Princess Master

by Eric Vall

  In the bright sunshine, I was amazed to see beautiful peacocks with their glorious feathers extended as they ran freely through the grounds. Bright parrots also squawked as they hopped from exquisitely carved benches to the edges of fountains with clear, flowing water, and then they flew to the tops of some of the tallest palm trees I’d ever seen.

  And could that possibly be a huge, orange and black-striped tiger, sleeping in the shadows?

  “Holy shit,” I involuntarily gasped when I saw the huge cat.

  “Don’t worry, she’s tame,” Jessamine replied with a reassuring smile. Then she grabbed a date from one of the many fruit trees that lined the gleaming white courtyard and handed it to me.

  The three of us proceeded through a large, wrought iron gate and down a sandy path. I could see the swirls of tiny sandstorms out in the distance, and I was amazed again at the sight of the gigantic sand dunes.

  We soon reached the foundry, where several of the princess’ men had gathered for the flame throwing lesson.

  The foundry was one of the smaller buildings on the palace grounds, and it was cool and dark inside. I was happy to catch some shade after our stroll in the sun, and I could hear the horses whinny from the nearby stables.

  I was also pleased to see the men had gathered several of the large, black cauldrons I’d used to decimate Jamar and his troops with during the battle. Many pipes laid about, and there were several bellows available for our use. I even noticed somebody had already produced a large bucket of napalm. They’d done well at gathering supplies, and I thought it would be easy for the soldiers to learn how to forge the pipes needed to construct the device.

  “Okay, let’s do this!” I began. Public speaking wasn’t really my thing, but I was determined to sound strong in front of the men. “The first thing you need to understand is how we make the napalm, or ‘sticky’ fire.”

  “Was that why the fire didn’t go out in the rain?” Omar asked.

  “Exactly!” I nodded. “The combination of the wax, resin, wine, and oil made it so the flames can’t be put out by water, which is why we were able to destroy the zombies so easily.”

  Princess Jessamine had picked up quite a bit of information from me when I’d built my first flamethrower the other night, and she helped me lead the lesson on the creation of napalm and the construction of the furnace that would send it blasting out onto the unsuspecting zombie forces. It was clear the guards regarded their female commander with the utmost respect, and I was once again impressed by the beautiful woman’s intelligence and talent.

  After we’d gone through the process of how to construct the weapons, Omar and I decided to help place the cauldrons at strategic locations along the walls of the palace’s many balconies. It was hard labor, but I knew the princess watched us work.

  If the whole ultimate hero thing didn’t work out, at least she would know I was a hard worker.

  It had been a long day, and in the evening, we said goodbye to Omar for the time being and retreated to Jessamine’s chambers, which had become like a second home to me. We sat outside on the balcony while we ate fruit and bread with honey and drank sweet red wine, and the lanterns placed at precise intervals around us emitted a magical glow. I could smell the enticing scent of the colorful blossoms that bloomed on the fruit trees below, but I could also sense something else was on the beautiful princess’ mind.

  “Hey, Princess Jessamine,” I began with a grin. “Do you think we’re prepared for our trip tomorrow? Because I think the guards are ready to defend the castle. Those flamethrowers are kick-ass, and Jamar’s going to regret the day… ”

  I trailed off as I realized the princess was suddenly crying.

  “Tomorrow?” The gorgeous woman wrung her hands and shook her head, and crystalline tears glittered on her cheeks. “I think maybe we should delay our trip a day or two. I’m not sure we can get everything ready in time, and we still haven’t fortified the sewers. Maybe… we just shouldn’t go at all.”

  I realized I needed to talk the princess down, so I tried to stay as calm as possible.

  “I know how hard this must be, Your Highness,” I began in a gentle voice. “You know your men depend on you, so you don’t want to leave them. That’s what makes you a great leader.”

  “I really feel like they need me,” she sobbed.

  I could certainly understand how Jessamine felt. I’d just gotten comfortable at the palace, and it would be hard to leave again. I’d already seen some of the terrible things that lurked in Fairyland, and I shuddered to think of what we would encounter on our journey.

