Chapter 19: Four Hearts

They all came up to the tower together, and the roots closed the door of the stair behind them.

Ru was sitting on the rug with his back against the sofa, grey around the mouth.

Ashgar stood at the window with his arms folded and his bare throat to the glass.

Iven lay on the table with the harp on his chest, plucking one string.

"The legions march in at dawn," he said to the ceiling. "I counted the torches. Eleven thousand."

"Then we have until dawn," said Nimeriel.

She put the Emperor's decree on the table beside the harp and the open collar and the key.

Nobody touched them.

"Every collar in the empire," she said. "The decree says I may loose them all. I can."

"And the Tree?" said Brannoch.

"You know what it costs." She made herself look at Ru. "Your pain goes, and so does my gift. I can't keep one without the other."

Ru lifted his head.

"Good," he said.

"Ru."

"I mean it. Good." His mouth almost curved. "I'll be able to sit down on a stair and mean it when I say I'm tired."

Nobody laughed, and then Iven did, a short crack of a laugh, and then Ashgar.

Nimeriel felt her own face crumple.

"There's a price on every one of you," she said. "It's yours, not mine. I won't take it. Any of you can say no."

"Princess," said Ashgar.

"I have been saying no to every elf in this palace for twenty-three years."

"I'm rather good at it."

"I'm not saying it to you."

"I got my collar off in bed," said Iven. "I'm hardly going to complain."

"I'd like to see the little ones eat honey cakes in the sun," said Brannoch.