explain.”
“Just hold me,” she breathed. “I—without you, I—”
“I saw the dagger,” he sang. “No need for that now.”
Then, holding her, he sang his explanation: his assumption of the office of the Incarnation of War, by grasping the great Red Sword; the new powers and responsibilities that provided him; and his ability to take her with him—if she chose to come.
“Take me with you!” she cried without reservation.
“But it will mean a complete change in your life,” he warned. “You would not be a princess any more.”
She just looked at him, and he knew that nothing else mattered to her except being with him.
“Well, let’s see how well we can travel together, then,” he sang. He touched the Sword.
“A consideration,” a wisp of mist said, forming in the room.
Rapture jumped again, but Mym reassured her. “That is Gaea, the Incarnation of Nature,” he sang. “She is helping me get started. She showed me how to reach you.”
“If you take her away without explanation,” Gaea said, “her father will assume that she has come to some foul end and he will blame your Kingdom, Prince, with which he is at war. That would lead to much mischief that I think you would prefer to avoid.”
“I would prefer to stop this idiotic war entirely, by marrying Rapture!” Mym sang. “But my father—”
“Perhaps we can achieve your desire, with a little effort,” Gaea said. “All that is needed is the apparent acquiescence of the principals. What would make your marriage to the Prince of Rajasthan acceptable to your father, Rapture?”
“I would not marry—” Rapture began angrily, but Gaea held up a finger, and the Princess was silenced. Mym suspected that more magic was involved. “A reduced dowry,” Rapture said, after a pause.
Gaea turned to Mym. “And if you acceded to marriage with the Princess of Rajasthan, proffering the acceptance of a reduced dowry if the same were accepted for your former betrothed?”
Mym was beginning to comprehend. “I am sure the Rajah of Rajasthan would be amenable to that; he expects to pay an exorbitant dowry. But certainly I’m not going to—”
“Would one of your handmaidens like to take your place?” Gaea asked Rapture.
Rapture smiled. “Any handmaiden would like to take the place of any princess! But—”
“Summon one you feel is worthy, who would be able to act your part, if she had the appearance and opportunity.”
“That would be the one who doubles for me on boring parades.” Rapture said. “But up close, she does not resemble me very well.”
“Bring her here.”
Rapture reached out and drew on a tassled cord. In moments a young woman appeared at the door. “Bit-of-Honey, there is a task we may require of you,” she said. “Listen to this woman.”
Gaea, who was now completely solid, addressed the young woman. “The Princess Rapture of Malachite must go away. But she wishes to appear to remain. If you will consent, I shall fashion you to the likeness of the Princess, and you shall take her place.”
Bit-of-Honey shrugged. “I have done so before.”
Gaea smiled. “For the rest of your life.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “But she is to marry the Prince of—” Her gaze flicked to Mym “
Was
to marry—”
“She is now to marry the Prince of Rajasthan,” Gaea said. “But she loves the Prince of Gujarat, so she is going away with him. She would like you to assume her identity and marry the Prince of Rajasthan. Are you willing to do that?”
“But I am only a common girl!” Bit-of-Honey protested.
“You will be the Princess—if you are willing to give up your present life in favor of that one, and keep the secret.”
“But—the Prince—I could never be more than a concubine to—”
Gaea touched her, and the girl’s protestations abated. “You can be what you choose to be. I will provide you with the voice and the appearance; you must provide the will and the action. But you must choose
“Just hold me,” she breathed. “I—without you, I—”
“I saw the dagger,” he sang. “No need for that now.”
Then, holding her, he sang his explanation: his assumption of the office of the Incarnation of War, by grasping the great Red Sword; the new powers and responsibilities that provided him; and his ability to take her with him—if she chose to come.
“Take me with you!” she cried without reservation.
“But it will mean a complete change in your life,” he warned. “You would not be a princess any more.”
She just looked at him, and he knew that nothing else mattered to her except being with him.
“Well, let’s see how well we can travel together, then,” he sang. He touched the Sword.
“A consideration,” a wisp of mist said, forming in the room.
Rapture jumped again, but Mym reassured her. “That is Gaea, the Incarnation of Nature,” he sang. “She is helping me get started. She showed me how to reach you.”
“If you take her away without explanation,” Gaea said, “her father will assume that she has come to some foul end and he will blame your Kingdom, Prince, with which he is at war. That would lead to much mischief that I think you would prefer to avoid.”
“I would prefer to stop this idiotic war entirely, by marrying Rapture!” Mym sang. “But my father—”
“Perhaps we can achieve your desire, with a little effort,” Gaea said. “All that is needed is the apparent acquiescence of the principals. What would make your marriage to the Prince of Rajasthan acceptable to your father, Rapture?”
“I would not marry—” Rapture began angrily, but Gaea held up a finger, and the Princess was silenced. Mym suspected that more magic was involved. “A reduced dowry,” Rapture said, after a pause.
Gaea turned to Mym. “And if you acceded to marriage with the Princess of Rajasthan, proffering the acceptance of a reduced dowry if the same were accepted for your former betrothed?”
Mym was beginning to comprehend. “I am sure the Rajah of Rajasthan would be amenable to that; he expects to pay an exorbitant dowry. But certainly I’m not going to—”
“Would one of your handmaidens like to take your place?” Gaea asked Rapture.
Rapture smiled. “Any handmaiden would like to take the place of any princess! But—”
“Summon one you feel is worthy, who would be able to act your part, if she had the appearance and opportunity.”
“That would be the one who doubles for me on boring parades.” Rapture said. “But up close, she does not resemble me very well.”
“Bring her here.”
Rapture reached out and drew on a tassled cord. In moments a young woman appeared at the door. “Bit-of-Honey, there is a task we may require of you,” she said. “Listen to this woman.”
Gaea, who was now completely solid, addressed the young woman. “The Princess Rapture of Malachite must go away. But she wishes to appear to remain. If you will consent, I shall fashion you to the likeness of the Princess, and you shall take her place.”
Bit-of-Honey shrugged. “I have done so before.”
Gaea smiled. “For the rest of your life.”
The girl’s eyes widened. “But she is to marry the Prince of—” Her gaze flicked to Mym “
Was
to marry—”
“She is now to marry the Prince of Rajasthan,” Gaea said. “But she loves the Prince of Gujarat, so she is going away with him. She would like you to assume her identity and marry the Prince of Rajasthan. Are you willing to do that?”
“But I am only a common girl!” Bit-of-Honey protested.
“You will be the Princess—if you are willing to give up your present life in favor of that one, and keep the secret.”
“But—the Prince—I could never be more than a concubine to—”
Gaea touched her, and the girl’s protestations abated. “You can be what you choose to be. I will provide you with the voice and the appearance; you must provide the will and the action. But you must choose
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