Читать книгу Keeper Prince’s - Dmitry Nazarov - Страница 2

The training was tough. Three hours of running under the scorching sun, an hour in a pit up to the neck in fetid clay, half an hour in pouring freezing rain – the «caring» craftsmen built a structure that directed a stream of water to the yard from a stream that flowed from the snow-covered top of the mountain towering above us and was, in fact,, melt water. Icy actually. The masters were rampant. And I could not understand – why such repressions because of just one bottle of moonshine?!

– You were asked a question, – Master Trihedron growled, drilling our even formation with a searching look.

In our summer camp, he was the leader. Stocky, slightly clumsy, who got his name for his love for the sheath sewn into the shoulder pads for carrying additional daggers, which made his torso look square, and in any battle the master could, quite unexpectedly for the enemy, get three daggers. Two of the scabbards on the shoulders and one of the scabbards under the scythe. Why the master with such a remarkable hairstyle did not receive the nickname «Scythe», I had no idea. Personally, I constantly called him «Pigtail» behind his back, and in some way unknown to me, he found out about it. Since then, instead of Yari – a short spear, I’m just not tall, I began to be called Bird, with the easy phrase of the master «You fly with me, bird.»

– Who?!

The guys were silent. They simply did not know. But, I think, if they knew the culprit, I would already be trembling in front of the master alone, and not in a warm friendly company. But the girls knew, but were silent for one single reason – I still had a second bottle, and alcohol is a vital thing in our conditions.

– I’m asking. Who?! Trihedron growled menacingly.

The master just stopped in front of me and now he personally drilled me with his eyes. She answered him with big, honest eyes, full of righteous indignation at all violators of law and order, and…

– Bird, – hissed the master.

My eyes became even more honest and innocent.

– I know for sure it’s you! – Trihedron made a loud statement.

Shut up, Jari, shut up! I said shut up! I’m a smart girl, I know for sure that you should be silent, but:

– Is there any evidence?

Yes, this is my problem – I always know exactly when to remain silent, but for some reason I never remain silent.

– There is no evidence, – the master said, scorching me with an angry look, twitching his head.

From this movement, the sheath with the third dagger clinked slightly. And it was so funny that I couldn’t suppress a smile. And Pigtail got furious!

– Everyone is free, but the Bird remains, – the order followed.

Well, it starts…

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and, shivering under the icy jets of artificially created heavy rain, began to disperse to the barracks. The girls looked at me sympathetically, the guys didn’t even look, they were so exhausted that they could hardly move their legs, and I… well, I remained standing, sadly arguing that Master Kosi did not love me… um, Trihedron, he doesn’t love me, that’s all here. There is Master Arrow at the post on the wall – and nothing, we always got along with him, and while he was the boss here, I had no problems at all, but how did this one come…

– Evidence, you say, no? – Master Trihedron continued to stand opposite me, and it seemed that he did not care about freezing rain at all.

And I was cold, especially when the streams flowed down the collar and rolled down the back… Brrr. And, despite the fact that stuffiness reigned in the tropics, the sun, which was setting, was mercilessly blazing, and in general summer was in full swing in the yard, I shivered as if we had been sent to the snowy Kinyata and forgotten there. I was chilled to the bone.

– Now to warm up, yes, Birdie? – the master began to mock mockingly, – Would you like to overturn a glass of another moonshine into yourself, mm?

Trembling all over, she asked angrily:

– Are they drinking it? He stinks a mile away.

By the way, the smell of the first bottle was found, because it really stinks. Cane moonshine is generally terribly smelly. Here is the result. Sad.

But the master was suddenly very surprised.

He narrowed his eyes incredulously, leaned towards me and, blocking the sound of pouring water, asked:

– Don’t drink? What do you do with moonshine then?

Would be silent. Eh, keep quiet, but still blurted out:

– Tincture for acne.

It probably seemed to me, but the master seems to have staggered. Then he turned to the master Arrow, gave a sign, and the stream diverted from the stream was immediately blocked. I couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief as I immediately felt warmer. And also because of the high log fence there was a rustle of foliage, the murmur of a waterfall in the distance, the singing of birds in the trees, and even the smell of flowering vines. Our summer camp is still located in a wonderful place, although the Wildlands are around. And everything would be all right if Master Trihedron had not appeared.

