Chapter 22 Chapter 17 Pink Ribbon
The cold wind blowing from Mohaira Square lifted Mat's cloak and quickly froze the sludge on his body into hard blocks.He and Nuo'ao walked out of the alley quickly. At this time, the sun was half covered by the roof, and a long shadow was drawn on the ground.Mat leaned on his cane in one hand, and in the other held the leather cord that held the silver fox's head in his coat pocket, which he could pull out at any time, and his cloak was just Hanging down his back, he didn't even bother to pull the cloak over him to keep out the cold at the moment.He was in pain from head to toe, and the dice of doom were still rolling in his head, leaving him with little thought for anything else.He was always on guard against the wind and grass around him, afraid that the ancient blue would come out from another hole in the wall.The many gaps between the paving stones in Mohaira Square disturbed Mat, but the monster didn't seem to attack him in public.
There were all sorts of noises from the streets around the square, but the only thing to be seen in the square was a bony stray dog running past the statue of Queen Narini.Some say that the statue's raised hand points to the sea that will bring Ebouda's bountiful harvest; others say that the hand points to the great danger facing Ebouda.Others say the queen only showed one side of her breasts because her successors wanted to remind the nation that Queen Narini was not completely honest.
In the usual Mohaira Square, you can always see many walking couples, hawkers and beggars. Even the cold wind in winter can't drive them away.But since the Seanchan's arrival, all the beggars have been taken away and put into various jobs, while the rest of the people try to stay as far away from the square as possible, even during the day.In fact, what everyone should avoid is the Terrassine Palace behind the square. Known as the residence of Atla Queen Tailin Qingtera Misoba, of course, the land she actually controls is only Aboda and the surrounding places that can be reached by horseback for a few days.It was not she that people feared, but the new resident of the palace—Surose Cybele Medeiras, Maharaja of Empress Seanchan, commander of the Forerunner of Seanchan, it was she Bringing true majesty to the palace.
At each entrance to the palace stood Mithoba house guards in green tunics, white baggy trousers and green boots, with gilded breastplates, and warriors and warriors of various colors with helmets resembling insect heads .Maharaja Suros said that Queen Atla needed a safe and quiet environment to rest in, and Tailin wholeheartedly agreed with her.
Mat thought for a while, and then led Noah towards the door of a stable. After all, it might not be convenient for him to walk on the marble steps leading directly to the main entrance of the palace with a stranger, and he had to put his whole body on before Tailin found him. The sludge is cleaned.Tylyn had made her displeasure clear when he returned to the palace disheveled after his previous fight in the tavern.
A few Ebodar guards stood on one side of the stable door holding halberds, and an equal number of Seanchan stood on the other side holding tasseled lances, all as stiff as the statue of Narini. "Light bless you," Mat whispered politely to the Eboudar guards.There was nothing wrong with being polite to the Eboudans, but the Eboudans were certainly much gentler than the Seanchan, no matter what.
"The light blesses you too, my lord." The short and stocky officer Ebouda replied and stepped forward slowly.Mat knew him. His name was Sullivan Sarat, and he was a nice guy, always with a witty joke, and he knew horses.Sullivan shook his head at Mat, tapping his pointed helmet with his gold-plated officer's staff. "Are you fighting again, my lord? If she sees you like this, there will definitely be another tornado in the palace."
Mat shrugged, trying not to lean too noticeably on the cane.Is there such a wisecrack?This dark-skinned man really has a razor-sharp tongue, and his ability to spot horses is only average. "A friend of mine wants to live with one of my subordinates, is that okay?" Matt asked rudely, "You know, there are already more than one vacant bed in my subordinate's place." So far, his subordinates have eight One died there after walking into downtown Abuda with him.
"I'm fine here, my lord." Su Lifan said while glancing at the skinny old man, biting his lower lip suspiciously.However, at least in the dim light, Noah's coat was well-made, even decorated with ribbons, and looked much better than Matt, so Su Lifan was relieved soon. "There's no need to report everything to her, so she shouldn't have any problems."
