Читать книгу Lilophea, the Bride of the Sea King - Natalie Yacobson - Страница 4

A coral necklace was scarlet on the edge of a large marble amphora, from which water flowed in a fountain. Who had left it here? Was it one of the ladies of the court? Lilophea was so insatiably tempted to take it for herself that she couldn’t help herself. The coral felt good on her fingers. It felt as if they had just been taken out of the water. Not surprising, considering that there was a fountain flowing nearby. There were many in the palace, both in the garden and in the corridors, one even in the throne room. It was because of the heat. In a large island nation, surrounded on all sides by the sea, it is perpetually hot. The ambassadors called it a paradisiacal climate, but many locals disagreed with that definition. Yes, there were plenty of palm trees, fruit, and warm lakes to bathe in, but for the sake of grain and cloth, it was necessary to conduct lively trade with overseas powers. Often this was not entirely convenient, and the heat exhausted the inhabitants. A quarter of the treasury was spent on the fountains that were set up in all the streets. The capital even began to be called the City of Fountains after them. Most of them, though, were in the king’s park and palace. Round, cone-shaped, oval, large and small, in the shape of shells, amphorae and spheres, or with sculptures of nymphs pouring water – in general all shapes, kinds and sizes.

Her father recently hinted at the council that he had created so many water portals to his country for nothing. How can a fountain be called a portal? Lilothea knew nothing of politics, so her father’s speeches often seemed rather strange to her. One thing she did know, she’d seen enough of the fountains to know that no one had ever forgotten the necklaces on them.

“Put it back!” The seneschal was already flying after her like an annoying duenna. “You can’t touch things that someone has forgotten.”

“It was just left here for all comers.”

“Dream on, princess!”

“Well, anything can happen,” Lilophea went through the beads like a rosary. The orange and red corals came in all shapes and sizes, just like the fountains in Aquilania.

“Drop it!” The peacock was clearly nervous. “If someone left things behind on purpose, it might be for witchcraft purposes.”

“I don’t believe in witchcraft,” she said, and was instantly struck down as she recalled the marvelous dream of the unearthly creature playing by the waterfall.

“I’m waiting for you… at the bottom of the sea,” his voice echoed in the murmuring of the water. Did the peacock hear it?

The seneschal grudgingly turned his nose up at the fountains and flapped his wings very aggressively.

“When things are thrown about like that, provided they are not old and unwanted, they want to do bad things,” he explained businesslike. “I wonder if you have a rival at Court who went to the witch doctor and told her to put on the necklace and make you ugly by wearing it.”

“And how did she know that I would walk down this corridor without someone else taking the necklace before me?”

“A fool would know. Your father’s office is next door. Only those closest to him go in here.”

“You can’t take a joke.”

“But your rivals, knowing your passion for shiny things, know what to lure you to.”

“One of them would like to go to the harem instead of me,” she joked again.

“What if they do?” The peacock replied seriously.

“They say there’s enough room in harems for everyone.”

“But there is competition there, too.”

“You’ll tell me later,” Lilophea wished she could cover his beak with her fingers. The peacock was flying too high under the arabesques of the ceiling and crackling about very unpleasant things.

“Don’t start talking about the harem and life in it again if you want to remain my friend,” she asked. Then the peacock understood and nodded. There, even he can be negotiated with. One has only to beat for pity.

“It’s a pity that Aquilania is so dependent on sea trade that my father will eventually have to give me in marriage to someone from the partner states. All the kings are already married, there’s only a chance of ending up in the sultan’s harem.”

“There are still kings of the sea, they’re not married.” The peacock didn’t say that. Lilothea looked around. There seemed to be someone hiding in the fountain. She spotted someone’s head behind the marble curb. It looked like a child who had decided to go for a ride and bathe in the wrong place. He had green hair on his head, too, so his actual color was impossible to see.

“Hey!” the princess called out to the prankster, but he only chuckled in response. Or was it a splash of water? She couldn’t tell if it was the child’s head or the shiny, scaly fishtail, which swung up and disappeared.

“They are cheeky creatures!” The peacock barked.

“Who are they?”

“They are sea creatures!”

“Don’t worry about them,” Lilophea gripped the coral in her hand. “It’s a fountain, not the sea. Learn to understand the difference.”

