Princess Master 2

by Eric Vall

  “So, I hear you want to see my quarters?” Cienna asked and nudged me in the side.

  “Of course,” I replied. “Can’t wait.”

  The blonde princess led us below deck to a room with a heavy door, which she pushed open for us.

  “Come on in,” she said. “It’s all mine! Well, it’s ours now, I suppose.”

  I followed Jessamine into the room, and although it was fairly small, it was completely decked out in the luxury I would have expected from a princess. It contained little more than a bed, approximately king-sized, which I immediately threw myself down onto, and a small ebony dining table that would seat about four was shoved up against the far wall. The bed was dressed in red velvet linens and covered in a pile of red and gold feather pillows, and huge swaths of matching velvet hung from the bed’s posts and created a warm, intimate atmosphere.

  One side of the room was lined with glazed windows, and dim sunlight streamed through them into the quarters. Dozens of candelabras were scattered around the room, and I thought the ambience could only help the mood later with the princesses.

  Cienna came and sat down on the bed next to me while Jessamine checked out the pictures on the walls.

  “You like it, Joe?” she asked, and she seemed almost shy.

  “I love it,” I told her. “It’s perfect, and I can’t wait to travel more with you.”

  “Me, either.” The blonde princess grinned. “I’m glad we decided to go. I hope we can help Princess Rachel, but I think we’re going to have a good time regardless.”

  Suddenly, we heard a bell ringing from up above.

  “Is it time to leave?” Jessamine wondered.

  “Yes, let’s head back up to the main deck!” Cienna gasped. “We’re about to set sail!”

  She jumped off the bed and led us out of the room and back onto the main deck, and as the midday sun glinted off the blue waves, I leaned against the railing and laid my head back for a moment.

  “Weigh anchor!” Captain Barnes yelled, and the ship slowly began to move forward.

  It seemed we were on our way across the sea.

  Chapter 5

  My heart pounded with exhilaration as the ship drifted away from the dock, and Cienna pulled me and Jessamine over to the rail so we could all see the view. The salty mist from the sea cooled my cheeks even as the bright sun warmed my body, and as the wind whipped my hair back and forth, I admired the blonde princess’ kingdom as we drifted away from it. We could see the red roofs of the town interspersed with the bright green trees, and the towers and parapets of her castle grew smaller and smaller as we got further away. Cienna waved at Starlight until we couldn’t see the horse anymore, and I saw a little tear in her eyes.

  “I guess we’re really leaving,” Cienna sighed.

  “I know it’s hard,” I said as I put an arm around her shoulders. “I would have loved to chill at your castle forever, because these past few days have been the best I’ve ever had, but I think we’re making the right decision. I’m not sure what’s ahead, given how weird everything has been lately, but I know we’re going to make it out okay.”

  “Thanks, Joe,” the beautiful blonde replied, and she cuddled up against me. “That really means a lot, and I would trust Fiona with my life. I know she’s going to be able to handle things while we’re gone. I guess it’s just… I’ve been away from home so much lately. I feel like I barely got back to my castle, and now we have to leave again.”

  “Yeah, I get it,” I told her. “I’ve been away from home for a while now, too.”

  “Um, Cienna, Joe,” Jessamine suddenly spoke up in a weak voice, and I looked over at the dark-haired beauty and noticed she looked a little green.

  “Are you okay?” Cienna asked, and then she gasped. “Oh, no, I think you’re seasick.”

  “How can you be seasick?” I wondered. “You flew so well on the magic carpet.”

  “I don’t know,” the dark-haired princess gulped. “This just feels… different. I’ve never been on a ship before, and this is a new feeling. I think I might need to go lie down.”

  “Do you want me to walk you down there?” I asked.

  “That would be wonderful, Joe,” Jessamine sighed. “I think I could use your arm since we have to walk across the deck.”

  “Do you want to come, Cienna?” I asked. “I can definitely handle it if you want to stay up here.”

  “Sure, I’ll hang out on the deck for a few minutes, since I need to talk to the captain anyway,” she replied and turned to Jessamine. “I hope you feel a lot better, really soon. I’ll come down and check on you two in a bit.”

