Veiled Dreams by Gill James Read Free Book Online

Mona and Christina. Christina noticed that she wasn’t wearing a veil. Neither was Mona, for that matter. Oh, she wished she could take hers off.
    ‘Why do I have to wear a veil and you two don’t?’ she thought at Mona.
    ‘Ladies who are past the age of marrying do not have to wear the veil. Only those already married and suitable for marrying. Such attractive ones as you. But you may take it off now. There will be no more men here tonight.’ Mona explained
    Mona and Christina pretended to sleep straight away. In fact, Mona gave Christina by thought, several instructions of how she should conduct herself in front of the Counsel the next morning.
    ‘You must stand tall,’ she said. ‘Your eyes should always look down. You must not make a sound – not even a cough or a sneeze. You must walk, as if gliding, up to the bar.’
    ‘I don’t know if I can do that,’ she said.
    ‘Of course you can, said Mona. ‘And let me do all of the talking. I will tell of your rich family, and of the land of wonderful machines. Ixeria would be able to make use of the knowledge you could bring. And as for the Queen’s Chalice – well you are so rich that you thought it was someone’s rubbish. I will tell them that you are a tourist, a visitor, full of curiosity andanxious to make friends with the people of Ixeria. But beware, the Counsel Chamber will be full of those keen to see justice done. At the least, a hand chopped off. They will have already heard that a foreign princess is about to be tried.’
    At last Mona finished, and soon she was fast asleep, snoring gently. Christina couldn’t sleep. What on earth was happening? Where was she, in fact, and why? How was she going to get back home? Would she ever take her exams? What were these strange turns she kept having? Would the magic berries always work? What about when she got back to her real world – if she got back? And oh, oh, oh – would she ever see Jan again?
    Christina tossed and turned for what seemed like all night. But it couldn’t have been, because then came the horrid nightmares of being in that other room – the one that always got narrower, but this time there was no way out. Christina woke as Mona gently shook her.
    ‘Almost time to go, Royal One. Let me put on your veil, and smooth down your garments.’
    Christina’s back ached. She was thirsty and she felt dirty – distinctly unroyal. But she did as Mona said. Skilfully, Mona wound the green silk and chiffon around Christina’s head. Then she smoothed down the tunic and the trousers. Holding Christina at arm’s length, she looked at her from head to toe, then smiled and nodded. ‘Use some of the pomade. It will make you feel better.’
    Christina took the lid off the jar and rubbed some more of the ointment into her wrists. At once she felt cleaner and full of energy. The guard arrived and unlocked the door. Two soldiers stood ready for them. One pulled his sword from his blue sash and held it pointing upwards. The other took his from his green sash and pointed it towards the ground. The first one indicated that Mona and Christina should follow. The second dropped in behind them.
    And so they walked out of the dark cellar, up a narrowstairway, and into the Great Hall. They continued along a thick red carpet. On either side, the crowds of people craned their necks to catch a glimpse of the foreign princess. The four made their way slowly along the length of the hall. Christina tried her best to glide, and she looked down at the floor all the time, but she longed to look around and get a better view of the people of Ixeria.
    At last they arrived at the front of the hall. The soldiers led Christina on to the witness stand. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Bolomfus, Leckeri and Samett. They looked pleased with themselves. In front of her, she could just see the bottom of the High Counsellor’s red robes.
    ‘What is the charge?’ his voice boomed out.
    ‘That on yester eve the prisoner