Dragon’s Empire – 1. Curse of the younger Prince. Natalie Yacobson

my duty,» I answered briefly, by tone of my voice you could to understand that I do not want to join the conversation.

      «Yes, of course, your duty is take care of the good of loyal subjects. After all, you will soon become a king. The throne of this country belongs only to you.

      – What about my older brothers? «I stared in surprise at a stranger, really he accepted me for the senior prince.

      «I said that this country will either belong to you or lie in the ruins,» is patiently, as to a stupid student, began to explain the stranger. «The king will be either chosen one or no one will take this place.»

      «What do you have in mind?»

      «And why do you need this poor kingdom,» the stranger continued.

      To think only, he called one of the richest countries in the world the poor kingdom.

      «Why do you need these people with their eternal discontent and fear? Why do you need to have a power close to your sunset? After all, the magic empire is waiting for you!»

      He laughed calling, turned away from me and headed for the forest.

      «Stand!» I shouted, but he already was disappeared.

      I heard the ringing of the bells. A rich, silver sleigh was rolled through the glade. It stopped next to me. A little man, more like a gnome, jumped out of the sleigh, removed from the head a hat decorated with colored feathers and bowed to me. Horses impatiently beat the ground with their hooves. Two charming ladies were sitting in a sleigh.

      «Hello, Monseigneur,» greeted me one of them. Her face was covered with a veil, but under the folds of lace it was possible to consider the outline of the pink lips and a gentle chin. She was dressed in fur coat. Her girlfriend was dressed in a luxurious purple cloak with a hood, she covered her face with a veil before she greeted me.

      I reservedly answered a greeting.

      «I wanted to ask you, my lord, how do we get to the gorge?» asked the lady, which turned to me first.

      «In the gorge?» I was amazed.

      «Yes, today we are going there, Monseigneur. Didn’t you know?»

      Her question surprised me even more than the fact that two ladies were going to go to the place with bad fame.

      «You confused me with someone else, ladies.» I answered hastily.

      «No that you, Monseigneur, I would not confuse you with anyone,» she quite sincerely objected.

      «Do you really not honor with your presence our meeting. After all, we are so long… waited for you, – almost dare the second lady, making a pause before the last words. It seemed to me that her lips under a veil had a delighted smile.

      «So you will show us the way,» the first lady insisted, and her voice reminded me of a ringing of small bells.

      I waved my hand aside, where, as it seemed to me, there was a gorge. I was more than confident that I see her for the first time in my life. None of the court lady had such a proud posture and the grace of the waiting predator.

      «Thank you, Monseigneur,» sounded a silver voice. The sleigh drove off. The ringing of the bells ripped frosty silence with unpleasant music. A few minutes later, the same note «Dzin – Dzin – Dzin» was repeated, and silence came again. The sleigh disappeared behind the rotation of a narrow, dangerous road, which fastened the abyss.

      I was confused and stunned and, nevertheless, I decided to get to the gorge. What meeting did this lady talk about? Are the black crows going to circle over the gorge? And maybe there really live fairy, elves and other dangerous unearthly creatures, but as far as I know, they love summer, streams, flower beds and thickets of wild roses. So what do they do here in the kingdom of winter? I laughed at my own thoughts. It was stupid to think that at the depth of the gorge, the fairies will arrange a ball. But the reception in the father’s castle will begin tonight. But I no longer have time for him. But I had a sword with me, arrows and crossbow, and I could safely go to the gorge. I went the same way as the ladies went, and, to his surprise, did not notice the traces of the hoofs, nor the usual slim traces in the snow, as if the sleigh flew, without touching the snow.

      Just in case, I charged the crossbow and kept it in my right hand all the time, in any moment preparing to shoot. But on my path no longer met any dangers. There was no soul around, only sparkling snow, pebbles, rolling down the cliff, and the sullen wall of the trees.

      As I move forward, the road narrowed. Soon it was a narrow, winding trail, descended down. Fat crust ice covered the ground. I had to go ahead carefully, so as not to slip and not fall into the black splitting of the abyss. Despite the fatigue, I got to the foot on the mountains, climbed the trail looked over the cliffs and felt an inexplicable fear. Yes, indeed, this place was too gloomy. Probably, I climbed into such a height, which would not be solved by none of the locals, but to go deep into the gorge would be a suicide. I looked into a black emptiness. The rays of the sun did not penetrate there. Over the gorge hung a sinister silence. I had a long time in one place, not deciding to go down and unable to turn back. Suddenly, the sounds of mandolin came to me. Pleasant, quiet music. In this wilderness, it resembled the paradise tunes. But who can play mandolin among mountains and frozen paths? I was so fascinated that only after a few moments I realized that the sounds come from the depths of the gorge.

      I went a little further and saw that the steps were cut down right in the mountain, they left the straight staircase down, right in the dark depth. I began to descend on solid steps. Just on the moment I was in complete darkness, but without difficulty, descending down, I saw the daylight again. Joyless, cold rays lit a high stone arch. The intricate ornament, as if bought it with the whole single-flowers garland from the flowers carved on the stone surface. On the frieze of the arch was engraved some inscription. The letters decorated with many curls seemed unfamiliar to me. As far as I could judge, the inscription was made in one of the ancient, now forgotten languages.

      Passing under the arch, I was on the shore of a small reservoir. The rapid flow of the river brought to the shore a small shuttle. It seemed to me that I was sleeping. Does the bottom of the gorge can be so light and beautiful. I climbed into the shuttle, which as if was waiting for me. The course of the river itself suffered it forward. The shuttle sailed past gray monoliths and stony shores, then dived under the arcade. The river proceeded under the arches, as in a tunnel, at the end of which the light suddenly cut. Yes, at the very end of the arcade, the coast was seen, more precisely the wide of the staircase leading to the cave, the entrance to which was closed by a heavy velvet curtain. The folds of purple velvet rolled down, at the likeness of the tent, decorated with golden tassels.

      I jumped out of the shuttle, ran up the steps and stopped in indecision. What awaits me there inside the cave? Maybe the people of Baron have not been afraid of this gorge without reason. After all, I hoped to come here and prove that there are no spirits here? But who then sent to me a shuttle? What if the robbers were in this cave? The last thought liked me more. likely. Robbers are just people from flesh and blood. With them you can fight on swords. It is better than a senseless fight against essential, malicious beings, which by legends are looking for a shelter in abandoned places.

      I pulled the heavy curtain. The tassels swung with the rustle, the smoke of golden dust was swayed, and a small room appeared to my sight, from the floor to the ceiling trimmed with marble. I went inside. On the wall hung a carnival mask with elegant openings for the eyes and thin bulging of the nose. I removed it and tried out. The mask smoothly fell on the face, as if it was intended only for me.

      In addition to the first entrance, there were three more arched openings with heavy velvet curtains decorated by the countless number of tassels. There was a n mirror on one of the walls. In front of it on a round console stood a slim elegant girl. She was dressed as if she was going to the ball. That’s just the lush rollers of the pink