I don't believe that the father wants to destroy more than three hundred years of tradition, telling these good people that only those salon dogs from higher families will have the opportunity to take part in the Royal Order Competitions! And even when I protested, and my brother, Edrin, supported his idea, my father told me to shut up! I'm five years older – not him! Do they have any idea what will happen if they ban people from participating in competitions?! After all, there will be a rebellion! That's for sure! The only people who know what the consequences will be are The Royal Sorceress Muriel, Royal Guard Captain Nathaniel Rene, my sister Eliza, Chief People's Affairs Adviser Levi Sharinii, Baron Krtuli, Coastal Trade Advisor Josephine Kortylie and myself! I knew something bad was going to happen. Even the weather is as awful as this deliberation!
- Cole! I was looking for you all over the castle! - Eliza yells with her sweet, squeaky voice, bumping into the library like crazy, where I was currently sitting with my favorite book in my hand. - All right?
- How does this conjecture, dear sister, that something could be wrong? - I replied, smiling, whose years of learning the court etiquette etched into my behavior.
The smile of a good ruler – as my teacher, Madame Warlett, said. I would use the words: Smile of a kind viper. More suitable.
- You fell out of the Chamber furious almost to redness! I thought you could hurt yourself or someone.
- Believe me, the only person I could hurt is Edrin. – I said no more smiling and returned with my eyes to the book I had read before.
It's one of the few things that relaxes me in this castle. Reading books. You can walk away from political wars for a moment, give my grace to me and listen to my sly little brother to another world. Places where I'm not a prince just a normal boy. And I don't have an insiculating brother.
- Don't blame him. He just wants his father to love him as much as you do - she replies.
- But why does he want to achieve this in this way? – I retorting by closing the book with a bang.
- I don't know, Cole.
- And apparently you are the Red Witch - I get along ironic.
- I am not a witch! – yells directly into my ear.
- You're right. How can someone so cute be bad?
- I'm not cute! – screamed even louder blushing on her cheeks like a feral tomato. - And do not make these puppies eyes because Sponge Cake still knows how to do better!
- Silence!!! – she s pushed the figure of a librarian leaning out from behind the bookcase. - All it takes is this pile of bows and fleas of Your Heights running around my library and destroying centuries-old collections!
- Sorry, Mr. Garett - Eliza whispered in her distinctive girlish tone.
- Nothing happened, Misses - he said quietly with a smile towards my sister.
Suddenly, his smile was replaced by a hideous grimace, and then he looked at me with a murderous gaze. He lifted his old wrinkled finger in my direction with a threatening gesture and said:
- One more sound, youthful, and for the next week you will be banned from crossing the threshold of this chamber!
And he disappeared again behind shelves filled to the brim with old books.
- Why doesn't this elf like me so much? – I asked Eliza's disappointed voice when I was sure that the librarian had gone far enough so that he could not hear our further conversation.
- I have no idea. Or maybe you did something that he didn't like?
- And like what could I do to him?
- Well, I don't know... Remember who let Sponge Cake into the library?
- That was a year ago!
- But cleaning for another half.
- It's hard! In addition, why did you call the dog big like a Sponge Cake?
- Because he's sweet?
- Probably only for you, Eliza. Remind you what the hostess did as she first threw on her when she had a roast in her hands? Or when he rolled into freshly washed bedding, which maid was going to dry? Or maybe when during one of the deliberations he ran into the room and threw himself at Edrin, which from a practical point of view is not that bad?
- You can see what kind of you beloved brother, Cole. Indeed.
- Yes. – I say, lifting from my chair. - Especially when it comes to our brother.
- Where are you going? - Eliza asked, taking my eyes to the library door.
- Go to my rooms. – I answer by putting my hand on the door.
- Will you be sitting late over your paintings again?- she asked with annoyance.
Another thing that can silence my feelings of frustration after a day of being among the flashy courtiers. Drawing and painting. In silence. None of the people on the court understand this, except our grandmother – Estrilda von Riordan. And most of all, it's the father. I could spend eternity enumerating the number of painting teachers my father begged me to sit down after nights on my work, which he still calls bohomas and another to name people trying to convince me to stop my practice. But how do I finish my paintings if I have a scheduled day from morning to late evening? From eight in the morning to ten o'clock – learning war strategy. From ten to noon - fighting weapons. From twelve to three in the afternoon – deliberations. From three in the afternoon to six in the evening - learning the label, and from dusk to a quarter of an hour before eight o'clock in the evening learning to dance, after which I wonder how I have to tap into my chamber, because I do not feel their stup. And all this with half-hour meal breaks. And so day in and day out all year round. The only deviations from my schedule are when there are some holidays, important events, or as today by the fact that the deliberations lasted longer I am exempt from learning dance and etiquette. Is it so hard for me to be surprised that I want a moment of breathing, without buzzing over my ear, that I have to summarize myself, because in a moment I will not go to any classes planned for me by my father? When my mother was alive it was different.
- You know it's not good for your health, Cole. Elizabeth continues. "I understand that you don't have time for it during the day, but you can't sleep all night to paint.
I sigh hard.
Eliza is my little sister, so she worries about me. And I'm about her. I can't imagine anything going on for her. Since she was a child, everyone treats her like a little princess, but to all the surprise she has not become some kind of uneasy brat like some of the nobles I know. Perhaps her adoration by others is also due to the fact that she and her twin brother, Edrin, are real copies of their mother. They're both not high, they have filial red hair and lots of freckles on their faces. The only thing that distinguishes them from mom is the eyes, or rather their color. They both inherited it from their father – blue like a sea tone, causing Eliza to be the most beautiful lady on release in the whole kingdom and the hand, leg, brain on the wall of the one who thinks differently. I, in turn, am a verily representation of my father. Only with the exception of the eyes – green eyes, which I inherited from my mother. Even the disposition we have is equally rough to nobility. Of course, only nobility. No matter who you don't ask, he'll tell you that the person who likes to be among ordinary people the most would be the same: His Princely Highness, Cole von Riordan. And I'm the only one on the board who knows elfish, of course, not including the elves sitting in it and Elizabeth, whom I'm just teaching him. And an interpreter who took himself free because he got chokes – a disease manifested by shortness of breath and coughing attacks.
- Eliza - I do it because I like it and no existing force in the world will stop me from sitting over my paintings. – I answer and then I open the door.
- Just don't sit too long. - she says.
I just nod in the way of the sign that I understand what she meant and disappear behind the closing door of the library.
The night came in the castle and most of the manor went to rest. Only from time to time on the way to my chamber did I see passing servants heading to the service quarters to give in to a sweet sleep. I should too, but at the thought of tomorrow I feel like starting to scream. Another day seasoned with this awful schedule. I swear tomorrow I'm going hunting or I'm going to town. Anything as far away as possible from this castle and its twisted political licks! Yes , it's probably a good idea. I haven't been out without a bet for a month. Maybe I'll visit the children in the orphanage in the slums. They are always happy to see me. Especially if I buy them sweets. And most of all, this little elf - Aveline. I'm happy to do it at heart when they call me The Uncle, even though I'm not related to them. Ha! I don't even come from their community. That is decided. There is only one problem. I have to get up early so my father doesn't send soldiers with me. Well... I think I have to follow Eliza's recommendation.