Read Online The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine - Free Book Online
Authors: Gail Carson Levine
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Eleven
----
“F ATHER IS COMING home?” I said. “Why?”
Bella said, “He should be here with his child.” My voice rose. “What about Homely Truths and rooting out the canker?” What about changing from cowardly to brave?
Rhys answered, still looking at the floor. “He said that Homely Truths had told him to seek counsel. He’s returning to consult with his councillors.” He raised his head and looked at us. “I couldn’t argue with him.”
He was right, of course. An apprentice sorcerer couldn’t harangue a king.
“I never thought he’d find the cure,” Meryl said calmly, settling deeper into her pillows. “It doesn’t matter.”
I was furious with Father for giving up and angry at myself for expecting anything from him.
“One of the knights had a mishap with a specter,” Rhys said.
Meryl sat up. “What happened?”
I shivered. Another specter!
Rhys leaned against the mantel. “The king and his retinue were camped outside the walls of Queen Seema’s castle, a quarter mile from the ocean cliffs. One of the knights, Sir Osbert, couldn’t sleep and went for a walk. He hadn’t gone far when he heard a rustling noise, like the swish of a lady’s skirt.”
“Was that the specter?” Meryl asked.
“It was. But Sir Osbert saw his sister, who had died five years ago of the Gray Death.”
I pictured a specter taking Meryl’s shape someday. I wanted to run out of the room.
Rhys went on. “He embraced her and never wondered why she was there. Perhaps her scent bewitched him. The specter had aped the dead maiden’s perfume.”
The specter told Sir Osbert that none of the Gray Death’s victims had really died. Instead, they had been whisked to a hidden place close by, where they lived in comfort.
Rhys said, “The specter led Sir Osbert to the edge of a cliff and kept him from seeing the abyss at his feet. Instead, the poor man saw a grassy field and a pavilion lit by a thousand lanterns. In the lantern light he saw two more figures he knew, his cousin and a childhood friend. He ran toward them—and plunged over the edge.”
I cried out. I would have run toward Meryl.
Everyone looked at me. I went to Meryl, and she put her arm around me.
“It came out all right,” Rhys said. “A sapling broke his fall.”
“Was he hurt?” Milton asked.
“Only bruised and shaken. He was lucky.”
Bella said, “My cousin Clara saw a specter once. She also said it had a scent. Cloves and honey, I believe.”
“I must leave you,” Rhys said. “The king instructed me to tell his councillors of his return, but I came here first.” He bowed and left.
I ran out into the corridor. “Rhys!”
He turned and waited for me.
“Now she can hardly walk. How long do you think it will be till the slumber comes?”
“Oh, Princess Addie.” He reached out to me, then dropped his hand. “Sometimes people who are sick surprise everyone. Sometimes—”
“How long?”
“A few days. At most a week.”
He caught my elbow or I would have fallen. A week! Then nine days of sleep and three days of fever. Nineteen days, and she’d be asleep for nine of them. Nineteen days at best, and I’d lose her forever.
Milton stepped into the corridor. “Your sister wants you, Princess Addie.”
When I went back in, Meryl told me she was going to sleep.
I must have looked wild with fear, because she added, “I’m only going to nap. It’s not the deep sleep. That’s not here yet. Am I right, Milton?”
He nodded.
She was still taking care of me. I managed a smile and gave her a kiss. She turned onto her side and closed her eyes.
I left the room. At the end of the corridor I mounted the stairs that led to the north tower, which had always been Meryl’s refuge when she wanted to be alone.
The tower door was heavy. I had to push against it with all my weight to get it open. A week ago Meryl had opened it easily. A ladder led to the tower roof. I climbed up.
I crossed the roof and leaned against the
----
“F ATHER IS COMING home?” I said. “Why?”
Bella said, “He should be here with his child.” My voice rose. “What about Homely Truths and rooting out the canker?” What about changing from cowardly to brave?
Rhys answered, still looking at the floor. “He said that Homely Truths had told him to seek counsel. He’s returning to consult with his councillors.” He raised his head and looked at us. “I couldn’t argue with him.”
He was right, of course. An apprentice sorcerer couldn’t harangue a king.
“I never thought he’d find the cure,” Meryl said calmly, settling deeper into her pillows. “It doesn’t matter.”
I was furious with Father for giving up and angry at myself for expecting anything from him.
“One of the knights had a mishap with a specter,” Rhys said.
Meryl sat up. “What happened?”
I shivered. Another specter!
Rhys leaned against the mantel. “The king and his retinue were camped outside the walls of Queen Seema’s castle, a quarter mile from the ocean cliffs. One of the knights, Sir Osbert, couldn’t sleep and went for a walk. He hadn’t gone far when he heard a rustling noise, like the swish of a lady’s skirt.”
“Was that the specter?” Meryl asked.
“It was. But Sir Osbert saw his sister, who had died five years ago of the Gray Death.”
I pictured a specter taking Meryl’s shape someday. I wanted to run out of the room.
Rhys went on. “He embraced her and never wondered why she was there. Perhaps her scent bewitched him. The specter had aped the dead maiden’s perfume.”
The specter told Sir Osbert that none of the Gray Death’s victims had really died. Instead, they had been whisked to a hidden place close by, where they lived in comfort.
Rhys said, “The specter led Sir Osbert to the edge of a cliff and kept him from seeing the abyss at his feet. Instead, the poor man saw a grassy field and a pavilion lit by a thousand lanterns. In the lantern light he saw two more figures he knew, his cousin and a childhood friend. He ran toward them—and plunged over the edge.”
I cried out. I would have run toward Meryl.
Everyone looked at me. I went to Meryl, and she put her arm around me.
“It came out all right,” Rhys said. “A sapling broke his fall.”
“Was he hurt?” Milton asked.
“Only bruised and shaken. He was lucky.”
Bella said, “My cousin Clara saw a specter once. She also said it had a scent. Cloves and honey, I believe.”
“I must leave you,” Rhys said. “The king instructed me to tell his councillors of his return, but I came here first.” He bowed and left.
I ran out into the corridor. “Rhys!”
He turned and waited for me.
“Now she can hardly walk. How long do you think it will be till the slumber comes?”
“Oh, Princess Addie.” He reached out to me, then dropped his hand. “Sometimes people who are sick surprise everyone. Sometimes—”
“How long?”
“A few days. At most a week.”
He caught my elbow or I would have fallen. A week! Then nine days of sleep and three days of fever. Nineteen days, and she’d be asleep for nine of them. Nineteen days at best, and I’d lose her forever.
Milton stepped into the corridor. “Your sister wants you, Princess Addie.”
When I went back in, Meryl told me she was going to sleep.
I must have looked wild with fear, because she added, “I’m only going to nap. It’s not the deep sleep. That’s not here yet. Am I right, Milton?”
He nodded.
She was still taking care of me. I managed a smile and gave her a kiss. She turned onto her side and closed her eyes.
I left the room. At the end of the corridor I mounted the stairs that led to the north tower, which had always been Meryl’s refuge when she wanted to be alone.
The tower door was heavy. I had to push against it with all my weight to get it open. A week ago Meryl had opened it easily. A ladder led to the tower roof. I climbed up.
I crossed the roof and leaned against the
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