Authors: Kate Coombs

The Runaway Princess (18 page)

BOOK: The Runaway Princess

7.78Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

ads

He spun around. One of Dock's boys greeted him with a grin. “Very,” Nort managed to say. He walked on, and the boy followed.

“Been a regular rash of invisibility in town. Startin' with Lady Darlton-Stanleyshell's fancy clothes in the middle of the market.”

Nort laughed.

They walked farther. The boy, who offered his name as Jess, also described an elaborate theft involving turning a gold necklace invisible.

“Problem is, nobody wants to buy invisible gold,” Jess said morosely.

Nort tried not to laugh again.

“So what are you doin'?” the boy asked. “I seen you goin' up and down awhile now.”

“I'm trying to find that wizard.” Nort didn't ask for help, afraid Jess would want some extravagant kind of payment.

Sure enough: “You wouldn't know where my friend could get any more of that invisibility juice, would you? Or,” Jess said thoughtfully, “somethin' to make a gold necklace visible?”

“Sorry.”

They passed another invisible house.

“Why did he do all this?” Nort asked.

“It's a regular lark eatin' the best invisible food an' swipin' trinkets while a bunch of rich folks run around shriekin' about the curse of Great-Aunt Lily's ghost what left them all their money,” Jess observed.

“Ah.”

“So why're you after the wizard now? Where's your mistress?”

Nort sighed. “I've lost her. I was hoping the wizard would help me find her.”

“I might show you the wizard's house, if the price was right,” Jess said.

“I don't have any magic bottles.”

“Dock was real taken with that witch girl,” Jess told him. “What
have
you got?”

Nort jingled the rest of his coins.

“Why din't you say so? Come on.”

DILLY NEARLY GOT KNOCKED OFF THE HORSE by low-hanging branches more than once as she rode through the woods, but somehow she stayed on, and eventually she came trotting across the meadow to the stables. She jumped down, tossed the reins to a startled groom, and ran into the castle.

The fourth-floor housekeeper tried to stop her. “Dilly, where have you been?”

Dilly shook Sterga's hand off and raced up the stairs, calling back, “Queen's business!”

Finally she reached the queen's chambers and banged on the door. Then Maude wouldn't let her in. Dilly argued for ten precious minutes before she found out the queen wasn't even there.

After that Sterga
insisted
on talking with her, or rather at her, and Dilly nearly lost her position. Sterga didn't believe the queen had asked Dilly for a single thing. By the time Dilly had apologized enough to please the
woman, the castle was already buzzing with the news that Vantor had won the contest. Dilly followed the others to the throne room. Hanak made the castle servants wait out in the hallway, but he left the doors open so they could hear the proceedings.

Bain's manservant was lurking outside the throne room doors, Dilly noted with distaste. When he saw her looking at him, he wandered down the hall into the king's library. “As if he would read a book,” Dilly muttered.

Nort followed the boy through a maze of streets.

“This isn't the same house,” Nort said at last, staring up at the six brass columns and black velvet door.

“He changes the look of it every few days,” Jess explained. “We pass by here regular just to see what he's done.”

Nort handed the coins over gratefully. He would never have found the house again without the boy's help.

Jess disappeared into the streets as Nort pounded on the wizard's door. “Lex! Hey, let me in! Please? It's Nort!”

The door creaked open. But no apples appeared, and Nort didn't know which way to go. The door shut behind him. “Meg's in trouble,” he called. “We need your help!”

“Really? What happened?” Lex's disembodied voice asked. With a popping sound, the young wizard appeared, wearing black pajamas decorated with drops of blood that actually trickled.

“She never came back!” Nort exclaimed. “I don't know if she found Cam or not, or got lost or hurt or caught orâ”

“Come along,” Lex said. “You can tell me over hot chocolate.”

“There's no time!”

Lex turned around. “There is
always
time for hot chocolate,” he said severely.

Nort closed his mouth and followed the wizard.

Nort had to admit his head seemed clearer once he was sitting down sipping a great steaming mug of chocolate.

Meanwhile, Lex called his three sparks to give them instructions. Soon they were gone again.

“Now,” said the wizard. “Tell me everything you know.”

