Chapter 6

-So small, but so nasty! Tantalus grabbed me and bent me in half. Now try to laugh! It made me even funnier, and I just fell on the sand. - What kind of person are you?! Tantalus roared and fell himself - after me.

-The most ordinary person, so I behave accordingly! I chuckled. - - Your Majesty, now you can behave the same way! Effortless and easy! Forget about your responsibility. Be a simple but happy person for a little while. Look at this sky not through the eyes of an emperor, but through the eyes of an ordinary person. If you find differences, you yourself will be shocked at how different your world is within the walls of the palace, and the world outside it. Now I was absolutely sincere with a person who was much higher in blood than me. I heard Tantalus turn his head to my side, but didn't move. Just remained lying in the same position, peering into the crystal clear sky. I wanted to reach out to him, to smell the sun, its gentle warmth on my arms. And you,

I can't easily forget the rules

albeit for a few minutes. Into me from early

childhood

assigned

incredible

a responsibility. You don't understand this. I AM

-

I was afraid of such changes in his mood.

It is not known if he suddenly explodes and decides that I

shouldn't live?

66

-And you try. For five minutes. There is no one here but me, so it is unlikely that anyone will judge you. - I answered calmly, clenching the sand in my fists. Squeezing and releasing it in a thin stream, the sand created the shape of a pyramid.

Do you know how many times I dreamed of such freedom? Dreamed for years. But the late emperor and my father uprooted these dreams of mine. So I can't even think about them anymore. - With Tantallus stopped And you? Do you love freedom? to complain. -

deep breath

-But how? It contains my life. And this is not only physical freedom, but also moral. I am free to do what I think is right and necessary. No one can impose their opinion on anything on me. Yes, I do not have to listen to this man. I can't be forced to do something if I don't want to. I firmly believed in the correctness of my words. And if they ask me again, I will answer the same.

Have you always been this smug? the emperor was

my

clearly not dumbfounded felt impudence. Ho of that reverence that at school in history lessons. Why? Because right now he is 100% real or am I not taking this reality seriously? Now in front of me I see an ordinary person who yearned for ordinary communication with ordinary people. It was for this reason that he forgot what it means to dream and be human. The rigid framework of palace rules does not allow him to spread his wings and therefore he lives like a bird in a cage, which constantly beats from one corner to another. And let this cage be a whole palace!

-Yes, probably. From all these thoughts, I suddenly realized that I was hungry. And as an answer to my condition, my stomach immediately rumbled.

-You

emptied the claims. shake off your philosophical Tantalus got up from the sand and began to wear his clothes. Well? Why are you loose? Get up, let's go, let's eat, otherwise I, too, will soon go crazy with hunger. The Emperor himself gave me his hand to help me up.

I took his hand, and Tantal pulled me towards him, apparently expecting that as a guy I would be heavy. But it turned out not to be the case. I practically took off from his strength.

- Not only do you look like a girl, but you are thin as a tenacious one, you can hardly fly. How did you not get blown off your horse in a race? I was amazed - Tantalus. My spirit went to the heels from his words. He just compared me to a girl. What if he guesses?

-Hey, why do I look like a girl?! I did my best to show how offended I was.

- Have you seen yourself in the mirror? Tantalus stepped closer and began listing my feminine traits, grabbing each one along the way. - Feminine features, plump, red lips, white skin, small stature. Even the voice is not rough, but squeaky. Idea! Can you change into a court lady? Tantallus - looked at me, trying on women's clothes on me in his image. I screamed, and began to rapidly wave my hands in front of his face in order to switch his attention.

-Never! What nonsense! in fear, I stepped back, in case Tantalus decides to grab me.

Yes, you are too beautiful for a girl. Why don't I see a crowd of girls next to you?

-Because now I'm not up to them! I answered. whiningly

- Calm down, I was just joking. Tantallus smiled reassuringly and patted me on the shoulder. You yourself said that you need to behave - easier, so I started with a joke. Jokes make life easier

You have to be careful with jokes, otherwise not everyone perceives them. I answered through clenched teeth. Grabbing my Nara by the reins, I wanted to saddle the horse, but unexpectedly grabbed Tantalus. by the hand of me

Let's go on foot, I don't want to hurry. This request sounded like an order. Which is actually not that far from the truth.

But in fact, I myself do not mind walking once again. As we walked along the road, Tantall asked me how I was living with my aunt. I praised Rea and my grandfather as best I could. Almost with tears in her eyes, she thanked the Buddha for sending them to me, my only relatives.