I sat glumly on my bed and looked examined myself in the mirror. I was going to be married today. Well, I amended mentally, I would be married today if I was lucky. If I was unlucky I'd be dead. Moire hadn't revealed that my continued survival depended on my bride's willingness to marry me until Corwin had departed via the Pattern. There were some twenty guards standing between me and freedom, bad odds for even a prince of Amber. I tried the hidden passage beside the bed, the location of which I knew because it corresponded to the one in Amber, and frowned. Locked.
There was a knock at the door and I rose, dagger in hand, preparing to rush the guard. Better to die fighting than to be hung. And as things were going at the moment, I could be hung without Moiré worrying about repercussions from Amber. Eric didn't give a damn about my life, and Moire knew it. He might even reward her. The door slowly swung open, the guards clustering closely around the woman at the entrance. I relaxed deliberately, letting go of the adrenaline rush. I didn't stand a chance against twenty guards and her.
She looked deceptively fragile, as though a strong current would knock her down. She always had. The dainty woman in pale green robes walked regally into my room. Her lips curled in a faint smile as she took note of the dagger in my hand. She waved a hand and said imperiously at the guards, not looking at them "Leave Us".
I put away my dagger. Since I was already standing, there was nothing I could do but stand taller as I said formally "Llewella" and then after a pause "Sister. It is good to see you".
She stood there examining me, green as all things Rebman. The greens which colored her however, were subtle and beautiful. Her skin, light green tones on a face which at first glance seemed ivory. Her eyes, dark Amberian green. Her hair, blond tinted with green. Her features resembled Flora's, though there was more purpose in her face. I looked at her well formed hands and smiled. The last time we had met she had slapped me, hard and told me I was dead to her. The silence between us grew as I waved her to a chair and sat on the bed. Finally she spoke.
"Random. You are in great danger" was what she said abruptly.
"From you?" I asked, smiling. It was, I knew, Unprincely to appear stressed.
"Moire wants you dead" she said flatly, her eye's darkening. She did not respond to my lame attempt at humor. "She intends to tell our brothers that the bride she chose for you would not have you, leaving her no choice but to condemn you to death".
"I had figured that out" I said testily, feeling somewhat cranky. My life had not been going well, recently and I was in no mood to be polite. "What are you going to do about it?"
Llewella said "I will not challenge Moire. I'm her heir, thanks to you, and if I disobey her she might dispose of me."
"Hey!" I said, stung. "I did not kill Morganthe, she did that herself. Did you come here to gloat?" I felt betrayed. Llewella had always seemed above the pettiness of family games. My bitterness expressed itself in words "You're no better than the rest of them Llew"
She looked as if I had struck her for a moment. She composed herself so quickly that anyone else would have doubted that the expression had been there but I'm an Amberite too. I know the masks we can wear. "If you would do me the courtesy of hearing me out," She said in clipped, frosty tones "I'd tell you what I'm going to do"
"I'm listening" I said, assuming a nonchalant pose.
"To save your life we must persuade Vialle, the girl who has been instructed to refuse you in open court, to disobey the queen" Llewella said.
"Great" I groaned. "How will we do that?"
"She's very tender hearted" said Llewella, smirking in the manner of one discussing a fatal flaw in an enemy. "I'll bring her to you and you can persuade her that you're worth defying Moire for. Just don't lie to her. She's very sensitive. You'll have your work cut out for you: she was fond of Morganthe and has helped raise Martin".
I winced. I was good with women, but not that good.
Llewella walked to the door, her business with me concluded. "I'll send her to you in a while and she'll be able to stay for an hour".
"Wait" I said and she whirled back to face me, long loose hair swirling behind her, her hand falling from the doorknob. "Why are you doing this? After Morganthe, you said you'd hate me forever."
Llewella smiled sadly and said "Forever is a long time Random. And whatever you've done you are still my brother."
I looked at her and said awkwardly "I'm sorry Llew. For saying you were like the others".
She moved towards me and touched my shoulder. "There is something I have learned, being older" she offered hesitantly, resting her hand on my shoulder "We are the others." With that she moved for the door again. She opened the door, looked back to say "Be well Random" and was on her way. The door shut behind her with a final sounding thud.
I settled down to wait, contemplating strategy.
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There was a knock on the door. It was low and hesitant. "Come" I said quickly, afraid that the girl would change her mind and run. The door opened and a woman walked in. I looked at her. She was dressed in white and her sightless eyes gazed at the world serenely. She was pale and a cloud of dark hair framed her narrow face. I had never imagined marrying a girl so unremarkable. She was not ill-featured but neither was she dazzlingly beautiful.
"Lady Vialle I presume" I said, standing up. Just because the girl was blind didn't mean I could treat her with less respect than I would otherwise. Llewella had said she was sensitive, she might pick up on it if I was rude.
"Your Highness" she said, curtseying. Her eyes were focused on my face and I wondered how she knew where I stood. She halted after crossing the threshold and I realized that she did not know where the chair was. So I walked forward, took her hand and led her to the chair. Before sitting down she looked at me, raised her hand to my face and asked "Could I please…"
It took me a while to understand what she meant. After a pause she began to withdraw her hand. Finally she began to let it drop. Illumination dawned upon me and I grabbed her hand and led it to my face. Her hands were gentle and touched my face lightly. I closed my eyes as they passed over them. I wondered what she saw and what my face seemed like to her. Finally, she smiled as if satisfied and sat down.
I sat down on the bed and wracked my brain for words which would not come. What was there to say after all? "Please save me?" I was a Prince of Amber and did not beg. It galled me that my life rested in the hands of the frail looking woman opposite me. I let the silence between us grow, curious as to how she would react. She sat calmly, without shifting for the ten minutes I did not speak.
Finally she spoke. "I believe our time is limited your Highness. Your sister said you wished to speak with me."
How was I to put this "I was wondering: Would you marry me Lady Vialle?".
She smiled somewhat sadly. "It is not flattering for a woman to know that a man would marry her only to save his life".
"Lady" I said, feeling the first stirrings of compassion "I am a Prince of Amber. I don't breathe without an ulterior motive."
"If I marry you" she said contemplatively "The Queen will be wroth. And if I do not, you will die. Not an easy choice to make"
"Hey" I said indignantly, trying to lighten the atmosphere "It isn't flattering for a man to hear that a compassionate woman wouldn't marry him even to save his life"
Her smile was lovely and brief. She sighed and looked worried "All indications are that you would make a less than average husband. Morganthe… " Her voice trailed off. Her face was sad and I remembered Llewella's warning.
I could not afford to take offence at her questioning me, I reminded myself as I unclenched my hands. "Morganthe was hurt by my neglect" I said hotly "What she did, she did to herself. I am seldom actively cruel to women.
"I know nothing about you, Random of Amber" she said her voice sounding tired.
"We only have half an hour" I said snapped, losing my patience "How do you propose to get to know me in half an hour?"
Vialle thought for a moment and looked up "Tell me about a significant chain of events in your life" she demanded "Something you've never told anyone."
I nodded my assent and thought furiously. A story to make her sympathetic towards me. Hmmm. I decided on a story about my dysfunctional family which would gain me sympathy. I felt like Scheherazade as I began "The castle loomed large before me in the grey dawn fog…."
A/N: Next- Read about Random's return to his loving family as a 21 year old following an absence of eleven years. Learn about the time he put a spike(a small one) through Corwin's boot.