Read Online My Familiar Stranger by Victoria Danann - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Victoria Danann
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my statement seated?”
“Not at all.”
Elora stood and began to pace back and forth in front of the head of the table. “In the interest of detail, as requested, I’ll not deliberately omit anything that might be pertinent. I’ll begin with the events that precipitated the incident.
I am, or rather was, third cousin to the king and twenty eighth in line for the throne. As an indication of how unlikely my succession would be, they cease populating the list at thirty names. I am part of a large, extended family that is in turn part of a large and powerful clan. The royal family, including the thirty persons mentioned, live in the palace in London. The entire family, which means a large part of the clan, joins us there for certain occasions and celebrations.
I am the oldest of six with three sisters and two brothers. We are educated on the premises, along with our higher born cousins, according to our individual talents, interests, and the roles we are assigned to play within the family structure. Two of my younger sisters are already married.
When it became widely accepted that the gods had left our world, we, as a society, turned to science and magick for answers. My principle tutor was an authority on these subjects. His name was Thelonius Monq.” She glanced at Monq.
“In addition to the disciplines of classical studies and science which I learned under Monq’s tutelage, I was trained in the martial arts of weaponless defense and also in ancient weaponry, the latter being principally about pride of heritage and custom. There was no expectation that these skills would ever be utilized in a practical sense, but cousins of the monarch have been prepared to serve as bodyguards for centuries. So we are expected to keep the tradition in appearance if not in fact. In some ways the acquisition of these skills is curiously at odds with the somewhat prim and retiring behavior expected of royal girls.
We were not allowed away from palace grounds often and then only under highly supervised circumstances. I frequently argued with my parents that palace life was suffocating, that it was a gilded cage that stunted the potential of my brothers and sisters. I thought the future of the royal family would be better served by looking to more contemporary models of behavior. We were locked into a rigid formality that was out of sync with the times. Custom and a skewed sense of propriety had turned us into walking anachronisms. I knew this because we were allowed to watch some television shows and movies.”
Gesturing toward a glass and pitcher she asked, “May I?”
Monq answered, “Of course,” and rose to pour it for her.
She took a sip before continuing. “Our extended family was gathered together for Litha, the Feast of the Summer Solstice, called Mid Summer by some. It’s always magical to see the main hall decorated for a holiday. A gathering of relatives is cause for celebration in itself since we don’t often get to fraternize with people who do not live or work at the palace. Even the staff is excited on such occasions.
On my last day at… home I had spent the afternoon in the kitchen observing preparations with my fifth cousin, Madelayne. And sampling some of the fare. We left in time to get dressed. For the Feast of Litha everyone wears costumes from the Middle Ages. I don’t know why. They are hot and heavy. The younger generation wears street clothes underneath so that we can shed them after the mandatory festivities are complete and have a good time in each others’ company. But that is neither here nor there.
Dinner was just being served on tables decorated with flowers and local fruits of the season. The musicians were playing wyre instruments in a centuries old style of madrigal. I had just joked with Monq that they were playing the hits from his secondary school years. I sat with Madelayne and some of my other cousins across the Great Hall from my parents.
Most people had finished eating and
“Not at all.”
Elora stood and began to pace back and forth in front of the head of the table. “In the interest of detail, as requested, I’ll not deliberately omit anything that might be pertinent. I’ll begin with the events that precipitated the incident.
I am, or rather was, third cousin to the king and twenty eighth in line for the throne. As an indication of how unlikely my succession would be, they cease populating the list at thirty names. I am part of a large, extended family that is in turn part of a large and powerful clan. The royal family, including the thirty persons mentioned, live in the palace in London. The entire family, which means a large part of the clan, joins us there for certain occasions and celebrations.
I am the oldest of six with three sisters and two brothers. We are educated on the premises, along with our higher born cousins, according to our individual talents, interests, and the roles we are assigned to play within the family structure. Two of my younger sisters are already married.
When it became widely accepted that the gods had left our world, we, as a society, turned to science and magick for answers. My principle tutor was an authority on these subjects. His name was Thelonius Monq.” She glanced at Monq.
“In addition to the disciplines of classical studies and science which I learned under Monq’s tutelage, I was trained in the martial arts of weaponless defense and also in ancient weaponry, the latter being principally about pride of heritage and custom. There was no expectation that these skills would ever be utilized in a practical sense, but cousins of the monarch have been prepared to serve as bodyguards for centuries. So we are expected to keep the tradition in appearance if not in fact. In some ways the acquisition of these skills is curiously at odds with the somewhat prim and retiring behavior expected of royal girls.
We were not allowed away from palace grounds often and then only under highly supervised circumstances. I frequently argued with my parents that palace life was suffocating, that it was a gilded cage that stunted the potential of my brothers and sisters. I thought the future of the royal family would be better served by looking to more contemporary models of behavior. We were locked into a rigid formality that was out of sync with the times. Custom and a skewed sense of propriety had turned us into walking anachronisms. I knew this because we were allowed to watch some television shows and movies.”
Gesturing toward a glass and pitcher she asked, “May I?”
Monq answered, “Of course,” and rose to pour it for her.
She took a sip before continuing. “Our extended family was gathered together for Litha, the Feast of the Summer Solstice, called Mid Summer by some. It’s always magical to see the main hall decorated for a holiday. A gathering of relatives is cause for celebration in itself since we don’t often get to fraternize with people who do not live or work at the palace. Even the staff is excited on such occasions.
On my last day at… home I had spent the afternoon in the kitchen observing preparations with my fifth cousin, Madelayne. And sampling some of the fare. We left in time to get dressed. For the Feast of Litha everyone wears costumes from the Middle Ages. I don’t know why. They are hot and heavy. The younger generation wears street clothes underneath so that we can shed them after the mandatory festivities are complete and have a good time in each others’ company. But that is neither here nor there.
Dinner was just being served on tables decorated with flowers and local fruits of the season. The musicians were playing wyre instruments in a centuries old style of madrigal. I had just joked with Monq that they were playing the hits from his secondary school years. I sat with Madelayne and some of my other cousins across the Great Hall from my parents.
Most people had finished eating and
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