Unconquered Sun (95 page)

- And well, children, shoo, do not prevent the father to eat normally!

Children from it were not upset especially as their stools settled down near parental.

- Mother, mother, mummy, and I learned fifteen new spells! - the girl bragged. - And I am already able to read silently and I write almost without mistakes!

- What you at me the clear head, the daughter! - the Fairy threw up the hands, imposing on plates together with Animals the second. - Well, Oslenok, well, well done!

Oslenok was confused and muttered something enough. And Prinze tenderly patted the daughter on a head and asked:

- And at you, the sonny, what progress?

- And I … and I … and I …

- And you at me wrote off everything! - the sister "handed over" it and again put out the tongue.

The little son reddened, but the Fairy having right there darted a severe look at the daughter, patted the boy on the back and gently provorkovat:

- Well, nothing, we will a little work with you, and you too at me will write not worse than the little sister, the truth?

- Mother, I do not want to study, I do not want! I with the folder on the wood will walk also with the Puppy, not hochu-u-u-u-u!!! - also began to beat with a spoon a table in protest.

The prince anxiously looked at the son, and his face accepted that, alien for Prinze again earlier, "serious" expression which frightened the Fairy a little. The fairy darted a restless eye at Prinze and strictly answered the little son:

- No, you will study! I with you will sit and teach you, understood? And in general, I will lock you in the room, and at me only you will read books! On windows I will put spells! But you will not study, you will sit without lunch there!

Distorted the prince. It seemed to it something painfully familiar. Electrotherapy, a ship cabin, a hoop, Islands Blissful, the Teacher was remembered …

- Well, why you so, expensive? It is not necessary … - said Prinze in low tones, took the little son on hands and sat down with him on the place. - We with you will go on the wood, to compose fairy tales, and then we will write down them together, well? I you will teach to talk to trees and small animals, but you at the same time should learn some spells - differently as you will understand their language?

The little son nodded in agreement light as the dandelion, a head and calmed down.

The fairy quietly sat down on the place, and the dinner went the turn. Having drunk on a glass of wine from pink dandelions, the fairy took a lute and began to sing the song on new verses which were composed by Oslenok. And it became good and pleasant to all at heart, the Fairy had such gentle, such melodious voice which is ideally suited under a lute, and she was able to play very well.

Children, having forgotten about quarrels, and Animals - about ware, began to listen to it attentively.

In the song it was sung about the legendary founder of Avalon - the knight Roland. During that era there were no fairies yet, and people lived in darkness of ignorance, surrounded everywhere with terrible monsters - dragons, vampires, volkolaka, huge, with a bull, carnivorous spiders, snakes and other monsters who then were absolutely exterminated by legions of fairies led by Triune Knowledge.

The knight Roland, it was sung in the song, created the group, the same courageous and impudent young men as it, trained them in fight and created an award of the knights who set to itself(himself) the object to destroy monsters, to care for weak and to protect women. They created unapproachable fortress on the island of Avalon and began to do sorties from there, making the nice feats.

Roland managed to battle against an artful dragon Hmagom - a thunder-storm of those lands - and to make of his scales to itself an impenetrable armor, and to impregnate it with poison arrows and an edge of the blade. It was the great soldier. And for his merits knights chose him as the king, and his children from the princess whom it released from paws of a dragon, became his successors.

Roland liked to arrange tournaments and feasts, was a big fan of epic poems and ballads. But once, on a feast, executing at the request of knights and ladies, smart exercises with a sword it was cut with the poisoned blade and in the same evening died.

About this tragedy the Fairy also sang, and children it is bewitched listened to mother - earlier she before them did not sing such songs. It is more and more fairy tale about animals and about birdies who Prinze composed.

And Prinze could not believe the ears - he in general for the first time heard a story about Roland - history of that remote era nicknamed Dark Centuries, he simply did not know. Ah and, something about it was told to it then by Lily … And it grew dark.

- Mother, mummy, what interesting fairy tale! - cried at the top of the voice, clapping, the little son when the song came to an end. - Mother, and it will be possible I as Roland, I want to be such too! The father, and you can make to me the same onions as at it and a sword too? And let's play Roland and his knights in the wood, the father! Let's call other boys to play with us! - the boy began to wail. He embraced chubby hands Prinze's neck.

- Well, of course, the sonny, we will surely play Roland, only without sword and onions - we will not kill anybody, the truth? - with alarm in a voice Prinze answered.

- And I want with a sword and onions, the father! I want, I want, I want, I want!!! - and, having jumped off from knees, rose in the middle of a verandah, zatopat legs, being going to go into the next hysterics.

The prince frowned, and the Fairy ran up to console the kid.

- Mother, mother, mummy! - the little sister began to wail following. - And why these swords and onions are necessary? What is it? Mummy and why our father kills nobody? And why it has no sword and onions? And unless people are able to kill dragons? And where there live dragons? And I want to kill them too, I am a fairy! And I want to see Avalon, I want, I want, I want, I want!!!

The fairy only consoled the son as right there it was necessary to calm also the daughter:

- We will surely go to Avalon, surely … There are no dragons now, they died out therefore your father and has neither sword, nor onions … People kill nobody and too, the daughter … Now other time, then was everything in a different way … When you become the adult fairy, you will protect weak too …

- Both I, and I, and I want to Avalon too! - the boy inserted. - I want a sword all the same and onions too, they can appear again! Mummy, well tell the father that he bought him to me!

- More quietly, more quietly, more quietly, children, silence! You, I see, were tired, and well - to be put to bed! About Avalon will be tomorrow, and swords and onions - before birthday, not earlier! And well - who the first will reach a bed, that goes to bathe with the father on the small river tomorrow and to boat, and then will go to a fair!

