Assassin 3 - Royal Assassin by Hobb Robin Read Free Book Online Page B

to the room. But scarcely two
hours had passed before they both came up to ready themselves for
bed.
    Burrich was grim and silent, but after he had
gone to bed, Hands whispered to me from his bed how poorly the King
was spoken of in this town. Had they known we were from Buckkeep, I
doubt they would have spoken so freely. But clad as we are in
Mountain garments, they thought us traders or merchants. A dozen
times I thought Burrich would challenge one of them. In truth, I do
not know how he contained himself. All complain about the taxes for
defending the coast. They sneer, saying that for all the taxes they
bleed, the Raiders still came unlooked for in autumn, when the
weather lasted fine, and burned two more towns. Hands had paused,
and uncertainly added, But they speak uncommonly well of Prince
Regal. He passed through here escorting Kettricken back to
Buckkeep. One man at the table called her a great white fish of a
wife, fit for the coast King. And another spoke up, saying that at
least Prince Regal bore himself well despite his hardships, and
looked ever as a Prince should. Then they drank to the Prince's
health and long life.
    A cold settled in me. I whispered back, The two
Forged villages. Did you hear what ones they were?
    Whalejaw up in Bearns. And Siltbay in Buck
itself.
    The darkness settled darker around me, and I lay
watching it all night.
    The next morning we left Turlake. On horseback.
Overland. Burrich would not even let us keep to the road. I had
protested in vain. He listened to me complain, then took me aside,
to fiercely demand, Do you want to die?
    I looked at him blankly. He snorted in disgust.
.
    Fitz, nothing has changed. You're still a royal
bastard, and Prince Regal still regards you as an obstacle. He's
tried to be rid of you, not once, but twice. Do you think he's
going to welcome you back to Buckkeep? No. Even better for him if
we never make it back at all. So let's not make easy targets of
ourselves. We go overland. If he or his hirelings want us, they'll
have to hunt us through the woods. And he's never been much of a
hunter.
    Wouldn't Verity protect us? I asked
weakly.
    You're a King's Man, and Verity is
king-in-waiting, Burrich had pointed out shortly. You protect your
king, Fitz. Not the reverse. Not that he doesn't think well of you,
and would do all he could to protect you. But he has weightier
matters to attend. Red-Ships. A new bride. And a younger brother
who thinks the crown would sit better on his own head.
    No. Don't expect the King-in-Waiting to watch
over you. Do that for yourself.
    All I could think of was the extra days he was
putting between me and my search for Molly. But I did not give that
reason. I had not told him of my dream. Instead, I said, Regal
would have to be crazy to try to kill us again. Everyone would know
he was the murderer.
    Not crazy, Fitz. Just ruthless. Regal is that.
Let's not ever suppose that Regal abides by the rules we observe,
or even thinks as we do. If Regal sees an opportunity to kill us,
he'll take it. He won't care who suspects so long as no one can
prove it. Verity is our king-in-waiting. Not our king. Not yet.
While King Shrewd is alive and on the throne, Regal will find ways
around his father. He will get away with many things. Even
murder.
    Burrich had reined his horse aside from the
well-traveled road, plunged off through drifts and up the unmarked
snowy hillside beyond, to strike a straight course for Buckkeep.
Hands had looked at me as if he felt ill. But we had followed. And
every night when we had slept, bundled all together in a single
tent for warmth instead of in beds in a cozy inn, I had thought of
Regal. Every floundering step up each hillside, leading our horses
more often than not, and every cautious descent, I had thought of
the youngest Prince. I tallied every extra hour between Molly and
me. The only times I felt strength surge through me were during my
daydreams of battering Regal into ruin. I could not promise myself
revenge.