The Royals

Chapter 6

'He ignored her at first. 'How is your tincture coming, Walther?'

'The same as the princess's. We set the nettle to soak on the same day. Walther paused. 'Master Abadan, has something happened?'

The magician's glance passed over Kate to look into the dwarf's eyes. Perhaps he was easier to face than the presumed princess of the realm. 'How can either of you ask that after so recent an attack on your persons? The entire Ash Kingdom is in peril and you ask that.' He shook his head. 'Sometimes I wonder why I bother.'

Kate had had enough. Weary of insults, bored from the exercises, tense from the attempted poisoning, and hungry besides - all combined to rip apart what little thread of patience she possessed. 'Why do you?" she asked. 'While the elfwitch moves ever closer, we follow your silly routines that are as binding and useless as ill-fitting boots.'

Abadan didn't answer her right away. 'Walther, you've come so far.' His mouth curled into a smile. 'Who would have ever thought I'd be tutoring such a talented dwarf? Sometimes the Sisters amaze even me.'

"Thank ,' Walther whispered in embarrassment. you,' The magician faced Kate and clapped his hands together. The room echoed with a boom not entirely human-made. 'You!' he scolded her.

She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off. 'You didn't learn a killer's tricks in a handful of hours. You didn't come to know poisons and their remedies or the ways of sword and knife by ignoring the masters. Why do you take this so lightly?'

It wasn't the first lecture. She should have held her tongue.

She did not. 'Master Abadan,' she started as respectfull as she could manage. "Those other skills were a matter survival. Mut - that is, Henry and I would likely have starved without the training.'

Abadan's face went purple-red. 'And your survival the word sounded base as he said it'-is more important than that of the entire Ash Kingdom! How dare you show such selfishness in my presence? You know the evil we face and you are one of the few who might have the talent to overcome it.'

He raised an arm as if to strike her, then caught himself 'Leave now, Princess. Do not return until you have learned to see beyond your own dinner plate!'

The reference to her recent close call stung, yet Kate's foolish stubbornness bowed before his anger. Princess or not, how could she miss the folly of her towering arrogance? She desperately searched for the right words.

'You're still here!' Abadan shouted. 'No one remains in my chambers but on my sufferance. Get out now before I remove you myself.' 'But Master . . .'She swallowed hard. ‘I. . . I'm sorry. There, she'd said it.

'Don't you dare "sorry, master" me. You must regain the privilege of my time. Talented or no. Royal or no. teach only those who are ready to learn.'

Behind him, Walther was motioning her out. 'I'll talk to him,' he mouthed. 'Go now!'

Kate looked at the magician. The unhealthy color in his face was spreading to neck and hands. He wouldn't be calm enough to speak with for hours. Slowly she pushed back her chair and rose in retreat.

He turned to face the dwarf, dismissing her completely without another word. 'Let's try something different, Walther. Imagine yourself. ..'

She closed the door and the silence of her failure enveloped her.

Somewhere during their long journey home from elven territory, Henry had realized his sister had lost heart for the battle against the elfwitch. In the weeks since they'd reached The Cliffs, she had grown ever more reckless and shown ever less interest. Her body went through the motions whether with swordplay or mage lessons, but her mind rebelled. She put in the least effort a task required and she fought Abadan's training at every turn.

All of which meant an additional burden to the prince. It was not enough to be preoccupied with his unfamiliar human form, but now he must worry over Kate while struggling to fathom their next move.

It was this last thought which led him to dodge his afternoon exercises with Sir Maarcus the Sixth. Instead, he wandered the castle seemingly aimlessly while having his goal in mind all the while.

When he was sure no one dogged his steps, he headed for a little-used wing where he settled himself in a tiny room which overlooked the sea. For some reason he did not quite understand, this view drew him. South of The Cliffs, the beachfront had long since given way to fortification. It was not a place one went for comfort and solitude.

But to the north, the wide beach was deserted at this time of year. He could walk northward for miles and find no one. He imagined he had happened upon an enchanted land, one where his wings could reach beyond his imagination into the true realm of bone and sinew.

Snow swirled and fell into the waves. Debris littered the white sand. Small bits of driftwood, weathered clean, jabbed through the snow. Entire tree-trunks stood upright as if expecting to bloom come spring though the branches had broken off.

Henry looked out to sea, at the vibrating colors where water met sky. Blues, greens, greys melded into a mass that knew no boundaries.

The prince reached out with mind and flesh to this edge of non-boundary. In this barren no man's land, he might achieve what he could not in the ordinary places of rock and air. He held out his arms and let a strangely warming wind rush over him. His body rose of its own accord.