Nort explained about Bain and the pondâ

“You had to pretend you were Dilly's boyfriend?” Lex asked with interest. “Was it fun?”

“No.” Nort told Lex about Meg and the horse.

“A lively one, you say,” the wizard remarked. “Go on.”

“That's all,” Nort said. “I went after her, but they caught me and put me in the dungeons. Then the queen let me out. Now Dilly's gone to ask the witch for help, and Iâ”

“You've come to me,” Lex said sagely.

Nort nodded.

Meg moved along the passageways of the castle with the bandits as if in a dream. Any moment someone will recognize me, she thought. But no one did. She looked down at her hands. They were grimy and tan. Her dress was tattered and muddy and limp. She supposed her face must be just as bad.

They stopped outside the throne room, where a throng of servants watched them curiously. Meg had a single glimpse of Dilly's worried face. With a final shuffling of prisoners, Meg and the Bandit Queen were dragged into the throne room behind Vantor. Meg looked over her shoulder. The other bandits stood in a bunch at the back of the room.

The sides of the throne room were lined with weary princes, along with a contingent of Hanak's men and various nobles of the court.

“Sire,” Vantor said, sweeping a low bow.

“You may approach us,” King Stromgard told the prince.

Vantor's group moved forward. “Today I bring much of what you have asked for,” Vantor announced, “hoping to prove myself your heir.”

“Well, what have you got?” asked the king.

Vantor signaled to Bear. “First, I have slain the dragon, and I here present you with its bones.” The whispering of the spectators grew louder as Vantor's men brought the gleaming bones forward and laid them on the floor before the royal thrones. The prime minister
stepped closer to get a better look. He seemed daffily pleased by this turn of events.

“Very nice,” King Stromgard said, leaning forward on his throne.

Meg bit her lip, forcing herself to wait for the right moment. She caught sight of Prince Bain at the front of the room and glowered, but he didn't notice.

“Second,” Vantor proclaimed, “I have captured the bandits. This woman is their leader.” The prince motioned to Beaknose, and the man pushed the Bandit Queen forward, shoving her to her knees in front of the king and queen. “There you see the rest of her band,” Vantor added, indicating the huddle of prisoners behind him.

“Even children?” Queen Istilda murmured.

“And this,” Vantor proclaimed, “is the witch.” He grabbed Meg by the arm, pulling her to stand beside him.

“She's rather young,” the king observed. But his wife was gaping at Meg, her eyes wide.

“Dear,” she said faintly, “that's our daughter.”

The king leaned forward on his throne.
“Margaret?”

“Yes, Father?” Meg replied.

Vantor dropped his hand from Meg's arm and turned to look at her, utterly astonished. He frantically faced the royal thrones, where he was assailed by Queen Istilda's coldest expression. Prince Bain
grinned nearby. He caught Meg's eye and winked. Beside Meg, the Bandit Queen snickered. “Well done,” Alya whispered.

“Majesties,” Vantor sputtered, “the girl didn'tâ” He recovered. “What I meant to say, of course, is that I have rescued your daughter, who, far from being a witch, has obviously been bewitched.”

“Margaret?” the king said again. “What has happened?”

Meg opened her mouth to explain, but Vantor spoke before she could begin. “Furthermore, since I found the princess in the clutches of the bandits, it is clear they've been working with the witch to foil you.”

“Foil me?” the king asked. “How do you mean, young man?”

Vantor waved his hand. “To ruin your wondrous competition, of course.”

Prince Bain stepped forward. “Your Majesty, if I may make a statement â¦”

“You may.”

“While I have the greatest respect for Prince Vantor, I must question the condition of these bones, which appear to have suffered the ravages of time, being much more dry and polished than one would expect from a recent kill.”

Vantor's face darkened. “You bring nothing to this room but false accusations! Has churlish envy stolen your manners?”

Bain went on as if Vantor had not spoken. “And
those peasantsâthey seem like humble folk to me. How do we know they are truly bandits?”

“Because
this
oneâ” Vantor began, pointing at the Bandit Queen. He caught himself.

“Yes?” Bain asked silkily.

“This one robbed me on the mountainside three days ago,” Vantor hissed.

King Stromgard laughed. “And now you have turned the tables. No need to be ashamed, lad. The whole castle's been talking about your unfortunate encounter.”