Mat frowned, but before he could say anything that would kill him and Noal, three heavily armored Seanchan rode up to them.Su Lifan immediately turned his attention to them.
"You live in the queen's palace with your noble wife?" Noah asked, staring at the stable door.
Mai pulled Noah back. "Wait for them to go first," he nodded to the Seanchan.His noble wife?Damn woman!And those damn dice in his head!
"I'm carrying out the orders of Maharaja Suros," a Seanchan said loudly, and patted the leather knapsack slung from the armored shoulder.A slender feather stands on top of her helmet, indicating that she is a junior officer.On her crotch was a tall brown gelding with strong feet, and the other two Seanchan had good horses as well.Beyond that, there was nothing about them that interested Mat.
"Blessings of the light, go in." Su Lifan bowed slightly to them.
The Seanchan woman also bowed to Sullifan from the saddle, her bow was no different from that of the Atla officer. "The light blesses you too." After she finished speaking in a slow tone, she led two subordinates into the stable.
"It's so strange," Su Lifan muttered to himself looking at the backs of the three people, "They always ask us for permission to enter the door, but not their own." The Chen guards pointed, and the guards didn't move, not even glancing at the three Seanchan knights.
"What will happen if you don't allow them to go in?" Nuo'ao asked in a low voice, pulling the bundle tied on his back casually.
Su Lifan turned around and straightened his back. "I swore my oath to my queen, and that was enough." His face was expressionless, "and she swore... her own oath. My lord, find your friend a bed, and warn him at the same time." , in Abbott, there are certain things that are best left unsaid, and certain questions that are best left unasked."
Noah seemed a little confused, arguing that he was just curious, but after Matt exchanged blessings with the Altera officer as quickly as possible, he pushed his new friend into the gate, and then he spoke in the lowest voice Explain to Noah what a eavesdropper is.Noal had saved his life from the Old Lan just now, but he wouldn't let the old fellow give his life to a Seanchan again.There was also a kind of Seanchan called Truthseekers, about which Mat knew very little, and even those who would talk casually about Deathwatch shut up when mentioning Truthseekers.But at least Matt knew that compared with the truth-seekers, the referees of the white robes were nothing more than a group of little boys who only knew how to play with flies.
"I see," Noel said slowly, "I didn't know this before." He seemed angry with himself. "You must have had a lot of dealings with the Seanchan. Do you also know that Maharaja Suros? I never thought you would live here."
"I like to chat with soldiers in the tavern." Mat replied grumpily.Of course, only if Tylin was willing to let him out.Bright, he might be married soon! "Su Luosi doesn't know my existence." He very much hopes that this situation can be maintained.
The three Seanchan were out of Mat's sight, and their mounts were led into the stable.Dozens of sin masters are training the sin slaves at night, making them walk along a large circular route in the stone-paved courtyard.Almost half of the slaves in gray robes were dark-skinned women, but none of them had the Windseeker jewelry on their faces.They had many more companions in this palace and elsewhere in Abuda, and it seemed the Seanchan had had a good time aboard the Sea Folk ships before they could escape.
Most of these sea people had heavy and obedient expressions, or were expressionless, and seven or eight people just stared ahead dully, their eyes confused and confused, as if they still didn't believe what happened to them.Every sin slave was accompanied by a Seanchan sin slave, holding her hand or putting his arms around her, smiling, and whispering to her.Of course, each of these sin slaves has a silver collar around their necks, and is connected to the slave master's silver bracelet through a silver cord.These sin slave masters were looking at them with approving eyes, and several sin slaves with confused eyes were holding the silver rope, as if they were holding their own lifelines.It made Mat shiver, and even the wet clothes around him had never felt so cold.