The peacock wanted to mutter something angry in return, but Lilophea sped forward down the corridor. She lingered at the door to the king’s study. There were no guards standing here with halberds. This was most unusual. Concerned voices came from within. The princess was tempted and put her ear to the door.

“What are you doing? The princess should not behave like a spy,” the peacock murmured concernedly over her head, but he himself also listened warily to the sounds of conversation.

The king was speaking to his advisors. Lilothea could distinguish them by their voices. Some had a bass, some a baritone, others pleasant tenors. By the coloring of their voices even a blind man could guess who was involved in the conversation.

“Things got too bad! It is all because of them!” complained the bass of the senior counselor. “I had to give them my daughter. They put poor Katarina not even on the ship, but on the back of a monster whale. We haven’t seen her since, but recently a sea gull brought a message from her in its beak. They won’t let her go. They even chained her with a gold chain to keep her from escaping. Back to the land… well, I mean our island nation.”

The older man was evidently shy, afraid to speak directly.

“There are more important matters,” the Second Minister’s amiable tenor contradicted him. “The first is trade, the second is the threat of war. On one side is the Sultan’s fleet, on the other a more powerful enemy. If we decide on an alliance with the stronger side, putting aside the unpleasant memory of the experience with Katharina, we will have an ally who will easily sink not only the Sultan’s fleet for us, but also the armadas of all the capricious kingdoms trading with us. We must choose the strongest. Then we will not be at a disadvantage.”

“It is too risky,” said the king. “We don’t know who we’re dealing with. If he sinks the enemy, he’ll destroy us.”

“I know how devious he is, and how dangerous and treacherous his people are,” said one of the advisors.

“It is exactly.” The others nodded. “He is a risky man to be around.”

“But it’s more risky to refuse him,” said the other minister again, and there was a silence in the room. Evidently there was nothing to object to.

“You shouldn’t have built so many fountains. They’re so easy to get through to the world,” the chattering advisers began. “Maybe we should fill them all with sand.”

“But that would leave lakes and rivers.”

“We’ll enclose them with high dams, fences, grates. Anything to make sure no one from the water gets in.”

“And where will people get drinking water?”

“That’s the problem. They come from the water. They can only be destroyed along with water, and without water, people can’t survive. So we are cornered, and they are free to go everywhere.”

Lilophea could no longer tell whose voice she was hearing. Everyone was talking at once.

“Be quiet!” the king pounded his fist on some hard surface, obviously the table. “The last message says it all. It seems we have lost to them. Of course, we can no longer catch fish with a message sewn in their belly, or let strange sailors with shells for ears into port, but the messages will still come. And they are becoming more and more threatening. And calling an army is useless. You can’t fight the elements.”

Again there was a rumble of indignant voices inside.

“They come from the sea.”

“They threaten us all.”

“How do we fight them?”

“Let’s give up the princess as they want.”

“No, it is not at all,” said the king and the first minister in one voice. The latter dreamed of marrying the princess himself. Lilothea knew this, so she tried as little as possible to get in his face. He looked at her too carnivorous. Naturally, considering that with a beautiful girl he was sure to get at least half the country.

Lilothea didn’t want the First Minister to succeed in the matchmaking, but the prospect of being given to who knows who didn’t tempt her either.

“Their leader wants the princess. He believes that she is of the same blood as him.”

“He will not drown her, at least not for a while, and we will have a head start.”

“On the one hand he can sacrifice her, and on the other he can give a generous ransom for her.”

“Either way, it’s the princess he wants, or he won’t leave us alone.”

Lilophea did not understand much. There was too little information, and it was too scattered and contradictory. Could it be about the Sultan? It doesn’t sound like it.

“Do you know what they’re talking about better than I do?” She asked Seneschal in a whisper, but he only flapped his wings anxiously.

“I think we’d better get on a ship and be on our way,” he said, moving away from the door. “So let’s hurry up and see your privateer.”

Lilophea eavesdropped for another minute, but the conversation was disappointing.

“They come from the sea! They are extremely dangerous! They could crush the whole kingdom! They want the princess! The best thing is to give her to them!”

