Corpus Tamrielicum - The Imperial Library

[30.2] KING EDWARD II
meant my brother's death his innocent young blood. Or your father's! Or possibly that of the
man I loved, though I counted that most unlikely. Moraelyn's fighting skills alone were
supreme, and in an affair of this sort he would be entitled to call on magic aid as well. 'We
could take him with us.' But Moraelyn shook his head sadly, 'That I will not do. It would go
against my honor to part father and son.'"
"Leaving love alone, I am trained to duty", Aliera said proudly. "Should I have robbed you of
your father or your loving uncle? And I thought it likely that Corcyr, should he survive, would
somehow blame me for the affair and use it as an excuse to put me away. I thought that
Corcyr would be pleased to have me gone. I knew he wanted the weapons very much. I could
trade them for time with you, I thought." All this passed through my mind while Moraelyn
stood waiting, not looking at me.
"Lady Mara, help me to choose wisely, I prayed. 'You truly want me as wife? I could bring
you nothing but trouble.'"
"'Aliera, I would have you to wife. And I want nothing but yourself.' He shed his cloak and
wrapped it round my body, pulling the bedclothes away."
"'Moraelyn, wait is this right, what I do?'"
"'Milady, if I thought this wrong, I should not be standing here! Of the choices you are given,
this one seems to me most right.' He swung me up in his arms and carried me to his horse.
And so I left your father's house, clad only in his cloak and riding before him. And wild joy
mixed with my sorrow, so that I scarce knew how I felt. That is my truth."
Edward said quietly, "But he has parted my father and me in the end."
"With great reluctance. And only because the dragon says that you and your father were in
truth already parted in heart. It is only a matter of more leagues. Which provide a measure of
safety for you. Moraelyn insisted that you should freely consent to come. You are as free to
return any time you wish."
"Moraelyn would have just taken me! It was I'r...I mean, the ArchMagister, who insisted that I
must consent."
"He's not a patient man by nature. And he is anxious to do Corcyr no harm. Doubtless he felt
the discussion could be carried on as well elsewhere."
"He called him King of the Small Cock. And laughed. Why? Are Daggerfall cockerels smaller
than Ebonheart birds? And what does it matter, anyway? My father was very angry; I think he
would have liked to fight. But it's true he hates me. I knew that, but I didn't want to know, so I
pretended not to. I don't suppose Moraelyn would do that."
"No."
"He'd lie, though. He thought about telling me he was my father. I could see it."
Aliera threw back her head and laughed her pretty rippling laugh; he remembered it from long
ago, and it sent shivers down his back. "He must have wanted to claim it very badly indeed if
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