Read Online Closer to the Chest by Mercedes Lackey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Mercedes Lackey
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Not that heâd have mourned Dog-Billy, not that
anyone
would have mourned the loss of Dog-Billy, but on the whole . . . Heralds werenât supposed to kill people like low-life criminal scum. Bandits in a battle, certainly. The enemy in wartime, absolutely. Those assassins that the Sleepgivers had sent after him, no question. But not petty thieves. And there were some gang bosses heâd ârobbedâ he
would
have to kill if it came to a fight.
This time, he hadnât needed to do that.
As for the next time? Heâd worry about that when it came to it.
One problem at a time, that was his motto. Too bad he never got to live up to it.
â¢Â   â¢Â   â¢
A few times a moon, the King held private audiences in the morning. These were reserved for people who didnât need the official, royal presentation in front of the entire Court, nor did they have anything they were asking for or needed attended to. But at the same time, the people who requested this sort of presentation were much more important than the ones that had the official presentations before the Court. These were occasions for those people to introduce themselves to the King without being under the eyes of anyone else; for both parties to size one another up, and for more to be exchanged than a few simple words of welcome. Ambassadors, for instance, when they first came to the Court of Valdemar generally presented themselves at the private audiences.
These were held in the deceptively named âLesser Audience Chamber.â It might be âLesserâ in size, but it made up for that in opulence. No envoy of another monarch would feelhimself or his office slighted here. The room was not unlike a jewel box, and the King, Prince, and any other royals as well as attending Heralds all wore formal Whites, with the blue velvet, cloth of silver, bronze fixtures and white marble making an appropriate setting.
Amily was just as glad that this only took place a few times a moon. This was the one part of the job of Kingâs Own that her father had ever complained about, and she perfectly understood his feelings. Unlike the Court presentations, these audiences were nerve-racking. In many ways, this could be a prelude to a sort of combat. People often came in through those doors with
agendas,
generally secret agendas. Sometimes they also came burdened with orders, also secret. She always wished it was Mags that was here instead of her.
:Would it be a bad idea to ask Mags to wear a Guard uniform and stand in here with the others?:
she asked Rolan.
:I mean, I know itâs wrong to examine someoneâs thoughts without their knowledge or permission butâ:
:Hmm.:
Rolan considered that.
:It is not as if he has not used his Gifts in that way before. And it is not as if people are not fully aware of the Gifts Heralds have before they set foot in this room. . . . :
:And when Mags does that, he just . . . takes in what comes passively, itâs not as if he goes prying,:
she continued, cheering up a bit.
:Rolan, if you think it would be a good idea, Iâll put it to the others.:
:I think it is worth considering.:
Well, that was both hopeful and frustrating. And . . . possibly another one of those cases where the Companions were just not going to offer advice.
Bah.
As in the Greater Audience Chamber, the King and Prince sat side by side in nearly identical thrones, the Princeâs being just a bit less elaborate than the Kingâs. Nikolas stood behind the Kingâs throne and to the right of it, Amily behind the Princeâs and to the left. There were Guards all around thechamber; two at the door and one in each of the four corners of the room. Add to that Amily and her father were armed. This might be a place where important people were greeted . . . but that didnât mean precautions were going to be set aside.
Todayâs audiences had been less than
anyone
would have mourned the loss of Dog-Billy, but on the whole . . . Heralds werenât supposed to kill people like low-life criminal scum. Bandits in a battle, certainly. The enemy in wartime, absolutely. Those assassins that the Sleepgivers had sent after him, no question. But not petty thieves. And there were some gang bosses heâd ârobbedâ he
would
have to kill if it came to a fight.
This time, he hadnât needed to do that.
As for the next time? Heâd worry about that when it came to it.
One problem at a time, that was his motto. Too bad he never got to live up to it.
â¢Â   â¢Â   â¢
A few times a moon, the King held private audiences in the morning. These were reserved for people who didnât need the official, royal presentation in front of the entire Court, nor did they have anything they were asking for or needed attended to. But at the same time, the people who requested this sort of presentation were much more important than the ones that had the official presentations before the Court. These were occasions for those people to introduce themselves to the King without being under the eyes of anyone else; for both parties to size one another up, and for more to be exchanged than a few simple words of welcome. Ambassadors, for instance, when they first came to the Court of Valdemar generally presented themselves at the private audiences.
These were held in the deceptively named âLesser Audience Chamber.â It might be âLesserâ in size, but it made up for that in opulence. No envoy of another monarch would feelhimself or his office slighted here. The room was not unlike a jewel box, and the King, Prince, and any other royals as well as attending Heralds all wore formal Whites, with the blue velvet, cloth of silver, bronze fixtures and white marble making an appropriate setting.
Amily was just as glad that this only took place a few times a moon. This was the one part of the job of Kingâs Own that her father had ever complained about, and she perfectly understood his feelings. Unlike the Court presentations, these audiences were nerve-racking. In many ways, this could be a prelude to a sort of combat. People often came in through those doors with
agendas,
generally secret agendas. Sometimes they also came burdened with orders, also secret. She always wished it was Mags that was here instead of her.
:Would it be a bad idea to ask Mags to wear a Guard uniform and stand in here with the others?:
she asked Rolan.
:I mean, I know itâs wrong to examine someoneâs thoughts without their knowledge or permission butâ:
:Hmm.:
Rolan considered that.
:It is not as if he has not used his Gifts in that way before. And it is not as if people are not fully aware of the Gifts Heralds have before they set foot in this room. . . . :
:And when Mags does that, he just . . . takes in what comes passively, itâs not as if he goes prying,:
she continued, cheering up a bit.
:Rolan, if you think it would be a good idea, Iâll put it to the others.:
:I think it is worth considering.:
Well, that was both hopeful and frustrating. And . . . possibly another one of those cases where the Companions were just not going to offer advice.
Bah.
As in the Greater Audience Chamber, the King and Prince sat side by side in nearly identical thrones, the Princeâs being just a bit less elaborate than the Kingâs. Nikolas stood behind the Kingâs throne and to the right of it, Amily behind the Princeâs and to the left. There were Guards all around thechamber; two at the door and one in each of the four corners of the room. Add to that Amily and her father were armed. This might be a place where important people were greeted . . . but that didnât mean precautions were going to be set aside.
Todayâs audiences had been less than
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