Mischievous Prince

by Michelle M. Pillow

  A gruff noise sounded, a succession of indecipherable foreign words. The loud voice was out of place in the quiet.

  A bright light shone through the curtains. No, not curtains. A tent flap. She lifted her hand to block the sudden intrusion from her eyes. A figure loomed over her in the small space.

  Seeing her, the man’s language changed. “Who do we have in here?”

  She spread her fingers to see his face. Age marked the man’s features in tiny lines. Shadows made the wrinkles more pronounced. There was something cold within that gaze, removed from the situation, no warmth, no welcoming smile, no curiosity.

  “I see.” The man sighed loudly, and then commanded, “Come out of there. This is no place for royalty.”

  The flap closed, but Sadie was wide awake, and the now opened tent did little to block daylight.

  Sadie turned to see Finn lying next to her. His eyes were closed. She touched his chest.

  “Finn? Who was that?” Sadie asked as if what was happening was part of her everyday life.

  When Finn didn’t answer, Sadie decided she was too tired to come up with an alternative to the reality someone had gone to a lot of trouble to create. She’d heard of cosplay and historical reenactments, but this was on another level.

  Three suns, green sky? she thought. This is the work of a megalomaniac who is both delusional and color blind.

  Squaring her shoulders, Sadie decided she’d give it her best shot and try to turn the situation around somehow to her advantage. Clearing her throat, “Finn? That man wants us to follow him.”

  She tried shaking him, but his body moved like it was a lump of lead.

  “I don’t know what to do.” Sadie took several deep breaths before she could force herself to open the tent flap.

  The light hit Finn’s face. A pale undertone added sickness to his features. His chest lifted as he breathed.

  “Finn?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “Finn?” She gave him a small shake. Still, no answer. “I’ll find you help.”

  The tent hung low to the ground, affixed to an outcropping of rocks. The sagging walls hardly looked weather-worthy, as if someone had hurriedly strung up a blanket to make shade. A couple of blankets covered the hard ground, providing little padding.

  “Come out,” a woman said.

  So far she’d seen only men in this place, and the idea of another woman gave her some measure of comfort. Sadie crawled from the tent only to find a dress blocking her way. Her eyes traveled upward. The lavender folds of the thick skirt belonged as the centerpiece at a Renaissance Faire, the cream underdress peeking through the bodice and along the arms. Tiny dragons were embroidered over the neckline, stiffening the material so that it lifted and held firmly in place.

  Even if she were truly only an actress, the woman carried herself like a noblewoman. The disapproval in her expression was not hidden as she looked down at Sadie. A delicate hand reached forward as the woman motioned Sadie to stand.

  Sadie scrambled to her feet, drawn to obey the woman’s voice. She motioned to the sick man in the tent. “I thin—”

  “Welcome to the family of Draig, Lady…” The woman’s eyes narrowed as if upset by something, but she continued, “my lady. I wish you much happiness and a blessed marriage.”

  “Thank you—wait, marriage?” Sadie questioned. “Listen, this guy in the tent is—”

  “I am Queen Galina. This is my husband, King Severin.” The queen gestured to the man next to her. His clothes matched in their regal appearance with soft fabrics and embroidered hems, just as his expression matched the stress on his wife’s face.

  “I think there is a mistake. I’m not an actress,” Sadie whispered. “I don’t know what part it is I’m meant to play.”

  The king and queen glanced at each other, bemused somewhat.

  “Where is my son?” The king questioned, only to call, “Finn? Step out of the tent.”

  Sadie looked over her shoulder. “I’ve been trying to tell you. He’s not well. Please, call an ambulance. He needs a doctor.”

  Her words caused a flurry of movement. The queen pushed past her to look inside the tent. With a hard jerk, the king tore the blanket from its anchors, tossing the material aside. Sadie was pushed back as men gathered forward to look at the unconscious prince on the ground.

  “Send for a medic,” the scary man, who’d first stuck his head into the tent, ordered. He was the only one not pushing forward to inspect the prince. When she stumbled near him, he reached out and grabbed her upper arm. He held her tight. His disapproving frown seemed almost sinister, but in truth everything about this day was tainted by fear.

