punished by the Sun God.”
The gryphon’s head cocked, and he blinked. “Bel is punishing you?”
“Ever since I stopped going to the garden to greet the sun in the morning, dead things have been showing up on my windowsill,” Glory frantically explained. “I have surely angered the sun, and now I am being punished.”
The gryphon’s beak ground with amusement. “Those are not dead things, Princess. Those are gifts.”
Glory paced her room, her hands on her hips. “Who in their right mind would leave carrion lying around as a gift?”
The gryphon’s feathers ruffled, and he preened himself nonchalantly.
Glory shrieked. “You?”
The gryphon winced, his talons digging into the wall again.
“That’s disgusting! You great, blundering buffoon, what were you thinking?”
The gryphon reached out a leg, snapping his talons at her. “Have you any idea how difficult it is to catch a tiny field mouse with feet this big?”
Glory threw her hands into the air, as if to curse the gods. “You have got to be joking!”
“It is no joke, Princess.”
“Why in the world would you leave dead things as gifts?”
The gryphon’s tail thumped. “Do they not hunt where you come from?”
“Of course they do.”
“Would something larger impress you? Eoghan is concerned you’re eating so little. There is a white stag I have— ”
“No!” Glory stomped her foot. “Dead creatures do not impress me, Gryphon. Chocolates, flowers, those kinds of things are gifts. Dead creatures are not gifts. They are just dead.”
The gryphon hissed, the fur on his back bristling. “Flowers are dead things, once disturbed, yet you say you like them. Ní thuigim tú 9 !” he squawked with frustration. “What will make you happy?”
“Colin.”
The gryphon scoffed. “Is it not clear to you yet, Princess? He is not coming. Surely he is tired of your pretensions and is only too glad to be rid of you.”
“Do not be so sure,” Glory admonished.
“Can you not see? Open your eyes, Glory. It has been a moon since you first came here. He is not coming.”
Glory’s feet stopped moving. She mentally recounted the days. The gryphon was right. With a howl, she ran to her bed and grabbed her pillow. The gryphon seemed to know what was coming and scrambled to take flight. Glory flung the pillow toward him. It sailed through the window. There was an explosion of feathers. Glory was suddenly filled with a dread that she had somehow injured the creature. She ran to the window and leaned out, looking to see where the gryphon had gone. Instantly she was walloped in the head with a half-empty pillowcase and could hear the gryphon chortle with delight. Glory growled and yelled at him as he flew away. “Curse you, you infernal birdbrain!”
The gryphon hovered in mid-air, the sun behind him, and called back to her, “I am afraid that it is far too late for curses, Princess.”
***
Balthazaar’s steward grabbed Colin by the collar of his shirt and flung him from the room. The door slammed. Colin stumbled into the hall but caught himself. He paced and ran his shaking hands through his hair. With a roar he hammered his fist against the door and kicked it solidly. His nostrils flared. Colin swore loud enough for the entire castle to hear. He stomped down the hall. He returned to his sack of gold coins which he had hid well in the garden. He opened the sack and ran his hands over their shining faces. His jaw clenched at the sight of Balthazaar’s likeness. Colin pulled hard on the drawstrings and snatched up the bag. He began to think. How could he prove the old king wrong?
It was said amongst the Twelve Kingdoms that “All Rumors Begin in Council’s Realm.” It was the hub of commerce and one of the most densely-populated areas in all of the Twelve Kingdoms. Colin thought if he could make his way there that he could garner information on Glory’s whereabouts. Surely, of all places, Council’s Realm would be abuzz with the
The gryphon’s head cocked, and he blinked. “Bel is punishing you?”
“Ever since I stopped going to the garden to greet the sun in the morning, dead things have been showing up on my windowsill,” Glory frantically explained. “I have surely angered the sun, and now I am being punished.”
The gryphon’s beak ground with amusement. “Those are not dead things, Princess. Those are gifts.”
Glory paced her room, her hands on her hips. “Who in their right mind would leave carrion lying around as a gift?”
The gryphon’s feathers ruffled, and he preened himself nonchalantly.
Glory shrieked. “You?”
The gryphon winced, his talons digging into the wall again.
“That’s disgusting! You great, blundering buffoon, what were you thinking?”
The gryphon reached out a leg, snapping his talons at her. “Have you any idea how difficult it is to catch a tiny field mouse with feet this big?”
Glory threw her hands into the air, as if to curse the gods. “You have got to be joking!”
“It is no joke, Princess.”
“Why in the world would you leave dead things as gifts?”
The gryphon’s tail thumped. “Do they not hunt where you come from?”
“Of course they do.”
“Would something larger impress you? Eoghan is concerned you’re eating so little. There is a white stag I have— ”
“No!” Glory stomped her foot. “Dead creatures do not impress me, Gryphon. Chocolates, flowers, those kinds of things are gifts. Dead creatures are not gifts. They are just dead.”
The gryphon hissed, the fur on his back bristling. “Flowers are dead things, once disturbed, yet you say you like them. Ní thuigim tú 9 !” he squawked with frustration. “What will make you happy?”
“Colin.”
The gryphon scoffed. “Is it not clear to you yet, Princess? He is not coming. Surely he is tired of your pretensions and is only too glad to be rid of you.”
“Do not be so sure,” Glory admonished.
“Can you not see? Open your eyes, Glory. It has been a moon since you first came here. He is not coming.”
Glory’s feet stopped moving. She mentally recounted the days. The gryphon was right. With a howl, she ran to her bed and grabbed her pillow. The gryphon seemed to know what was coming and scrambled to take flight. Glory flung the pillow toward him. It sailed through the window. There was an explosion of feathers. Glory was suddenly filled with a dread that she had somehow injured the creature. She ran to the window and leaned out, looking to see where the gryphon had gone. Instantly she was walloped in the head with a half-empty pillowcase and could hear the gryphon chortle with delight. Glory growled and yelled at him as he flew away. “Curse you, you infernal birdbrain!”
The gryphon hovered in mid-air, the sun behind him, and called back to her, “I am afraid that it is far too late for curses, Princess.”
***
Balthazaar’s steward grabbed Colin by the collar of his shirt and flung him from the room. The door slammed. Colin stumbled into the hall but caught himself. He paced and ran his shaking hands through his hair. With a roar he hammered his fist against the door and kicked it solidly. His nostrils flared. Colin swore loud enough for the entire castle to hear. He stomped down the hall. He returned to his sack of gold coins which he had hid well in the garden. He opened the sack and ran his hands over their shining faces. His jaw clenched at the sight of Balthazaar’s likeness. Colin pulled hard on the drawstrings and snatched up the bag. He began to think. How could he prove the old king wrong?
It was said amongst the Twelve Kingdoms that “All Rumors Begin in Council’s Realm.” It was the hub of commerce and one of the most densely-populated areas in all of the Twelve Kingdoms. Colin thought if he could make his way there that he could garner information on Glory’s whereabouts. Surely, of all places, Council’s Realm would be abuzz with the
Similar Books
