by Eric Vall
Jessamine was the first to notice a pot hanging over the fireplace, and she quickly ran over to inspect it.
“Joe, Cienna, look!” she gasped. “This is full of water.”
She scooped her hands into the cauldron and quickly drank, and she splashed water all over her face, clothing, and down onto the floor.
“My turn,” I chuckled as I walked over and playfully pushed her to the side, but I accidentally spilled even more water.
“Hey, we need to save that!” Jessamine giggled. “Let’s fill our flasks here, and they will serve us well as we travel.”
“Good idea.” I nodded.
The beautiful princess grabbed the two leather flasks from the pack and dipped them each into the pot, one after the other.
“But Joe,” she whispered suddenly, and she sounded serious for a moment, “I think we need to take a look at Princess Cienna. She doesn’t seem… well.”
I’d forgotten about the other princess for a minute, and I turned around to see Cienna had collapsed into a chair. I remembered the strange time magic she had performed as we were fighting, and I wondered how much it had taken out of her.
“I think I’m going to need to find a bed and carry Princess Cienna to it,” I informed Jessamine. “She seems pretty weak.”
I walked over to where Cienna was slumped over, and I bent down to prepare to pick her up into a fireman’s carry.
“What’re you doing?” the blonde muttered, but she could barely open her eyes to look at me.
“I’m going to lie you down in a bed,” I explained.
“I can walk by myself,” she argued as she tried to push herself up, but her arms wobbled, and after a moment, she collapsed back down into the chair.
“Uh-huh, sure,” I chuckled. “Don’t be stubborn. Let me help you.”
The gorgeous blonde grumbled under her breath with her eyes closed, and I slid my hands under her slim body. For a second, as I held her in my arms, she opened one of her eyes, which was a striking, deep blue.
“Fuck you,” she mumbled softly, before she drifted off again.
This was one spicy princess.
In the cottage’s second room, there was a hard-straw mattress covered in a rough tan fabric, and I laid Princess Cienna down on it and sat down beside her for a moment before Princess Jessamine came to sit next to me.
“Do you think she’s okay?” Jessamine whispered, and she frowned with worry.
I looked down at Cienna doubtfully. The color was gone from her cheeks, and she seemed pretty limp on the bed. She could have just been sleeping, but since I didn’t know the exact extent of the injuries inflicted by those bastards, I wanted to make sure she didn’t have something like a concussion and randomly died in the middle of the night. So, I thought about what could possibly be used to revive someone.
“Do you have any smelling salts in that pack of yours, Your Highness?” I asked Princess Jessamine. I didn’t want to take the step of throwing a bucket of water on Cienna, but I didn’t want to go to bed for the night without making sure she was alright first.
“I don’t, but, hey, Joe, look,” the dark-haired princess said and gestured down at the bed.
“I’m awake… ” Cienna stirred a bit, and then she blinked her eyes a couple times and coughed. Finally, the blonde opened her eyes fully and sat up on her elbows.
“Take it easy, there,” I murmured.
“Princess Jessamine,” Cienna rasped as she zeroed in on the dark-haired woman beside me, and she held out her hand in greeting. “What with all the running for our lives, we haven’t been properly introduced. It is wonderful to finally meet you in person. I know you have come a long way to find me, and I truly appreciate the sacrifices you have made to save my life. I have a long story to tell you about my journey, when we have the time.”
“Princess Cienna, I am honored to meet you as well,” Jessamine replied and grabbed the other woman’s hand in return. “We have just been through a difficult battle, and you need to rest. Your magic was impressive, but I know how exhausting it can be to cast spells. You can share your story whenever you’re ready.”
I had to sit back and pinch myself, because it suddenly occurred to me that I was basically in the middle of a sexual fantasy right now. I was on a bed, in the middle of nowhere, with two of the most incredible women I’d ever seen. Cienna wore that tiny blue armor bikini, and I honestly wasn’t sure how it was still on, given the way her breasts strained at the confines of the clasped metal. Her slim, toned stomach sat below her ample chest, and long, muscular legs stretched down to bare ankles and slim, tiny feet.
