by Aya Ling
Ari scowled. For some reason, she could not bring herself to act princess-like around James, despite her efforts. It’d be easy to be gracious and dignified if he was like Ralph. Besides, he had already seen her in her worst moments, so there was no use pretending to be a perfect lady with him.
“The reason I’m unhappy is because your presence has affected my enjoyment of the ball,” she said tartly, noticing that he still carried Brucie on his shoulder. “In fact, I’m surprised how you seem so jaunty. I thought formal events were not to your liking.”
James shook his head, grinning. “Usually not, but this is my brother’s wedding. Why would I not be glad to see him glowing with happiness as he dances with his bride? Besides, this event afforded me the chance to see you dressed up so beautifully.”
Ari colored, unable to think of a retort. She couldn’t help admitting that she also appreciated the sight of him in the royal crimson-gold suit, his face shaved clean and his hair tamed, though a few wisps of hair escaped and curled down his neck. But she would not give him the satisfaction of a compliment.
James held out his hand. “Shall we?”
Ari blinked. “You want to dance?”
“But of course,” he feigned a look of affliction. “Did you forget already?”
Right. He had asked her to save her first dance for him. Ari laid her hand on James’ palm and allowed herself to be whirled onto the dance floor.
Ari danced well. She should, after all those dancing lessons she took in Linderall. Furthermore, her body was more honed than ever from fight training. And James was a good lead. He was not the model prince like his elder brother, but one could hardly expect less from a Rivieran prince. He spun her around, kept pace with the music, all along keeping a steady conversation with her—all the time without losing his breath.
“I wonder why Great Aunt Matilda didn’t show up,” she said, as the music slowed down. “I had actually considered showing her what I have learned.”
“No doubt she’ll be impressed,” James said, grinning. “Since I played an important part in the instruction.” Then his expression grew more serious. “Actually, I’ve received news that she has slain a dragon in southern Tintagel. I suppose this is the reason she has been delayed.”
“Oh. That does sound like her.” Ari wouldn’t worry; she was certain that even at her age, Great Aunt Matilda was perfectly capable of taking out dragons.
James, however, was still frowning.
“What I’m worried about is that dragons haven’t been sighted for twenty years. Normally, the wild ones just live in high mountains on the eastern Continent. Tintagel is located just east of Riviera, and it’s a country of plains and hills. It’s strange that a dragon should appear there.”
Ari didn’t remember Marcella mentioning the dragon. Possibly it was quickly taken care of and didn’t cause much damage.
“Great Aunt Matilda said she will come to Riviera when she is finished with her business. Perhaps you can ask her then.”
James nodded, and his expression softened. “I shouldn’t be talking to you of such serious matters, Ari. But there are very few people that I can share my troubles with.”
The song came to an end, and James let his arms drop—a tad reluctantly.
“Your Highness.” A beautiful young lady approached them. Ari recognized her from the market—she was one of the fine court ladies talking about James. “Surely you cannot intend to keep the Linderall princess all to yourself? There are plenty other young men who would like a turn with her.”
James coughed. “Forgive me, but I do not recall who you are.”
The lady curtsied. “Lydia of Glastonbury, Your Highness. I used to go to the Academy, but now I have returned to court.” She waited expectantly, her gaze fixed on James.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Ari said, giving James a push. “Don’t tell me you’re tired already. The next song is already starting—go!”
She turned abruptly and walked away, ignoring an irrational sense of annoyance. James should dance with more girls—as one of the Rivieran princes, he ought not to neglect his guests. Besides, she was hungry.
Ari headed towards the refreshments table. Somehow, even with a full dinner, she was tempted by the piles of delicacies and the pitchers of juice and wine. She piled up her plate, not caring how much she ate. It was difficult to add extra pounds when one was running five miles, doing sit-ups, fencing, hand combat, and archery in one day.
Once she finished, a Tintagel noble asked her for a dance, and she complied. She knew she was looking good tonight; even though her skin was not as milky white as before, she had successfully vanquished the pimples.
