Porcelain Princess by Jon Jacks Read Free Book Online

retrieve the last of his
sheets before they blew away. ‘Unless you count meeting her in my
dreams.’
    ‘ I’m
not sure that counts at all,’ Grudo sniffed as he tried to
straighten out his crumpled collection of sheets. ‘Girls in dreams
shift and change; who can tell what they really look
like?’
    Carey stared at
Grudo in surprise. Grudo shrugged.
    The boy lightly
bumped his head on the underside of the caravan as he finally
scrambled out from underneath it.
    ‘ But
in my case, everyone knows what she looks like. Why, isn’t she the
most famous, the most beautiful princess in the entire world? So
wise, so kind, so charming, so full of laughter!’
    Carey and Grudo
swapped knowing glances.
    ‘ The
Porcelain Princess?’ Carey said.
    The boy nodded
sheepishly, but his whole face lit up as if just the mention of her
name had somehow conjured her up into life before him.
    ‘ You
shouldn’t believe everything you read in stories,’ Grudo
observed grumpily.
    Carey recognised
Grudo’s familiar complaint. How often had she heard him say this
when she was once again letting her hopes rise too high?
    ‘ What
he means is,’ she said to the boy, ‘that this girl might all just
be nothing more than wishful thinking; she probably isn’t real, you
know?’
    The boy gasped
in horror.
    ‘ Not
real? Everyone knows the Porcelain Princess is as real as
you and me!’
    ‘ Yes,
yes, but I mean the girl you’ve fallen in love with probably isn’t
anything like the real Princess.’
    ‘ Well, she’s made of porcelain for a start!’ Grudo snorted
brusquely.
    The boy smiled
as he crammed his saddle bags full with the crumpled
sheets.
    ‘ Ah,
but on that point, my love for her will transform her! And
on yours,’ he said, grinning warmly at Carey, ‘whenever I touch her
picture, she comes to life at my touch! We can talk, we can walk
together, we can hold each other close!’
    ‘ And
in these dreams, does she tell you she loves you?’
    ‘ Ah,
if only she did! But I don’t wish to waste our time together by
asking her this! Besides, what if the question embarrasses her?
What if it embarrasses me , when she answers no?’
    ‘ Let’s not forget it’s an old tale.’ Grudo avoided Carey’s
glare. Once again, it was an old complaint of Grudo’s. ‘Which means
she might also be old.’
    ‘ Ah,
but as you yourself pointed out my friend, she’s of the finest
porcelain! How will she age, when there’s obviously magic
involved?’
    ‘ But
what about yourself?’ Carey asked kindly. ‘If you find her, you’d
grow old while she would always be a young girl.’
    ‘ Ah
yes, I have considered this,’ the boy admittedly sadly, ‘but
at worst, I at least get to spend some time with her. And
when I’m too old to deserve her love, then I sadly move on.
Besides,’ he added, brightening, ‘isn’t it a magical kingdom? How old must the Illuminator be?’
    ‘ If
he is still alive,’ Grudo growled miserably.
    ‘ He’s
still producing his books, surely?’
    ‘ Haven’t you heard of children who inherit their father’s
talents?’
    Recognising
these arguments once more, Carey scowled at Grudo.
    ‘ We’re searching for her too,’ she said to the boy. ‘You could
join us.’
    Now it was
Grudo’s turn to scowl at her.
    ‘ Hmn,
I’m tempted,’ the boy lied, having noticed Grudo’s discouraging
grimace. ‘But perhaps I’d be better taking this road to my
right.’
    ‘ Then
we’ll do the same,’ Grudo said as the boy mounted his horse. ‘We’ll
take the road to our right.’
    ‘ And
if I find I don’t end up where I want to be after all, who knows? I
might turn around and follow after you!’
    ‘ Have
you never become disheartened on your search?’ Carey suddenly asked
him. ‘I mean, have you ever wondered if you might be wrong that the
kingdom really exists?’
    The boy shook
his head, a shower of dust falling from out of his hair.
    ‘ If I
stopped searching, what meaning would my life hold then?