James, The Crown Prince

by Daniel B. Harris

  She kissed me again, lightly, and I extinguished the candles and dimmed the lamps with a wave of my hand. Star smiled at my magic, rolled facing away from me and snuggled beneath the blankets. I laid down facing her back and gently placed a hand on her waist. She slid toward and against me, unknowingly backing her small backside against my swollen member. If she noticed she didn’t let on. She gave an adorable sigh of contentment and drifted off to sleep. I had to resort to magical means to calm myself and allow myself to sleep.

  I woke the next morning to find Star lying beside me watching me sleep, bearing a happy smile. I smiled back at her lovely face and said good morning. Abruptly, she leaned toward me and kissed me passionately. She divulged that I had passed her test, and since she bad been aware of how badly I’d wanted her, was quite surprised. Burying her face in my neck, she admitted that she felt she had to know if I really cared for her or just wanted a partner for my bed. Pulling her to me, I confessed that I loved her, heart, mind and spirit. Having her in my bed was just a bonus, if she should choose to give herself to me. She slid away from me, rose up on her feet and shoulders, and arched her back in a way that made my vision blurry. Slowly, she slid her nightgown up and over her head. I was out of my trousers so quickly even I wondered if I hadn’t used magic. She came to me, kissed me lovingly and requested that we go slowly. As this was a very special occasion, I mimicked the magic my father usually had swirling around him when he was talking to an attractive female, magic that enhanced pleasure and produced attraction. Star didn’t realize that she was feeling the effects of magic, but did recognize that she suddenly wanted me much more than she had seconds before. With her lips pressed to mine, she crossed a leg over me and pulled herself on top. I clasped her to me as though if I let go, she’d vanish. She slid herself down, reached between us and placed my erection against her slit. I gasped and stifled a moan upon contact with her hand and body. She rotated her hips, allowing me a slow entrance into her. I relied on a lifetime of training and discipline to keep myself in the game. She gazed at me with adoration and devotion, pressing herself down and engulfing me in her hot body. She gasped and cringed a bit as she was deflowered, but the pain I saw in her eyes was minimal compared to the love visible there. We lay there as one for a time, feeling each other’s hearts beat through our sex organs. When she rose up to a sitting position, I could see all of her loveliness. As I gently fondled her breasts, she moved her hips around, seating me still further inside her. Soon she began sliding up and down on me, causing us both to pant with lust. Faster and faster she went until neither of us could take it anymore. I prevented fertility and we both saw stars, feeling the electric surges of intense orgasms. She lay forward onto me and whispered that she loved me and was glad I didn’t only want her for sex, but now that she had experienced it with me, it might have been fine after all. I laughed and kissed her lovingly. We exited the bed, cleaned up and dressed.

  Packing our belongings, we carried everything to the stable, left our things in the small wagon we’d purchased and strolled to the general goods store. For ten gold and four silver coins, we purchased a tent and two bedrolls to go with the blankets I already had. Then we carried our purchases to the stable and arranged them in the wagon with the rest of our belongings. Hitching up the mare, which was promptly named Moonbeam, we climbed into the wagon. We loaded some provisions and pulled out of town, leaving Star’s father and the unpleasant memories behind.

  Turning south and traveling down a wide road that became smaller as the day progressed, we viewed giant broad-leafed trees and unfamiliar undergrowth lining the road. Everywhere there were beautiful but noisy birds and lovely flowers unlike any we’d ever seen before. The humidity was stifling by noon, so we stopped at an opening in the jungle to have lunch. If not for magic, there would have been no way to start a fire. Everything was damp, including the bedding we would need tonight. Star voiced some concern, but I assured her we would have dry blankets to sleep on. She had been amazed by the magic I’d already shown her, but that amounted to no more than parlor tricks in my mind. Some day she might see real magic and I could only hope it didn’t make her frightened of me.

