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Overview
Elissa used to daydream about being a princess. Now the reality of what it brings is clear: stiff, courtly manners, dresses like cages, tortuously high shoes, and betrothal to an aging duke to secure her father’s kingdom! Elissa wants no part of it and makes her escape to be with her devoted friends, who the King has no use for. But the unseen hand of the Ancient One once again guides Elissa toward a fate she does not wish to acknowledge—the culmination of the prophecy of the Phoenix!
This bright and satisfying conclusion to the Phoenix Rising Trilogy includes riveting adventure, the testing of loyalties, and the return of two old enemies . . . not to mention surprising revelations for our heroine, Elissa—and her fans. It’s not to be missed!
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780375853890 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Random House Children's Books |
| Publication date: | 06/09/2009 |
| Series: | Phoenix Rising Trilogy Series , #3 |
| Sold by: | Random House |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 336 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
| Age Range: | 9 - 12 Years |
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Read an Excerpt
1
The Castle by the Sea
Castlemar, the Castle-by-the-Sea, stood on a high bluff overlooking the great expanse of rough gray water for which it had been named. From a distance, the castle looked like a giant's crown, its battlements, turrets, and towers rising above an impassivelimestone face. Unlike the cliff it rested on, the castle walls were made of durable granite, so hard that the perpetual sea winds could not erode them. Originally the stone had been polished to such a high sheen that the central tower reflected the morningsun like a beacon, but decades of salt-laden breezes had roughened its exterior so that now the stone gleamed only in the cracks and crevices that had escaped the aging effects of the wind. The granite had been hauled from the northern mountains so long ago that nobody could remember who had ordered such a huge undertaking, but it must have been someone with a large labor force at his disposal, a navy, and many enemies, for the castle wallswere impregnable. The battlements commanded an admiral's view of the limitless waves. But on clear days, such as those that arrive after a storm, the view from the top of the castle's principal tower rivaled that of an eagle, for from there one could see thesnowcapped peaks of the mountains of the Great Circle, beyond which there was nothing but sky. On this clear, bright morning, Princess Elissa of Castlemar was making her way slowly down the upper hallway to the stairs that led from the royal apartments to the main hall. She was dressed in her finest brocade gown and her most elaborate lace collarin order to present herself to the King. For although the King was her father, court etiquette demanded that she pay him due respect in both dress and manner. In private she might call him "Father" and he might even pat her on the head, but in public he wasalways "my lord." Elissa approached the staircase with caution, for the heels of her shoes were elevated and she had not had sufficient practice walking in them. Before coming to Castlemar as its Princess and sole heir, she had worn the simple full skirts and blouse ofa peasant. For that was how she had been raised. And in spite of all the tutoring and training she had received while at Castlemar, she was still a country girl at heart. The stiff gowns and even stiffer manners of Court appealed to her not in the least, andthe restrictions imposed upon her by her shoes were almost unbearable. She surveyed the curving length of the stairs before her and contemplated her mission, which was to descend without suffering the embarrassment--and pain--of broken bones. Elissa positionedherself so that when she grasped her uncooperative skirts in both hands, she could use the inner wall for support by lightly grazing it with her right elbow as she descended. She realized this ploy might be considered cheating, but until she gained the abilityto walk blindfolded down a winding, uneven stone staircase on stilts, her dignity would have to be compromised. Of course, if no one actually observed her bumping and tottering down the stairs, her pride might, for once, remain intact. Unfortunately, Elissa no longer possessed the kind of invisibility required to escape the notice of her peers. It seemed that every time she stumbled, someone was there to see her. This was also the case in every instance in which she used the wrong utensilat dinner, addressed a noble by the wrong title, or thanked a servant. Each time she erred, she was tactfully guided into the proper behavior by her tutors. Still, she knew that no matter how gently her tutors treated her, they, like everyone else, were secretlylaughing. She'd like to believe that she was being overly sensitive, as her father insisted, but she knew that her perceptions were accurate. The whispers and giggles that followed in her wake were proof that her title was not taken seriously by anyone excepther father, who seemed to be oblivious to her cool reception at Court. Now that she was finally a resident of the castle, Elissa wasn't sure