"K. D. Wentworth - Hallah Iron-Thighs and the Five Unseemly Sorrows" - читать интересную книгу автора (Wentworth K D)

I sagged back against the wall of the cave and studied the hilt of my sword. Could use a good polishing, I
thought. I rubbed the embossed elephant's trunk with the hem of my tunic.
"We'll only take back one of the princes for the wedding!" Gerta looked at us all triumphantly. "The other
two will return to their own kingdomsтАФbut how will we ever pick which one?"



"Gee," I said, "that is a problem."



"I will go home," Prince Adelbert said abjectly, "if you're sure it's really necessary."



"And I." Prince Tristin hung his head. "But I'd rather just stay up here and go on having fun, if it's all the
same."



"No can do, sonny boy," I said. "This noisy male bonding stuff is creeping out the rest of the kingdom. All
the jumping around the fire, howling at the moon, and chaining each other up has got to go. Otherwise,
the royal guard is going to find its nerve one of these days and come up here to check things out."



"How true," the pint-sized dragon said. "And I long to have my nice peaceful cave back to myself again.
How will I ever summon the energy to grow to a properly terrifying size with all this racket?"



"As for you, Prince Rumkin," I said, "I'm afraid you will have to keep the details of this unfortunate
experience secret."



He threw his pudgy chest out. "And why, pray, would I do that?"



"Because, your highness, if you keep quiet," I said, "Gerta and I will tell everyone you had just worked
free of your bonds, slain the dragon, and rescued the other two princes seconds before we arrived. We'll
return the gold to the king and you'll be a hero."



"And if I don't?"