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.Let uswed as soon as possible, so the bairns may be begun.Even Rory, I thought, had more eloquence thanthis.I read the message again, noting the signaturein its bold, black hand.And yet a third time, awarenow of rising anger and a cold hostility.With great care I folded the parchment.Clearlythe messenger knew what his lord had written; Icould see it in his eyes."A message?" I said."Aye,indeed I have one.but I will give it to himmyself."It startled him."Lady?""Are you deaf?" I asked coolly, aware of my rude-ness and, in an odd, clear detachment, not caring inthe least."I said I will give it to him myself." Igestured briefly."You may take yourself to the kitch-ens, where you will be given food and wine.Stay thenight, if you wish; I require nothing from you saveyour immediate absence."His face was white, but he said nothing more.Simply bowed stiffly, turned his horse, walked smartlytoward the gate to the inner bailey.Taliesin's disapproval was manifest, though littleof it showed in his expression.Saying nothing, Ihanded the parchment to him and bade him read it.When he had finished, I saw comprehension in hiseyes."Sean," he said delicately, "is prince, notdiplomat.""Even princes learn better," I said curtly."Arethere no tutors in Erinn? Has he no one to write abetter hand, and with better words?"The harper folded the parchment again, thoughthe task was awkward for him."Are you angry be-cause of what he has written, and how—or becauseyour freedom is at an end?""All of it," I said flatly."By the gods, who does hethink he is? To write me such things when he hasnever written before!""Perhaps this is why." Taliesin's tone was gentle."Instead of dwelling on his crudeness, think insteadthat he wrote it himself.He did not delegate it to aclerk, who indeed would choose softer words, butwrote it in his own hand, speaking of private thingsto the woman he must marry.Some men find itdifficult, much more so than women do.Perhaps hefelt hideously awkward, and took no time about it."His smile was empathetic."He wrote in Homanan,after all, which is hardly his firstborn language.Thinkof the man in place of the message.Judge Seanwhen you have met him."The note had been in Homanan, not in Erinnish,though I could read it well enough after years spentwith Deirdre.It showed he had taken the time to putit in my own tongue.It was something, I supposed.but I could wish—and did wish—he had spenthis care on the content instead of on the tongue.I looked at Taliesin, seeing Rory's face before me.Blunt-spoken, forthright Rory, yet a man nearer myown heart than the prince more concerned with heirs.His father's only son? No, I think not.What I think, myErinnish eaglet, is you had better count again.Perversely, Taliesin's last words came back to me:Judge Sean when you have met him."Aye," I agreed, "soI shall.I am going at once to do so.""To Hondarth?" Taliesin, like the messenger,showed his surprise openly."Why not send word heis welcome here, instead? Have him come to you."He made a simple placatory gesture."It is, after all,what he must intend.he would not expect you tocome to him."I smiled slowly, savoring the moment, anticipatingwhat was to come."Then he will learn, and soon,that I never do what is expected, by him or byanyone else." I took the parchment back from Taliesin,crushed it in trembling hands."I have to do thisthing.Sean must know what I am.""Do you?" the harper asked.I stared blindly at the crumpled parchment."Notany more."After a moment, he nodded."Then I will comewith you."In shock, I stared at him."To Hondarth? But—you said you meant to go north.to rebuild yourcottage."He shrugged."That can wait.If you truly mean togo, I will accompany you."I would welcome him ordinarily, but his presencenow would interfere."I meant to go in lir-shape.Ahorse will slow me down, and with you I cannot fly.""Fly, and have Sean think you too eager?" Taliesinsmiled."If you must go, Keely, do it with a measureof decorum.Or you will surely have him thinkingyou are hot to share his bed."I smiled grimly."That, I assure you, is the lastthing I am—and I will see he knows it."Taliesin watched in growing alarm as I preparedto mount Brennan's colt."Do you mean to go now?As you are? Without telling Niall or the others?"I swung up on the colt."I have coin," I told him,"and you a few provisions.We can buy more on theroad, and in Hondarth we can bathe.I am not en-tirely blind to the appearance I present; I will takepains to change it, though not as much, perhaps, asDeirdre would have me do." I grinned, envisioningher expression; also envisioning Sean's."As for tell-ing the others, let the Prince of Erinn's royal messen-ger spread the word.They will know what I havedone." I gathered reins."And, probably, why."TwelveVery slowly, with infinite care—much more than ismy custom, which is dictated by impatience—I braidedheavy waist-length hair into a single tawny rope plaitedmore loosely than usual.Not because I particularlydesired to make myself beautiful for Sean, but be-cause it gave me time.My silent curse was self-mocking.Beautiful.Oh,aye.I stopped short, swearing, and ripped out half thebraid.Started over, forcing treble sections into atwisted rope, weaving it smooth and sleek, taming thestubborn wave of my hair into something controllable.And will Sean try the same with me? Yet again Istopped, fingers clutching hair.Gods, what am I doing?I was going to Sean.The tap on the door was soft.Taliesin, I knew; hehad come to escort me to The Red Stag Inn.It wasbut one street over, close by the sea.We had stoppedat another inn to rest the night and to buy a bath, soI would not offend a princely nose with the stink ofa two-week journey."Come." Quickly I finished braiding my hair, tyingit off with leather.He entered and shut the door, then paused withhis back to it.His blue robe was freshly brushed, hiswhite hair newly combed, silver harper's circlet inplace.He was, as always, elegant, with a quiet, un-cluttered grace.The only movement he had not mas-tered was the awkwardness of his hands.Taliesin smiled."I thought you might refuse theskirt, even after you bought it."I scowled at him darkly."Aye, well, I was wrong tothink I might wear it.It was a waste of coin." I rosefrom the edge of the cot, bent to pull on boots."Irefuse to be what I am not; Sean must take me as Iam.""In leggings, jerkin, long-knife." His voice was qui-etly amused."It will do, Keely.I promise, it willdo."I tugged on the second boot, settled my foot as Istraightened."I am not Ilsa," I snapped."I am not abeautiful woman.""No," he agreed.Hands went to hips.Elbows stuck out from mysides."You might have disagreed, if only for courtesy'ssake
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