Matt led Noah through the courtyard at the fastest speed, but at this moment, a sin slave was led by a plump gray-haired sin slave master, and happened to walk in front of him.The olive-skinned woman was neither Seanchan nor Athan Miyar, but she looked like an Atla.She looked at the Slaver Master like a strict mother who disciplines a bad-tempered child. Her name was Teslin Baradon. After being a Seanchan captive for a month and a half, her face had regained its rosy plumpness. But her unblemished face had the expression of eating only heather at every meal.She ambled to the silver cord that drew her, obeying every command whispered by the Sin Master without hesitation.At this moment, she stopped and bowed deeply to Mat and Noah, but at this moment, a strong hatred flashed towards Mat in her black eyes.After that, she continued to follow the sin slave master along the circular road in the yard, and obviously, she also gave up resistance.Mat had seen slaves hanged upside down and whipped until they wailed in this yard for the slightest sin, and Tesslyn had been punished in the same way.She had never done Mat anything nice, and maybe a few bad things, but Mat didn't want that to happen to her.
"It's better than dead." Matt muttered, walking forward.Tesslin was a tough woman, maybe she was always planning how to escape, but no matter how tough she was, she could only do so at most.The heads of all the Sea People's captains and her swordsman captain had been thrust into the tall poles before they could even wail, but this did not save a Sea People slave.
"You really think so?" Noah asked casually, pulling awkwardly at his pack, his not-so-healthy hands deft when holding a knife, but not doing everything else. But very useless.
Mat frowned at him, but he really didn't know if that was what he really thought.Those silver sin shackles are so similar to the invisible shackles Tailin put on him, he will probably be Tailin's pet for the rest of his life, although at least his head will not be stuck on the high pole.Light, now he just hopes that the dice in his head will stop and disappear completely!No, he is lying.He knew what would happen to the dice when they stopped, and he didn't want them to stop at all.
The room where Cheer Wanning and the remaining Red Arms lived was not far from the stables.It was a large rectangular house painted with white plaster, with a rather low roof, and there were too many beds for the few survivors.
The oily, bald Chell was lying on the bed in his shirt, with a book open on his chest, and Mat was surprised that this guy could read.Che Er glanced at the muddy Matt, and gasped through his teeth: "Fighting again? I bet, she must be upset." He didn't stand up.With a few startlingly exceptional moments, Chell considers himself equal to all nobles.
"Master Matt, are you in any trouble?" Hanan roared and jumped up, his body and spirit were quite strong, and now he was clenching his teeth, and the flying eagle tattoo on his cheek was distorted because of it. "Excuse me, but you shouldn't have done it yourself. Tell us what he looks like, and we'll find him."
The last three Red Arms left behind him gathered eagerly, two of them holding their coats in one hand and still tucking their shirts into their trousers with the other.The third was Metwyn, a boyish Cairhien, but ten years older than Mat.He took the sword that was leaning against the foot of the bed, and drew a section of the blade from its sheath to see if it was sharp.However, Gothran was the best swordsman among them. He had muscular muscles like a blacksmith, but his movements were quite agile.When Mat first came to Iboda, there were twelve Red Arms following him, now eight are dead, and the rest can only be trapped in this palace, unable to flirt with the barmaids, no way Playing dice, getting drunk, and waiting for the tavernkeeper to be carried to bed.What they used to do would just flatten their wallets, but now it could kill them.
"Noel's going to tell you what's going on, he says it better than I can," Mat said, pushing back his hat, "he's going to live with you, he just saved my life. "
Immediately there was a burst of exclamation and admiration for Noah in the room, and everyone patted the old man on the back so hard that he almost fell to the ground.And Cheer just stuffed a fat finger between the closed pages, got up and sat on his thin mattress.
Noah put the bundle on an empty bed, and then began gesticulating and telling what happened to him and Matt.He brings the situation to life, but in his story, he slips and falls on the dirt like a clown, and is left dumbfounded when Mat and Gulan fight heroically.Noah seems to be born to tell stories, just like a walking singer, who can make you feel that the story is happening right in front of you.The red-armed team laughed happily. They knew that Noah was flattering their leader intentionally, and they appreciated his actions.But their laughter also cuts off when Noool talks about the assassin slipping into a small hole in the wall and disappearing without a trace, because Noool makes the passage as scary as it really is.Che Er put down the book, and let out another breath through his teeth. He and Hanan were almost killed by Gulan. They can survive until now because Gulan's target was not them.
