A Tale of Two Princesses (13 page)

     Court was smiling under his mask. What a strange conversation. Never would he have ever thought he would be discussing floors with the princess. "I suppose being marble, these floors are simply swept and polished."

     "Is that what they are, marble?"

     "Yes, aren't they?"

     "I don't know anything about building materials."

     "Yes, they are marble, your highness," Homa chimed in. "I'm sure the prince would enjoy hearing about your other hobbies...other than your interest in the floors. Perhaps you could discuss croquet. You are such a talented player; he would love to hear of your skill."

     Court nearly sighed. Croquet? He looked at the princess. At least he did not have to fake a smile. "Is that true, Celeste? Are you an accomplished player?"

     "Oh, yes. I love croquet. I croquet all day long when I can. And I'm the best at it. Ask anyone."

     "I believe you," he said.

     "Yup. I even won a trophy," Sienna said. Surely, a princess would've won some kind of croquet trophy, right? It made sense to her. "A big one!"

     "Did you? Do tell."

     "Oh, everyone from the whole kingdom came to the castle. Everyone who plays croquet, that is. And the queen set a challenge, and I beat them all!"

     Court laughed. "Truly? What was your score?"

     "Score?" she said. "Um, I was up by a bunch of points, and only one strike, and plenty of home runs."

     He laughed nervously, watching her through the mask. Perhaps they played croquet differently in Avelot.

     "I played a bit of polo when I was younger."

     "What's polo? Is that a swimming thing?"

     Homa cleared her throat. "I believe he is referring to polo on a horse, with a mallet, your highness."

     "Indeed," Court said.

     "Neat! Win any trophies?"

     "I cannot say I have. But I am an accomplished jouster, and I have won medals in tournaments."

     "Oh, I've seen jousting! I once met these two jousters, and their horses had a lot of armor, and they had long, long poles, and I watched them practice. It looked so dangerous."

     "It is, but a knight welcomes danger."

     "Here is the courtyard," Homa said, opening the doors.

     "Wow!" Sienna said, hurrying past Homa, losing her breath. It was filled with lush bushes, hedges so tall she could not see over them, fruit trees, and flowers! Flowers everywhere. "It's incredible!"

     "Yes, quite," Court said. "Do you come here often?"

     "Yeah!" Sienna said. "This place is great! I wish I'd come here sooner. I mean, I wish I came here all the time. I'm just so busy with croqueting, I forget sometimes this is here, but isn't it the best? Come on!"

     She hurried past two stationary soldiers guarding the doors, who saluted, reaching the nearest flowerbed. She bent over it, stopping. The stupid mask was in her way. She inhaled anyway, catching bits of flower scents.

     "Mmm! Smell these!"

     Sienna plucked one and held it up. Court took it from her fingers, glancing at it. He pulled his mask away just a bit, sniffing. Sienna caught a glimpse of his chin and lips. So, these were the lips that she might have to kiss tonight. It made her swallow the lump in her throat and set a few butterflies flapping in her tummy.

     "Very nice," he said, pulling the flower away, handing it back.

     "Here, you keep it." And then she slipped it through a button hole in his jacket. "There you go."

     He glanced down before looking up. "Are you interested in flowers as well?"

     "Oh, yes! I adore flowers. Sometimes, I go picking them by myself, when I have free time."

     "Here in the courtyard?"

     "No, out in the field."

     "Field?"

     "Oh! I mean, when I leave the castle. I like to leave the castle."

     "Do you?" he said. "That's so surprising. Usually princesses prefer to stay cooped up."

     "Not me. I go for rides through town all the time."

     "And you stop to pick flowers?"

     "Sure!"

     "How wonderful. I admire that."

     She came over to a new flower bed, bending over to smell it from behind her mask. "Mmm. Wanna smell these?"

     He joined her side, bending over, keeping his left arm folded behind his back. Sienna had noticed him doing this all night, keeping his arm behind his back. It looked uncomfortable.

     "I like these," he said.

     "Court, why do you do that thing with your arm?"

     "Thing?" he said in confusion.

     "Is your arm okay? You keep putting it behind your back. Did you hurt yourself?"

