Read Online For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale - Free Book Online

Green Sire, Your Highness,” and
    she didn’t even glance up at Ruck from the jewel casket that one of her
    gentlewomen held before her, merely lifting a hand toward the side of her
    bed.
    He strode to the position. The slender youth who had conveyed her command
    to Ruck, that he challenge for her favor, showed no such respect. The boy
    lounged against a carpet-covered chest, decked in hose of one leg yellow and
    one leg blue. From the extreme edge of his vision, Ruck could see the puppy
    staring at him. Keeping his eyes straight ahead, he had nothing to look at
    but his liege lady, and she was a vision like ebony hammered into gold.
    She had changed her gown. It was not now the low-cut kirtle of green
    samite that she had worn in the hall: it was a golden brocade cotehardi,
    long-sleeved, tight-fitting, trimmed in black, cut open and laced all the
    way down both sides—and it took him a long moment to realize that she wore
    nothing beneath it. He could see her white, bared skin all the way from her
    torso to her ankle.
    He strove to keep his face expressionless. He dared not even blink. The
    sultry room made him hot beneath his ermine mantle. As she chose a necklace
    and belt of copper gilt and black enamel, the youth at his side moved,
    sliding a grin at Ruck, lolling across the bed to pluck the jewelry from her
    hands.
    She bent her head as he clasped the necklace at her nape and smoothed his
    fingers down her throat. He was sixteen, mayhap less, scarce half her age or
    Ruck’s, with black hair and skin as soft as hers. He stroked her as a lover
    would, bending to fasten the belt about her waist, kissing her shoulder as
    he did it.
    She tilted her head, refusing to look into a mirror held up by one of the
    ladies. The youth watched Ruck beneath his lashes.
    “Let me take down your hair, lady,” he said, moving to do it. His fingers
    worked amid the crown of braids, unpinning them, spreading them. He held a
    curling lock up to his lips, laughing silently through it at Ruck. “Look
    you, my love,” he said, speaking clear while pretending to whisper in her
    ear. “The green man wants you.”
    “So much the worse for him,” she said indifferently.
    “Only look at him, lady!” The youth was grinning in delight at Ruck. “He
    wishes that he might embrace you as I do. Just so—” He slipped his fingers
    around her waist, never taking his black eyes from Ruck.
    She brushed his hands away. “Come, leave thy mischief. Dost thou wish to
    sharpen thy claws on him, Allegreto? Play, then—but recall that he is of use
    to me.” She turned for one instant and met the youth’s eyes. “See that thou
    dost not kill him, or I shall set Gryngolet upon thee.”
    This threat had a salutary effect upon her young courtier. He glanced at
    the falcon perched on a high stand at the foot of her bed. “Lady,” he said
    submissively, drawing back from her.
    “Do up my hair,” she bid him. “The crespin net, I think.”
    In silence he took the comb and sparkling net from her lady-in-waiting
    and began to comb out the length of her hair, coiling it deftly.
    As he worked, Princess Melanthe lifted her hand, beckoning to Ruck. He
    moved to the foot of the bed, lowering himself to one knee.
    She laughed. “Truly, thou art the most
courteous
knight! Up with
    thee. I prefer to see the faces of my servants better than the tops of their
    heads.”
    He stood up.
    “I will lead thy destrier into the lists tomorrow,” she informed him.
    “See that the heralds know it. And thou must wear my favor upon thy lance
    for the entry—then I wish it brought to me for the nonce.”
    He bowed.
    “Thou speakest English,” she said suddenly.
    “Yea, madam.”
    “Excellent. I will from time to time speak to thee in English. I wish to
    recall it from my childhood. A lesson for thee, Allegreto—always have a care
    to understand a little of the language of thy servants and dependants, that
    they may not take undue advantage of thee.”
    Allegreto