Clifford picked up the quill pen and carefully dipped it
into the bottle of ink. He made one last notation on the
parchment that lay before him and then he set the paper
aside to dry. He glanced at the sunlight as it shone
through the window of his tower room and reckoned that it
was mid-afternoon. Clifford put away the quill, and
smiled to himself. It was time for a break. He went to
the only door to his chambers and carefully threw the
bolt that would lock out any visitors. What he was about
to do was for his eyes only.
Clifford was a wizard. In fact, he was a very good one.
He just didn’t look the part. Instead of being a tall,
imposing figure with strong features like the classic
idea of how a wizard should appear. He was short and
scrawny with a nose that was too large for his face. His
thin hair defied any brush or comb to tame it, and the
wispy strands stuck out from his scalp at all angles. His
unfortunate looks drove away any desirable females, but
children just loved him. Clifford always had an endless
supply of tricks and magic to astound and amaze their
young minds.
But tricks for children were far from his mind this
afternoon. It was definitely time for adult play. As he
did a little dance step back across the room, Clifford
sang tunelessly to himself, “What does a wizard wear
beneath his robes?” He grabbed the opening of his
voluminous robe and whipped it away from his body. “Why
nothing,” he announced to the air as his naked and very
pale body came into view. He came to a heavy cabinet, the
door of which would open only to his magical touch, and
from there he removed a candle and a leather wallet.
Moving to the wide cot that served as his bed, Clifford
lit the candle and placed it on a nearby table. He opened
the wallet and removed one long, dark human hair. He
grasped the hair by one end and swung it into the candle
flame. There was a puff of smoke that grew all out of
proportion to the material burned. The smoke thickened
and expanded and began to take on a human form, a very
feminine human form. In seconds a simulacrum to
Clifford’s Queen stood before him. The candle was
powerful magic and the hair he had used was from the real
Queen.
“Hello, Clifford,” she said in a sultry voice.
“Hello, Anna,” answered Clifford, using the Queen’s given
name.
Clifford was in his late forties and the real Queen was
almost twenty years younger. The double that stood before
him now was slightly taller than Clifford and just as
nude. Her thick, dark hair fell to her waist. She had
flawless skin and a generous figure that had Clifford
hard and throbbing in seconds. They came together in a
deep kiss that became wetter and more frenzied with each
second. Anna reached between their bodies and gabbed his
rigid cock. “Make it bigger, darling,” she whispered in
his ear. Clifford responded by muttering an incantation
that made his cock grower longer and thicker with each
stroke of her hand.
It was a conceit on Clifford’s part, of course. Anna’s
double would have loved Clifford’s cock no matter its
size, but the growth added to the excitement of his
fantasy. His cock enlarged until it was longer and
thicker than his arm and its fist-sized head was trying
to burrow its way between Anna’s breasts. She stepped
back and used both her hands to stroke the giant member.
A gush of precum erupted from its tip and Anna swirled
the clear liquid around and over his engorged cock-head.
“Oh, Anna” moaned Clifford, the sensations from his
oversized cock were almost more than he could stand.
Anna wrapped her arms around his cock and clasped it to
her breasts. When another pulse of precum washed over her
breasts, Anna smiled and said, “I think you better fuck
me before you waste anymore of this.” She teased his huge
cock head as she used it to rub the hot cum into her
creamy skin.
“I think you’re right,” said Clifford as he led her to
his cot.
Anna lay down and spread her legs wide for her lover.
Thanks to his magic, Clifford’s enormous cock slipped
effortlessly into Anna’s steaming hot pussy. He lowered
his weight onto her pillowing breasts and stuffed his
tongue into her mouth. Their bodies hunched and flopped
around on the cot in a graceless rhythm. Clifford knew
that he couldn’t hurt Anna and he banged and thrust at
her as hard as he could. All he wanted now was to drive
his body to an orgasm that would have him streaming cum
like a fountain. He was oh so close to his release when
the door to his chambers rattled.
Clifford’s eyes flew open and his body went rigid. Damn,
damn and double damn, he thought. He took a deep breath
and tried to make his voice sound normal and polite. “I’m
very busy,” he called out. “Please come back later.”
The door rattled impatiently and a commanding voice said,
“It’s me Clifford.”
