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The Princess Grows up |
A good few years later I had had my fair share of palace balls.
Now my attendance was obligatory.
Nurse had piled my hair on top of my head, it cascaded down the
sides of my face and onto my shoulders. A new pink dress had been
made for me. It was the latest fashion, with silks from artasia
and lace from Lamavia.
. Its voluminous skirts flowed and swished when I walked. I
complained I looked like a giant strawberry, but secretly I felt
pleased. Kian was announcing his engagement to lady Emilie from
Bacoby today. There would be a fireworks display and dancing
after the meal. All the most sociable and high born people would
be there, and mostly they were a bunch of vain brainless
elitetests, but one of my best friends would be there. She was
Lady Caroline of Tullian in the West. We rarely got to see each
other; usually only when her brother Lord Edward came to see my
Father. I had no interest in their affairs, so Caroline and I
would wander around the garden gossiping about the other nobles.
I walked down to the kitchen before the ball began. Kitty gave me
her customary look, but offered me an almond slice because she
couldn’t yell at royalty.
I nibbled at a slice and asked had she seen Corbin.
She gave a barely suppressed sigh and pointed out the back door.
“He is out back your majesty. Taking a well undeserved
break.”
I took another slice just to annoy her, and walked through the
kitchen. I got a few stares and bobs and curtseys, but mostly the
staff were used to me wandering through here. If Kian or Katara
ventured through here, the whole kitchen would stop. And if
Father ever went below stairs, I’d bet a few would die of
shock.
I found Corbin lounging outside the kitchen door, passing a
cigarette to the other kitchen-boys. He stayed where he was
leaning on the wall beneath the shade of the cherry blossom. The
others stood up straight. One dropped the butt.
“Your majesty,” they chorused.
I sighed: I hated when they did that.
“I just want to talk to Corbin.”
“We’ll leave you two then, your majesty.” That was
a short redhead I knew as Cheddar. I didn’t ask why he was
called that. He gave Corbin a surreptitious wink and left with
the others.
Corbin grinned. It always amused him when others treated my like
royalty; to him I was always a girl with pigtails and freckles
stuck up a cherry tree.
“Nice friends you’ve got there.” I said dryly.
“Aye,” he said. “Pay no heed to them. It gets
their tongues wagging; the princess kayanna coming to visit a
mere kitchen-boy.”
He smiled. “And what would you be doing visiting the likes
of me dressed in all your finery, your highness?”
I scowled. “Just paying a royal visit.”
He laughed and tossed me a package.
“For you and the lovely Lady Caroline.”
“I told you, she’s really nice.” I said,
unwrapping the bottle.
“Mmm hmm. If you have forty servants and a lake to your
name.”
“Its a pond. And they only called it Kayanna for a joke. Its
Katara that has a lake.”
“My mistake.” He curtseyed dramatically. “And
don’t drink all of that. It’s enough to knock out
sailors. You remember what happened last time?”
“No.”
“See?” His grin was crooked. I remember, somewhat
hazily, that I went and tried to tell Edward what I thought of
him. It went something along the lines of: ‘you may think
you’re a good looking rogue, but (hic) but I know
you’re a slimy son of a-’ That had been the point where
Corbin knocked over a sandwich platter and Mareen dragged me
away.
“Well its Caroline’s and my favourite drink. They
hardly serve...”
“Bearvenum”
“Bearvenum at balls.”
“They hardly serve it at the most disreputable taverns. I
had to bribe a friend of mine to get it from his sources.”
“Sources?”
“Yep.” He wasn’t going to say any more. And he
knew that annoyed me.
“Right .Well I’ll just be heading to the ball.” I
made a face. “Enjoy the staff party.”
“What party?” He said innocently.
I rolled my eyes and left.
The festivities began in the great hall. The six course meal
accompanied by a small band of minstrels creating the right
atmosphere to digest food by-boring. Everyone waited (everyone
important) in the antechamber, pretending not to see each other,
till we had been announced formally by the surveyor of
ceremonies.
I yawned widely, this was boring. Slowly, beginning with the
lesser nobles, we were called out. Caroline strode gracefully
across the room.
“Its good to see you Kayak. Have these last months found you
well?”
