"This is a most successful gown," said Madouc. "The color is called Black Rose and by some freak it goes nicely with my hair. The style also seems to enhance what I suppose I must call my posture. I wonder, I wonder!"
"What do you wonder?"
"You remember King Throbius, of course."
"I remember him well. On the whole he was benign, if a trifle foolish."
"Just so. For certain reasons, he laid a glamour upon me, which caused a great excitement and, to tell the truth, frightened me with its awful power. To relieve myself of the force, I was instructed to pull at my right ear with fingers of my left hand. Now I wonder if I pulled hard enough!"
"Hmm," said Dhrun. "It is difficult to say."
"I could pull again, for the sake of honesty and reassurance. Still, if I instantly became a ragtag starveling with my beautiful gown hanging limp, I would feel distress-especially if you drew away from me and took back all your compliments."
"It might be best to let sleeping dogs lie," said Dhrun. "Still, I suspect that what we have here is you, in part and in full."
"Once and for all I will make sure. That is the honourable course~Are you watching?"
"Very carefully."
"Be prepared for the worst!" Madouc gave her right ear a tug with the fingers of her left hand. "Do you notice a change?"
"Not a whit."
"That is a relief. Let us go over yonder and sit on the couch and, if nothing else, I will tell you of my adventures in the Forest of Tantrevalles."
III
The night passed without alarm or incident. The sun rose tangerine red in the east, and the day began. Madouc awoke early and lay for a few moments in her bed thinking. Then, abruptly, she jumped to the floor, summoned her maid, bathed in the pink porphyry tub, and dressed in a frock of soft blue linen with a white collar. The maid brushed her hair until the copper ringlets became disciplined and hung in shining curls, and were tied with a blue ribbon.
A knock sounded at the door. Madouc cocked her head to listen, then gave quick instructions to the maid. The knock sounded again, sharp and peremptory. The maid opened the door a slit, to find two black eyes gleaming at her from a sallow long-nosed face. The maid called out: "Have you no respect for Her Highness? The princess receives no one so early! Go away!"
She closed the door upon muffled expostulations: "It is I, Damsel Kylas! I am a person of rank! Open the door that I may enter!"
Receiving no response, Kylas marched off to her own chambers, where she tried the door giving into Madouc's parlour, only to discover that the door was locked.
Kylas knocked, and called out: "Open, if you please! It is I, Kylas!"
Instead of complying, Madouc was away: out the other door, to the end of the garden courtyard, into the east gallery and out of sight.
Kylas knocked again. "Open at once! I bring a message from Queen Sollace!"
The maid at last unlatched the door; Kylas stormed into the parlour. "Madouc? Princess Madouc!" She went into the bedchamber, looking right and left, then into the dressing room. Finding no trace of her quarry, she called toward the bathroom:
"Princess Madouc! Are you within? Her Majesty insists that you attend on her at once, that she may instruct you for the day! Princess Madouc?" Kylas looked into the bathroom, then turned angrily upon the maid. "Where is the princess?"
"She has already gone out, your ladyship."
"I can see that for myself. But where?"
"As to that, I cannot say."
Kylas gave a croak of annoyance and rushed away.
Madouc had taken herself to the Morning Saloon, as recommended the night before by Prince Jaswyn. This was a large room, pleasant and airy, with sunlight streaming through tall glass windows. A buffet, running the length of the room, supported a hundred dishes, platters, bowls and trenchers, offering foods of many sorts.
Madouc found King Audry and Prince Jaswyn already on hand, taking their breakfast together. Prince Jaswyn gallantly leapt to his feet and escorted Madouc to a place at his table.
"Breakfast is informal," said King Audry. "You may serve yourself or command the stewards, as you wish. I would not overlook either the ortolans or the woodcock; both are prime. I had an order out for hare and boar, but my huntsmen were unlucky, and today we must do without, nor will we eat venison, which, after all, is somewhat rich for breakfast, especially in a ragout. Please do not think the worse for me for my paltry board; I am sure you are fed more adequately at Haidion."
"I usually find enough to eat, one way or another," said Madouc. "I am not likely to make complaints, unless the porridge is burned."
"The last cook to burn the porridge was flogged," said King Audry. "Since then, we have had no more difficulties."
Madouc walked along the buffet, and served herself four plump ortolans, an omelet of morels and parsley, scones with butter and a bowl of strawberries and cream.
"Whit? No fish?" cried King Audry aghast. "It is our fame and our pride! Steward! Bring the princess some salmon in wine sauce with new peas, and also a good taste of the lobster in saffron cream; also-why not?-a dozen each of the cockles and winkles, and do not spare the garlic butter."
Madouc looked dubiously at the plates set in front of her. "I fear that I would grow very fat indeed were I to dine with you regularly!"
"It is a delightful risk to take," said King Audry. He turned at the approach of an official. "Well then, Evian: what is your news?"
"The Flor Velas has been sighted in the Cambermouth, Your Majesty. King Aillas will be on hand shortly, unless he is set aback by an offshore wind."
"How blows the wind at this time?"
"It veers, Your Majesty, from north to northwesterly, with a gust now and then from the west. The weathercocks are faithless."
"That is not a favoring wind," said King Audry. "Still we must start our colloquy by the schedule; timely starts make for happy voyages. Am I not right, Princess?"
"That is my own opinion, Your Majesty. The ortolans are delicious."
"Clever girl! Ah well, I had hoped that King Aillas would be present at the opening ceremonies, but we shall not delay, and he will miss nothing of substance, since we must proceed through a round or two of encomiums, salutes, noble breast-beating, laudatory allusions and the like. Until King Aillas arrives, Prince Dhrun shall listen with the ears of Troicinet, and speak the official Troice eulogies. He is over-young for such service, but it will be good training for him."
Dhrun, with his three companions, came into the Morning Saloon. They approached King Audry's table. "Good morning, Your Highness," said Dhrun. "Good morning to you, Prince Jaswyn, and to you as well, Princess."
"No less to you," said King Audry. "Your father's ship has been sighted in the Cambermouth and he will be on hand shortly-certainly before the day is out."
"That is good news."
"Meanwhile, the colloquy begins on schedule! Until King Aillas arrives, you must act in his stead. Make ready, therefore, to deliver a resonant and inspirational oration!"
"That is bad news!"
King Audry chuckled. "The acts of kingship are not all equally pleasurable."
"I suspect this already, Your Highness, from observing my father."
"Jaswyn has surely arrived at the same conclusion," said King Audry. "Am I right, Jaswyn?"
"Absolutely, sir."
King Audry gave a placid nod and returned to Dhrun. "I keep you from your breakfast. Fortify yourself well!"
Madouc called out: "King Audry recommends the ortolans and the woodcock. He also insisted that I eat cockles and winkles by the dozen."
"I will heed your advice, as always," said Dhrun. He and his comrades went off to the buffet. A moment later Prince Cassander entered the refectory, with his friend Sir Camrols. Cassander halted and surveyed the room, then, approaching King Audry, paid his respects. "King Casmir and Queen Sollace are taking breakfast in their chambers; they will appear at the Hall of Heroes at the appointed time."