Dragon and the Princess by Jo Beverley Read Free Book Online

understands my inner voice. My thoughts, if you like. It works better if I speak at the same time, but the language doesn’t matter. I use your language out of courtesy to you.”
    Rozlinda considered this. It helped to concentrate on practical things.
    Not on being snatched from her home and family.
    Not on being taken to a land of strangers.
    Not on being this man’s
wife
—with all that implied.
    Seesee butted up against her, almost as if in comfort.
    Rozlinda flinched away. “Does she understand
my
thoughts?”
    “I don’t know.”
    She backed away. “This is intolerable. I can’t bear it.
Ow!
” She clutched her crown, turning to find the dragon nibbling at her veil. “Stop it!”
    A bit more veil went into the mouth, forcing her to step closer or lose some hair. Then the dragon sucked. Rozlinda staggered hard against its nose, trying to save her scalp. “Do something!” she yelled.
    “
Tak!
”
    The dragon spat out the veil. The end was a lump of yellowy slime.
    “Ugh, ugh, ugh!” Rozlinda exclaimed, staggering away. “It’s
disgusting.
”
    A moment later, she was buffeted by dust and wind as the dragon launched into flight.
    “You’ve upset her.”
    She turned slowly to the man. “
I’ve
upset
her?
Be she toddler or puppy, she should be trained not to damage things. My veil is ruined, my dress is ruined, and in case you haven’t noticed, because you insisted on dragging me away like this,
I—have—no—other—clothes!
”
    She was shrieking like a hawker in the marketplace, but she wanted her home, she wanted her mother, she even wanted Mistress Arcelsia and Lady Petrulla. And above all, she wanted a hot bath and some ordinary, clean clothes.
    “Is this how you treat a woman, a princess of the blood, even, in Dorn? Is this how you treat a
wife?
Then, sir, I pity all Dornaan women.”
    He was like a rock buffeted by a breeze. “I truly am sorry, Princess, but it had to be. I cannot amend it, but I do have clothes for you.”
    Deflated, she watched him shift a pile of stones and pull out the bag she’d seen in her vision. Then he extracted a second one, carried it over to her, and took out clothing.
    Rozlinda stared, unable to believe the final indignity. “I cannot wear those.”
    He looked at the bright yellow hose, then back at her. “Why not?”
    “They’ll show my legs.”
    “Yes?”
    “In Saragond, a lady of any degree of respectability does not show her legs above the calf. Or do they go under a gown?”
    He held up the green tunic, which she had to admit was very prettily embroidered with flowers.
    “If that reaches mid
thigh
, I’ll be surprised.”
    “You may have mine if you wish.”
    “Which will reach no lower than my knees.” She truly wasn’t intending to be difficult, and he appeared to be trying to help, so she said, “Thank you, Sir Rouar, but I’ll put up with slime until you can find me something decent.”
    “That can’t be until we reach Dorn, so I recommend the boots at least. Those shoes aren’t suitable for walking.”
    “Walking?”
    “Seesee cannot carry us all the time.”
    She took a deep breath. “You expect me to
walk
to Dorn?”
    “Only now and then.”
    She desperately wanted to hit him. “And then climb the Shield, perhaps?”
    “No, she’ll carry us over there.”
    What would happen if she set off to walk back home? Surely no one would expect a princess of the blood to put up with this. That was one reason to change into the low, green boots.
    “If they fit, I’ll wear them,” she conceded.
    After a moment, it became clear that he wasn’t going to remove her slippers and help her with the boots. Seething, she found a rock and sat to do it herself, trying to calculate how far it was back to the castle.
    This rough, uninhabited moorland was nowhere near her home, and the dragon had probably covered a great distance. It had been a long day, and she was weary. . . .
    And she couldn’t unknot the ribbons. She struggled, making the