Yeah for President's Day Weekend! Here's another chapter and it seems
just right for Valentine's Day. Of course, the location and some of the
characters belong to Tamora Pierce.
Hachel gasped for air as they emerged from Lady Bavarde's stifling den. "She'd better be the one," he muttered. Kadar didn't answer; he was already running towards the council room. Hachel shrugged and shuffled along behind his friend.
Kadar burst into the council room. His councilors were startled, no one ever burst into the council room; everyone always pushed the door open carefully, tiptoed in, and shut the door soundlessly behind them. Kadar glared back at all the councilors who were staring at him and dashed up to the podium before they could stop him.
"As Emperor of Carthak," he shouted, "I have a proclamation to make." The councilors were stunned into silence. Hachel tiptoed through the open door and shut it soundlessly behind him.
"You are not going to invite a random princess to dine in Carthak. I am going to invite Princess Kameko." The silence was broken as the councilors erupted into protest.
"He doesn't have the authority to stand on the podium," shouted one councilor.
"You're absolutely right," Kadar replied calmly. "I should be writing the invitation." With that, Kadar strode from the room, leaving the old men staring slack jawed at each other. Hachel hurried to his room to retrieve his plans for the bachelor party.
............................................................................................................
On the day of Princess Kameko's scheduled arrival, Kadar began having second thoughts. Had it really been a good idea to trust Lady Bavarde as a matchmaker? he wondered. Out of nerves, he missed several targets at archery practice. He gave up and spent the rest of the afternoon pacing in his chambers. Hachel was surprised; Kadar had never acted like this before meeting any of the other princesses. Then again, Kadar hadn't invited any of the other princesses either.
Finally, it was time for Kadar to change into formal clothes (bright colors and buttons that got into everything were fashionably that week.) He scurried down to the throne room as soon as he was finished dressing.
Kadar had calmed down somewhat by the time Hachel , and he appeared to be his composed and collected self once more. He sat regally in his throne as the herald announced the entrance of Princess Kameko.
His composure fell away the moment Kameko entered the room. She was tall, slender, and striking, with long black air and exotic olive skin. She walked confidently to the throne and curtsied gracefully. She seemed to be alert and aware of her surroundings without appearing wary. She smiled slightly and Kadar forgot about breathing.
Hachel had to throw a button at Kadar to remind him to start breathing again and speak to the princess.
"W-welcome to my humble abode," Kadar stammered.
Princess Kameko smiled again. "It is hardly humble. You have tiny rubies inlaid on your armrests."
Kadar gasped in surprise. From the Princess's position it was nearly impossible to see the rubies. Very few courtiers noticed them.
"You are welcome all the same," he replied.
............................................................................................................
A few hours later, Kadar joined Princess Kameko on the stairs as they proceeded down towards dinner. She had changed into a lilac gown and pulled her hair back elegantly; Kadar was sure that even Lady Bavarde would think her beautiful. As for Kadar, he was wearing even brighter colors and even more buttons.
Kameko bent over and handed him one that had dropped to the ground."The cinnamon cake smells delicious," she said. "Is it for dessert?"
"Yes," replied Kadar as he accepted the buton. He sniffed the air, but all he could smell was Kameko's perfume.
"How did you know it's my favorite?" she asked.
"um, lucky guess," muttered Kadar. She smiled and he felt as if he were melting.
Dinner conversation was slightly awkward, as Kadar took long intervals to gape at Princess Kameko's face or admire her graceful use of her fork. She did her best to keep up the conversation, however, and even complimented him on putting refurbishing his chairs. "I think velvet is so much more comfortable for sitting on than silk, whatever people may say about silk sheets."
A shiver ran down Kadar's spine. She's the one, he thought, no one's ever noticed that I had velvet covers put over the silk.
"I take it that Lady Bavarde is your old court gossip," she said during dessert. "I hear all your courtiers complaining about her." Kadar couldn't hear anyone talking about Lady Bavarde, he couldn't make out any individual conversations at all. He pretended he could hear and launched into a humorous account of Lady Bavarde's kidnapping Lord Rinaldo to squeeze him of gossip before Lady Rinaldo could. Kameko appeared to enjoy the story and when he finished she told him of the antics of Baroness Wendelle, her own old court gossip.
They said goodnight and Kadar went to bed quite confident that she would find the paper weight beneath her mattress.
Princess Kameko did indeed find the paperweight. The next night she found the smaller semi-precious stone. And, the night after that she detected a large pearl.
The days she spent with Kadar. In the mornings they strolled through the gardens (Princess Kameko had a great love of plants and she would frequently stop to point out herbs with special healing powers or magical properties to Kadar who was quickly developing an interest in botany himself.) In the afternoons she watched Kadar and Hachel at archery and praised their prowess. In the evenings, they danced—she wasn't clumsy or afraid of assassins—or played word games—she usually beat Kadar. Kadar slowly grew less unnerved by the fact that she often observed things no one else had noticed.
Sign that you are a bookworm: You plan to polish off at listen 300 pages this weekend, though it could easily be 900 or 2,000.
