The Two Princesses of Bamarre Read Free

gesture.
    A cloud was in the room with us!
    Trina put both hands over her face. “Don’t let it hurt me!”
    Using his baton, Rhys gathered the cloud and shaped it into a pillow.
    I began to smile. Trina peeked between her fingers. Milton stood up to see better.
    “Sleep is always sweet when your pillow is a cloud.” Rhys stepped to her bedside. “Lean forward.”
    “You’re sure it’s safe?”
    “Perfectly safe.”
    She did as she was directed, and Rhys placed the cloud pillow behind her. I could see that his touch was gentle.
    “There,” he said. “Now lean back.”
    “I’ll go right through it!” She lowered her back gingerly while scowling at Rhys. The scowl vanished. “It is a trifle better.”
    “Why, look at that!” Milton said.
    I laughed, and spoke before I could think. “The pillow won’t rain, will it?”
    Rhys laughed too, harder than I had. “Rain! I never thought of that. Pillow rain.” He shook his head, still chuckling. “It won’t rain, and Trina’s dreams will be lovely.”
    She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. “I think I’ll take a nap now.”
    I didn’t want her to nap. I wanted her to listen to me. I appealed to Milton. “Trina should struggle against the Gray Death, shouldn’t she?”
    “It can’t hurt her to try, but she should sleep now. She won’t get much rest tomorrow.”
    I must have looked puzzled, because he added, “One of your father’s carriages will take her home to her family tomorrow.” He tucked the blanket in around her. “Trina, you’ll think over Her Highness’s suggestions in the carriage, won’t you?”
    She nodded with her eyes still closed. I supposed that was something. But I wished I could slip into her cloud-sweetened dreams and persuade her there.

Chapter Three
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    R HYS WALKED down the corridor with me. “Your Highness, I see your beautiful embroidery everywhere I look in the castle. I’m so happy to meet the artist.”
    “Thank you,” I murmured. “They’re not very good.”
    “But they’re very good.”
    I felt myself blush. I didn’t say anything, and we were silent for a few moments.
    Then he said, “Making cloud pillows is one of the first lessons a sorcerer learns.”
    I wondered what the others were, but I was too shy to ask. He was a beginner, as all our sorcerers were. They could fly, of course. All sorcerers could. Their training included five years in the service of a king, for whom they performed minor magic, did simple tricks with the weather, and kept the castle free of rats.
    If he could keep rats away . . .
    “I’m sorry about your chambermaid.” Rhys sighed, an elaborate exhale. “I suppose it’s silly to feel sad over someone I hardly know, but you see, sorcerers don’t get sick. We’re never ill, so illness seems tragic to me.” He waited for me to say something.
    “Er . . . that’s interesting.”
    We reached the winding stone stairs that descended to the lower floors of the castle. The stairs were too narrow for us to go down side by side, so Rhys chivalrously went first. He looked over his shoulder to continue the conversation. “It is interesting. It’s interesting how different we are from other creatures—how different we are from humans, and how different humans are from elves and elves are from dwarfs and dwarfs from sorcerers. It’s fascinating.” He smiled, then frowned. “Are you afraid of becoming a victim of the Gray Death?”
    I shook my head.
    “You’re brave, Princess Addie.”
    No one had ever called me brave before. It made me feel strange, as if I were impersonating someone, as if Rhys had mixed me up with Meryl.
    “Do you think . . .” I hesitated, then said in a rush, “Could you rid the castle of spiders?” He wouldn’t think me brave now.
    He stopped, and I almost crashed into him. “I think I can.” He paused, then nodded vigorously. “Certainly I can.” He turned all the way around. “I’ll do it tonight. Ugly little beasts, aren’t they?”
    He