It’s definitely not about pirates. The pirates of the seas don’t yet have a fleet of their own to take over an entire country. They act in isolation. She knew, for she had watched their ships at sunset. The king and his advisers must be talking about some foreign conquerors. She was only surprised by the phrase “coming from the sea.” Would it not be more correct to say they came by sea or from across the sea. Otherwise, the meaning would be fantastic. What kind of creatures could come ashore from the depths of the sea?

Probably the kind of creatures you saw in the mirage in the mirror, the memory reminded her. Immediately the cold voice of reason answered her. It was only a mirage. A mirage is something that does not exist.

Would you like it to exist?

Lilophea gripped the coral beads tighter in her hand. They were pleasantly cold on her fingers. They made her feel at ease.

Morrin had been waiting for her on the gallery for a long time. There was a wonderful view of the sea. The privateer paced to and fro, an earring in his ear gleaming in the sun.

“He is a beauty!” The peacock said. “We must go away with him.”

“He didn’t invite us along,” Lilophea shushed the bird.

“Good bye!” Seneschal corrected her. “Your job is to flirt with him to get us comfortable quarters on his vessel.”

“What have I come to? The bird is telling me what to do.”

“I’m not a bird, I’m your friend.”

It is a pity that the feathered friend did not think of the fact that during the sea voyage the unguarded beauty could be captured and sold into slavery. And along with her in captivity will be her bird. She must ask Seneschal if he has been in a cage before.

Right now Lilophea was more interested in looking in the mirror. There was one framed in brass in the gallery between the columns, but Morrin was standing in the doorway to it. He had tanned himself on his voyages and was so handsome that she wished she had worn a dress and tiara to meet him. Since when had Morrin become so fond of her that she wanted to dress up for him? Could it be Seneschal had cast a spell on her? He decided to bewitch her to someone who had a ship at his disposal. What absurd thoughts were going through her head?

It was quiet everywhere, except for the distant lapping of the waves. Lilophea could even hear her skirts rustling. Azure with white lace, they themselves looked like waves. Morrin liked to jokingly remark that the blue hue of the morning sea was the princess’ favorite color. It probably was. Lilophea didn’t think much about what shade of fabric to choose. But seamstresses also noted that the color of the sea wave was her favorite. So be it. The sea is beautiful. It’s all right if her outfit resembles the sea.

“Your Highness!” The privateer gave her a bow that many courtiers would not have dared. Where did he learn his gallantry? Does he have a teacher of etiquette at sea? Is it any kind of newt? Lilophea wanted to make a joke on the subject and suddenly felt the salty taste of blood in her mouth. How did it happen that she bit her tongue? And from the waves in the distance, quiet singing voices sounded as if they were coming:

“Do not divulge our secrets!”

Lilophea looked back at the waves lapping on the shore.

In the presence of the privateer, Seneschal was busily silent. He was probably afraid that Morrin might want to kidnap the talking bird and sell it at a profit.

“His name is Seneschal and he is my best friend,” the princess announced, but the peacock did not make a sound. As if he was full of water in his mouth. How cleverly he suddenly turned from a chatterbox to a reticent!

“It is a magnificent bird,” praised Morrin. “It is blue! They’re rare here.”

He’d acquired an amusing hat with many colorful feathers. He wondered what bird’s tail they’d been plucked from. Of course, Seneschal hesitated at the sight of the feathers, and wondered if he should ever speak to their owner.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

“I am at your service.”

And she was afraid to even breathe a word of what she wanted to ask. The sea reeked of cold. It suddenly seemed dangerous. She wondered if she should ask about the creatures that supposedly lived in its depths. Lilophea bit her lip for a moment and then said something different from what she wanted to say.

“You don’t know who Father is afraid of. I heard him talking to his advisers about those who come from the sea. It is strange, really.”

“Well, if you mean the island savages. But it’s hard for them to get here, even in junks.”

“Ask somebody, though. You know a lot of people in the port. I don’t know anyone. And you sail the seas, you talk to other captains. Yes, and in the sea itself you might notice something.”

Lilophea stammered. You have to give him a few compliments to flatter him. Then he would do her errands more willingly. A little flattery never hurt. Morrin must understand that he was the best privateer that came to court and that was why she was turning to him. The real reason was that he happened to be the youngest, and he was the easiest person for her to get along with. Well, he’s better off not knowing that. The main thing was to praise him as a navigator.

