Palace of Stone

by Shannon Hale

  Peder was on his feet. “Whoa! Did we just get betrothed?”

  “No. For one thing, you haven’t accepted.”

  Peder forced himself to sit back down. Miri felt sick, but she waited, counting the loud beats of her heart. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. How much silence would she have to bear? When could she run away?

  Peder looked at his shaking hands and laughed, holding them out for Miri to see. “When we go back home, don’t tell Jans and Almond that I got so nervous. They’ll make fun of me till I’m gray haired, I know they will.”

  He looked at her, shook his head incredulously, and started polishing the stone again.

  Miri was pretty well done with silence.

  “Peder, you have to answer me before my heart dies in my chest and plops onto the ground!”

  “Answer you? About … Oh, I have to say yes? Well, yes, of course. And I promise the same things back to you.” He smiled in his way, one side of his mouth pulling higher. “That wasn’t so bad. I think my hands have stopped shaking.”

  He lifted them again. She took hold.

  “Isn’t someone supposed to witness the vows or something?” he asked.

  “Our fathers. The head of the village council can stand in for a father, and so can a priest or …” She’d looked up this detail in the Queen’s Castle library, though she decided to omit that confession. “Or the king.”

  “We could ask the king,” said Peder. “He sort of owes you his life.”

  “Perhaps ….” Now that she knew Peder’s thoughts, the rush fell away. “But it might be nice to wait.”

  “Let our fathers do it at home,” he said.

  “Exactly.”

  “All right, we’ll make it official in the fall.” Peder grinned. “It feels like a big deal, doesn’t it?”

  “It is a big deal. But I’m certain about it. About you. Even if I’m a little scared too. We don’t have to get married for years and years if we don’t want, you know. You’ll have time to change your mind.”

  “I won’t.”

  “But you could—”

  “I won’t,” he said again.

  Miri’s eyes stung, but she did not feel the need to look away.

  “Miri, I want to live on Mount Eskel. Is that what you want?”

  “Yes.” As she said it, she held the stone beneath her, just in case that word split the linder in two and dumped them on the ground. Yes felt mighty. Yes was the most powerful idea in the world.

  “I believe you,” he said. “And yet, it doesn’t seem fair. You want to keep studying at the Queen’s Castle.”

  “And you want to keep learning from Gus. Mount Eskel is home, but I don’t want to have to choose only one or the other forever.”

  “Are we supposed to talk about this stuff out loud?” he said. “I thought, you know, relationships or whatever can’t be planned. They just happen or they don’t, like a laugh. Or a kiss.”

  Miri smiled, because she guessed that he said “kiss” because it was on his mind, and sure enough, he leaned forward and kissed her. She still felt a little nervous along with the glee, and that was all right. Her hand was on his chest, and she could feel his own heart beating even harder than hers. It made her smile.

  “I can’t kiss you when you’re smiling,” he said. “It makes me want to laugh.”

  She giggled and then controlled herself, because she did want to kiss him. Kisses were like words, she thought. They meant many things, their meanings fickle, dangerous even. Kisses could be lies, or they could be promises. She could feel the truth of Peder’s kiss in her ribs, in her heart, in the breath held in her lungs. She believed his kisses.

  It was later than late when he offered to walk her back. The palace waited to the north, the same direction as Mount Eskel. Miri turned toward it and, smiling, breathed in the night. She did not want to sleep yet. She still had a letter to write. She would not take it lightly. From all she’d seen in the libraries, letters and diaries preserved history. And her letter to home would be one of the very first written pieces of history in all of Mount Eskel.

  Timon was wrong; history was more than names on a page. History was stories, like Queen Gertrud and the Castle, Dan and the Blackbird, the Princess’s Ladies and the Charter. And stories were as plentiful on Mount Eskel as rubble rock—both true and fanciful, told and sung. She wanted to listen to the stories and memories of the villagers and write them down. To be a keeper of memories, like the linder itself. A writer of history. What a wonder.

  Would she go home or stay? Both.

  A person can be more than one thing, she thought, and wondered how she had not thought of it before. She could be a historian, a scholar, and a teacher. A daughter, a sister, and a friend. A princess’s lady and the betrothed of an apprentice stone carver. A citizen of Asland and a girl of Mount Eskel. She need not decide every moment of her life now. There would be years and years to learn and act and make mistakes, to travel and to stay. She did not know all the future, but she knew what to do next. She took Peder’s hand and walked toward home.

  Spring Week Four

  Dear Pa and Marda,

  It makes me happy imagining you two inside our little house. Marda is sitting at the table, reading this aloud. Pa is standing by the window, looking out while he listens. And now Marda is smiling, because I have described the moment just right.

  None of the letters I wrote these past months seem true anymore, but I will send them anyway. I no longer feel like the lost girl who wrote them, but I was her once. Perhaps you will like to see where I was and where I am now.

  I worry that reading my words will make you sad because you miss me. And I miss you too. A lot. The ache of the missing fills my chest, yet it does not hurt. It almost feels good, because it reminds me I have a family I love and that I will see you again.