  We continued our journey with the road now having narrowed to the width of two wagons. Occasionally we would pass people traveling to Iador and we would greet each other with just a nod. It was exactly the treatment I’d hoped for. If I were making a trip of this sort back home, people would drive their wagons off the road to let me pass. Of course, I couldn’t see me taking a wagon anywhere, either. Flying is much more fun. As the road became more bumpy, I considered levitating Star, the horse and wagon and flying to Pesia, but reminded myself that I was just a normal guy.

  Night came on with a rush. There seemed to be little transition from daylight to dark. Dusk seemed to be overlooked by nature here. I stopped the wagon and walked off the road a ways. Using a trick taught to me by Aunt Gwendth, the elf, I coaxed the trees and plant life to allow us a camping area. Star could barely contain her elation upon seeing trees and plants relocate themselves for me. While I fed the horse, Star prepared us plates of cold rations. Hinting that it would be nice if I would build a fire for light, I laughed and said if light was all we needed, I’d fix the problem. I floated a bright orb of light above the campsite, and it illuminated everything nicely. Star shook her head in amazement, so overwhelmed by the simple magic that a tear rolled down her cheek.

  “James,” she began, “I’m sure you know that it is every girl’s dream to marry a prince. But I married a magical prince and did it without knowing! How could my life turn around so quickly?”

  “Being beautiful, kind, and loving had a lot to do with it. Luck played its part, too. If I hadn’t been at the dock that day, I hate to think what might have happened!”

  She sighed, “Me, too. I had heard that the Lord my father was selling me to didn’t even care whether his consorts were pure or not. He would come to their room, do as he pleased and leave. If there was blood on the sheets, he’d call a maid. Not a word to the girl he’d just had his way with.”

  “I’m glad my father didn’t raise me to be like that. He has thirteen consorts. Any one of them would kill or die for him at a moment’s notice. They truly love him.”

  “I’d heard that about him. If I would have been required to be a consort, I would have hoped to belong to a man like him. I’m much happier being the wife of his son, though. With you being of noble blood, you’ll be entitled to consorts as well. When would you like to select them?”

  I laughed heartily. “I just married the girl of my dreams, and consorts are the farthest thing from my mind. If, and I mean if, I have consorts, they will be chosen the way my mother and father chose consorts. All but one of my father’s consorts were chosen by my mother. The one that wasn’t…well, that’s a long story. I think that while we are wandering newlyweds, we could be content with each other. If you believe I’m asking too much of you, please just let me know.”

  She blushed and tried to hide it. “So far you’ve asked me for exactly the right amount, and I hope that when the tent is up, you’ll ask me for that again. If you find yourself awake during the night, you can ask again and again.” She hid her face in her hands, surprised by her forwardness.

  I laughed and jumped up to grab the tent, set it up quickly, dried our bedding with a thought and stowed everything inside the tent. After I staked the horse and wagon close to the entrance of the tent, I dimmed the orb, followed Star into the tent, and learned the meaning of word insatiable.

  We both woke in wonderful moods the next morning. I packed up the bedding and tent while Star prepared food for us. She was a very content young lady, sighing happily from time to time as she worked. We ate and loaded into the wagon. I pulled us back onto the road and Star watched in amazement as the trees and bushes reclaimed our camping area. I had fallen in love with Star the day she had disembarked in Todan and after last night I knew I’d cherish her forever. I was her humble servant and would do anythi
ng she asked of me. Yes, it was that kind of night.

  We rode along for hours, not minding the bumps and jolts in the road. We were just happy to be together. We talked when we felt like it and held hands when we didn’t. I mentioned stopping for lunch and Star suggested we’d make better time if we’d just eat on the road. She crawled back to the cargo space of our little wagon, earning herself a swat as her bottom came into range. She gave me look of faux indignation and went back to work.