“Oh shit,” Clifford gasped, and his stiff body quivered
in surprise. It was the King at his door. He starred down
at Anna. The King’s voice hadn’t bothered her of course.
She wasn’t the real Queen. In fact, her face was
contorted with sexual pleasure and her pussy was in
constant spasm trying to urge the cum from his body. But
it wasn’t going to happen. Clifford couldn’t have
produced an orgasm at this moment if his life depended on
it. He sighed and stretched out his hand to snuff out the
magical candle. Unfortunately, when the flame
disappeared, so did Anna’s body. Clifford fell onto the
edge of the cot and then toppled onto the floor.
He scrambled to his feet, and called out, “Just a second,
Sire.” Clifford threw on his wizard’s robe and ran to the
door. In his haste, Clifford had forgotten about his
freakishly huge cock and before his hand could reach the
bolt, his cock fell from his robe and thudded painfully
onto the door.
“Damn it all to hell,” muttered Clifford as he rubbed the
hurt. He waved his hands meaningfully over the huge
organ, and it quickly shrank back to its normal size and
disappeared into his robe. Clifford threw the bolt and
opened the door. He bowed as the King strode into the
room.
“Clifford, is everything all right?” asked the King as he
glanced around the room.
“Everything’s fine, Sire,” said Clifford. “I was just
working on a particularly sensitive spell.”
“You’re not going to make half the castle disappear
again, are you?” chided the King, referring to an
unfortunate episode from his and Clifford’s younger days.
“It was hardly half the castle, Sire. And as I remember,
you were right there, urging me on.”
“But I’m not the one who substituted ingredients in that
spell.”
“But you were the one who was so hot to see Lady Farvish
in the nude.”
Both men laughed. It was an old argument between friends.
They reminisced and spoke of this and that until the King
remembered why he had come. “Clarence,” he said, “as you
know, my daughter will be one year old a month from now.
There will be a festival and of course we’ll have her
naming ceremony at the same time. I would like for you to
send an invitation to the Fairies of the forest, and ask
their blessing.”
It was a tradition among royalty and commoner alike to
ask the Fairies to watch over newborns, however the
Fairies seemed to help or hinder humanity at their whim.
Clifford could contact the Fairies of course, but he had
no illusions that he could induce them to do anything;
their magic was superior to anything he could conjure.
“Sending the invitations is no problem, Sire. But I can
hardly guarantee that they’ll attend, and you may not
know it even if they do.”
The King nodded. “The Fairies do as they wish, of course.
However, the Queen insists that we try.”
Clifford cringed inwardly at the mention of the Queen. He
felt guilty at using a simulacrum of his friend’s wife as
a sex toy, but he could hardly wait to resume his play.
Outwardly though, he smiled and said, “I will attend to
it immediately.” After a few more pleasantries the King
took his leave.
Clifford remained extremely horny, but he put duty before
pleasure and went straight to work on the invitations.
First he went to his window, and using a minor spell as
well as a sprinkle of seeds, he lured several pigeons
into a cage. He wrote out the invitations for the Fairies
on a special parchment, and then he ground the parchment
into powder, and mixed the powder with various potions.
He fed the concoction to the pigeons and then one by one
he removed the birds from their cage. He murmured a spell
of protection over each bird, and then released it into
the open. Each bird would fly to an area of the kingdom
where a Fairy dwelt to deliver its message.
Unfortunately, the closer Clifford got to the end of his
labors, the hornier he became and the faster he worked.
As a result, his spell of protection over the last pigeon
wasn’t worded perfectly.
But Clifford didn’t notice. He had already flung off his
robe; regrown his cock back to its former stature, and
relit the candle that brought the Queen’s hot and eager
double back to his cot. Clifford ravaged Anna’s pussy
with his rock hard penis until a magically enhanced
orgasm overtook him. For a full minute he squirted
copious amounts of cum into a pussy that sucked on his
cock better than any ordinary mouth or pussy could have
managed. After that, an exhausted Clifford fell asleep.
He had no way of knowing that several miles south of the
castle, his last pigeon had become a falcon’s dinner.