     His arm came out from behind his back. Sienna could not see him blushing under his mask. "Well, I, I don't know; it's just how I was raised, to keep my arm behind my back. It keeps my posture straight."

     "Does it? It looks uncomfortable. You don't have to do it if you don't want to."

     He chuckled, slipping both of his hands into his pockets, his shoulders slouching. "Better?"

     "Much!" she said with a giggle.

     Court was smiling under the mask, but she could not see it. Suddenly, he no longer wanted to hide behind it. "Celeste, what do you say we dispense with the masks? We're quite far from the ballroom now."

     Homa stepped forward. "Your highness, I believe the queen desired for her daughter to have the comfort of the mask during this night. There will be plenty of time in the coming days for a reintroduction."

     "Of course. Forgive me, Celeste."

     "It's okay," she said, sighing in relief.

     "Princess," Homa said, "might I have a word?"

     "Oh, sure, Madam Homa. Gimme one sec, Court."

     "Of course."

     Sienna followed Homa around a flower bed, well out of earshot of Court and Wellington, who appeared to be starting their own conversation.

     "Sienna," Homa hissed, "what are you doing?"

     "What do you mean?"

     Homa sighed. "You are not behaving as the princess would behave."

     "What'd I do wrong?"

     "You are speaking like a, well, I'm sorry, a commoner."

     "I am?"

     "Yes. Do not use informal speech or slang when addressing the prince."

     "I'm so sorry. I didn't even know I was doing it."

     "It's okay, child, but please be careful. And do not question him about his posture. The way he was standing is appropriate for a man of his position."

     "Oh. I thought he was uncomfortable. I was just trying to be nice."

     "It's all right. And also, do try to limit the conversation to topics only about him. It will make it easier for Princess Celeste tomorrow if he does most of the talking tonight."

     "Okay. You're right. I'll do that."

     "And do not show such interest in simple things."

     "Simple things?"

     "Flowers and floors. They are beneath a princess."

     "Good point. I'm so sorry, Madam Homa. I didn't mean to mess up. I thought I was doing so well too."

     "You are, child. I know you're doing your best. I know what a burden I have placed on you to do this thing. It has surely been a dreadful night, but you have my thanks. I do feel so bad asking you to try harder, but please, for the princess' sake."

     "Yes, madam."

     "And do not address me as madam in front of the prince. You are to show me no honorific. Simply call me Homa."

     "Okay. I'll try to remember that too."

     Court was watching Celeste talk with her lady-in-waiting. He was still smiling behind his mask.

     "She is so refreshing, Wellington, like no princess or noble or aristocrat I have ever met."

     "Yes, sir. She behaves almost like a peasant."

     "I wouldn't go that far, Wellington. She simply looks through the world with the eyes of innocence. Everything seems so new to her. Like the floors. Have you ever heard a princess discuss floors before?"

     "No, sir, never. She is very odd."

     "Wellington, I cannot believe I am saying this, but I think, I just think, I might like her."

     "Truly, your highness?" Wellington said, his voice lifting. "How wonderful!"

     "She's enchanting," Court said. "Absolutely enchanting. I can't wait to hear what she says next."

     "My prince, I do believe you may be falling in love."

     "Calm down there. It is enough that I am attracted, very attracted."

     "The king will be so pleased. Oh, how I was dreading returning to tell him you had failed. This will be a joyous day for both our kingdoms."

     "Wellington, please."

     "Of course, sir. Here she comes."

     Court stepped forward. "All is well?"

     "Yeah. I mean. Yes, it's, it's, um, satisfactory."

     Court chuckled. "Satisfactory?"

     "Yes," she said. "Do you want to see the rest of the courtyard?"

     "Please, show me."

     "Okay. I mean, right this way."

     Sienna moved through the courtyard beside Court, occasionally skipping beside him, her mask turning to look at flowers before it turned back.

     "So, Court," she said, "tell me a bit more about yourself. What else do you like to do for fun in Cross?"

     "Well, I am also an avid hunter."

     "I heard about that. Is it true you wrestled the Grenhill creature with your bare hands?"

