A Court of Muses by Sarina Dorie

Author:Sarina Dorie [Dorie, Sarina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9798642981016
Publisher: amazon.com
Published: 2020-06-17T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Teacher’s Pet

Errol started his first lesson that day in the princess’s private booth.

She first bade him observe her breathing in the creative energies of those around her.

“Notice how I’m only taking the excess, what leaks out of the artists and won’t be missed. A true muse inspires and consumes what is produced—not what hasn’t yet been created.” She gave Errol many theoretical tips, most of which he didn’t understand.

Princess Steorra was too far from the stage to inspire the artists directly, as the royal family did in their parlor in privacy.

“That is another lesson, in any case,” she said.

The princess instructed him in collecting the ambient energies in the air. If he reached out and snatched up the excess energy, he could, theoretically, pull it toward himself. Even after practicing for hours, he couldn’t draw it to him as she did.

“Don’t worry. You will do better with practice,” she said.

After they left the theater, Errol didn’t dare use these skills while he was on guard duty, lest he attract attention. Unfortunately, the mess hall and barracks were absent of creativity, and there wasn’t much he could do to practice in private. Alma again pressured him to find a wife. He could see how it might benefit him, if he found someone creative, but he didn’t want to risk hurting a woman with his unrefined skills. A week passed before he was called upon to escort Princess Steorra to the ballet. She instructed him again.

By the third outing, he wondered why she was so willing to help him. He had brought her no gift when he’d solicited her advice. He had nothing to pay her if she wanted coin as payment, though she was rich enough he doubted money mattered at all to her.

“May I inquire why you’ve taken it upon yourself to do this, despite the scandal it might bring upon you to be caught doing something illicit with a royal guard?” he asked in the privacy of her sitting room.

She laughed at that. “Something illicit? You make it sound as if I’ve invited you into my bed. I do hope I haven’t given you the wrong idea.”

He blushed at that. “No, Your Highness. I wouldn’t be so presumptuous. I know my place and wouldn’t dare mingle with the upper class.”

“Except you are mingling, whether you like it or not.”

“That still doesn’t answer my question. Why are you willing to do this?” Truly, why was she willing to be kind to the world at all?

“You are my kin, are you not, distant as you are? There’s nothing so important as family.” She smiled sadly.

“I suppose you must miss your husband.”

She snorted at that. “No. He was a brute and a tyrant, like most Fae.” Her eyes shifted from silver to blue. “I miss my mother, the king’s mistress. I miss the nursemaids who raised me, my governess, and my half siblings. I would trade it all to be with them again, but it pleases the king for me to be near.

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