by Eric Vall
“Princess Jessamine,” I started again, “I think we need to come up with a plan to travel to Cienna’s last known location. You mentioned she wrote to you from the border of your kingdom. I’m not sure how far we would have to travel to find the princess, but at the very least, we might be able to save her, and at best, we could return to your kingdom with a new battalion of forces. Do you know how many troops she was bringing?”
Jessamine shrugged, and I could see tears well up in her deep brown eyes again.
“She told me she was bringing a few horses, and a war carriage, and men with spears… ” the princess told me in a wavering voice. “There is no doubt that if we were able to bring her forces back with us, it would strengthen our guard. At some point, even if we ally with more princesses, we might be able to go on the offensive against Chernabog with you at our side. But Joe… I am scared to leave my palace. I do not wish to leave anyone behind.”
I understood how the princess felt, but we needed to move forward with some sort of plan of action. It didn’t seem to be an option to stay in our current location.
Suddenly, I had a thought that might convince the beautiful ruler. I turned to her and shaded my eyes from the sun as I began to speak.
“Princess Jessamine, who is your most trusted advisor?” I asked.
She appeared to glow as she stood before me on the balcony, and I understood why they called it the golden hour. She’d loosened her hair from its tight wrap, and it fell down across her back in gleaming waves.
“It is, without a doubt, my general, Omar,” she replied. “He was my husband’s closest friend, and I would still place my life in his hands.”
I blinked in shock as I processed her words. Husband? What the hell? I hadn’t seen any signs of a prince around the palace, but I decided I would bring it up later.
Jessamine, however, immediately addressed the issue.
“Joe, my husband, Ali, perished in a battle fighting Jamar at the beginning of this great war,” the princess sighed. “Although Ali was a good man, and a fighter beyond comparison, I have been alone for many years now. I would agree that I have commanded my forces strongly in his place, but we have grown depleted.”
“Ohhh,” I cleared my throat, gave her a nod, and tried to keep my expression neutral.
“Yes,” she said as she gave me a slight smile. “I… well… I knew the genie would bring me someone who… well…”
“Jessamine,” I cut in, “would you consider leaving Omar in charge of your palace while we travel to find Princess Cienna?”
“There is no one I would trust more than Omar to guard my kingdom in my absence,” the princess said after a long moment. “But I would die if anything happened to him. He has a wife and small children, and his family needs him more than anything. Regardless, I know he would say yes if I asked him to take charge. Omar is a true man of honor.”
Suddenly, a tall guard armed with a heavy spear rushed into the room from the balcony and shouted out to us.
“Princess, please come quickly!” the large man frantically exclaimed as he gestured outside and motioned for us to follow. “An army approaches!”
Chapter 3
Jessamine and I jumped up at the guard’s words, and the princess quickly grabbed her pair of scimitars. For a brief moment, I wondered if I needed my toolbelt again, but I dismissed the thought as we rushed outside.
From the balcony’s precipice, we peered out across the dunes toward the horizon.
“Look!” the guard shouted, and he gestured in the direction of the sunset, which now glowed in deep purple tones.
I had to squint into the dying light, but I could barely see a line of troops as they marched in our direction. They were as small as ants in my line of vision, so I couldn’t see from here if they were the same type of zombies we’d battled the night before, but it was definitely bad news. If we needed to leave to go hunt for Princess Cienna, we were going to have to figure out a way to teach the guards to defend the palace. Enough damage had been done by Jamar and his minions last night, and I hated to think of Jessamine returning home to nothing.
I stood and continued to stare for a moment in the direction of the advancing troops. The dunes appeared spectacular in the fading afternoon glow and were now painted in shades of deep red and purple, but I had no time now to pay any attention to the scenery. I wondered how much time we had before the encroaching troops would arrive. If the army was made up of the same zombies, they seemed slow, but I had no idea what Jamar’s magic could compel them to do.
Beside me, the princess appeared to think for a moment, and then she spoke.
“The troops on the horizon this evening are concerning,” Jessamine went on resolutely. “But I realize that every day we will wake up to more troops if we don’t take drastic action now. We cannot continue on this journey alone, Joe. I have made up my mind. We will set out to find Princess Cienna tomorrow.”
“Then I have an idea that may help you feel better, Princess Jessamine,” I told her. “I know the weapon I made last night will help your soldiers to defend the castle while we are gone, but if one flamethrower is good, how about ten? If you have enough supplies, I could teach Omar to create the simple machines. With enough flamethrowers, your soldiers will be able to hold off Jamar and his forces until we return.”
I hoped I’d managed to convince the princess. I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of staying here and meeting my untimely doom, and I had no idea how I would go about traveling through this land on my own, so I was relieved when the princess appeared to agree.
“Yes, I think it is the right thing to do.” She smiled and nodded her head resolutely. “We can teach Omar and the soldiers to make the weapons, and help them to fortify the palace before we go. I knew you would come up with the right thing to do, Joe. You are a very wise hero. Now, come, let us drink wine.”
With that, the beautiful woman grabbed my hand and led me back into her chambers.
