tg.stone of tears-第252部分

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　in　the　opposite　sleeves　of　his　plain　robes。　Strange；　she　thought；　for　an　advisor　to　be　dressed　so；　like　a　wizard。
　
　Prince　Fyren　lifted　his　eyebrows　in　delight。　‘Mother　Confessor！’　With　deliberate　care　he　took　his　polished　boots　down　and　came　to　his　feet。　He　put　his　hands　to　the　desk　and　leaned　over；　looking　down。　‘So　good　to　see　you！’
　
　Before；　Kahlan　had　always　had　a　wizard；　now；　she　had　none。　No　protection。　She　could　not　afford　to　appear　timid　or　vulnerable。
　
　She　glared　up　at　Prince　Fyren。　‘If　I　ever　again　catch　you　in　the　chair　of　the　Mother　Confessor；　I　will　kill　you。’
　
　He　straightened　with　a　smirk。　‘You　would　use　your　power　on　a　councilor？’
　
　‘I　will　slit　your　throat　with　my　knife；　if　I　have　to。’
　
　The　man　in　the　plain　robes　watched　her　with　unmoving　dark　eyes。　The　other　councilors　blanched。
　
　Prince　Fyren　pulled　his　dark　blue　coat　open　and　rested　a　hand　on　his　hip。　‘Mother　Confessor；　I　meant　no　offense。　You　have　been　gone　for　a　long　time。　We　all　thought　you　were　dead。　There　has　been　no　Confessor　in　the　palace　for　。。。　what？’　He　looked　to　a　few　of　the　other　men。　‘Four；　five；　six　months？’　Hand　still　on　his　hip；　he　held　his　other　out　and　gave　a　bow。　‘I　meant　no　offense；　Mother　Confessor。　Your　chair　is　returned　to　you；　of　course。’
　
　Kahlan　eyed　the　remaining　men。　‘It　is　late。　The　council　will　meet　in　full　session　first　thing　in　the　morning。　Every　councilor　will　be　present。　The　Midlands　is　at　war。’
　
　Prince　Fyren　lifted　an　eyebrow。　‘War？　On　whose　authority？　We　have　not　discussed　such　a　grave　matter。’
　
　Kahlan　swept　her　gaze　over　the　councilors；　letting　it　finally　settle　on　Prince　Fyren。　‘On　my　authority　as　the　Mother　Confessor。’　Whispering　broke　out　among　the　men。　Prince　Fyren　never　let　his　eyes　leave　hers。　When　she　glowered　at　the　men　who　were　whispering；　it　sputtered　out。　‘I　want　every　councilor　here；　first　thing　in　the　morning。　You　are　adjourned；　for　now；　gentlemen。’
　
　Kahlan　turned　on　her　heel　and　marched　from　the　room。
　
　She　didn’t　recognize　any　of　the　guards　she　saw　throughout　the　palace；　but　then　she　wouldn’t；　Zedd　had　told　her　before　how　most　of　the　Home　Guard　had　been　killed　in　the　fall　of　Aydindril　to　D’Hara。　She　missed　the　old　faces。
　
　The　center　of　the　Confessors’　Palace　in　Aydindril　was　dominated　by　a　monumental　eight…branched　staircase；　lit；　from　four　stories　overhead；　by　natural　light　that　came　through　the　glass　roof。　The　vast　square　was　surrounded　at　midlevel　by　arcaded　corridors；　their　arched　openings　separated　by　polished　columns　of　wildly　variegated　gold　and　green　marble　standing　on　square　plinth　blocks；　each　decorated　with　a　medallion　of　a　past　ruler　of　one　of　the　lands　of　the　Midlands。　The　hundreds　upon　hundreds　of　glistening；　vase…shaped　balusters　had　been　turned　from　a　mellow　yellow　stone　that　seemed　to　glow　from　within。　The　square　newels；　made　of　a　dusky　brown　granite；　were　nearly　as　tall　as　she；　and　each　was　capped　with　a　gold…leafed　lamp。　Florid　carvings　in　stone　covered　expansive　panels　under　the　plex　bands　of　dentil　moldings　that　ran　in　mitered　bands　over　the　tops　of　the　capitals。　The　center　landing　held　statues　of　eight　Mother　Confessors。　Kahlan　had　seen　modest　palaces　that　would　fit　within　the　space　the　staircase　occupied。
　