After saying this, the old man sat on the bed, as if he had exhausted his last bit of energy.Matt said softly: "It looks like that thing wants me, maybe it played dice with me once, but I can't remember. As long as you don't stand between me and it, you don't have to worry about being in danger ’” He smiled, trying to look joking, but no one smiled except him. "Anyway, I'll share the gold with you tomorrow morning, and you'll board the first ship bound for Illion. Take Ofer, and Tom and Zeling will go with you, if they will. words." He believed that at least the thief catcher would leave. "Of course, there are Nerim and Luo Ping." He was used to having those two servants serve him, but there was no shortage of servants here. "Tamanni must be near Caemlyn by now, and it won't be hard to find him." After they were gone, he was left alone to face Tailin.Light, he would rather deal with that ancient blue again!
Hanan and the other three Red Arms exchanged a look.Filkin scratched his head, as if he didn't understand what Mat was talking about, and maybe he didn't.This scrawny man was not a first-class fighter, but he was a good soldier, but in other things, his brain was not very bright.
"That's not right," Hanan said at last. "If we run back by ourselves, Tamany will definitely skin us." The other three nodded together, and Filkin understood.
"What about you, Chell?" Matt asked.
The fat man shrugged: "If I took that child away from Liesele, he would kill me in my sleep. If I were him, I would do the same. And I have time to read here Well, I didn't have time for that when I was a farrier." The guy often called himself a farrier or a groom, but in reality he was a horse thief.As far as Mat knew, he was the best horse thief in at least two countries.
"You're all crazy," Mat frowned. "It only wants me. If you don't get in its way, it won't kill you. My conditions are always valid. As long as you think it through, you can do it anytime." You can leave."
"I've met people like you before." Noah said suddenly.The hunchbacked old man was the epitome of hard times and hard work, but his eyes were still bright and piercing, and now they were fixed on Mat. "Others will follow people like you wholeheartedly. You may lead them to glory, or you may bring them destruction. I believe that your name will be recorded in the history books."
Hanan looked as confused as Filkin.Che Er spat, lay back on the bed, and opened the book again.
"I just hope my luck hasn't run out," Mat muttered.He knew what would happen to the people whose names were recorded in the annals of history, and such people often did not live to the moment when they died.
"Better wash yourself before she sees you," said Filkin suddenly, "you've got a spot of mud on you like a thorn in her saddle-bed."
Mat picked up his hat in exasperation, and strode out of the room without a word, although he tried to look like he was walking fast, he still had to bear most of his weight on the cane.Before he could close the door, the voice of Noel telling stories could be heard in the room, and he began to tell the red arm team how he traveled on the sea folk boat and learned the skill of bathing in the cold salt water.Matt couldn't think of any more stories he'd tell.
In order to alleviate the cold feeling of winter, the corridors of the palace are hung with Abodah flower tapestries known as "summer ornaments".Mat was limping along such a corridor, thinking about how to wash himself up before meeting Tailin, but before he had gone far, there were already four men in green and white uniforms. The servant and no less than seven maids offered to help him bathe and change clothes, and promised to never let Queen Tailin know.Thanks to the light, they don't know everything between him and Tylin, only the two of them know the most terrible thing between him and Tailin, but now he can't stand these servants anymore.What's even more frightening is that every damn servant in the damn Tailasin Palace is very supportive of such a thing, after all Tailin is their queen, so naturally she can do whatever she wants.What's more, Tylin's temper has been razor-sharp since the Seanchan took over Ibouda, and if the bright Mat Cawthorne can appease Tylin's anger from some If these servants' noses were pulled off for such a trivial matter, they would naturally scrub Mat from behind his ears to his heels, tie a ribbon, and put his hands in front of Tailin! "Mud?" Mat yelled at a pretty maid smiling at him.The maid was pulling back her skirt and curtseying to him, her breasts rivaling Liesel's in the open neckline.If it was another time, Matt would probably take some time to appreciate the beauty in front of him. "What mud? I didn't see any mud!" The maid opened her mouth wide, watching Mat walk away with his lame legs, and even forgot to stand up.
