Chapter 12 first quarter

Before leaving the capital, Lebann had to decide and arrange many things. Another difficult problem was deciding who would go to Roke: Irian and Tehanu were natural candidates, and Tehanu wanted his mother to accompany him; Obsidian said Alder You must go, as well as Pain wizard Sebo, because Pain's knowledge mostly involves crossing the boundary between life and death; "Dolphin" is led by Tosla again, and political affairs are jointly handled by Prince Saizhi and a group of specially selected members. Everything was ready—at least Lebannen thought so, until Tenar said to him two days before departure, "You will talk about our war and peace agreement with the dragons, and Irian said it would even affect the balance of everything on earth and sea. I believes that the people of Karga should participate in the discussion and have a voice."

"You can act as a representative." "I can't, I'm not a subject of the Supreme King. The only person here who can represent his subjects is his daughter." Lebannen took a step back from Tenar's side, turned his back on her, and after a long time said in a flat tone of suppressed anger, "You know she is totally unfit for this voyage." "I don't know anything about it." "She's uneducated." "She's smart, practical, brave, and understands the responsibilities that come with her position. She's not trained to be in power, but what can she learn in a river palace with servants and a bunch of court ladies?"

"Let's start with language learning!" "She's learning. I'll translate for her if needed." After a brief silence, Lebannin said cautiously: "I understand that you care about her people. I will think about how to deal with it, but there is no place for her on this trip." "Tehanu and Irian both said that she should come together, and Master Obsidian said that she, like Alder on Dawn Island, came here at this time, it was not by accident." Li Bainan walked away, his tone was polite but reluctant: "I can't allow it, she is ignorant and inexperienced, it will be a heavy burden, and I can't let her be in danger. The relationship with her father..."

"The ignorance you describe tells us how to answer Ged's questions! You, like her father, have no respect for her, and make her look like a non-thinking animal!" Tenar paled with anger. "If You are worried about putting her in danger, so go and ask her to take the risk voluntarily!" Silence reappeared, and Lebann remained calm, refusing to look directly at Tenar: "If you, Tehanu, and Om Irian agree that the woman should go to Roke together, and Obsidian agrees with you, then I accept Your judgment, but I think it's wrong. Please tell her she can join if she wants."

"It's up to you to tell her." Lebannen stood still and left the room without a word. He passed Tenar, and though he didn't look directly, he saw Tenar's expression clearly: old and tired, her hands shaking.He sympathized with her, was ashamed of his insolence, and glad no one else saw it, but these feelings were only sparks, quenched for a moment by a great dark rage against Tenar, the princess, everything, as they added to him. All these false obligations, ugly responsibilities.As he walked out of the room, he tore open his collar, as if his neck were being strangled.

The steward of the palace was a slow-moving man with a steady personality named Quan Shan. He didn't expect the king to come back so early, and he didn't expect to enter through that door. He jumped up in fright, his eyes widened.Lebannin stared back coldly: "Ask the first princess to come and see me in the afternoon." "The first princess?" "Are there any other princesses here? Don't you know that the High King's daughter is our guest?" Surprised, Quan Shan stammered and apologized, but was interrupted: "I'll go to the River Palace by myself." After finishing speaking, Lebannin strode out, the steward followed him closely, blocked him, and finally slowed him down, just in time to summon the appropriate attendants , prepare the horses, ask the petitioners waiting in the long hall to wait until the afternoon... and so on.All the obligations, responsibilities, restrictions, constraints that made him king, pulled, sucked, dragged him like quicksand, left him breathless.

The horse was brought in front of him from the other side of the courtyard, and Lebannin jumped on the horse.Infected by emotions, the horses step back, stand up, and drive away the grooms and servants behind them.Watching the circle of people encircling him widen, Lebannin felt a violent satisfaction in his heart, and without waiting for his attendant to mount, he urged his horse to gallop towards the gate.He was so far ahead that he led the party through the street at a brisk pace, well aware of the annoyance he had caused the young officer: the officer should have ridden ahead of the king, shouting: "The king is coming, make way!" Don't dare to surpass.

It was nearly noon, and the streets and squares in Havnor were hot and bright, with few people.At the sound of Dada's horseshoe, people rushed to the door of the small and dim shop, opened their eyes wide, recognized the king, and saluted.The women sitting in front of the windows shaking their fans and gossip across the street looked down at the road and waved, each throwing flowers.The sound of hooves echoed in the wide and hot square, and there was no one there except for a dog with a curly tail running away on three legs, turning a blind eye to the royal family.Out of the square, he chose a narrow street leading to the stone road beside the Serennen River, and rode towards the river palace under the shade of willow trees beside the old city wall.

