This," said Laurent, "is a little more—"
It was a word of sharp points: "—intimate," he said, "than ice."
"Too intimate?" Damen said. Slowly, he was kneading Laurent's shoulders.
He did not usually think of himself as someone with suicidal impulses.
No," said Laurent, almost as if he was
realising it for the first time. "I don't
think you would. But I know you don't
like it. I remember how much it
maddened you in the palace, to be bound
and powerless. I felt yesterday how
badly you wanted to hit someone."
Damen found he'd moved without
realising it, his fingers lifting to touch
the bruised edge of Laurent's jaw.
He said, "The man who did this to you.
No. Wait. I . . . wait."
Damen stopped, and turned. Laurent's
gaze was edged with indecipherable
emotion, and his jaw was set
at a new angle. The silence stretched out
for such a long time that the words, when
they came, were a shock.
Damianos," Touars said. "Princekiller."
It was the last thing he said. Damen
pulled the sword out. He took a step
back.
I wanted to tell you that, because you,"
said Laurent, as though he was forcing
the words out, "You remind me of him.
He was the best man I have ever known.
You deserve to know that, as you
deserve at
least a fair . . . In Arles, I treated you
with malice and cruelty. I will not insult
you by attempting to atone for deeds
with words, but I would not treat you
that way again. I was angry. Angry, that
isn't the word.
He became aware of a man drawn
alongside them, frozen in stillness even
in the midst of battle, and
knew that what had just happened had
been seen, and overheard.
He turned, the truth on his face. Stripped
bare, he could not hide himself in that
moment. Laurent, he thought, and lifted
his gaze to meet the eyes of the man who
had witnessed the last words of Lord
Touars.
It wasn't Laurent. It was Jord.
He was staring at Damen in horror, his
sword lax in his hand.
Enguerran looked up at Damen. The last
time they had faced one another,
Enguerran had been trying to
bar Damen from Touars's hall. An
Akielon has no place in the company of
men.
Damen said, "If you tell him, I can't
serve him."
"Tell him?" said Jord. "Tell him the man
he trusts has lied, and lied again, has
deceived him into the worst
humiliation?"
"I wouldn't hurt him," said Damen, and
heard the words drop like lead.
"You killed his brother, then got him
under you in bed.
I remember. You take a great deal of
pleasure in small victories." Damen
quoted Laurent's words back to him.
"It's not small," said Laurent. "It's the
first time I've ever won a play against
my uncle.
You fill me with horror," said Jord. His
hands were tight on his knife. Both his
hands, now.
"Captain," a voice called. "Captain!"
Damen's eyes were on Jord's face.
"That's you," Jord said.
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