Once she finished the dance, she was pleasantly surprised when another tall young man appeared.
“Princess Arianna.” Lord Simon Wesley bowed. He was dressed in a handsome dark green velvet doublet, and his wavy chestnut hair was greased and smoothed back.
“Lo—lord Simon!” Ari wasn’t expecting to run into him. “How have you been?”
“Well enough,” he said, with a polite smile. “I’ve been hoping to see you since we last met.”
“Well, here I am,” Ari said lamely, wishing she could say something more substantial.
Lord Simon bowed again. “Will you favor me with a dance? I have just seen you during the last song, and may I say, you dance beautifully?”
Ari blushed and laid her hand on his palm. “I’d be honored.”
Simon led her onto the dance floor.
“You are looking good tonight, Princess Arianna,” he said, casting an admiring glance at her lavender gown. “I forgot to ask how you have been. Are you still having trouble at the Academy?”
“Yes,” Ari said, thinking of her faulty sword work. “But I’m more used to it now.”
“A lady like you ought not to be at the Academy,” he said, looking into her eyes. “Have you considered a different career?”
Ari wondered what he was implying. Could he be asking her if she wanted to be a court lady instead? Right. What wouldn’t she give to be like one of the ladies who just asked James to dance? To be fashionably dressed and not having to wield a sword all day?
Ari opened her mouth to say yes, of course she would love to give up being a warrior maid and become a court lady instead, but strangely, she couldn’t answer him right away.
When the song was over, several other nobles came up and asked her to dance. Ari accepted graciously, but she found herself growing less and less attentive. Her partners were courteous and pleasant, but strangely, she was getting bored and dissatisfied.
Politely declining a few more dance requests, Ari slipped into the courtyard.
Refreshing cool night air hit her face. The moon hung like a large round plate in the sky. Ari leaned against a pillar and looked up at the moon. She had fun dancing, but now she was actually wondering if she’d be able to advance to line number seven in their next archery class. And she still wanted to improve her sword work. She still harbored dreams of defeating Boris one day.
Wait—why was she still thinking about the Academy? Could it be—she actually wanted to stay?
Nonsense. What dumb twit wants to subject herself to daily physical fatigue?
Ari rested a hand on the marble railing. There was a couple strolling into the hedges—she had a good idea what they were up to. Interestingly, the woman was taller than the man. Ari wondered what it would be like if James was shorter. Would it make him less attractive? Ralph obviously didn’t mind that Valeria was plumper than he.
While musing, she accidentally bumped against a pillar, loosening the clasp on her mother’s bracelet. It fell off—Ari’s wrist was more slender—and just as she moved to pick it up, a gray blur flashed past and snatched her bracelet away.
Turning, she spotted a furry, red-faced creature perched on the branch of a tree nearby, her mother’s bracelet dangling from its paw. It was the Makani ambassador’s monkey.
“Drat!”
Ari
tried to make a grab for it, but the monkey was too swift. It jumped to a trellis curling on the palace wall, and made its way to the second floor window. It perched on the window sill, chattering and giggling in what seemed like a mocking way to Ari.
She barely had time to hesitate. That bracelet—besides being an exquisite work of art, was an heirloom from her mother. Ari was not going to let some stray monkey steal it for fun.
Forgetting that she was dressed for a ball, Ari swung herself onto the trellis, kicked off her slippers, and began to climb.
Having had days of tree-climbing under Giles’ supervision, she reached the window within seconds. The trellis dug into her skin, but she didn’t care. The monkey, perhaps surprised at her ascension, reacted only when she was grasping the window sill. It turned and fled into the room.
A scream followed.
Keeping a firm grip on the sill, Ari hauled herself over the window, entering the second floor.
A gasp arose.
Several fine ladies, dressed in splendor and magnificence, gaped when Ari appeared over the window. James, who happened to be surrounded by the ladies, also looked astonished. Then his shoulders began to shake. A choked laugh escaped him.