Zeling Sanda flashed out from a corner of the corridor quickly and almost ran into Mat.Seeing someone on the opposite side, the Tyr thief catcher hurriedly took a step back and cursed in a low voice, but when he saw who was walking, his dark face immediately turned gray.Then he apologized under his breath as he tried to slink past Mat.
"Tom got you into his stupidity too?" Mat asked.Zeling lived with Tom in a room in the servant quarters, and he had no reason to appear in this place.Zeling, in his black Tyrian tunic and boots rimmed with flames, stood out among the servants of Terrassin like a duck among chickens.Su Luosi's discipline is stricter than Tylin's, so Matt believes that Zeling must have accepted the task from Tom and Bethelan before running here. "Tell me if you have anything. I have already told Hanan and the others that if they leave, I will give them travel expenses. The same goes for you. As long as you leave, I will give you gold."
It seemed that Ze Ling didn't intend to tell him anything.The thief-catcher stuck his thumbs in his belt and looked Mat straight in the eyes. "What did Hanan say? What stupid thing do you think Tom did? Here, he knows what to do better than you and I."
"That ancient blue is still in Ibouda, Zeling." Tom knew only the power games of the nobles, and he also liked to stick his nose into political struggles. "Today, it's trying to kill me."
Ze Ling snorted, as if being punched in the stomach, he scratched his short black hair. "I still have something to do here, and I have to stay for a while." His tone changed slightly, as if he was stubbornly defending himself, but he couldn't help but feel a little guilty. Matt had never seen him look like this before. wandering.This look could only mean one thing.
"Take her with you," Mat said, "and even if she doesn't want to, you'll have a woman on both of your laps within an hour of your arrival in Tyre. Zeling, women are like that, If someone rejects you, someone will definitely accept you."
A servant hurried past with a pile of linen towels and looked surprised at the muddy Mat.Evidently thinking that he was the one who had surprised the servant, Zeling pulled his thumb out of his belt hastily, and tried to put on a gesture of humility, but his efforts were not very successful.Also sleeping in the servants' quarters, Tom acted at first as if it was his own decision.But no one was surprised when he went in and out of Lieseler's room, as if it wasn't Tom who was doing it, but Mat.As a thief catcher (of course he is not a thief catcher), Zeling has confronted arrogant low-level nobles or self-satisfied rich businessmen countless times, and he has never lowered his posture in this palace.But almost everyone in the Tailasin Palace knew his details, and they all knew that he should stay in the servant quarters on the lower floor.
"My lord is very smart," he said in an overly loud voice, bowing stiffly, "my lord knows women well. If my lord can forgive a lowly subordinate, then I must go back to my place " Then he turned around and walked away, and deliberately dropped a sentence: "Today I heard that if your lord comes back as if you were dragged out of a mud pit, the queen will beat you with a whip herself. pause."
This sentence made Matt finally lose control. He pushed open the door of Tailin's residence, strode in, and threw his hat across the room... Then he stopped, opened his mouth wide, and every word he wanted to say Words froze on his tongue, and his hat rolled over on the carpet, but he didn't care.A gust of wind rattled the large triple-arched windows that looked out onto the long, grated balcony overlooking the Mohaira Square.
Tailin turned her head towards the door. She was sitting in a gilded chair carved into the shape of bamboo joints. She just held a gold wine glass to her lips with one hand. Silk.On her beautiful face, a pair of raptor-like eyes danced with obvious anger.One leg was folded over the other, shaking slightly, causing ripples in the hem of her white and green skirt.Her oval neckline was trimmed with a circle of light green ribbon, reflecting a pair of half-exposed full breasts and a jeweled wedding dagger hanging there.She was not the only one in the room, Su Luosi sat directly opposite her, frowning and staring at the wine glass, while tapping the armrest of the chair rhythmically with her long nails, although her hair was shaved into a weird cockscomb , but you can still see that she is a beautiful woman.Compared to her, Tylin was at once a rabbit curled up in front of a vulture.She has two long nails painted blue on each hand.Sitting next to her was a little girl, just like Su Luosi, this little girl was wearing an exquisitely crafted floral gown and a white pleated skirt, but her whole head was wrapped in a transparent veil, and her hair They were all shaved off!While stunned, Matt noticed the girl's abundance of gold and rubies.Behind the girl stood a slender woman, her dark complexion was almost comparable to the black robe she was wearing, and her figure was not inferior to any Aiel woman. He concealed an angry expression.Her curly black hair was cropped, but not shaved, so she's not Kingblood or Acolyte.In front of her dazzling beauty, both Tailin and Su Luosi were overshadowed, just like Matt who had been hit on the head with a hammer, he also failed to ignore this beauty.