     "I am afraid many of those stories are an exaggeration. The largest game I have hunted was a wolf, and only because it was so plaguing a town in our kingdom."

     "And you went out and saved the townspeople? Aw, that's so sweet."

     "That's why I did it. I'm a sweet man," he said with a chuckle.

     "You are," she said, patting his arm. His head tilted from the contact. She realized maybe she was not supposed to do that and took her hand away. "Um, well, tell me about your family."

     "My father is king, of course. He is a wise man. In his younger years, he was a knight. He took pride in leading men into battle. My mother was born a princess and was so won over by his strength they were married."

     "That's neat," she said. "Is your mother nice?"

     "She is a wonderful woman and very sensitive to matters of her husband and her children."

     "My mother was nice too."

     "Was?"

     "I mean, yes, she still is...sometimes. She can be strict though."

     Court nodded. "Such are the pressures of leading a kingdom alone."

     "Yeah. Your parents lead together, right?"

     "They do. My brother is newly married, preparing to follow them."

     "Is he? That must be exciting."

     "For him, it is. But he is a natural leader and so eager to take up the throne for our father, who is declining in years. We had princesses from lands all over the country come to Cross to offer their hand and their kingdom's allegiance to my brother."

     "Really? Why didn't I get invited?"

     "Ah, this was a few years ago. You would have been too young."

     "Oh, of course. That's a relief!"

     "Pardon?"

     "Now you get to marry me instead," she said, giggling. "Lucky you!"

     He laughed with her. "Perhaps I am lucky."

     "Definitely, you are," she said, nodding. "Take me...Princess Celeste...I am such a nice person. Like, even to perfect strangers. Why, just the other day I visited a tavern and there was this girl, a commoner, and she had fallen on some hard times. To show my kindness, guess what I did?"

     Court grinned behind his mask. Was she speaking of Banyan's tavern? "Do tell, what did you do?"

     "I took her in for a few days here at the castle. I put her to work in the kitchens."

     "What a kind thing to do."

     "Yes, it was, exactly. I am so, so kind."

     He chuckled. "Indeed. And modest too."

     "Yes, absolutely, modest. And this girl, she is so, so thankful to the princess, to me, that is. I know she would do anything to repay me. In many ways, I saved her life, gave her something precious and unforgettable, you know?"

     "That's commendable. It's a fact that as aristocrats we often forget the gap between us and them. It does not take much for one of us to touch the lives of servants so profoundly."

     "Yeah, exactly. Something so small to us can mean so much to them, can change their lives."

     "You should be proud of yourself."

     "I am!" she said. "Oh, look! A horse!"

     Sienna hurried ahead. There was a white horse grazing on the grass, fenced in by a track that circled the entire rim of the courtyard. A handler was nearby, cleaning up the manure.

     "Hi, horsey!" Sienna said, leaning over the fence, holding out her hand. "What's your name?"

     "Ahem," Homa said. "Your highness, this is your horse, Snowy."

     "Oh! Yes, of course it is."

     "Is it?" Court said, leaning against the fence. "Do you have an interest in horses, Celeste?"

     "Yes, I love horses. Sometimes, at night, I'll visit them in the stables and I'll sit on their backs, and we'll pretend to go riding."

     "Pretend?"

     "Yeah, just pretend. I'll brush their mane and I'll tell them where we are, like, 'Oh, Horsey, we're going through a great hayfield, and, and I can feel the hay tickling my feet. I hope it's not too scratchy on you.' The best is on the beach though. I'll tell him, 'Horsey, were on the beach. Run fast along the shore.' And I'll pretend the water's splashing up from his hooves. That's a lot of fun. Or if I'm feeling adventurous, 'Horsey, we're riding through a great snowstorm, and there's snow all the way up to your legs, but we'll get through it.'"

     Court tilted his head. "Well, why would you pretend? Why not simply go to those places?"

     "Her highness does not often leave the castle," Homa offered. "And when she does, she does so in a carriage."

     "Of course," Court said.

     Sienna nodded, thinking that made sense.

     "Do you ride here in the courtyard?" Court asked.