The Necklace of Princess Fiorimonde and Other Stories - Mary De Morgan

Excerpt: ... sat the Princess Joan. Her yellow hair fell to her waist, her face was like a blush rose, and her eyes were blue as forget-me-nots, but when she lifted them, he saw that they were clear and hard as glass, and her voice when she spoke was like a bright cold bell. There ran up to her a little serving-maid, crying bitterly, and said, "I beg of you, Princess, to let me return to my own home for a time, for my father, the huntsman, has broken his leg and is very ill." "Why should you cry for that?" said the Princess. "'Tis your father and not you that is hurt; but you may go, for when you cry and your eyes look red you are ugly, and I don't like to see you, so be sure that when you return you are pretty and bright as ever." When her ladies heard her they looked angry, but no one spoke, and the little maid went crying away. Pg 91 Up there came a groom from the palace and said, "Your Royal Highness, the horse that you rode yesterday is dead, and we think it is because you would ride so far when it was already tired, as we told you." "Dead is it?" cried the Princess. "Then see quickly and get me another, that I may ride again to-morrow, and be sure this time that it is a good strong horse, or it may give way beneath me and so my ride be shortened." The groom went away muttering, and the Princess's ladies looked even graver than before, but the Princess's own face was bright as a summer sky, and she talked on without heeding their sad looks. Prince Michael turned away with a heavy heart. "The magician spoke truly," he said to himself, "and there will be nothing but sorrow for all those who love my poor Princess Joan." Yet he could not bear to leave her and return at once to his own home, and still he remained near the palace, and for some days Pg 92 watched her unnoticed, when she walked and rode, and listened to all she said, and each day he grieved more and more, for she never said one kind loving word to any one; yet each day when he saw how beautiful...