from the ladle. The soup tasted nothing like Cook’s.
Sinking to her knees, Allerleirauh crawled to the
hearth like a wounded animal. Resignation to a life underground sat heavy on
her heart. When Cook descended the stairs, Lally was raking the cinders with
her hands.
“What are you playing at, hairy animal?” Cook cried,
her voice muted by the gloom hanging about Lally’s head. “Never mind that.
When you were peeping in on the feast, did you see the beauty in the dress as
gold as the summer sun? I missed her myself, but the word is all about the
palace: the King’s mad for this gorgeous princess and nobody knows where she’s
from or where she’s got to!”
Allerleirauh whirled about. Did Cook suspect? No,
she was merely gossiping. “What said the king of this golden woman?” Lally
inquired, coating her anxiety in a casual tone of voice. She shook the soot
from her fingers and rubbed her palms on the skunk’s fur of her mantle.
“Well, ‘course, I didn’t talk to his highness
directly. It was one of the guards what told me. Boris. That big tall beast
of a man. Gentle as a lamb, he is. So, I saw Boris running about the palace
and I asked him, ‘Boris, what’re you playing at traipsing around when you ought
to be guarding King Aelwyn?’ That’s when he told me about the girl what the
king laid eyes on. Hair of gold and a gown to match. She didn’t stop to chat,
but fled the great hall. At once, the king had his guards block the palace
exits, but she never arrived at any of them.”
Lally’s heart pounded. “Do the guards know where she
went?”
“No, that’s the mystery of it. She certainly hasn’t
left, but she’s nowhere to be found. The king is desperate for her. Says
she’s a stunning beauty.”
Beneath the hairy mantle, Lally effervesced. She
smiled at the impression she’d left with good King Aelwyn. He wished to find
her! He wished to find her… Perhaps he knew she was Princess Lally of
the Southern Kingdom. What if he wished to imprison her as his enemy? Oh,
there was far too much to fear.
“Oy, hairy animal!” a nasal voice shouted from the
top of the kitchen stairs. It was young Liam. “The king wants to see you.”
Gott im Himmel , he knew indeed! “Why on earth would his highness
wish to see me? I am of no consequence to anyone.”
“Well, it was you what made the bread soup, weren’t
it?”
Without warning, Lally was struck in the back of the
head with a dull object. When she spun to see what hit her, Cook stood there
wielding a carrot. “I warned you, I did!” the mottled woman shouted, shaking
the carrot like a giant orange finger. “I said, I did, ‘Don’t you go getting
hair in the King’s soup!’ and what did you do? There’ll be no more scraps for
you, hairy animal. And what’s more, if there’s any consequence for me, you’ll
feel the wide end of this carrot against your head.”
What they accused could not be true! She had removed
her mantle to prepare the soup. Ah, but she wore it while serving the king’s
portion. Resigning herself to her fate, Lally let her shoulders slouch. She
trailed Liam up the stairs. Cook followed closely behind. “You’d better hope
our king looks more kindly upon you than I do, little beast,” she hissed as
they entered the great hall.
There were fewer guests about than when Lally was
there earlier. Perhaps the gathering was over now. Unlike before, hardly a
man or woman looked in her direction as they strode toward the king. When Liam
announced their arrival and shifted sideways, Lally found herself standing once
again before King Aelwyn. She suddenly felt naked, and wondered if the king
could see her golden gown under the layers of peltry.
“Who are you?” he inquired. His voice was soft as
velvet, but it reverberated deeply within her body. Her mind shot back to the
hiss of Snake’s voice, and the harsh brogue
Sinking to her knees, Allerleirauh crawled to the
hearth like a wounded animal. Resignation to a life underground sat heavy on
her heart. When Cook descended the stairs, Lally was raking the cinders with
her hands.
“What are you playing at, hairy animal?” Cook cried,
her voice muted by the gloom hanging about Lally’s head. “Never mind that.
When you were peeping in on the feast, did you see the beauty in the dress as
gold as the summer sun? I missed her myself, but the word is all about the
palace: the King’s mad for this gorgeous princess and nobody knows where she’s
from or where she’s got to!”
Allerleirauh whirled about. Did Cook suspect? No,
she was merely gossiping. “What said the king of this golden woman?” Lally
inquired, coating her anxiety in a casual tone of voice. She shook the soot
from her fingers and rubbed her palms on the skunk’s fur of her mantle.
“Well, ‘course, I didn’t talk to his highness
directly. It was one of the guards what told me. Boris. That big tall beast
of a man. Gentle as a lamb, he is. So, I saw Boris running about the palace
and I asked him, ‘Boris, what’re you playing at traipsing around when you ought
to be guarding King Aelwyn?’ That’s when he told me about the girl what the
king laid eyes on. Hair of gold and a gown to match. She didn’t stop to chat,
but fled the great hall. At once, the king had his guards block the palace
exits, but she never arrived at any of them.”
Lally’s heart pounded. “Do the guards know where she
went?”
“No, that’s the mystery of it. She certainly hasn’t
left, but she’s nowhere to be found. The king is desperate for her. Says
she’s a stunning beauty.”
Beneath the hairy mantle, Lally effervesced. She
smiled at the impression she’d left with good King Aelwyn. He wished to find
her! He wished to find her… Perhaps he knew she was Princess Lally of
the Southern Kingdom. What if he wished to imprison her as his enemy? Oh,
there was far too much to fear.
“Oy, hairy animal!” a nasal voice shouted from the
top of the kitchen stairs. It was young Liam. “The king wants to see you.”
Gott im Himmel , he knew indeed! “Why on earth would his highness
wish to see me? I am of no consequence to anyone.”
“Well, it was you what made the bread soup, weren’t
it?”
Without warning, Lally was struck in the back of the
head with a dull object. When she spun to see what hit her, Cook stood there
wielding a carrot. “I warned you, I did!” the mottled woman shouted, shaking
the carrot like a giant orange finger. “I said, I did, ‘Don’t you go getting
hair in the King’s soup!’ and what did you do? There’ll be no more scraps for
you, hairy animal. And what’s more, if there’s any consequence for me, you’ll
feel the wide end of this carrot against your head.”
What they accused could not be true! She had removed
her mantle to prepare the soup. Ah, but she wore it while serving the king’s
portion. Resigning herself to her fate, Lally let her shoulders slouch. She
trailed Liam up the stairs. Cook followed closely behind. “You’d better hope
our king looks more kindly upon you than I do, little beast,” she hissed as
they entered the great hall.
There were fewer guests about than when Lally was
there earlier. Perhaps the gathering was over now. Unlike before, hardly a
man or woman looked in her direction as they strode toward the king. When Liam
announced their arrival and shifted sideways, Lally found herself standing once
again before King Aelwyn. She suddenly felt naked, and wondered if the king
could see her golden gown under the layers of peltry.
“Who are you?” he inquired. His voice was soft as
velvet, but it reverberated deeply within her body. Her mind shot back to the
hiss of Snake’s voice, and the harsh brogue
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