Assassin's Quest (The Farseer Trilogy, #3)

by Robin Hobb

She lifted her hands to cover her face, and her silent sliding tears suddenly became sobs. She spoke through them. “You…and your Skill. And him. You speak so easily of knowing what he feels. Of love. But I…I don’t have that. I am only…I need to feel it, Fitz. I need to feel his arms about me, to be close to him. To believe he loves me. As I love him. After I have failed him in so many ways. How can I believe…when he refuses to even…” I put my arms about her and drew her head down on my shoulder, while Nighteyes leaned up against both of us and keened softly. “He loves you,” I told her. “He does. But fate has laid this burden upon both of you. It must be borne.” “Sacrifice,” she breathed, and I did not know if she named her child or defined her life. She continued to weep, and I held her, soothing her hair and telling her it would get better, it had to be better someday, there would be a life for them when all this was over, and children, children growing up safe from Red Ships or Regal’s evil ambitions. In time I felt her quiet, and realized it was Wit as much as words I had been giving her. The feeling I had for her had mingled with the wolf’s and joined us. Gentler than a Skill-bond, more warm and natural, I held her in my heart as much as in my arms. Nighteyes pressed up against her, telling her he would guard her, that his meat would ever be her meat, that she need fear nothing that had teeth, for we were pack, and always would be. It was she who finally broke the embr...