In Chains by C. Noble (english books to improve english .txt) 📖

too detailed to see from so far away surfacing through the waves. As the cab driver unloaded their luggage and placed it on the cart to be loaded into the jet’s cargo bay, Hulio walked over to her, his hands folded behind his back.
“So, Princess,” he began in a hushed tone, far lower than anyone could hear. “You wonder about something. Could it be your plane, our island’s symbol, or your family’s coat of arms? I admit, it is rather hard to see from here, but I know it by heart.”
Since the news that she was a princess, the news that she owned a jet was no longer surprising. She was curious about the Dijoubwe symbol, but her burning desire to know about her family crest was not to be ignored. “The crest. What is on my family’s crest?”
“Ah, an excellent choice. Given what I have learned about you over the last sixteen years, I should say that you are one to weed out the lesser important questions and dive into the one requiring the most attention. It is a quality our people will look for and admire in a princess.” Hulio smiled knowingly as Darcey blushed and tucked her head. After watching the ground crew load the baggage, Hulio began again.
“The crest, as you can see, is gold, and shield shaped. It has maroon trimmings, and is split into three parts: the lion, the eagle, and the doe. Each is a sentiment of the members of the current royal family. The lion represents your father, King Miguel Martinaque. His bravery and courage is known throughout the islands. The eagle represents your mother, Queen Thessilia. She is both intelligent and beautiful, with the eagle’s mind and sleek appearance. The doe,” Darcey looked up. By the process of elimination, she was the doe. “is you, Princess, as you may have figured out. The doe, while timid and shy, can be a fierce protector of her loved ones when they are threatened,” Hulio watched as Darcey nodded at empty space.
“You see, when you marry and become Queen, your current crest will be taken down and placed into the great hall commemorating your family history, and your husband’s trait animal will be put on to a new crest along with yours and any children you may have. It will retain the gold and maroon colors, as those are the national colors of the island. But yes, the animals will change.” Will and Mary Ann had approached, Dante and his parents tailing at a distance. It was time to go.
Hulio escorted the trio into the seating area of the plane where an array of impressive leather chairs were assorted. A mini bar and kitchen were next to the captain’s cabin, while the bathroom and bedroom were at the opposite end of the plane. The cargo bay was beneath their feet. Crisp, clean, new clothes for an overnight trip had been laid out on the silk sheets in the three bedrooms.
After examining her new luxury jet, Darcey sank into one of the baby soft leather seats and twisted on its rotating bottom, turning to face Mary Ann and Will, who had each claimed a seat. Mary Ann sat across the cherry wood dining table from Darcey, while Will had claimed the seat directly beside hers. A frown had sat on his face all the way to the airport, and it still hadn’t budged. She reached out to grab his hand, but withdrew hers quickly as Hulio emerged from the pilot’s cabin and sat down on the leather couch facing the three friends.
“So, Princess, how do you like your private jet? I hope it is to your liking –” Hulio started, but Darcey cut him off. “So is it just the royal family that has a crest? Like, does Will’s and Mary Ann’s families have crests?”
“Again, Princess, you show your ability to determine the more important problem of all others. Your questions have several answers. Yes and no, really. Your family has the most detailed crest. If you know how to read them, crests can tell a story. As princess, you will be required to learn this skill. Master William, Mistress Mary Ann, you too will be required to learn this. You may take lessons together, it is traditional. Count Ramses Diego will probably be your tutor, he has taught many generations of royalty and nobility the grand profession of crest reading, and is the best in the world.
“Now we get to crests belonging to others outside the royal family. Every family tree has its own crest, but it is based on class. The lowest citizens are still able to have a family crest, but it will be very minimal, without grandeur on any scale. For instance, your family crest, Princess, is carved of rubies and belted in gold. The animal figures are each constructed of various gemstones. Of course, that is merely the original. Copies throughout the kingdom are essentially a silk image on a cherry wood back. The simplest family’s crest would be something similar to driftwood sanded down and crudely painted with animals that, instead of really representing them, merely represent their ancestors. The people have no learned the art of crest reading, and so do not know that this is incorrect.
“Master William, I cannot tell you as much about your family crest as your parents can, but I can give you a background on it. Your crest too is belted in solid gold, but the background is an assembled mosaic of red colored shards of ruby and glass, the cracks of which are filled in with liquid gold. I believe that your crest contains four animals: a hound, a dove, a dragon, and a swan. The hound represents your father, Miguel. He is extremely loyal to the Martinaques, and is a dear friend to them. The dove is your mother, Teresa. She has the dove’s beauty and soft manner. The dragon is your brother, Master Dante. He is fierce and strong, without remorse. He has had no problems making you hurt in the past has he? No, I know he has not. Now the swan is interesting. The swan is you, Master William. It is graceful and quiet, but will defend its territory if necessary. Many view the swan as a symbol of peace and hope.”
