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THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 19
Yakir paced the White Corridor for an hour already, and the guards only shrugged: they were ordered not to let anyone near Her Majesty and not to touch the bolt at all. The order was given personally by the regent.After waiting another ten minutes and finally losing patience, Yakir resolutely walked away. After all, he could enter the royal apartments from the side of the secret door, passing through the Throne Room or descending from the East Tower, where the spiral staircase opened. One way or another, and the documents that the Head of the Council instructed to deliver Liramel, had to get to their destination. After waiting for the heavy doors to close behind him, Yakir stood in silence for several seconds, carefully peering into the slanting shadows of the columns. It was quiet and almost dark in the hall, only candles were burning out in candelabra above the narrow balcony that skirted the pedestal. The eastern windows, covered with faded stained-glass windows, were gray with
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 20
“Not so long ago, you gave advice to take care of your own safety, son of Kyle,” she answered carefully, choosing her words in the same tone, feeling that she was walking on the blade, but no longer able to stop. “I accept it, as well as your help. My safety as the Head of the Family should be a priority for any of the sons of the Leading line, because the law says so, isn't it? Without waiting for his answer, Liramel smiled and, weaving a little gentleness into her voice, added: “And rest assured, there will be no case for gratitude. Chuckling, Paraman feinted to the side. “I don't need gratitude, daughter of Lirdan, and I didn't offer help. Women in the Kingdom do not require military science: the Academies are open only to men. As the Head of the Family, you already have the highest rank, and a dagger will be enough to open a letter. Having had time to react, despite being distracted by the conversation, Liramel easily repulsed him and repeated the movements she had learned befo
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 21
Waking up, Carl straightened up and looked around. It was dark all around, only the silver crescent of the waning moon peered through the window to the right. Realizing that he had fallen asleep again in the study, he unbuttoned the tight collar of his shirt, pushed aside the crumpled scrolls, and again dropped his head into his hands. Before morning, there were still several documents to go through and a dozen petitions and complaints.The already familiar heaviness that enveloped his consciousness made him wary. In a dream, he was too vulnerable: hidden memories could be pulled along with the rest, and of his own free will.Taking a deep breath, Karl suppressed the fear that rose in his soul and, driving the suspicions so far that he himself doubted his innocence, closed his eyes.The storm outside the window finally subsided, but the dawn still did not break. In the next room, Christian was sniffling loudly with his aunt, water was dripping from the tap, almost echoing the threads
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 22
Lord Varuta quickly won her trust. He was a full-blooded son of the Leading Sideline and had fairly strong court connections. The head of the Council noticeably favored him, invariably highlighting him at intertribal meetings and involving him in almost all the ceremonies conducted by the Order, and Paraman responded with great respect. Even Karl would have approved of her choice, had Liramel decided to make it... But she did not dare precisely because Yakir was an Initiate. Despite their mutual sympathy and inner similarity, Liramel would not have been able to put up with things that repelled her beliefs all her life.Muffled voices could be heard from behind the tapestry. Sighing, she carefully stood up and approached the secret door. The presence of guards at an odd hour was alarming: usually the stairs were checked in the afternoon, when no one used it.Two people were talking: one was clearly arguing, and the other was admonishing. What exactly was discussed, it was impossible to
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 23
Hurrying after Yakir, Liramel admired the sun glare playing in the melt water. Spring quickly came into its own, and the snow in the forest melted so quickly that the water did not have time to go into the ground.Lord Varuta did not lose hope to the last to get away from the chase that had been following them for the second day now, and all this only amused Liramel: after many months spent in the castle and its environs, she was glad to have a sip of freedom. “We'll do without supper today,” Yakir threw over his shoulder without turning around. “If we can break away, we will cross the river and turn west. We'll split up there - it's only a couple of hours to the castle, you'll go alone. I'll leave Veka to you, and I'll take them to the highway myself. “As you say,” Liramel said, picking up her pace. The footprints flashed before her eyes like diamond splashes. - My feet are wet. If I get sick, Carl will kill you. Yakir chuckled.“If Paraman finds us, they will both kill me, so on
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 24
Smiling, he nodded and, glancing in the direction of the edge, waved his hand: through the green-brown field, a dozen riders were slowly riding, leading several free horses in a bridle. Paraman arrived from Lausens about a day ago and, judging by the reports of the servants, he never left his chambers and did not receive anyone. Something was clearly going on, and it was obvious: the cousin really wanted Karl to understand this and come to bow to him. Unlike the rest of the castle, where there were more guards than servants, the Green Corridor was empty. Two young palechniks, placed at the main chambers rather for show, were talking among themselves in a relaxed manner. Seeing Karl, they reluctantly drew themselves up and, without asking anything, parted. Paraman did not miss the opportunity to once again show himself the master of the situation and emphasize that he was not afraid of anything or anyone. Karl was in no hurry to dissuade him. Over the past six months, he managed t
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 25
The room was quiet and almost dark. To the side of the entrance, dimly flickering, burned a two-horned golden candelabra. Taking a torch from the wall, Paraman waited until it flared up properly, and, bypassing the stone table, approached the secret door. Two turns of the key opened a passage to a narrow dark corridor with an almost sheer stone staircase, worn out over hundreds of years. Holding the scabbard, Paraman intercepted the torch and began to rise slowly. There were still a couple of hours before dawn - it was time to take a bath and get some sleep.- Need to talk. - The voice, which was heard from the darkness, to which the light did not reach, reverberated with a booming echo from the cold walls. Paraman stopped and, reaching for a steel ring driven into a stone, inserted a torch into it.– How long have you been waiting? he asked ingratiatingly, climbing a few more steps. "No," said Carl. I decided it would be safer here.- For whom? – Not holding back a smile, Param
THE PATH OF RENUNCIATION 26
A thin thread of dawn was woven into the clouds, connecting them with the horizon with wide stitches. The sky gradually brightened. The white-pink curly crowns of the apple trees, which were still covered by a thick shadow, barely fluttered under the cool morning wind, and the first golden-orange rays were already approaching the borders of the castle garden. Liramel awoke long before dawn. She still had time to see the floating moon and a scattering of fading constellations, and even caught a star sparkling halfway across the sky with her eyes. Kneeling before the open window, Liramel placed her hands on the sill and bowed her head in prayer. The ancient apple orchard was fragrant, enveloping the castle with a tart honey aroma, and under the windows, loud cat weddings were noisy, depriving them of sleep. These days in the Kingdom, bad weather was a rare guest, and nothing overshadowed the birth of a new life. Only once every few years, the Singing Winds Trails, which had fallen f