  But from a military standpoint, we seemed to have no other choice, so I had to work to convince the princess.

  “Princess Jessamine,” I sighed, “I know it can be difficult to leave the only home you’ve ever known. As you know, I left home myself recently, and it’s been terrifying. But I wouldn’t encourage you to come with me to find Princess Cienna if I didn’t truly believe it was the right thing to do.”

  “Joe,” Jessamine gasped and got a wild look in her dark eyes. “The palace has excellent maps. And we have horses! Do you know how to ride? I have no doubt you would be able to make the journey to rescue Cienna by yourself.”

  Did she just say what I thought she’d said? Me, go alone? There was no way.

  “Um, Princess Jessamine,” I chuckled and awkwardly rubbed the back of my neck, because I had to tell her. “I’ve actually never ridden a horse before, and you must know much more about Fairyland than I do. I really, really think you need to come with me.”

  “You’re right, Joe. And that wouldn’t make any sense anyway. All of the princesses are going to need to be together with you for everything to work. I am sorry… I’m just… very scared.”

  The princess sighed and leaned against me, and I could feel her soft hair tickle my face. If it hadn’t been for the intensity of our conversation, the scene could have been romantic, with the soft lighting and the evening breeze.

  “It’s okay to be scared,” I whispered as I gently ran my fingers through her hair, but I didn’t make the movement sensual at all.

  I knew she needed comfort and encouragement more than she needed romance right now. It was clear the princess was worried about leaving her men and her home, and while her fears were totally understandable, we would have the best chance of surviving if we hit the road as soon as possible.

  The beautiful woman appeared lost in thought. She was so close to me I could feel her heartbeat, and I didn’t want her to be sad anymore. Finally, she spoke again.

  “Joe,” she murmured, “there is one aspect to the situation I hadn’t fully considered before. In addition to us all needing to be together to fight Chernabog, Princess Cienna might be expecting me and my forces to personally rescue her. If you go alone, she may think you have been sent by Jamar, or another one of Chernabog’s minions, to trick her. It is impossible to trust almost anyone in Fairyland anymore, as it is possible to be deceived by either a magician or a traitor, and we have plenty of both.”

  I considered what she’d said. It made a lot of sense, and I was glad it seemed like she’d started to come around.

  But I still wondered one thing.

  “Princess Jessamine,” I started to ask, “why was it so easy for you to trust me, when you say it will be hard for Cienna? How did you know I wasn’t one of Jamar’s tricks?”

  “I believe in the power of the genie.” The princess shrugged gracefully. “I began to explain to you before that the genie is neither good nor evil, and he only does the bidding of whoever holds the lamp. I have seen the genie do many wondrous things over the years, as well as many horrible things. I know how powerful he is, but, most importantly, I understand he is fair. You have to be careful, but you always get exactly what you wish for. I wished for a hero, and I got you. So, I believe in you as well.”

  “That… makes sense,” I murmured even though disbelief still coursed through me. It seemed crazy, but Fairyland’s stories had actually
started to sound real to me. Either the hit on my head at Frank’s house had been harder than I thought, or I’d started to accept a whole new reality.

  “The thing is,” Jessamine continued with a furrowed brow, “Princess Cienna grew up in a whole different kingdom than I did. I visited her land many years ago, and nothing was the same as it is here. The trees are thick, lush, and turn colors in the fall, and rivers run through bright green fields for as far as the eye can see. Even the animals are different, and it snows in the winter!”

  “It sounds wonderful, Jessamine,” I snickered, “but I’m not sure what this has to do with our current situation.”

  “I’m getting to the point, Joe,” the beautiful woman laughed. “I’m just trying to paint a picture of the full story. Not only is Cienna’s landscape different, but the monsters are different, and so are all of the other creatures. The mythology itself is not the same as it is here. The princess knows about the hero of legend, but she doesn’t know who it is. If you went up to Princess Cienna and told her the genie had sent you to save her, she would probably laugh in your face. And then she would stab you. She’s not the kind of woman who likes to be trifled with.”