what she had been expecting. Before coming to Castlemar, she had envisioned it as a larger version of Bruno's Manor--a big stone-and-timber house set in a meadow. Since her father wasKing and Bruno was only the lord of a small holding, she had imagined that perhaps the castle would have more rooms, a larger kitchen hearth, and a fancy dining hall with colored windows. Nothing in her experience could have prepared her for scores of rooms--everyone of which boasted its own broad hearth--turrets, towers, and catwalks, with courtyards on every side, barracks, rows of stables, a library, and huge ballroom. And the gardens! There were herb gardens, flower gardens, vegetable gardens, sculpture gardens.There were deer parks, peacock parks, pheasant parks, and meadows for cows, horses, and bees; vineyards, orchards, woodlands, ponds, dovecotes, and kennels. In the ten months that she had been living in the castle, she hadn't covered even a fraction of itsgrounds. Elissa was almost giddy with relief. She was nearing the bottom of the staircase and she wasn't dead yet! Her joy, unfortunately, was cut short by the sight of her three lovely, and thoroughly despicable, cousins: Rayna, Vanna, and Lavinia. It seemed thatevery noble in Castlemar possessed the same straight dark hair, pale skin, and arrogant bearing. Especially these three, who, while cousins of hers, were somehow not directly related to one another. Elissa wasn't sure how that worked, but her father assuredher that such was indeed the case, all appearances to the contrary. To her untutored eyes, the Cousins resembled identical porcelain dolls, all cast from the same delicate mold. They're like a bevy of swans, thought Elissa, looking down at their slender bent necks. Graceful but nasty. Whenever she stood beside the Cousins, Elissa felt like an ox. Now all three were halted at the base of the staircase, gazing at her expectantlyfrom canted eyes. No doubt they were waiting for her to fall. Watching Elissa for blunders was one of their most rewarding forms of entertainment. For once, Elissa managed to shortchange the Cousins of their morning's fun by reaching the bottom step alive and in one piece, her dress still on and her hair almost in place--somehow one small strand of russet hair had worked its way loose from underher golden hairnet. The three girls inclined their shining, elaborately braided heads before her in a token gesture of respect. Their hair had been dressed in a fashionable style that Elissa's lady's maid had given up on after a few fruitless, and painful,skirmishes with Elissa's unruly curls. The hairnet was a second-best choice--better than letting her hair hang loose over her shoulders, which would have been Elissa's preference, but one not quite befitting a princess. As she passed the three girls, poised gracefully in their deep curtsies, Elissa attempted to shove the stray lock into place. The girls said nothing, of course, nor did they rise, but Elissa could hear a tiny intake of breath and Rayna's almost imperceptiblewhisper--"Probably on her way to the kitchen"--followed by the inevitable snicker. Elissa continued down the hall, ignoring them, and their giggles, with as much dignity as she could muster. The Cousins also giggled whenever Favian passed, but for an entirely different reason. They loved his courtly flourishes, his elegant manners, his intriguing foreign accent, and his flattery. Certainly, with his dark, flashing eyes and black hair, he resembleda Castlemar noble much more than she did. If not for his height and the hue of his skin, Favian could easily have passed for one of them. Elissa crumpled her skirt tightly in her fists. She had hoped for something more from him. Or perhaps just something else. Elissa was brought up short by the faint smell of frying. In her distraction, she had missed the corridor that led to the audience chamber and had walked toward the wing that housed the kitchen. Elissa looked around to make sure nobody had noticed her. Then she turned, as if she had merely changed her mind, and retraced her steps. The Cousins were right, she thought bitterly. I naturally gravitate toward kitchens. The audience chamber, as Elissa recalled, was down the corridor and to the right, through a set of rather imposing paneled doors. Since her arrival, she had been through those doors only once--the night her father had presented her to his court. Elissahad been so nervous that evening, she could hardly recall a moment of it. All she remembered was that her father had held her hand, and that she had kept quiet and still while he placed the golden circlet upon her head. Fortunately, she had not been requiredto say anything. As Elissa turned into the hallway that led to the audience chamber, she felt almost as nervous as she had on her presentation night. Rarely did she see her father by day, though she dined with him every evening. During working hours, her father was King.The fact that he had requested to see her this morning meant that he wanted to speak to her as a king, rather than as a father. Although sometimes she wasn't sure that there was much of a difference. As she approached the large double doors, the two guards flanking the doorway stood at attention and uncrossed their staffs. The doors swung open and Elissa took a tentative