Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK I - Chapter 28
Princess Liofia stood naked, admiring herself in the full length mirror. Her nursemaid, Elgiva, who'd been at her side ever since she was a small child, and who was more like a mother than a nursemaid, stood by the door.
"You have little choice in the matter. There are bigger things than you, I'm afraid. You have duties. And you've already stretched the patience of your father far enough."
"You'll have to have it removed," she said, in a hectoring but sympathetic tone.
"But I like it, it's part of me," lamented Liofia, as she twisted her body to the left, to get a slightly different angle to admire.
"It can be completely painless, there are many ointments and medicines. It's easily done," continued Elgiva, pretending she hadn't heard Liofia's reply, "Plus, you'll have to have it removed before you marry Prince Aralak, that is a certainty."
"I won't be marrying Prince Aralak. That for certain won't be happening."
"But I like it, it's part of me," lamented Liofia, as she twisted her body to the left, to get a slightly different angle to admire.
"It can be completely painless, there are many ointments and medicines. It's easily done," continued Elgiva, pretending she hadn't heard Liofia's reply, "Plus, you'll have to have it removed before you marry Prince Aralak, that is a certainty."
"I won't be marrying Prince Aralak. That for certain won't be happening."
She then twisted her body around again to admire the other side.
"I'd rather leave and be with my people, in the woods," she then added, with a playful smirk.
"You have little choice in the matter. There are bigger things than you, I'm afraid. You have duties. And you've already stretched the patience of your father far enough."
"..But Aralak has a son."
"That's just a rumour."
"It's a true rumour."
"Most princes have sons, it's the legitimate ones that count."
"Funny how these rules we're all supposed to live by are so flexible when it becomes convenient."
Liofia rotated her body in the mirror once again.
"Well, that's the world we live in, and you can only play for time for so long. Soon you'll have zero choice in the matter at all. So best to just get on with things. Like a sticky bandage, rip it off."
"Clever," retorted Liofia, still fixated on her own reflection, bobbing her waist up and down.
Elgiva looked across at her with a cursory glance, "It should have been removed as a child, but your mother was far too soft."
"If only she were alive now," sighed Liofia, shaking her head, in a mockingly-dramatic way.
"Well, your father will be arriving soon ..and with Prince Aralak, I believe. So you'll have to argue it out with him. And he won't be too happy."
"Clever," retorted Liofia, still fixated on her own reflection, bobbing her waist up and down.
Elgiva looked across at her with a cursory glance, "It should have been removed as a child, but your mother was far too soft."
"If only she were alive now," sighed Liofia, shaking her head, in a mockingly-dramatic way.
"Well, your father will be arriving soon ..and with Prince Aralak, I believe. So you'll have to argue it out with him. And he won't be too happy."
Elgiva then threw a dress over towards Prince Liofia and told her to get ready, before heading out of the room. Shutting the heavy wooden door behind her. Liofia grimaced in the mirror as the door slammed, then quickly pulled on some clothes. Making little effort to neaten herself up. She untied her hair so it fell down loosely upon her shoulders, then followed and headed downstairs.
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