  Sadie tried to pull her arm, but his grip tightened.

  “Stay where you are, my lady,” the man said. “We cannot have the new princess traipsing over the countryside looking like...” His eyes dipped over her with disgust. “Like a human. This situation is degrading enough.”

  “I’m not a princess,” Sadie denied.

  “On that we agree,” the man quipped.

  “So what are you? Like the king’s bodyguard?” Sadie returned the man’s frown. The hold on her arm remained firm, but he stopped squeezing when she stopped trying to pull free.

  “I am Lord Montague,” he said. “Head of the elder council.”

  “Lord Montague? Is that like being a member of some Shakespearian parliament?” Sadie mocked. “Let me guess. He’s Romeo? I’m Juliet? And I just fucked up the death scene?”

  “Stop talking,” Montague commanded. “Your words have no meaning here.”

  The chaos of the encampment drew her attention. Two men carried Finn from the tent to a softer patch of tall yellow grasses. Gudmund said something she couldn’t understand and pointed toward the trees. Two of the creatures who were shifted into dragon form ran toward them. Sadie stiffened and tried to pull away.

  Montague grunted. “It is only the runner bringing the medic.”

  “I don’t understand what I’m doing here,” Sadie mumbled, unable to take her eyes off the alien faces.

  “All you need to do is stand there and be quiet. Do you think you can manage that much?” Montague’s condescending tone wasn’t appreciated, but she nodded her head in understanding. Maybe he was worried about Finn. That would explain his attitude. Or, maybe he was just an asshole.

  Sadie glanced at the sky, seeing a blue sun with the two yellow. It served as a reminder that she wasn’t anywhere close to home. The only ally she seemed to have in this place was unconscious. Too many thoughts whirled in her mind that she had a hard time concentrating.

  Why did the queen say she was married? She wasn’t even dating. Why was she hidden in a tent? Why did her forehead ache? How could she convince the man holding her arm to let her go? Three suns. New planet. Dragon men. Romeo Montague. Not a good omen, that. Romeo and Juliet both died tragically and stupidly. But she was too old to be Juliet. Wasn’t Juliet like sixteen or something? Thirteen? No, that didn’t sound right. This felt like something she should remember from High School English. Wait, why was she thinking of High School English?

  “The queen asked you a question.” Montague gave her a small shake.

  “I don’t know the answer.” Sadie rushed. She had been a little too preoccupied with her oncoming panic attack that she hadn’t heard the question. She met the queen’s gaze.

  “You don’t know how you came to be here?” the queen asked, arching a brow.

  “Oh, that. A fuzzy man was fighting with Finn.” Sadie waited to see what their reaction would be. Maybe, the head prankster would call “cut” now that she had made a complete fool of herself. Still, there was nothing but humorless expressions on stone cold faces.

  Clearing her throat, Sadie decided it was time to throw-down the ace up her sleeve. “He threw me into a portal, the furry man, not Finn.” Sadie glanced from Montague to the queen. Maybe now they’d admit to the hidden camera? But there was no such luck. Instead, they appeared to want more. “And I
flew through the portal. I thought it was the black door with the skull, but now I’m sure it was the wall.” Still, they looked at her. She didn’t know what they expected her to say. “And I landed on this side of the portal.” Once again, exaggerating the weirdest most absurd idea that ever left her lips.

  The queen motioned some nearby guards to move away to give them privacy.

  “Fuzzy man? Do you mean Prince Ivar?” Montague prompted.

  Sadie shrugged, not liking their attention focused so fully on her. “If that’s what you call the cat-man in the alley. One moment he was human and the next he was, he had fur, he…” Her voice trailed off, not sure of what the politically correct way to explain became a scary hairball.

  “Ivar and Finn were fighting?” Montague said to the queen. The question sounded rhetorical.

