The following morning at dawn Silvana and two men from the queen's guard waited in the cold. They were mounted up, a fourth saddled horse held by a stable boy, stood nearby. After ten minutes' waiting without any sign of the prince, impatience seethed in Silvana and she felt her eyebrows drawing together.
She called over one of the stable boys loitering by the wall. In a hushed whisper she gave him some instructions. As the boy scampered off, she smiled to herself. At least she could have a bit of fun at the prince's expense.
A few minutes later, the courtyard outside the palace filled with servants and any other early risers discovered in the nearby city streets. An expectant hush fell over the crowd as their princess guided her dun mare over to them and motioned for silence.
"His Excellency, the imperial prince, wishes to travel through our beautiful country." she proclaimed, by way of introduction.
The crowd cheered for the prince.
When silence returned she continued, "He also wishes to learn about our customs, would it not be appropriate to give him a proper Kingston send-off?"
The gathering roared out their appreciation, many clapping. A banjo struck up a tune from somewhere in the crowd and then everyone began to sing a raucous tavern song.
The pauper boy and the cobbler's son
Are travlin' down to Kingston
The farmer's lad left his milkmaid sad
For he's travlin' down to Kingston
Kingston with its women
Pretty, pretty women
Founts of ale and heaps of coin
Shiny, shiny coinage
In Kingston, land of opportunity.
They travel far, these country lads
Travlin' down to Kingston
They walk for miles, gather dust and grime
On their travels down to Kingston
Kingston with its women
Pretty, pretty women
Founts of ale and heaps of coin
Shiny, shiny coinage
In Kingston, land of opportunity.
Wide-eyed wonder, gaping mouths
They've made it down to Kingston
Heading to the nearest tavern
They've made it down to Kingston
Halfway through the third verse, the imperial prince stumbled through the palace doors, still stuffing his shirttails into his trousers. Unable to contain themselves, the crowd bellowed out hysterical laughter. Silvana averted her face to hide her glee and guided her horse to where the prince was mounting his steed.
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Silvana's Trial
FantasySilvana, crown princess of Oruna, is faced with a task that most would fail. She is ordered to accompany her mortal enemy, the man who tried to murder her father when she was seven years old. The imperial prince wants to tour her nation and Silvana...
