"Andre Norton - Oak, Yew, Ash & Rowan 1 - To The King A Daughter" - читать интересную книгу автора (Norton Andre)

women, she would not have found it necessary to put the rivals aside. She could not risk the appearance
of another heir to rival her son, Florian, born a year after the last highborn Ash- woman had perished so
unfortunately in the Bog.
Her son. On a sudden impulse, she left the tower room and in a sweep of dark green velvet, trailing
skirts, and spicy perfume, descended the winding stairs to pay a visit to the Prince's apartments.

Florian had arisen late and was still at his morning meal. She noted that he had merely pushed the oat
porridge around in the bowl, though he had eaten the boiled bacon and a single bite of the fresh-baked
bread. A covered dish, the kind that contained fruit, sat untouched.

"I want a pony," the young Prince said to his mother by way of greeting.

"Say 'good morning,' " Ragalis, his nurse, prompted him. "Even Princes must mind their manners."

Florian stuck his tongue out at Ragalis. "I want a pony," he repeated to Queen

Ysa. "And I want it now."

"This morning?" she said, trying to find amusement in the boy. It was far from the first time he had shown
such rudeness, and no nurse or tutor she had ever found had been able to teach him otherwise. He
seemed more than healthily aware of his station in life, and even more willing to take full advantage of it.

His face darkened. "Now! Now, now, now!"

Ysa knew the signs. In a moment, Florian would begin throwing things. Then he would hurl himself to the
floor and scream himself into a black- faced fit. "Eat your breakfast and do all your lessons, and then we
will talk about a pony," she said hastily.

"I will eat the rest of my bread and do half of my lessons. And then I will ride the pony you promised
me." He opened the covered dish. His face took on a horrified look and he wailed aloud as he slumped
to one side, as if he had been mortally betrayed. Then he picked up the dish of preserved fruit and his
porridge bowl and emptied both onto the floor.

"It is nobody's fault that there was no fresh fruit for you, young sir," Ragalis said. "It is yet too early in the
season. Please. I will send for more, if only you will eat it."

"No!" But he did begin stuffing the bread into his mouth, for he knew that his mother would hold him to
his own bargain.

Ysa sighed. She and Ragalis exchanged glances over the boy's head. She could read in the nurse's
expression her disapproval of the way the boy was constantly spoiled and pampered, but she felt herself
unable to do anything to avoid it.

Florian had too much of his self-indulgent father in him, Ysa thought. He even looked like his
fatherтАФdark of hair, without a trace of her own vibrant auburn tresses. She refused to consider how
much her own actions, or lack of them, were contributing to her son's lack of discipline.

Upon making her return to her tower, she encountered Lord Lackel. As Commander of the House
Troops of Her Gracious Ladyship the Queen, he had been entrusted with far more urgent errands than
obtaining a pony for the Prince. However, he received her instructions with a bow and a salute and went