beastly hot in here, though.”
She flounced across the room and came up with a flimsy something which she shrugged into, but didn’t close completely.
“Right after the wedding,” she declared, “I want that window enlarged, or better yet, the whole wall torn out. Anything to get a little ventilation in this place.”
She plopped down in a chair and curled her legs up under her. It eased my discomfort somewhat, but not much.
“Ahh ... actually, that’s what I’m here to talk to you about.”
“The window?” she frowned.
“No. The wedding.”
That made her frown even more.
“I thought it was agreed that I would handle all the wedding arrangements. Oh, well, if you’ve got any specific changes, it isn’t too late to ...”
“It isn’t that,” I interrupted hastily. “It’s ... well, it’s come to my attention that the high prices Possiltum is charging your kingdom for food is forcing you into this marriage. Not wishing to have you enter into such a bond under duress, I’ve decided to cut our prices in half, thereby negating the need for our wedding.”
“Oh, Roddie, don’t be silly. That’s not the reason I’m marrying you!”
Rather than being upset, the Queen seemed quite amused at my suggestion.
“It isn’t?”
“Of course not. Impasse is so rich that we could buy your yearly crop at double the prices if we wanted to and still not put a dent in our treasury.”
My stomach began to sink.
“Then you really want this marriage? You aren’t being forced into it for political reasons?”
The Queen flashed all her teeth at me in a quick smile.
“Of course there are political reasons. I mean, we are royalty, aren’t we? I’m sure you’re a pleasant enough fellow, but I can get all the pleasant fellows I want without marrying them. Royalty marries power blocks, not people.”
There was a glimmer of hope in what she was saying, and I pounced on it with all fours.
“Which brings us to the other reason we should call off the wedding,” I said grandly.
The Queen’s smile disappeared.
“What’s that?” she said sharply.
For my reply, I let drop my disguise spell.
“Because I’m not Royalty. I’m people.”
“Oh, that,” the Queen shrugged. “No problem. I knew that all along.”
“You did?” I gulped.
“Sure. You were embarrassed ... twice. Once when I arrived at the palace, and again just now when I opened the door in my altogether. Royalty doesn’t embarrass. It’s in the blood. I knew all long you weren’t Rodrick. It’s my guess you’re the Great Skeeve, Court Magician. Right? The one who can shape change?”
“Well, it’s a disguise spell, not shape changing, but except for that, you’re right.”
Between Badaxe and Queen Hemlock, I was starting to wonder if anyone was really fooled by my disguise spells.
The Queen uncoiled from her seat and began pacing back and forth as she spoke, oblivious to her nakedness which peeked out of her wrap at each turn.
“The fact that you aren’t the king doesn’t change my situation, if anything it improves it. As long as you can keep your disguise up enough to fool the rabble, I’ll be marrying two power blocks instead of one.”
“Two power blocks,” I echoed hollowly.
“Yes. As the ‘king’ of Possiltum, you control the first block I was after: land and people. Impasse by itself isn’t large enough to wage an aggressive war, but uniting the respective powers of the two kingdoms, we’re unstoppable. With your armies backed by my capital, I can sweep as far as I want, which is pretty far, let me tell you. There’s nothing like growing up in a valley where the only view is the other side of the valley to whet one’s appetite for new and unusual places.”
“Most people content themselves with touring,” I suggested. “You don’t have to conquer a country to see it.”
“Cute,” Queen Hemlock sneered. “Naive, but cute. Let’s just say I’m not most people and let it ride, okay? Now then,
She flounced across the room and came up with a flimsy something which she shrugged into, but didn’t close completely.
“Right after the wedding,” she declared, “I want that window enlarged, or better yet, the whole wall torn out. Anything to get a little ventilation in this place.”
She plopped down in a chair and curled her legs up under her. It eased my discomfort somewhat, but not much.
“Ahh ... actually, that’s what I’m here to talk to you about.”
“The window?” she frowned.
“No. The wedding.”
That made her frown even more.
“I thought it was agreed that I would handle all the wedding arrangements. Oh, well, if you’ve got any specific changes, it isn’t too late to ...”
“It isn’t that,” I interrupted hastily. “It’s ... well, it’s come to my attention that the high prices Possiltum is charging your kingdom for food is forcing you into this marriage. Not wishing to have you enter into such a bond under duress, I’ve decided to cut our prices in half, thereby negating the need for our wedding.”
“Oh, Roddie, don’t be silly. That’s not the reason I’m marrying you!”
Rather than being upset, the Queen seemed quite amused at my suggestion.
“It isn’t?”
“Of course not. Impasse is so rich that we could buy your yearly crop at double the prices if we wanted to and still not put a dent in our treasury.”
My stomach began to sink.
“Then you really want this marriage? You aren’t being forced into it for political reasons?”
The Queen flashed all her teeth at me in a quick smile.
“Of course there are political reasons. I mean, we are royalty, aren’t we? I’m sure you’re a pleasant enough fellow, but I can get all the pleasant fellows I want without marrying them. Royalty marries power blocks, not people.”
There was a glimmer of hope in what she was saying, and I pounced on it with all fours.
“Which brings us to the other reason we should call off the wedding,” I said grandly.
The Queen’s smile disappeared.
“What’s that?” she said sharply.
For my reply, I let drop my disguise spell.
“Because I’m not Royalty. I’m people.”
“Oh, that,” the Queen shrugged. “No problem. I knew that all along.”
“You did?” I gulped.
“Sure. You were embarrassed ... twice. Once when I arrived at the palace, and again just now when I opened the door in my altogether. Royalty doesn’t embarrass. It’s in the blood. I knew all long you weren’t Rodrick. It’s my guess you’re the Great Skeeve, Court Magician. Right? The one who can shape change?”
“Well, it’s a disguise spell, not shape changing, but except for that, you’re right.”
Between Badaxe and Queen Hemlock, I was starting to wonder if anyone was really fooled by my disguise spells.
The Queen uncoiled from her seat and began pacing back and forth as she spoke, oblivious to her nakedness which peeked out of her wrap at each turn.
“The fact that you aren’t the king doesn’t change my situation, if anything it improves it. As long as you can keep your disguise up enough to fool the rabble, I’ll be marrying two power blocks instead of one.”
“Two power blocks,” I echoed hollowly.
“Yes. As the ‘king’ of Possiltum, you control the first block I was after: land and people. Impasse by itself isn’t large enough to wage an aggressive war, but uniting the respective powers of the two kingdoms, we’re unstoppable. With your armies backed by my capital, I can sweep as far as I want, which is pretty far, let me tell you. There’s nothing like growing up in a valley where the only view is the other side of the valley to whet one’s appetite for new and unusual places.”
“Most people content themselves with touring,” I suggested. “You don’t have to conquer a country to see it.”
“Cute,” Queen Hemlock sneered. “Naive, but cute. Let’s just say I’m not most people and let it ride, okay? Now then,
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