This is ridiculous!" Queen Thayet exploded, her eyes blazing. "Absolutely ridiculous!"
King Jonathon of Conte wet his lips nervously. "Now dear."
"Don't you now dear me! This is unbelievable! I turn my back on you for a few weeks and you wreck our daughter's future!"
"I did not ruin her life and you know it well. Kalasin is much better off. She will not be unhappy for long. You know just as well as I do that had she become the first known lady page we could never be effective again. Some people barely tolerate us as it is; they think we are foolish but cannot yet rebel openly. If we let a princess become a page we will be removed from the throne. Kalasin and our other children will be far worse off than they are now, with Kally storming around saying how she wishes she was not a princess." Thayet winced. Her husband was right; her daughter would get over it and all would be better off. But things would be tense that year between the monarchs, very tense indeed.
A pretty young girl flopped down on her bed, glaring about her luxurious room with disgust. "Now Kally, we will be better off. Now Kally, try to understand. Now Kally, you will understand when you are older. Now Kally, we're sending you away for a few years. Now Kally, now Kally, now Kally. I don't care!" Princess Kalasin screamed, anger evident in her voice. "I want
to be a knight!" Her eyes fell upon her window. "Yes," she murmured. "It's the only way." Kally was no mere infant, content to leave her future to adults to decide. She would run away.
"My lord, there is no sign of her." A nervous man in the palace uniform watched his king pace as the queen wrung her hands. "Three days and no one has spotted the princess."
"Get out!" cried the queen. "And don't come back till she is found." the man rushed from the room. To her husband she said, " 'She'll get over it and we'll all be better off.' Does this look to you like she is getting over it? Our daughter has run away and it is all your fault." The king could only nod mutely. She was right.
The child who had caused the uproar in the palace was terrified. Scanran pirates had picked her up and recognized her as the Princess Kalasin. She was now aboard one of their ships, bound for Scanra. She was also very seasick.
"Comfy, Princess?" a man called out mockingly. "Hope so, 'cause it'll be a good few days 'afore we dock." Suddenly a commotion was heard on deck. Black fire (magic) quested down the steps to her abode to seep into the place she was held, blocking her vision. When she could see clearly again she was astonished to see her fathers friend, Master Numair. Of the pirates
there was no trace. No trace save a small red smear on the polished deck.
"Well, Kalasin," Numair remarked mildly, "I believe that you have had enough excitement for one day. Come, let us go home."
"You dreadful child!" Queen Thayet sobbed, hugging her offspring as if she would never let go. "Don't you ever, EVER do that again." She rounded on her consort. Kally wondered how her beautiful mother could so resemble a dragon. "This was all your fault, Jon."
Kally yawned, and immediately her mother whisked her away. "Food, then rest," the woman ordered. "Not necessarily in that order. And remember to take off your clothes before sleeping. Good night."
Things soon returned to normal. Than one day, a young noble decided she wanted to be a knight.
King Jonathon of Conte wet his lips nervously. "Now dear."
"Don't you now dear me! This is unbelievable! I turn my back on you for a few weeks and you wreck our daughter's future!"
"I did not ruin her life and you know it well. Kalasin is much better off. She will not be unhappy for long. You know just as well as I do that had she become the first known lady page we could never be effective again. Some people barely tolerate us as it is; they think we are foolish but cannot yet rebel openly. If we let a princess become a page we will be removed from the throne. Kalasin and our other children will be far worse off than they are now, with Kally storming around saying how she wishes she was not a princess." Thayet winced. Her husband was right; her daughter would get over it and all would be better off. But things would be tense that year between the monarchs, very tense indeed.
A pretty young girl flopped down on her bed, glaring about her luxurious room with disgust. "Now Kally, we will be better off. Now Kally, try to understand. Now Kally, you will understand when you are older. Now Kally, we're sending you away for a few years. Now Kally, now Kally, now Kally. I don't care!" Princess Kalasin screamed, anger evident in her voice. "I want
to be a knight!" Her eyes fell upon her window. "Yes," she murmured. "It's the only way." Kally was no mere infant, content to leave her future to adults to decide. She would run away.
"My lord, there is no sign of her." A nervous man in the palace uniform watched his king pace as the queen wrung her hands. "Three days and no one has spotted the princess."
"Get out!" cried the queen. "And don't come back till she is found." the man rushed from the room. To her husband she said, " 'She'll get over it and we'll all be better off.' Does this look to you like she is getting over it? Our daughter has run away and it is all your fault." The king could only nod mutely. She was right.
The child who had caused the uproar in the palace was terrified. Scanran pirates had picked her up and recognized her as the Princess Kalasin. She was now aboard one of their ships, bound for Scanra. She was also very seasick.
"Comfy, Princess?" a man called out mockingly. "Hope so, 'cause it'll be a good few days 'afore we dock." Suddenly a commotion was heard on deck. Black fire (magic) quested down the steps to her abode to seep into the place she was held, blocking her vision. When she could see clearly again she was astonished to see her fathers friend, Master Numair. Of the pirates
there was no trace. No trace save a small red smear on the polished deck.
"Well, Kalasin," Numair remarked mildly, "I believe that you have had enough excitement for one day. Come, let us go home."
"You dreadful child!" Queen Thayet sobbed, hugging her offspring as if she would never let go. "Don't you ever, EVER do that again." She rounded on her consort. Kally wondered how her beautiful mother could so resemble a dragon. "This was all your fault, Jon."
Kally yawned, and immediately her mother whisked her away. "Food, then rest," the woman ordered. "Not necessarily in that order. And remember to take off your clothes before sleeping. Good night."
Things soon returned to normal. Than one day, a young noble decided she wanted to be a knight.