And then, on the other side, I had Jessamine, whose long, thick black hair was pulled up to expose a slim, tan neck. Even in battle, she’d worn sparkling jewels in her ears. I thought back to when I’d seen the princess in almost nothing at all, and I couldn’t seem to keep my mind off those firm breasts, that flat, tan stomach, and the warm place I knew laid in between her legs…
Someone cleared their throat, and I looked up to see Princess Cienna watching me appraisingly.
Shit, I must have been staring as I fantasized.
“And who exactly are you again?” the beautiful woman asked as she leaned back on her elbows and stared into my eyes.
“Oh, Princess Cienna, I must introduce you to Joe!” Jessamine began to rave about me. “Joe is the hero who has arrived to save all of us from Chernabog. I wished on the lamp a few days back, and the genie brought him to me. To all of the princesses, really. Joe is going to save the world, isn’t that right, Joe?”
“O-Oh, yes, Jessamine,” I answered her as my voice shook a little bit. Then I cleared my throat and sat up a bit straighter. “That’s right, I’m the hero. Here to save the world from Chernabog.”
“Um, you do realize he’s dressed in rags?” The blonde looked me up and down doubtfully. “Are you absolutely positive this… Joe… is the hero of legend? He just doesn’t seem very… heroic.”
I thought she seemed pretty salty considering how well I’d done in the fight back there, not to mention the fact I’d come all this way to save her.
“Listen, Cienna,” I started. “I really appreciate what you did for us in battle, and I know you were traveling to bring Jessamine reinforcements, but I think we are all going to need to work together if we’re going to get anything done here.”
“First of all, it’s Princess Cienna, or Your Highness, and I don’t know you at all--” The haughty blonde suddenly stopped herself and rubbed the back of her neck wearily. “I’m sorry, I don’t know where my manners are. It’s been a really bad couple of days… weeks… I’m not even sure anymore. Since I’ve been captured, they’ve had me bound with ropes the whole time. I’ve been beaten, called a slut, or worse… Then I heard someone named Jamar had commanded I be brought to him alive, so I guess I’m actually lucky, since I’m sure this Jamar character had told his minions not to rape me so he could be the first one to do it.”
The beautiful blonde choked back a sob, and I had to forgive her rudeness. I thought back to what we’d heard the soldiers say in the tent, and the way they had her tied up, and I thought her anger was understandable.
“See, we can all get along,” Princess Jessamine chirped and grabbed both of our hands. “Like Joe said, we’re going to have to work together if we want to get out of here. But why don’t we try to get some rest for the evening, and we’ll figure out what to do next tomorrow?”
“Sounds like a plan,” I replied. “I’ll let you two have the bed, and I’ll figure out a way to camp out on the floor.”
I found some rough wool blankets in a cabinet and laid myself out next to the women. The two princesses quickly drifted off to sleep on the straw, and I relaxed to the sounds of their even breathing. My eyes started to feel heavy, but I made sure Genie’s Wrath was within reach before I finally started to relax.
Tomorrow, we would need to make a plan for what we were going to do next, now that we were all together, but that was a plan fo
r tomorrow.
So, I finally eased into dark oblivion with my hand wrapped around the hilt of my golden sword.
When I next opened my eyes, early-morning light was streaming in through the window, and my groggy brain registered the sound of two feminine voices. After a moment of confusion, I sat up, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and looked over to see the two princesses engaged in a conversation on the bed.
“I don’t want to stay anywhere near this place for much longer,” Cienna said as she shuddered. “It just reminds me of these awful men and the terrible way they tied me up, beat me, and threatened to rape me.”
“I agree,” I spoke up, and the two women turned to me in surprise.
“Joe, you’re awake.” Jessamine smiled. “Good morning.”