　The　monumental　staircase　and　the　room　that　held　it　had　taken　forty　years　to　build；　the　expense　borne　entirely　by　Kelton；　in　partial　repense　for　their　opposition　to　the　joining　of　the　lands　into　the　Midlands；　and　the　war　it　spawned。　It　was　also　decreed　that　no　leader　of　Kelton　could　ever　be　honored　with　a　medallion　at　the　base　of　the　columns。　The　staircase　was　dedicated　to　the　people　of　the　Midlands；　and　was　to　honor　them；　not　those　who　built　it　as　penalty。　Kelton　was　now　a　powerful　land　of　the　Midlands　in　good　standing；　and　Kahlan　thought　it　foolish　to　rebuke　a　people　for　something　their　ancestors　had　done　centuries　ago。
　
　As　she　reached　the　central　landing　and　turned　up　the　second　flight　toward　her　room；　she　saw　a　phalanx　of　servants　waiting　at　the　top　of　the　stairs。　They　all　bowed　as　one　when　her　eyes　fell　on　them。　She　thought　it　must　look　absurd　…nearly　thirty　sparkling；　bed　and　buffed　people　in　clean；　crisp　uniforms；　all　bowing　to　a　filthy　woman　in　wolf　hides；　carrying　a　bow　and　heavy　pack。　Well；　this　could　only　mean　one　thing：　word　of　her　arrival　had　swept　through　the　whole　of　the　palace　already。　There　wasn’t　likely　to　be　a　gardener　in　the　farthest　greenhouse　that　didn’t　by　now　know　the　Mother　Confessor　was　home。
　
　‘Rise；　my　children；’　Kahlan　said　when　she　reached　the　top　of　the　stairs。　They　moved　back　to　make　way　for　her。
　
　And　then　it　started。　Would　the　Mother　Confessor　like　a　bath；　would　the　Mother　Confessor　like　a　massage；　would　the　Mother　Confessor　like　her　hair　washed　and　brushed；　would　the　Mother　Confessor　like　her　nails　buffed；　would　the　Mother　Confessor　care　to　take　any　petitioners；　would　the　Mother　Confessor　like　to　see　any　advisors；　would　the　Mother　Confessor　like　any　letters　written；　would　the　Mother　Confessor　like；　wish；　want；　need；　or　require　a　whole　list　of　things。
　
　Kahlan　addressed　the　mistress　of　the　maidservants。　‘Berna…dette；　I　would　like　a　bath。　Nothing　else。　Just　a　bath。’
　
　Two　women　rushed　off　to　see　to　the　bath。
　
　Mistress　Bernadette’s　eyes　made　an　involuntary　flick　down　at　Kahlan’s　attire。　‘Would　the　Mother　Confessor　like　to　have　any　of　her　clothes　mended；　or　cleaned？’
　
　Kahlan　thought　about　the　blue　dress　in　her　pack。　‘I　guess　I　have　a　few　things　that　need　cleaning。’　She　thought　about　all　the　rest　of　her　clothes；　most　soaked　with　blood　from　one　battle　or　another。　‘I　guess　I　have　a　lot　of　things　that　need　to　be　washed。’
　
　‘Yes；　Mother　Confessor。　And　would　you　like　me　to　lay　out　your　white　dress　for　tonight？’
　
　‘Tonight？’
　
　Mistress　Bernadette　reddened。　‘Runners　have　already　been　sent　to　Kings　Row；　Mother　Confessor。　Everyone　will　want　to　wele　the　Mother　Confessor　home。’
　
　Kahlan　groaned。　She　was　dead　tired。　She　didn’t　want　to　greet　people；　just　to　tell　women　how　fine　their　hair　looked　all　pinned　and　decorated；　or　men　how　fine　the　cut　of　their　coat　was；　or　to　listen　patiently　to　supplications　that　invariably　involved　the　distribution　of　funds　and　always　sought　to　prove　that　the　appellant　was　in　no　way　seeking　advantage；　but　only　relief　from　the　inequitable　situation　in　which　he　was　mired。
　
　Mistress　Bernadette　gave　her　a　corrective　look；　as　she　had　done　when　Kahlan　was　little；　as　if　to　say；　‘Look　here；　young　lady；　you　have　obligations；　and　I　expect　no　trouble　about　it。’
　
　What　she　said；　though；　was　‘Everyone　has　been　fraught　with　concern　over　the　safe　return　of　the　Mother　Confessor。　It　would　do　their　hearts　good　to　see　you　safe　and　well。’
　
　Kahlan　doubted　that。　What　Mistress　Bernadette　really　meant　was　that　it　would　do　Kahlan　good　to　remind　people　that　the　Mother　Confessor　was　still　alive　and　in　charge。　Kahlan　sighed。　‘Of　course；　Bernadette。　Thank　you　for　reminding　me　people　have　kept　me　in　their　hearts　and　been　worried。’
　
　Mistress　Bernadette　smiled　as　she　bowed　her　head。　‘Yes；　Mother　Confessor。’
　
　As　the　rest　of　the　servants　rushed　off；　Kahlan