Home > Work > Rise of Empire (The Riyria Revelations, #3-4)
61 " But … but how … Why?” He started to push up on the bed with his hands and winced.“Calm down,” she told him firmly. “You need to rest. I mean it.”“I shouldn’t be lying down in your presence!”“You will if I tell you to, and I’m telling you to.”“I—I just can’t believe … Why … why would you come here?”“I’m here to help.”“You’re amazing.”“And you’re suffering from a flogging that would have killed any man with the good sense to know he should be dead. Now you need to go back to sleep this instant, and that’s an order. Do you understand?”“Yes, Your Majesty.”She smiled. “I’m not a ruling queen, Emery, just a princess. My brother is the king.”Emery looked embarrassed. “Your Highness, then.”“I would prefer it if you just called me Arista.”Emery looked shocked.“Go ahead, give it a try.”“It’s not proper.”“And is it proper that you should deny a princess’s request? Particularly one who saved your life?”He shook his head slowly. “Arista,” he said shyly.She smiled at him and, on an impulse, leaned over and kissed him on the forehead. “Good night, Emery,” she said, and stepped back out of the room "
― Michael J. Sullivan , Rise of Empire (The Riyria Revelations, #3-4)
62 " The truth can never be blasphemous, so long as it’s tempered with an understanding of what’s good and right. "
63 " Any idea which way now?” Wyatt asked.“This way,” Royce said.He led them at a rapid pace, then stopped abruptly and motioned everyone into a doorway. Moments later a troop of guards rushed by. Wesley started forward and Royce hauled him back. Two more guards passed.“Now we go,” he told them, “but stay behind me.”Royce continued along the multitude of corridors and turns, pausing from time to time. They climbed two more sets of stairs and dodged another group of soldiers. Hadrian saw the wonderment reflected in the party’s faces at Royce’s skill. It was as if he could see through walls or knew the location of every guard. For Hadrian it was nothing new, but even he was impressed at their progress, given that Royce was towing a parade. "