was glaring at her with black eyes.
“If you think anybody is going to interfere with me once I am allowed to do what I wish,” he said harshly, “you are very much mistaken.”
He spoke so aggressively that Zosina gave a little cry before she said,
“Oh – please, I was not – meaning what you think I-I – meant. I only – thought the Palace was so – beautiful in every way, I cannot – imagine how it could be improved!”
Because she was embarrassed, her words seemed to tumble over each other as she attempted to explain herself. The King merely remarked unpleasantly,
“You must be very easily pleased!”
He then turned deliberately to speak to the Queen Mother. Zosina drew in her breath.
This was worse than she had even feared and she told herself she might have been tactless, but she had not meant to upset him.
Then she heard the Regent say,
“I heard you admiring the Palace. I am so glad that you find it attractive.”
“I think it is – lovely.”
“That is what I think too.”
Because he seemed kind and understanding, she said in a low voice that only he could hear,
“I did not – mean to – upset His Majesty, and I was trying – to explain that I could not think how, as it looks so beautiful, it could be – improved.”
The Regent smiled.
“We obviously think the same way,” he said, in a tone which she knew was meant to be soothing.
Because she thought the subject must embarrass him if she continued with it, Zosina with an effort, said,
“Count Csàky told me how beautiful Dórsia was, but I think it would be difficult even for the most accomplished poet – to describe adequately what I have seen so far.”
“You are fond of poetry?”
“Yes, very, but I know that some people find it – dull.” As she spoke, she was certain that the King would be one of them.
“I think poetry is rather like music,” the Regent said quietly, “it can often express our feelings or our thoughts as ordinary words would be unable to do.”
“It is strange you should think that,” Zosina said with a sudden warmth in her voice. “Sometimes, when I look at anything very beautiful, I know that it would be impossible to describe it in prose and, as you have said, only music or poetry could – say what it – makes me – feel.”
She thought as she spoke, that there was an expression of surprise in the Regent’s eyes, but she was not sure.
Then, because she thought he would understand, she asked,
“May I ask you – something?”
“Of course,” he replied.
“While I am here, could somebody tell me about Dórsia and its people?”
She paused a moment to say quickly,
“I don’t mean just its history, I mean the real human truths which one cannot – find in – books.”
He did not speak and thinking that he had not understood, she went on,
“It is like not being told how beautiful the Palace is before I came or that the flowers are so brilliant and the people in the streets so colourful. I am frightened that if I am not looking out for what I should see, I might miss something important.”
The Regent still did not reply and after a second she said,
“I-I thought you would – understand – what I am trying to say.”
“I do understand,” he answered. “I understand very well. It is just such a request is one that has never been made to me before.”
“Perhaps you – think it is the – wrong sort of – curiosity,” Zosina murmured.
“It would be impossible for me to think that,” the Regent replied, “because it is exactly what you should want to know.”
She had a strange feeling that he was going to add, ‘but I had not expected you to do so,’ then deliberately prevented himself from saying it.
“What I will do while you are here,” the Regent continued before she could answer, “is to try and give you what I believe is called a ‘thumbnail sketch’ of the people you will meet and the places you will see.”
He gave a little laugh before he
“If you think anybody is going to interfere with me once I am allowed to do what I wish,” he said harshly, “you are very much mistaken.”
He spoke so aggressively that Zosina gave a little cry before she said,
“Oh – please, I was not – meaning what you think I-I – meant. I only – thought the Palace was so – beautiful in every way, I cannot – imagine how it could be improved!”
Because she was embarrassed, her words seemed to tumble over each other as she attempted to explain herself. The King merely remarked unpleasantly,
“You must be very easily pleased!”
He then turned deliberately to speak to the Queen Mother. Zosina drew in her breath.
This was worse than she had even feared and she told herself she might have been tactless, but she had not meant to upset him.
Then she heard the Regent say,
“I heard you admiring the Palace. I am so glad that you find it attractive.”
“I think it is – lovely.”
“That is what I think too.”
Because he seemed kind and understanding, she said in a low voice that only he could hear,
“I did not – mean to – upset His Majesty, and I was trying – to explain that I could not think how, as it looks so beautiful, it could be – improved.”
The Regent smiled.
“We obviously think the same way,” he said, in a tone which she knew was meant to be soothing.
Because she thought the subject must embarrass him if she continued with it, Zosina with an effort, said,
“Count Csàky told me how beautiful Dórsia was, but I think it would be difficult even for the most accomplished poet – to describe adequately what I have seen so far.”
“You are fond of poetry?”
“Yes, very, but I know that some people find it – dull.” As she spoke, she was certain that the King would be one of them.
“I think poetry is rather like music,” the Regent said quietly, “it can often express our feelings or our thoughts as ordinary words would be unable to do.”
“It is strange you should think that,” Zosina said with a sudden warmth in her voice. “Sometimes, when I look at anything very beautiful, I know that it would be impossible to describe it in prose and, as you have said, only music or poetry could – say what it – makes me – feel.”
She thought as she spoke, that there was an expression of surprise in the Regent’s eyes, but she was not sure.
Then, because she thought he would understand, she asked,
“May I ask you – something?”
“Of course,” he replied.
“While I am here, could somebody tell me about Dórsia and its people?”
She paused a moment to say quickly,
“I don’t mean just its history, I mean the real human truths which one cannot – find in – books.”
He did not speak and thinking that he had not understood, she went on,
“It is like not being told how beautiful the Palace is before I came or that the flowers are so brilliant and the people in the streets so colourful. I am frightened that if I am not looking out for what I should see, I might miss something important.”
The Regent still did not reply and after a second she said,
“I-I thought you would – understand – what I am trying to say.”
“I do understand,” he answered. “I understand very well. It is just such a request is one that has never been made to me before.”
“Perhaps you – think it is the – wrong sort of – curiosity,” Zosina murmured.
“It would be impossible for me to think that,” the Regent replied, “because it is exactly what you should want to know.”
She had a strange feeling that he was going to add, ‘but I had not expected you to do so,’ then deliberately prevented himself from saying it.
“What I will do while you are here,” the Regent continued before she could answer, “is to try and give you what I believe is called a ‘thumbnail sketch’ of the people you will meet and the places you will see.”
He gave a little laugh before he
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