Read Online Nobody's Princess by Esther Friesner - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Esther Friesner
Tags: General, Social Science, Historical, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Social Issues, Girls & Women, gender studies, Adventure and Adventurers, Adventure stories, Mediterranean Region, Legends; Myths; Fables, Ancient Civilizations, Sex Role, Mythology; Greek, Greek & Roman, Mediterranean Region - History - To 476, Helen of Troy (Greek mythology)
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happy. “Someone had better teach your brothers that only fools and children believe it’s a brave thing to drink unwatered wine,” he said. He pressed his lips together and shot a poisonous look at the palace walls. “If their heads hurt today, just wait until I get my hands on them tomorrow. Meanwhile, you and I had better find another place to work on your warrior skills, princess.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Because once that Mykenaean wine-bag leaves, the guards will go back to their regular duties. They expect to see me training your brothers. Even the sight of a third ‘boy’ down here doesn’t faze them—they probably reckon you for one of the princes’ playmates, a servant’s kid. But if they saw me spending my time on you alone, they’d smell a dead mouse in the barley and come charging down here to investigate. Understand?”
I nodded. Glaucus smiled, then picked up the bundle of practice javelins as easily as if they were made of straw. He strode off toward the river with me scurrying after him. I tried not to let him know that my heart was about to burst from sheer joy. Glaucus and all that he could teach me were mine alone, at least for one day. He wouldn’t have to split his attention between me and my brothers. I felt like singing.
He led me to a narrow part of the river, forested on both banks, out of sight of the palace walls. He dropped the practice javelins and dove into the water without bothering to remove a single piece of clothing, not even his sandals. Once across, he cut rings into the bark of three huge trees on the far bank, then came swimming back before I could wonder whether I was supposed to follow him or stay put. (Just as well. I’d never learned how to swim.)
“Here,” he said, handing me one of the practice javelins and nodding at the targets he’d improvised.
“Which one do you want me to hit?” I asked.
That amused him. “I’ll be happy if I don’t have to spend the rest of the day racing downstream, trying to recapture all the shafts that’ll wind up in the river. Just try to get it across the water, princess.”
His words made my face go hot.
He’s trying to make me mad,
I thought.
He thinks he can control me like that, but it’s my life:
I
say yes or no.
I calmly picked up the first shaft, held it at eye level, and sighted down the length of it.
“I suppose that’s all I’ll be able to do with this one,” I said. “It’s warped. It won’t fly true.”
I picked up each one of the other fake spears and examined them in the same way. They were all just crooked enough to veer away from the target, no matter how skilled the thrower, and I said so.
The old soldier gave me a strange look, then checked the spears for himself. “Well, I’ll be Hades’s dinner guest!” he exclaimed. “You’re right! Good for you, princess.”
“I can still throw them across the river,” I said, trying not to let him see how much his praise pleased me. “But you carved those targets for nothing.”
“I have a better idea,” he said. “Wait here.”
He was gone for a while. I passed the time by flinging stones over the water. None of them made it to the far bank. Silently I gave thanks that there’d be no spear-throwing practice that day. My arm wasn’t strong enough yet; I would have been mortified.
Glaucus came back through the trees, carrying something wrapped up in his cloak. He unfurled it and a short sword fell at my feet. It was the real thing, a bronze blade with a cutting edge that glittered in the sunlight. He must have gone all the way back to the palace to fetch it.
“Pick it up,” Glaucus told me, drawing his own sword from his belt. “Let’s see how it suits you.”
I gazed at the weapon but couldn’t bring myself to touch it. To hold a
real
sword—! It was a privilege I longed for and feared. Why was Glaucus giving me this chance so soon? Did he mean it to be an honor or a test? I hesitated, longing and just a bit afraid.
“Go on
“Why?” I asked.
“Because once that Mykenaean wine-bag leaves, the guards will go back to their regular duties. They expect to see me training your brothers. Even the sight of a third ‘boy’ down here doesn’t faze them—they probably reckon you for one of the princes’ playmates, a servant’s kid. But if they saw me spending my time on you alone, they’d smell a dead mouse in the barley and come charging down here to investigate. Understand?”
I nodded. Glaucus smiled, then picked up the bundle of practice javelins as easily as if they were made of straw. He strode off toward the river with me scurrying after him. I tried not to let him know that my heart was about to burst from sheer joy. Glaucus and all that he could teach me were mine alone, at least for one day. He wouldn’t have to split his attention between me and my brothers. I felt like singing.
He led me to a narrow part of the river, forested on both banks, out of sight of the palace walls. He dropped the practice javelins and dove into the water without bothering to remove a single piece of clothing, not even his sandals. Once across, he cut rings into the bark of three huge trees on the far bank, then came swimming back before I could wonder whether I was supposed to follow him or stay put. (Just as well. I’d never learned how to swim.)
“Here,” he said, handing me one of the practice javelins and nodding at the targets he’d improvised.
“Which one do you want me to hit?” I asked.
That amused him. “I’ll be happy if I don’t have to spend the rest of the day racing downstream, trying to recapture all the shafts that’ll wind up in the river. Just try to get it across the water, princess.”
His words made my face go hot.
He’s trying to make me mad,
I thought.
He thinks he can control me like that, but it’s my life:
I
say yes or no.
I calmly picked up the first shaft, held it at eye level, and sighted down the length of it.
“I suppose that’s all I’ll be able to do with this one,” I said. “It’s warped. It won’t fly true.”
I picked up each one of the other fake spears and examined them in the same way. They were all just crooked enough to veer away from the target, no matter how skilled the thrower, and I said so.
The old soldier gave me a strange look, then checked the spears for himself. “Well, I’ll be Hades’s dinner guest!” he exclaimed. “You’re right! Good for you, princess.”
“I can still throw them across the river,” I said, trying not to let him see how much his praise pleased me. “But you carved those targets for nothing.”
“I have a better idea,” he said. “Wait here.”
He was gone for a while. I passed the time by flinging stones over the water. None of them made it to the far bank. Silently I gave thanks that there’d be no spear-throwing practice that day. My arm wasn’t strong enough yet; I would have been mortified.
Glaucus came back through the trees, carrying something wrapped up in his cloak. He unfurled it and a short sword fell at my feet. It was the real thing, a bronze blade with a cutting edge that glittered in the sunlight. He must have gone all the way back to the palace to fetch it.
“Pick it up,” Glaucus told me, drawing his own sword from his belt. “Let’s see how it suits you.”
I gazed at the weapon but couldn’t bring myself to touch it. To hold a
real
sword—! It was a privilege I longed for and feared. Why was Glaucus giving me this chance so soon? Did he mean it to be an honor or a test? I hesitated, longing and just a bit afraid.
“Go on
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