  Damn. These princesses were pretty hardcore.

  “Well, I certainly don’t want to be stabbed,” I snorted. “But okay, that makes a lot of sense to me. Now, are you convinced yet that you want to come with me?”

  “Yes, I think I must go with you,” the elegant woman sighed. “There are other reasons Princess Cienna may not trust you. She has not always been treated well in her life, and she is slow to come around. But you will learn more as you get to know her.”

  “Okay,” I replied warily. I was intrigued by the thought of meeting another beautiful princess, especially if she was as hot as this one. However, the stabbing was definitely a downside.

  “Anyway, this is so hard,” the beauty sniffled. “You don’t understand, Joe. I haven’t left my kingdom since I was a child, and… one day I journeyed into our city dressed as a commoner. That was when I met Ali. I didn’t really understand how money worked, or anything like that, since I was a princess. So, I took an apple from a fruit stand and offered it to some hungry looking children. The shopkeeper got angry at me and--”

  “He tried to cut your hand off?” I asked.

  “Yes!” she gasped. “How did you guess?”

  “Uhhh… I… well.” I cleared my throat. “I may have heard this story on my world. I’m guessing Ali saved you?”

  “Yes!” she sighed. “He was just a common thief, but he had a wonderful heart. I have barely left the palace grounds since he died. I’m… I’m… ”

  Suddenly her eyes fixed on mine, and her beautiful mouth hung open.

  “Joe!” she gasped. “I have an idea!”

  “Okay?” I furrowed my eyebrows.

  “Ali’s carpet! My husband’s carpet! It can only be used by great heroes. Let’s see if it works with you! Come with me!”

  “Magic carpet?” I asked as she pulled me to my feet. “Where are we going?”

  “I’ll show you,” she told me with a sparkle in her deep brown eyes. “The carpet is in a part of the palace that not many people know about other than me.”

  We walked down a corridor lined with luxurious rugs, which made me think even more about our travel plans.

  “A carpet, huh?” I mused aloud. “I really thought magic carpets were only in books.”

  “I assure you, this is real,” Jessamine said and grinned. “It is truly magical, and I can’t wait for our ride.”

  After several flights of stairs, we were down by the stables now, and the princess began to look around surreptitiously.

  “Princess Jessamine, where are we--” I began, but she put a finger to my lips to quiet me.

  “Shhhh, it is incredibly important no one else find out about this,” she said in a quiet voice as she led me around the building to what seemed to be the very base of the castle. I followed the princess to an inconspicuous wooden door that was hidden behind a small fence, and she produced a ring of keys from somewhere.

  Jessamine selected a tiny gold key and fit it into a lock I hadn’t noticed before, and the tiny door swung open. A puff of dust came out, and I coughed. If I had to guess, it seemed to be some kind of storage area.

  “Come on,” the princess beckoned me, and she pulled me into the strange, dark room.

  When my eyes adjusted to the light, I couldn’t believe what I saw. The interior of the palace was luxurious, but I’d never seen so many riches casually thrown about a room, including paintings, tapestries, and piles of jewels.

  I saw Jessamine digging through a pile of rugs, and I wandered over to where she was standing.

  “I know it’s in here somewhere,” she muttered within my earshot. “Why did he have to hide it so well?”

  “Your Highness, is it missing?” I asked.

  “Ali’s rug was made to be disguised easily,” Princess Jessamine told me, and she bit a perfect red lip as she blew her hair out of her eyes in frustration. “I know he stored it in this room before he died, but he hid it in a pile of ordinary carpets. It seems to have worked so well, in fact, that I can’t find it at all.”

  “Here, let me help you look,” I said as I got down on my knees next to her.

