Crown of Earth by Hilari Bell

Author:Hilari Bell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2009-10-14T04:00:00+00:00

The bath he’d been looking forward to turned out to be a basin of warm water and a cloth, with which he was expected to scrub himself all over. At least he could manage that without assistance, and he did feel cleaner when he climbed into the clothing Moll had borrowed from her neighbors.

The canvas britches had been worn to softness, and the shirt, though rougher than he was accustomed to, was clean. If the bulky sweater made him feel like a sheep, well, blending into the flock was his goal. It fell almost to his knees, and after he’d worn it for a few minutes, he felt warm for the first time that day.

The dinner he’d helped prepare was, of course, fish stew. Edoran suppressed a lingering memory of fish guts welling over Togger’s thumbs and ate several bowls.

He was beginning to think he might survive Caerfalas after all when Moll told him, rather firmly, that washing the dinner dishes would be his job.

“My… But… Isn’t there someone else who could do it?” Edoran asked.

“Oh, aye.” Mouse snorted. “I’ll go get the invisible servants, who live in a barrel out back. No, you witheless loon, there’s no one to do it but you.”

“No need to take that tone, Mouse,” said Moll. “Ron’s probably a bit tired—and no wonder!”

But she didn’t offer to do the dishes for him.

“He’s not tired,” said Mouse. “His Highness here just doesn’t like to get his hands dirty.”

Edoran’s heart jolted in sudden fear, but Moll and Togger showed no reaction. Mouse hadn’t suddenly figured out who he really was; he was just trying to be insulting. And he’d succeeded.

“I’ll wash the dishes,” Edoran told them stiffly. With the training Arisa had given him at the inn, he managed to do it with only a few corrections from Moll, who had relented enough to dry for him.

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