  “No. That is not possible. They have been friends since childhood,” Queen Galina dismissed. “They know better than to make a scene. Besides, Ivar would never go on an unsanctioned trip through the portal.”

  Montague grunted and glanced to where Finn’s body was blocked by the medic. It was clear they both knew Finn well and they apparently believed he could make an unsanctioned trip through the portal. The man evidently had a penchant for going against the grain.

  “How is Finn?” Sadie leaned, trying to see.

  “What were they fighting about?” The queen lifted her arms over her chest. “You?”

  “What? Me? No. I don’t know. I don’t speak the language. They were yelling. I tried to break up the fight, but then... Ivar?” They both nodded when she paused. “Finn hit Ivar. Ivar hit Finn. Finn fell through the wall. Then Ivar grabbed me and pushed me in. I’m sorry, but that’s all I know.”

  Montague mumbled something under his breath that Sadie couldn’t understand.

  “It could have been any number of things,” the queen answered Montague, partly in defense. “Speak the Earth language. The men will hear you. Most of them have not taken Earth lessons and know very few words.”

  “The princes broke protocol by going through the portal,” Montague said. “Prince Finn willfully, and not for the first time, disobeyed the will of the elders.”

  “It was not a direct order,” the queen defended her son. “We had only set a meeting to discuss closing the portals. No decree was set forth saying no one was to travel through them.”

  “It was implied,” Montague argued.

  “It seems much is being implied by you, my lord.” The queen’s expression stayed calm, but her eyes flashed with an inner glow.

  Sadie didn’t want to be in the middle of their power play. “Seriously, is Finn going to be all right? He didn’t look that great.”

  “Of course, you’re worried about your husband.” Montague loosened his hold on her arm. Sadie yanked away from him. She kept a wary eye on the irritated queen and grumpy lord.

  Making an arc, Sadie moved around the dragon men watching over Finn, until she spotted an opening and squeezed through it.

  He lay on his back, blinking slowly. A low groan left him as he turned to look at her. Their eyes met, and she felt a deep sense of relief in knowing he was awake.

  None of this made logical sense, but it was time for Sadie to remember who she was. She was resilient. She was good in new situations, and at making friends. She was observant. She was strong. She could handle herself.

  Against dragons?

  Sadie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Yes. I can handle myself against dragons.

  “What kind of princess agrees to be married under an old blanket?” Montague muttered under his breath as he passed by. “Finn has brought disgrace yet again to the royal family.”

  Sadie turned and locked eyes with the man, letting him know she’d heard him. His eyes flashed with yellow as if daring her to contradict him. She looked away.

  “Lord Montague has always been ill-tempered,” the queen said, coming to her side. “But he is not wrong. This marriage ceremony was not well done.” The woman placed a hand lightly on Sadie’s arm, smiling prettily. The expression did not meet her eyes. “You are to say nothing. Do not speak. Do not hint. Do not answer questions with so much as a nod. Do you understand?”

  Sadie stared at the woman and didn’t move.

  “Good,” Queen Galina acknowledged the non-answer. “Now try to smile. Stop looking as if Finn is at death’s door and that you doubt the gods meant for your marriage to last a long time. My son is strong. He will not die from a little bump on the head.”

  Sadie tried, but she was sure the pathetic attempt at pleasantness was completely lost in what had to be a psychotic expression.

  “I was told the princess also required my services for her head?” the medic approached the queen. His words were stunted as if the language was difficult for him to pronounce. He eyed Sadie’s strange smile and kept his distance.

  “Do you require a medic?” the queen asked. Sadie dropped the crazy expression and didn’t answer. The queen gave her a once over and then dismissed the medic in their native tongue.

  Finn stood and said something to make those around him laugh. He wobbled a little on his feet as he moved toward her.

  Sadie glanced at the queen before defying the order not to speak. “Are you well?”

  Finn gave her an easy smile. “Rough landing. I was just telling them there is a reason our dragon doesn’t fly.”

  The queen made a small sound.

  “I guess that’s partially my fault since I was the one who landed on you.” She didn’t expect the round of laughter that followed her statement, and couldn’t help a nervous laugh. “So, I think I might have hit my head as well. Everyone keeps saying that we’re married?”

