Castle of Wizardry

places. The Arends will flock to her, and the Tolnedrans - well, we'll have to see about the Tolnedrans."
    King Anheg looked like a man having a serious struggle with himself. "Why do I feel that I'm being pushed into something?" he complained. "The very notion of this makes my blood cold, but I can't think of any rational arguments against it." He critically scrutinized Ce'Nedra. "She doesn't really look all that bad, does she?" he conceded grudgingly.
    "It's absolutely unnatural, of course, but the armor does add something. This might even work."
    "I'm so glad I meet with your Majesty's approval," Ce'Nedra almost gushed at him. She tried to curtsy, but her armor made that impossible. She gave a helpless little laugh and fluttered her eyelashes at the brutish-looking King of Cherek.
    "Don't do that, Ce'Nedra," he told her irritably. "I'm having enough trouble with this as it is." He almost glared at her. "All right," he said finally, "as long as we all understand that she's not going to make any decisions, I'll go along with the idea. I don't like it much, but that's beside the point, I suppose." He stood up and bowed to her. "Your Majesty," he said, looking as if the words nearly choked him.
    Ce'Nedra beamed at him and instinctively tried to respond to his bow.
    "Don't bow, Ce'Nedra," he advised her with a pained look. "The Overlord of the West doesn't bow to anyone." He turned in exasperation to the King of Drasnia. "That isn't going to work, Rhodar. What are we going to call her? The Overlady of the West? We'll be the laughingstock of the twelve kingdoms if we do."
    "We call her the Rivan Queen, my dear Anheg," King Rhodar replied urbanely. "And we break the head of any man who refuses to bow to her."
    "You can count on that." Anheg scowled. "If I bow to her, everybody's going to bow to her."
    "I'm glad that's all been settled," a familiar voice came from a dim corner of the council chamber.
    "Lady Polgara," Ce'Nedra gasped with a certain confusion. "I didn't realize you were here."
    "That's fairly obvious," Polgara replied. "You have been busy, haven't you dear?"
    "I-" Ce'Nedra faltered.
    Polgara carefully set down her teacup and moved into the light. Her face was serious, but there was a faintly amused twinkle in her eyes as she examined the armor-clad princess. "Very interesting," was all she said.
    Ce'Nedra was crushed.
    "Gentlemen," Polgara said to the council, "I'm sure you still have much to discuss. In the meantime, her Majesty and I need to have a little discussion of our own. I'm sure you'll excuse us." She moved toward the door. "Come along, Ce'Nedra," she said without so much as a backward glance.
    Trembling, the princess followed her from the room.
    Polgara said nothing until the door to her own chambers had closed behind them. Then she turned and looked gravely at the princess in her armor. "I've heard about what you've been up to, Ce'Nedra. Would you care to explain?"
    "They were all arguing so much," Ce'Nedra began lamely. "They needed somebody to unite them."
    "And you decided to take that upon yourself?"
    "Well-"
    "How did you know they were arguing?"
    Ce'Nedra flushed guiltily.
    "I see," Polgara murmured. "You've discovered how to use my sister's amulet. How clever of you."
    "Let me do it, Lady Polgara!" Ce'Nedra pleaded suddenly. "Let me lead them; I know I can do it. Let me prove that I'm fit to be Garion's queen."
    Polgara gazed at her thoughtfully. "You're growing up very rapidly, Ce'Nedra," she said finally.
    "You'll let me do it?"
    "We'll talk about it. Take off your helmet and shield, dear, and stand your sword over in the corner. I'll make us a nice cup of tea, and you can tell me exactly what you've got in mind. I'd rather not have any surprises, once we get started in this."
    "You're going with us?" For some reason that startled Ce'Nedra. "Of course I am," Polgara told her. She smiled then. "Possibly I can keep at least you out of trouble. I seem not to have had much success with Garion." She stopped and looked rather pointedly at Ce'Nedra's breastplate. "Isn't that a trifle overdone, dear?"
    Ce'Nedra blushed. "I thought it would be more - well -" She floundered with it defensively.
    "Ce'Nedra," Polgara told her, "you don't have to be so self conscious. You're still a young girl, after all. Give it some time. Things will improve."
    "I'm so flat," the princess wailed, almost in despair about it. A thought occurred to her. "Do you suppose you could - well -" She made a sort of a