Chapter 21 Chapter 21 I am the royal illegitimate child

My emotions of gratitude far outweighed my doubts.I struggled to get up and enjoy it all, and felt better afterwards.Instead of being dizzy, I felt an unnatural relief, but then I surrendered to the bread and cheese.The tea smelled of elf bark, and I wondered at once if Chade had come to wake me up, but I didn't think it was him, since Chade only summoned me at night. While I was pulling my pajamas over my head, the door opened quietly.The Fool slipped into my room, wearing his winter coat of mottled black and white, which made his bloodless skin even paler.His costume was some kind of silk weave, cut loosely so that he looked like a branch wrapped in it.He seemed to have grown taller and thinner, and his pale eyes were as frightened as ever, especially on his bloodless face.He smiled at me, then wagged his pale tongue mockingly.

"You?" I couldn't help but speculate, pointing to something in the room, "Thank you." "No." He shook his head in denial, pale hair emerging from under the hat in a halo. "But I help. Thanks for the shower, it makes it easier for me to take care of you. Glad you're awake, but the snoring is really loud." I don't care about his comments. "You've grown up," I said. "Yes, you too, and you were sick and slept a long time, and now you're awake, bathed and fed. You still look bad, but you don't smell anymore. It's almost evening, and you Do you need anything else?"

"I dreamed of you when I left here." He looked at me suspiciously: "Really? It's so touching, but I can't say I dreamed of you." "I missed you," I said, admiring the momentary flush of surprise on the Fool's face. "How funny. Is that why you play crazy so often?" "I guess so! Sit down and tell me what happened when I left." "I can't. King Shrewd wants to see me, or maybe he doesn't want to see me, and that's why I'm going to see him now. You should also see him when you're feeling better, especially if he didn't expect you to show up. He turned away abruptly, walked out the door quickly, leaned back suddenly, and raised the silver bell at the end of his ridiculously long sleeve to shake at me. "Goodbye, Fitz."You must live well and don't let others kill you. ' He quietly closed the door behind him.

I was alone in the room.I poured myself another cup of tea and sipped it as my door opened again.I looked up, hoping to see the Fool.Lacey glanced at her and said, "Oh, he's awake!" Then she asked even louder, "Why didn't you tell me how tired you were? You scared the hell out of me, you slept like that all day." She Noisy and uninvited came into the room, clean sheets and blankets in hand, and Mrs. Patience also entered. "Oh, he's awake!" she yelled at Lexi, her voice suspicious, ignoring the humiliation I felt facing them in my pajamas.Mrs. Patience was sitting on my bed while Lacey was busy tidying the room, and there really wasn't much fuss about my small room, but Lacey was still stacking dirty dishes, stomping the fire, and looking at the dirty The bath water and messed up clothes muttered.

I stood at a distance by the fireplace and watched as she removed the sheets and replaced them with new ones, collected my dirty laundry, sniffed contemptuously, and walked out the door with the spoils. "I was going to sort that out," I murmured in embarrassment, but Madam Patience didn't notice.She pointed majestically at the bed, and I reluctantly crawled into bed, unable to believe I was so at a disadvantage, as she leaned over and tucked the coverlet around me, making me feel even uglier. "About Molly," she announced suddenly, "you were damned for your behavior that night. You took advantage of your weakness to lure her into the house, and then pissed her off with false accusations. I won't allow that, Fitz. If you It's not that sick, I've been mad at you for a long time, I'm really disappointed in you. I really don't know what to say about how you cheated on that poor girl, so I just want to say it won't happen again. You should show her respect in every way."

A little misunderstanding between Molly and me suddenly became a serious matter. "Mistake," I said, trying to sound confident and composed. "Molly and I need to sort things out and talk privately. For your peace of mind, let me assure you that this is not what you think it is." "Don't forget who you are. A prince's son won't..." "Fitz," I firmly reminded her, "I am Fitz the Horseman, the bastard son of the Horseman." Patience showed a hurt expression, and I once again felt the great change after I left Buckkeep.I was no longer the boy she let her supervise and correct me, but in her eyes I was still the same as before.I still tried to soften my tone and explained: "It's not Junqi's legitimate son, my wife, but your husband's illegitimate son."

She sat at the foot of my bed looking at me, her brown eyes staring straight at me, and in her absent-mindedness I saw a soul that could bear more pain and regret. "Do you think I can forget?" As I searched for answers, my voice died in my throat, and Lexi's return saved me.She got two footmen and some little boys to take away my dirty water and plates, while she set out a small plate of pastries and two teacups, measuring fresh herbs for another brew. pot of tea.Patience and I didn't break the silence until the group of servants had left, and Lacey settled herself in the room with her haunting chatter after making tea and pouring it into all the cups.

"Because of who you are, this is not just a misunderstanding." Patience returned to the topic and continued as if I never dared to interrupt, "If you are just Federen's apprentice or groom, you can be free Pursue and marry anyone you wish. But you are not, Fitz Junqi Zhanyuan, you have royal blood, even if you are an illegitimate child." Her tone trembled slightly: "People with this blood must obey There are certain customs, and there are certain standards by which things are judged. Think about your own position in the royal family. You must have the king's permission to marry, and you know that. To respect King Shrewd, you must let him know in advance that you want a partner. , he will think about it carefully, and then tell you whether he is satisfied or not. He will think about it.

Is this a good time for you to get married?Good for the throne?Is such a combination acceptable, or is it prone to scandal?Would such an association interfere with your duties?Can the royal family accept this lady's bloodline?Does the king want you to have a next generation? " I was so surprised by each of her questions that I lay back on my pillow and stared at the bed charms.I never really pursued Molly, just progressed from a childhood playmate relationship to a further friendship.I knew my heart wanted this to pass, but my mind never stopped thinking, and she could easily see that.

"Better remember, too, Fitz Horseman, that you have sworn to another, that your life already belongs to the King. If you marry Molly, what will you bring her? The departure of your husband? A fragment of nothing else." Time? People who swear an oath to the king have little chance of giving time to other people in their lives." Tears suddenly flowed from her eyes. "Some women are willing to accept a man's faithful giving and be satisfied with it, but for others it's not enough, never enough. You have to..." She seemed to force the words out of her mouth, and her face was full of hesitation: "You Do take into account that you can't put two saddles on the back of a horse, no matter how willing the horse is..." Her voice trailed off in the last few words, closing her eyes hurt.Then, she took a breath, and quickly continued as if she didn't want to stop: "Another consideration, Fitz Horseman. Molly is, or was, a woman with ideals.