Will took this in for a moment, a slight flicker of a smile at the corners of his mouths. Before Hulio could continue, explaining Mary Ann’s family crest, Will cut in. “Who decides these animals? Are they given to them at birth, or what?”
“The parents decide what sort of animals they believe their child represents, but family crests are usually set a few years after the birth of their last child. In fact, Master William, you were five years old before your family crest was finalized. From an early age it was evident that you had all of those qualities. But Master Dante…your parents always knew what he was like, but they were so hoping to be wrong, to have misread his personality. The dragon is not something we of Dijoubwe value. It is much more of an Obweji trait. General Thane is shown as a dragon on his family crest,” Hulio trailed off, letting his words and their meaning sink in. Clearing his throat, he began again.
“Now, Mistress Mary Ann. You, too, are an only child, and so your family crest has only three parts, like Princess Marti – Darcey’s,” Hulio stopped himself, sensing that perhaps being called ‘Princess Martinaque’ would be a little much for her at the moment. She had tolerated ‘Princess’, but he feared her reaction if he pressed her. “Um, yes, like Princess Darcey’s. Now, your crest has the same physical characteristics of Master William’s. But the animals, naturally, are different. Your family animals are a raven, a swan, and a peacock. Your family is particularly interesting, in that you all have bird symbols.
“Your father, Count Rogan Palma, the raven, is wise and witty. He values solidarity, but also enjoys the company of friends and family. Your mother, the swan, is known throughout the islands for her grace. Countess Maria Palma is very beautiful, and one of the best musicians of the royal court. You, then, are a peacock. You are like your mother, very beautiful. You also enjoy the company of your friends, and love preening for those who you are determined to impress. Did Dean Rivers ever meet your expectations?” Hulio’s eyebrows raised slightly, amused. Mary Ann blushed furiously, mumbling incoherently.
“So then, what about other animals? Like, what is a rat?” Darcey asked curiously. This interested her greatly, this studying of crests. Hulio looked at her intently for a moment, but shrugged it off.
“A rat…a rat is nothing to be proud of, similar to dragons or insects other than butterflies or some varieties of beetles. Rats are known for their lack of commitment, and how very frequently someone whose animal is rat is involved in the downfall of a government, or even murder. They do not have the ability to be loyal to anyone. If your animal is a rat, you will probably be sent to Obweji or some other island nation with a high tolerance for such people. This was a rule that the Martinaques did not agree with, but it is set in such a way as to make it irreversible.
“Now, it is nearly time for you all to be in bed. Master William, you and Master Dante will sleep in the second bedroom, your parents in the first, and Mistress Palma, Princess Darcey, you will share the third bedroom. We will be landing sometime after sun up, so you will be able to have a full day with your parents in your new kingdom. Good night, now.”
Darcey, Mary Ann, and Will all got up and headed to their respective bedrooms, got into their night clothes, and said goodnight a final time before disappearing behind their closed doors. Darcey could not hear Will, but she could hear Mary Ann chatting away about family crests, meeting her parents, and being a real lady, a countess of the court. Darcey stared out the bedroom’s airplane window, watching as the inky sky reflected its shining jewel-like stars into the swaying silver ocean. Mary Ann stopped her rambling and walked over to her best friend, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.
“Uh, Darcey? Are you ok?” Mary Ann asked tentatively.
“Huh? Oh, yeah…I’m fine. Just taking it all in. I mean, I’m a princess now. I’ve got a jet, and a crest, and…and a family, Mary Ann! A family that will actually love me and value my opinion, and won’t kick me out of the house for a week at a time because I’ll contaminate them because I’m not identical to them! Mary Ann, I’m going to rule an island.”
“I know, honey, I know. And you’ll be great at it! And Will and me…we’ll be right by your side. Come on now, time to get some sleep. We’re both going to meet our parents tomorrow, we need some sleep.” Mary Ann gently tugged Darcey to one of the beds in the spacious room, and then slid under the covers of the other. Saying goodnight, Mary Ann turned off the lights and went to sleep. Darcey stared at the black ceiling a little while longer before finally dozing off.
It was nearly seven in the morning when she woke up. Mary Ann wasn’t in the room, her nightgown was tossed in the laundry hamper and the clothes that Hulio said were bought for them yesterday were off their hangers. Darcey watched the sun finish rising over the ocean as she got ready.
By the time she walked out to the main section of the jet in the latest fashion, everyone else was finishing breakfast. Will looked away, not meeting her eye. Darcey