But Ari hadn’t time to care. All she could think of was her mother’s bracelet. She scanned the room quickly, and found the monkey dangling from a crystal chandelier, still clutching her bracelet.
Ari pulled up a chair, climbed on it, and tried to catch the monkey. It jumped to another side of the chandelier, and the long curved arms shook and swayed, the candle lights flickering.
Some of the ladies shrieked.
“Get away!”
“The chandelier will fall!”
Ari set her jaw. Her arm was too short—or rather, the ceiling was too high. She couldn’t pile up another chair; unlike an acrobat performer, she couldn’t balance herself on two chairs.
A rose fell off her waist and rolled on the floor. Amid her fruitless reach for the monkey, her belt was coming loose. It was the same silken belt that the old lady at the market had sold her—light but sturdy, she had said.
With sudden inspiration, Ari unfastened her belt. The roses at her waist tumbled down, but she didn’t care. She was busy tying a knot at the end of the belt.
Craning her neck to see the monkey better, Ari let her belt fly. It hit the chandelier on the first try, making the monkey gnash and bare its teeth. Her second aim was successful, though. The end of the belt actually went straight through the hole in the bracelet, so when Ari held both ends and pulled, the bracelet flew out of the monkey’s paw, and she caught it neatly. The monkey gave an angry growl, but it had to admit defeat.
Relieved, Ari made to step off the chair. It was then she realized that James was holding the chair’s arms, in order to keep her steady.
“Nicely done, Princess Arianna,” he said, his tone a mix of amusement and admiration. “You are the first princess—nay, the first person—to battle a monkey while at a wedding. We must have the royal historian record this event. You shall be known as Lady Arianna, Monkey Conqueror.”
Clearly, he was enjoying himself. Ari glared at him. Ignoring his outstretched arms, she hopped onto the floor, glad that the floor was covered with a thick carpet. Her slippers were still lying somewhere in the garden.
The room seemed a lot smaller than when she entered through the window. Horrified, she found that quite a group had assembled in the room—including Georgiana, Marcella, Lance, Boris—everyone. Ari whipped out her pocket mirror, and felt like making an exit through the window.
She looked awful. Her beautifully pinned up hair was tumbling down, and there was a huge smudge of dirt on her cheek, ruining her makeup completely. And the hem of her gown was dirty and torn. While she was sure Lance would be able to fix the gown, there was no way she could continue wearing it tonight.
“Excuse me,” she muttered, and attempted to find a space in the audience to slip away.
The audience automatically parted—probably scandalized by her appearance. Even now, when princesses were allowed or even encouraged to train as warriors, they did not fight in skirts. Or do battle with monkeys.
Nine: A Suitor, at Last
“Ari!” Georgiana knocked on the closet door. “Ari! I know you’re in there! Come out!”
No response.
“Look, if you don’t come out this instant, we can easily break the door down,” Georgiana said. “Hmm... I wonder which will be faster—the baton or the mace?”
“Take the chain ball,” Marcella said, in a rare display of humor. “It is made of high-quality steel. However, be careful. You might smash it into the person inside.”
The door creaked open.
Ari slowly came out of the closet. Her long blond hair tumbled over her shoulders in messy, tousled locks. Most of her makeup was gone. In fact, her state of disarray resembled James’ when he awoke from a nap.
“Ari...” Georgiana began, somewhat subdued by the Linderall princess’s distress. “We just wanted to tell you... what you did just then was brilliant!”
Ari sniffed. “You mean when I was chasing a monkey in a ball gown? That was idiotic! I let everyone, including ambassadors from all other countries, see me disheveled!”
“Oh, I don’t think people minded,” Georgiana said with a sly wink. “Most were entertained. I heard Prince James saying that of the few balls he had been to, only this one was worth attending. It’s not every day you see a princess climbing through a second-floor window and outwitting a monkey. I probably would have just knocked the monkey unconscious with a wooden baton. But under the circumstances, there was no way I could have been carrying one. But you did it with your sash!”
