Natalie Yacobson "Dragon’s Empire – 3. Countess and Dragon"

«You’re wrong,» Vincent objected, but it was useless to ask him about the troubles of the past, he would still not tell anything. Even now he fell into the sullen, almost partisan silence, fearing unwanted questions.

В«Well, if you were the same, it means that we are comrade inВ misfortune. You can go, console your countess. She now needs only the presence ofВ aВ poet or aВ confessor. For whom do you give yourself this time? Maybe even she will confess your doubts toВ you. And then you will tell me what it is toВ confess noble ladies,В» IВ pulled my hands toВ warm them up above the fireplace. IВ was glad that the hand became beautiful and smooth again. There were no reminders ofВ the scandal and murder that happened inВ the cave. IВ violated the law ofВ secret society for the second time, but did not feel guilt. After all, this slippery snake almost attacked me myself, not toВ mention the frightened Francesca. InВ addition, IВ knew that the Camille would not decide again toВ invade the residence ofВ fairies and toВ demand justice inВ all his voice.

«Okay, I will visit all our neighbors to recognize the news?» said Vincent. «By the way, do you not allow me to borrow one of those beautiful hats that are folded in the dressing room. You still got used to walking with a uncoated head, and I don’t like cold.»

В«Soon you will begin toВ claim my castle,В» IВ said as aВ joke.

В«InВ no case. IВ hate winter and frost. There is an eternal winter around the castle, it is better toВ enjoy such aВ luxury for yourself,В» Vincent seriously objected and at the end ofВ the gloomy tirade received the long-awaited permission toВ choose inВ the dressing room what he likes.

Before leaving, he was delayed toВ report:

В«All the same, this beauty is too stupid and unbalanced, even if she tried toВ enlighten someone about our problems, then her statement would be accepted for aВ book story which she herself had invented.

He marked simply all experienced by us with an expression «problems» – only Vincent was capable of such optimism. He corrected in front of a mirror a hat with magnificent feathers, playfully spent his fingers on plume of the hat and bowed politely, just as after our first conversation in the tower, from which there was no stone for a long time. It was necessary to be more careful, and not to let such an intriguer, like Vincent even on the threshold, but I could not do anything with me. He reminded me of the past, was the only living being on Earth, which I remembered me as I was before my fatal transformation, even before the day, when I first woke up in the dungeon, which became the workshop of the sorcerer.

Of course, I did not want to take a boarder, I have Percy, who was arbitrarily volunteered to help me in all matters. I could not entrust Vincent a single order. So, he simply settled on me with the rights of a poor relative or a classmate. I didn’t know how he wanted to introduce himself to others.

Having decided not toВ let him down for aВ long time, IВ also picked up the first hat, the cloak and went on feet toВ the castle ofВ the countess. It was necessary toВ look after Vincent so that he did not make new troubles. After long flights and lightning overcoming spaces, it was pleasant toВ feel the solid soil under my feet. Probably, just as nice and unusually you went on feet after aВ long sailing.

Francesca did not have toВ go far, the coach picked her up almost at the entrance ofВ the cave. OfВ course, IВ did not wait for gratitude for my foresight. Most likely, if IВ decided toВ visit her openly again, IВ would run into new reproaches, charges and curses. Fortunately, IВ did not need directly declare my visit. For aВ long time, walking on the wide range ofВ cities, IВ discovered the opportunity quietly toВ fly toВ the highest windows and without the knowledge ofВ the owners toВ follow what they were doing at leisure. This way toВ apply courtesy visits IВ really liked. Lightning and silent movements and almost silent breathing did not give out my presence, but IВ could learn aВ lot ofВ interesting things, while observing incognito. Only Vincent once managed toВ calculate that IВ was followed him, and then thanks toВ the lost hat, and not his own foresight.

At the foot of the hill at which the count’s fortress rose, I stopped. This dark monolith with a multitude of towers appeared unshakably calm, but inside the warm halls, furnished in the last fashion, reigned real turmoil. The interested servants and maids whispered in the corridors, the last gossip turned out to have all new and very incredible details. The cooks were busy in the kitchen, hoping that the tired, sick mistress at the insistence of the doctor will try at least a broth – this decoction, similar to the soup now prescribed by doctors from all diseases. But the countess refused to eat and drink. Her strange disease could be reduced to the grave and a more stronger man, but Francesca was still full of power. What helped her stay on the feet, melancholy, thirst for revenge or impending madness?

It was unlikely that she could lose the mind from such aВ smallness as her little adventure inВ the stormy sea. Looking at the window, IВ saw that Francesca inВ aВ black mourning dress sat inВ aВ chair and sorted byВ fingers an agate rosary. Her face was frozen and impenetrable as aВ very elegant plaster mask. There were doctors and aВ priest near her chair. Vincent was inВ the room too and sometimes inserted his witty replicas into the conversation. Light inВ the room was very small, and all bright things, even the tapestries are replaced with aВ more gloomy, an iron binding is inserted into the window: whether toВ dull the flow ofВ light, or so that no one uninvited toВ penetrate the fortress through the window. It must be, after seeing the gold scales on the skins ofВ the dragon, even the weakest light hurt the eyes ofВ Francesca. She painfully pushed, looking at the candle. Their inВ the room was only aВ few, one inВ the candlestick on the table and three more inВ the wall brake. Doctors had toВ strain all their eyesight toВ get the necessary bottles ofВ ointments from their aid kits. It was quite difficult toВ do, without disassembled the labels, such aВ number ofВ herbs and minerals, crushed into powder, pill, balms and various tinctures were not even byВ the court doctor, toВ whom IВ was somehow advised toВ contact Florian.

The priest proposed the countess aВ spiritual assistance and aВ prayer inВ blue velvet binding, but she pulled firmly aВ thick book with the tips ofВ the fingers, as if she was afraid ofВ burning. It is unlikely that someone noticed that she painfully frowned, only IВ caught the vibration ofВ pain, which the countess felt. Only an hour spent inВ my castle did their job. Francesca could not force herself toВ pray. She was afraid ofВ the deserved punishment. My castle was for her exactly aВ ghost world, where she was allowed only once.

В«Rest and decoctions ofВ the doctors will certainly return your health,В» Vincent said, he ignored all those present, referring toВ the countess alone, but she seemed toВ not notice him and other people who were aroundВ her.

Vincent was right. She was very pale, even her bright scarlet lips became pale pink almost white.

«We are so glad that you escaped from the devil, child?» inserted his word the priest. «The very devil who attacked…» He eloquently pointed with his hand in the one way, where the ashes of the burned village were left behind the deaf walls of the castle.

Francesca did not even respond. She looked at one point and did not want toВ talk toВ anyone.

В«You need toВ be glad that the Savior appeared on time,В» said Vincent, but no one caught aВ note ofВ irony inВ his voice. В«ByВ the way, you are very lucky that he managed toВ save you.В»

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