Page 63 of Tashama
“She dives too low.” The guard reached for her, but then, as he felt her hair slip into his grasp, he pulled taut. The prince smiled as the guard pulled her golden strands into the sunlight. She surfaced and grabbed hold of her hair as she tried to free it from the guard’s firm grasp while the men paddled the raft next to her.
“Let go of my hair!” she scowled, but one of the men grabbed for her wrist while another leaned over and grabbed her other arm. Within seconds, they pulled her from the water.
She lay on the raft in resignation as one held her wrist in a tight grip while the other two paddled to shore. When they arrived at the edge of the pool, two more guards pulled her to her feet. Listra hurried to cover her with a blanket as the men all gaped at her. She turned to the prince, who motioned for her to take Tashama back to her chambers.
“What was that all about?” the prince asked Carissian as the guards escorted Tashama back to her bedchambers.
“She’s stretching her wings as the water nymphs do to see how much she can get away with while you hold her captive, I do believe, sire.”
“I guessthe prince isn’t too angry with you this time, or I fear he’d throw you in the tower again, my lady,” Listra said as they entered the bedchambers. “Why do you disobey him so?”
Listra helped her off with her wet gowns. “I will not be anyone’s prisoner, Listra. Not Prince Aleron’s, nor Loran’s, not anyone’s.”
“There are rumors you do such things to attract the prince’s attention.”
“If in doing so he realizes he cannot keep me in line, then so be it.”
Listra pulled a velvety-green cloth, glittering with sparkles of gold, over Tashama’s head. “He was supposed to have practiced his coronation ceremony this morning. I doubt he’ll be pleased you have interrupted his busy schedule.”
“Busy schedule?” Tashama ran her hands over the soft fabric. “He plagues me to no end. When does he have time to schedule important matters of state? Besides,he’sthe one who wanted me to swim.”
“It seems your antics have rather distracted him. He was to hold court yesterday concerning the disposition of several criminal cases. The court was cancelled. He was to have attended one of his baron’s weddings. He never made it to the ceremony. Instead, he was roaming the sewers for you. His portrait was to have been completed several days ago, but the royal painter let it slip that the prince hasn’t been able to sit still since you arrived here.”
Tashama smiled. “Good.”
Listra hurried to dry Tashama’s hair as voices approached. “The prince,” Tashama said. “What does he miss this afternoon that was so important?”
The prince entered her chambers. “Weapons instruction.”
She glared at him. “Do you never knock?”
His eyes roved over her forest green gowns. “You had time to dress.”
“And had I not?”
His lips curled up in mischief as he reached out to touch her sleeve. He ran his hand down her arm. “Where did you think that you were going to this afternoon? Another underground lake?”
“The water was just too inviting. I had to take a swim.”
“And attempted to drown my cousin in the process?”
“Not I.” Tashama patted Listra’s arm as the lady pulled a comb through her hair.
“If my guard had not caught your hair, where would you have gone?”
“I wanted to explore the gardens via the pool. I found the experience most exhilarating.”
“How did you cut the net?”
“I had help.”
“You had no daggers.”
“Of course not, Your Highness. I might have cut myself with such a weapon.”
The prince reached into the pouch tied at his waist and handed the two gold bracelets back to Tashama. “You may have these back.”
“Why, I thank you, sire.” Tashama hurried to fasten the bracelets as Listra stopped to watch.
