Read Online Prisoner by Megan Derr - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Megan Derr
Tags: General Fiction
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Iah?
It was only reasonable. He shouldn't have expected otherwise. So why had he?
Chapter Four
"Lady Esta!" The breathless maid all but fell over in her haste to deliver her message.
Esta smiled at her in the mirror. "A lady walks, Trul."
"That's because if they run, their skirts'll have'em going downside-up."
Laughing, Esta set aside her brush and stood up. "What has you running in here like a cat fleeing the kitchen with a scrap in its mouth?"
"A really tasty scrap," Trul replied. She licked her lips for effect, making Esta shake her head and chuckle. "Rumors have it you're going to be appointed the Grand Lady of the winter ball!"
Esta's amusement died. "I don't want to be the Grand Lady."
Trul rolled her eyes. "But my lady! Everyone knows the prince has his eye on you! Why are you so recalcitrant?"
"Recalcitrant?" Esta quirked a brow. "Have you been slipping into the beds of library boys again, Trul?"
"They're so cute," Trul said and gave a grand sigh. "You don't know whether to love them or tuck them in and read them stories." She leered. "But they generally make their preference clear."
Esta was forced to laugh. "Trul!" she reprimanded gently, "My delicate ears!"
Trul snorted and manhandled Esta back into her seat, in a way only Trul ever got away with. She grabbed the brush from the dressing table and, completely at odds with her rough mannerisms, began to brush out Esta's floor length, white-gold hair gently. "How did you want it, my lady?"
"Braided and bound. I don't want it getting dirty while I'm out; I won't have time to wash it again before tonight." Esta sighed and began to play with the jewelry spread out across her vanity table: beautiful, ornate weavings of gold and silver; a gold chain, so delicate in places it looked as though it had been made by a spider of rare ability, and interspersed with silver roses of equal beauty. Her dress for that night would be of frosted pink silk, accented at the raised waist and hem with a slightly darker pink. With her hair decorated with more gold and silver roses, she would make her mark.
And feel utterly nothing for it. She detested the endless parties, and there was never a man who wanted truly to dance with her. Esta sighed and studied her face in the mirror. It was a stern face, but she knew it was also pretty. Her features were not as delicate as was preferred in women, but the added strength helped lend authority. Her skin was perfect, flawless and fair, and her eyes pale blue. She scowled. Behind her Trul chuckled. "Practicing to scare off the men again, my lady?"
"No need," Esta said with a grimace. "They all frighten easily enough anyway—except for the one I want to scare off, because he knows all my tricks."
Trul tsked at her. "Only my lady would begrudge having the prince for a friend." She set the brush aside and began to weave the long hair into an intricate braid. Her voice was tart as she continued, "He's angling for more than that, and here you sit scowling!"
"Don't start up again," Esta said tiredly. "Friends do not make for good lovers. He's just too lazy to find someone else. I don't want to be a queen. I would be terrible at it." An unladylike snort was Trul's only response, her mouth too full of hairpins to reply properly. Esta frowned and began to toy with the bottles of perfume on the vanity, deliberating on which she would wear that night. Rose, perhaps. Matthias hated her rose perfume.
Honestly, what was he thinking? Her the Grand Lady. She was going to kill him.
Of the five duchies that had once existed in Illussor, only two remained. The other three titles and lands had been reclaimed by the crown. It made sense, then, that the remaining two dukedoms should be close to the royal family. Iah and Esta had been the prince's playmates growing up alongside Kalan, the only other child of a Duke.
The three boys had done their very best to torment the only girl in their little group. Later, as the group expanded, they still had done
It was only reasonable. He shouldn't have expected otherwise. So why had he?
Chapter Four
"Lady Esta!" The breathless maid all but fell over in her haste to deliver her message.
Esta smiled at her in the mirror. "A lady walks, Trul."
"That's because if they run, their skirts'll have'em going downside-up."
Laughing, Esta set aside her brush and stood up. "What has you running in here like a cat fleeing the kitchen with a scrap in its mouth?"
"A really tasty scrap," Trul replied. She licked her lips for effect, making Esta shake her head and chuckle. "Rumors have it you're going to be appointed the Grand Lady of the winter ball!"
Esta's amusement died. "I don't want to be the Grand Lady."
Trul rolled her eyes. "But my lady! Everyone knows the prince has his eye on you! Why are you so recalcitrant?"
"Recalcitrant?" Esta quirked a brow. "Have you been slipping into the beds of library boys again, Trul?"
"They're so cute," Trul said and gave a grand sigh. "You don't know whether to love them or tuck them in and read them stories." She leered. "But they generally make their preference clear."
Esta was forced to laugh. "Trul!" she reprimanded gently, "My delicate ears!"
Trul snorted and manhandled Esta back into her seat, in a way only Trul ever got away with. She grabbed the brush from the dressing table and, completely at odds with her rough mannerisms, began to brush out Esta's floor length, white-gold hair gently. "How did you want it, my lady?"
"Braided and bound. I don't want it getting dirty while I'm out; I won't have time to wash it again before tonight." Esta sighed and began to play with the jewelry spread out across her vanity table: beautiful, ornate weavings of gold and silver; a gold chain, so delicate in places it looked as though it had been made by a spider of rare ability, and interspersed with silver roses of equal beauty. Her dress for that night would be of frosted pink silk, accented at the raised waist and hem with a slightly darker pink. With her hair decorated with more gold and silver roses, she would make her mark.
And feel utterly nothing for it. She detested the endless parties, and there was never a man who wanted truly to dance with her. Esta sighed and studied her face in the mirror. It was a stern face, but she knew it was also pretty. Her features were not as delicate as was preferred in women, but the added strength helped lend authority. Her skin was perfect, flawless and fair, and her eyes pale blue. She scowled. Behind her Trul chuckled. "Practicing to scare off the men again, my lady?"
"No need," Esta said with a grimace. "They all frighten easily enough anyway—except for the one I want to scare off, because he knows all my tricks."
Trul tsked at her. "Only my lady would begrudge having the prince for a friend." She set the brush aside and began to weave the long hair into an intricate braid. Her voice was tart as she continued, "He's angling for more than that, and here you sit scowling!"
"Don't start up again," Esta said tiredly. "Friends do not make for good lovers. He's just too lazy to find someone else. I don't want to be a queen. I would be terrible at it." An unladylike snort was Trul's only response, her mouth too full of hairpins to reply properly. Esta frowned and began to toy with the bottles of perfume on the vanity, deliberating on which she would wear that night. Rose, perhaps. Matthias hated her rose perfume.
Honestly, what was he thinking? Her the Grand Lady. She was going to kill him.
Of the five duchies that had once existed in Illussor, only two remained. The other three titles and lands had been reclaimed by the crown. It made sense, then, that the remaining two dukedoms should be close to the royal family. Iah and Esta had been the prince's playmates growing up alongside Kalan, the only other child of a Duke.
The three boys had done their very best to torment the only girl in their little group. Later, as the group expanded, they still had done
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