for her to do so, this would be itD'Eymon's face was white with anger and shockHe took a deep breath to control himself
"They have been dealt with already," he said
She hadn't expected thatShe managed, with an effort, to keep her discomfiture out of her eyes"There is more," she went on pressing her advantage"I want to know why Camena di Chiara was not watched when he went to Ygrath last yearWhat would you have had us do? You know who was behind yesterday's attackWhy did you not know about Isolla and the Queen?" This time the bite she put into the words was real, not merely tactical
For the first time new gucci wallet she saw a flicker of hesitation in his eyesHe fingered his Seal, then seemed to become aware that he was doing so and dropped his hand to his sideThere was a brief silence
"I did know," he said finallyHis eyes met her own, a question in them like an angry challenge
"I see," said Dianora a moment later, and looked awayThe sun was higher now, slanting across most of the clearingIf she moved a little along the bench its warmth would fall upon herThe harsh, unspoken question in d'Eymon's eyes hung in the air: Would you have told the King, knowing these things about his Queen?
Dianora was silent, tracking implications to their endingsWith this admission, she realized, d'Eymon was hers, if he hadn't already been so after his failure yesterday and what she had done to save the KingShe was also, she thought, in fairly immediate danger as a consequenceThe Chancellor was not a man to be treated lightly, everMost of the saishan had their suspicions as to how Chloese di Chiara had died ten years ago, and why
She looked up, and let her rising anger keep the anxiety from showing"Wonderful," she said acidly"Such efficient securityAnd now, of course, because of what I balenciaga new yellow bags was forced to do your pet courtier Neso simply has to receive the posting in Asoli, doesn't heWith a wound of honor earned saving the life of the KingHow marvelously clever of you, d'Eymon!"
She had miscalculatedFor the first time he smiled, a narrow, mirthless expression"Is that what this is about?" he asked softly
She bit back a swift denialIt was not inconvenient for him to think so, she realized
"Among other things," she admitted, as if grudgingly"I want to know why you have been favoring him for the Asoli postingI had been meaning to talk to you about this
"I thought as much," he said, a measure of his usual complacency returning"I have also been keeping track of some, not all, I have no doubt, of the gifts Scelto has been receiving in your name these past weeksThat was a splendid necklace yesterday, by the wayDid Neso's money pay for it? In an attempt to have you win me over to his side?"
He was immensely well-informed, and he was shrewdShe had always known these thingsIt was never wise to underestimate the Chancellor
"It helped pay for it," she said briefly"You haven't answered my questionWhy do you favor him? You must know what sort of man he fake rolex swiss is