“Morning,” I sighed and stretched my back until it popped. “Back to your conversation, though, we didn’t make it that far on the carpet last night, and we know Jamar was coming to that nearby camp. So, the sooner we get out of here, the better. I’m afraid of what will happen if he runs into Jessamine outside of her kingdom, and I don’t think he’s fond of princesses in general.”
“Yes.” Jessamine nodded, and even first thing in the morning, she looked absolutely beautiful. “That definitely sounds like a plan. I was just thinking we might be able to find some supplies here first. For example, we could really use some new clothing, and some boots. My feet are killing me.”
“Let’s take a look,” I grunted as I hauled myself up onto my feet.
There was a tiny wooden wardrobe standing next to the stone wall, and when I opened it, I saw an assortment of clothing in different sizes.
I pulled out a heavy pair of pants and inspected them. It appeared the owner had been somewhat larger than me, but I was happy to see the clothing seemed warm and durable. This was no climate for linen, so I pulled the new, thicker pair of pants over the ones I was wearing, and they sagged a bit around the waist.
“These are a little big,” I observed aloud. “I think they’re going to stay on, though, at least I hope so. Princess Jessamine, do you see any rope anywhere?”
I turned to look at the princess, but she was distracted by pulling out the women’s clothing.
“It’s so… drab,” she muttered with a frown to Cienna. “I don’t know why everything has to be brown.”
“I know, this isn’t exactly the height of fashion,” the blonde replied as she furrowed her porcelain brow.
“That’s what we’re looking for,” I reminded the princesses. “When we travel, we are going to need to camouflage ourselves in the trees as much as possible.”
“I know, Joe,” Jessamine sighed. “I was just being vain, but I know what needs to get done.”
I continued to pull items out of the wardrobe until I found what I was looking for: a heavy work jacket. I thought it would be perfect for the weather and for the task at hand, so I put it on and spun around for Jessamine and Cienna in my new outfit.
“How do I look?” I asked them.
Cienna just sniffed, but I thought her eyes lingered on my chest for a moment.
“You look like a true peasant, and I mean that in the kindest way possible,” Jessamine giggled behind her hand. “Now, it’s our turn. I wish we could wear clothing more suitable for fighting, but the men’s pants and shirts are even large on you.”
She dug through the closet more and found a thick, long-sleeved woolen tunic.
“Perhaps you don’t have to wear the women’s clothing,” I mused as I ducked my head back into the wardrobe. “Here, try these stockings.”
I wasn’t sure who they belonged to, but I thought the princess might be able to wear the pair of wool leggings I extracted from the back of the closet.
“Joe, that’s way better than a dress,” the beauty gasped, and her dark eyes sparkled with delight. “I need clothes I can run in, but these shoes are a huge problem. So, I’m going to take these boots.”
She grabbed a pair of worn leather boots from the bottom of the closet that appeared to be in a small enough size, and I was relieved Jessamine would finally be out of those damn sandals.
We found a similar outfit for Cienna, but I started to grow anxious. The morning was bright outside the cottage’s windows, and as more time passed, I envisioned the rest of the soldiers quickly marching toward us. Still, I took the time to put on my armor over my new clothes, just in case we ran into anyone out there.
“Alright, Joe, I think I’m ready,” Princess Jessamine announced.
I turned around and laughed to myself, because in her tunic and tights, the princess looked like nothing so much as a tiny, beautiful Robin Hood, but I didn’t share my sentiments. Besides, the outfit was infinitely more practical than what she’d been wearing earlier, especially after she put her mail on.
I opened my mouth to comment, but suddenly I thought I heard a familiar sound. It was rhythmic, pounding almost, and it seemed to be growing closer.
“What’s that?” Jessamine asked as she tilted her head with a frown.
“Hoofbeats,” Cienna muttered, and her blue eyes widened.
Shit, I’d gotten so caught up in our conversation I’d forgotten to keep watch out the windows.
We were going to have to run.
“Quick, Jessamine, grab our packs and our weapons,” I instructed as I jumped into action. “We’re going to need to get out of here. Cienna, do you think you can walk?”
