Dragonfly by Julia Golding
Authors: Julia Golding
Tags: General, Juvenile Nonfiction, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Social Issues, Royalty
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hostile stares of these Easterners.
"Mergot," the woman said, adding no "my lady" or "your highness." Tashi let it pass.
"And who is your master, Mergot?"
"Lord Gunston, but that weren't him you saw earlier." Mergot began to unbutton the back of Tashi's filthy white shift without so much as a "by your leave."
Tashi resigned herself to this treatment. Clearly she was expected to bathe and hopefully change into some fresh clothes. She felt weak but had no objection to the plan, so she allowed Mergot to continue.
"So who did I speak to earlier?" She had thought him a demon conjured up by her illness, but it appeared he was flesh and blood, which was far more terrifying. Shakily, Tashi took Mergot's arm and stepped into the bath.
"Only Lord Fergox Spearthrower himself, him that's going to save you."
Mergot's voice was proud.
Tashi had been preparing herself for bad news, but this was far worse than she had feared. The Emperor himself! What price would he demand from her people for her return? "But I don't need saving by him--I need rescuing from him."
Mergot laughed as if Tashi had just cracked a joke. "He said you'd be confused. He told me you weren't really evil, not like the other three witches.
That's why
100
I offered to look after you when none others wanted to. They said you'd curse them, but you won't spell an old woman like me, will you?"
"I know no spells," Tashi replied quietly.
The maid clucked sceptically and poured a basin of hot water over Tashi's hair. With rough fingers, she washed away the dirt of the journey. The bathwater was filthy by the time she had finished.
"There now," Mergot said, wrapping her in a towel and drying her like an infant. "You're to rest tonight. Our lord will see you tomorrow, he said, if you're strong enough."
Too exhausted to argue, Tashi nodded, pulled on the clean nightgown and climbed into the bed. Mergot bustled round the room for a few more minutes, then left, carrying off Tashi's dirty clothes in a bundle. The sheets smelt sweet; the bed was warm. Tashi heard the key turn in the lock, then fell asleep.
101
Chapter 6
Ramil had also bathed and changed but, unlike Tashi, he was expected to dine with Fergox that evening. An armed guard escorted him down the dark, cramped corridors of the old castle keep to Fergox's private chambers: no one here was taking any chances that he might escape again. Ramil found the ruler of most of the known world reading by the fire, the leather-bound book looking oddly small in his strong fists. Fergox threw it aside on his approach.
"Are you a scholar, Prince Ramil?" he asked, waving Ramil to a chair opposite him.
A servant carried in a small table and began to set it for supper.
"I can read, sir," replied Ramil, "if that's what you mean."
Fergox smiled and tapped the cover of his book. "A soldier's answer. The ac Burinholts never prized learning. Your scholars are much undervalued. That will change."
Ramil swallowed his bitter retort. Fergox was already reordering the kingdom he had not yet conquered.
102
"You are probably wondering what I have got planned for you," Fergox said in a friendly fashion, pouring two glasses of red wine. He sounded like a benefactor planning the career of a favorite ward.
"It had crossed my mind, yes," Ramil answered sardonically.
"Ha!" Fergox raised a glass to him. "I like you. Plenty of spirit. I always rather admired the Burinholt dynasty."
"You have a strange way of showing your admiration: kidnapping me, locking me up with a tiger, dragging me all the way from the border."
Fergox raised an eyebrow in interest. "My man locked you up with a tiger, did he? What, you and my little Tashi?"
"Who?"
"The Princess Taoshira."
Ramil nodded, wondering at the familiarity of tone.
"That was very imaginative of him. I suppose there was no other way of smuggling you across the border. Orboyd is really one of my most useful spies."
The servants entered with the dinner. Produce from all over
"Mergot," the woman said, adding no "my lady" or "your highness." Tashi let it pass.
"And who is your master, Mergot?"
"Lord Gunston, but that weren't him you saw earlier." Mergot began to unbutton the back of Tashi's filthy white shift without so much as a "by your leave."
Tashi resigned herself to this treatment. Clearly she was expected to bathe and hopefully change into some fresh clothes. She felt weak but had no objection to the plan, so she allowed Mergot to continue.
"So who did I speak to earlier?" She had thought him a demon conjured up by her illness, but it appeared he was flesh and blood, which was far more terrifying. Shakily, Tashi took Mergot's arm and stepped into the bath.
"Only Lord Fergox Spearthrower himself, him that's going to save you."
Mergot's voice was proud.
Tashi had been preparing herself for bad news, but this was far worse than she had feared. The Emperor himself! What price would he demand from her people for her return? "But I don't need saving by him--I need rescuing from him."
Mergot laughed as if Tashi had just cracked a joke. "He said you'd be confused. He told me you weren't really evil, not like the other three witches.
That's why
100
I offered to look after you when none others wanted to. They said you'd curse them, but you won't spell an old woman like me, will you?"
"I know no spells," Tashi replied quietly.
The maid clucked sceptically and poured a basin of hot water over Tashi's hair. With rough fingers, she washed away the dirt of the journey. The bathwater was filthy by the time she had finished.
"There now," Mergot said, wrapping her in a towel and drying her like an infant. "You're to rest tonight. Our lord will see you tomorrow, he said, if you're strong enough."
Too exhausted to argue, Tashi nodded, pulled on the clean nightgown and climbed into the bed. Mergot bustled round the room for a few more minutes, then left, carrying off Tashi's dirty clothes in a bundle. The sheets smelt sweet; the bed was warm. Tashi heard the key turn in the lock, then fell asleep.
101
Chapter 6
Ramil had also bathed and changed but, unlike Tashi, he was expected to dine with Fergox that evening. An armed guard escorted him down the dark, cramped corridors of the old castle keep to Fergox's private chambers: no one here was taking any chances that he might escape again. Ramil found the ruler of most of the known world reading by the fire, the leather-bound book looking oddly small in his strong fists. Fergox threw it aside on his approach.
"Are you a scholar, Prince Ramil?" he asked, waving Ramil to a chair opposite him.
A servant carried in a small table and began to set it for supper.
"I can read, sir," replied Ramil, "if that's what you mean."
Fergox smiled and tapped the cover of his book. "A soldier's answer. The ac Burinholts never prized learning. Your scholars are much undervalued. That will change."
Ramil swallowed his bitter retort. Fergox was already reordering the kingdom he had not yet conquered.
102
"You are probably wondering what I have got planned for you," Fergox said in a friendly fashion, pouring two glasses of red wine. He sounded like a benefactor planning the career of a favorite ward.
"It had crossed my mind, yes," Ramil answered sardonically.
"Ha!" Fergox raised a glass to him. "I like you. Plenty of spirit. I always rather admired the Burinholt dynasty."
"You have a strange way of showing your admiration: kidnapping me, locking me up with a tiger, dragging me all the way from the border."
Fergox raised an eyebrow in interest. "My man locked you up with a tiger, did he? What, you and my little Tashi?"
"Who?"
"The Princess Taoshira."
Ramil nodded, wondering at the familiarity of tone.
"That was very imaginative of him. I suppose there was no other way of smuggling you across the border. Orboyd is really one of my most useful spies."
The servants entered with the dinner. Produce from all over
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