Of course, the location and some of the characters belong to Tamora Pierce.
The next morning the council met to determine which princess should be invited next. Kadar spent the morning with his nose as scrunched as possible, trying to ignore the garlic fumes wafting from the mouth of the nearest councilor. After three hours and five shouting matches it was agreed-at least by over half of the stubborn old men-that Princess Helene should be invited to stay.
Three weeks later she arrived. There was little commotion at her entrance; people seemed to have given up hope in the sensitivity of princesses. Only Kadar, and a few councilors he couldn't get rid off and friends he had begged to stay were in the throne room. It was just as well, because Princess Helene had a smaller entourage than the other two.
Kadar barely dared to look as she entered the room. When he finally forced himself to raise his eyes he found himself looking on a plump, blue-eyed brunette of medium height. She was pretty but not gorgeous. She would have looked plain next to Princess Gwyneth and stunning next to Brunhilda.
Princess Helene curtsied gracefully, hiccupped, and then greeted Kadar politely. He answered her greeting, and, seeing that she appeared to have a particularly violent case of the hiccups, sent her to her suite to refresh herself before supper.
"She didn't seem so bad," Hachel whispered to Kadar as soon as the party was out of sight.
"Neither did the last one until she came to dinner," Kadar replied grimly. Hachel winced in sympathy.
"At least she isn't an eyesore."
This time Kadar didn't bother to pray or ask favors of the gods, he hated to think what would happen if they took him seriously. He dressed (or rather submitted awkwardly to being dressed in) a horribly itchy outfit and marched down the stairs to greet the princess for dinner.
She was beautifully attired in a gown of golden silk but she still had the hiccups. She would squeak and jerk with them a few times every minute. Kadar offered her a glass of water but it seemed to be of little or no help. Kadar gritted his teeth and prepared himself for an evening of annoying noises.
Other than her occasional hiccups, which seemed to diminish slightly as the evening wore on, Princess Helene was a most charming companion. She was well-mannered and witty, truly witty not just giggling with every word. She had a well modulate voice and an excellent education. In between her hiccups Kadar found himself wondering if he wouldn't mind marrying her. Not only could this Princess distinguish poultry from venison, she could compliment him on the quality of specific spices.
Kadar wished her a good night after the final course and told her to meet him the next morning for breakfast and a tour of the royal zoo. She agreed happily and walked away hiccupping.
She looked weary at breakfast the next morning and explained that her hiccups had kept her awake most of the evening.
"By the way," she told him, "Thank you for the beautiful paperweight." She held out the stone that had been underneath her mattress. "I've never seen a stone like this; it was so sweet of you to surprise me."
Kadar, Hachel and Helene spent the morning in the zoo. Kadar found another point in Helene's favor: she got along well with his friend, a very rare talent. Helene's hiccups were still troubling her so Hachel and Kadar took it in turns to try to frighten them out of her. One of them would slowly sneak ahead or behind the group and then jump out suddenly with a loud shout. After the first few shocks, Helene found it very entertaining and the procedure created an epidemic of laughter instead of curing the troubling case of hiccups.
Kadar spent the afternoon watching (he couldn't hear much because of the wax in his ears) his councilors debate over what to place beneath the mattress of Princess Helene. Several screaming matches broke out and death threats were delivered to some of the more talkative advisors ( unfortunately for Kadar and other unfortunate listeners Duct tape had yet to be invented and people had to rely on the unpleasant hand-over-mouth method or on the expensive alternative of silencing charms). Finally it was decided (by the councilors, not by Kadar) that a carved ivory figure about the size of a toe was to be place beneath the ostrich feather mattress. Kadar went to the royal treasury to select a bird carving he thought she would particularly enjoy. The princess detected the carving beneath her mattress but nothing smaller. She left at the end of the week, still hiccupping. Kadar was sorry to see her go, but at the same to glad that he wouldn't have to live with a woman who hiccupped every few moments. His nerves were strained by a only a few days in her company; a year would likely drive him mad.
Kadar and Princess Helene stayed in contact for the rest of their lives, exchanging letters of advice and suggestions on curing the hiccups. The stone he had hidden beneath her mattress served loyally as a paperweight on her desk. He sent her a carving to match the first after hearing that her hiccups had finally ended. Princess Helene, however, married a different Prince, forcing the councilors to hold a meeting early the next morning.
Sign # 5 that you are a bookworm: Instead of threatening to revoke your TV privileges, your parents threaten to confiscate your books.
