Unconquered Sun (21 page)

- Oh, Creator, real lifting gate, real chain armors, real helmets and halberds!. Just as in the fairy tale! - also clapped the hands from delight as the little girl. - It is a pity, I with myself did not take the memorable crystal! So would keep something for memory …

- Yes, here all present, - prince Gaston confirmed. - Kronburg and Avalon - the only cities of the Commonwealth which remained almost without changes. We had both ancient fortifications, and drawbridges, and an armor, and swords … All present. Ancient traditions are observed at us sacredly. By the way, fairies even included two of these cities in the Red List of monuments of cultural heritage of Tselestiya, there they were given the status of "cities museums", - the prince again bitterly grinned. - Now we became a live relic which is subject to preservation EVEN under laws of Community of fairies as the dried butterfly under glass.

Meanwhile the train moved already on the main city street. It was same, as at Rikkareda - the eldest son of the king Roland Drevnego, the become first crown prince of the kingdom for the sake of which, actually, and constructed Kronburg. The narrow curve small street paved by the real stone with narrow sidewalks. Square lodges with a red tile roof and pipes from a multi-colored brick. Accurate bright platbands and flowers in pots, on each window sill - different.

The fairy was all eyes on this ancient modest beauty. But not only it.

It also became a subject of general curiosity. Women in caps and multi-colored silk scarfs, in long skirts and not really; men in the jackets fastened in the archaic way - by means of laces - and the same trousers, in wooden or leather boots and hats with feathers, stopped in the middle of the street and were all eyes on the passing Fairy and even showed on it fingers.

Women, of course, right there began to condemn her - what indecently short tunic, a flowing hair - as it is possible! What obscenity! Where the crown prince looks?! Men, on the contrary, noted brilliant beauty of the guest - such beauty what light did not see before! Here to us such queen!

The crowd gathered such that could not simply be passed. It was necessary to do to city guards "road" by halberds, and even fists that the train could pass freely.

"Yes, now about any incognito out of the question, - the Fairy sadly thought, having had a snack on a sponge, - and all because of my foolish game in "the great lady" … However, the case for such game drops out not every day! Yes, perhaps, will also carry by. Even "STING" not often favors the human cities checks, and therefore Kronburga will be able to learn about my visit not at once".

Meanwhile the procession passed the main street and directly rose to the lock of the prince which was settling down in the downtown. The lock was separated from it by the quite high wall from gray monolithic stone blocks. It had the separate gate and a drawbridge, the guards and the banner on a flagstaff of the main tower.

And then they drove in a courtyard of the lock and numerous servants in liveries of white-red color right there ran up to horses. Prince Gaston easily jumped out of a saddle and dexterously lowered the Fairy on the earth, having taken it one hand for thallium, and another - for legs then led the beautiful guest in the halls.

The puppy had to jump off most. He somersaulted headfirst and nearly got under hoofs of a horse. (Slava Sozdatelyu, that the head - plush - is not sick-). And then quickly ran for the hostess: "it is impossible to leave its one in paws of it zveroubiyets!" The kitten remained to guard baggage of the Fairy - "we know these people! Then a floor of things you will not get! As gold all poraskhvatal, grabbers!"

Having entered the lock, the prince right there asked:

- The bath for the lady is ready? Dinner?

- Yes, your Highness, the messenger warned us. The dinner will be in half an hour.

- It is good. So, the lady, a bath is ready. You, probably, got tired from the trip?

- I thank, your Highness, you are very kind. It will just not prevent me …

The bath in the lock was not worse, than in Fane a lodge. Wooden, from the pine boards smelling of fragrant pitch, hot with fragrant coniferous water - it is a pleasure! And brooms were good there - birch. Moreover with the whole bucket of ice kvass which could be poured on the heated stones, for a smell and heat than the Fairy loving a bath more hotly willingly used.