**
It’s not easy to ascribe human emotions to a Fairy, but
the one named Elise seemed to be both pissed off and
jealous. She was jealous because the other Fairies had
received invitations to the King’s festival and she had
not. Elise was pissed off because she hated feeling
jealous concerning anything to do with humans. Oh they
could be amusing, but like any inferior and self-aware
species, they thought that their antics actually had
meaning in the grand scheme of things.
The lack of an invitation certainly couldn’t stop her
from attending though, so Elise showed up at the festival
after the other Fairies had departed. Once there she
entered the mind of an elderly woman who had stood in
line for hours to catch a glimpse of the new Princess and
the babe’s proud parents. A Fairy could enter the mind
and body of a mortal at will. She could simply observe or
she could control the mortal to whatever extent she
wanted. When it became her turn Elise, as the old woman,
peered into the child’s crib where the Princess was
quietly content to suck at a toy and watch the parade of
adults pass by. “She is really such a beauty, Sire,” said
the old woman.
The King nodded, “Thank you madam, many people have said
that very thing today. In fact, I’m beginning to think
that we should call her Beauty.”
The Queen shook her head vehemently, “It would be cruel
to saddle a girl with a name like that.”
The King laughed, “I suppose you’re right, my dear.” Much
to the Queen’s chagrin however, their conversation was
overheard, and despite the fact that the Princess was
given a dozen other names that day, she was known as
‘Beauty’ from then on.
As the King and the elderly woman chatted, Elise studied
the baby. It had been her plan to curse the child so as
to make her father pay for his slight. However, she could
tell that the other Fairies had blessed the child with
beauty, intelligence and good health so there was nothing
that she could do immediately. But Fairies lived long
lives and Elise was willing to be patient.
**
It was Beauty’s sixth birthday. There was no grand
festival this time. The affair was a birthday party
geared for children instead of their parents. The
children played in the castle courtyard, while the adults
stood around the edges and talked amongst themselves.
Currently, both groups were watching Clarence as he
performed a series of magic tricks for the children. They
giggled and laughed as he made flowers grow out of ears
and buckets of sweet, brightly colored goop suddenly
appear and pour their contents over unsuspecting heads.
For his last trick, Clarence placed a box that was no
larger than his fist on top of a small table that he had
been using. After warning the children that magic could
be dangerous and that things didn’t always go as planned,
he flipped open the box then jumped back in terror as a
huge tiger flowed from the small container and perched
right on top of the table The big cat casually licked one
paw, and then the children gasped as it roared and sliced
through the air with its bared claws. Suddenly the tiger
roared again and leapt from its spindly perch to soar
over the head’s of the children. They shrieked in
delighted fear as the tiger looked as if it were about to
eat them all. At the apex of its leap however, the tiger
exploded into hundreds of candies and treats – the
children scrambled from their seats to grab up the
goodies.
The King watched the children with quiet amusement. He
motioned Clarence over and pointed to one of the
children. “I know that boy in the blue shirt, who is he?”
Clarence followed the King’s gaze. The boy in question
had garnered more than his fair portion of the candy, but
he was sharing his gain with the smaller children who
hadn’t been able to get as much. “That’s Hal, the son of
stable-master Harold.”
“Oh yes, now I remember. A well behaved and intelligent
lad, I hear.”
“Yes Sire,” agreed the wizard.
The King looked thoughtful. “I want you to cast a spell
on Hal. Beauty needs a companion from among the
commoners. Bind him to her, lightly and subtly of
course.”
“Without his father’s consent?” Clarence was surprised.
The King was usually very conscious of his subject’s
freedom of choice in such matters.
“I’ll take care of the boy,” said the King. “He may
attend school with Beauty and the other children of the
nobles.”
“Yes Sire,” said Clarence. There wasn’t much else he
could say. Anna, the King’s beloved queen, had passed
away while attempting to give birth to a male heir for
the throne. The child had died as well and in his grief
the King had become fixated on his daughter. She was
going to be his heir and the queen of his kingdom when he
was gone and that was that. Whatever the King thought had
to be done toward that end was to be done.
**
Hal stood and stretched his lanky frame. Two horses,
which were tied behind him, whinnied and stepped about
nervously. Hal turned and patted one of the horses on the
nose. He said, “Don’t worry, she’ll show up eventually.”
