Read Online Deception's Pawn (Princesses of Myth) by Esther Friesner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Esther Friesner
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unmanageable dress that he had to haul me to my feet. “If you want to learn more weaponry today, we’re running out of time. You know we’ll have to go back to Dún Beithe separately, before dinner’s ready. But if you’d rather chew on old stories, it’s all the same to me.”
He spoke as if he knew I’d take the easier choice, a comfortable chat instead of a strenuous session of exercise with the blade. Nothing was more likely to spark my temper and make me keen to prove him wrong. I flung myself back into our sparring and didn’t rest for more than a few breaths between bouts until Kian declared it was time to go home.
I left the clearing first, head high. I showed him what I can do with a sword! I reveled in my triumph.
My smugness lasted up until the moment that my aches and pains began. My body wasn’t accustomed to working so hard at such a long-neglected skill. I could barely stir an arm or a leg the next morning and went creeping around the great house like an age-twisted old woman, not moving more than I absolutely had to. When Kian kept his dagger at his waist, I gave silent thanks.
I did my best to conceal the pain as I sat carding wool with the others, but it was more than a false smile could cover. Lady Lassaire noticed and asked if I was suffering from my moon time.
“Not yet,” I said truthfully.
My discomfort made her forget that she bore a grudge against me. “You poor child, I understand. I used to feel worse before my red days than when they came,” she said with a sympathetic look in her eyes.
“It’s the same with me,” Dairine declared. “How did you cure it, my lady?”
“I had a baby.” She smiled. “I don’t think any of you girls are ready for that remedy yet.” A chorus of horrified squeals agreed with her.
Lady Lassaire’s renewed kindness to me went farther than words. “Would you like to lie down for a while, Maeve?” she asked gently. I accepted at once and felt a little better by dinnertime, but far from fully healed when the next day dawned. To make matters worse, as I sat down with my breakfast of bread and cheese, I saw Kian’s dagger at his feet.
I didn’t have to go to our meeting. I could have found an excuse—Lady Lassaire had some special task for us to do; thegateway guard refused to let me pass; I’d twisted my ankle and couldn’t fight. Lies, every one. After my morning duties and the midday meal, I picked up a basket and went to the woods.
I might as well have gone empty-handed—the gateway guard that day was a lazy fellow who didn’t even blink when I left the ringfort. I don’t know why I felt compelled to tell him, “I’m going to pick some berries for Lady Moriath. She’s still not feeling well and they’ll cheer her.”
“Huh? Oh,” he said, then fell back into his waking doze.
When I reached the clearing, I was startled to find Kian there without any of the wooden weapons we’d been using. A faint uneasiness crept up my spine. I hadn’t spent my life wrapped up in a fluffy little cocoon; I knew that not all warriors were honorable and that a girl who went alone to an isolated place to meet a young man ran certain risks. Kian hadn’t attempted anything improper at our first meeting, but he’d also arrived equipped for our lesson. His empty-handed presence here looked suspicious.
I failed to hide my edginess. Kian took one look at me and his brows came together. “Lady Maeve, what’s troubling you?”
I exhaled forcefully to calm myself and put on a pleasant face. “Nothing, Lord Kian. I’m simply puzzled: how can you teach me swordsmanship without a sword?” I made a sweeping gesture over the clearing. “Have you hidden the weapons? Do you expect me to prove myself by finding them?”
“Ha! I never thought of that,” he said. “No, you’re the one who’s been hiding things.”
“What are you talking about?”
His expression softened. “You worked yourself too hard at our first lesson and now you’re
He spoke as if he knew I’d take the easier choice, a comfortable chat instead of a strenuous session of exercise with the blade. Nothing was more likely to spark my temper and make me keen to prove him wrong. I flung myself back into our sparring and didn’t rest for more than a few breaths between bouts until Kian declared it was time to go home.
I left the clearing first, head high. I showed him what I can do with a sword! I reveled in my triumph.
My smugness lasted up until the moment that my aches and pains began. My body wasn’t accustomed to working so hard at such a long-neglected skill. I could barely stir an arm or a leg the next morning and went creeping around the great house like an age-twisted old woman, not moving more than I absolutely had to. When Kian kept his dagger at his waist, I gave silent thanks.
I did my best to conceal the pain as I sat carding wool with the others, but it was more than a false smile could cover. Lady Lassaire noticed and asked if I was suffering from my moon time.
“Not yet,” I said truthfully.
My discomfort made her forget that she bore a grudge against me. “You poor child, I understand. I used to feel worse before my red days than when they came,” she said with a sympathetic look in her eyes.
“It’s the same with me,” Dairine declared. “How did you cure it, my lady?”
“I had a baby.” She smiled. “I don’t think any of you girls are ready for that remedy yet.” A chorus of horrified squeals agreed with her.
Lady Lassaire’s renewed kindness to me went farther than words. “Would you like to lie down for a while, Maeve?” she asked gently. I accepted at once and felt a little better by dinnertime, but far from fully healed when the next day dawned. To make matters worse, as I sat down with my breakfast of bread and cheese, I saw Kian’s dagger at his feet.
I didn’t have to go to our meeting. I could have found an excuse—Lady Lassaire had some special task for us to do; thegateway guard refused to let me pass; I’d twisted my ankle and couldn’t fight. Lies, every one. After my morning duties and the midday meal, I picked up a basket and went to the woods.
I might as well have gone empty-handed—the gateway guard that day was a lazy fellow who didn’t even blink when I left the ringfort. I don’t know why I felt compelled to tell him, “I’m going to pick some berries for Lady Moriath. She’s still not feeling well and they’ll cheer her.”
“Huh? Oh,” he said, then fell back into his waking doze.
When I reached the clearing, I was startled to find Kian there without any of the wooden weapons we’d been using. A faint uneasiness crept up my spine. I hadn’t spent my life wrapped up in a fluffy little cocoon; I knew that not all warriors were honorable and that a girl who went alone to an isolated place to meet a young man ran certain risks. Kian hadn’t attempted anything improper at our first meeting, but he’d also arrived equipped for our lesson. His empty-handed presence here looked suspicious.
I failed to hide my edginess. Kian took one look at me and his brows came together. “Lady Maeve, what’s troubling you?”
I exhaled forcefully to calm myself and put on a pleasant face. “Nothing, Lord Kian. I’m simply puzzled: how can you teach me swordsmanship without a sword?” I made a sweeping gesture over the clearing. “Have you hidden the weapons? Do you expect me to prove myself by finding them?”
“Ha! I never thought of that,” he said. “No, you’re the one who’s been hiding things.”
“What are you talking about?”
His expression softened. “You worked yourself too hard at our first lesson and now you’re
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