It reminded her happy years of family life with Prinze when she liked to play a trick on him so: - and - ak will set to kvass on stones! And Prinze, on the contrary, did not transfer a big heat. Will redden as tomato and was will want "to fade" under a specious excuse, but the Fairy already manages to lock bath doors a spell, and then takes a broom more rigidly and let's it soar! The prince so ridiculously blinked, just like a kitten, - it the show fairly amused the Fairy so she laughed to tears.

However, once she too was fond of this entertainment. To the prince then it became bad - after all he is only a person! - and then in general fainted. It was necessary to call the Kitten urgently. Nasilu then pumped out …

The truth and Prinze is good too! As will begin it to beat with a broom and so that just the spirit goes out! Once the Fairy even thought that it specially so mutuzit her, in revenge for her jokes with a bath temperature. But she bore all silently - the fairy under no circumstances cannot show before the husband of the weaknesses. It only consoled itself in thought that when
it
begins it to soar, to it definitely not to be become stronger! And, by the way, helped! After couple of such scoldings Prinze did not risk to use excessive force … "Yes any more - and - and-and, cheerfully we lived with Prinze all these years … - the Fairy sadly thought. - And I just now understand that we were simply created for each other …"

From these pleasant memories the Fairy was awakened by the Kitten who came running with feiny pink soap accessories (she could not wash the gentle skin with human means!) - basts, spirits, cosmetics, clothes and other female features. What it without it would do! The kitten also helped the Fairy to be washed and take a steam bath properly, however, too somehow softly, shchadyashche, so the Fairy again with nostalgia remembered Prinze's "scoldings" and sadly sighed. "Here Prinze will return, - the Fairy thought, - first of all we will go to a bath and there I will ask to beat him me with brooms as earlier! And to kvass I will pour less, and that will die still, the poor creature …"

While the Fairy took a steam bath in a bath, the Puppy jealously checked her future bedroom and table layout, taught servants how it is necessary to handle her Highness. "She is Prinze's wife too, - the Puppy important spoke, - and, by the way, the prince it is better than yours, it precisely!"

And after a bath she dressed a new dress, having replaced a uniform blue tunic with the thin, fitting overalls from white silk which are not hiding from public eyes of any part of her beautiful body. The kitten braided it hair to the spit, having decorated it with a set of the gold and silver threads poured by all flowers of a rainbow even in the dark. On a neck put on a pearl necklace - Prinze's gift a wedding anniversary. It he won a necklace against mermaids, swimming with them competing in speed, about three years ago. However, a rate from its party was 1000 kisses. The fairy, having learned about it at mermaids, flew into a rage and did not want to accept at first the gift won by such price, but … as always forgave. In addition it sprayed itself from legs to the head pink spirits so, smelling sweet as the real royal garden, it was simply irresistible.

Court ladies at court of the prince just burst with envy and right there about themselves called her "witch" and "libertine". On the contrary, all male noblemen - and them gathered not less than fifty - just devoured it with eyes. Prince Gaston, having convulsively swallowed saliva, quickly rose and approached the guest, having easily discharged the Animals standing on each side. Then, having taken by hand, led it to the place near the throne. All gentlemen and court ladies at the sight of the high guest got up and prudishly bowed.

The prince managed to accept a bathroom too. It was dressed ceremonial clothes: snow-white short pricks, the same color the drawers which are densely sitting standing to knees, shoes made of cloth, on ancient fashion with the long noses bent slightly up, a short raincoat to a belt, and on one side at it the long, but easy ceremonial sword in the silver sheath shining, decorated with a scattering of small diamonds flaunted.

When the Fairy sat on a high and easy chair at the head of a table, also the prince, and afterwards - and all court sat down. Faithful Animals got up behind the hostess, ready in everything to do a favor the Fairy. "These so clumsy vast objects, they cannot be trusted precisely!" They gave to the madam all dishes, vessels for washing of hands and a napkin, and also devices.

Having taken the place, the Fairy could examine, at last, more attentively the room in which she appeared. Generally, everything was as in fairy tales.