For the last decade Hal and Beauty had seen one another
almost every day. They had school together in the
mornings. And then in the afternoon, Beauty was tutored
in the art and science of ruling a country, while Hal
spent his time either in mock combat with the young
knights in training, or he helped his father in the
stables. Twice a week it was his job to saddle a riding
horse for the princess and accompany her on a ride
through the royal forest that surrounded the castle.
Hal looked at the lengthening shadows in the courtyard
and decided that they best cut this afternoon’s outing
short. He heard a door open and turned in time to see
Beauty stomping down the steps from the castle. She was
dressed in her usual riding attire, which tended to be
more practical than fashionable. She was wearing a man’s
plain cloth shirt with long sleeves. The shirt was tucked
into what looked like a mid-calf length skirt, but was
really a pair of pants with large, pleated legs. Her
boots were scruffy, but well used and comfortable, and
she wore a large cloth hat like ones that the peasants
used to keep the sun off their heads. Her only
concessions to fashion were an embroidered vest that
fastened beneath, and accented, her ample bosom and a
colored ribbon that tied back her dark hair.
Hal could tell by the way her boot heels smacked on the
stones, and the way that she jabbed her hands into her
riding gloves that she was definitely not in a good mood.
She threw up her hand to forestall any comments from him.
“Yes, I’m late,” she said. She grabbed her horse’s reins
from his hand and threw herself into the saddle. “I don’t
know why I have to know the history of every square foot
of land in this kingdom. Even father has advisors. And
then the politics of …” She went on and on as they
trotted away from the castle. One of her many instructors
had put her in a really petulant mood. Hal knew from long
experience not to say anything beyond making agreeable
sounds. They had been on the trail for an hour when he
realized that she had stopped ranting and was actually
talking to him. “How was your day?” she asked.
“Oh just the usual, tactics and strategy after lunch, and
then swordplay. We were on the practice ground when…”
He launched into a story that ended with a particularly
unlikable mutual acquaintance lying face down in a puddle
of mud. Beauty giggled and then laughed out loud. Hal
congratulated himself on lightening her mood.
They arrived at a fork in the trail and reined in their
horses. One trail wound its way deeper into the forest,
and the other was a shorter route that paralleled a
stream that ran back to the castle. Hal said, “We better
go down to the creek. We got a late start and I think
it’s going to rain.” He frowned at the darkening sky.
Beauty shook her head. “I’ve been looking forward to this
ride all day. We can hurry,” she argued to his
disapproving countenance. “If you can keep up, that is,”
she laughed as she kicked her horse into a gallop down
the longer trail.
Hal shook his head. She was a good rider, but not in his
class. He caught her soon enough and they slowed to a
more reasonable pace. They had reached the halfway point
in their outing when Hal’s prediction of rain came true.
They found shelter and waited out a thunderstorm.
Unfortunately, the storm turned into a drizzle and as the
day grew later and darker they had to take to the trail
without any sort of rainwear. Slowly but surely their
clothing became soaked. The brim on Beauty’s hat grew
heavy with rain and flopped around her face. Her shirt
became plastered to her breasts and the cool temperatures
made her nipples stand out. Hal took advantage of the
erotic view to keep his mind off his own discomfort. In
fact, the sight of Beauty’s breasts bouncing and swaying
with the motion of her horse gave him an aching erection.
I was nearly dark when they slogged back to the castle
stables. When they were finally inside and out of the
rain, the riders dismounted. They looked around but there
was no one to be seen. Apparently the inclement weather
had driven any other riders in early, and the grooms on
duty had left for dinner or a warm fire somewhere.
Beauty took off her hat and wrung the water out of it.
She ran her fingers through her hair and said casually,
“Hal, put up my horse, I’m liable to miss dinner.”
Hal snorted. He had always treated Beauty with the
respect due a princess but he was miserable and in no
mood to let her get away with this stuff. “Put up your
own damn horse. You have a hundred servants to bring you
a hot meal whenever you like. I’m the one who’s liable to
miss dinner.”
Beauty’s eyes flashed. She took a couple of quick steps
to stand directly in front of Hal. She planted her hands
on her hips and said, “I know that’s not true. I hear the
young maids talking about you. ‘Did you hear what Hal
did? He’s so nice. He’s so clever and handsome,'” she
mocked in a high girlish voice. “You’re the one who’s
more likely to get his supper and his other appetites
satisfied by the castle staff.”