Thank you for reading and please—with a slice of chocolate cheesecake on top—review! (I'm not very found of maraschino cherries!)
Hachel gasped for air as they emerged from Lady Bavarde's stifling den. "She'd better be the one," he muttered. Kadar didn't answer; he was already running towards the council room. Hachel shrugged and shuffled along behind his friend.
Kadar burst into the council room. His councilors were startled, no one ever burst into the council room; everyone always pushed the door open carefully, tiptoed in, and shut the door soundlessly behind them. Kadar glared back at all the councilors who were staring at him and dashed up to the podium before they could stop him.
"As Emperor of Carthak," he shouted, "I have a proclamation to make." The councilors were stunned into silence. Hachel tiptoed through the open door and shut it soundlessly behind him.
"You are not going to invite a random princess to dine in Carthak. I am going to invite Princess Kameko." The silence was broken as the councilors erupted into protest.
"He doesn't have the authority to stand on the podium," shouted one councilor.
"You're absolutely right," Kadar replied calmly. "I should be writing the invitation." With that, Kadar strode from the room, leaving the old men staring slack jawed at each other. Hachel hurried to his room to retrieve his plans for the bachelor party.
............................................................................................................
On the day of Princess Kameko's scheduled arrival, Kadar began having second thoughts. Had it really been a good idea to trust Lady Bavarde as a matchmaker? he wondered. Out of nerves, he missed several targets at archery practice. He gave up and spent the rest of the afternoon pacing in his chambers. Hachel was surprised; Kadar had never acted like this before meeting any of the other princesses. Then again, Kadar hadn't invited any of the other princesses either.
Finally, it was time for Kadar to change into formal clothes (bright colors and buttons that got into everything were fashionably that week.) He scurried down to the throne room as soon as he was finished dressing.
Kadar had calmed down somewhat by the time Hachel , and he appeared to be his composed and collected self once more. He sat regally in his throne as the herald announced the entrance of Princess Kameko.
His composure fell away the moment Kameko entered the room. She was tall, slender, and striking, with long black air and exotic olive skin. She walked confidently to the throne and curtsied gracefully. She seemed to be alert and aware of her surroundings without appearing wary. She smiled slightly and Kadar forgot about breathing.
Hachel had to throw a button at Kadar to remind him to start breathing again and speak to the princess.
"W-welcome to my humble abode," Kadar stammered.
Princess Kameko smiled again. "It is hardly humble. You have tiny rubies inlaid on your armrests."
Kadar gasped in surprise. From the Princess's position it was nearly impossible to see the rubies. Very few courtiers noticed them.
"You are welcome all the same," he replied.
............................................................................................................
A few hours later, Kadar joined Princess Kameko on the stairs as they proceeded down towards dinner. She had changed into a lilac gown and pulled her hair back elegantly; Kadar was sure that even Lady Bavarde would think her beautiful. As for Kadar, he was wearing even brighter colors and even more buttons.
Kameko bent over and handed him one that had dropped to the ground."The cinnamon cake smells delicious," she said. "Is it for dessert?"
"Yes," replied Kadar as he accepted the buton. He sniffed the air, but all he could smell was Kameko's perfume.
"How did you know it's my favorite?" she asked.
"um, lucky guess," muttered Kadar. She smiled and he felt as if he were melting.
Dinner conversation was slightly awkward, as Kadar took long intervals to gape at Princess Kameko's face or admire her graceful use of her fork. She did her best to keep up the conversation, however, and even complimented him on putting refurbishing his chairs. "I think velvet is so much more comfortable for sitting on than silk, whatever people may say about silk sheets."
A shiver ran down Kadar's spine. She's the one, he thought, no one's ever noticed that I had velvet covers put over the silk.
"I take it that Lady Bavarde is your old court gossip," she said during dessert. "I hear all your courtiers complaining about her." Kadar couldn't hear anyone talking about Lady Bavarde, he couldn't make out any individual conversations at all. He pretended he could hear and launched into a humorous account of Lady Bavarde's kidnapping Lord Rinaldo to squeeze him of gossip before Lady Rinaldo could. Kameko appeared to enjoy the story and when he finished she told him of the antics of Baroness Wendelle, her own old court gossip.
They said goodnight and Kadar went to bed quite confident that she would find the paper weight beneath her mattress.
Princess Kameko did indeed find the paperweight. The next night she found the smaller semi-precious stone. And, the night after that she detected a large pearl.
The days she spent with Kadar. In the mornings they strolled through the gardens (Princess Kameko had a great love of plants and she would frequently stop to point out herbs with special healing powers or magical properties to Kadar who was quickly developing an interest in botany himself.) In the afternoons she watched Kadar and Hachel at archery and praised their prowess. In the evenings, they danced—she wasn't clumsy or afraid of assassins—or played word games—she usually beat Kadar. Kadar slowly grew less unnerved by the fact that she often observed things no one else had noticed.
Sign that you are a bookworm: You plan to polish off at listen 300 pages this weekend, though it could easily be 900 or 2,000.
Thank you for reading and please—with a slice of chocolate cheesecake on top—review! (I'm not very found of maraschino cherries!)