not interested in the lettuce). “But it’s no matter—once you and the duke are wed, my kingdom and his dukedom will be joined into one large happy land, and your children will be heirs to it all.”
Affonyl had looked over her father’s finances, and she knew the kingdom was weak and poor. Duke Kerrl’s takeover was a more polite method than an all-out invasion with his military forces—which he could certainly do. But it was less expensive and more efficient for him to marry Affonyl, especially in light of the fact that the father of the bride was expected to pay for the celebration.
Duke Kerrl had even suggested eloping (once the numerous treaties and legal documents were signed, of course), because that would save money for the treasury he intended to absorb. Fortunately, King Norrimun the Corpulent refused. Affonyl was his only child, and he wanted the finest fairy-tale wedding for her. No elopement would do.
Affonyl also rejected the idea of running away for a quick marriage, because that would hasten the very fate she hoped to escape, and she still had plans to make. If an elopement was in her future, it would certainly not be with the unpleasant Duke Kerrl!
Though her father insisted on making her wear lacy gowns, Affonyl was prone to being a tomboy. She liked to sit on tree branches or to climb the castle towers by scrambling up the tangled vines. She had learned all of Wizard Edgar’s chemical and wizardly tricks, and she grasped reading , which her father neither enjoyed nor encouraged. “Why read poetry,” he would ask, “when we can just bring in a minstrel to do all that tiresome work for you?”
“Why indeed?” She would slink off to her rooms and slip through a secret passage to the wizard’s library, where she spent her evenings studying natural science. Affonyl had become quite good at sneaking about, so she could have some measure of freedom in King Norrimun’s castle. She explored whenever she could get away with it.
Though not a particularly romantic person, Affonyl had found the man she wanted to marry. Down in the port of Rivermouth (though she rarely went to the seedier districts known as Sewermouth and Guttermouth), she had met a dashing young merchant prince named Indico, who had a fabulous sailing ship with gold leaf on the rails and figurehead. The sails were of colored silk, and his men wore the finest clothes. Indico was a handsome young man with a maroon leather doublet, a gold belt buckle, very tight and very flattering leather breeches, and boots that went all the way up to his knees.
Indico had thought he could melt Affonyl’s heart with a smile and a flower, but she was actually more interested in hearing about the places he had visited, the cultures, the landscapes, the species of birds and sea mammals. She even took notes.
After learning that she was a princess, Indico took a much greater interest in her questions, and was eager to hear about King Norrimun’s lands and castle. For the past six months, Affonyl had rushed down to meet his ship each time it came into Rivermouth.
Indico spent many hours describing the wide seas and exotic lands he had visited. He talked about sea monsters, showed Affonyl his charts of the coastline, all the kingdoms in the vicinity, as well as his own island principality just beyond the horizon. He brought her special presents: hand-painted charts of distant tropical islands, exotic shells, iridescent beetle specimens, even a wicked-looking tooth from a sea serpent. He told her how the monster had bitten down on the prow of his ship and left the tooth embedded in the wood after his crew fought back the creature with boat hooks and oars.
He told her the stars were different above his private island principality, that he had constellations all his own. She was fascinated by the possibility, although she felt that changeable star patterns must make long-distance navigation difficult. Indico promised that if she were ever to visit his
Affonyl had looked over her father’s finances, and she knew the kingdom was weak and poor. Duke Kerrl’s takeover was a more polite method than an all-out invasion with his military forces—which he could certainly do. But it was less expensive and more efficient for him to marry Affonyl, especially in light of the fact that the father of the bride was expected to pay for the celebration.
Duke Kerrl had even suggested eloping (once the numerous treaties and legal documents were signed, of course), because that would save money for the treasury he intended to absorb. Fortunately, King Norrimun the Corpulent refused. Affonyl was his only child, and he wanted the finest fairy-tale wedding for her. No elopement would do.
Affonyl also rejected the idea of running away for a quick marriage, because that would hasten the very fate she hoped to escape, and she still had plans to make. If an elopement was in her future, it would certainly not be with the unpleasant Duke Kerrl!
Though her father insisted on making her wear lacy gowns, Affonyl was prone to being a tomboy. She liked to sit on tree branches or to climb the castle towers by scrambling up the tangled vines. She had learned all of Wizard Edgar’s chemical and wizardly tricks, and she grasped reading , which her father neither enjoyed nor encouraged. “Why read poetry,” he would ask, “when we can just bring in a minstrel to do all that tiresome work for you?”
“Why indeed?” She would slink off to her rooms and slip through a secret passage to the wizard’s library, where she spent her evenings studying natural science. Affonyl had become quite good at sneaking about, so she could have some measure of freedom in King Norrimun’s castle. She explored whenever she could get away with it.
Though not a particularly romantic person, Affonyl had found the man she wanted to marry. Down in the port of Rivermouth (though she rarely went to the seedier districts known as Sewermouth and Guttermouth), she had met a dashing young merchant prince named Indico, who had a fabulous sailing ship with gold leaf on the rails and figurehead. The sails were of colored silk, and his men wore the finest clothes. Indico was a handsome young man with a maroon leather doublet, a gold belt buckle, very tight and very flattering leather breeches, and boots that went all the way up to his knees.
Indico had thought he could melt Affonyl’s heart with a smile and a flower, but she was actually more interested in hearing about the places he had visited, the cultures, the landscapes, the species of birds and sea mammals. She even took notes.
After learning that she was a princess, Indico took a much greater interest in her questions, and was eager to hear about King Norrimun’s lands and castle. For the past six months, Affonyl had rushed down to meet his ship each time it came into Rivermouth.
Indico spent many hours describing the wide seas and exotic lands he had visited. He talked about sea monsters, showed Affonyl his charts of the coastline, all the kingdoms in the vicinity, as well as his own island principality just beyond the horizon. He brought her special presents: hand-painted charts of distant tropical islands, exotic shells, iridescent beetle specimens, even a wicked-looking tooth from a sea serpent. He told her how the monster had bitten down on the prow of his ship and left the tooth embedded in the wood after his crew fought back the creature with boat hooks and oars.
He told her the stars were different above his private island principality, that he had constellations all his own. She was fascinated by the possibility, although she felt that changeable star patterns must make long-distance navigation difficult. Indico promised that if she were ever to visit his
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