Hal blushed, he’d had his way with more than one of the
pretty young chambermaids in the castle, but that had
little to do with who was going to care for two wet and
hungry horses. “Jealous?” he asked in a mocking tone.
Beauty’s eyes flew open in rage. She took a deep breath,
which thrust her breasts even more tightly against the
clinging wet material of her shirt. She was about to
verbally lash Hal, when he grabbed her around the waist
and kissed her hard and fast.
Hal couldn’t believe that he’d given in to his lust like
that. But she was just so beautiful and regal and
desirable and vulnerable right now that he couldn’t
resist. He half expected Beauty to struggle and scream
for help, but she didn’t. In fact, when Hal thrust his
tongue into her mouth, she returned the kiss just as
ardently. They couldn’t hold each other closely enough.
Beauty’s breasts pillowed against his chest and he could
feel her hard nipples through their clothing. He had one
hand around her waist and the other was on her ass,
pressing her hips against his raging cock. Her hands were
all over his back and in his hair as she pulled their
mouths together even more tightly.
Physically, Beauty was no little girl. She was as tall as
most men and her clothing was leaden with rain, but Hal
easily swept her off her feet and carried her into one of
the empty horse stalls. Without breaking their kiss, he
laid her in clean straw. Their tongues dueled as Hal
caressed her breasts. She moaned when he pulled the wet
material of her shirt across her sensitive nipples.
Hal’s cock was so hard it felt numb. If Beauty had been
one of the castle maids, then he would have been pounding
away at her pussy by now. But she was no chambermaid who
was looking for a quick thrill; she was a princess and
soon-to-be queen. He had too much respect for her and her
position to assume that she wanted him to go farther. If
she would just give some sort of signal, he thought.
Beauty used both hands to push Hal away. He rocked back
on his heels and made ready to give an abject apology.
Beauty glared at him and said in a hiss, “Will you please
hurry before someone comes along?” She began to fumble at
her clothing and in seconds her riding pants/skirt were
gone.
And a sign is what I got, thought Hal as he tugged at his
pants until they were around his knees. He waddled
between Beauty’s thighs and was surprised when she
grabbed his cock and pulled it into her. After the
coolness of the rain, Beauty’s pussy was like liquid
heat. He was going to ease himself inside her slowly but
Beauty had other ideas. She hunched her hips up to his
and hissed in his ear, “Come on, fuck me hard.” Her nails
bit into his back to urge him on.
Hal responded eagerly. He pounded into her as fast as he
could move. He knew that he couldn’t last long at this
pace, but it didn’t matter. Beauty wrapped her arms and
legs around him in a quivering embrace as she came, and
he followed seconds later. The couple rolled on their
sides as Hal’s softening cock tickled its way out of
Beauty’s pussy. They embraced and kissed again, but more
with affection than sexual heat this time. Beauty
whispered, “Now we’re really late. You really wouldn’t
mind putting up my horse for me, would you? Please?”
Hal caressed her cheek with his fingertips and flicked
bits of yellow hay out of her dark hair. He looked
dreamily into her eyes and whispered back, “Put up your
own damn horse.”
**
Although Hal and Beauty thought they were being discreet,
most anyone who knew them noticed the change in their
relationship. There were shared smiles and whispers and a
certain glow on their faces when they were in the same
room. It took a while, but eventually even the King
noticed a change in their attitudes towards one another.
And when he did finally take notice, he called for
Clarence.
“Clarence,” said the King, “I want you to remove the
spell that binds that Hal to my daughter, and if they
still spend time together after that I want you to do
some of your spying on them. I want to know what kind of
a relationship they’re having.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” was what Clarence said, but what he
thought was: That little binding spell wore off years
ago, and any young man Hal’s age would obviously be doing
his best to get his hands all over the aptly named
Beauty.
So the wizard went back to his room and prepared to do a
bit of snooping. He captured another pigeon. And the next
time that Beauty and Hal went on one of their little
rides, Clarence cast a spell on the bird and set it to
follow the young couple.