“Yes,” she confirmed as she pushed herself to her feet, but her knees almost immediately buckled.
I also realized the blonde princess was still barefoot, and we hadn’t managed to grab her any boots. We’d have to worry about that later, though.
Jessamine returned with our packs a moment later, and I scooped up Princess Cienna into my arms.
“Watch it!” she called out, but there was really no time for any discussions.
With the princess in my arms, I encouraged Jessamine to follow me as we jumped out the first-story cottage window into the brush below.
Then we started to sprint off into the forest.
I just hoped we could outrun those soldiers.
Chapter 9
We ran through the rough terrain as I carried Cienna, but I wasn’t sure how much longer I could last pushing through the brambles, even though the princess was as light as a feather in my arms.
“I’m glad I have these boots,” Jessamine gasped as she ran, “but this is rough.”
“I know,” I panted. “I can’t run forever like this, and there’s no way we’ll be faster than those horses, anyway.”
Cienna just moaned and squirmed in my arms as my footsteps jostled her body.
The sound of hoofbeats had gotten louder, and I could now hear shouts from the men. They were too far away for me to hear their exact words, but I knew they would gain on us quickly.
We needed a plan.
“Jessamine, we need the carpet,” I said. “Think it will work now? We’re pretty desperate.”
“Let’s try it,” she panted. “We have nothing left to lose.”
We paused, and she pulled out the scarf. Then Jessamine began to focus intently on the piece of fabric, but nothing happened.
Now, I could hear the sound of voices directly behind us.
“Hurry!” I hissed. “We need to get out of here!”
“I’m trying as hard as I can,” Jessamine groaned.
Just when I had started to give up hope, the scarf began to transform itself into the large, unwieldy rug, and the colorful patterns swirled and grew before our eyes until it finally reached its full size.
The sound of hoofbeats got closer, and I suddenly realized the soldiers were almost upon us.
“Get on, everyone!” I shouted. “Hurry!”
The women and I scrambled onto the rug just in time.
“I see them!” I heard a rough voice shout, and several other men grunted in agreement.
“Joe, we need to get out of here!” Jessamine called out. “Go!”
&nbs
p; “Hang on, everyone!” I shouted as I pulled up on the tassels, and the rug began to move.
I just hoped we could get more power than we had the night before now that Jessamine was well rested.
With a start, the rug jerked itself up into the air at a steep angle. I had to swerve quickly as I tried to avoid the trees, and from what I could hear behind me, I gathered Jessamine was trying to keep Cienna on the carpet.
“Hold on tight!” Jessamine cried out, and she gripped my body tightly with one hand.
“Hang on, it’s bumpy,” I grunted as I tried to reach behind me to grab hold of her arm, but I had trouble navigating and holding onto the dark-haired princess at the same time.
Then the magic carpet stuttered and shook for a moment, and I was afraid we were going to lose power again. So, I pulled back on the tassels as hard as I could, and we thankfully shot up into the air.
“Yeah, motherfucker!” I cheered as I pumped my fist. From below, I could see the guards stare up at us in anger and amazement, and I called out to them. “See you later, assholes!”
“We’re doing it, Joe!” Jessamine called out. “So much higher than last night, too!”
We sailed above the treetops, and I checked out the landscape below, which was much greener than either Jessamine’s kingdom or L.A. The palm trees had disappeared, and the remaining trees were thicker and leafier. I was no architecture expert, but the few buildings dotted here and there definitely looked more European.
The wind rushed by my face as the sun shone on my cheeks, and I had to admit the magic carpet was pretty fun.
Even if we were running for our lives.
Now that we were airborne, I was able to turn around and check on the princesses, and I wasn’t surprised to see Jessamine with a huge smile on her face.
“Joe, you did it again,” she gushed before she turned to Cienna. “Not that I’m surprised. This hero is unbelievable.”
I was pleased when Jessamine reached her soft hand under the collar of my shirt and began to caress my bare shoulder, but if she kept this up, I wouldn’t be able to concentrate on flying.