Children stridently screeched and rushed competing in speed in a bedroom. And again the first the girl came running … Though, of course, on the small river and on a fair the Prince will take both.

Oslenok went to train them for a dream, the Kitten and the Puppy remained to clear the table, and Prinze and the Fairy went to their favourite hilly river bank which grew with willows - there where they spent evenings together when they only got acquainted.

They sat and were silent, full grudya inhaling aromas of the river, and looked as the sun paints far fluffy clouds in gently pink color.

- I spoke to you, my dear Fairy, - broke the cozy silence of Prinze, - that as earlier will not be any more … Something in us changed, both in you, and in me, and in the world … Something changed …

- What do you mean, darling? - with alarm in a voice the Fairy whispered, having darted at the husband the fearful glance as if being afraid that it just about again will disappear as then.

- Earlier you did not sing such songs from where you have these verses? - Prinze asked.

- Itself I do not know, Oslenok wrote, probably, to your absence. Earlier he composed verses only on your fairy tales.

- Yes, - Prinze was embarrassed, - in my fairy tales of any swords and onions and was not trace.

- Well you … - embraced him the Fairy and put a head on his shoulder. - Eventually, same history, Roland existed, long ago once … You know, I will sing songs only on your fairy tales now - they are pleasant to me more. They are such kind, children's, iridescent - animals, leverets, lambs, leaflets, camomiles, bees … However, Prinze, I love them more … - and kissed him on a cheek.

But Prinze grew dark even more.

- It is not it! - he waved a hand, got up and approached directly break. Wind disheveled his hair and it, having opened embraces towards to it as a bird, greedy inhaled spicy cool aroma of summer night.

- And in what, darling?

- And that the world changes unless you do not feel? Children already want another - not what was wanted by us with you. They want feats, want fight, but not cozy rural life, as at us. And I cannot give them what they want. I cannot run with a sword and onions, I cannot shed blood, understand, I cannot …

- … also it is necessary, darling, it is necessary! - scaredly the Fairy spoke, approaching Prinze. - I love you it what you are - Kind Prinze, and there are no monsters any more, and will never be any more - even in their Oversea country will not be soon. Why to us swords, why onions? And kids I will calm more songs such I will not sing. Well, we will go, already cold, it is time to sleep, and you did not wash yet. You had a difficult day … - and she took it by hand and pulled home.

But here silent splash was distributed and to the coast two mermaids - old acquaintances of Prinze swam up.

- Hi, Kind Prinze, how are you? Speak, you won against the Invincible Sun which their Knowledge, and quite original way, ha-ha-ha could not overcome! - mermaids swept with laughter and began to splash water directly on Prinze. - We would wish to be influenced by your force too, very much even wishes, ha-ha-ha!

The prince reddened and could not answer nothing. The fairy, without having sustained, upraised hands and from tips of her fingers blue lightnings which, having struck in water, properly roasted these shameless persons escaped.

Mermaids screamed and dived into water again.

- Once again appear here - I will fry as fish on a frying pan! - angrily the Fairy threw.

But only spouses wanted to leave as one of them emerged again:

- Forgive us, Prinze, we did not want to offend you. We are glad you to see and very much, very much we want to play with you again - come to us tomorrow, we will drive on a water-mill! Accept from us a gift, do not take offense … - and the mermaid put on protected small onions with arrows and a wooden toy sword. - We found it on one the ancient, run aground ship, in lowlands. I think, to your son they will have just by the way.

And after that it, having playfully sparkled shining green eyes, dived into a whirlpool and was such is.

The prince quickly went down to the coast and took onions and a sword.

- You see, expensive? What did I tell? - joyfully showing it gifts. - The world changes! Now in general, except Avalon, even children of noblemen forgot what is throw yes onions.

And then, having a little kept silent, added:

- I will stop by after all in Avalon and I will find the suitable teacher there. Let my son will not be worse, than boys from Avalon! It needs the real men's society to become …

But he did not manage to finish speaking as the Fairy, having pulled out gifts from hands, threw them on the earth as though it were not harmless toys, but venomous snakes. Did not manage to tell Prinze words as from her fingers the burning flame which turned them into ashes escaped.

- You … that? - having stared on the Fairy, Prinze exclaimed.

- Remember, darling, my son will NEVER be found with hooligans from Avalon - it is time, and will NEVER play such toys - it is two, clear?! - the person Fei flared for anger, eyes burned with violent fire. - I for the son do not want unfortunate Azail's destiny! The next year we will send my son to School of Pages and it will grow, as well as all sons of fairies - the worthy associate. And I do not wish to listen to any objections! Point.

And with these words Fairy it was developed and went to the house. And Prinze remained to sit on the river bank and listened to cheerful songs of mermaids from that coast. Also thought that something changed both in it, and in the Fairy, and in all this world, but that - he could not understand in any way.

"Strange piece, - he thought about himself. - I came back home and, it seems, returned, and it turned out that I it seems and not houses at all … Perhaps I returned not there? Or not I returned, but someone another?"

From these thoughts Prinze's head which did not get used to such deep thoughts became heavy, and he fell asleep directly here, on a hillock, under the lulling noise of a water-mill, a rustle of willows and splash of river waves.

When the Fairy cooled down for anger and thought again, she returned on the coast and saw the sleeping Prinze. It lay on a back, having put a hand under the head. Light of the full moon fell to it on the person, lighting it why it seemed that the person shines in itself, as at the Invincible Sun …

The fairy shuddered from these memoirs and chilly shrank.