Pigtail, with his hands behind his back, wearily asked:

– Birdie, explain why you need a tincture for acne?

Rolling her eyes, she sighed in pain and let the wretched man into the essence of the question:

– Heat. Sweat. We run around a dusty training ground, the dust closes the pores, inflammation forms there and acne appears. We are not guys, we do not want to be pimply. Alcohol tincture solves the problem. What is not clear?

– What? – hoarsely, asked the Trihedron, – What pimples, Birdie?! You are mercenaries, you will wear masks until the end of your days!

Proudly throwing up her chin, she answered with dignity:

– But under the mask we will be the most beautiful!

The master, rounding his narrow eyes, stood for almost a minute. Then he turned around, and, clubfoot twice as normal, walked towards the exit. Not to the exit from the yard to the house of masters, but in general from the camp. I stood for another half an hour and was released by Master Arrow, who decided that since Master Trihedron had not left any orders regarding further punishment, then it was not worth tormenting the miner, that is, me.

Pigtail himself returned in the morning, completely drunk and with two bottles of the purest moonshine with almost no smell. To my sincere surprise, by the absence of a stink, he explained that the alcohol had been distilled twice and cleaned with coconut charcoal. To what followed on my part: «Wow! Can you get pomace from marsh calamus? Very helpful for hair! broke into a three-story tirade and sent me into the jungle on a long journey on foot, after which he ordered me not to come across his eyes. In vain it is so, at the very tip of the braid, the hair began to split. But as soon as this argument was put forward to him, a repeated message was heard. This time further and harder.

***

Then I somehow forgot about this episode of the summer exercises. Autumn came, and our group stopped for exercises in Assenon, the capital of the kingdom. Training took place in the ruins of a cluster of ancient temples on the outskirts of the city. The places were wild, unexplored due to the ancient cemetery surrounding the dilapidated buildings, they had to sleep, placing a sleeping bag on the steps of a high staircase, eat, sitting in the altar, theoretical classes were held in the most preserved temples, practical classes were held everywhere on the territory, and in general it was fun.

At the moment when this fun was stopped for me, the disguise practice was just taking place. And I disguised myself smartly – the teacher, Master Oak, passed by twice without finding it. I professionally mimicked a stone overgrown with moss, and flowed around it over a chip, being motionless for two hours already. Three meters away from me, imitating a piece of rotten wood, sat down Oz, our best student in poisons, who measured the poisoning ingredients with incredible accuracy, for which he received the nickname. Master Oak, by the way, did not find him either, because every time he stepped on Oz, he made a creak that was amazing in terms of authenticity. How he did it – I can’t imagine, but it turned out incredible, and the master was deceived more than once.

The whole group, discovered by Oak, shifted from foot to foot with a terrible composition – someone looked like half a stone, someone like a statue, of those that met in the temple, Luka was generally partially disguised as a skeleton and looked dumb. They had already found everyone, only Oz and I held out.

And at that moment, a noise of voices was heard, then steps descending, and then Master Arrow and Master Kosich entered the basement… in the sense of the Trihedron. Arrow stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked around cheerfully. To be honest, I was not happy with Master Arrow – three times the winner of survival games, an unsurpassed tracker, a master of disguise, he was here the whole area and, accordingly, he saw right through us. And so it turned out.

– Bird and Oz, I suppose, passed? – asked Master Arrow.

– Yes, it remains only to find them, – said Master Oak, stepping over.

– And what to look for here, – the Arrow grinned, – The bird is spread out on the stone in the pose of a starfish, and Ouncius is desperately scurrying under your foot for the third time… You would have left the guy, otherwise the creaking became completely plaintive.

I slid off the stone, grimacing not even from the pain in my stiff muscles, but from the once again said «Bird»! How much can you already? I am Yari! Yari, Heaven take me! I am a sharp one-handed spear, not some abstract bird!

– Don’t sparkle with your eyes, – Master Arrow admonished.

– You are well disguised, Birdie, – Master Trihedron praised.

She glared at him frowningly, and proudly did not answer.

And then Master Arrow said to me:

– Get ready, Birdie, you’re flying out.

– W-w-where is it? – I was very surprised.