We sat opposite one another on colorful lounges, and the servants brought us a bottle of heavy red wine and a simple dinner of roasted lamb, rice, and greens, with fruit for dessert. The food was just spicy enough, and I started to relax a bit after my stomach was filled with the awesome food.
The beautiful woman I ate with also seemed to be comfortable, and I figured now would be a better time to ask her a bit more about this marriage thing.
“So, Your Highness, you keep mentioning all these princesses and this marriage ritual… can you tell me anything more about that?” I asked as I laid back on the chaise and popped a fresh green grape into my mouth.
“Ohh, Joe…” she sighed with a slight smile on her lips. “It is about all of the princesses and the great hero. I’ve delayed telling you about it, but you are going to like it. I guess I didn’t want to distract you with the discussion of marriage.”
“Uhh, all of you?” I cleared my throat. “Married?”
“Yes, Joe,” she said with a simple nod. “That is how it must work to save our world.”
“Where I come from, marriage is usually between two people, and it’s actually against the law for a man to have multiple wives.” I tried to stay calm as I drained the last drops of wine from my crystal goblet. Then I reached over to the bottle and refilled both mine and Jessamine’s glasses.
“Yes, we have that kind of marriage as well.” The beautiful woman nodded. “But this is something different. The princesses, including myself, are very powerful women on our own. But when our power is brought together, and channeled through a hero, it is magnified. This is how we will defeat Chernabog and save Fairyland.”
“But how exactly do we get married?” I questioned.
The princess blushed again, and my thoughts drifted to her perfect body. I suspected there were some dirty secrets she wasn’t telling me about.
“Can I speak of this again later?” the princess asked as her cheeks turned red. “The… ummm… this wine. It has made me sleepy. Let us rest, and maybe I’ll tell you a l
ittle more in the morning.”
“Okay,” I said as I smiled at her.
I supposed that good things came to those who waited.
I spent another restful night on Jessamine’s luxurious velvet sofa, and when I woke up, I marveled again at the luxury of my surroundings. Every time I looked around, I noticed new details, from furniture that seemed to be inlaid with real gold and precious stones, to gleaming and magnificently carved woodwork. I still couldn’t get over those marble floors and the way they shone in the morning light. I wondered who kept the palace clean in these troubled times, but I suspected it wasn’t the princess. I chuckled to myself as I imagined one of the mighty guards down on his knees with a bucket and a sponge.
In any case, it was early, and I was ready to roll. So, I quickly got up and went out to the chamber’s balcony to assess the enemy’s situation.
There was a rudimentary telescope on the balcony railing, and while it wasn’t super strong or clear, I could just make out the shuffling gait of the approaching army and the glint of their red eyes. Although it appeared the troops had made some small progress during the overnight hours, I was relieved to see they were still far away. I wasn’t sure how the zombies were still in formation in the morning light, but I decided to go inside to tell Jessamine the good news.
I returned to the chamber, and I was momentarily distracted to see the princess still laid in her bed, surrounded by jewel-toned feather pillows. To sleep, she’d worn little but a thin silk tunic, and I could see her erect nipples as she yawned, stretched, and sat up to look at me.
Damn, this princess was hot.
“Good morning, Joe,” Princess Jessamine greeted me in a sultry tone of voice. “Come, sit near me and tell me the latest news.”
“Will do,” I said, and I was happy to oblige the beautiful woman with my presence.
I pulled a finely carved chair with purple silk cushions over near the princess’ elaborate bed. It had been a little while since I’d been close to a woman who wore so little clothing, and my body quickly responded. I really needed to get out of this jumpsuit, and I thought I would ask Jessamine later for something to change into. It would help me fit in a little better as we traveled, and I could probably use some extra-strong armor for my groin area, at this rate.
The princess pulled a blanket up around her body and giggled. I wished she didn’t seem to have the ability to read my mind as I fantasized about her, but I was sure the beautiful woman was aware of the effect she had on men in general.
“I already checked out the enemy’s situation on the horizon,” I reported. “It doesn’t look like Jamar’s forces have advanced much for the time being, but that could change at any moment. I think we should proceed with our plans to recruit Omar as our new general, and start teaching the men how to produce the flamethrowers.”
“That sounds like a good plan, Joe,” the beautiful princess agreed as she stretched her arms over her head and yawned, and my eyes couldn’t help but watch the way her full breasts and proudly erect nipples pushed against the thin material of her silk shirt.
“What?” I asked when I realized she’d said something to me I totally hadn’t heard because I’d been staring at her boobs.
“You are the hero, so I know your actions will lead us in the right direction, but I agree you are making good decisions.”
“Thank you, Your Highness,” I said as my cheeks heated up a bit. I basically had to make things up as I went along in this situation, and it was nice to know an experienced warrior thought I was on the right path. Now, I had to think about the most efficient way to accomplish our goals, and I leaned back in the purple chair.
“I am almost ready to plan, Joe,” Princess Jessamine went on as she lowered her eyes bashfully, “but I would love to bathe first. Would you mind leaving the room so I may undress and head over to complete my daily ritual?”