Clarence was able to see what the pigeon saw through the
use of a magic mirror. At first the bird had to swoop and
dive and circle to keep the couple in sight. The jerky
motions were enough to give Clarence a headache and a
queasy stomach. But then Hal and Beauty left the main
trail and picked their way slowly through heavy growth
along a small stream. The bird had to take to hopping
from branch to branch when the foliage closed in, and the
couple left their horses tied to some brush while they
continued on foot. After traveling for a few minutes,
they popped through the dense growth and into a clearing.
Hal spread out a heavy ground cloth that he’d been
carrying and the couple smiled at one another.
Beauty gave Hal a curtsey, complete with a dainty finger
under her chin, and said, “May I suck your cock, kind
sir?”
Hal returned her curtsey with a sweeping bow and said,
“It would be a pleasure, my lady.”
Beauty fell to her knees and unfastened Hal’s pants. His
cock popped into view, rampant and pointing at the sky.
Beauty pulled it level with her mouth and wrapped her
lips around the throbbing head. She slid her lips down
his cock, twisting her head first one way and then the
other.
Clarence’s eyes flew open wide in surprise. He’d expected
some adolescent kissing and fumbling and giggling, maybe
even some heavy duty groping, but not this. I guess
there’s no question now as to how intimate they are,
thought Clarence.
Hal stood there with his hands on his hips, eyes closed,
as Beauty bobbed her head on his cock. Hal began to grind
his hips in slow circles, and then to pump them back and
forth. He grabbed Beauty’s head began to fuck his cock
into her mouth faster and faster. “Ohhh…here it
comes…here it comes,” he moaned. Hal shuddered and
convulsed as Beauty sucked and swirled her tongue around
Hal’s spurting cock. “Oh shit, oh gaaah…” he protested
as Beauty continued to play with his swollen dick.
Finally she released him and stood up. She slid her arms
over his shoulders and gave him a hard kiss. She said,
“Too much for you?”
Hal shook his head. “It feels like you’re trying to
swallow my dick when you do that.” He kissed her back and
then said with a grin, “But I like it.”
“And now it’s my turn, kind sir,” said Beauty as she gave
Hal another curtsey, and then she began to disrobe.
Clarence pulled open his wizard’s robes and brought his
fully hard cock into the open. “Oh my word,” he said in
an awed voice as Beauty’s breathtaking body was revealed.
The little girl he had amused with simple magic tricks
was now a complete woman. Chestnut hair fell across her
broad shoulders and swirled around her proud breasts that
jutted out firmly. Clarence grabbed his cock and began to
rub it as Hal put his hands on Beauty’s waist and ran
them down her full hips and ass as he kissed her. Beauty
lay on the ground and pulled Hal down with her. She
spread her legs and he immediately covered her pussy with
his mouth.
Clarence, through the eyes of the pigeon, could only see
the back of Hal’s head, but it was obvious that he must
have his tongue buried in her pussy or whipping at her
clit. Beauty rolled her head from side to side in
excitement and rubbed her palms across her nipples.
Clarence jerked at his cock with a steady rhythm that
already had dribbles of precum lubricating his fingers.
Beauty arched her back and moaned out her orgasm. It went
on and on until she finally relaxed and Hal stopped
tonguing her pussy just long enough to stick his newly
hardened cock in it. He humped madly between Beauty’s
thighs until she came alive once more. “Oh yeah, honey,”
she moaned. “Slow down a little and I’ll cum with you.”
Clearly, Hal didn’t want to hear that. His hips continued
to beat out a steady slapping sound against Beauty’s
body.
Beauty put a hand and a foot squarely on the ground and
gave a good push. In a second she was the one on top and
they hadn’t even broken their cock to pussy connection.
“Hey,” yelped Hal in surprise.
“Sorry,” said Beauty in a tone that inferred the she
wasn’t the least bit sorry. “I told you to slow down.”
“Well, please don’t stop altogether,” pleaded Hal.
“I’m hardly finished with you,” Beauty assured him. She
sat up straight and began to lazily roll her hips on
Hal’s cock like she was riding a horse. She put one hand
on her hip and began to rub her clit with the other.
