Essence Of The Heart (The Royal Tutor) by Daris Howard Read Free Book Online

put
it from her mind, but it was impossible as she sucked on the sweet candy he
had given her. As they came down off of the mountain to a point where she
could see the castle in the far-distance, she realized how hungry she was.
     
          She reached in her saddle bags and pulled out the dried food
Alexander had packed for her. As she bit in to a piece of cheese, she
suddenly realized how hungry Alexander must be. Due to her callousness
he had had nothing but water all day. The thought made the cheese swell in
her throat, and she choked.
     
          Alexander stopped his horse. "Are you all right?"
     
          Louise regained her composure. "I'm fine. Continue on."
     
          She ate all the food and was still hungry, and though it looked like
the castle was very near, it never seemed to get any closer. It was almost
dark when they finally arrived. Everyone had eaten long before, but it only
took a moment for a meal to be set before them. As they ate, she stewed
about the events of the day. Her emotions confused her. She tried to dull
the discontent in her heart by telling everyone, servants and nonservants
alike, the story of the chicken, even as Alexander quietly ate at the same
table. It didn't seem to take away her mixed-up feelings, but it changed the
subject. All who heard it seemed less than excited at her attempts to
humiliate Alexander.
     
           After eating, they retired to their rooms. She had to relate the
whole chicken episode to her ladies-in-waiting. Their laughs seemed
forced, which annoyed her further. She was tired from the long ride, and
had barely laid down in her bed before she was fast asleep. She slept
deeply, but as morning came around, she started to dream.
     
          She dreamed a dragon held her prisoner. It snorted its stinking
breath into her face. Its breath smelled fermented, as if it had been drinking
wine. It made high-pitched squealing and grunting sounds as it belched.
When she awoke, she found herself looking directly into the face of a pig.
     
           She let out a scream; the drunken pig squealed and ran around her
bedroom, knocking a pitcher of water to the floor, breaking it into shards.
She stood up on her bed and continued to scream, and the pig continued to
squeal and run, knocking over lanterns, furniture, and the wash basin.
Elizabeth and Marina came running.
     
          There was a large chair pulled in front of the doorway to her room,
which blocked the pig's escape. The commotion brought servants and
others quickly from every direction. Elizabeth and Marina called some
servants to help pull the chair from in front of the doorway. The pig
scrambled through, and they chased it as it continued squealing and grunting
around the sitting room. Finally it saw the open door to the hall and headed
through it.
     
          As Louise continued to stand on her bed, trembling, Alexander
appeared in the doorway. He leaned casually against the wall, grinning.
"Relative of yours come to call?"
     
          She was so angry and scared she could hardly speak. "How, what..."
     
           Alexander stroked his chin thoughtfully. "That thing must have
gotten into the same marinating sauce as the chicken."
     
          She screamed and threw her pillow at him. He ducked, and the
pillow flew past him and landed at the feet of Elizabeth and Marina, who
were standing behind him in the sitting room. Alexander just turned and
bowed slightly to them. "Ladies," he said. Then he exited the room.
Louise's ear-piercing scream followed him far down the hallway.
     
          She was so angry that she could hardly taste her breakfast. The news
of the pig was all around the castle long before she left her room. She had
to sit at the same table as Alexander, with his serene smile. The food tasted
like sand as she chewed on her anger. Duke Reginald and