  “Sounds good,” I said. “Jessamine, come with me, and I’ll take care of you.”

  I held out an arm to Jessamine, and she seemed grateful to have it. She grasped me as tight as she could, and she leaned up against my body as we made our way across the deck. Cienna’s private cabin was located directly under the deck with the captain’s quarters, and the twenty feet it took to get there seemed to take forever as Jessamine tried not to lurch back and forth by my side.

  When we got back to the small, ornate room, Jessamine collapsed onto the bed, and she rolled onto her stomach with her head in her arms.

  “Are you going to be okay?” I asked her as I sat next to her and rubbed her back in slow circles.

  “Yes, Joe, you are my hero as always,” the princess told me, and she turned her head to look me in the eyes. “I always appreciate everything you do for me. You’re so kind and brave.”

  “I definitely try,” I admitted. “So, do you want to sleep, or do you want me to stay here for a few minutes and talk to you?”

  “Let’s talk.” Jessamine smiled faintly. “I’ll probably sleep soon, but it would help me if you stayed.”

  “Sure, I’m happy to be here with you,” I replied. “What are you thinking about these days? Cienna was just talking to me about being sad to leave her kingdom.”

  “I’m still worried about what’s going on back home, I have to admit,” the beautiful princess sighed, and she closed her eyes with a shudder. “Why does it have to rock so much, though?”

  “You’ll get used to it soon, I promise.” I kept rubbing her back. “I know it’s different from the desert.”

  “Yes, the desert, like I was talking about,” she replied. “I wish I could communicate with my men back home. Since we defeated Jamar, I keep wondering if the undead hordes have stopped attacking our kingdom.”

  “I sure hope so,” I responded.

  When we’d been in Jessamine’s kingdom a couple weeks back, we’d managed to defeat hundreds of undead hordes with a flamethrower I’d thrown together from parts lying around her palace. However, there had still been more troops on the horizon when we left, and there didn’t seem to be any way to find out about the fate of Jessamine’s kingdom for the time being.

  “In my heart of hearts, I know the quest we are on is more important,” Jessamine murmured. “Putting a bandage on the problem doesn’t solve the main issue, which is Chernabog’s hold on Fairyland. And I do believe the only way to solve that problem is to find all the princesses and bring them together.”

  “That’s right,” I told her. “Good attitude.”

  “And that means more rituals for you, Joe,” the beautiful princess teased and poked me in the ribs.

  I knew if she was talking about the ritual, it meant she was starting to cheer up, and I was happy about that.

  “Are you feeling a little better?” I asked. “At least you’re smiling.”

  “I’m still really queasy,” Jessamine gulped, “but you always help me feel better. I think I’m still going to nap for a little bit now. Thanks, Joe. You’re the best.”

  “You are, too,” I whispered and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll come back to check on you in a little bit.”

  When I headed back out to find Cienna, the sun had already started to go down. I wandered around the boat for a minute looking for the blonde princess, and then I caugh
t a glimpse of her talking to the captain at the ship’s helm. I walked up to them, and Cienna gave me a huge smile.

  “Hey, Joe!” she greeted me. “Captain Barnes was just telling me it looks like smooth sailing ahead.”

  “Good to see you again, Joe,” the captain said, and he gave me a friendly nod.

  “Well, smooth sailing is good news,” I replied, and I put my arm around Cienna’s waist. Then I looked out over the ship’s bow, and suddenly I caught a glimpse of something. “What… are those?”

  “Don’t you have dolphins where you came from, Joe?” Cienna asked with a puzzled expression.

  The creatures I could see jumping out of the water in front of us were bright green in the sunset, and they looked like they’d been dipped in glitter.

  “We do, and they’re awesome, but they’re basically just gray,” I told her.

  “Well, that’s boring.” She wrinkled her nose. “Hey, Joe, take a walk with me for a minute, because I want to talk to you about something.”

  “Of course,” I replied. “Any time.”

