The moonlight, even filtered through the green curtain, was too bright for Amalia to fall asleep. She turned over, but reflected off the wall it still hurt her eyes. Screwing them closed proved to be counterproductive, as she needed to focus on it very hard. She gave up.
Threw the covers away and sat on the bed.
A cool breeze rippled the curtain, the spots of light on the floor and on the wall wavered. Amalia pulled her knees up to her chin. Too bright to sleep, too dark to do anything.
In the corner of the room she could make out a loom with a half-finished fabric she started making while Eva still wanted to talk to her.
Why don't they want me any more, Amalia thought. Her stomach rumbled.
Right, she didn't go down to dinner. Wasn't hungry then, or maybe just felt sick at the very thought of eating alone. In a huge hall full of people, but alone. She stood up, reaching for her dressing robe.
There was a clink of ceramic. Amalia froze. Then she lowered her lantern, seeing a line of light under the kitchen door.
She shook her head.
"Dad" she said, entering "your diet-"
"Hey, nagging gal" Adamai was sitting on the counter top, huge jar of nut paste in his lap. Beside him there sat a lit lantern and a plate loaded with rusks.
"Ah" the princess said.
The dragon licked paste off his blue lips, loudly.
"There are more rusks there" he pointed at an open box with his chin "help yourself."
"You do know this is my house?" she asked, putting her lantern on the table, next to a basket of citronanas. With her foot she pulled out a stool from under the table.
Adamai shrugged. For a while they were both munching in silence, he on a rusk, she on a fruit.
"Yugo's really in a sweat, you know" he said, seeing her reach for another.
"Is he."
"Yeah."
Amalia made a show of biting into the citronana.
"You know, he really wants to find eliatropes the perfect place."
"Those eliatropes nobody's ever seen, cause they're in a space-time pocket, being looked after by an ancient dragon?"
"He's seen them."
The princess frowned and the dragon spread his hands.
"Come on. He cares."
"I know" she sighed. Carefully she folded the citronana skin in half, and in half again.
"I just thought he was coming to see me. Us." she corrected herself, but Adamai snorted.
"What? You try staring at the rain all winter."
The dragon rolled his eyes.
"What did you think I was doing?"
"Ah, right, broken leg" Amalia muttered, stealing a couple of rusks from his plate.
"Even before it was broken. And it happened in an authentic eliatrope ruined town."
The princess gave him a look. The dragon nodded, very serious, so she swallowed and said "You're kidding."
"Dragon swear. Found them myself, just a stone toss from Emelka, we haven't even explored the place properly yet."
"Wow" Amalia leaned her back against the table edge.
"So enthusiastic."
She pushed the rusk whole into her mouth and chomped on it, scattering crumbs.
"Mg... do you have to stare?"
"Rare sight, a princess with table manners of a gobbal."
"Look who's talking."
Adamai rested his elbows on his knees. "Why are you so angry?"
"Angry? Me, angry?"
He nodded. Amalia blinked, sighed and smoothed her robe.
"Father's got the entire country to think of. There was a flood in the valley, did you know? So he sent Armand with the men and they're in touch all the time, but tell me nothing. As if I wasn't concerned."
She brushed her bangs aside with her free hand.
"Eva's got the baby. The kid doesn't even have a name! But she and Dally can think of nothing else. I was hoping that Yugo-"
"Would play with you?" Adamai survived her glare to add "My brother, dear princess, is crazy about his responsibilities. At least with you he wants to spend time, he's just convinced himself he doesn't have any."
Amalia leaned back, elbows on the table behind her, looking thoughtfully at the dragon.
"Really?
"Really. Alibert, the kids, the eliatropes, everything's more important than he is."
"Everything except me."
Adamai waved his hand, got himself another rusk and scooped some nut paste with it.
"You too" he mumbled, mouth full. Amalia frowned.
"If you suddenly" Adamai wiped his mouth with the back of his hand "needed something, he'd come flying."
"I need company!"
"You've got these handmaiden lot." Amalia snorted "Lot?"
"And the heads of cabbage."
"Canar and Renate want to annoy Eva right now. Listen..."
Adamai tilted his head.
"What sort help were you thinking of?"
"Dunno. He'd help you study, that's certain."
Amalia stared at the floor.
"I want to go adventuring again" she muttered.
"Or if you were in any danger..."
"I'm in danger of getting bored to death."
"M-m." Something on this level."
A snort escaped Amalia without consulting her brain.
"Have you been listening?"
"Sure. Horrible danger for Yugo to rescue you from. How about a dragon laying waste to the villages?"