“Yes, and you?” Caroline: always with the politeness.
“Indeed.”
She flicked her black hair over her shoulder for the benefit of
any men watching. She was shorter than I was, with a rosy
complexion and bright blue eyes. Caroline looked, to those she
wanted to, like a timid rose, but she had a mind like a docker.
She whispered looking over her shoulder,
“I hear prince Kian is marrying Egghead Emilie.”
“Shh!” I elbowed her. Emilie was talking to a local
noble behind us. She was wearing her blank look; she obviously
hadn’t a clue what he was talking about.
“The announcement will be later. Before the fireworks.”
Caroline squealed excitedly. Her brother Edward walked over and
bowed low.
“You are looking as charming as ever, princess Kayak.”
“And you are as handsome as you are intelligent, lord
Edward.”
I suppressed my snigger.
Edward licked his lips. I wish he hadn’t; he reminded me of
a lizard.
“I hope you will join me for a dance later.”
“You’ll have to catch me first.”
Everyone laughed loudly, I rather forcibly.
“Lord Edward Timmins and Lady Caroline,” boomed across
the room.
Edward bowed. “We shall see you later.”
I sagged relieved. I felt like I needed a bath.
The antechamber was empty, except for my family and the servers.
Father looked stern, as always, wearing black. Kian looked paler
than usual.
“Good luck.” I said softly. He nodded nervously.
Katara glanced at me. “Fix your sleeve.” She said,
distractedly brushing back her hair.
Father turned to me. His eyes were piercing and his tone sharp.
“Kayana, no trouble from you tonight.” It was an order.
“You are not to speak unless invited to. No talk of politics
or anything controversial. Stick to woman’s topics.”
“What, like monthly bleeding and childbirth?” (I hated
being ordered around)
He looked at me sharply, his expression fierce under his beard.
Kian and Katara looked aghast. Someone behind us dropped a tray.
“What did you say!” He hissed. He looked as if he would
slap me. He made as if to speak, then seemed to change his mind.
He strode off with his son at his heels.
Katara gaped at me. “I don’t know what you’re
thinking sometimes.” She followed them out.
“Do you ever think before you speak?” A voice said from
behind me. I didn’t need to turn to know who it was.
“No one here appreciates humour,” I muttered.
“Oh I don’t know. Kitty had to leave to leave the
room.” I turned around. Corbin gave me a slight grin. The
others were avoiding my eyes. One was hurriedly cleaning up a
spilled tray, her shoulders shaking with laughter.
“I’d get in there before he makes you serve the
food.”
I sighed. “And you say I have an easy life!”
I ignored Corbins snort and walked into the hall.
The tables were led out in rows with the most important at the
topmost table and the lowest at the back. I slunk into my seat at
the end of the head table, If my father had his way I would be at
the back, or perhaps in the hallway. Caroline waved at me from a
table further down. Her brother was at my table, but thankfully
far enough away so I didn’t have to talk to him. Course one
arrived with a perky tune from the minstrels in the corner. They
were new ones: I didn’t recognise any of them. They looked
awkward in their formal suits, and, frankly, most of them
couldn’t play very well at all. I wondered why Katara had
chosen them. She chose the food too, I realised, when I noticed
the pastry hedgehog in my bowl of pottage.
The formal opening of the meal would be in a minute so I busied
myself staring idly at the musicians. One looked like he would be
more at home in a street fight. He had long reddish hair and a
scar that cut across his forehead. He was playing the flute,
badly. He held it more like a sword, and played it like it was
one. Another was a dwarf, he was playing something that looked
like a hurdy-gurdy. He played it quite well, even with the iron
battle helmet all dwarves wore. I hadn’t seen many dwarves
before, Father rarely invited them to the castle. ‘They
usually throw their food about’, he had said, ‘and they
eat with their hands.’
The harpist was a young male with a shock of curls around his
face. He seemed to me that he would rather be causing mischief,
with his cheery smile and frequent whispered comments to his
friends.
Another was playing the violin extremely well, but I
couldn’t see his hands moving. I squinted at him curiously,
and jumped when the person next to me spoke.
“Your highness, It is an honour to be seated beside such a
dusky beauty.”
