Hidden City by David Eddings

Author:David Eddings
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780345390400
Publisher: Del Rey
Published: 1994-01-01T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Her Royal Highness, Crown Princess Danae of Elenia, sat pensively on an out-of-the-way window-seat on one of the upper floors of her mother's castle. The weather outside was unsettled, and a blustery wind skipped the dead leaves across the lawns below like scurrying brown mice. Danae absently stroked her purring cat as she considered options, alternatives, and possibilities. Mirtai, grim, implacable, and wearing an Atan breastplate of polished steel and black leather, stood several yards down the corridor, her face set in an expression of sullen obedience and her hand on her sword-hilt.

'You're still angry with me, aren't you?' Danae asked the golden giantess, not even bothering to turn around.

'It's not my place to either approve or disapprove of my owner.' Mirtai was being stubborn about it.

'Oh, stop that. Come here.' Mirtai marched up the hall to where her capricious little owner was sitting. 'Yes?'

'I'm going to try again. Please listen to me this time.'

'As your Majesty commands.'

'That's getting very tiresome, you know. We love you, Mirtai.'

'Is your Majesty speaking in the royal plural?'

'You're starting to make me cross. I've got a name, and you know what it is. We all love you, and it would have broken our hearts if you'd decided to kill yourself. I spoke to you the way I did to bring you to your senses, you ninny.'

'I know why you did it, Danae, but did you have to humiliate me in front of the others?'

'I apologize.'

'You can't do that. You're a queen, and queens can't apologize.'

'I can if I want.' Danae paused. 'So there,' she added. Mirtai laughed and suddenly embraced the little girl.

'You're never going to learn how to be a queen, Danae.'

'Oh, I don't know. Being the queen just means that you get what you want. I do that all the time anyway. I don't need a crown or an army for something as simple as that.'

'You're a very spoiled little girl, your Majesty.'

'I know, and I love every minute of it.' Then the Princess heard a faint, far-away murmur, a murmur that Mirtai could not, of course, even sense.

'Why don't you go find Melidere?' she suggested.

She sighed and rolled her eyes upward. 'I'm sure she's looking for me anyway. It's probably time for another one of those girl lessons.'

'She's giving you instruction in courtly manners and traditional courtesies, Danae,' Mirtai reproved her. 'if you're going to be a queen, you'll need to know those things.'

'I think it's silly, myself. Go on ahead, Mirtai. I'll be along in a minute.'

The giantess went off down the hall, and Princess Danae spoke very quietly. 'What is it, Setras?' she asked her cousin.

'You already know the courtesies, Aphrael,' her curly-haired cousin said, appearing suddenly beside her. 'Why are you taking lessons?'

'It gives Melidere something to occupy her mind and keeps her out of mischief. I spent a great deal of time and effort getting her and Stragen together. I don't want her to spoil it by getting bored and starting to look for outside entertainment.'

'That's very important to you, isn't it?' Setras sounded a little puzzled.

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