But instead of answering, the masters mockingly said:

– Five minutes to pack.

***

Gathered. It took three minutes just to rush to my sleeping bag and a bag with personal belongings, respectively, I didn’t even have time to wash, but when I went down, the masters did not appreciate my zeal. Both grimaced and sent to wash in the nearest fountain, melancholy waiting for me to return.

Has returned.

– No, Birdie, it would also be desirable to wash the moss from your hair, – said Master Trihedron.

– Yes, and tomorrow I should glue it on a new one? she asked hostilely.

I wish I wouldn’t be angry – it’s cold outside, the twilight is thickening, covering the old ruins, the wind is howling, I’m in a shirt over my naked body and a jacket on top – but I didn’t have time to put on anything else.

– All right, – Master Pigtail took pity, – they will wash her in the palace.

And something made me feel uncomfortable. Very much.

– Into the carriage, – Master Arrow commanded, ignoring my discomfort.

It was also uncomfortable in the carriage, and there was also a strange man in the uniform of a royal adviser.

– Like healthy, – I greeted gloomily, climbing into a luxurious carriage and just as gorgeously staining it with the remnants of paint.

The adviser silently took a magical lorgnette from his pocket and began to study my moss-covered hair. More than a minute later, he asked:

– Is it paint?

– Natural moss, – I lied, honestly looking at him with my most innocent eyes.

The man grinned into his beard, then showed me a gold wristwatch, sliding his sleeve with two fingers, and said:

– Artifact. Instantly reacts to lies.

Squinting, she leaned closer, instantly determining: yes, yes, an artifact, from the ancient ones, built into the newfangled watches, but retaining the same functions – that is, heating in case of uttering a lie. She leaned back in her seat, completely soiling everything that was possible, looked at the adviser, who continued to study me through a lorgnette, smiled charmingly and issued:

– I’m a man. Age fifty-eight. From an ancient aristocratic family.

The adviser seemed to be able to keep his face in all situations, except for those where he was clearly let down either by his organs of vision or by a proven artifact. Now he clearly saw in front of him a girl between the ages of 15 and 20, a dirty, but still skinny girl, only his artifact did not react in any way to my impudent lie.

– I have forty children and a hundred grandchildren, – I decided to add destructiveness to his worldview.

– You are… prolific, – the adviser said nervously, fixing his obviously broken artifact.

– All for the good of Nekkra! – I saluted, with a gesture adopted, in fact, in Neckra, which is also a neighboring state and our greatest enemy.

The adviser’s right eyelid distinctly twitched, followed by the left, after which the peasant nervously unfastened his watch, put it in his pocket, folded his arms across his chest and said irritably:

You are Yari of the Moruta clan. Seventeen years. Code name Bird. And stop fooling around!

Codename «Bird»?!

– Did Master Pigtail tell you this? I hissed, instantly angry.

At that moment, Master Trihedron was opening the carriage door very unsuccessfully, and he heard my phrase perfectly. I didn’t like the look of his black narrowed eyes at the first moment, at the second, too, at the third I didn’t like it at all, at the fourth…

I am Yari! reminded me offendedly. – My name is derived from a unique modifiable spear! – I carved that name in blood! I…

– Bird, go away! – the master ordered coldly.

– As you say, – I answered, and added vindictively, -Master Pigtail!

Here’s the bastard! There are no words!

Actually, there were no words.

Then we drove silently through the dark streets of Asennon for a very long time, I pouted, gloomily looking out the window, the adviser double-checked his artifact for the hundredth time, not yet understanding the simple truth – they wouldn’t put me in this carriage if I didn’t have certain abilities – to masterfully lie to for example, and the master Pigtail felt this very pigtail a couple of times… it seems to me that he will cut it off, now he will definitely cut it off.

***

By the time we arrived at the royal palace, discomfort finally reigned in the carriage, and therefore we left it with great pleasure.

– Merge with the terrain, – the master ordered me, holding out a dark cloak.

Merged. The master himself also came out of the carriage in a raincoat. And even an adviser.

Three dark figures, wrapped in cloaks and wrapped in darkness of hoods, slipped past the guards, slightly stunned by such a conspiracy.

– Mr. Councilor, is that you? – one of the five guards finally asked.