  We walked out onto the deck, away from anyone who might be listening in on our conversation, and we both leaned against the rail and stared out for a moment at the red ball of fire that was quickly sinking down below the horizon. I also saw more schools of sparkling dolphins in the distance, but these were red and purple. I whistled in amazement, and Cienna leaned her head against my shoulder.

  “Pretty beautiful, huh?” she sighed.

  “It’s gorgeous,” I replied. “So, what’s up?”

  Cienna looked around to make sure we were alone before she continued.

  “I just can’t stop thinking about the Lady Fontaine,” she said as she pursed her lips in a thin line. “I know… I know I asked you to leave without interrogating them, but I fear I made a mistake. What if they are traitors? Just… why did they bring up the tent! I feel weak for not letting you threaten them more. You were trying to protect me and our kingdom, and… and I...”

  “Hey, hey, hey,” I soothed as I took her in my arms. “Don’t worry about stopping me. They are your family, so I totally get it. We’ll figure it out together.”

  “Thanks, Joe.” A horrified expression flashed across her face for a moment, and I suspected she was reflecting back on the atrocities she’d experienced before Jessamine and I had rescued her. I didn’t know the extent of how bad it had been before we’d gotten to her, but we’d heard men beat her and threaten to rape her. She’d been bound against a tent pole when we found her, and she’d been barely strong enough to escape with us.

  “The way they were treating you was one of the most awful things I’ve ever seen,” I admitted. “But would they really betray you to a demon that wants to destroy this world? Seems super dumb.”

  “I just wonder who’s telling her these things,” Cienna pondered. “If they are working with Chernabog, I wonder how deep his intelligence network goes. That’s why I wanted to talk to you away from everyone else on the ship, except Jessamine, of course. I think from now on, we trust no one. Guards, crewmen, even the captain. I don’t know who’s talking to who anymore.”

  “Yeah, good call,” I told the beautiful blonde. “You never know who you can trust in times of war.”

  “Although, I was thinking about it,” she continued, “and I don’t think it even matters if the letter from Princess Rachel was real or not. Even though I tease you and Jessamine about the ritual a lot, the goal really is to align ourselves with more princesses.”

  “Yeah, Jessamine was saying something like that, too,” I replied.

  I tried not to think too hard about the thought of other princesses and focus on the woman I was with. Cienna was so resilient. I marveled at what a few days of good sleep and food could do, because the blonde princess had become the picture of health and beauty. If I squinted, I could still see the remaining sunlight glinting off her golden hair, and it was hard to keep my eyes off the silhouette of her hourglass figure.

  Cienna caught me looking at her, and she just smiled at me. It amazed me how far we’d come since the first time I met her. When I looked back on her previously scornful attitude toward me, it didn’t even feel like I was talking to the same person anymore.

  “Let’s go check on Jessamine,” the blonde suggested and reached out for my hand. “And remember, don’t trust anyone.”

  “I already don’t,” I assured her. “I just got to Fairyland, remember? You two are showing me the ropes right now.”

  “Well, hero, you still have your big jobs to do, too,” Cienna responded with a grin as she tugged me along toward her cabin. She pulled a lantern from a post, and we entered the now-dark room, where I could hear the sounds of Jessamine’s slow, even breathing.

  I was glad the dark-haired beauty had gotten comfortable enough to rest.

  Cienna and I quickly undressed and slid under the covers with Jessamine. There was a chill in the cabin, so the blonde snuggled up to my chest. I could hear the comforting sounds of the night crew walking around on the deck above, and the rocking of the waves soon lulled us both to sleep.

  When I woke up the next morning, Cienna was still asleep, but Jessamine was sitting next to me on the bed fastening a pair of glittering emeralds onto her ears.

  “Good morning, Joe,” she said with a huge smile. “I’m feeling a lot better today. I even went up on deck for a few minutes to catch the sunrise.”

  “Looks like someone got her sea legs,” I chuckled. “Good for you. I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”

  “Me, too!” She grinned as she pinned a gold tiara with a bright green stone to her dark hair, which fell in long waves down her back today. I couldn’t help but reach out to grab a strand and inhale its heady, flowery scent. She had put on her turquoise mail bikini for hanging out on the deck, and her body looked as incredible as always.

