Page 51 of Of Monsters Of Kings

“Lady, we do not follow,” Will Be said, though Is appeared to suspect what fears I had.

This was hard to say to them, though I’d spoken my worries to the princes of King Bring already. “I recently came to understand that normal is not interesting, and that my abnormalities might be very interesting to others, just as their uniquities are interesting to me. I do not see wonder in myself as a monster, however, and yet I’ve realized that I didn’t ever see wonder in myself before monsterdom. Maybe I have nothing to mourn then in my new state, but at least if I didn’t possess wonder about my old form, I can say that I didn’t hate it either. Though now I do hate my daylight form because I’m reminded that it changes at dusk whether I like it or not.

Has Been staggered a few steps, and the others appeared close to dropping to their knees again.

“Hate,” Is breathed. “She hates herself. She doesn’t feel herself wonderful, though everyone who sees her can barely connect to his senses through the sheer wonder of her. How can it be?”

My shame intensified, and I resolved that such shame should be studied when I had a clearer head. “Thank you,” I told them. “Your shock has made me aware that I need to figure out how to feel better inside about the state of my outside.”

Will Be had never looked so serious. “Lady Patch, if ever you need help with this, let us be your first port of call. That you do not see yourself as others see you cannot be long endured.”

“I’ll let you know if I ever see a way for you to help.”

My skin started to itch.

“It’s time for us to go,” Has Been said, and I could see from the firm set of his conventional mouth that he was unhappy about this fact.

“You will soon find your true form.” I peered at my daylight fingers, all so uniform in color and appearance.

“It would not do for you to see us, though I wish it were otherwise.”

They felt more shame that I only knew them in these forms. There might be something in that. “Maybe I can one day. I looked again at King Bring’s princes two days ago and felt fine.”

Their expressions became thunderous again, but another voice split across the courtyard to where we still stood by the kitchen.

“You risked another glimpse of us?” Toil cried, storming across uneven cobbles.

He was closely followed by Sigil and Hex, who appeared as annoyed as him and the princes of King See too.

“I didn’t mean to,” I replied. “I’d just learned that King See wanted me for his princess. That took me by surprise.”

“Does that mean she could look at us?” Is muttered to Will Be.

“Now is not the time to test,” Has Been snarled. “There are six princes present.”

The sight of Bring’s monsters had overwhelmed me, but I found myself very curious to see the true forms of See’s princes. “Good day to the princes of King Bring. Are you here to capture me again?”

“What do you mean by that?” Has Been snarled.

Toil snarled right back. “Our liege sends us to capture the lady, so get out of our way.”

“Why are so many princes present, and this a snuffed space?” a voice called.

The effect on the six princes was immediate.

Will Be ordered, “Toil, Hex, Sigil, block her. She’s seen your true forms. Lady, kindly look down so as not to overwhelm your senses.”

I appreciate that he’d asked nicely, but I would do no such thing.

Who’d arrived?

As King Bring’s princes formed a barricade before me and morphed and shrank into their true forms with dusk’s arrival, my stitches—blocked from the new man’s view—oozed upward through my patched skin.

Is, Will Be, and Has Been stood in a row between Bring’s princes and the wall of bars. I wondered if they realized I could see over the top of Toil, Sigil, and Hex now they’d shrunk.

See’s princes hadn’t shortened or widened, they’d lengthened and leaned. My mind did shimmer somewhat at their towering frames, but that was all.

Their hair was long and thinning with large patches of white scalp visible. Is had combed his into a ponytail at the base of his skull. What made my mind shimmer most was the large unblinking eye on the back of Has Been’s head. The iris was the palest gray. I could also see eyes either side of Is’s head that stared without blinking to the left and right. I’d bet my weaved loafers that Will Be had an eye on his forehead.

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