Read Dragonfly Online

Authors: Julia Golding

Tags: #General, #Action & Adventure, #Juvenile Fiction, #Fantasy & Magic, #Social Issues, #Royalty, #Juvenile Nonfiction

Dragonfly (6 page)

BOOK: Dragonfly
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He was swearing and talking about the weather now. Tashi did not know what to do.

"Don't be scared: I'm not going to eat you, if that's what you're thinking,"

continued the King. Without all that make-up and glitter, he could see that she was a pretty little thing. And so young. It made him sad to think that she'd come to the other end of the world to marry his inept son when she should be growing up peacefully in her own home. Another sacrifice. He pulled her gently to the seat beside him. "There, that's better, isn't it?"

Tashi nodded, finding it easier to do as he asked than explain why it was inappropriate for a Crown Princess.

"We got off on the wrong foot last week, but I would like us to start again. I think it wise for you to get to know Ramil away from everyone. He's a good boy really."

Tashi supposed she could forgive a father for blind prejudice but she could see no redeeming feature in the Prince.

"He's offered to take you riding, if you would like that."

"Your Majesty is very kind, but I do not ride."

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"What! Not ride! Well, then there's a treat in store for you. Ramil is an excellent rider--gets it from his mother, Zarai, a princess among the Horse Followers. He'll have you in the saddle and away before you know it. He's a very good teacher."

Tashi did not trust Ramil to come within a foot of her, let alone teach her to ride, but she did not know how to refuse this attention without seeming rude.

"I would not dream of taking up the Prince's time. If I am to learn to ride, I would be happy with one of the ordinary instructors."

"Time? Why, there is nothing more important than him spending time with you. Say nothing more on the subject. Tomorrow morning, just after nine, he'll be waiting for you in the stables."

King Lagan rose and patted her again on the shoulder.

"I hope to see you at dinner, my dear. Good afternoon."

Tashi watched him leave, in a state of shock. He'd patted her several times--

no man had touched her like that since her father said goodbye to her on Kai four years ago. He'd called her "my dear" as if they were already kin. Clearly he did not respect her, regarding her as a wayward daughter to be cajoled into accepting his son's grudging attentions.

She returned to her desk, folded up the latest missive, and slipped it into the tube for the carrier pigeon. It was no good. The alliance could not go ahead.

Her embassy had failed. Let the Third Princess take her place if she wished.

Tashi was going home.

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Ramil waited in the stables with Leap and a white mare he had selected for the Princess. Whisper was a gentle animal, suitable for a novice. Ramil's spirits lifted now that he was back among the horses: at the very least he'd get beyond the walls, even if it was with his ball-and-chain of a princess dragging behind him.

He heard feet on the cobbles and turned to see the Princess approaching with two attendants, her painted face ghostly in the dark of the stables. She was wearing a ridiculous gown covered with dragonflies. Was that a reminder of his mistake?

"Your Highness," Ramil said with a bow.

"Prince Ramil," she replied, giving him the merest bend in reply, a serious slight if he had known. Her attendants glared at him.

"I have taken the liberty of selecting a suitable mount for you. Her name's Whisper. A good horse. Very dependable. She'll treat you gently." He glanced at her attire again. Was she really expecting to ride in that? "Do you wish to ride astride or side-saddle?"

The Princess looked puzzled. "I do not know."

She really did know nothing about riding, thought Ramil incredulously.

"I suggest you try side-saddle until you can order more suitable clothes."

He whistled to a stable boy and ordered the appropriate tack. Tashi meanwhile was making friends with Whisper, stroking her nose timidly.

Tashi felt she was

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falling in love with her already. She held out high hopes for this ride, even with the unpleasant company, having promised herself this one treat before announcing her decision to the Gerfalians that she was returning home.

"Princess, are you ready?" asked Ramil, holding out a hand to help her step on the mounting block. "One leg goes there, the other there. Yes, that's right."

Tashi shook out her skirts, feeling nervous now that she was perched up on Whisper's back. What if she fell? She had an image of herself sprawled in the mud in front of a laughing Ramil.

"I'll take the leading rein," explained the Prince. "All you have to do is stay in the saddle."