Staring over the devastation with new eyes, his binocu lar vision separated into two images. Not right and left as he might have expected, but ghost images of each other. Even a life spent as a dragon had not produced this sort of eyesight.

As Prince Henry watched, the scenes diverged. The one extended into the future when strange buildings crowded the ocean-front. The other reversed to a time when people in animal skins camped during the warm months and dug for clams along the shore. A woman walked between the two worlds, seemingly at home in both.

Neither vision made sense. Henry closed his eyes to shut out the optical chatter. He instantly fell like a loose stone. In panic, he opened his eyes again and the freefall halted. Close open close open. Fall halt fall halt. Strange but exhilarating.

The dragon prince folded his wings.

And was jolted awake at the castle window, jailed in his own man-flesh.

Ceeley nestled into Lyda's warmth and fell asleep. Later, she woke to the welcome scent of soup.

'You should eat,' Lyda told her.

Ceeley's stomach growled. She smiled. 'Excuse me,' she said as she'd been taught. I think I missed lunch.'

'Probably more than that.'

Ceeley wasn't sure what Mama-Lyda meant unless she'd slept through dinner too. Not wanting to disagree with her, she smiled again and sat up. 'The soup smells yummy. I think I'm ready to eat.'

The woman set the bowl beside the dwarf on a low makeshift table. 'Every drop now,' she encouraged.

'I'll try.' It wasn't so hard. She really was very hungry. While Ceeley sipped the soup, Willam gently asked after the girl's family.

'Dead,' she told them. 'All dead.' And she tried not to cry.

"ave you no one at all?' he asked again. Ceeley set down the soup spoon and looked into the empty bowl.

'It's important to be sure. We wouldn't want them to miss you.'

'She has us, Willam. Who else does she need?'

'I do have an uncle,' Ceeley offered, knowing it was important to be truthful. But Uncle Walther is very busy. He's going to fight the elfwitch.'

'There now, that's enough, child. Don't you worry about that one. We'll speak to your uncle Walther.'

Kate returned to her rooms. She sat, she stood, she paced like a newly caged beast. Had she been caught outside in this weather, she would have paid dearly to find shelter. As it was, she could barely contain her fitful yearning to escape. At last she settled for throwing wide the shutters and staring out the window.

Late in the afternoon, she was still standing transfixed when a knock sounded on the heavy wood. 'Princess? Kate? Are you in there? It's Walther.' He pounded again.

She considered sending him away, but her mouth spoke before her mind was made up. 'I'm here, Walther. Come on in.' As the chamber door opened, she closed the shutters and turned to face him.

He hesitated in the doorway. 'Storm blew itself out quickly enough. The snow's already stopped.'

'I wish you were greeting me with news of the same for Abadan.'

The dwarf sighed. He seemed reluctant to approach her. 'Princess Kate. ..' he began.

She waved him forward. 'Do step in and shut the door. If you're going to lecture me, I'd just as soon keep it between us.' 'I didn't exactly plan to give a speech,' he said as he closed the door behind him.

'Not exactly.' Suddenly exhausted, she sat down on a stiff-backed chair. 'I tell you, Walther, one more session with Abadan and I'm likely to do the man physical harm. His insults are only a matter of degree. His most con siderate comment is to call me competent as an apprentice healer!' Walther spoke softly. 'We are apprentices.'

I've been preparing poultices for ten years and no one's died yet.'

'And how horrible it would've been for you if some one had.'

Kate gave him her nastiest scowl.

'My mother always told me my face would stay that way if I frowned often enough.' He shrugged. "Then again, maybe it's different for humans.'

Kate almost laughed. 'I'd bet we're more similar than you might think. As for your mother, you can tell her .' She winced in sympathy at the man who'd lost his entire clan to the elfwitch. 'I guess you can't. Sorry, Walther.'

'Not your fault,' he said. 'Have you ever noticed how often you apologize to people?'

'Well, pardon my manners.'

'See what I mean?'

She didn't answer.

He looked down at the floor and said quietly, 'It might be easier to try not to do things you'll have to be sorry about.' He glanced up and smiled shyly. 'Just a thought.'

His embarrassment took the sting out of his words, but she felt the criticism all the same.

'Now I'm off to apologize myself. I promised Ceeley I'd talk to someone about finding playmates for her, but I didn't get a chance with everything else that's going on. Want to come?' 'No, thanks. I doubt I'd cheer her up.'

'You know she misses seeing you more often.'

'I think I need to be alone for a while.' She followed the dwarf to the door and stood watching him until he reached the corner. 'Walther, tell her I miss her too.' 'I will, princess, I will.' His voice echoed sadly down the hallway.