The Princess Who Rode on a Mule (6 page)

King
Charles and Queen Justine were much confounded by their daughter. They
sometimes thought her mad and pitied her, and sometimes thought her willful and
condemned her.

“Something
must be done,” said the Queen at last. “’Tis February, a month as changeable as
‘tis short. Last night ‘twas raining, but now the sun doth shine. Dull Winter
passeth away, and all at Court rejoice, save Anne. Her countenance hath grown
harsh with melancholy, and I mislike to see it….There is an Abbey in the North,
methinks.”

“Aye,”
said her husband. “’Tis called Wilgefortis.”

“Let us
send her hence, that the good nuns may keep her until such time as she is
restored to good humor.”

“Nay. Let
her bide here yet awhile. Yestermorn, I had a letter from the King of Bevoire. He
would have us receive his eldest son for tutelage in the art of government. I
shall write forthwith to convey my assent. The youth, I’ve heard, is of an age
to wed. ‘Twould be a good match for Anne.”

“We
shall see,” said her Majesty. “Yon peevish miss hath ever declined to receive
suitors.”

As it
happened, however, the Prince of Bevoire never came to Court. His ship had
docked safely in Sidslund, but in the course of journeying from thence to
Glerny, he had stopped in Millaghise and been caught up in the celebrations
honoring the birth of Crown Prince Ranulf. It appeared from his message that he
greatly enjoyed the festivities and intended to remain in Millaghise
indefinitely.

“A
paltry youth,” said the King, with some choler. “When next I seek a bridegroom,
I shall look closer to home.”

“’Tis
no matter,” said his wife. “She would not have accepted him in any case. May we
not send her to the nuns? E’en Guy turns from his sister. This morn he called
her ‘plague’ and ‘harpy.’”

“Didst
thou rebuke him?”

“Aye,
most severely, but his elfin smile won my forgiveness ere my speech was done. In
faith, he is a handsome lad, with his golden curls.”

Princess
Anne was dark, not fair. Even her skin was of a dusky hue not commonly seen at
Court. ‘Twas said that she favored the old Queen, his Majesty’s mother, who had
come to Glerny from the sunny, far-off land of Carbano.

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