Ramil leapt onto his own mount and urged the stallion forward in a stately walk. The two horses made their way through the crowd of spectators that had gathered in the courtyard. Tashi kept her eyes lowered, trying to ignore the good-humored cheers and whistles of the stable boys. Ramil glanced sideways at his guest. It was impossible to know what she was thinking: her white face was blank of expression. She was like one of Briony's porcelain dolls. Fragile. Cold. He wondered what he would have to do to get a smile from her.

Ramil kicked Leap to go a bit faster and they began to trot down the paved street leading to the gate. Now he got a reaction. She had bitten her bottom lip, face furrowed in concentration.

"The Royal Forest is very beautiful, even at this time

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of year, Your Highness," Ramil said, trying to make conversation.

Tashi did not reply. She was trying to work out how to stay on and was not listening.

"Perhaps Your Highness would like to go a little faster?" Ramil asked slyly.

Still nothing. They'd reached the sweep of parkland that led to the eaves of the forest. Ramil had been shut inside for months. The temptation was too great.

"As you wish, Your Highness." He urged Leap into a gal op. The Princess gasped and clutched the pommel of her saddle as Whisper followed. She looked terrified, or was it just that ridiculous face paint?

"Don't you love the speed?" Ramil called over his shoulder.

They crossed the meadow and passed under the trees.

"Stop! I order you to stop!" called the Princess. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the saddle; she was sliding all over the horse's back with no conception of how to stay on.

Ramil threw back his head and laughed. He couldn't imagine anyone not enjoying a fast gallop across country. "If we are to be married, you must learn not to order me around. I don't like it. Let yourself go for once, Princess.

Enjoy yourself!"

He spurred the horses on. Branches seemed to reach out and grab Tashi.

She was convinced now that this mad boy was trying to kill her. But it was no time to stand on her dignity. She had to end this before she broke her neck.

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"Please, Prince Ramil, please stop!" she screamed.

Immediately, Ramil slowed the horses to a gentle walk, then a full stop. He knew he'd gone too far. It was the poor girl's first time in the saddle: he should never have scared her like that. He cursed himself for being a hard-hearted idiot. Then he heard something slither to the ground. The Princess was standing on the forest floor, trying to unhook her skirts from the saddle where they had become entangled. Ramil dismounted to help her.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying not to laugh at the absurd sight of the prim Princess fighting her own robes. "I'm not normally like this. I've just been shut up for so long in the castle and I--" He stopped. The girl was actually crying. He'd wanted a response--insults, laughter, something human--but he hadn't wanted this.

Now that she was back on the ground, Tashi's self-control had crumbled.

The one thing she'd been looking forward to in this hellish place had been turned into a nightmare.

"I hate you. I hate Gerfal. I hate everything about this place." Tashi sobbed, ripping her underskirt to free it. "You don't have to worry about how I'll treat you after our marriage, because the alliance is off. I'm going home."

She started to stride away, heading in completely the wrong direction, deeper into the forest.

"Princess! No!" Ramil ran to her side and seized her arm.

"Let go of me, you barbarian." Black stains of kohl ran down her cheeks. She looked quite wild.

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He let go, hands held up in surrender. "All right, all right! I was only trying to tell you that you are going the wrong way. The castle's over there."

With as much dignity as she could muster, Tashi swept round. Ramil watched until she was out of sight, torn as to what he should do. He had got his desire: the marriage was cancelled; but he knew he had behaved very badly. He would never have dreamed of treating an ordinary Gerfalian girl like that. He thumped his head on the saddle, making Leap start. What about Gerfal and the alliance? He should go after her and this time make his apology sincere.

"Princess, Princess, wait!" He caught up Whisper's trailing reins, remounted Leap, and urged the horses after her. She couldn't have gone far on foot.

Suddenly, a net fell from the branches on top of him. Ramil struggled to free himself, but felt the net tighten. He was yanked from the saddle, falling to the ground with a thud. He could do nothing. This was supposed to have been a romantic excursion so he carried no weapons, not even a knife. The net pressed his arms to his waist. Was this the Princess's revenge for his behavior? Had some of her men followed them and decided to teach him a lesson?

