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with wrath nor ordered her to be imprisoned in the darkest dungeon room in the keep. Instead she laughed. |
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''And yet, you silly child, Lord Rannulf and his lady were constrained to marry against both their wills. Indeed, his later passion for her was a standing jest, for he had at first declared he would not have her before the full Court." Then. the Queen's eyes grew serious; she hesitated briefly, then gave a decided nod. "You will not be constrained to marry unless it be sore needful, Alinor. And this I promise you. If you are constrained, the man chosen for you will be worthy of your loveif you will abate your pride and give it to him and not seek a golden-haired Lancelot. Now get off your knees and show me these chambers." |
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Alinor was only a trifle easier in her mind. She did not delude herself that her needs or desires would really influence the Queen much, but the fact that reassurance had been offered rather than threats or punishment meant that the Queen probably did not intend to marry her out of hand. Moreover, the open resistance, although it would not change the Queen's mind or stop her from taking whatever action she thought best, would be noted and added to the other factors the Queen would consider before deciding upon the marriage of the King's ward. |
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Actually Alinor's outburst had rather more effect than she hoped for. The Queen had been engaging in an unusual struggle with her conscience since she had first laid eyes upon the girl. Something had drawn her very strongly to this dark-haired, hazel-eyed child with her startlingly white skin and her ready blushes that did not impede her equally ready tongue. It was not until Alinor knelt to defy her that the Queen recognized the cause of the warmth she felt. Alinor, the Queen realized, was enough like her own younger self to be the kind of slightly distorted image one saw in a polished silver mirror. |
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