– I’m not here, – the councilor lied brazenly.

Seems to have learned from me. He quickly.

Three everywhere recognizable by the adviser’s shoes polished to a shine, we passed the palace, in which they bowed to us from every corner, and went into the royal chambers. In the royal chambers, the king was waiting for us (I defiantly took out the golden one from my belt and compared it with the royal profile – it matched one to one) and the prince. The prince was hereditary, everything else was a magician, which happened for the first time in the royal family, and would clearly cast a shadow of suspicion of infidelity on the queen, but the scandal was not destined to happen – the kid was an exact copy of his father. An improved, young, muscular (after all, combat mage) copy. In total, there were huge dark blue, almost black eyes framed by such long and thick eyelashes that I disliked the prince purely out of envy, add to this sable eyebrows, golden strands of hair smooth to a shine, a well-groomed thoroughbred nosy face, perfectly carved lips, square chin, broad shoulders and…

– In short, as I understand it, Ugly is now on me, – I said gloomily. The perfect aristocratic face became blotchy, the left eye twitched noticeably.

– Bird, I said – calm down! Master Trihedron repeated the icy order.

And, having gone into the office, he settled in the only remaining free chair, the adviser occupied the previous free one. The ladies were asked to stand. Out of spite, the ladies remained standing in their cloaks, without removing their hoods and ignoring the inquisitive glances of the monarchs.

– And yes, – Master Trihedron continued, -Uro… uh… – lost his way, throwing a glance at me promising personal showdowns, and continued in an even tone, – From now on, His Highness’s life is entrusted to you.

– Why are you doing this to him? – I asked in a mournful whisper. – I even have homemade hamsters die on the second day, and you give me a whole prince.

The prince, who is definitely the pride of the kingdom and the ultimate dream of the female half, suddenly realized that he wanted to live and looked nervously at his father.

– Keiran, there is a peculiar sense of humor in the Moruta clan, take Lady Birdie’s words lighter. At that moment, I realized that I would cut off Pigtail’s pigtail myself!

I am Yari! – very quietly, but also very threateningly told the king. But His Majesty, ignoring the anger, which by the way was quite righteous, took a scroll from the table and handed it to me, saying:

– You are Lady Yarsamina ten Emanea, the only daughter of an ancient, nearly extinct, distantly royal family from the east of the kingdom. Here are all the documents, Master Trihedron will give you a genealogical guide with the names of your parents and other close relatives. From now until the end of the threat, you are the official name of my son and heir, Keiran el Damersier. And your sudden outbreak of love is so strong that, having surrendered under the pressure of your requests and prayers, I allowed your relationship to go further than ordinary lovers are allowed, respectively, from now on, day and night, you will be next to the object of protection, Lady Yarsamina.

Slightly stunned, I turned my silently reproachful glance at Master Pigtail. The man was threatened with at least a bald head!

– Maybe I’d better go to Nekkru? – she asked in a hoarse voice.

– I guarantee – a couple of weeks, and they will not be up to your prince and heir.

My initiative was not supported, even worse, the master said:

– The second group is going to Nekkru, you work here.

– Why? No, seriously, I just couldn’t understand.

And then this one, who in the future is Lysik, with a sly smile, brazenly replied:

– Because you, Birdie, are the most beautiful among all the girls in the guild.

I mean, it was revenge. Such a thorough and specific revenge for that unfortunate bottle of alcohol and the message that Pigtail’s hair is splitting! And now she knew, she knew for sure that it was necessary to remain silent, but no.

For another second, I incinerated the master with a very «loving» look, after which I realized two things – the Nekkrian mercenaries were in trouble, and the master, by the way, too.

«And your hair, by the way, is splitting like that,» she vindictively informed the mentor.

Then she turned to the prince, whose jawbones were already dancing a dance of rage on his face, picturesquely threw off her hood, delighting those present with artificial, and from that bright green moss on my hair, and commanded:

– Get up, Ugly, let’s go to wait to be determined!

And the prince broke through. Finally.

– What? I? Here with this! Father!!!

Oral for five minutes. No, everything was within the bounds of decency, in the sense of yelling, but sitting and saving face. True, I smiled a couple of times with my teeth blackened for disguise in order to enhance the breakthrough of the dam of princely emotions, but it did not help. The king, who also twitched at my smile, as a result said decisively:

You are my only son and heir. And that is all.

