It's been a crazy summer, but finally, after four months without
internet, I have returned to writing. I should be able to write more
frequently----how many times have I said that?---- but unfortunately I
think it's going to be a crazy year. I get Stella going again to soon but
I've just had your typical type A bad day in high school----you know the
one that starts when you wake up 20 minutes late, proceeds through to
double chem. Lab and ends with a miserable sports practice----so I though I
had better write comedy. Of course, the location and some of the characters
belong to Tamora Pierce.
While Kadar was in his room, allowing his feet to recover from their abuse,
Hachel was sent in with the Princesses names (the councilors sent him
because they figured that Kadar wouldn't kill his best friend, but he might
kill one of them). Kadar drew Princess Kalisin's name. He swallowed hard;
Tortallian women made him nervous.
"I've heard she's attractive," Hachel grinned at Kadar.
"How do you now she hasn't developed a major acne problem?"
"Because Princess Brunhilda is the only princess since the dawn of
time to have a single pimple," Hachel assured his friend.
Kadar found himself wishing that royal families started breeding for
brains, grace, personality, and an immunity to the hiccups rather than
freedom from pimples. He could tolerate a pimple or two so long as the girl
wasn't convinced that an axe-murderer was lurking around every corner
waiting for her.
A month later, Kalisin arrived. Kadar chose to greet her ship
barge as it came in, rather than wait for her in the throne room. He
thought that maybe if he got the courtship off to a different kind of
start, things might go more smoothly. He was dead wrong.
Kalisin hadn't expected to be greeted so soon so she hadn't changed
out of her trousers and into attire more befitting a princess. The
councilors and even Hachel muttered their disapproval of "foreign rags."
Kalisin seemed to sense their disapproval and Kadar thought he detected the
faintest blush of embarrassment on her perfectly shaped face. Kadar,
however, wasn't entirely sure that he disapproved of her, she was athletic
and vibrantly attractive and spoke in a confident, direct manner that was
somehow reassuring.
Kally----as she immediately told Kadar to call her-had arrived early
in the afternoon so Kadar suggested she might want to rest in her room
while he went to the archery range with Hachel. At this, Kally smiled
delightedly and told him that she would be thrilled to join him at practice
as she was feeling a hair rusty. Kadar managed to turn his grimace of
horror into a stiff court smile and stutter "W-we would b-be delighted,
just delighted, to have you join us, Princess, wouldn't we, Hachel?"
"Wha-Oh, yes of course," Hachel thought that Kadar's elbow had left a
permanent dent in his ribs. He began brainstorming creative ways to stir
things up at Kadar's wedding celebration should he ever get married.
It proved to be a rather distressing afternoon for both young men.
Kalisin absolutely trounced them at the practice range. They had both been
beaten by a female of course, but that had been some years ago and both now
took comfort in the fact that Daine was far, far away (quite apart from
humiliating them at archery she had done a great deal of damage to royal
property.)
"Ah, that was refreshing, wasn't it?" Kally's enthusiasm fell on deaf
ears (or ears that wished they were deaf anyway). "I always enjoy a
challenging practice, but I haven't gotten the opportunity very often since
Daine has been busy with a project in the menagerie lately." Kadar winced,
he should have known.
Things improved slightly at dinner, Kally didn't knock a single thing
over and she proved ( as most princesses do) to be a pleasant
conversationalist (though she and Kadar had a few differences of opinion
over political matters. During dessert, when Kadar was beginning to
consider forgiving her for beating him at archery, she challenged him to a
game of chess. He lost. Kadar went to bed hope that she was as insensitive
to the stone beneath her mattress as she had been to his manly pride.
As it turned out, he needn't have worried. When he greeted her at
breakfast she was sweaty from what she called her early morning "stroll", a
brisk walk of five or six miles. He helped himself to some grapes and asked
her how she had slept.
"Oh, just wonderfully," she replied her face shining, "I've been
trying to toughen up for campaigning so I spread a blanket on the floor and
slept there. I much prefer sleeping on hard surfaces, don't you?"
Kadar blinked and choked on a grape. Hachel took a step backwards. A
servant dropped a plate. One of the oldest and most revered advisors
fainted. It took 39 minutes to revive him and his blood pressure was
permanently elevated. Kalisin was sent home a few days later. Kadar had
mixed feelings, she had had a tolerable personality but he didn't think he
could have married a woman who beat him at everything. An emperor had to
maintain some dignity---- a nearly impossible task with all the advisors he
ad.