  Yes, Pa, I will come home in the fall. Asland is more wonderful than I could have imagined, but it is not home. Esa has learned doctoring, Frid can make an iron lever, Gerti’s lute plays like springtime formed into sound, Peder’s carvings are as beautiful as mountains, and my own head is full of questions, numbers, and words. All these things we learned, what would they matter if we do not return?

  Some say we are what we do, not where we come from. I say we are both, because I will always be a Mount Eskel girl. I want to milk the goats, teach in the village school, have you accept my betrothal to Peder, and write our province’s first history. Someday other Eskelites will study at the Queen’s Castle, and I want them to find a book about home in the library. Maybe I will even be there to show it to them.

  Because I will return to Asland, so I can be a friend to Britta and Katar and continue to study. I hope you will still love your girl now that I am of two places. Whenever I leave, I promise I will always come home again. Home will always be Mount Eskel. And I will always be

  your Miri

  Acknowledgments

  Many people supported and inspired this novel, including Dean Hale, Victoria Wells Arms and the wondrous folk at Bloomsbury, Barry Goldblatt, Kindra Johnson, Kayla Huff, Bonnie Bryner, Max Hale, Kira Janke, Hannah Wengersky, and my childhood friend Molly Orange Richardson, who first introduced me to ethics.

  While doing research for this novel, I particularly enjoyed The Days of the French Revolution by Christopher Hibbert.

  Writing this story made me even more aware of how many people in this world cannot meet their basic needs. My family and I decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from this book to LDS Humanitarian Services to aid their millions of projects worldwide, such as cleanwater access, immunizations, neonatal care, and food production.

  A hearty thank-you to the many readers of Princess Academy who wanted to hear what happened next. I’m the luckiest writer in the world. You are a joy to write for.

  ALSO BY SHANNON HALE

  THE BOOKS OF BAYERN

  The Goose Girl

  Enna Burning

  River Secrets

  Forest Born

  Princess Aca
demy

  Book of a Thousand Days

  GRAPHIC NOVELS

  with Dean Hale

  illustrations by Nathan Hale

  Rapunzel’s Revenge

  Calamity Jack

  FOR ADULTS

  Austenland

  Midnight in Austenland

  The Actor and the Housewife

  About the Author

  SHANNON HALE

  is the award-winning and beloved author of numerous books, including the Newbery Honor book Princess Academy; its sequel, Palace of Stone; the Books of Bayern: The Goose Girl, Enna Burning, River Secrets, and Forest Born; Book of a Thousand Days; and two highly acclaimed graphic novels, Rapunzel’s Revenge and Calamity Jack, which she co-authored. She is also the author of three adult books: Austenland, Midnight in Austenland, and The Actor and the Housewife. She lives near Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband, the author Dean Hale, and their four children.

  www.shannonhale.com

  www.facebook.com/ShannonHaleBooks

  Did you miss MIRI’S first adventure?

  “Shannon Hale writes deft, lyrical, wonderful fantasy.”

  —Holly Black, author of The Spiderwick Chronicles and Tithe

  “There are many pleasures to this satisfying tale: a precise lyricism to the language … and a rhythm to the story that takes its tropes from many places, but its heart from ours.… An unalloyed joy.”

  ”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

  “This is not a fluffy, predictable fairy tale.… Instead, Hale weaves an intricate, multilayerd story about families, relationships, education, and the place we call home.” —SLJ, starred review

  ‘DISCOVER MORE ENCHANTING STORIES BY AWARD-WINNING AUTHOR SHANNON ‘HALE

  The Books of Bayern

  “A magical retelling of the Grimms’ fairy tale.… Hale’s retelling is a wonderfully rich one, full of eloquent description and lovely imagery.… Fans of high fantasy will be delighted with this novel.”

  —SLJ, starred review

  “Enchanting.… A beautiful coming-of-age story.”

  —The New York Times Book Review

  “Powerful and romantic.”

  —Kirkus Reviews

  “This novel’s pulsing heart lies in rich writing and sharply drawn characters, elements that will be devoured by genre fans just like kindling beneath flames.”

  —Booklist

  “[A] stirring, stand-alone adventure. . . . Suspenseful, magical, and heartfelt, this is a story that will wholly envelop its readers.”

  —Booklist, starred review

  “This novel will be a special treat for readers of Hale’s other two companion books, but it also stands on its own as a unique and tender coming-of-age story.”

  —Publishers Weekly, starred review

  “Romantic and action-filled … a rich, satisfying read.”

  —Booklist

  “Hale has created a strong stand-alone companion. . . . Fans of the earlier titles as well as admirers of the genre will find Rin’s journey a compelling read.”

  —SLJ

  Look for Shannon Hale’s highly acclaimed novel

  BOOK OF A THOUSAND DAYS

  Inspired by a little-known fairy tale from the Brothers Grimm, Shannon Hale brings her fans a heartrending tale of mistaken identity and love gone awry.

  “Hale delivers another winning fantasy. . . . Readers will be riveted as Dashti and Saren escape and flee to the Khan’s realm where, through a series of deceptions, contrivances, and a riotously triumphant climax, the tale spins out a thoroughly satisfying ending.”