"Put him in the cart," growled a deep voice somewhere behind him. Ramil was dragged along the ground, then heaved into a cart, a canvas thrown over the top of him. He shouted for help, but felt a sword point at his throat.

"Make another sound and I regret I'll have to cut

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your tongue out," the man hissed. He gave Ramil's cheek a shallow cut with the blade. "There's a reminder for you."

The cart heaved into motion, heading into the forest.

It was dark when the canvas was taken off Ramil and he was removed from the cart. From the network of branches overhead, Ramil saw that he was still in the forest, somewhere far in, he guessed, as nothing looked familiar. A circle of wagons was drawn up around a campfire. He had expected a gathering of grinning Crescent sailors, prepared to remind him of his manners to their ruler; what he had not expected was a bunch of circus performers, travelling with their entourage of animals.

"What the--" he began.

He received an elbow in the stomach, cutting off further protests.

"Be quiet!" growled the strong man, the size of a troll from one of the Gerfalian folk tales. He gripped Ramil by the scruff of his neck. "And get in there, lad."

He shoved the Prince into a foul-smelling, high-sided wagon. Ramil lay on his back in the straw at a loss to explain what was happening. The daring of these circus people was breathtaking. They'd abducted a member of the royal family not a mile from the castle. How could they expect to get away undetected? They'd be hanged from the battlements when the King's guard caught up with them.

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As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized he wasn't alone. A girl in a white nightdress was hunched in the shadows in one corner, her eyes wide with fear, but she wasn't looking at him. Cautiously, Ramil turned his head and realized that he was sprawled not five feet from a snow tiger. Ramil stifled his urge to yell. Fortunately, the beast was occupied by a large haunch of venison, doubtless poached from the Royal Forest, and had not yet considered the newcomers as dessert. Ramil picked himself up on his hands and knees and crawled towards the girl.

"Well, this is interesting," he said lightly, trying to act as if this was an everyday situation for him. He owed it to one of his subjects to at least play the part of prince.

The girl hugged her arms to her sides but said nothing. Ramil looked at her more closely. There were signs that she had been roughly handled: her face was scratched and her wrists bruised. He felt indignant for her. How dare these criminals ill-treat a Gerfalian girl! There were strong laws against such behavior.

"Don't worry, miss, I'll think of something to get us out of here. If they've harmed you in any way, I'll make sure they are brought to justice." He reached out to reassure her but she flinched away. He decided to put it down to her natural suspicion. "It's all right. I'm Prince Ramil. They probably don't realize who they've kidnapped. I'll make sure my men rescue you too when they come for me."

She still said nothing.

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"I suppose our first problem is what to do about him." He nodded over at the tiger.

"It's chained." The girl broke her silence but her accent was funny, not Gerfalian at all.

He stared at her. No robes; no face paint. It couldn't be--

"Do I have you to thank for this, Prince Ramil, for a further assault on my dignity?" the Fourth Crown Princess asked bitterly. "Even for you, this goes beyond ill manners. It is an outright declaration of war. You have your men bind me, strip me of my robes, my veil, throw water over me, and lock me up with a tiger!" She sounded near hysterical. "Did you find out that I had informed my sisters of my intention to return home? Did you have my messages intercepted too? Is this some kind of punishment?"

Tashi swallowed a sob. She knew better than to expect any consideration from this evil boy. He probably thought this saving-the-Princess-from-the-tiger would rescue the alliance, but she was not fooled. She'd spent the last few hours in a cage with a hungry cat, albeit one chained at the far end: she would never forgive him.

"But I thought ... I thought it was you and your people who had ambushed me!" protested Ramil. He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. "But if not you, then who?"

The Princess turned her back on him. Ramil retreated to the corner nearest the door, watching her shoulders heaving as she wept silently. There was something terrible in the sight. He suddenly understood how the

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past few days must seem to her--a foreign country, insults, and now this. She was still his responsibility because she'd been kidnapped on Gerfalian land, a place where she had every right to expect protection and respect. Even if he disliked their culture, he had learned how important the ceremonial robes and trappings were to the Crescent people; and here she was stuck in a cage like a wild beast, wearing only a thin, plain dress. It was all wrong for her to look like a plucked peacock.

BOOK: Dragonfly
13.44Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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