  “Well, you look great,” I told her.

  “Thanks, hero,” she replied, and her cheeks flushed a little.

  Cienna stirred beside us and rolled over in bed. Then she smiled sleepily and rubbed at her eyes.

  “Good morning, sunshine,” I said to the gorgeous blonde. Her face always glowed, even first thing in the morning.

  “Good morning, you two,” she responded. “How are you today, Jessamine?”

  “I’m sooo much better,” Jessamine replied. “Thanks for asking. I might even be ready for some breakfast.”

  “Sounds good to me,” I said. “You told me there was no buffet, so what do you eat on a ship like this, anyway?”

  “Well, the crew basically just gets dried meat and beans, but we’re a little luckier today,” Cienna responded. “I had the servants pack up some food for us, and we even have eggs they can cook up in the galley.”

  “Perfect.” I grinned. “You know I’ll eat pretty much anything, but eggs sound good right now.”

  “Jessamine, are you sure you’re okay?” Cienna asked, and I looked over to see the dark-haired princess was slightly pale again.

  “I-I’m not sure I’m ready for eggs yet,” the dark-haired princess murmured. “Do you have any bread?”

  “Of course, we’ll find you the perfect thing,” Cienna assured her friend. “I’ll call for some hard biscuits with our breakfast, and those will help your stomach.”

  “Thank you,” Jessamine sighed with gratitude in her eyes. “I really appreciate it, Cienna.”

  “So, Joe, what do you want to do today?” Cienna asked as she turned to me. “Do you want me to show you around the ship some more?”

  “That sounds great,” I told her. “What kind of weapons do they have on this thing?”

  “Ooh, I know, I’ll introduce you to the master gunner,” the blonde princess replied with a grin. “He can show you the cannons. You’re really going to like that.”

  “Cannons?” I asked, and my heart started to thrum with excitement. “That sounds fucking amazing.”

  “I want to see, too,” Jessamine added. “I want to know everything
about being out on the water.”

  “This is going to be fun,” Cienna said with a sparkle in her eyes. “I’ll have them bring down breakfast, and we can have some fun exploring after that.

  A knock on the door soon announced the arrival of our breakfast. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the eggs Cienna had promised were cooked sunny-side-up and salted to perfection. They were served with a thick piece of jerky that reminded me of bacon, and even the hard biscuits were good when I dipped them into my eggs.

  Cienna and I finished getting dressed, and we were soon out in the bright sunshine again. The blonde princess had matched Jessamine’s outfit and was wearing her pale blue bikini now, and I had to admit I found the two women’s exposed bodies incredibly distracting.

  “I can’t believe how much steadier I feel,” Jessamine giggled. “This is so amazing.”

  Cienna stopped and looked around for a moment to make sure we were alone.

  “Jessamine,” she said in a lowered voice, “I want to tell you what Joe and I talked about last night. Ever since we were at my stepmother’s house the other day, I’ve been convinced she’s a--”

  “A spy?” the dark-haired princess finished.

  “Yes.” Cienna nodded. “Exactly right, I knew you would get it. So, we really want to make sure no one is around when we’re talking, and don’t say anything to anyone about Princess Rachel and what we’re trying to do here.”

  “I totally agree,” Jessamine replied, and her expression was determined. “Everything is on a need-to-know basis, right?”

  “Exactly,” I said. “Now, about those cannons…”

  “You’re so funny, Joe,” Cienna laughed. “I can tell you’re really excited, so let’s get over there and talk to the gunner.”

  We walked across the deck, and I noted there were three cannons placed at equal intervals across each side of the ship. I estimated they had to weigh at least a few thousand pounds apiece, and the sight was very impressive.

  “Good morning, Officer Clayton,” Cienna called out to a short, thick man who was polishing one of the huge, brass guns.

  “Morning, Your Highness.” The man bent into a quick bow before going about his work again. He wore a pale gray jacket with buttons up the front and matching wide-legged pants, and his eyes matched the color of the sea. A cap with a wide visor protected his face from the sun, and I could tell from the lines on his face that this was a man who smiled a lot.