  As I turned back to the road, something hit me, very hard, just over my left eye. I called for Star to stay down as thumps sounded against the side of the wagon. I threw a dome shield over the horse, wagon and all, then glanced back to make sure Star was all right. She replied that she was fine but I was bleeding. I ran a quick heal on the area and her eyes went wide with fascination. I could see objects hitting all over the shield but couldn’t identify them. I finally made out an alligator walking on two legs, with a sling in its claw, loosing a bullet in our direction. Kobolds were what they looked like, according to my ‘Creatures of the World’ lessons. I knew where there was one there would be many, as they were supposed to be quick creatures that always hunted in large groups. Using a magical technique taught to me by my Aunt Alice, I scanned the woods and made out at least twenty of the little monsters.

  Normally, I would have given them a pass and gone on even though they were still advancing; but when I realized it could have been Star who had been hit, I started weighing my options for killing as many as it took for them to turn tail. However, I didn’t want to overawe my new wife, so I decided that the energy bolt spell should work, and it wasn’t that noisy. My siblings and I were the only wizards in the land who could do combat spells without a wand. Aunt Della’s explanation was that since we had always used psi magic, we naturally focused the power outside ourselves. Because my Aunt Della is a Naiad, we believed her when she made a magical observation.

  When the creatures charged the back of the wagon, they made two mistakes. The first was that they were running in a straight line, in the open. And the second was that my wife was in the back of the wagon they were running towards. I jumped into the rear of the wagon with Star and assisted her, quite abruptly, into the seat. With her being only four feet, ten inches and eighty-five pounds, it was no challenge. I raised my arm and targeted the closest Kobold, hitting him in the chest, and watched him drop like a stone. When I took out the next four in rapid succession, the pursuit ceased.

  As they stopped chasing us and drifted back into the jungle, I stopped the wagon. Star was fearful that they’d return, but I consoled her and promised her I’d watch. I checked our horse and found that Moonbeam had been hit a few times by the sling bullets. Sending healing coursing through her, we watched the wounds heal. She didn’t say thank you, but I’m sure she would have if she could.

  As I climbed back into the wagon and started Moonbeam walking again Star voiced, “I knew the royal family could float things and lift enormous weight. I knew they could fly and travel all across the kingdom with a thought. I didn’t know you could make sling bullets bounce away or fire lightning from your hand! I saw you heal your head and the horse, dry our bedding and float a ball of light. I guess my question is, what can’t you do?”

  I grinned and kissed her. “What I can’t do is ever let anything happen to you. I suppose what you’re asking is what can’t I do magically. I’ve been practicing magic since I was five. In the past eleven years, anything I’ve thought of that I wanted to do, I could. If I can see it clearly in my mind, I can make it happen. If you think of something you want me to try, I’d be honored to do that for you, my angel.”

  She gave a contented sigh. “I really am the luckiest girl in the world. Thank you for loving me, James.”

  We traveled on and a few miles down the road, I saw what looked like a small statue of a man. It was just standing by the road as if left there by accident. As we closed on it, the statue seemed to turn toward the wagon. I stopped ten yards from it and looked to see if it had actually moved. The statue suddenly raised a hand and called out, “We witnessed your exchange with the Kobolds, young wizard. Any enemy of them is a friend to the gnomes. I came to offer our thanks and to let you know that you have friends in the jungle.”

  I bowed as best as one can from a sitting position and replied, “Thank you, sir gnome. Friends anywhere are good things to have.”

  He bowed, said good day and was gone. I started the horse moving and Star asked, “Did that really happen or am I dreaming?”

  “Magical creatures are everywhere, my love. Most people don’t get a chance to see them, but wizards often do. Some of my best friends when I was growing up were pixies. That reminds me, I have to introduce you to them some day. They practically adopted me when I was little and would love to meet an angel, I’m sure!”

  She chuckled, “Now you’re just teasing me.”

  “My wife, I swear on my life that it’s true. There were even pixies and centaurs at my parents’ coronation.”

  “I’d heard that story, but just thought it was a myth! I’m sorry for doubting you, love. This is just all so new to me that it’s hard to grasp.”

