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.But he said none of those things, because it wassu'fali in place of jehan.Uncle in place of father."Leijhana tu'sai," I breathed, and relaxed as Ianapproached."What has happened—Keely, are you ill? Are youinjured?" His concern was manifest, intensifying myguilt; Aileen was more important."Keely—"I shoved back tangled hair."Aileen," was all I said.It shut his mouth, but only for a moment.I lookedfor signs of grief: saw none, only concern and ac-knowledgment.But then he is not a man for givingthings away, my su'fali, having suffered grievouslyfor giving away something he treasured more thananything: honor, self-control; for a "while, even sanity.He gave nothing away now, even Jo me.To noone, I thought, again.Lillith of the Ihlini had takenfar too much."Alive," he said quietly, wasting no time."Niallbrought her through with the earth magic, leijhanatu'sai, though it was much too soon for the babies.But at least Aileen is well." Briefly he sketched aquick gesture I know so well, too well: cupped handturning palm-up, fingers spread.It was so powerful a relief I could afford to becaustic.I chided my father's brother."Aileen is notCheysuli, therefore she has no tahlmorra." But myright hand twitched as if it, too, wanted to make thegesture denoting fate and the gods.lan's expression did not alter."She has Brennan.Ithink it is enough."Aye, of course: Brennan.Truly she was blessed.And then I thought of the colt lost to RoryRedbeard, and shifted uneasily."She will recover,then? Fully? She will still be Aileen?"He frowned."Of course; what would you have herbe?""Anything but a broodmare." Wearily, I shoved arebellious lock of hair from my face again."Su'fali, ifshe goes through this again.if she is forced tobear a child—or two—simply because Brennan—""Keely." He took my arm—the left one, thank thegods—in a firm grasp, turned me away from thedoor and guided me down the corridor even as Itried to protest."No—not now, Keely.Aileen isresting.Later." He continued to lead me."You neednot worry she will be required to go through thisagain.the physicians say it is unlikely she willever bear another child." His fingers remained firmlyentrenched in my arm."Now, as to being farced—"I resented being guided, but was too tired, tooworn, to do much more than test his grip."She was.She nearly died with Aidan, and yet within a year ofhis birth she is required to try again, simply to shoreup Brennan's claim on the Lion—" *Ian muttered something in of d Tongue under hisbreath, escorted me ungently to the closest door andpushed it open, pushing me in behind it.Then, clos-ing the door by kicking it shut, he guided me over toa chair and plopped me down in it.Only then did herelease my arm.Without preliminaries, my uncle called me a fool,in both languages, to make certain I understood,which I did twice over.And a blind one, as well,twice over again; which did not, particularly, sit wellwith me.I stood up.A firm hand on one shoulder pushedme down again."You will listen," he said mildly.I opened my mouth to protest, shut it to think amoment, glanced around to delay.And frowned.Wewere in lan's quarters, which I found unusual; he isvery private, my uncle, and keeps parts of himselfclosed to others, even kinfolk.I had not been in hispersonal chambers for years, not since I was a childbegging him to teach me how to shoot a Cheysuliwarbow.No one else would.Immensely comfortable chambers, filled with Chey-suli things.In recent years our people have begunreclaiming some of the crafts qu'mahlin and exiledenied, for the threat of extermination leaves littletime for things other than defense.Ian had collectedstoneware sculptures of different lir, foremost amongthem Tasha, but also his brother's wolf, in additionto the nubby, round-framed weavings many of thewomen do.Across one ironwood table spilled a riverof prophecy bones, but made of silver instead ofivory; a gift from Hart, I knew, who intended it forwagering.Our uncle used it instead merely to helphim think, idly throwing patterns.Something squalled.I glanced around sharply atthe huge bed, draperies hooked up on the bedposts,and saw Tasha sprawled there with her cubs, alltangled amidst the bedclothes like knots in Deirdre'syarn basket.Three young mountain cats, all richtawny bronze.I smiled in delight.Lovely, I sent through the link.They will make magnificent lir, should the gods give themthe honor.Amber-eyed Tasha wasted no time in agreeing,but before I could say anything else Ian cut me off."Not now," he said distinctly."At this particularmoment I want to make very certain you understandsomething clearly.""Su'fali—""No," he said firmly."You are here to listen, Keely,which is something you should practice more often—certainly more often than the sword with Griffon.That you may have mastered; listening you have not."The meal I had shared with Rory and his mencurdled in my belly.Anger and astonishment evapo-rated; what I felt was humiliation.Hot-faced, I staredback at him, wanting to look at the floor but denyingmyself the refuge.He sighed, folding arms across his chest.He is notmuch like my father, being thoroughly Cheysuli incoloring as well as habits, though the black hair isfrosting silver.And nothing at all like the Mujhar intemperament, either, being considerably more re-laxed and less prone to worry about things.It issometimes hard to believe they are brothers, althoughonly half; Ian is bastard-born, the son of Donal, mygrandsire, and his half-Homanan meijha."Keely," he said quietly.Too quietly; I know hismethods."Has it never occurred to you that perhapsBrennan and Aileen are content with one another?"It was the closest he would ever come to speakingof love, being so Cheysuli, and therefore characteris-tically reticent to discuss such things with others,even kin.I have no such qualms; it must be theHomanan in me, which speaks oftener than it should."Content." I thrust myself against the back of thechair."You mean, in their bedding.""I mean in everything."I recalled Brennan's behavior, his eyes, when I hadtold of Aileen's condition.Clearly, he was "content."But I also recalled how it had been between themwhen Aileen had first come to Homana."But— Corin—"lan's tone was steady; he knew how I felt about myrujholli."Corin is gone, has been gone, for nearly twoyears."I shrugged."What does time matter? You know aswell as I Aileen wanted to marry Corin instead ofBrennan.it was only because of the betrothal toBrennan— and the prophecy—that she had to giveup Corin.Do you think she would have otherwise?Do you think Corin would have let her?" I sat up-right in the chair."Brennan cares, aye—I have seenit—but what of Aileen? She was forced, su'fali, nomatter what you say.Forced in marriage, forced inbed
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