step forward to face the King of Castlemar. Falk was standing at the far end of the room, waiting to greet her. "Elissa," he called. "Come in." Cautiously, Elissa made her way across the room. When she reached Falk, she curtsied. "My lord," she murmured. Then she stood and faced her father. Falk greeted Elissa with a warm smile, but there was something in his dark eyes that she could not read, which made her heart falter. All the nobles at Court seemed to share Falk's ability to conceal his true thoughts. It was a skill that Elissa believedshe would never be able to master. "Sit with me," said the monarch. Taking Elissa by the elbow, he steered her to the seats normally reserved for the King's advisors. Elissa sat down heavily upon a cushioned chair and, surreptitiously easing her heels out of her shoes, let out a profoundsigh of relief. "Are you well?" asked Falk sharply. His brow was furrowed in concern. Elissa nodded. Her father always inquired after her well-being, though she was never anything short of robust. "I'm feeling just fine," she said. Falk appeared satisfied with her answer. "Good," he said. There was a silence. "You have grown," he observed. This much was true. Elissa was a full inch taller than when Falk had first seen her walking across Bruno's Great Hall, hesitantly closing the distance between them. Now, when they faced one another, she could look him directly in the eye. And she was fillingout. When Falk looked at her, he could see the promise of future generations. He cleared his throat. "Elissa," Falk began. "You are going to be fifteen this spring, are you not?" "Yes," she replied. Her birthday was only a few weeks away. It was hard for her to imagine that two springs ago, she had been plucking herbs for Nana and sleeping in the attic of a simple one-room cottage. Elissa couldn't help but wonder how Nana was faringin her absence. Perhaps she'd found another young apprentice to fetch things for her. For some reason, the thought saddened her. "In Castlemar it is customary to throw a party when a young woman reaches fifteen years of age," Falk was saying. "In your case, of course, we would hold a court ball and invite the nobility from other kingdoms." Elissa felt flustered. A ball, for her? "Will I have to dance?" she asked. If she had to prance about in these shoes, she'd probably never see her sixteenth year. Falk laughed, disarmed. "Yes, of course, that's the whole point. But don't worry. You will be well instructed by the Dance Master. And the girls will help you." By "the girls," Falk meant the Cousins. Elissa frowned slightly. She did not wish to offend her father, who at this moment was planning a social event solely for her benefit. But the thought of those simpering faces sneering at her as she stumbled herway across the floor on stilts was more than she could bear. "That won't be necessary," said Elissa, her voice taut. "The Dance Master will be sufficient." Falk, to his credit, did not push the matter. After all, the girls were his cousins, too, and he knew them well. It could not have escaped their notice that, unlike Castlemar's nobility, who were small-boned and dark, Elissa was tall and fair--as werea great majority of the servants. "I can't say that I blame you. The girls can be rather nasty," Falk mused. "Rayna, especially. That child needs a good paddling. I'd do it myself if I wasn't so terrified of her mother." Elissa's face broke into a broad grin. Rayna's mother, the Duchess of Gaunt, was widely regarded as a harpy. When she visited, novice courtiers stayed at home rather than suffer the sting of her barbed comments, for she always picked on those who werenew at Court. Even the guards were afraid of her. Elissa's smile faded. "I can see you have reservations," said Falk. "Tell me." "Well," Elissa began. "I am a little nervous about something." "What is it?" Falk had anticipated Elissa's concerns about meeting new people, particularly young men, and was prepared to reassure her. "It's my shoes. I am afraid I will fall down." "Shoes?" Falk was completely taken aback. He glanced down to where Elissa had raised up her skirts to reveal her high heels. Falk laughed, entirely too hard and for too long. "Oh my," he gasped. "Young ladies don't dance in those. They wear special slippers for dancing." Elissa felt tremendously relieved, both at the news and at her father's good spirits. "There is one more thing," she said, emboldened. "Can my friends come?" Falk hesitated. "Your traveling companions are, to say the least, highly unusual," he said finally. "However, I think an invitation could be arranged. But are you sure they would want to come? After all, Maya is but a child, and Aesha is . . ." Falk didnot know how to continue with any degree of tact. Aesha, towering a full head or more over them all and with her white hair and face, looked and acted like a ghost. She was rarely seen outside the confines of her quarters, though the guards sometimes observedher pacing the high parapets on windy days. Falk's lapse into silence roused a sudden anxiety in Elissa. She knew her father did not approve of her friends. He placed so much value on title. In that respect, he and Favian were very much alike. But how could she make her father accept her companionsif he couldn't even see them for who they were?