Sign # 8 that you are a bookworm: Your birthday demands are easy for your
family: gift certificates at your favorite bookstore. It doesn't matter
that everyone gets you the same thing.
internet, I have returned to writing. I should be able to write more
frequently----how many times have I said that?---- but unfortunately I
think it's going to be a crazy year. I get Stella going again to soon but
I've just had your typical type A bad day in high school----you know the
one that starts when you wake up 20 minutes late, proceeds through to
double chem. Lab and ends with a miserable sports practice----so I though I
had better write comedy. Of course, the location and some of the characters
belong to Tamora Pierce.
While Kadar was in his room, allowing his feet to recover from their abuse,
Hachel was sent in with the Princesses names (the councilors sent him
because they figured that Kadar wouldn't kill his best friend, but he might
kill one of them). Kadar drew Princess Kalisin's name. He swallowed hard;
Tortallian women made him nervous.
"I've heard she's attractive," Hachel grinned at Kadar.
"How do you now she hasn't developed a major acne problem?"
"Because Princess Brunhilda is the only princess since the dawn of
time to have a single pimple," Hachel assured his friend.
Kadar found himself wishing that royal families started breeding for
brains, grace, personality, and an immunity to the hiccups rather than
freedom from pimples. He could tolerate a pimple or two so long as the girl
wasn't convinced that an axe-murderer was lurking around every corner
waiting for her.
A month later, Kalisin arrived. Kadar chose to greet her ship
barge as it came in, rather than wait for her in the throne room. He
thought that maybe if he got the courtship off to a different kind of
start, things might go more smoothly. He was dead wrong.
Kalisin hadn't expected to be greeted so soon so she hadn't changed
out of her trousers and into attire more befitting a princess. The
councilors and even Hachel muttered their disapproval of "foreign rags."
Kalisin seemed to sense their disapproval and Kadar thought he detected the
faintest blush of embarrassment on her perfectly shaped face. Kadar,
however, wasn't entirely sure that he disapproved of her, she was athletic
and vibrantly attractive and spoke in a confident, direct manner that was
somehow reassuring.
Kally----as she immediately told Kadar to call her-had arrived early
in the afternoon so Kadar suggested she might want to rest in her room
while he went to the archery range with Hachel. At this, Kally smiled
delightedly and told him that she would be thrilled to join him at practice
as she was feeling a hair rusty. Kadar managed to turn his grimace of
horror into a stiff court smile and stutter "W-we would b-be delighted,
just delighted, to have you join us, Princess, wouldn't we, Hachel?"
"Wha-Oh, yes of course," Hachel thought that Kadar's elbow had left a
permanent dent in his ribs. He began brainstorming creative ways to stir
things up at Kadar's wedding celebration should he ever get married.
It proved to be a rather distressing afternoon for both young men.
Kalisin absolutely trounced them at the practice range. They had both been
beaten by a female of course, but that had been some years ago and both now
took comfort in the fact that Daine was far, far away (quite apart from
humiliating them at archery she had done a great deal of damage to royal
property.)
"Ah, that was refreshing, wasn't it?" Kally's enthusiasm fell on deaf
ears (or ears that wished they were deaf anyway). "I always enjoy a
challenging practice, but I haven't gotten the opportunity very often since
Daine has been busy with a project in the menagerie lately." Kadar winced,
he should have known.
Things improved slightly at dinner, Kally didn't knock a single thing
over and she proved ( as most princesses do) to be a pleasant
conversationalist (though she and Kadar had a few differences of opinion
over political matters. During dessert, when Kadar was beginning to
consider forgiving her for beating him at archery, she challenged him to a
game of chess. He lost. Kadar went to bed hope that she was as insensitive
to the stone beneath her mattress as she had been to his manly pride.
As it turned out, he needn't have worried. When he greeted her at
breakfast she was sweaty from what she called her early morning "stroll", a
brisk walk of five or six miles. He helped himself to some grapes and asked
her how she had slept.
"Oh, just wonderfully," she replied her face shining, "I've been
trying to toughen up for campaigning so I spread a blanket on the floor and
slept there. I much prefer sleeping on hard surfaces, don't you?"
Kadar blinked and choked on a grape. Hachel took a step backwards. A
servant dropped a plate. One of the oldest and most revered advisors
fainted. It took 39 minutes to revive him and his blood pressure was
permanently elevated. Kalisin was sent home a few days later. Kadar had
mixed feelings, she had had a tolerable personality but he didn't think he
could have married a woman who beat him at everything. An emperor had to
maintain some dignity---- a nearly impossible task with all the advisors he
ad.
Sign # 8 that you are a bookworm: Your birthday demands are easy for your
family: gift certificates at your favorite bookstore. It doesn't matter
that everyone gets you the same thing.