front of them and waited, an impatient look on her face.
'Ouch,' he said, as Reg nipped him on the ear. 'What was that for?'
Reg sighed. 'Open the doors. Blockhead.'
He bit his tongue and opened the doors.
'What an interesting vocabulary you've taught your ... parrot,' said the princess as she marched past him, the cat smirking at her heels.'I can hardly wait to hear what it comes out with next. Incidentally, I hope it doesn't have lice. Birds do, you know.'
Reg squawked.
The cat bared its sharp teeth in a grin.
'Oh yes, and by the way, Professor ...' the princess added, already halfway down the corridor. 'Welcome to New Ottosland.'
CHAPTER SIX
'Well don't just stand here like a ninny,' said Reg. 'Go after her!'
Since the princess showed no sign of slowing, he had to run. For a short person she moved along at quite a clip.
'Ah, there you are,' she said as he and Reg joined her. 'You must learn to keep up, Mister Dunwoody. His Majesty is impatient of laggards, as you'll soon see.'
'I will?'
She glanced at him sidelong, her expression gently malicious. 'In about five minutes, as it happens.'
He slammed on the brakes. Reg sank her claws into his shoulder, swearing and flapping. 'You mean we're off to see the king
now?
'Of course now,' she said, spinning about to walk backwards just as quickly. Her cat leapt clear, spitting. 'He's waiting for you in the Small
Audience Chamber. Why? Where did you think we were going?'
'But - but - Your Highness - I can't see the king
now.
I need to freshen up - change into my best attire! I can't appear before a king looking like -'
The princess stopped. 'You can and you will. I've got strict instructions to escort you to His Majesty's presence the moment you arrive so let's just get it over with, shall we? You've got the rest of the day to stand in front of mirrors primping. Provided, of course, His Majesty doesn't send you packing back to Ottosland.'
'Send me packing?' he said faintly. 'I don't understand - I thought -'
'Ha,' said Reg, under her breath. 'Didn't I tell you? Not that I'm one to gloat, of course, or say "I told you so", but if you'd just listened to me and -'
He twitched his shoulder, hard. 'Shut up, Reg.'
Hands shoved into her pockets, Princess Melissande had the grace to look uncomfortable. 'All right. Look. Here's the thing. You're not the first court wizard Lional's hired, all right? But the others didn't work out, so -'
'How many others?' he interrupted, and to hell with protocol. 'And why didn't they work out?'
She sighed, shoulders slumping. 'It's complicated.'
Complicated.
The story of his bloody life. He took a deep breath, subduing angry panic. The woman standing in front of him might look like a badly dressed shop assistant but she was in fact royalty and had to be treated as such. Let appearances lull him into a false sense of security and he'd be portalling back to Ottosland faster than Reg could find something to complain about.
'I see,' he said, with extreme care. 'And if I may be so bold as to ask, Your Highness, complicated
how,
exactly?'
She let out a short, sharp breath. 'My brother - His Majesty - is a young and energetic man, Mister Dunwoody. He has views. Plans. A vision for the future. Our kingdom isn't the most progressive country in the world. In fact some might say - and perhaps not without cause - New Ottosland has become moribund. His Majesty intends to ... stir things up a bit.'
'Well, that seems reasonable. Only I don't see -'
The princess held up a finger. 'The thing is, not all of the king's plans are what you might call
practical.
Daring, yes. Ambitious, absolutely. But practical? Not so much.' Her gaze lost focus, as though she were staring into the past. 'Practicality's never been Lional's strong suit, bless him. And there are other considerations as well. Matters geographical and political about which His Majesty is ... sensitive. That's where I, as prime minister, come in.'
'I'm sure you do,' he said. 'But
'Ouch,' he said, as Reg nipped him on the ear. 'What was that for?'
Reg sighed. 'Open the doors. Blockhead.'
He bit his tongue and opened the doors.
'What an interesting vocabulary you've taught your ... parrot,' said the princess as she marched past him, the cat smirking at her heels.'I can hardly wait to hear what it comes out with next. Incidentally, I hope it doesn't have lice. Birds do, you know.'
Reg squawked.
The cat bared its sharp teeth in a grin.
'Oh yes, and by the way, Professor ...' the princess added, already halfway down the corridor. 'Welcome to New Ottosland.'
CHAPTER SIX
'Well don't just stand here like a ninny,' said Reg. 'Go after her!'
Since the princess showed no sign of slowing, he had to run. For a short person she moved along at quite a clip.
'Ah, there you are,' she said as he and Reg joined her. 'You must learn to keep up, Mister Dunwoody. His Majesty is impatient of laggards, as you'll soon see.'
'I will?'
She glanced at him sidelong, her expression gently malicious. 'In about five minutes, as it happens.'
He slammed on the brakes. Reg sank her claws into his shoulder, swearing and flapping. 'You mean we're off to see the king
now?
'Of course now,' she said, spinning about to walk backwards just as quickly. Her cat leapt clear, spitting. 'He's waiting for you in the Small
Audience Chamber. Why? Where did you think we were going?'
'But - but - Your Highness - I can't see the king
now.
I need to freshen up - change into my best attire! I can't appear before a king looking like -'
The princess stopped. 'You can and you will. I've got strict instructions to escort you to His Majesty's presence the moment you arrive so let's just get it over with, shall we? You've got the rest of the day to stand in front of mirrors primping. Provided, of course, His Majesty doesn't send you packing back to Ottosland.'
'Send me packing?' he said faintly. 'I don't understand - I thought -'
'Ha,' said Reg, under her breath. 'Didn't I tell you? Not that I'm one to gloat, of course, or say "I told you so", but if you'd just listened to me and -'
He twitched his shoulder, hard. 'Shut up, Reg.'
Hands shoved into her pockets, Princess Melissande had the grace to look uncomfortable. 'All right. Look. Here's the thing. You're not the first court wizard Lional's hired, all right? But the others didn't work out, so -'
'How many others?' he interrupted, and to hell with protocol. 'And why didn't they work out?'
She sighed, shoulders slumping. 'It's complicated.'
Complicated.
The story of his bloody life. He took a deep breath, subduing angry panic. The woman standing in front of him might look like a badly dressed shop assistant but she was in fact royalty and had to be treated as such. Let appearances lull him into a false sense of security and he'd be portalling back to Ottosland faster than Reg could find something to complain about.
'I see,' he said, with extreme care. 'And if I may be so bold as to ask, Your Highness, complicated
how,
exactly?'
She let out a short, sharp breath. 'My brother - His Majesty - is a young and energetic man, Mister Dunwoody. He has views. Plans. A vision for the future. Our kingdom isn't the most progressive country in the world. In fact some might say - and perhaps not without cause - New Ottosland has become moribund. His Majesty intends to ... stir things up a bit.'
'Well, that seems reasonable. Only I don't see -'
The princess held up a finger. 'The thing is, not all of the king's plans are what you might call
practical.
Daring, yes. Ambitious, absolutely. But practical? Not so much.' Her gaze lost focus, as though she were staring into the past. 'Practicality's never been Lional's strong suit, bless him. And there are other considerations as well. Matters geographical and political about which His Majesty is ... sensitive. That's where I, as prime minister, come in.'
'I'm sure you do,' he said. 'But
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