only sure your father had cast a dragon upon me. Everyone knows he was, um, kin of dragons.”
“This is an insult to my entire dynasty!” Estella echoed Reason again, copying not only the words but the stern tone this time. Even her own knights were afraid of her.
“Forgive me, but there are rumors,” the king of Ravelin hesitated. He obviously felt insecure in the presence of the proud beauty. She contrary to the vicious gossip was also clever.
“Rumor and truth are different things!” Estella struggled to hold the reins of her horse, which was never accustomed to the presence of Reason.
“I assumed you, like many, wanted to make me a sort of marriage proposal, first defeating me in battle so that I would not refuse. You value your manhood so little that you think you can’t get a bride except by force?”
“Actually…” The king of Ravelin shrank back to hide his embarrassment. “You had such a reputation… Well… I wouldn’t dream of asking you to marry me.”
“Am I not beautiful?”
He was embarrassed.
“Or did hearing about how stupid I was make you reject me?”
“Are you stupid?!”
“More like cunning!“One of the advisors whispered. The king shushed them hastily.
“You are very wise, my lady. Let us solve the war by marriage.”
How quickly he changed his mind! But Reason did not let Estella decide for herself whether she wanted to marry or not. The answer it whispered, she repeated:
“No, then you will get my treasury, and what will I get? Is it the absence of sincere love?”
Reason reeled as the king began to swear to her the sincerity of his feelings.
“Tell him about the secret of the king’s treasury. He will understand. Whisper one word.”
“But it’s witchcraft,” Estella recoiled from Reason’s whisper, which burned her ear.
“And so what is it?”
“What if I whisper it myself and turn into a frog?”
“Would I give you a bad advice?” He took offense.
“Who knows?”
“Don’t be too smart! Remember I am your reason. Take my advice!”
The king was worried when he caught the princess muttering something to her. Perhaps he thought he had been too quick to deem her clever.
She leaned so that her lips were close to the king’s ear.
“Demonikum!” Obediently she whispered, repeating after Reason almost letter for letter. Probably not exactly accurate, but the word worked.
The king seemed frightened.
“Demonology of the Aluar’s treasures,” she obediently repeated after Reason. “The spirits are locked away! Hungry demons! Angry angels! The bestiary beside them! A devourer of gold in the treasury! All this waits at home!”
The king recoiled from her as if her breath burned his ear like a dragon’s.
Estella herself was frightened. She could not have had a dragon inside her.
“I was in a hurry to fight you. But if you wish to flee from Aluar, my marriage proposal still stands. Will you leave with me now?”
“How men are captivated by beauty!” Reason snorted. Estella almost repeated after him, but Reason’s claws hastily clamped her mouth shut.
“That’s not for other people’s ears!”
Then don’t say it! Estella was furious with him.
“Tell him they’ll break free and fly after you if you leave! And they will tear his kingdom to shreds, and they will ride on the wreckage with a coven.”
The words, prompted by Reason, were frightened as they would not be frightened of a dragon. By the way, the dragon he had summoned never showed up. But he was no longer needed. King Ravelin’s armies retreated like beaten dogs. They suffered casualties and surrendered. Thanks to Reason for everything. With such a counselor, there’s no need for a fighting dragon in war. It’s not without reason that they say the mind is the most important thing for a man. With intelligence will never be lost!
A dragon from the dungeons
The warriors had already fled, but the king was still reluctant to leave her side. He waited for her to decide in his favor. The thought of taking just one princess from an entire enchanted kingdom did not frighten him.
By the way, Reason on her shoulder was very nervous and unraveled his claws.
“Chase him away!” He insisted, squinting unkindly at the king.
“How is it?”
“I don’t care if you shoot him out of cannon!”
Easy to say, hard to do! The king of Ravelin was somehow convinced that Estella had to be rescued. He even said he’d be willing to take her without a kingdom, and leave the kingdom to the evil spirits who inhabited it.
“A bargain can be struck with the demons,” he explained, pointing to his own burnt face. “You just have to give them something, like a piece of your own skin, or a pint of blood, or in your case, your whole country. You are sweet to me even without a power. Come with me!”
He held out his hand in an expensive gauntlet. How thoughtful! Not long ago he wanted to take her kingdom from her, but he would never dream of marrying her. How the mind changes everything! Or is it beauty? The King said he liked her for both.”
Estella would have said yes, but Reason would not allow it. Reason was worth listening to. She’d learned by now that he never promised anything for nothing. He had indeed helped her in the war. It was dangerous to marry a foreign king without his approval. What if she is being lured into a trap? She must find the delicate words to refuse Again Reason bailed her out, whispering:
“Say your mother is the star fairy Arabellina. For the daughter of a fairy spouse with a physical defect is unacceptable, or else there will be misfortune for both kingdoms: yours and his.”
Estella stupidly repeated after Reason, whom the king did not see, and felt like a puppet, clawed by the strings. Reason clung to her like a tame monkey.
Hearing of the fairy mother’s obstacle, even the King of Ravelin chickened out and turned his horse away.
“So get out of here!” Reason spat fire on the ground. “Don’t go molesting someone else’s property!”
The fiery spit scorched the retreating marshals and the counselor. But they didn’t even dare complain.
“What’s the
