Forest Kingdom Trilogy 1 - Blue Moon Rising

bored-looking young guardsman.
    'A Princess?' said the Lady Cecelia, glancing disparagingly at Julia's battered leather jerkin and trousers.
    'From . . . where, precisely?'
    'Hillsdown,' said Julia, taking in the Lady Cecelia's ornate gown with a sinking heart. Intricately stitched, and studded with hundreds of semi-precious stones, the shaped and padded gown covered the Lady from shoulder to ankle, and was so heavy she could move only in little mincing steps. The massive flared cuffs were wide enough to swallow a small dog, and the bulging cleavage was at least partly supported by the ribbed corset responsible for the Lady's tiny waist. The Lady Cecelia looked rich, aristocratic and gorgeous. And she knew it.
    I don't give a damn, thought Julia. I'm not wearing a corset.
    'Hillsdown,' said the Lady Cecelia thoughtfully. 'Possibly I'm mistaken, dear, but I always thought Hillsdown was a Duchy. And strictly speaking, a Duchy isn't entitled to have Princesses. Still, country titles aren't like the real thing, are they? I mean, they don't count for anything in Polite Society.' She bestowed a gracious smile on Julia, to underline the point that while Julia might not be a part of Polite Society, the Lady Cecelia most definitely was.
    I'd better not hit her, thought Julia. Rupert's got enough problems as it is.
    She leaned forward and studied the Lady Cecelia's dress closely. In addition to the corset, there were definite traces of bone stays built into the dress itself, to help maintain the hour-glass figure.
    'How do you breathe in that thing?' asked Julia.
    'Daintily,' said the Lady Cecelia, coldly.
    'Does everybody dress like this?'
    'Anybody who is Anybody. Surely even country gentry know High Fashion when they see it?'
    I'm not going to hit her, thought Julia determinedly.
    'You arrived with young Rupert, I believe,' said the Lady Cecelia.
    'That's right,' said Julia. 'Do you know him?'
    'Oh, everyone knows Rupert,' said the Lady Cecelia, with an unpleasant smile. The guard at her side sniggered.
    Julia frowned. 'Did I say something funny?' she asked, ominously.
    The Lady Cecelia giggled girlishly. 'Rupert, my dear, is a Prince in name only; he'll never inherit the throne. That falls to his elder brother, Prince Harald. Ah, dear Harald—now there is a Prince. Tall, handsome, charming, and a devil on the dance floor. And when it comes to the Ladies ... oh my dear, the tales I could tell you about Harald.'
    'Never mind Harald,' said Julia. 'Tell me about Rupert.'
    'Prince Rupert,' said the Lady Cecelia crossly, 'is no earthly use to anybody. He can't dance, or sing, or write poetry, and he has absolutely no idea how to treat a Lady.'
    'Right,' grinned the guard. 'He still rides a unicorn.'
    'He's not a real man,' purred the Lady Cecelia, 'not like my Gregory.'
    The guard smirked, and flexed his muscles under the Lady's admiring gaze.
    'Rupert,' said the Lady Cecelia, 'is a dull, boring—'
    'Spineless little creep,' said the guard. And they both laughed; very unpleasantly.
    So Julia quite naturally kneed the guard in the groin and punched the Lady Cecelia in the mouth.

    On the other side of the courtyard, Rupert watched in amazement as the guard sank to his knees, and the Lady-in-Waiting stretched her length on the courtyard floor. One of the Champion's escorts drew his sword and started forward. Rupert kicked the man's feet out from under him, and set his sword point at the guard's throat.
    'Nice moves,' said the Champion. 'You've improved, Sire.'
    'Thank you,' said Rupert tightly. 'Keep an eye on this clown while I take care of Julia.' He sheathed his sword, and hurried over just in time to stop Julia slamming a boot into the Lady Cecelia.
    'Julia, not here! Please, come with me to the Court and meet my father. There are lots of people there you can hit, I'll be happy to point them out to you, but don't waste your spleen on amateurs like these.
    The real creeps wouldn't be seen dead outside the Court.'
    Julia sniffed angrily, but allowed Rupert to lead her away.
    'I suppose they insulted you,' said Rupert.
    'Something like that,' said Julia.
    'Forget about it,' said Rupert soothingly. 'I'm sure they won't do it again.'
    'Never,' promised a faint male voice from the ground behind them.
    Rupert grinned, and shook his head. It was obvious that Julia wasn't going to take easily to being a lady again.
    The Champion bowed to Julia as she and Rupert rejoined him. 'If you will allow me, Princess Julia, the Court is this