Chapter 4
The Queen and the Black BullWhen Thyloss reached the palace he found that the princess had indeed been weeping.
Queen Nya-an, as before, received him in her private apartments, and he could see as soon as he entered the room that she was very angry. Her eyes were black fire, and there were two spots of high colour on her cheeks. She dismissed her attendants the instant that he entered, but gestured fiercely to her daughter to stay, although it was clear to Thyloss that the girl would dearly love to leave.
He bowed to the Queen, but looked hard at the princess, seeing things about her that he had not noticed before. Her waist was the slimmest he had ever seen, her breasts almost as flat as a boy’s. She could not be more than twelve summers old and yet she was to be given in mar
