to win. Vigor was obviously determined to score points off Briony no matter what she said, and the courtiers seemed happy enough to go along with it. Probably, they found it entertaining, and if it meant that they could keep in the good graces of a prince at the same time, so much the better.
“Have a good look?” Briony said, her chin jutted up. “Prince or should I say, Brother? You sure don’t get enough exertions to be giving a once over on your own sister! ”
Vigor’s face went crimson as he protested softly, “but we’re not real y blood-related…you’re practical y a stranger.”
“My daughter is a vision of loveliness, isn’t she?” King Waltham said proudly. “Even despite the harrowing journey she and her young dragon went through to reach us.”
“In fact, your highness” Archer said, “before coming to Palisor, Briony and her friends fought with al their strength and might against the dark ones.
The…vampires.”
Archer hesitated over the word, as though knowing what effect it would have. And it certainly had an effect. Gasps came from the surrounding courtiers, while one of the women there actual y fainted. Though that struck Briony as completely over the top, and frankly not very convincing, given that she managed to do it in such a way that she fel straight into the arms of a handsome male courtier, who then had to help her from the room.
“Vampires?” one of the remaining courtiers said. “Are you sure?”
Another, a woman who had vials and pouches on the belt of her gown, and whom Briony took to be some kind of physician, echoed the thought.
“Vampires have not been seen here in a long time, Archer. The only ones here are the ones King Waltham fought and banished to…”
“Malwinn.” The King’s voice was firm. “Enough.
There are some things better left unsaid.”
The woman curtsied low. “Forgive me, your majesty. I meant no harm.”
“Briony didn’t fight the vampires here, anyway,”
Archer said. “She fought them around her home.
Some of you know that. You have heard the news of her. Princess Briony was a vampire hunter in her world…a very brave one, despite her lovely appearance.”
That sent another ripple of sound around King Waltham’s chambers. Surprise, from those who obviously had not heard the news before, and who looked at Briony with renewed interest, as though trying to work out how she had done it. That much, Briony had half expected. What was slightly more unexpected, given how easily the courtiers had laughed at Vigor’s innuendo, was the touch of admiration that also showed up there.
Only Vigor himself seemed unconvinced. “I don’t believe it.”
“Believe it or don’t,” Archer said, “but the truth is that Briony kept one particularly evil master vampire out of Palisor through her efforts. I was there. I saw it.”
Prince Vigor gave Archer a contemptuous look. “And did most of the work, no doubt. We al know what lengths dragons wil go to in order to find-”
“Enough,” King Waltham said. “I have told you once already, my son. Do not make me order you back to your tower.”
Vigor stood there, very stil , and then gave a single, terse nod.
“Good.”
Was it Briony’s imagination, or did King Waltham look a little less wan and exhausted as he said that? Certainly, when he looked over to Briony again and smiled, there seemed to be more strength in it than there had been before.
“Of course you must rest, my dear. It sounds like you have had a busy time. But I trust you wil not be too tired to attend the banquet that wil be held in your honor later.”
“A banquet?” Briony couldn’t help the note of surprise there. “You’re holding a banquet, for me?”
She wasn’t the only one surprised, by the looks of it. Half of the courtiers excused themselves in a hurry. Apparently, they needed to make preparations if they were going to be able to look their best as they attended.
“Of course we are having a banquet,” King Waltham said. “It is not every day I get my daughter back, after al , and you, Briony, I think you wil be just what Palisor needs.” Waltham looked around at his loyal subjects. “My il ness has been hard on many of them.”
At that point, he did something that made the announcements of banquets and the rest look tame by comparison. King Waltham stood up.
The physician hurried across to him. “Your majesty, please. You must not stand. You are not wel enough.”
“Must not, Malwinn? Remind me which of us