In fact, what really made Matt feel thunderous was not Su Luosi and the two strange women, but the dice in his head stopped suddenly, leaving him with a deafening roar.Mat had never seen anything like this before, and he stood there, waiting for the Forsaken to burst out of the flames in the marble fireplace, or for the earth to crack open and swallow the palace.
"You don't listen to me, little pigeon," Tai Lin said in a loving but dangerous tone, "I have already said, go to the kitchen to eat some pastries, take a bath, and wait for me to call you." Her black eyes There is a light shining in it. "We'll talk about the mud on you later."
Matt reorganized what had just happened while feeling dizzy.He walked into the room, the dice stopped, and... nothing happened, nothing happened!
"Why did this person break in suddenly?" The skinny girl in the veil stood up, her voice was colder than the cold wind outside the window, "Sullos, you told me that the streets here are safe, I feel very unhappy."
Something must have happened!It should have happened!As long as the dice stand still, something must happen.
"I assure you, Tuon, the streets of Eboudar are as safe as the streets of Shyda." Surosth's words brought Mat back to his senses, and the Maharaja sounded... disturbed.But Su Luosi has never only made others feel uncomfortable.
A young man with a well-proportioned, thin figure and elegant demeanor appeared next to Su Luosi in a nearly transparent Darkovi robe.He lowered his head, holding a blue long-necked porcelain pot in his hand, and wanted to fill Su Luosi's glass with wine.Matt was startled again when he saw him, unaware that there were other people in the room.Besides the blond man, a slender, round-faced, red-haired woman, also in a sheer gown, was kneeling at a table with spice bottles, a sea-folk jar of wine, and a hot pot. A gilt brass brazier and poker for wine.A tense gray-haired maid in the white and green uniform of the Mithoba family stood at the other end of the room.There was another Seanchan in the corner of the room, but she was so still as a statue that Mat hadn't noticed her until now.This is a short woman with half of her blond hair shaved off. If she hadn't been wearing a red and yellow top that stretched all the way to her chin, her breasts might have been more prominent than Liesel's, but Mat didn't care about that now. interest.The Seanchan were very strict with their servants, and Tylin was sensitive to all women, and since Mat could get out of bed, there was no maid younger than Mat's grandmother in Tylin's dormitory.
Su Luosi looked at the man serving wine, as if wondering who he was, then she shook her head and turned to look at the girl named Tuon.Tuon waved his hand, signaling the man to step back.The maid in white and green uniform stepped forward quickly, took the wine jug from the man, and wanted to pour Tailin's wine, but her queen only made her return to the wall with a small gesture.Other than that, Tailin didn't make any moves.If Suros was also afraid of this Tuon, Tailin certainly didn't want her to notice.
"I'm very upset, Suros," the girl said again.She frowned tightly and looked at Su Luosi sternly on the opposite side. Even if she stood up, she would not be much taller than the female maharaja sitting in the chair.Mat believed that Tuon must also be a female maharaja, and her status was higher than Su Luosi. "You saved the situation, which will please the queen, may the queen live forever, but your attack to the east is very inappropriate, and this disastrous action must not be repeated. Moreover, if the streets of this city are really It's safe, how could he be injured so badly?" Su Luosi held the armrest of the chair with one hand, and the wine glass with the other, her knuckles were all white.She stared at Tylin, as if it was all Tylin's fault that she was blamed for this, and Tailin could only give her an apologetic smile and bowed her head.Oh shit, Matt knew he was the one paying for it!