Thank you for reading and please review.
The next morning the council met to determine which princess should be invited next. Kadar spent the morning with his nose as scrunched as possible, trying to ignore the garlic fumes wafting from the mouth of the nearest councilor. After three hours and five shouting matches it was agreed-at least by over half of the stubborn old men-that Princess Helene should be invited to stay.
Three weeks later she arrived. There was little commotion at her entrance; people seemed to have given up hope in the sensitivity of princesses. Only Kadar, and a few councilors he couldn't get rid off and friends he had begged to stay were in the throne room. It was just as well, because Princess Helene had a smaller entourage than the other two.
Kadar barely dared to look as she entered the room. When he finally forced himself to raise his eyes he found himself looking on a plump, blue-eyed brunette of medium height. She was pretty but not gorgeous. She would have looked plain next to Princess Gwyneth and stunning next to Brunhilda.
Princess Helene curtsied gracefully, hiccupped, and then greeted Kadar politely. He answered her greeting, and, seeing that she appeared to have a particularly violent case of the hiccups, sent her to her suite to refresh herself before supper.
"She didn't seem so bad," Hachel whispered to Kadar as soon as the party was out of sight.
"Neither did the last one until she came to dinner," Kadar replied grimly. Hachel winced in sympathy.
"At least she isn't an eyesore."
This time Kadar didn't bother to pray or ask favors of the gods, he hated to think what would happen if they took him seriously. He dressed (or rather submitted awkwardly to being dressed in) a horribly itchy outfit and marched down the stairs to greet the princess for dinner.
She was beautifully attired in a gown of golden silk but she still had the hiccups. She would squeak and jerk with them a few times every minute. Kadar offered her a glass of water but it seemed to be of little or no help. Kadar gritted his teeth and prepared himself for an evening of annoying noises.
Other than her occasional hiccups, which seemed to diminish slightly as the evening wore on, Princess Helene was a most charming companion. She was well-mannered and witty, truly witty not just giggling with every word. She had a well modulate voice and an excellent education. In between her hiccups Kadar found himself wondering if he wouldn't mind marrying her. Not only could this Princess distinguish poultry from venison, she could compliment him on the quality of specific spices.
Kadar wished her a good night after the final course and told her to meet him the next morning for breakfast and a tour of the royal zoo. She agreed happily and walked away hiccupping.
She looked weary at breakfast the next morning and explained that her hiccups had kept her awake most of the evening.
"By the way," she told him, "Thank you for the beautiful paperweight." She held out the stone that had been underneath her mattress. "I've never seen a stone like this; it was so sweet of you to surprise me."
Kadar, Hachel and Helene spent the morning in the zoo. Kadar found another point in Helene's favor: she got along well with his friend, a very rare talent. Helene's hiccups were still troubling her so Hachel and Kadar took it in turns to try to frighten them out of her. One of them would slowly sneak ahead or behind the group and then jump out suddenly with a loud shout. After the first few shocks, Helene found it very entertaining and the procedure created an epidemic of laughter instead of curing the troubling case of hiccups.
Kadar spent the afternoon watching (he couldn't hear much because of the wax in his ears) his councilors debate over what to place beneath the mattress of Princess Helene. Several screaming matches broke out and death threats were delivered to some of the more talkative advisors ( unfortunately for Kadar and other unfortunate listeners Duct tape had yet to be invented and people had to rely on the unpleasant hand-over-mouth method or on the expensive alternative of silencing charms). Finally it was decided (by the councilors, not by Kadar) that a carved ivory figure about the size of a toe was to be place beneath the ostrich feather mattress. Kadar went to the royal treasury to select a bird carving he thought she would particularly enjoy. The princess detected the carving beneath her mattress but nothing smaller. She left at the end of the week, still hiccupping. Kadar was sorry to see her go, but at the same to glad that he wouldn't have to live with a woman who hiccupped every few moments. His nerves were strained by a only a few days in her company; a year would likely drive him mad.
Kadar and Princess Helene stayed in contact for the rest of their lives, exchanging letters of advice and suggestions on curing the hiccups. The stone he had hidden beneath her mattress served loyally as a paperweight on her desk. He sent her a carving to match the first after hearing that her hiccups had finally ended. Princess Helene, however, married a different Prince, forcing the councilors to hold a meeting early the next morning.
Sign # 5 that you are a bookworm: Instead of threatening to revoke your TV privileges, your parents threaten to confiscate your books.
Thank you for reading and please review.