Amarill saying the
word ‘dung’ in front of Crown Prince Nicolass of Lenthir,” said Chae, clapping
her on the shoulder as he laughed.
Tempani
raised her head and looked Nic in the eyes. “A good royal is one who does not
flinch over unsavory topics.”
A
smile crossed his thin lips. “I believe you are right.”
“Well,
let us raise our glasses and toast to all future ballads about dung.”
“I’ll
drink to that,” Nic said and clinked his glass against hers.
As
their eyes held, warmth spread across her stomach and a blush crept onto her
cheeks until she shook her head and broke their gaze.
~4~
A ROYAL COURTSHIP
Leela
and Lindow had their heads bent as they whispered to one another. Tempani went
unnoticed as she walked into the kitchen and helped herself to a fruit bun. She
perched herself on the stool and took a bite, savoring the spices as they hit
her tongue.
Leela’s head snapped up, and she scowled at the young
girl. “You don’t go spoiling your appetite.”
Tempani
groaned. “But your cooking is much better than the cooks at the palace. I get a
sore stomach after most of their meals.”
“Don’t
eat the rich food,” she scolded. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you.”
“The
other food is bland.” She took another bite. “Not like this.”
“You
got no manners,” Leela said, trying hard to keep a straight face. “You won’t
get a good husband acting like that.”
“Maybe
I don’t want to find a husband.”
“Nonsense.”
“You
don’t have a husband.”
“Not
by choice, love. No man wants a woman who already got a baby.”
“But
you’ve done fine on your own. You raised him to be a good man,” she said and
tried to squeeze Lindow’s cheek but missed as he
ducked out of her way. She laughed as she straightened herself on the stool.
“I
only done good cause of your parents. Your ma gave me a job when no one else ain’t . You find a husband, and you have no worries in
life.”
Tempani
frowned at her. “I’ll have plenty of problems with any man who wants a Kalaowin
as a wife. My father is a rarity. If my mother hadn’t been so bewitching, he’d
never have married a Kalaowin.”
“A
man may see you the same way. You be good, and you get a good man.”
Tempani
jumped off her stool and kissed Leela’s cheek. “I’ll
be happy as a spinster. I don’t need a man.”
Leela
sighed and tugged Tempani’s braid. “You afraid. You afraid of love.”
Tempani
straightened her shoulders. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Love
will find you. You see.”
Lindow
came back into the room and thrust a pot into his mother’s hand. “Prince
Nicolass has arrived. Unannounced. He would like some tea.”
“You
see? It will find you,” Leela grinned as she filled the pot with water. “You go
be nice.”
Tempani
rolled her eyes at the cook as she was ushered out the door by Lindow.
“This
is a surprise,” she said as she entered the hall. She went to curtsey but
stopped when he raised his hand.
“We’re
friends now, aren’t we?” He bent down to pat Tilaw ,
who had bounded out ahead of Tempani, eager to greet their guest.
“I
suppose we are.” She smiled as she showed him into the drawing room and sat
down. “Should I expect frequent visits from you now or is this a special
occasion?”
“I
like to drop in unannounced on my friends.”
Lindow
put his tray down between them and poured the prince a cup of tea. She shook
her head when he went to pour her one. “Any more unannounced visits and you may
very well give our manservant a heart attack.”
“Ah,
yes, but if I tell them I’m coming, they may flee.”
“Are
you that annoying that they would choose to disappear rather than spend a day
in your company?”
He
grinned at her. “Annoying is not the word I would use. But clearly you think
that may be the reason.”
“Just
an educated guess.” Her mouth spread into a smile as they talked. It wasn’t the
polite smile
word ‘dung’ in front of Crown Prince Nicolass of Lenthir,” said Chae, clapping
her on the shoulder as he laughed.
Tempani
raised her head and looked Nic in the eyes. “A good royal is one who does not
flinch over unsavory topics.”
A
smile crossed his thin lips. “I believe you are right.”
“Well,
let us raise our glasses and toast to all future ballads about dung.”
“I’ll
drink to that,” Nic said and clinked his glass against hers.
As
their eyes held, warmth spread across her stomach and a blush crept onto her
cheeks until she shook her head and broke their gaze.
~4~
A ROYAL COURTSHIP
Leela
and Lindow had their heads bent as they whispered to one another. Tempani went
unnoticed as she walked into the kitchen and helped herself to a fruit bun. She
perched herself on the stool and took a bite, savoring the spices as they hit
her tongue.
Leela’s head snapped up, and she scowled at the young
girl. “You don’t go spoiling your appetite.”
Tempani
groaned. “But your cooking is much better than the cooks at the palace. I get a
sore stomach after most of their meals.”
“Don’t
eat the rich food,” she scolded. “I don’t know how many times I’ve told you.”
“The
other food is bland.” She took another bite. “Not like this.”
“You
got no manners,” Leela said, trying hard to keep a straight face. “You won’t
get a good husband acting like that.”
“Maybe
I don’t want to find a husband.”
“Nonsense.”
“You
don’t have a husband.”
“Not
by choice, love. No man wants a woman who already got a baby.”
“But
you’ve done fine on your own. You raised him to be a good man,” she said and
tried to squeeze Lindow’s cheek but missed as he
ducked out of her way. She laughed as she straightened herself on the stool.
“I
only done good cause of your parents. Your ma gave me a job when no one else ain’t . You find a husband, and you have no worries in
life.”
Tempani
frowned at her. “I’ll have plenty of problems with any man who wants a Kalaowin
as a wife. My father is a rarity. If my mother hadn’t been so bewitching, he’d
never have married a Kalaowin.”
“A
man may see you the same way. You be good, and you get a good man.”
Tempani
jumped off her stool and kissed Leela’s cheek. “I’ll
be happy as a spinster. I don’t need a man.”
Leela
sighed and tugged Tempani’s braid. “You afraid. You afraid of love.”
Tempani
straightened her shoulders. “I’m not afraid of anything.”
“Love
will find you. You see.”
Lindow
came back into the room and thrust a pot into his mother’s hand. “Prince
Nicolass has arrived. Unannounced. He would like some tea.”
“You
see? It will find you,” Leela grinned as she filled the pot with water. “You go
be nice.”
Tempani
rolled her eyes at the cook as she was ushered out the door by Lindow.
“This
is a surprise,” she said as she entered the hall. She went to curtsey but
stopped when he raised his hand.
“We’re
friends now, aren’t we?” He bent down to pat Tilaw ,
who had bounded out ahead of Tempani, eager to greet their guest.
“I
suppose we are.” She smiled as she showed him into the drawing room and sat
down. “Should I expect frequent visits from you now or is this a special
occasion?”
“I
like to drop in unannounced on my friends.”
Lindow
put his tray down between them and poured the prince a cup of tea. She shook
her head when he went to pour her one. “Any more unannounced visits and you may
very well give our manservant a heart attack.”
“Ah,
yes, but if I tell them I’m coming, they may flee.”
“Are
you that annoying that they would choose to disappear rather than spend a day
in your company?”
He
grinned at her. “Annoying is not the word I would use. But clearly you think
that may be the reason.”
“Just
an educated guess.” Her mouth spread into a smile as they talked. It wasn’t the
polite smile
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