  Finn’s eyes narrowed as he glanced at his parents. “I’m assuming the queen has welcomed you to the family?”

  “Yes.” Sadie nodded.

  “Then don’t worry about it, fea, all is taken care of,” Finn said.

  Sadie narrowed her brow in confusion. “What is taken care of?”

  “The ceremony,” he answered.

  “But—”

  “You must be tired, my dear,” the queen interrupted. “Finn, take the lady by the back way to the palace.”

  “The tunnels?” he questioned, furrowing his brow. “But—”

  “It will give you some privacy.” The queen gave another of her overly studied smiles. “The king and I will see you at the palace.”

  Finn nodded and offered his arm to Sadie. She took it only because she wasn’t sure what else to do. Getting away from the crowd seemed like a good idea. Finn strolled as if they had nowhere to be. As the men watched them, she saw flashes of gold cross several of their eyes. Some even acted as if they would shift as brown patches molded their cheeks and foreheads into hard armor, but they held their humanoid forms.

  She glanced at Finn, and his eyes also glinted with an inner light. For some reason she couldn’t explain, the reminder of the dragon floating just beneath his surface didn’t frighten her. His abilities and strength could easily overtake her, but then so could any human bodybuilder. So why should a little dragon genetics worry her? Sadie knew how to read people upon first meetings, and these dragon men acted human enough for her to get some sense of them. Everything Finn did when he was around her was gentle. He moved with grace, keeping his arm loose as she held it. She didn’t detect aggression in him. There was a stiffness to his shoulders as if he carried a great invisible burden.

  When they reached the inside of the cave, he dropped her arm and leaned against the rock wall. He took a deep breath and held his head. “I need a moment.”

  “I knew it. You need a doctor.” Sadie motioned to the portal statues. “Turn that door thing on and let’s find a hospital.”

  “It doesn’t work like that. The portal won’t take you back to that village if that is what you are thinking. It only opens during certain times and the next opening isn’t safe for passage.” Finn lifted a hand toward her shoulder. “Let me carry that bag for
you.”

  Sadie shook her head denying him the opportunity to help her. “I’ve got it. She said as she was already questioning her motives for not letting him be a gentleman to her. Maybe she thought that she’d owe Finn something in return for the kind gesture. Maybe she was practicing her independence as a strong woman. Or, was it because she didn’t trust him?

  The moment lingered a little longer than it should. Whatever the truth was, Sadie had maintained control by the simple act of saying no.

  Finn nodded and instead reached for a torch. He led the way past the portal into a dark tunnel. “Watch where you step and let me know if I walk too fast.”

  Sadie frowned, disguising what she thought as she promised herself that she should memorize her way back to the portal. Eventually, she would have to go home. Walking too fast wasn’t a problem. Finn made slow progress. Then again, memorizing a path wasn’t an issue either. There was only one direction forward.

  In some ways, this felt like an archeological expedition—meeting royalty of some remote tribe no one in the United States knew about. Too bad she couldn’t do a write up on their food. No one on Earth would believe she’d gone to… “Where are we again? What do you call your planet?”

  “Qurilixen,” Finn answered.

  No one would believe she’d gone to the planet of Qurilixen. Oh, but imagine the website hits and advertising fees if they did. She’d often daydreamed about going abroad to work, but so far, her site only covered travel in America. Competition was fierce, and she needed to keep her content fresh to keep her site relevant. For a moment, Sadie let her mind stray further than it was safe to do under the circumstances as she wondered if there was internet connection here on planet Qurilixen.

  Probably not.

  “Not much farther.” The words so low she wasn’t sure if he said them to reassure himself or her. When the torch swayed, she took it from him. The smoke curled from the tip of the torch further contaminating already stale air.

  “What will happen?” Sadie studied the orange light reflecting off his back. It outlined his hair and broad shoulders, giving her something to focus on in the dark.

  “We’re going to the palace. I need to rest,” he said.