01-07-2013, 03:39 AM
"A little honest smoke can't be that bad for me. I've heard House Gold is importing some new herb specifically because people like to inhale its smoke. They call it 'tabak', or something like that." Crispin idly used his fine linen handkerchief to polish away some of the soot marks on the side of the untried airship while she spoke to her guards. It took him a moment to realize she was speaking to him again.
"Sorry for what?" He asked, puzzled. The reactions of the guards had completely escaped his notice-- and would have even if he had been wearing his glasses at the time. His mother often despaired over his obliviousness to anything around him that didn't go 'tick'.
It wasn't quite as bad as Lady Bronze feared. He did notice Cassandra's disappointment at not being the first to fly the airship. He began climbing the short ladder into the ship. Proper etiquette, of course, dictated ladies first, but he'd learned from past lectures that the Emperor did not approve of his daughter being the first one to enter an untried and untested vehicle."I could show you the controls... you probably know most of them, of course, but being able to say we'd educated you about it would probably help ease your father's mind."
"Party?" He paused in the doorway of the airship. "Ohh, that must be why Mother dragged me to the tailor's yesterday. It took all day, and I had so many other things I wanted to do..."
Crispin realized he was complaining about a party to the person in whose honor it was being held, and hurried to redeem himself. "I'm looking forward to going, of course! I just hate getting new clothes. Standing on that little stool for hours accomplishing nothing while strangers stick me with pins."
|