"Stay away from our villages. Besides, you're no Bolgrot, and I'm not going to be Helsephine."
Adamai's heels knocked a quick beat on the cabinet door.
"Flood? Epidemic" he added hastily, seeing Amalia's face. "Brigands?"
The princess gave in and chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.
Several days later
Yugo heartily apologised to the old gnarly librarian for leaving him with all this transcription to do. The old sadida had been of enormous help, recommended some interesting books, told him great stories, and if Yugo hadn't promised his little brothers a picnic, he'd probably stay some more. And if old Juglans didn't chase him out. He said the rumbling of the young eliatrope's stomach shook the entire table, then he winked, so Yugo felt justified. Dad must already be out in the garden, but which one?
Now the boy stood in a fork in a corridor, fingering the hem of his tunic and trying to remember where he was supposed to go.
"All night in the library, eh?"
He turned with a smile. He had to crane his neck to look the king of Sadida in the eye.
"Good morning. Not all night, erm..."
He chuckled, rubbing his neck, and the king laughed as well.
"I know, I know" he patted Yugo's shoulder, "sit down just for a while, and close the book at sunrise. Alibert is waiting for you in the children's garden. Coming?"
They went down the corridor with branch-woven walls.
"I guess it's getting better in the valley" Yugo remarked.
"Yes, it's under control now. Armand wants to stay a couple of days more, keep an eye on the rebuilding. I must say I'm happy with how he handled this."
Yugo nodded, his blonde fringe covering his eyes. He knew how much the prince craved his father's approval.
"Now we can rest and enjoy spring. Can you believe, Yugo, I haven't even seen the little... what did they call her?"
"Right now they're torn between Grażyna and Boadicea."
The king stopped in his tracks.
"Really?"
"They were talking about this yesterday, but I don't think they like either."
"No wonder" the king walked on, shaking his head. "Mind you, Grażyna is quite nice."
Yugo had to run to join him.
"Yes, but Dally can't pronounce it."
The king laughed softly.
"Let's hope they will come up with something before she learns to speak."
"Maybe she'll tell them then?"
Yugo pushed a door, woven from branches, but suspended on normal hinges. They walked into a garden, one of the courts, filled to the brim with greenery, which the palace had several of. This particular one was obviously meant for children. It had short, gnarly trees with wide branches, just the thing for climbing, and even if you fell down, there was a thick, soft carpet of grass, with tiny white flowers. A patch of white sand led into the garden.
"Ah, so long since I've been here last" the king breathed in the air, filled with api fragrance.
"Since Amalia grew up enough to be let out into the forest on her own."
Yugo put his hands in his pockets and stared at the sand under his feet.
"Anything wrong, my boy?"
"No, no."
"Yugo" the king touched his shoulder "you can tell me if you had a fight."
"I don't even know if we did. I think she's angry with me" he rubbed his neck, embarrassed.
They were silent for a while. Behind the trees Alibert's booming laughter sounded.
"Why?" the king finally asked.
"I don't know! She said I was avoiding her, when she's the one avoiding me! What is that about?"
King Sheran Sharm, the ruler of all Sadida, sighed. "Girls have their whims" he said, not quite confidently.
"But that's not it" Yugo guessed.
"No. Although it has to do with growing up, as well."
"Mhm" these days, Yugo thought, everything has to do with growing up. He couldn't see what the big thing was, and how it could explain anything. Even Dally was a "grown-up". That couldn't be too complicated.
"She knows I have to study."
"And I have to work" the king nodded.
They strolled into the garden.
"Eva and Dally are a bit busy, but-"
Yugo slapped his forehead.
"Nobody has time for her. I never thought..."
"Yugo" the king brushed his hand across a branch that hung over the path "do you know how many people are there in my court?"
"...no?"
"And how many handmaidens Amalia has?"
"Mmm..."
"There's always someone to keep her company. Always."
But she wants to be with us!"
"I know. Except we have our duties, some of them immediately tied to her happiness."
Yugo bit his lip.
"Often-times you can't have what you want" said the king and Yugo added "Not unless you destroy the world for it" and smiled.
"Well said."
Before Yugo could answer, wings fluttered and something small, but determined knocked him down to the ground. He fell onto his back, firmly holding the scaly creature.
"Grougal!"
The king boomed with laughter as the dragonette treaded a circle on Yugo's stomach, tail waving high like a flag. Yugo sat up, his arm around the baby dragon.
"You're horrible" he said fondly. The dragonette sneezed.
A gate slammed. A young, breathless sadida ran towards them, ignoring the path.
"Lord... lord..."
"Well, what it is?"
"The princess... dragoturkey... returned without her..."