– I wish I had married at fourteen! – in the hearts said the prince.

– It would be better, – the king agreed peacefully. – Now, at twenty-seven, I would already have heirs and have no problems. But you wanted to become a magician. Became. Enjoy.

– How?! His Highness roared.

– Me, – I said sarcastically.

On this the conflict was settled, and the prince and I walked off to «our» bedroom. We have love, no less, respectively, and the bedroom was shared. True, I did not quite understand the logic, but I really liked what the prince said, as soon as we were alone:

– I don’t beat women, but keep in mind that if you try to poke your nose at me with caresses and other things, I’ll introduce you to all the delights of magical stasis.

– Listen, I’m starting to like you already, – I remarked quite seriously and went to the bathroom, leaving Highness looking after me in shock.

***

The royal bathroom was amazing. Size, gilding, porcelain, marble, and perfect bad taste in terms of cosmetics. While the huge marble tub filled up, I studied the jars of creams and detergents in the hope of finding something decent. Found. Found a lot of women’s beauty products. And even nine used toothbrushes in the closet, each had a name carved on it, or deduced, or inlaid… in short, Ugly was a womanizer. Explicit, burned, and final.

– Listen, – I shouted over the noise of flowing water, «do you have an ancient ancestral sword?»

– Believe me, I won’t use it with you, – the heir to our kingdom somehow misunderstood me.

– No, I’m not talking about this weapon of yours, worn out in love battles, I’m talking about a normal sword, – she shouted to him.

There was silence behind the door.

Grave.

– In short, this, – undressing and climbing into the water with the most ordinary soap, because the rest, for all their high cost, did not even reach the usual composition, – either you sleep on the floor, or an IRON ancestral sword sleeps on the bed between us. You decide.

The silence was still the same.

Well, okay, my job is to warn.

***

I left the bathroom, feeling the blessed creaking cleanliness, which for two months was absolutely inaccessible to me. The first thing that caught my eye was the sword. Huge, two-handed, sedately dividing the royal bed into two even halves. The second is the prince. Wet, half-naked, except for a loincloth, and frozen in shock on the threshold of the second, and, it seems, his own bathroom. That is, I was allocated a walk-through bathroom, it turns out.

– Woman, – I said, clearly meaning – male.

The prince didn’t answer, obviously somewhat shocked at the lack of masking moss on my hair, arm, and other parts of my body. Well, and, perhaps, somewhat offended by all his royal dignity about my use of his shirt – but his was more pleasant to the touch, besides, there is a warehouse of the same in the amount of seventeen pieces, no less. All were equally silky, translucent, and definitely reserved there exclusively for women.

– You!!! finally breathed out His Highness, migrating his gaze over all my curves.

– I, – I agreed, – but a little higher, and where you are looking now, in fact, the chest is located.

Ignoring my remark, Keiran said thoughtfully:

– You’re not a freak.

– But you were clearly better with styling, – she told him quite sincerely.

And, blowing out the candles, she went to the window.

Entertainment is entertainment, but I now had a special account for the Nekkrian mercenaries.

***

In half an hour the prince had no razors, and the Nekkran mercenaries had a chance to climb into the windows of the prince’s bedroom safe and sound.

– Meaning? – Keiran said, watching me work, lying on the bed with only one towel around his hips.

– I put magic protection on the windows five years ago.

She didn’t even answer. Just noticed:

– By the way, that two-handed sword you took off the wall is pretty sharp, and if I were you, I wouldn’t risk my royal dignity and put on something more substantial than a towel that you look like you are going to take off picturesquely, – as soon as I lay down.

The prince’s gaze grew heavy, but the heir nevertheless got up, went to the dressing room and a minute later returned in pajama pants, condescendingly issuing:

«Well, I’ll make a concession to your innocence.» I understand that a naked man is not the kind of sight that an innocent girl, even a mercenary, is ready for.

Very slowly, she turned to this, measured the powerful physique with an evaluating look, and honestly reported:

– Seven out of ten. Moreover, the score was thrown solely at the expense of royal origin. And yes, just for your information – we have guys and girls from the beginning of the guild are trained together, so the nudity is not something that would embarrass me. I really only cared about your royal dignity.

