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"The Princess comes!" he cried. "Dejah Thoris! The Princess comes! Tara of
Helium!" Thus always is royalty announced. The guests arose; the two women
inclined their heads; the guards fell back upon either side of the entrance-way; a
number of nobles advanced to pay their respects; the laughing and the talking
were resumed and Dejah Thoris and her daughter moved simply and naturally
among their guests, no suggestion of differing rank apparent in the bearing of any
who were there, though there was more than a single Jeddak and many common
warriors whose only title lay in brave deeds, or noble patriotism. Thus it is upon
Mars where men are judged upon their own merits rather than upon those of
their grandsires, even though pride of lineage be great.
Tara of Helium let her slow gaze wander among the throng of guests until
presently it halted upon one she sought. Was the faint shadow of a frown that
crossed her brow an indication of displeasure at the sight that met her eyes, or
did the brilliant rays of the noonday sun distress her? Who may say! She had
been reared to believe that one day she should wed Djor Kantos, son of her
father's best friend. It had been the dearest wish of Kantos Kan and The Warlord
that this should be, and Tara of Helium had accepted it as a matter of all but
accomplished fact. Djor Kantos had seemed to accept the matter in the same way.
They had spoken of it casually as something that would, as a matter of course,
take place in the indefinite future, as, for instance, his promotion in the navy, in
which he was now a padwar; or the set functions of the court of her grandfather,
Tardos Mors, Jeddak of Helium; or Death. They had never spoken of love and that
had puzzled Tara of Helium upon the rare occasions she gave it thought, for she
knew that people who were to wed were usually much occupied with the matter of
love and she had all of a woman's curiosity--she wondered what love was like.
She was very fond of Djor Kantos and she knew that he was very fond of her.
They liked to be together, for they liked the same things and the same people and
the same books and their dancing was a joy, not only to themselves but to those
who watched them. She could not imagine wanting to marry anyone other than
Djor Kantos.
So perhaps it was only the sun that made her brows contract just the tiniest bit
at the same instant that she discovered Djor Kantos sitting in earnest
conversation with Olvia Marthis, daughter of the Jed of Hastor. It was Djor
Kantos' duty immediately to pay his respects to Dejah Thoris and Tara of Helium;
but he did not do so and presently the daughter of The Warlord frowned indeed.
She looked long at Olvia Marthis, and though she had seen her many times
before and knew her well, she looked at her today through new eyes that saw,
apparently for the first time, that the girl from Hastor was noticeably beautiful
even among those other beautiful women of Helium. Tara of Helium was
disturbed. She attempted to analyze her emotions; but found it difficult. Olvia
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