  —Publishers Weekly,starred review

  “Fans of Gail Carson Levine’s Fairestwill embrace this similar mix of exotic, fully realized setting; thrilling, enchanted adventure; and heart-melting romance.”

  —Booklist,starred review

  www.bloomsburyteens.com

  Eager for more tales of magic and adventure?

  Follow Rapunzel and Jack (of “Jack and the Beanstalk” fame) to new lands in these fantastical graphic novels!

  www.bloomsburyteens.com

  www.shannonhale.com

  Q & A

  with

  SHANNON HALE

  Q: How do you view the relationship between you and your reader?

  A: We’re a team! My part is only half of the storytelling. The other half belongs to the readers; they bring their own experiences, opinions, and imaginations to a book, taking the author’s words and telling themselves their own unique story. I love that reading is such an intimate, individual, and magical experience.

  Q: In your Newbery Honor novel Princess Academy, it’s a wonderful moment when Miri realizes she has the ability to read. Do you remember the first book you read? Can you describe any of your early memories of reading on your own?

  A: Starting at about age eight, reading became magical. I guess that was the age when I was confident enough in my abilities that I could read a book without struggling over the words and just get lost in a story. Immersing myself in a book was essential from ages eight to twelve, probably more so than at any time in my life. Being young is tough! You have to depend on adults and go along with their schedules, and so much of the world is huge and mysterious and threatening. But when children can read, they control so much. They can imagine what the characters look like, sound like, how the story flows, how long they’ll be carried away in it. They are powerful. Reading under a tree or in my bed with a night-light were some of the best moments of my childhood. Of course I wasn’t really under a tree or in bed—I was sailing a pirate ship or solving a mystery in Egypt or exploring Narnia.

  Q: Why did you select the Grimms’ tales to retell with The Goose Girl, Book of a Thousand Days, Rapunzel’s Revenge, and Calamity Jack?

  A: My mom read us Grimms’ tales as kids, and we gobbled them up. I think they’re a part of the structure of my brain now. I’m fascinated that certain tales were powerful enough to survive hundreds of years of oral storytelling. There’s worth there. There’s raw truth. Despite my general love of fairy tales, the ones I choose to retell are the tales that are beautiful but also irritate me. My writer brain gets bugged, and I feel energized to put myself inside that story and figure it out.

  Q: Any other favorite tales that might inspire a future book?

  A: Yes! But I’m a little superstitious about discussing stories I haven’t started writing yet. I like to let them lie quietly in my brain for a few years, gestating.

  Q: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

  A: Looking back, I can see that I was always making up stories. I put together little plays and performed them for my parents and bribed my younger siblings to take part. It wasn’t until fourth grade that I realized a person could be a writer. I declared my intentions that year and never looked back.

  Q: If you hadn’t become a writer, what was your plan B?

  A: I love the classroom environment and was interested in becoming a teacher. I also worked as an instructional designer for years.

  Q: You read many books in graduate school that you’ve said didn’t ignite your imagination or stimulate much emotion. But, as you’ve noted, reading these books inspired you to write something that you would want to read. What about your books appeals to you as a reader?

  A: Yes, for most of my college years I read only what was assigned in class (I didn’t have time for anything else!). I certainly don’t mean to belittle those books or writers—most of what I read was beautifully written or historically important. But many were depressing, and I often wasn’t as drawn into the story or as captivated by the characters as I had been by the kind of books I loved as a kid. By my second year of graduate school, I was craving a book that created a world where I wanted to be. I longed for a rousing story that would give me reasons to turn the pages besides just completing an assignment. I wanted the writers to imbue their characters with skills and resources that would give them a fighting chance to succeed, not just doom them to bleakness and failure. Som
ething fun. Something with hope, but not an easy, obvious happy ending. Adventure. Romance. Fantasy. I love these things. As a reader, I also don’t want to have to sacrifice quality writing for a compelling story.

  Q: Explain your writing process.

  A: Ideas for books occur to me almost daily. I jot them down. The ones that pester me the most win. I usually let a book idea germinate in my brain for a year (or several) before I put together all the notes I’ve kept, form a rough outline, and start working. The first draft is hard for me, but happily I work in clay, not marble. Once I have that ugly clay mass of a first draft, I have something to work with and will do many rewrites. My process has streamlined a bit over the years. Now I do about a dozen drafts, but The Goose Girl took thirty. Certain parts, like the first chapters and endings, I’ll rewrite fifty or so times.

  Q: You’ve been writing stories since you were ten years old. What kind of stories did you write then? How has your writing and storytelling evolved?

  A: My early writings were very derivative, as they should be. I believe imitation is the best way to start any creative art. I wrote stories similar to whatever I was reading at the time. The books I wrote when I was ten and eleven were The Gift of the Sea(a fantasy with three redheaded heroines who discover they have magical powers, and the fact that I’m a redhead was just happenstance, I swear), The Cave of Blackwood Falls(pure coincidence that I had recently read the Nancy Drew book The Ghost of Blackwood Hall,I assure you), and My Mother the Queen(two cousins discover they’re really princesses, and it’s an unrelated fact that I very much wanted to discover I was really a princess too).