Her compliments flattered the young man. He even began to tell the princess about his activities and plans for the future.

“I want to be not just a sailor, but a discoverer. I want to find a luxurious deserted island with tropical forests, waterfalls, mountains, in which the ancient gods are carved, and make a new state out of it.”

“And…”

“If I found such an island, would you be my queen?”

Did she hear him right? The rascal is proposing to her. But you have to admit he’s a charming rascal.

“Have you found it?”

“I have one in mind, but the magic that dwells there interferes.”

“Is it magic?”

He nodded.

“Is it real?”

He nodded again.

“Well, there are also all kinds of crooks, swindlers who pretend to be fortune-tellers, soothsayers, and fortune-tellers.”

“Or they are royal wizards.” He nodded slyly at the passing barnacle, so busy calculating that he hadn’t even noticed the strange pair, the princess and the privateer.

“Well, yes,” Lilophea looked behind the old man in the blue, silver star-embroidered robes and pointy toed cap. There were several in the court. They all scattered strange chips, looked through spyglasses at the night sky, drew whole maps of different symbols and numbers, but no one could truly predict the future.

“Will there be a harem on your island state?” She asked Morrin, as if in passing.

“That depends on you.”

“What do you mean?”

“It will be my kingdom, so I will make the rules. I confess I have a liking for Oriental customs, and would have had a harem, but that was before I had a woman in mind who I thought would be worth more to me than a harem on her own.”

“Does my father know of your ambitious plans yet?”

“Not yet,” Morrin looked cautiously around. “Better not to tell him just yet.”

“It seems you plan to keep your little island nation independent of ours and free of taxation.”

“Well,” he grinned charmingly. “But I’ll call it by your name when I conquer it, of course. I wanted to call the new lands after myself first, to honor my own kind, but your name sounds better. Lilophea. Sounds like a tune. May I call you by your name when no one is around, of course?

“Father won’t approve, nor will the courtiers.”

“But they won’t hear.”

“I wouldn’t vouch for it. There are too many idle and curious people in the palace.”

“What are they all doing here?”

“Like you; serving someone, paying tribute to someone, asking for something. By the way, you said the island must be conquered. But there are no inhabitants there. So from whom should it be conquered?”

“I didn’t say there were no inhabitants. I only said there are no people there. But in the waters around it… um, how shall I explain it?”

“Are they in the waters?” That’s what intrigued her. “Who could live in the waters?”

“It is not who, but what.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Neither do I. That’s the essence of magic. We mortals don’t understand it, and therefore we don’t know how to fight it.”

“What is magic? And where does it come from?”

“Most often it comes from the waters.”

“But the island itself is a piece of land, albeit small.”

“It is not small!” Morrin objected seriously. “It has springs. And by the springs…” He glanced cautiously at the fountain in the form of a mermaid with a pitcher. “I will not fill your pretty head with nonsense, Princess Lilophea. I’ve wrested the island from those freaks. They come out of the water at night. I’ll at least kidnap you and make you an island’s queen.”

“You don’t have to kidnap me. I might agree to it anyway.”

She felt as if someone’s wet fingers closed around her throat and began to choke her. It was hands of water. Water rushed into her mouth and eyes.

“What’s the matter with you?” Morrin shook her.

She wanted to say she was all right, but there was water in her throat. The gallery was deserted. That was why she had arranged to meet Morrin here. No one would see them. And now no healer had answered her call. She had to come to her senses herself. The nausea passed quickly. The invisible fingers stopped choking her, and the coral in her hand felt strangely warm, like coal in a furnace. She felt as if she could open her fingers and her hand would be scorched.

“It is a strange ship!” Lilophea only now noticed the ship in the bay. It resembled a mermaid of wood, with gills on its sides. And pearls glittered in its masts.

“What ship is it? I can’t see anything!” Morrin stared at the horizon in bewilderment.

He must be pretending not to reveal his pirate friends who had illegally docked off the coast, Lilophea decided. She herself had never given away pirates or smugglers. She liked to watch them. And now she liked the ship. It reminded her of a fairy-tale creature, stiff and sailing across the sea on its own. And above it was a bridge of rainbows.