The Runaway Princess (24 page)

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Authors: Kate Coombs

BOOK: The Runaway Princess
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“One of the guardsmen says there's a baby, but he's too young to fly.”
Dorn considered this. “We could wait.”
“Or,” Dagle told him, “we could find another kingdom with dragon troubles.”
Dorn's eyes lit up. “And make another trap!”
“Exactly!”
Dorn surveyed their camp with renewed determination. “All right,” he said briskly. “We'll leave the wood and take the tools.”
 
In a small room over a tavern somewhere on one of the winding streets of Crown, a minstrel messed about, trying out new words to a very old melody.
“O, the princess was trapped in the tower high,
But she spread her wings 'gainst the jewel-blue sky …
“No, that's not good. Here now …
“
But with wings of magic she did fly
…
“Awkward. What about …
“The princes rode through the castle gate,
While the maiden in the tower did wait …
“Better. For now.
“But in the night …
“Nope.
“But not for long …
“Pah!”
 
The minstrel laid his lute on the narrow bed and went downstairs, letting the words roll around and around in his head, knowing that soon enough they would turn themselves into a song.
A WEEK AFTER THE ROYAL FAMILY RETURNED from their adventures, the castle was still buzzing over all of the goings-on in Greeve. Tired of the fuss one night, Meg took a lantern and went down to the frog pond. She thought about bringing Cam along, but decided she wanted to be alone, dreaming new dreams.
The frogs' eyes gleamed in the rays of her lantern. Meg wondered if any of them had ever been princes.
“I heard a strange story,” someone said behind her. “A new lute ballad, actually.”
Meg turned around. Bain was leaning against a tree, watching her.
“Why do you lean like that?” she asked him.
Bain laughed and came to stand beside her, carrying a cloth-wrapped object. “For the effect, I suppose.”
“It's not working,” she told him. “What story did you hear?”
“About a bold princess who escaped from her tower without anyone knowing.”
“Cam says tales aren't always true,” Meg said primly.
“How is that princess?” Bain asked. “Is she living happily ever after?”
Meg grinned. “She's learning swordplay.”
“Apt,” Bain told her.
“What about you?”
“We're going away. Alya wants a new life for our people.”
“Your sister, the Bandit Queen. So why aren't you the Bandit King?”
“I'm the prince,” Bain said, strutting a bit.
“Hmmph. Lex says you were just after the gold.”
“Maybe. Or maybe Feg thought my imitation of a noble fop was so amusing that he jeeringly suggested I could pass as a prince in the royal contest. Naturally, he would come to regret his words.”
Meg laughed. “Naturally.”
Bain changed the subject. “I brought you a present. A person who wins a contest should get a prize.”
“She should,” Meg said, pleased. “It wouldn't be those chests of treasure, would it?”
“Sorry. That's Alya's concern. But I did steal a little something for you.”
“Thief,” Meg said mildly.
“This from the girl who stole herself, not to mention a dragon and a witch. Here.” Bain placed the long packet in her hands.
“Thank you.”
“You're welcome. Goodbye, Princess.”
“It's Meg, to my friends.”
Bain smiled. “Goodbye, Meg.” He faded into the darkness, a shadow lost in the shadows. Meg waited at least a minute before she opened the package. In the lantern light she could see that her gift was a strong, slender sword, its silver hilt scored with sigils and set with moonstones. Meg lifted it to the night. “Once upon a time,” she said, “there was a princess who knew she was meant for more than twirling her tresses and swooning.”
Copyright © 2006 by Kathryn Coombs All rights reserved
 
 
 
 
Designed by Jay Colvin
 
 
eISBN 9781429921855
First eBook Edition : May 2011
 
 
First edition, 2006
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Coombs, Kate.
The runaway princess / Kate Coombs.—1st ed.
p. cm.
Summary: Fifteen-year-old Princess Meg uses magic and her wits to rescue a baby dragon and escape the unwanted attentions of princes hoping to gain her hand in marriage through a contest arranged by her father, the king.
ISBN-13: 978-0-374-35546-3
ISBN-10: 0-374-35546-0
[I. Princesses—Fiction. 2. Contests—Fiction. 3. Dragons—Fiction. 4. Magic—Fiction. 5. Fairy tales.] I. Title.
PZ8.C788 Fif 2006
[Fic]—dc22
2005051225

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