I have learned a great deal from Ankarette so far. In return, she asks me for information that is circulating among the Espion. Trivial things, really. She does not want any information that would jeopardize my position. It seems she has been away from court events for several years. I’m curious as to why she’s making an appearance now. Perhaps she intends to poison the king. That would not be a loss, and the people would thank her for it. He may be beloved in the North, but the people of Kingfountain believe he’s a monster. Ankarette wants gossip about the noble families. Like the Duke of Kiskaddon, for example. I told her the king is using the Espion to trick Kiskaddon into betraying himself by revealing his involvement with the enemy at Ambion Hill. Little things like that. Oh, and we have a newcomer to the kitchen now. Horwath’s granddaughter. She’s a water sprite if ever there was one! Very obnoxious, never stops talking. It’s going to be a pleasure tormenting her.
—Dominic Mancini, Espion of the Palace Kitchen
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Elysabeth Victoria Mortimer
Owen knew he was in trouble when the duke’s granddaughter squealed upon seeing him for the first time. Loud noises always rattled the young boy, and she was a force of nature in her own right. The delighted squeal was followed by a hurricane of words, touches, and hugs that nearly made Owen flee the kitchen for his life.
“Oh, it’s you! It’s Owen! I’ve heard so much about you that I already feel I know you. Aren’t you just the most adorable thing ever! I love your hair! Grandpapa, you didn’t tell me about how cute he is! He’s absolutely adorable. Owen, we are going to be the best of friends. Look, we are even the same height! I had imagined you would be shorter than me for some reason. But look, our noses almost touch!”
Owen stood straight as an arrow, feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of the girl. She was holding his hand one second, then mussing his hair the next, then tugging him to stand in front of her, comparing heights.
How to describe the whirlwind?
It was true, the duke’s granddaughter was his own height. Her hair, gathered behind a jeweled headband that glinted, was a darker brown than Owen’s, and went just past her shoulders. She wore a velvet dress the color of red wine that had sable fur at the wrists and the neck. She could hardly hold still, and he noticed that she wore a sturdy pair of leather boots beneath her hem that swished and swayed as she moved.
She noticed him looking at her feet and grinned, hiking up her skirts. “Do you like my boots? I love these boots! Look at all the buckles and straps. You could try and pull these off, but it wouldn’t work. These are my exploring boots. Do you like to climb trees and rocks? I love to climb! There isn’t any snow down here at Kingfountain, but up in the North, there is so much snow! These boots keep me warm, but they are also good for tromping in the snow. You don’t talk very much, Owen, do you? Grandpapa said you were shy, didn’t you, Grandpapa! That’s okay, but I’ve just been so anxious to meet you!” She wrung his hand and nearly yanked it loose with her shakes.
“Give the poor dear a chance to breathe, child!” Liona said with a soft chuckle. “Master Owen, this is Lady Mortimer.”
The young girl looked affronted. “No one calls me that!” she chided sweetly. “My name is Elysabeth Victoria Mortimer, thank you.”
Owen was still reeling from the introduction. He could not decide what color the girl’s eyes were. First of all, she did not hold still long enough for him to tell, but they were either blue or gray. Or maybe green. But she had an expressive smile that crinkled around her eyes.
“We’ll have so much fun, Owen!” she said, twisting her hands together in delight. “I’m going to live here too for a while. That’s what my grandpapa says! You and I will play together and wander the castle together.” She gazed up at the rafters, looking all around. “There are so many places to hide!”
“I’ll leave you two alone to get acquainted,” the duke said, before vanishing from the kitchen.
“My dear young lady,” interrupted a sour voice from nearby. It was Mancini, looking more peevish than usual. “You are taking all the air out of the room. Kindly save some for the rest of us!”
Her eyes narrowed when she looked at the huge man on the chair. She did not wilt at all in the face of his rebuke. In fact, it made her a little stern. “You are a fat man,” she said decidedly.
Mancini chortled with surprise. “You noticed that all on your own, did you?”
“I spoke the truth,” the girl said. “You are the biggest man I have ever seen! In the North, there are animals that are so fat they can only move underwater. They have huge tusks! I’ve seen the pelts, but I’ve never seen a real one.”
Mancini stared at her in amazement. “What does that have to do with anything?”