I laughed aloud. (I probably should not have had a tipple of
bearvenum before I came)
The mans features brightened.
“I see you’re not one for flattery.”
I glanced at him. He was in his early thirties or so, with a
boyish expression and a lilting accent. His blue eyes twinkled
under playful brows and dark slightly curled hair. He was
handsome, in a roguish way: his hair was a little too long, his
clothes expensive but plain. He was wearing trews that went to
his feet, instead of the breeches and coloured hose that the
other nobles wore.
He raised an eyebrow quizzically.
“Your highness?”
I smiled and held out my hand.
“Its Kay.”
I noticed a silver band on his ring-finger. I spoke with a tint
of sarcasm.
“I see someone fell for your charms.”
He smiled, with a touch of softness in his eyes.
“Aye, I was as surprised as you are.” We shook hands.
“And I’m Jonathan Steevens, but you may call me Jonny
If you wish, your highness.”
“If you want me to call you Jonny, you must call me
Kay.”
“As you wish, your highness.”
Now I knew he was playing with me, and that was fine with me.
Anyone who treated a princess as an equal was great in my mind. I
grinned at him and brushed the hair off my face.
“Eat up sir, I order you to begin your hedgehog. I sent the
slaves out to catch them fresh this morning.”
Johnny peered at his plate. “Ah, the infamous Rubia
hedgehog.”
My father clapped his hands and a server came up with the
ceremonial cake of bread. Father broke off the upper crust and
passed it down the top table. The rest was given to the other
tables.
The surveyor came over and dropped a bloodstone in the wine. It
was deemed fit to drink. The wine server was clapped for and
began to pour wine for the high table. I smothered a laugh. It
was Corbin. He was wearing the black server’s greatcoat with
a white frilly sleeved undershirt and yellow hose.
He poured wine in Johnny’s goblet and glanced at me.
“Your highness.”
He switched jugs and poured bearvenum in mine. The clear liquid
was obviously not wine. Corbin caught Johnny’s look.
“Would you like some water sir?” He said.
Johnny smiled and shook his head. “Waters too strong for me.
Thank you though,”
Corbin bowed and walked off.
“Not a wine drinker, are you?” Johnny commented
lightly.
“Em,” I coloured a little, "Nooo."
He laughed loudly and ate his meal off the bread plate.
I heard Katara’s voice grow louder as the meal went on. She
was giggling like a school child, she must be sitting beside an
eligible bachelor. I sighed heavily. This was going to be a long
meal.
The final course came eventually. By then I was too full to
breathe, but Jonathan had kept me entertained by cracking jokes
mainly about the nobles in front of us. He put down his cup
(which was now filled with Bearvenum), and said, “you must
think me extremely unmannered. You probably know these
people.”
“No, If you were making fun of the servants, then I would
find you unmannerly.”
He looked at me surprised. “You-”
He was interrupted by a trumpet blare.
My Father stood up. It was the customary after dinner speech.
“Lords and Ladies, esteemed guests,” he began. Why did
he always sound so serious? My mind wandered during his talks.
The mistrals had stopped playing and were gazing around the room.
I noticed the violinist was looking at me. I met his stare
squarely. It felt like there was an invisible line connecting our
eyes. It was strange...a rush...the man looked away. I felt the
line sever. All of a sudden my head felt light, my hands...I
couldn’t grip. My goblet shattered on the floor. And
that’s all I could hear...just the shatter repeating itself,
but I felt calm, like I was dreaming. My limbs felt as light as
air, I shook my head around to feel the sensation. I swayed in my
chair testing my strange new balance.
I open my eyes and the hall is gone. I’m in a dark hall of
some sort. There’s brightness at the other end. I float over
to it, watching as the lines of the dark walls melt past me. I
turn my head to see that behind me the walls had melted into a
spiralling vortex where it became rain and flowed down into a
river and out to the sea. The light beckoned me. I stop floating
and stand in front of if. It is a crystal eye...A great feeling
of calm washes over me and the walls all wash away. I stopped in
front of the eye, and peered around. I stood in a forest, mist
danced from chest height and around the soft trees and the
coloured wind.
I kneeled down. “Hello little dog,” I was speaking with
my mind. My mouth was probably gone wherever my body was.