  “I understand, and we have forever to introduce it all. We’ll just take it slowly.” I was going to hide magic on my journey and now I seem to use it all the time. Keeping Star safe and happy is the priority, not hiding magic. Whatever she asks about I’ll answer her honestly.

  Chapter Seven

  We traveled the next few days without encountering any unexpected visitors or problems. Early in our journey one morning, a city rose out of the jungle. It was an amazing thing with a huge open area that had what appeared to be a large altar. The main building was shaped like a pyramid, with all sides looking like giant stairways. It was flat on top and I thought that I’d never seen such an elaborate lookout tower! We gazed in awe at the structures and the huge crowd that had gathered in the open space. It looked as though we had arrived for some special occasion.

  Steering around the outskirts of the crowd, I found a place where we could see what was going on without being in the way. If they were having town meeting or something, I didn’t want to block the view of the people concerned. We waited, whispering back and forth about the crowd and the buildings. Suddenly men in loincloths and white painted faces appeared and marched, carrying large bundles of wood, to the stone table at the base of the building. They adjusted chains on the poles on either end of the table, stacked the wood on it and disappeared back into the structure. I was starting to get a bad feeling and the negative energy in the whole area was picked up even by Star. She commented that things didn’t feel right and she thought that we should leave.

  Exactly at that moment, a door in the middle of the giant building opened onto a platform. A young girl was dragged out, kicking and screaming, by men dressed as the ones who had placed wood on the table. Star leaned close and begged, “James, please save her! We can’t sit here and let these people hurt that girl!”

  This wasn’t my fight, but Star had asked me to intervene. I quickly grabbed my bag, pulled out my writing tools and wrote,

  Aunt Alba,

  If you can get away, I might need your help. If you come, come shielded. I don’t know what will be going on by the time you get here.

  James.

  I tossed the letter into the cargo area on the wagon, focused and saw my aunt sitting with the accountant, Margery. I knew Margery would be discreet, so I sent the letter. As we waited, I powered a shield around the wagon. If someone saw Alba pop in, I didn’t want any problems. I remembered that she might use recall, so I dampened noise, too. It was an amazingly short wait before she popped into the wagon with her hand on her wand. She hugged me quickly and asked what was going on. I pointed to the girl on the ledge.

  I said, “My wife asked me to save the girl. Princess Alba, this is my wife, Star Stephenson.” Poor Star almost fell out of the wagon trying to curtsey to Aunt Alba.

  Alba laughed, “My dear,
as James’ wife, you’re a princess, too. There’s no need for all that formality with me. James, you were right! She is a lovely girl. I can see why you wanted to keep her!”

  Star blushed. “Thank you, My Lady. You’re too kind, saying so. It is an honor to meet you.”

  “‘My Lady,’ she says. She’s absolutely adorable, but James, you have to teach her that I’m just Aunt Alba.”

  “When I bring her home, you can explain to your oldest sister how cute she is and that I had no choice. Either that or shield me. Whatever happens with Mom, it will be worth it to be with Star.”

  “You’ve got it bad,” observed Aunt Alba, “and it’s nice to see you love someone as deeply as you seem to love this girl. However, it seems that something is going on with your tower over there.”

  The men on the tower with the girl were shifting position. A hush fell over the crowd and one of the men yelled, “The Goddess Calla approaches.” There was the crack of a recall spell and two columns of fire appeared at the top of the building on either side of a woman standing there. The men began dragging the girl down the stairway and the columns of fire began descending the stairs thirty yards behind them. That was my signal to go. I realized that they planned on fastening the girl to the poles and burning her alive! I shielded up and took to the air flying above the startled heads of the onlookers towards the girl and her captors. An amplified voice came from the top of the building and called, “David? Is that you?” Her call was followed once again by the crack of recall. I looked up and the woman and columns of fire were gone. I swatted the men away from the girl with a thought, lifted her into my arms and flew back to the wagon. Alba boosted the shield power the moment I landed, and blocked the spears that had begun flying our way.

  Alba yelled, “James, take us up and outta here!”