“Very clever,” Marcella said. “We cannot carry weapons all the time. I like how Ari was able to improvise.”
The next morning, Ari was feeling better. It wasn’t as if she could wipe away everyone’s memory, so there was nothing she could do about it. She remembered the Rivieran court ladies and their identical shocked faces when she climbed through the window. Perhaps it was worth being a spectacle just to witness the hilarity of those ladies’ expressions.
They had a few days off due to the royal wedding. Ari was actually impatient to continue improving her sword work. Since James had promised to teach her a new move after the wedding, she grabbed her blunt sword and set off to the lake.
He wasn’t there. Usually he would be lying under the trees, taking his afternoon nap.
Disappointed, Ari headed to the royal menagerie. But he wasn’t there either. In fact, the gamekeeper and many of his assistants were missing as well.
However, she did find Howard, who was tending to a shaggy lion with a thorn tangled in its paw. Due to his size, Howard was assigned to help out in the royal menagerie.
‘‘Howard?’’ Ari said. ‘‘Where have the other people gone? Have you seen James?’’
They went out of the city, the giant signed.
‘‘Why?’’ Ari asked, astonished. Valeria and Ralph were absent, since they were on their honeymoon, but why had the gamekeeper’s crew left as well?
They went to seek a new solution to pacify large beasts. Sometimes the creatures can be dangerous to handle.
‘‘Oh.’’ Ari folded her arms, feeling rather miffed. Why didn’t he tell her he’d be leaving the palace? Well, she would just have to seek out Marcella and Georgiana instead.
The three girls spent the afternoon practicing their sword work, ending up in a relaxing break by the lake. Georgiana took off her shoes and dipped her feet in the water. Marcella hesitated a second, before following suit. Her Royal Highness Arianna, however, still lingered on the grass. The only time she went barefoot in public was that night when she bested the Makani monkey.
‘‘Come and join us, Ari! The water feels great!’’ Georgiana cajoled.
‘‘Try it,’’ Marcella simply said.
Ari gave in to temptation. Her feet were sore, and the lake water was sparkling like crystal. But befor
e she could pull off her shoes, Henrietta came rushing towards them, her face pink from the exercise.
“I’ve a message for Princess Arianna. Lord Simon requests her company at the palace gardens.”
All three girls looked at each other and gaped.
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Georgiana said. “Don’t keep his lordship waiting!”
“Clearly, your performance at the ball hasn’t influenced his opinion of you,” Marcella added.
Ari, still feeling amazed about the invitation, hurried back to the sleeping quarters as fast as she could. She selected a rosebud pink dress with white embroidery, applied scented water and cream to her face, and twisted her hair into an elegant chignon. Smoothing the wrinkles over her skirts, she stepped into a pair of gleaming silver slippers and followed Henrietta.
The palace gardens were located in the west of the palace, in the complete opposite direction of the Academy, so it took a long time for Ari to go beyond the Academy bounds, cross the numerous corridors and halls of the palace, and reach the other side. She was flushed from the exercise, but not out of breath—the walking was hardly comparable to the amount of running they did every morning.
The gardens were just as stately and well-kept as the palace. Crocuses and daffodils were set out in geometrical designs, not one flower pot out of place. A gardener was trimming a large green hedge so that the top remained perfectly level; no twigs or leaves were sticking out conspicuously. In the middle of the gardens stood a large fountain. Marble frogs spouted water from their mouths, while in the middle of the structure, a dolphin sent a vertical stream of water into the air, creating a gurgling sound that was pleasant and refreshing to the ear.
At the edge of the fountain was a young man with neatly combed chestnut hair, his hands clasped behind his back.
Ari approached, her heart pounding. “Good afternoon, milord.”
Simon turned, and a smile spread across his handsome features. “Princess Arianna,” he said pleasantly. “How good of you to have come. Will you take a walk with me?”
“It would be my pleasure.”