When all had departed rejoicing, I flung myself into a chair and inquired of nobody in particular, Are we never to eat any dinner?"
"Mistress Alexandria—or rather, Princess Alexandria," said the King of Dorloo, appearing with a platter piled high. "Look! The cook came up from the kitchen to see what was the matter, and when I told her how hungry we were, she brought me this. See, she has given me these figs, and this cheese and dried meat. Will you not sit with me and eat?"
"You seem to have a way with cooks," I observed sourly, but sat down all the same.
"Tis true enough," said the King peacefully. "They usually do seem to like me."
The horse Bucephalus accepted a fig from his master and began to chew. He then settled down to demolishing the rest of the fruit, this time without being asked.
"1 have never thought of horses as indoor animals, ex actly," I observed as the last fig disappeared down the creature's throat.
"Princess Alexandria, I must apologize," said the Prince. "I most deeply regret the hard words I spoke to you in the valley of the Ogresses, particularly with regard to my beloved horse Bucephalus, for now they do appear to be wholly unwarranted."
"You could not have known, my lord. Indeed, I took great care that you should not know, in order to mislead the Ogresses."
"'Twas neatly done, indeed. I never suspected. And so, do you then forgive me?"
"In certes I do," I said. "That is, I do if you will promise to forgive me for not telling you of the deception sooner and relieving your mind. I began to, once, but we were interrupted."
The horse, seeing that there was naught else fit to eat, began snuffling round my face with his large nose and drooling down my neck.
"Look!" cried the Prince in great delight. "He likes you!"
"Hmmm..."I said, concealing my enthusiasm with ease. However, I had some reason to be grateful to the horse Bucephalus and I am never rude, so I held my tongue.
The door opened and Little Echo reappeared from the throne room where, by the sound of it, a great deal of celebration was going on. Her eyes and feet were both dancing.
"Greetings, little sister of mine. You do understand that you are the youngest of thirteen now, do you not?"
"I do, sister," I said.
"And my name of course is not Little Echo—that is but a childish nickname. I am Elaine. I should prefer you to call me that from now on, little sister."
"I doubt that the occasion will often arise," I said, licking my fingers daintily.
Little Echo looked startled. "Why, how do you mean?"
"I mean that if the King of Dorloo will permit, I was born his subject and I mean to return to the home our mother left us in the land of Dorloo, there to pursue the perfectly happy life I led until our mutual Fairy Godmother began interfering in my life."
"O, but you cannot!" she cried.
"No?" I inquired, lifting one eyebrow. And why is that?"
"Because this is your real home now, here with us."
"I would like to see you stop me, Little Echo" I said.
"O, dear," she said, wringing her hands. "I only meant to tease you a trifle, to pay you back for your imperious ways over the years. If the others thought I had put you against us I should be in such trouble—"
"Here you are, my sisters, Your Highness." 'Twas one of my other siblings. By the size of her lower extremities I deduced that 'twas Cassandra Big Foot. I supposed I would be wise to address her solely as Cassandra from now on. "We wondered where you were. Alexandria and King Edmund are quite the heroes of the night and we wish to toast your health. That is"—she inclined her head courteously toward us—"if you are not too fatigued with your adventures."
Little Echo leaned forward and whispered furiously in my ear. "You see? They want you. We want you dreadfully. You were our lone hope in all of those years, especially after Mother died. I pray you do not desert us now, for I know I shall die if you do. I'll not have time to die of heartbreak, however, for Ernestina will draw and quarter me first."
I meditated upon this.
The King of Dorloo broke in. 'As much as I should like to have you as my subject again," he said, taking my hand in his and speaking gravely, "I believe that your place is here, with your family. You would be most dreadfully lonely, you know, without your beloved Geese."
I thought of our little cottage in the wood. I imagined my life there, quite solitary. Perchance a cow might provide some companionship; I could surely afford one now. King Edmund, no doubt, would come to visit me now and again, but yet—'Twas true 'twould not be at all the same.
Slowly I nodded my head.
"I could try it here, I suppose, just for a time," I said.
"Hurrah!" shouted Little Echo (or Elaine). "Come into the throne room and we will tell the others!"
And she pulled me to my feet (incidentally disengaging my hand from the King's) and dragged me forcibly along.
As we went, she murmured for my ear alone, "Did you speak true to the Baroness? You said that you do not love Edmund. Because if you do not, may I have him? I think he is just wonderful. You cannot imagine how kind and good he was to me in the dungeons of Castle Breakabeen."
"My dear sister Elaine," I said, through clenched teeth. "I believe I have already told you to keep your distance from the gentleman in question."
"O, so then you do—!"
I placed my palm firmly across my new sister's mouth. Whether in human or Goose shape, she was clearly going to be a pest and a botheration to me.
I half turned to look at King Edmund following in our train. Mayhap, I mused, I would have to finish that last stitch on my wedding gown one of these days, after all.
Someone needed to keep an eye on the King of Dorloo.
And that someone most assuredly was not going to be Little Echo.
Goose Chase Page 16
