Spirit's Chosen (Princesses of Myth) by Friesner Esther

Author:Friesner, Esther [Friesner, Esther]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780375899911
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2013-04-23T04:00:00+00:00

It did not take long for my new dress to become as homely and work-stained as my old one. Lady Sato’s kindness did not last. The way she viewed things, the world was divided between the strong and the weak, conquerors and conquered, masters and slaves. Those who lost wars lost everything, and those who won were entitled to command. She always had plenty of heavy work for me to do, with summer heat making each chore twice as taxing. She treated me as a slave first, a shaman second, and a princess … not at all.

One day, she startled me by letting me sleep until well past the time to make breakfast for the family. I woke up to find her kneeling at the foot of my bedroll, a bowl of millet porridge in her hands, a smile on her face. I began to apologize for shirking, but she signaled for silence.

“Enjoy your food and then go back to sleep if you like, my dear,” she said. “Or get up, if that’s what you’d rather do. The day is yours. I’ve sent my son off with a hunting party. He didn’t want to go, but I have my ways.” She winked. “While he’s gone, why don’t you and your little brother spend some time together? Poor child, it’s very hard on him to know that you’re so nearby and yet he’s never allowed to share your company!”

I rubbed sleep from my eyes, wondering if this was part of a vivid dream. It seemed real enough. “Lady Sato, why are you …?”

She laughed at my confusion. “And they say that we old people are forgetful! I once told you that a good shaman must be rewarded. Your words have been proved true and this is how I have chosen to show my appreciation.”

“My words … Oh! You mean that Lady Chizu is—”

She nodded with satisfaction, followed by a thoughtful look. “Why do you sound so surprised? You were the one who told us she was pregnant.”

I met her challenge boldly. “I’m not surprised, I’m merely half awake.”

“Hmmm.” She looked as if she were going to say more about it, but changed her mind. I was permitted to enjoy a day of freedom and delight with Noboru. It was over much too soon, and my life under Lady Sato’s rule returned to the same exhausting routine as before.

I must admit, there was one heartening difference: as soon as Ryu heard that his wife was expecting their first child, he stopped browbeating her and sometimes even tossed a careless compliment or two in her direction, like throwing scraps of gristle to a dog. Chizu was pathetically grateful for the change and insisted on giving me all the credit for it. She could do nothing to break her mother-in-law’s power over me, but found countless small ways to make my days brighter, everything from leaving a ripe peach beside my bedroll to “forgetting” her husband’s orders and sending Noboru to me with an unnecessary message whenever Ryu was out of the way.

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