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Behold； thou hast instructed many； and thou hast strengthened the weak hands。
Job 4： 3
Thunder rumbled not far away； low and ominous； as Prince Conall Haldane； first cousin to King Kelson of Gwynedd； pulled up with his squire in the meager shelter of a winter…bare tree and huddled deeper into his oiled leather cloak； squinting against the spatter of increasingly large rain…drops。
〃Damn！ I thought we'd finished with storms for a while；〃 he muttered； jerking up his fur…lined hood。 〃Maybe we can wait it out。〃
Conall's ment was more a wishful aside than a statement of real belief； for March in Gwynedd was notorious for its unpredictable weather。 An hour before； when the two young men rode out from Rhemuth's city gates； the sky had been reasonably clear； but all too quickly fast…moving clouds had closed the countryside in a flat； grey gloom more appropriate to dusk than noon； plummeting the temperature accordingly。 As thunder rolled closer and shower turned to deluge； Conall could taste the acrid bite of lightning…charged air moving just ahead of the storm。 Had it continued only to rain； Conall still might have borne the situation with reasonable good humor…for the day's outing was one of Conall's choosing； not someone else's notion of royal duty。 But his fragile forbearance quickly evaporated as the icy downpour turned to hailstones the size of a man's thumbnail； pelting prince； squire； and horses hard enough to sting。
〃God's teeth！ It's hailing plover's eggs！〃 he yelped。
〃Shouldn't we make a dash for it； sir？〃 came the plaintive entreaty of the squire； Jowan； shivering on a drenched bay palfrey crowded next to Conall's grey。 〃I don't think it's going to let up very soon…and we can't get much wetter。 Besides； your lady will have a warm fire on the hearth to dry us out。 And the horses will be glad for her snug little barn。〃
Smiling a little； despite his increasing vexation with the weather； Conall nodded his agreement and set spurs to his mount； charging into the hailstorm with his squire right behind him。
His lady。 Ah； yes。 The lady to whom Jowan referred was not the principal reason Conall had decided to venture forth today； but she was pleasant enough； a side benefit。 Nor was she a lady； in the genteel sense usually meant in court parlance。 The pretty and pliant Vanissa was his leman； his doxy； his light o' love； or his mistress； depending on his mood； and he sometimes called her his 〃lady〃 in the throes of love…making； but even she knew she would never be his wife。 That honor was reserved for a royal princess Conall had already picked out at court…though the object of his more honorable intentions had yet to be enlightened in that regard。
No； Vanissa would give him a child before summer's end； and Conall would see that mother and bairn were provided for； but visiting Vanissa was primarily a convenient cover for other activities that would raise far more questions than a royal mistress； were they to bee known by the wrong people…and the wrong people； at least for now； included Cousin Kelson and all his closest confidants； especially those of the magically endowed race called the Deryni。
Conall often wished he were Deryni； despite the opprobrium and abuse heaped upon them by Church and State for most of the past two hundred years； for the Deryni possessed powers that gave them considerable advantages over ordinary humans； even if the Church officially condemned such powers as satanic and hell…spawned。 By an odd quirk of history； Conall's own Haldane family had e to be possessed of the potential for powers not unlike those of the Deryni… but the gift was not for all Haldanes。 Tradition insisted that only one Haldane at a time could actually wield the powers； and that was the man who wore the crown…in this generation； Conall's cousin； Kelson Haldane。
Conall had e to resent that restriction early on； having been born the eldest son of a Haldane king's second son。 But his dissatisfaction came not so much of Kelson's having the crown and the Haldane power…for that was an accident of birth…but rather； that Kelson should have an exclusive claim on the latter； which seemed to Conall to have little to do with the kingship itself。 That rationalization had led Conall to take certain steps during the past year to discover whether the wielding of the Haldane inheritance by more than one Haldane was a matter of could not or should not。 And that was why； but a few days short of his eighteenth birthday and knighthood； Conall pressed on through such filthy weather…to meet his teacher。 And if the outing also permitted him to indulge more physical appetites。。。
Anticipation of Vanissa's wele lifted even Conall's flagging spirits as he continued through the storm； for he knew that the lass would provide her prince a far more warming fire than the one Jowan predicted burning on the hearth。 The hail had slacked back to mere rain by the time the two pulled up before her secluded little cottage； but the puddles in the tiny yard were afloat with hailstones that crunched under Conall's boots as he lurched from the saddle and made a mad dash for the door； leaving Jowan to deal with the horses。 The door flew back before he could even knock； an eager Vanissa bidding him wele with a flustered curtsey； the curtain of her dark hair rippling like a rich mantle nearly to her knees。
〃Ah； my good lord； I knew not whether still to expect you； with the storm an' all。 e take off those wet things an' warm yourself by the fire。 You're shivering。 You'll take your death of cold！〃
He was shivering； but not only from the cold。 Rain dripped from a small； silky mustache and from short…cropped black hair as he pushed back his hood and accepted a towel to dry himself； but her touch； as she reached to his throat to undo his cloak clasp； ignited a warming fire that sizzled through every limb and centered in his groin。
In heart…pounding silence； he watched her spread the dripping cloak over a stool near the hearth while he peeled off clammy gloves and sank down impatiently on another stool； inhaling the musty…sweet fragrance of the herb…strewn rushes underfoot and the sharper scent of mulling wine。 He nodded his thanks as she handed him a cup of the steaming stuff and bent to pull off his muddy boots； his eyes gliding appreciatively along the sweet curve of her breasts as she struggled with the wet； slippery leather。 Her exertions had them both panting by the time she finished。
〃Shall my lord be warm enough with this？〃 she asked； bringing an armful of coarse wool blanket to lay around his shoulders。
Conall knew he really should not allow himself to be distracted until after he concluded business； but he had always found it difficult to moderate his pleasures。 Vanissa was so eager to please him； so ripe for the taking； her body only just beginning to thicken from the child she carried。。。
Almost overturning his wine in his haste to put it aside； he enfolded her with him in the blanket and bore her to the rushes before the cheery fire； losing himself in growing urgency and pleasure…until suddenly someone was grabbing a handful of his tunic and yanking him off of her and onto his back； slamming his shoulders to the rushes； a gloved hand pinning his sword