that was so beautiful!" she said reverently. "Will I ever be able to play like that?"
"Someday," I said, turning to face her. "Provided you practice enough."
"Oh, I will!" she assured me. "I'll start today!"
"Sounds good," I said, "but let's wait until after breakfast, shall we?"
"Breakfast?" she echoed. "What's that?"
I stared at her in disbelief. "You know, the morning meal? What you eat after you first get up in the morning?"
"Here on Darconia we only eat once a day," she said.
"In the evening."
My stomach let out a loud snarl. "Humans eat more often than that," I said, my eyes undoubtedly growing round with horror. "Is there anything I can get at this hour? I'm starving!"
Having said that, I heard a sound coming from the other room. Frowning slightly, I got up from the piano and peered through the doorway. My tiger was in there—still wearing nothing but his two jeweled collars, by the way—setting out platters of food on the table from a heavily laden tray.
I cast a withering look at Zealon. "Very funny," I said dryly. "You had me going there for a minute."
Zealon doubled over, cackling with laughter. "I'm sorry!" she gasped. "But I love the way your face changes."
"Those are facial expressions," I said loftily. "And this one," I added, narrowing my eyes and thinning my lips, "signifies marked disapproval."
"I'll try to remember that."
"See that you do."
Following me to the door, Zealon let out a squeal of delight. "She's given you Tycharian?"
"What do you mean?"
"Him," she replied, pointing at Tiger.
"You knowhim?" I asked, a good deal astonished.
"Of course I do! Mother doesn't think I know he exists, but we're good friends, actually."
Tiger gave her such a look! "You are not supposed to reveal that," he said sternly. "To anyone."
"Oh, it doesn't matter if Kyra knows, does it? She won't tell."
"Well, the Queen did say when she assigned him to me that it was 'worth the risk' that you might meet him,"
I mused. "So it probably doesn't matter, but do you mean to say you've been sneaking off to make friends with the slaves?"
"They aren't really slaves, you know," Zealon said ingenuously. "Just special servants. Pretty lucky, actually, because they aren't allowed to touch the chamber pots."
"And what else aren't they allowed to do?" I remarked sarcastically. "Leave of their own free will?"
"Oh, they could if they really wanted to," she said, sounding as if she truly believed this. "Mother would never stop them, though she says it would be dangerous for any of her slaves to leave, because they are all either hunted or endangered species. She keeps them locked up at night for their own protection, but I think they like working here. I mean, it is a palace."
She was so naive, it was downright comical. "Zealon, would you like being locked up at night? Even for your own protection?"
She looked up at me soberly. "But I am," she replied.
"A princess is as much a slave as they are. We just get locked up in different rooms."
Perhaps she wasn't quite so naive after all. "Touche,"
I said softly. "Okay, then, now that we know we're all stuck here living in a palace whether we like it or not, why don't you two 'slaves' join me for breakfast? Unless you've already eaten, that is. I think I'd like some company."
Tiger looked surprised. Zealon's jaw dropped.
"What's the matter?" I asked. "Is that going too far?"
"I... don't know," Zealon said. "I've never done that before."
"Which part? Having breakfast with me, or with him?"
"With him, I think," she replied uncertainly. "Anyway, I've already eaten."
I nodded, thinking she'd ducked past that one pretty effectively. So, he wasn't really a slave, was he? It certainly seemed that way to me. "Well, then, do I have to eat all of this by myself?"
Tiger shook his head almost imperceptibly. Zealon shrugged, a gesture that looked odd on a lizard—a bit like watching a live cartoon character.
"I have other lessons this morning," she said. "So I couldn't stay,
"Someday," I said, turning to face her. "Provided you practice enough."
"Oh, I will!" she assured me. "I'll start today!"
"Sounds good," I said, "but let's wait until after breakfast, shall we?"
"Breakfast?" she echoed. "What's that?"
I stared at her in disbelief. "You know, the morning meal? What you eat after you first get up in the morning?"
"Here on Darconia we only eat once a day," she said.
"In the evening."
My stomach let out a loud snarl. "Humans eat more often than that," I said, my eyes undoubtedly growing round with horror. "Is there anything I can get at this hour? I'm starving!"
Having said that, I heard a sound coming from the other room. Frowning slightly, I got up from the piano and peered through the doorway. My tiger was in there—still wearing nothing but his two jeweled collars, by the way—setting out platters of food on the table from a heavily laden tray.
I cast a withering look at Zealon. "Very funny," I said dryly. "You had me going there for a minute."
Zealon doubled over, cackling with laughter. "I'm sorry!" she gasped. "But I love the way your face changes."
"Those are facial expressions," I said loftily. "And this one," I added, narrowing my eyes and thinning my lips, "signifies marked disapproval."
"I'll try to remember that."
"See that you do."
Following me to the door, Zealon let out a squeal of delight. "She's given you Tycharian?"
"What do you mean?"
"Him," she replied, pointing at Tiger.
"You knowhim?" I asked, a good deal astonished.
"Of course I do! Mother doesn't think I know he exists, but we're good friends, actually."
Tiger gave her such a look! "You are not supposed to reveal that," he said sternly. "To anyone."
"Oh, it doesn't matter if Kyra knows, does it? She won't tell."
"Well, the Queen did say when she assigned him to me that it was 'worth the risk' that you might meet him,"
I mused. "So it probably doesn't matter, but do you mean to say you've been sneaking off to make friends with the slaves?"
"They aren't really slaves, you know," Zealon said ingenuously. "Just special servants. Pretty lucky, actually, because they aren't allowed to touch the chamber pots."
"And what else aren't they allowed to do?" I remarked sarcastically. "Leave of their own free will?"
"Oh, they could if they really wanted to," she said, sounding as if she truly believed this. "Mother would never stop them, though she says it would be dangerous for any of her slaves to leave, because they are all either hunted or endangered species. She keeps them locked up at night for their own protection, but I think they like working here. I mean, it is a palace."
She was so naive, it was downright comical. "Zealon, would you like being locked up at night? Even for your own protection?"
She looked up at me soberly. "But I am," she replied.
"A princess is as much a slave as they are. We just get locked up in different rooms."
Perhaps she wasn't quite so naive after all. "Touche,"
I said softly. "Okay, then, now that we know we're all stuck here living in a palace whether we like it or not, why don't you two 'slaves' join me for breakfast? Unless you've already eaten, that is. I think I'd like some company."
Tiger looked surprised. Zealon's jaw dropped.
"What's the matter?" I asked. "Is that going too far?"
"I... don't know," Zealon said. "I've never done that before."
"Which part? Having breakfast with me, or with him?"
"With him, I think," she replied uncertainly. "Anyway, I've already eaten."
I nodded, thinking she'd ducked past that one pretty effectively. So, he wasn't really a slave, was he? It certainly seemed that way to me. "Well, then, do I have to eat all of this by myself?"
Tiger shook his head almost imperceptibly. Zealon shrugged, a gesture that looked odd on a lizard—a bit like watching a live cartoon character.
"I have other lessons this morning," she said. "So I couldn't stay,
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