There was a tone in her voice that made me feel both important and completely lost. As if I were the only person in the world worth waiting for, and yet a complete idiot for making the princess wait.
" I thought you'd only be here this evening," I replied, trying not to show my confusion. "You should have classes now."
" I decided to cancel," Eley shrugged with the ease that only comes to those who can afford to cancel anything. "I said I wasn't feeling well. I'll read some books today."
I wondered what it would be like to have control over your own time. We mere mortals live by someone else's schedule, but princesses can simply say, "I'm not feeling well," and the entire world adjusts to their state of mind.
" Sorry for the wait," I said, and the words sounded stupid even to me.
" It's okay," Eley smiled that smile that could mean anything. "I was sitting and reading. Learning a new language."
" One of the human ones?" I asked, although I knew perfectly well that princesses studied languages not for practical purposes, but out of boredom, knowing only what everyone else knew.
" No, beastmen," she answered with a slight smile, and a mischievous glint flashed in her eyes.
Of course. An ordinary person would learn the trade language of a neighboring kingdom. Eley studies the language of the beastmen—because the world must reveal all its secrets to her, even those hidden from human eyes. A language where every word breathes the mysteries of ancient rituals, where sounds are like the growls of distant beasts, and intonations conceal the echoes of primordial stories.
" I wonder if it's complicated?" I asked, imagining her poring over textbooks, learning the grammar of creatures most people consider myths.
" Yes, but that's not what I wanted to talk about," she said, and a note appeared in her voice that foreshadowed something important. Or dangerous. Or both.
- About what?
— Tell me how you spent your time training to become a knight. Any other funny stories?
I felt the world sway slightly. Not from magic, but from surprise. The princess of a kingdom interested in the daily life of a novice knight? It's like the sun suddenly deciding to ask a candle's opinion on how to shine properly.
" You've stumped me," he admitted honestly. "I didn't expect you'd be interested in the life of an ordinary knight."