December 25, 1178
"Never occurred to you to ask me first, did it?"Mona pulled her gaze from the wall-length windows to Anna and her discarded book, then back to her own toes. She didn't need a scolding. Having to eat at the servants' table had been enough of a punishment as it was, especially with that leering stable boy to her left and the couple swapping a whole evening's worth of spit to her right. Still. She hadn't envied Anna, seated at the high table with the king and his mother, all eyes on her, expected to take dainty bites and only a moderate amount of wine; Mona had drank twice the wine her father had ever allowed her and had even gotten away with belching at the table. Creepy stable boy or not, it was the only taste of freedom she'd ever had and she didn't regret it at all.
Or maybe she would in the morning. "You would've said 'No'.""Obviously. Not only is it insane, but it's completely unfair to King Adrius."
"How so? He seems to like you." Probably more than he'd like me.
Anna groaned. "That just makes it worse! I don't know how we're going to get out of this, but it's not as if I can actually marry him."
"Then you may tell him tomorrow." Mona kicked off her slippers and flung them over the footboard with a flick of her toes. With any luck, it would be just as easy to do away with the betrothal. "Not that he'll do much, but I doubt the queen will want either of us for a daughter-in-law after this."
"And you do realize what that would do for any future Naroni-Carvallon relations?""So you won't tell him?" Mona smirked as her maid pushed herself off the bench, arms crossed as she approached. In truth, she did feel a little guilty--it wasn't as if Anna had asked for it, after all--but who else could have helped her so? That odd superstition had made for such a perfect arrangement that passing it up would have no doubt been spitting in the face of fate.
"How do we tell him? On one hand, he has to know. On the other, any number of people could be inconvenienced if we offend anyone."
"Anna, it was my idea. Let me worry about the repercussions, all right?" Anna's frown said she wasn't about to, but she must have been too tired to protest further. Not that Mona blamed her. It had been a long day. She was getting rather sluggish herself. "Anyway, after all those weeks on that bunk in the carriage, I'm looking forward to a good sleep tonight. Have you any other concerns that can't wait until morning?""Just one."
"I'm listening."
The corner of Anna's lip tugged at her mouth, a sly glint in her eye that Mona had never noticed. "Well, if you're the princess, but I'm you... then why should you get the bigger bed?"NEXT CHAPTER:
11 comments:
This is one of those posts I'm not too happy with. That said, I was excited to finish it because it's the last post of 1178 :)
Lol, typical wicked behaviour from Mona... You'd think she might be a little more worried about the repercussions, but I'm sure they could explain themselves, they could say it was a Naronian tradition or something, for the bride to observe her prospect husband from a distance or something...
I'm sure the Carvalli could appreciate something like that too ;)
Mona is pretty wicked, and largely irresponsible. But hey--she's fourteen. She'll grow up eventually.
And this is probably why actual medieval European monarchs sent their fourteen-year-old daughters to be married with lots of adult supervision. ;) To prevent them from pulling stunts like this!
I also agree with Mona to a certain extent: the Carvalli tradition was asking for this. It could have just as easily been initiated by an ambitious maid as by the princess, but they were asking for it.
But lastly, I'm glad that Anna took advantage of being "princess for a day" by getting the bigger bed. Good for her! Mona shouldn't have it all her own way.
This little plot twist reminds me a little of the Grimm brothers tale where the Princess is forced to be the maid.
Morgaine: XD
Yeah, that particular tradition is quite open to manipulation; Mona just took it and ran with it.
After all this, I think Mona owes it to Anna to let her have the big bed.
Epi: I don't think I've read that particular one, but I think there's a Grimm anthology around here somewhere. I'll have to look for it :)
Yeah but what happens when someone who knows Mona shows up to Carvallon and requests and audience? Oh brotha.
*an* audience. Really, I'm going to start reading the fruit of my fingers before I send it to market.
That's the worst metaphor I've typed out in a long time.
Yeah, how about that? :P
XD
Mona actually reminds me of her mother quite a lot - massive sense of entitlement. But not in the same sort of way obviously.
She also kind of reminds me of a cousin of mine. Just being around her you manage to get drawn into all sort of trouble. It's like she breeds chaos.
Anna seems totally awesome though!
Mona is not without shades of Laralita! The selfishness and entitlement manifests differently, but it's still there.
And she is one of those people who seem to be magnets for trouble. If anyone can put up with Mona, though, it's Anna.
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