More His Highness did not say a word, but I already knew from the very beginning that we would not work together. We don’t really work.

And, lying down in bed, she indulged in despondent thoughts about how great it must be for the whole group now – running through the forest, straight to the Nekkrian border. Ah, this is life. And here you are lying on a huge bed, on a downy feather bed, on silk sheets, under a silk blanket…

– I hope you at least snore normally, – I said sadly into the darkness.

In response, some intricate curse was heard, clearly from a magical arsenal. Sad. But ours there now definitely have romance, beauty, the moon over their heads, the wind in their faces…

***

Somewhere at half-past four, romance reached the prince and me. It began with a quietly bursting magical defense, and I had to jump on the prince like a wild cat, to cover his mouth with my palm so as not to betray the fact of my awakening – although, what can be more eloquent than the snoring that I had to emit for the last half an hour, because His Highness snores flatly refused. But she asked, as a person asked! But no, proud El Damersiers don’t snore! So I believed, already.

As a result, the small-fingered Nekker mercenaries who burst into the prince’s bedroom caught an epic picture – the prince jerking with suffocation and rage, and I sitting on him in the pose of a rider.

Looked significant

A significant pause reigned in the bedroom for a few moments.

– We haven’t finished yet, – I said sweetly, continuing to cover the prince’s mouth with one hand, coquettishly straightening the prince’s shirt that had slipped off his shoulder with the other.

– On that light you will finish! the Nekkar said in a clear accent, trying to extract the dagger with the remains of his hands.

The prince and I followed his efforts with undisguised interest.

– It will, – Keiran finally decided.

– It won’t get it, – I disagreed with him, – his index finger will fall off now.

The Neckar, who had not been able to keep up until now, howled and rushed at us. Highness showed himself to be a good battle magician and demolished the mercenary with an air wave so that the latter fell out of the window as a result, making the company a couple already lying on the grass in front of the palace in a warm and friendly atmosphere, organized by the palace guards who arrived in time.

Keiran, after activating several magic balls, gently pulled me off him and rushed to the window to satisfy my curiosity. I followed him, looked at the fingers of the Nekkarians, «left» by them on the windowsill, and asked:

– You don’t need free fingers for decoctions there?

– You have a very peculiar idea of magic, – Kayran said.

– Seriously? Strangely, all familiar witches earnestly hunt for voluntarily cut off fingers. Well, in any case, you should collect this muck, – I decided and drowned in sleep, feeling the prince’s attentive gaze somewhere between my shoulder blades.

Slept great.

Nothing bothered me at all. Neither the appearance of the maids, who had to wash the blood and collect fingers, sleepily ordered them to be taken to the nearest local witch for decoctions, because voluntarily cut off fingers are still a very valuable rarity in the magical world, and the Nekkrian mercenaries climbed to us voluntarily, respectively… in short this prince knows nothing about magic, to be honest.

Then builders came and panned the broken windows, trying to a) not wake me up, and b) not cut myself on the blades, which I said not to touch.

Seems like they did it.

When they left, master Pigtail came in, asked the prince how he survived the night there, and in general who was right in insisting on additional protection and protection. Was sent. Long away. Very far.

At dawn, Keiran collapsed back onto his side of the bed and suddenly asked:

Are you sleeping?

Opening her eyes, she rose, looking indignantly at the highness, and asked:

– Isn’t it noticeable? Go borrow a lorgnette from an adviser, maybe it will help improve your eyesight. And fell back to sleep on the pillow.

– Bird, – the prince chuckled.

Silently and expressively put her hand on the hilt of the sword.

– You don’t have the strength to lift it, – they told me with conviction.

Raised.

– All right, go to sleep, – Keiran surrendered.

She lowered her sword, turned her back to the prince, and fell asleep. By the way, I practically did not sleep all night, snoring responsibly for some.

And at that moment, I, unfortunately, still had no idea that I would fall in love in the morning. Final and irrevocable. Crazy. All-consuming. So much so that I forget how to breathe. I forget almost everything.

He was incredible. Strong, stingy with gestures and movements, seasoned, dangerous and such that my heart began to beat at an accelerated pace, so it refused to stop…

But a lot of other things happened before HIM.