“O-Oh, of course,” I responded with a respectful nod, though the images that ran through my mind were anything but respectful. Next, I gestured down at my blue coveralls, and I was grateful my morning wood had subsided. “And while we are on the topic, do you have anything else I could wear? It’s not exactly easy for me to blend in around here.”
“I do love a man in uniform,” Jessamine responded with a playful smile as she looked me up and down. “But I agree, we could probably find you an outfit more suitable for Fairyland.”
I went back out on the balcony to give the princess her privacy and to get some fresh morning air. Other than the enemy that encroached on the horizon, it was going to be another beautiful day. All this desert sunshine reminded me of being back home in SoCal, and I wondered if anyone had noticed I was missing yet. I had no idea if time even passed at the same rate in Fairyland.
In the early morning light, the spectacular sand dunes glowed almost white. I looked again at the bazaar several hundred yards away, and I admired the colorful, draped fabrics, now faded a bit, and the elaborate architecture that still stood, despite the long war. I tried to imagine the mystical potions and creatures that had been sold by merchants in the town’s glory days, and I was sorry I hadn’t had a chance to see it.
I sat down on a cushioned lounge and began to make a list in my head. If we were truly about to leave soon, we would need to summon Omar, our new general, and start to teach him and the other guards how to make weapons. We would also need to gather food and other supplies for our trip, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on that armor Jessamine had promised me.
The princess soon returned from her morning routine, and she looked and smelled fresh and beautiful. Her ebony hair fell down her back in elaborate braids, and she’d put on something more similar to what I’d first seen her in, which I could best describe as a teal, armored bikini with elaborate metalwork. I definitely wasn’t sorry to catch a glimpse of so much tanned skin, and I briefly imagined Jessamine rubbing expensive, perfumed creams onto her body, even though, as always, those gilded scimitars were at her side.
“Now, Joe, let’s get you some armor,” the gorgeous brunette began, and she tugged on the zipper of my jumpsuit with a teasing smile.
“Sounds good,” I replied and fanned myself. “It’s getting hot, and I could definitely use something more comfortable.”
Jessamine giggled and called out to the guards for assistance, and the men soon brought me an outfit.
I examined the apparel they handed me. For everyday desert wear, I now had a pair of flowing, cream-colored pants, tapered at the bottom, and a matching tunic. A gold vest embroidered with elaborate designs completed the look, and I thought I could hold on to my old work boots for the time being, though they didn’t exactly go with the ensemble.
In terms of armor, I received a shirt made out of gilded chainmail and coordinating plates for my arms and legs. I realized the golden helmet they handed me was probably worth more than what I made back home in a year, if not a lifetime, as it was inlaid with what appeared to be sapphires and emeralds.
I supposed it was time to play dress-up, and Jessamine led me to the bath to put on my new clothes. She closed the door tightly behind me, and I quickly unzipped my coveralls and stepped out of the uncomfortable item of clothing I’d been wearing for two or three days now, though I’d lost track of time since I’d come here to Fairyland. I’d never been so glad to get undressed in my life, though it would have been nice if Jessamine had been there in the room with me.
I stood in my plaid boxers for a moment in the airy room and enjoyed the cross breeze that flowed between the open windows. It had gotten warm, so I decided to put on the airy, linen clothing first and put on the armor when we hit the road, unless I needed it first. I quickly got dressed in the pants and tunic, and I went over to take a look at myself at a large, tile-encrusted mirror I’d seen on the wall.
“Hey, not too shabby,” I muttered to myself as I admired my reflection. The clothing fit me well, and I thought I could have almost passed for one of the kingdom’s inhabitants. I was excited to have the
princess take a look at me, and I went out into the hall where she waited.
“Ooh, Joe,” she gushed and reached up to tousle my hair. “I like how you look dressed in my kingdom’s traditional apparel.”
“I’d wear anything for you, Jessamine,” I replied.
“But there is no time to waste,” the beautiful princess continued. “Omar has arrived at the palace, and we should start to talk now.”
“Lead the way,” I told her.
Princess Jessamine and I retreated back to her sitting room, where a short but stately man with black hair and a trimmed, dark beard stood and waited for us.
“Omar, meet Joe,” the gorgeous woman began. “Joe is the hero who has come from another world to save us from Chernabog.”
“My wife, my daughters, and I consider it an honor the princess has summoned me here today, and I am glad to be of service.” The man nodded to me. “The guards told me of your success in the battle against Jamar, and I admire your military skill greatly. I have never heard of anything like the magic flames that were described to me.”
“Thank you,” I replied, and I was happy Omar seemed to trust me. We all needed to work together if we had any hopes of winning this war. “I am honored to meet you as well. Princess Jessamine has spoken very highly of you. I’ll be happy to teach you everything you need to know to build a flamethrower of your own.”
“Excellent!” The princess clapped her hands together and seemed pleased. “I have received word the guards have brought your supplies to the foundry, so why don’t we go ahead and get started?”
I was eager to explore the palace grounds further, so I quickly jumped up to make the trip to the foundry. Then I followed Jessamine and Omar out of the sitting chamber, down the hall and a long, steep flight of stairs, and out into another, smaller courtyard surrounded on all four sides by the palace walls.