To her look the huge stone hall with a huge fireplace on the party, nearest to a table, opened. Probably, it was constructed till an era of the Order and Prosperity when in the inhabited Tselestiya's part still there were winters. Now it played a role of a museum piece rather - and so was hot that still to heat it. The high lancet windows on walls decorated with the real stained-glass windows, getting through which the sunlight scattered color spots of sunlight on a floor and walls. It did in general gloomy gray walls cozier.

All walls were bequeathed gobelins. Both gobelins, and stained-glass windows were on the same subjects: here knights fight with dragons, here - with volkolaka, here - with spiders, and here - and among themselves … And here, for example, hunting with hounds, here and tournament … Generally, usual knightly plots of Dark centuries. Also walls decorated statues in various knightly armor, and also effigies of volkolak and some other monsters, some - quite fresh.

The fairy with curiosity looked at an effigy whose skin still did not fade at all. On a breast it had section directly with heart.

Prince Gaston, having caught her eye, I was glad to the arisen occasion to keep up the conversation:

- It I struck in the Limit zone, right in the heart several months ago … I periodically there go to hunt with volunteers from my group. Unfortunately, I cannot take all, fairies allow armed to move groups no more, than in twenty people … - the Prince grew dark again and in sharp blow thrust a fork in carcass of the fried boar watered with tomato sauce.

The fairy with disgust looked at fried meat and wrinkled a nose, but told nothing. People were allowed to eat meat under the Contract on Guardianship, however, not in all days (such days people for fun nicknamed "fast" - they covered nearly a half of days in a year). And, besides, is it was possible not all animals: it was impossible to touch young females and cubs, it was impossible to eat also fish caviar and eggs of wild birds. Females and eggs - for reproduction, and cubs - from humanity. Today was, unfortunately for the Fairy, just "meat" day.

- I do not understand, Gaston, - it is possible, I on "you"? We have at fairies a democracy, and therefore we did not get used to loud titles … - the Fairy accurately sent herself to a mouth a small piece of the banana cut by the Kitten and washed down it with a small draft of the red wine which is strongly diluted by the Puppy. - What are you, actually, dissatisfied with? - the Fairy inflated sponges. - We relieved you of monsters and wars, destroyed all harmful diseases, forever eliminated hunger threat, prolonged to you life term twice, and you keep youth almost until the end of life … Generally, gave you the Order and Prosperity in everything …

- … But took away from us at the same time the most important.

- And what?

- Freedom … - with bitterness Gaston answered. - Freedom … - at these words in his courageous, almost black eyes fire of some pensiveness and a neotmirnost for the first time appeared and it surprisingly reminded it her Prinze …

"Creator! - the Fairy thought - they are so similar … as like as two peas … If Gaston would be not such brawny, and, on the contrary, shchuplovaty if he had not dark hair and eyes, but light and blue if it had always the same pensive expression as now, he would be the poured-out Prinze!"

Here her look fell to a medallion on his neck - a letter "A" with the crown covered with diamonds.

- … Well-at-at-at, freedom - a loose concept, - meanwhile continued conversation the Fairy, having sent itself to a mouth one more piece of banana. - I here, for example, spent five thousand years on one place on the duty station - and only once during this time left it (apart from, of course, office trips on a meeting of Council) when I went for my wounded husband to hospital about three years ago.

- In what hospital?

- On the big island in miles of thirty from Avalon. There took place knightly tournament in which it took part and got two changes … Oh, if the one who with it made it only got to me, I to it would make two tens changes! - and eyes of the Fairy angrily sparkled and she so strongly stuck a fork into one of segments of the orange cut by the Kitten that splashes of orange juice scattered far in the parties.

- Husband of the fairy? On tournament? Never would believe! - puzzly Gaston exclaimed. - They except as flowers to collect and to spin wreaths, after yours - he pointed a finger upward - Schools of pages are not capable of anything!

- My husband did not graduate from School of pages. He is a person and, by the way, the prince - is not worse than you! - with insult the Fairy said and threateningly looked at Gaston.