  I couldn’t have rationally explained what happened next, but as I approached the pile of rugs, it was almost as if I felt a force pull my hand down. I flipped my hand through the stack, and an ancient-looking rug jumped into my hand, almost as if it had pulled itself out from the pile. The heavy woolen textile was mostly dyed crimson, but intricate designs in deep blues and greens and pale cream decorated its surface. The edges of the carpet were decorated in intricate floral patterns interspersed with mythical beasts. It was threadbare in spots and the tassels had started to unravel, but I knew the rug itself was priceless, even in this condition.

  “Holy shit!” I gasped. Jessamine hadn’t been able to find the rug, but it had jumped into my hand almost immediately, and I looked over at her to see she glowed with admiration.

  “I knew you were the true hero, Joe,” the beautiful princess told me as she gazed at me with a new light in her eyes. “I didn’t doubt it before, but there’s no way that could have happened if you weren’t the real hero. The genie keeps being proved correct. I know Ali would have wanted someone to protect me after he was gone, and he even would have wanted me to remarry, as we will soon. He always wanted the best for me, and, of course, for Fairyland. This carpet was his most prized possession, and it has chosen you.”

  “Uh… well, I hope I can live up to his legacy,” I told her as I bowed my head.

  I raised my hand into the air and watched as the rug pulled itself all the way out from the pile of other carpets and began to float slightly above our heads, against the storage room’s low ceiling. Was I crazy, or did its tassels seem to beckon to me as it drifted lazily in the air?

  I was surprised when the princess reached up and kissed me on the cheek.

  “Wow,” I breathed. I couldn’t help myself.

  “Joe,” she told me in a soft voice. “I believe in you so much, not to mention you have been so understanding. You listened to my worries, and you have eased my mind. Now, I even know we are going to be able to use the carpet tomorrow. Thank you for your kindness.”

  “I’m going to do the best I can,” I said, and I grabbed her for a quick hug. “Let’s go get some sleep. Things will look better in the morning, and we can pack and prepare to be on our way.”

  When we left, I noticed Jessamine was careful to lock the storeroom, but I looked at the small lock doubtfully.

  “Your Highness, are you sure that tiny lock is going to be able to keep all of those treasures hidden from bandits, not to mention Jamar?”

  “The door is enchanted.” Jessamine smiled. “The lock adds a little added protection, but most cannot see it at all.”

  “Amazing,” I breathed. It seemed like the wonders of Fairyland would ne
ver cease to amaze me.

  “It has been a long day,” she said. “I will instruct my remaining servants to prepare for our travels, but we should get some sleep.”

  I nodded, and then she held my hand and led me back to her bedroom and the couch.

  When I woke up the next day, pale, early morning light was streaming in through the windows, but I saw Jessamine was no longer in her bed.

  I sat up and was trying to clear the cobwebs from my brain when she walked back into the chamber, and it was clear she’d bathed while I’d slept. Her long black hair was damp, and she rubbed it with a towel. Her clean, sweet smell was intoxicating, and I had to remind myself it was time to come up with more strategies, and not to fantasize about the gorgeous princess. I was afraid she’d changed her mind about traveling, but I was reassured when we spoke.

  “Joe, I just wanted to take one more bath before we hit the road,” she laughed, but she continued to speak in a resolute tone. “I decided I’m ready to travel. I’m now convinced it’s the right thing to do, even though the forces that once appeared on the horizon seem to be traveling faster now. I am scared and sad to leave my palace and city, but there is less and less time now between attacks. The war is escalating, and we must come up with a way to break the cycle.”

  “Princess Jessamine, I’m so glad to hear you say that. I truly believe the palace’s defenses are strong, and that your men will only work to make them stronger before the enemy forces strike again.”

  The servants had already been hard at work packing our supplies, and I figured we needed to travel light, given that we were going by carpet. I looked with amusement at my plumber’s tools. They’d certainly come in handy on my adventure so far, and it was clear I knew how to wield a pipe wrench if it came down to it. Only time would tell if I would need them on our further travels, so I decided to bring them along. I’d quickly grown accustomed to luxurious palace life, and I wasn’t thrilled about the idea of having to camp out somewhere in this strange land, but we would do what we had to do.