"I accidentally fell." His voice seemed to set off a firework in the room.Both Suros and Tuon seemed taken aback.Tylin looked like a hawk trying to peck a rabbit to death. "Your Highness." He added another honorific, but it didn't seem to improve the situation in any way.
Suddenly the tall woman behind Tuon snatched Tuon's goblet and threw it into the fireplace, where sparks shot up the chimney.Tylin's maid moved as if trying to snatch the goblet from the fireplace, but the sage touched her and made her bow her head again.
"You are foolish, Tuon," said the Tall Woman.Compared with her, Tuon's stern expression was almost cute, and in her voice, Mat could not feel the customary slowness of Seanchan's accent. "Su Luosi is stably controlling the situation here. What happened in the east can happen in any war. Don't waste time with such absurd trifles."
Su Luosi showed a surprised expression again, and then put on the cold mask again, and Matt could hardly hide his surprise.Those who dare to speak to the blood of the king like this will be the luckiest end to be whipped!
Tuon looked up slightly in amazement. "Perhaps you are right, Annesser," she said in a calm voice, even a little resigned, "time and omens will tell. But this young man is clearly lying, perhaps because he fears Tailin's wrath. If he He fell so hard, I'm afraid he died at that time. And I haven't seen a cliff in this city that can seriously injure someone."
Did he really fear Tailin's wrath?Well, there might be some truth in saying that, but Matt definitely didn't like it being mentioned.He leaned on his shoulder-high cane, trying to make himself as comfortable as possible.They really should let a wounded person like him sit down first. "I was injured when you took over the city," he said, with a hippie grin. "You threw a lot of lightning and fireballs at the city. But I'm pretty much recovered, Thank you for your concern." Tylin buried her face in the glass, and at the same time gave him a glare over the rim.The look, Mat knew, meant he was going to suffer soon.
Tuon stood up and came towards him, the hem of her skirt rustling with the movement of her legs.The swarthy face behind that veil would have been pretty, but it had the expression of a judge passing a death sentence, and Mat really didn't like the bald top of her head.Her big eyes were clear and bright, but they were like two pieces of hard ice.Her long nails were painted bright red, and Mat wondered what that meant.Light, the ruby in her body would allow anyone to live long years in a life of extreme luxury.
She reached out and lifted Mat's chin with her fingertips, and Mat shuddered and backed away.But seeing Tylin's fierce gaze, Mat knew immediately that if he did this, he would suffer immediately, so he could only let the girl look at every line of his face in resentment.
"Have you ever fought against us?" she asked. "Have you taken your oath?"
“我发誓了，”麦特嘟囔道，“我也没有别的选择。”
“是这样吗？”她一边喃喃说着，一边缓缓转动他的头，又摸了摸他手腕上的缎带及脖子上的黑丝巾，并掀起斗篷边缘，审视着上面的刺绣。麦特忍受着，不让自己的身体因伤痛而显出丝毫懈怠，不过他的眼睛已经像泰琳一样在喷发怒火了。光明啊，麦特就算是在买马的时候也不曾如此仔细地审视过马匹！下一步这个女孩大概要看看他的牙了！
“这个男孩已经告诉你他为何会受伤，”安奈瑟用冷若冰霜的命令口吻说，“如果你想要他，那就把他买下来。今天是忙碌的一天，你现在应该上床休息了。”
图昂停了一下，她的眼睛正看着麦特手指上的长玺戒，那枚玺戒上以高超的工艺雕刻着一只奔跑的狐狸和两只飞翔的乌鸦，周围则环绕着一圈新月花纹。这是麦特偶然间买到的，不过他第一眼看到这枚戒指时就很喜欢，他怀疑现在图昂也想要这枚戒指。
她抬起头，望着麦特的面孔：“很好的建议，安奈瑟，那么，他值多少钱，泰琳？提出你的价格吧，我会双倍付给你。”
泰琳被酒呛了一口，咳嗽起来，麦特几乎跌在地上。这个女孩想买他？看起来她真的是在买一头牲口。
泰琳咳了一阵，才以不稳定的语气说道：“他是自由人，女大君，我……我不能出售他。”如果不是泰琳说话时还要努力不让自己的牙齿打颤，如果这个该死的图昂询问的不是他的价格，麦特大概会被眼前这一幕给逗笑了。自由人！what!
