She was amazed that he was able to think clearly, because she was still a bit muddled. As if he had read her thoughts, he chuckled again.
"Also it becomes easier with practice, much easier, to keep at least part of your mind clear even when the rest of it is reeling with confusion." He ran his hand through his hair — oh, she wanted to do that! — and grinned ruefully. "This is useful when one has had a mighty blow to the head. As I can testify. It is a very good thing that my skull is very, very thick."
His bird, after landing on the windowsill and peering around cautiously, flew in and landed on her customary perch on his shoulder.
"You two certainly made a mess," she trilled. "It looks as if a bear went on a rampage here! Well, Princess, did you pass the test?"
"Oh, yes," Siegfried said first. "She certainly passed that test. Now all she need worry about is magic. I can do nothing to train her for that. Well, other than 'kill the magician before he can cast his power over you.'"
"Which is difficult to do if he is out of bowshot," the bird observed shrewdly. "Well then, Princess, even though your guards know what is going on and are listening for screams, the silence unnerves them almost as much, and I think you should go tell them it is all right before they burst in here with crossbows. Yes?"
"Oh! Yes!" Rosa leapt to her feet, grateful to the bird for breaking the awkward moment. "Yes, I certainly should. Thank you!"
Siegfried did not immediately get up, and when he did, she had already opened the door for herself.
"Thank you, Prince Siegfried. I hope I never have to use your training, but I am sovery glad I have it! This was the best gift anyone has ever given me!"
She had just enough time to see his face light up before she whisked out the door.
The guards were all huddled outside the door, faces strained and anxious. They, too, lit up when she saw them, then looked shocked when they saw the wreck she had made of the room. Siegfried gave them a little salute, and grinned.
"Do not annoy your Princess, gentlemen," he said with a laugh. "Her aim isvery good. Perhaps you might consider if your ability to dodge is as good."
They didn't reply, of course. It wouldn't be appropriate. But she could see that she had impressed them. Good. It won't hurt for them to know that I can defend myself. It might keep them on their toes a bit. With a little wave to Siegfried, she set off down the hall. After that workout, she needed a bath.
And it was in the bath, chin deep in hot water, that she was able to think.
There was no doubt that Desmond was wonderful. Unbelievable, in fact. But did that mean that he was in fact unbelievable? He saw her for no more than an hour at a time, less than that was spent alone in his company. He had plenty of time to study her, quiz servants about her, even use more esoteric means to find out about her. Then, all he had to do was be utterly charming for the short period of time he was with her, and guardedly genial when he was with anyone else, just to be sure that no bad reports got back to her.
Whereas Siegfried had every opportunity to lose his temper with her. Over the course of training, she had hit him by accident many times, quite hard, including once in his "jewels". He had never done worse than shout at her the one time she had very nearly done something stupidly dangerous to herself. He had lost his temper, yes, but never taken it out on her, and always apologized.
She licked the salty sweat off her upper lip and pondered.
She certainly had had the answer to her question of who she was attracted to. No, do be honest with yourself. It is a great deal more than mere attraction. And this was Eltaria, where Kings and Queens and Princes and Princesses actually fell in love all the time. It was not out of the question that she could be falling in love with Siegfried. He might not be the sharpest sword in the rack at times, but there was no doubt that he also wasn't stupid. And he was kind, brave, loyal... But there was still the last trial to go.
Damn you, Tradition! she thought fiercely. Do something about this!
It was warm, too warm. Rosa had tossed and turned in her soft, rose-scented sheets until the last sound faded from the Palace and the last servant went to bed for the night. Now she lay in her bed and stared at the patch of wall where a beam of moonlight, piercing through a parting of the curtains, slowly moved its way down the wainscoting. The too-warm air pressed down on her. She longed for a storm.
The moonlight was an irregular, pale slash on the wall. Crickets chorused outside the window, and once in a while she heard the steady footfalls of a guard patrolling the grounds. She was tired, and yet couldn't sleep. Her brain buzzed with thoughts. She felt as if she had been awake for hours. Judging by the position of that patch of moonlight, she probably had been.
And still her mind buzzed and chirped like the crickets and would not let her rest. She kept trying to think of a way she could covertly help Siegfried, and nothing would come.
It had been two days since the last trial had been announced, and so far, there were two dropouts. She hadn't expected more than that, but every man less meant more pressure on the ones still in the competition.
One was Andret. Andret had always been one of the more...enthusiastic and cheerful of the competitors. He had come to Lily all smiles immediately after the trial was announced.