The Princess Companion_A Retelling of The Princess and the Pea by Melanie Cellier

Author:Melanie Cellier [Cellier, Melanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction & Literature
Publisher: Luminant Publications
Published: 2016-01-02T05:00:00+00:00

It turned out to be as easy to find her townhouse as Helena had indicated. When I had asked the queen for permission to go out in the evening she had insisted that I not only take the entire night off but that I take one of the many carriages kept at the palace for royal excursions. And the coachman had indeed known the directions to the house.

When the carriage pulled into the large circular driveway of Helena’s home, I took several steadying breaths. The house was one of the more beautiful I had seen in the Nobles’ Circle and was made of a soft red stone. It was surrounded by extensive gardens but I couldn’t see any details in the darkness.

I quickly made my way to the front door which was opened by a somber butler. A footman sprang forward at once to take my cloak and the butler then ushered me into a bright sitting room. He announced me and then fell back and I got my first glimpse of the other occupants of the room.

I was instantly glad I had decided to wear the light blue court dress again. The rest of my new wardrobe was still being adjusted and the blue dress was the only nice one I owned. Even so I was the most simply dressed person in the room.

I recognised the exquisite Rivers and Lady Elizabeth, who once again pressed me to call her Beth, but the others were unknown to me. Helena introduced me to them, starting with her husband Gregory, Baron of Lilton. He was some years older than her, in his late twenties or early thirties and I realised that all the other guests were older than the young nobles I had met at the court opening.

Fortunately for me, they all seemed more inclined to follow Helena’s lead than Lady Marissa’s and treated me with friendly ease. After only a few minutes I began to relax and to turn my attention to the conversation being led by Gregory. He was discussing some of the issues facing the kingdom and I noticed that both the failed harvests and the bandits were hot topics. Their comments made me think of the drunken men in the Blue Arrow and I listened to their various suggestions with interest. After half an hour, I was even participating and making suggestions of my own. It felt like I was back in the library at the Winter Castle, discussing foreign relations with the king, except that I knew almost nothing about farming or keeping the peace. I resolved to get back to my studies as soon as possible.

When refreshments were brought in and the conversation broke up, Rivers wandered over to me. Thankfully, I was now so comfortable that I was able to answer his exaggerated compliments with a laugh.

“You really can’t be serious,” I said. “My hair has as much copper in it as gold.”

“Pure gold, I absolutely insist,” he said seriously, and I laughed again. “Beth, come and back me up.

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