“There's even a lute ballad,” the prime minister piped up, but he quieted again at a look from the king.

“What did she steal?” Bain asked.

Vantor flushed. “My horse,” he said. “And a sword my father gave me.”

“That's not all!” Meg cried, unable to restrain herself any longer. “You stole all of the dragon's gold, and then the bandits stole it from you, and then you stole it back!”

The king frowned. “Now, Margaret, you mustn't go telling tales on this heroic young man. He did just rescue you.

Meg's jaw dropped. “He did not! He thought I was a bandit, and a witch, and a horse thief!”

“Horse thief?” the queen asked.

“I suspect the princess can shed a great deal of light on my fellow contestant's claims,” Bain said.

“Your Majesties,” Vantor inserted quickly, “I confess the young lady's condition puzzled me, but I didn't wish to upset her delicate mental state.”

“Delicate
what
?” Meg repeated, outraged.

“Here,” Vantor continued in his rich voice, “is your daughter, delivered safely into your arms. Here are the bandits, and the dragon's bones, and”âhe shot Bain an awful lookâ“the treasure.”

From the back of the room, four of Vantor's men triumphantly produced a carved wooden chest. They carried it forward and opened it before the monarchs, displaying jewels and coins and goblets. Everyone in the room craned their necks to see. The king brightened.

Vantor seized the moment. “I will shortly pursue the witch, particularly in the hope that she may restore the princess to her usual gracious and regal self.” Vantor took Meg's arm again. The gesture may have appeared fond this time, but the prince's fingers pressed tightly, silently threatening.

The king nodded. “Well, everything does seem to be in order.”

“One chest?” Bain asked, taking another step forward. “I confess I cannot believe a dragon that size (however long dead and desiccated) could manage to collect only a single chest of treasure during its two hundred or more years of existence.”

The king tilted his head, considering. “It is a bit odd.”

“Treasure's treasure,” the prime minister said, ogling the gold.

But Vantor had put his hand on his sword hilt and
stepped toward Bain. “Foul prince! I'll meet you on the dueling field to defend my honor!”

Bain drew his sword. “Who needs a field?” he said easily.

“Oooh,” some thirty ladies of the court gasped at once.

Vantor leaped at Bain, slashing hard, but Bain parried and slipped aside. Vantor followed him through the room, and they dueled madly. The crowd drew back.

“Here now,” said King Stromgard. “Stop that at once!”

Vantor was beyond listening, charging after Bain with a vengeance. Bain defended himself elegantly, even drawing a dagger in his other hand to defend his left flank. The two princes danced right around the prisoners. Bain almost lost his balance, dropping the dagger near Alya's feet. He spun free of Meg and her companion, attacking Vantor with a flurry of thrusts that drove the prince toward the back of the room. The guards were as riveted by the fight as everyone else.

Only Meg saw the Bandit Queen crouch quickly to retrieve the fallen dagger. Only Meg saw Alya cut her hands free of the bonds that held her. As the fight circled through the room, the crowd shifted around Meg and the Bandit Queen. With a quick smile, Alya slipped a silver chain from her neck and dropped it over Meg's head.

Meg didn't have time to say thank you, watching the bandit slither between brocade-clad courtiers. A scuffle
broke out near the door. It took a few moments for the court to notice that another fight had begun, this one among the prisoners.

Vantor, who was rapidly losing ground, glanced back. “Bain,” he said, panting. “The bandits are getting loose.”

Bain looked up. “Are they?” He reached out to the nobleman nearest him to relieve him of his sword. “Very good.” Bain threw the second sword in a high arc across the room. Even people well out of range of the blade ducked. “Sister!” Bain called, and a slim hand reached out of the fray to catch the hilt.

Then Bain himself slipped into the panicking crowd.

“Bain!” Vantor roared, diving after him.

Hanak's men finally moved. The nearest princes caught on and rushed to join them. A few of the noblemen followed suit, while the rest of the courtiers tried their best to stay out of the way.

“Did you see that, dear?” Queen Istilda remarked.

The king had stood up and was trying to look through the crowd. “Not precisely.”

BOOK: The Runaway Princess

7.78Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

Read Book Download Book

ads