The Bag of Bones by Vivian French Read Free Book Online

silver web. Edna walked to the window and looked out. It seemed as if she had quieted her companions’ fears for the moment, but she hadn’t convinced herself. The purple stain was spreading, and even the most solid and robust of trolls would be little protection if Gracie found herself in the midst of seriously Deep Magic.
    But she
is
a Trueheart,
the Ancient One thought.
And sensible with it. She’ll be all right . . . I hope.

In the Royal State Room of Wadingburn Palace, Prince Vincent was blissfully happy. It was State Visit Friday, and he was standing in for his grandmother, Queen Bluebell the Twenty-eighth, who had declared that she was going to arrive later. She had a terrible cold, and Vincent was secretly hoping she might not get up at all. Normally firmly suppressed by his illustrious grandmother, he was making the most of his opportunity as he worked his way around the crowded room.
    “Did I tell you about the different kinds of cake we’re having at Grandmother’s Declaration Ball tomorrow?” he asked Queen Kesta of Dreghorn.
    Queen Kesta, who had already heard about the soups, the fish, the pies, and the ice creams, stifled a yawn. “No, dear,” she said as politely as she could. “Do tell me.”
    Prince Vincent beamed at her, but he had hardly finished describing the first of the eight different varieties of cake before Queen Kesta’s eyes closed. The prince, certain she was imagining the glories of rose-petal cream, continued unabashed.
    Princess Nina-Rose, Queen Kesta’s oldest daughter, had managed to escape from Vincent somewhere between the pies and the ice cream, but having been bored beyond belief, she was feeling decidedly contrary. She was sitting on a window seat, gazing out the window, while behind her, Prince Arioso, heir to the kingdom of Gorebreath, stood on one leg, looking forlorn.
    “But
why
won’t you promise me the first dance?” he asked plaintively. “You said you would the other day.”
    Nina-Rose shrugged a shoulder and went on looking out the window.
    Marcus, Arioso’s twin brother, squashed a strong desire to box her ears. Marcus had little time for princesses who spent their time fluttering fans, changing their minds, and worrying about frilly dresses. He also disliked the fact that his brother, older by exactly ten minutes, looked like a lost puppy whenever he was near Nina-Rose. He sighed, squinted up at the ballroom clock, and was depressed to discover that it was only three minutes since he’d last looked. State visits were supposed to last at least an hour, and so far they had managed only a quarter of the allotted time — although fifteen minutes of Prince Vincent had made it feel like several days already. “If you don’t feel like talking, I’m sure Vincent wouldn’t mind if Arry and I left a bit early,” he said hopefully.
    Nina-Rose shrugged the other shoulder, and Arry’s face grew even longer. Marcus sighed impatiently and moved toward the door, but Arioso shot him a pleading look.
    Rolling his eyes, Marcus sat down again, wondering why his twin brother — so like him to look at — was so completely different in character. Arry was a model of good behavior, never caused trouble, and actually seemed to enjoy royal duties that made Marcus squirm with boredom. Indeed, Marcus would never have come on the visit to Wadingburn Palace if he hadn’t been in need of Arry’s help; state visits were extremely low on Marcus’s list of essential activities, but Arioso adored them and liked Marcus to keep him company. Adventures, however, were something else, and Marcus had in mind a plan to explore the Less Enchanted Forest beyond the borders of the Five Kingdoms . . . a plan that would mean he was away from home overnight. This was something his parents would not allow under any circumstances, so he needed Arry to come down to breakfast twice, once as himself, and then — rather later, and in a terrible hurry — pretending to be Marcus. The two of