Read Online The Dragon of Trelian by Michelle Knudsen - Free Book Online

be much of a disguise if I looked the same, would it? Now, come on.” She started briskly for the gate, and he hurried to catch up.
    “Why do you need a disguise?”
    She gave him a disgusted look. “You seemed smarter than this yesterday. For one thing, princesses do not go wandering outside the castle grounds by themselves. My parents would never permit it, and the guards know it. Maurel tries it often enough, so they’re always on the lookout for her, but they believe we older girls have more sense.” She flashed him a wry smile, and he had to smile back. Even after his doubts a few minutes before, her comment about his intelligence lacked the same bite as Serek’s more pointed remark. And besides, he hadn’t been stupid. She was here, just like she said she’d be.
    They were almost at the gate. Meg shook her head, causing some of her hair to fall around her face. Her hands were thrust into her pockets, and she walked with a slumped posture that was completely unlike the normal way she carried herself. The transformation was amazing — no one would ever imagine she was really a princess. Calen forced himself to stop staring, lest he draw unwanted attention to her, and looked up at the nearest guard instead. The guard was one he recognized — Lared, he thought his name was — and Calen waved as he walked past. Lared nodded back at him and then turned his eyes to the next in line. Meg walked through beside him without incident.
    “For another thing,” she went on once they were safely past the gate, “this is a secret, remember? Even if I were allowed outside as myself, people might wonder where I was going, and why, and arousing curiosity about something is generally not the best way to keep it secret. Mellie, the dirty errand girl, however, can go virtually anywhere without attracting anyone’s interest.”
    “Mellie?”
    She shrugged and pushed her hair back behind her ears. “I had to have a name ready, just in case anyone asks.”
    “Yes, but
Mellie
?”
    “You be quiet, or I’ll make up a name for you, too.”
    Calen held up his hands. “All right, you win. No more teasing about the name. So where are we headed, Mellie? Are you going to tell me this secret or not?”
    She looked back over her shoulder toward the gate. “Once we’re out of view of the guards, we’re going to leave the road and head for those trees at the bottom of the hill.”
    “And then?”
    “And then you’ll find out what the secret is.”
    “Can’t you tell me now?”
    She shook her head, smiling. “Sorry. You’ll just have to learn to be patient, I’m afraid.”
    The road from the gate took a sharp turn toward the south, heading to where it would eventually branch into two roads, one going on to meet up with the Queen’s Road and one continuing toward the market grounds. Once they passed the turn, Meg took a final glance around and then pulled Calen off onto the grassy field beside the road.
    “Walk casually,” she said, “as if we’re just wandering over to the trees to rest in the shade.”
    They stepped slowly through the field. Tiny flowers — peablossoms — grew among the tall grass, sprinkling the green with bright flecks of pink and yellow and violet. Calen stretched his arms up and closed his eyes for a moment to focus on the feel of the warm breeze against his face. It was nice to be out in the sun. One of the worst parts of being a mage, he often thought, must be having to spend so much time cooped up in a dark study. As an apprentice, at least he got to travel to the market once a week and run occasional errands outside the castle, but most of the business of magic itself seemed to require darkness and dust and shadows. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d seen Serek outside in the daytime. No wonder the man was always in such a foul mood.
    Suddenly Calen pitched forward. He managed to get his feet back under him just in time to avoid falling on his face, and twisted around to look for