Read Online The Fugitive Prince (Bell Mountain) by Lee Duigon - Free Book Online
Authors: Lee Duigon
Ads: Link
you, will never guess there’s anything amiss.”
“The servants in the palace will,” said Fnaa.
“Maybe—but not right away.”
The boy was intelligent, she thought. He would be able to do everything she told him.
“They’ll all be mad when they find out they’ve been fooled,” he said.
“But they won’t find out tomorrow,” Gurun said.
She let him sleep in her bed that night—it was big enough for her whole family, after all—and woke early to hide him in her closet. When a maid brought breakfast, Gurun shooed her away quickly, feigning a bad temper.
She had to solve the problem of Fnaa’s clothes. He ought to be wearing some of the king’s clothes. There was only one way to take care of that.
“Eat,” she said, “and if you hear anyone at the door, hide under the bed. I have to get some clothes for you. I won’t be long.”
The king’s bedchamber was a ways down the hall from hers. He wasn’t in it, so there was no need for anyone to guard the door.
She met a servant hurrying along on some early-morning errand.
“Wait!” she said. “I want you to find Chagadai the Ghol for me and bring him to my room within the hour—if you please.” The man nodded and said, “Yes, ma’am,” and went off in the opposite direction. Gurun waited until he was out of sight and she could hear his footsteps no more.
Ryons’ door was not locked: there was no reason to lock it. Gurun dashed in and snatched some clothes out of his closet, taking a moment to make sure they were some things he’d been wearing recently. She stuffed them under her dress and hurried back to her own room, meeting no one on the way. Half an hour later, she thought, and this hall would have been far too busy for her to do this.
Fnaa was hiding when she entered the room and locked the door behind her. “You can come out,” she said. “I have some clothes for you. Put them on.”
He changed clothes behind a screen. They fit, of course. It wasn’t the custom to dress Ryons in royal robes, but the clothes Fnaa had were much humbler than anything in the king’s wardrobe. In other words, thought Gurun, they were sensible clothes.
“Chagadai will be here soon,” she said, when Fnaa was dressed. “Don’t be afraid of him. He and all the Ghols belong particularly to King Ryons, and protect him. They call him their father.”
“They won’t like it when they find out I’m not him,” said Fnaa.
“Be brave,” Gurun answered, “and leave everything to me.”
“A tall order for a girl from Fogo Island!” she thought. But what else could be done? She prayed a silent prayer: “All-Father, be with me now to guide me.”
In his short life, Fnaa hadn’t had many opportunities to be brave or cowardly. He was so used to playing the fool in his master’s house that it was second nature to him. But playing the king terrified him.
The chieftains—barbarians all, and one more fearsome-looking than the next, with all their scars and strange attire—made his blood run cold. Chagadai the Ghol, who called him “father,” had slanted eyes and a livid white scar across his face. If Gurun hadn’t been holding his hand, Fnaa would have run away. As it was, this formidable man seized his free hand and kissed it.
Gurun and Chagadai took him to a room where all the chiefs were seated around a glossy table, and there Gurun told them the story she’d invented. They listened with unsmiling faces; and when it was time for him to speak to them, Fnaa’s mouth went dry and Gurun had to squeeze his hand to get him started. “If only she’d told them the king has lost his wits, not just his memory!” he thought.
“My lords,” he said, very slowly, “it’s just like she says. I don’t know what happened to me. I woke up in a closet and didn’t know how I got there. I didn’t know anything at all! I didn’t even know who I was, until she
“The servants in the palace will,” said Fnaa.
“Maybe—but not right away.”
The boy was intelligent, she thought. He would be able to do everything she told him.
“They’ll all be mad when they find out they’ve been fooled,” he said.
“But they won’t find out tomorrow,” Gurun said.
She let him sleep in her bed that night—it was big enough for her whole family, after all—and woke early to hide him in her closet. When a maid brought breakfast, Gurun shooed her away quickly, feigning a bad temper.
She had to solve the problem of Fnaa’s clothes. He ought to be wearing some of the king’s clothes. There was only one way to take care of that.
“Eat,” she said, “and if you hear anyone at the door, hide under the bed. I have to get some clothes for you. I won’t be long.”
The king’s bedchamber was a ways down the hall from hers. He wasn’t in it, so there was no need for anyone to guard the door.
She met a servant hurrying along on some early-morning errand.
“Wait!” she said. “I want you to find Chagadai the Ghol for me and bring him to my room within the hour—if you please.” The man nodded and said, “Yes, ma’am,” and went off in the opposite direction. Gurun waited until he was out of sight and she could hear his footsteps no more.
Ryons’ door was not locked: there was no reason to lock it. Gurun dashed in and snatched some clothes out of his closet, taking a moment to make sure they were some things he’d been wearing recently. She stuffed them under her dress and hurried back to her own room, meeting no one on the way. Half an hour later, she thought, and this hall would have been far too busy for her to do this.
Fnaa was hiding when she entered the room and locked the door behind her. “You can come out,” she said. “I have some clothes for you. Put them on.”
He changed clothes behind a screen. They fit, of course. It wasn’t the custom to dress Ryons in royal robes, but the clothes Fnaa had were much humbler than anything in the king’s wardrobe. In other words, thought Gurun, they were sensible clothes.
“Chagadai will be here soon,” she said, when Fnaa was dressed. “Don’t be afraid of him. He and all the Ghols belong particularly to King Ryons, and protect him. They call him their father.”
“They won’t like it when they find out I’m not him,” said Fnaa.
“Be brave,” Gurun answered, “and leave everything to me.”
“A tall order for a girl from Fogo Island!” she thought. But what else could be done? She prayed a silent prayer: “All-Father, be with me now to guide me.”
In his short life, Fnaa hadn’t had many opportunities to be brave or cowardly. He was so used to playing the fool in his master’s house that it was second nature to him. But playing the king terrified him.
The chieftains—barbarians all, and one more fearsome-looking than the next, with all their scars and strange attire—made his blood run cold. Chagadai the Ghol, who called him “father,” had slanted eyes and a livid white scar across his face. If Gurun hadn’t been holding his hand, Fnaa would have run away. As it was, this formidable man seized his free hand and kissed it.
Gurun and Chagadai took him to a room where all the chiefs were seated around a glossy table, and there Gurun told them the story she’d invented. They listened with unsmiling faces; and when it was time for him to speak to them, Fnaa’s mouth went dry and Gurun had to squeeze his hand to get him started. “If only she’d told them the king has lost his wits, not just his memory!” he thought.
“My lords,” he said, very slowly, “it’s just like she says. I don’t know what happened to me. I woke up in a closet and didn’t know how I got there. I didn’t know anything at all! I didn’t even know who I was, until she
Similar Books