这个女孩从麦特面前转过身，仿佛已经将他忘记了：“你在害怕，泰琳，光明在上，你不必害怕的。”她缓步走到泰琳面前，双手微微掀起面纱，俯下身轻吻了泰琳三下，两只眼睛各一下，嘴唇上一下。泰琳显然非常震惊。“你是我的姐妹，也是苏罗丝的姐妹，”图昂的声音温和得令人吃惊，“我将亲自将你的名字记入王之血脉，你将是女大君以及阿特拉女王泰琳，而且你还会得到更多，就像我们答应过你的那样。”
安奈瑟重重地“嗯”了一声。
“是的，安奈瑟，我知道，”女孩叹息一声，直起身，放下面纱，“这是忙碌而艰苦的一天，我已经累了，但我要让泰琳知道她将得到哪些领土，这样她就会安心。泰琳，在我的房间里有相关地图，你可以陪我去看一下吗？我还有很不错的按摩师。”
“这是我的荣幸。”泰琳说，她的声音并不比刚才显得更加安心。
那名侍圣者打了个手势，金发男子立刻跑去打开房门，并跪倒在门旁，保持房门敞开。房间里的贵妇们开始整了整衣服，检查头发，抚平裙摆上的皱纹。无论霄辰、阿特拉，还是别的什么地方，女人都是一样。红发达科维在帮助图昂和苏罗丝做这些事。麦特趁机将泰琳拉到一旁。麦特注意到，那名侍圣者的蓝眼睛不时会扫向他们，但至少图昂只是在专心地和达科维一同整理衣饰，似乎完全忘记他的存在。
“我可不止是摔了一跤。”麦特低声对泰琳说，“一个多小时前，那只古蓝又想杀死我。我最好离开这里，那个东西想要我的命，而且它会杀死所有接近我的人。”这是他刚刚想到的脱身之法，他相信成功的可能性会很大。
泰琳哼了一声：“它……它不可能得到你，我的小猪。”她看了图昂一眼，那种目光完全可以让图昂忘记泰琳是她的姐妹。“她也不可能。”至少泰琳还知道要把说话的声音压低。
“她是谁？”麦特问。看样子这次还是没希望。
“当然是图昂女大君，这你已经知道了。”泰琳继续压低声音，“图昂一句话就能让苏罗丝跳起来，而安奈瑟一句话就能让图昂跳起来，虽然我差不多可以发誓，那个安奈瑟只是一名仆人。她们可真是一群怪人，宝贝。”她突然从麦特的脸颊上抹下一点泥巴来，麦特还没察觉到自己的脸上也有泥。猛禽的气势立刻又回到了泰琳的眼里。“你记起那些粉红色缎带了吗，宝贝？我回来的时候，我们要看看你配上粉红色好不好看。”
她以天鹅般高贵的姿态随图昂和苏罗丝走出房间，她们身后是安奈瑟、侍圣者和达科维。房里只剩下麦特和那名已有祖母年纪的女仆，现在她已经开始收拾酒桌了。麦特颓然坐倒在一张竹节椅子里，用双手捧住了头。
如果换作其他时候，那些粉红缎带一定会让他火冒三丈。他根本就不该来找泰琳，现在，就算是那个古蓝也不重要了。骰子停了，然后……发生了什么？他遇到了三个陌生人，但骰子不会因为这种事就停下来，也许这和泰琳成为了王之血脉有关。但以前每当骰子停下来的时候，都会有一些事情发生在麦特自己身上。
麦特忧心忡忡地坐在椅子上，直到那名女仆收拾好一切，又叫来其他仆人将所有不必要的物品拿走。麦特一直坐在那里，直到泰琳回来。她并没有忘记粉红色缎带，而这让麦特在很长一段时间里忘了其他所有事情。