Page 31 - The Woven Tale Press Vol. V #3

free hand on her shoulder, the other still at the mercy of his anxious, sucking mouth. Our Prin- cess thought how small the little king’s hand felt against her shoulder, her body only a few years older than his but so much more. She said noth- ing but put her soft hand into his and let him lead, his eyes more adjusted to the black; out of the bedroom and down the hallway, through a thick doorway and down the stairwell, into the hall, down another hallway.
lashed un l “T
they lashed not the all-white of bird hide but the bleached- white of bone.”
Our children did not rush, but moved spryly, like
springy little cats or wind-up toys or tiny ac-
robatic monkeys that dance and play carnival
music. They were quiet and breathed normally;
they did not appear afraid or tense when they
crossed the threshold into the room of opal. Still
hand-in-hand, the young Princess and younger
Prince moved in tandem towards the far end of
the room, the opal more muted in the dark, shin-
ing in a way that was less like shining and more
like something else. Our Prince sucked his thumb Crowned, our children turned from the fireplace and thought glowworm. to the oversized birdcages housing those royal
Before the fireplace, their hands broke open and the Princess walked forward alone. The little king watched with big dark eyes. Their white skin looked ghostly against all that blue-white opal. She climbed atop the chaise with bare feet, cold now from the opal floor. Behind the pair, the tile glinted a steamed-footprint-trail where their warm feet walked. The Princess lifted the glass case surrounding her delicate tiara, set it on the ivory mantle, and crowned herself Queen of Opal. She smiled in the dark room, but no one saw it.
peacocks. The animals slept soundly, with eyes closed but expressions smug, crisp white feathers looking almost blue in the dark. This time, it was our young King who reached out a hand, stepped forward without accompaniment, and unlocked first one, then the other birdcage, fancy and multi- storied houses much taller than himself. The birds stirred; he did not open the doors. The animals roused, rose and stretched their necks, looked
She replaced the cover and turned to her broth- er’s smaller but sturdier and equally jeweled crown. The slick of her nervous palms and oily fingers nearly caused her to drop the glass. Our Princess again placed the covering on the mantle soundlessly and removed the little king’s crown.
at each other through their bars, looked at the crowned little man before them, stretched again. Our King swung both doors open simultaneously and silently and the beasts stepped out in one movement, all grace and glowworm and ballet.
heir whips
Leaving this case open, the Princess descended and returned to her watching brother.
The Princess did not ask him to bow or kneel. She placed the gold band solidly around his almost- black hair and thought him a King. In the dark, the young Prince’s almost-black eyes shone.
The peacocks were poised and incredibly well- trained. Reins of diamonds hung from their beaks.
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