Rainstorm looked disgusted. “You sound just like my parents.”
Tarkyn laughed. “Sorry about that. I am just trying to understand woodfolk society. In my society, rank comes before age. So courtiers deferred to me from a very young age. As far back as I can remember, even adults would bow when I entered a room.”
Rainstorm eyes grew round. “What a wonderful concept. I would have loved that.”
“Oh, I don’t know. It’s not as great as it sounds. Don’t forget, both my parents and my brothers outranked me. If I threw my weight around too much, my nanny would get one of them and I would have to submit anyway and apologise for being uncivil.”
Rainstorm crowed, “That would be embarrassing!”
The prince gave a wry smile. “It was. I didn’t let it happen more often than I had to, I can tell you.”
Ta
