said the jester. “I said I am Prince Lionheart of Southlands.”Una blinked. Then she pushed away his hands and stepped back. “You . . . you’re a dragon-eaten Fool.”“No, I’m not.” He paused, then added, “Well, yes, maybe I am. But that’s beside the point. I have been Leonard the Jester for a good five years now, but my real name is Lionheart, and I am – ”“Prince of Southlands.” She backed up until she hit the far wall. “A likely story.”“You don’t believe me?”“No.”He set his jaw, puffing out an angry breath. “I know. You’re used to the sight of me scrubbing your floors and windows. Not a very princely posture, eh? So what must I do to prove myself? Cut my arm and show you how blue my blood is?”“You could explain either why you are lying to me now or why you lied to me earlier. That would make an excellent beginning.”He removed his bell-covered hat and rubbed his hand through his hair so that it stood up like tufts of grass. “That’s a bit of a story,”