The dog wagged his tail delightedly and gave me a wet doggy kiss.
“Everything is fine” said the dog. That was funny! I
giggled out butterflies, who hovered above my nose for a moment
before flying away.
“I’m happy up here”
I patted the dog’s head. “I’m glad your happy
puppy. Puppy happy”
The dog growled. “Listen to me Kay, your not supposed to be
here now, you have to leave.”
I stood up and reached as high as I could go,
“Look happy puppy, I got a star”
“Follow me” said the dog. I followed laughing. I was
following a dog! We reached the eye.
“Stay!” The dog told me. I barked yes. I’m a dog
now.
The dog put on a serious expression. “Now you have to
remember this, trust what you feel, not what you see, do you
understand?”
“Yes,” I lied, but I was getting sleepy now.
The dog put one of my hands on the eye.
“Remember, I will always love you, but we both have
different things to do now. Even though I don’t approve what
you did in a few weeks from your present time.”
“What?”
“Forget it. Listen closely now, in a few day’s time
you’re going to have the worst day of your life so far, just
remember, I love you. And I’m talking to you now, here. But
I can see you anyday, your up here too, it’s timeless. So
don’t do anything drastic, even though I know you already
have.” The dog sighed. “I’m still not used to this
place. Right then, just go.”
I hadn’t a clue about what he was talking about. I put both
hands on the crystal. There was a flash and an intense jolt of
pain.
I opened my eyes and gasped. I was lying on the floor in the
great hall. Jonathan’s greatcoat was under my head. Corbin
was kneeling beside me looking frantic. Seemly most of the guests
had gone to the garden and I was left with Jonathan and Corbin. I
sat up and looked around groggily.
“What happened?” I croaked.
Corbin held me up. “That’s what I want to know.”
He was pale as a ghost. I looked up at all their worried faces.
Jonathan looked more concerned than anyone. I noticed him look
over his shoulder. The violinist was standing there watching. I
stood with Corbins aid. My legs felt like jelly.
I glared at the violinist. “What did you do?!”
Johnathan’s eyes snapped to mine. “You felt it?”
“I knew she had power.” The violinist said grinning.
Corbin stared at him. “Did you do this!” He said
angrily.
Jonathan put his hand on his arm. “It’s fine. Pibbons
has a hobby of spotting people with the gift. I em, I think, it
was just the bearvenum. She must have fainted.”
“Kay never fainted in her life. I’m getting
Mareen.” He put his hand on my cheek.
“Will you be all right for a minute?”
I nodded. Corbin raced off.
I looked at Jonathan and Pibbon’s suspiciously guilty faces.
“I don’t have the gift.” I said.
“Oh yes you do!” Pibbons was emphatic. “A lot of
it. Maybe its waiting for when it’s needed.”
I sat heavily on a chair and winced when a pain shot up my arm. I
rolled up my sleeve and gasped. The eye from my dream was drawn
on my wrist. I tried to wipe it off but it didn’t work. Twin
gasps from both men made me look up. They were staring at the
mark, mouths open in astonishment.
“The mark of the eye!” Pibbons said hushed.
“What?” I had a sinking feeling.
Jonathan crouched down in front of me. “Did you- dream when
you were —unconscious?”
I nodded.
“What was it like?!” Pibbons sounded fascinated.
“The eye was there, and… and a talking dog...it was
just a dream!”
The men exchanged glances. Voices came from outside. Jonathan
covered the eye hurriedly.
“Don’t show anyone this, understand? Not even your
friend the server, and definitely not the king.”
Corbin entered with Mareen at his heels. She rushed over and felt
my forehead and took my pulse. “You seem a bit flushed dear,
maybe it was the heat. Do you feel all right now?”
I nodded.
“I’ll put you straight to bed.”
“No no. I’m fine, Mar. I’ll just go get some fresh
air.”
Corbin looked suspicious. He gave me a goblet of water.
“Don’t drink anything else.” He ordered.
“I’ve to go back to the kitchen, will you be all
right?” He looked at Jonathan who nodded.
Corbin left looking over his shoulder. I knew he’d be
bombarding me with questions later. Jonathan helped me up and
linked my arm.
“I’ll take you into the garden.”
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