The journey changed his mood.The heat, silence and beauty of the city, the feelings of countless people behind the walls and window panels, the smile of the woman throwing flowers at him, the trivial satisfaction brought by leading all the guards and pomp and ceremony, the cool shade by the river and the tree-filled atrium , to spend peaceful and pleasant days and nights in that house.It all took him a little bit away from his anger, feeling separated from himself, no longer filled, but emptied. He dismounted, just as the first of his entourage rode into the courtyard.The horse stood happily in the shade of the tree, he entered the house, dropped like a stone into the mirror-smooth water, and landed among the dozing footmen, causing a growing unease and panicked cries. "Tell the princess I'm coming."

Madame Auber of the ancient Demisini family of Irian, the lady in charge of the princess, appeared immediately, greeted Lebanon gracefully, brought drinks, and acted as if the king's arrival was expected.The lady's soft, gentle demeanor was half soothing, half exasperating.Endless hypocrisy!But what else could Mrs. Opper do?In order for the king to finally visit the princess unexpectedly, should he open his mouth like a fish stranded on the shore? (Exactly the case with a very young lady.) "I am sorry that Lady Tenar is not here," said the lady. "It is much easier to talk to the princess with her assistance, but the princess has made admirable improvements in speech."

Lebannen forgot about the language problem, took the cold drink offered, and did not say a word.With the assistance of the rest of the ladies, Mrs. Opper chatted, and the king seldom responded. He began to realize that they might expect him to chat with the princess in the company of all the ladies, and this was a due courtesy.No matter what I originally wanted to say to the princess, it was impossible.He was about to stand up and leave when a woman with a round red veil covering her head and shoulders appeared at the door, knelt down on her knees, and asked, "Please? King? Princess? Please?" "The princess will receive you in the chamber, Your Majesty," relayed Mrs. Opper, waving to a footman who escorted the king upstairs, down the long corridor, through the side rooms, through a room that seemed to be packed with red From the wide dark room of the veiled woman to the balcony over the river.There stood the figure he remembered: still columns of red and gold. The breeze on the water gently blows the veil, making the figure no longer stiff, but slender and elegant, like a willow branch.The figure seemed to be shrinking, shortening, and the princess was saluting him.He bowed to the princess, and the two stood up straight, looking at each other in silence. "Princess," Lebannen heard his own voice say with a sense of unreality, "I invite you to go to Roke Island together." The princess said nothing.He saw an elliptical gap between the delicate red veil, and the princess was pushing aside the veil with both hands, her slender, golden hands spread apart, revealing her face hidden in the red shadow.He couldn't see the princess' facial features clearly, she was almost as tall as him, and her eyes were looking straight at him. "My friend Tenar said: King sees king, face to face. I said: Yes, I will." Le Bainan half understood and bowed again: "I am very honored, princess." "Yes," said the princess, "I honor you." Lebannen hesitated: it was a completely different realm, hers. The princess stood erect, the gold trim of her veil flashing, watching him from the shadows. "Tenar, Tehanu, and Omm Iriane agreed that it would be a good thing if the princesses of Karg went to Roke together. So I invite you to go with me." "Coming together." "To Roke." "Take the boat." The princess suddenly let out a small mournful moan, and then said, "I will. I will go with you." Lebannen didn't know what to say, but replied: "Thank you, princess." She nodded, neither arrogant nor humble. Lebanon bowed, following the court etiquette he had learned in Enlad, and retreated from his father on formal occasions, instead of turning his back on the princess, he backed away. The princess looked at him, keeping her veil back, until he reached the door.Her hands dropped, her veil closed; he heard her gasp, exhale loudly, as if liberated from a force of will almost beyond the limit of endurance. Brave, Tenar said of the princess, he didn't understand, but he knew he had seen courage just now.All the anger that had filled him and drawn him was gone, not sucked in, repressed, but suddenly faced with a rock, a high ground in the fresh air, a truth. He passed through rooms full of whispering, perfumed, tulle-veiled women who receded from him into darkness.He chatted with Mrs. Opper and others downstairs for a while, and treated the stunned twelve-year-old lady very kindly.He was kind to the attendants waiting in the atrium, quietly boarded the tall gray horse, and returned to the Mahalingan Palace quietly and thoughtfully.