Clarence flailed his fist up and down his cock as he
watched Beauty arch her back, her tits pointing nearly
straight up, as she came once more. Then Hal’s face
screwed up and it was obvious that he was pumping his
second load of the afternoon into Beauty’s grasping
pussy.
Clarence’s cock gushed and cum spilled all over his
fingers and dripped onto the floor between his legs. He
sighed deeply and then he began to worry about what he
would tell the King. Not the truth obviously, the King
would probably have Hal beheaded. He would have to think
of something very circumspect to say in his report to the
King.
**
“So what you’re telling me,” said the King, “is that
Beauty and Hal are screwing their brains out.”
Clarence winced, “I never said that, Your Highness.”
“You didn’t have to, Clarence,” said the King with a
sigh. “I threw those two together, I suppose that I
should have seen it coming.”
Like a knight on horseback charging though the throne
room, thought Clarence, but he said nothing.
“Well they can’t go on,” said the King. “Beauty must
marry a noble from one of the baronies in order to
strengthen the political ties of the kingdom. Once he’s
taken her supposed virginity and sired a successor to the
throne, then she can discreetly take all the lovers that
she cares to.” The King stared thoughtfully into space
for a moment and said, “I’m going to give Hal a
commission in my army and send him to Gorgia. Then I’ll
make Beauty one of my official advisors. That should keep
those two separated and too busy to think about each
other.”
Clarence could only nod in agreement. Gorgia was the
southernmost barony of the kingdom. Beyond it lay a
desolate mountain region that was home to outlaws and
petty tyrants who would constantly plunder the richer
land to their north if it weren’t for Lord Vance, the
Baron of Gorgia. Lord Vance was a brilliant military
leader and fiercely loyal to the King. Elements of the
King’s army were constantly rotated into Gorgia in order
to give them training and to keep the southern raiders
from growing too strong. It was dangerous work, Hal could
advance himself nicely in Gorgia, or he could die there.
**
Two years passed and Beauty attended another ball in
celebration of her birthday. She was breathtakingly
stunning in an off the shoulder white gown decorated in
pale blue gemstones. She spent the evening surrounded by
most of the nobility of the kingdom. They knew that she
was assuming more and more responsibility for running the
country, and they all wanted to be near her. For her
part, Beauty tolerated the attentions of the powerful,
the near powerful and the mere sycophants with grace and
charm. Throughout the evening she danced and chatted with
those men her father had deemed most acceptable as
suitors. Some of them were fat and smarmy, some of them
charming and handsome, but none of them were Hal.
Beauty was very careful not to mention Hal to anyone,
especially her father. She knew that Hal was exiled from
the castle because of her, and she knew that the less she
appeared to care, then the more likely it was that he
might return some day. That was also the reason that she
hadn’t tried to contact him, and she hoped that that was
the reason she hadn’t heard from him. It was a mighty
thin thread of logic she was clinging to, but it was the
best she had.
The Fairy, Elise, arrived at the ball unnoticed. She was
still enraged at the King, and now more than ever it was
evident that the best way to strike at him was through
his daughter. She didn’t have to read very many minds to
find out that not only was Beauty the most desirable
woman there; she was also unattached. And, thought Elise,
there was nothing like a sex scandal among the high and
mighty to bring them humiliation. Elise studied the men
in the room and picked out a handsome military officer in
his twenties. She entered his mind and body.
Beauty was sitting alone for once that evening. Alone
except for the half dozen servants hovering nearby. Then,
from around a clump of partygoers, a man in uniform
approached with a goblet in hand. For a second her heart
fluttered, she thought that Hal had miraculously
appeared, but then the man drew closer and she realized
that the soldier wasn’t her beloved.
The man stopped before Beauty and gave her a low bow. He
said, “Forgive my impertinence, Your Highness, but I
thought that you might like some refreshment.”
Perhaps because the officer reminded her of Hal, Beauty
reacted before her keepers could shoo the man away. She
said, “Thank you,” and took the goblet. She examined the
wine and its container and said, “I appreciate your
gesture, but I’m afraid members of royalty can hardly
afford to accept drinks from strangers, Lieutenant…?”
“Miller, Your Highness, James Miller – if I can’t serve
you drink, can I offer you a refreshing walk on the
terrace?”
That sounded like a wonderful idea to the hot and tired
princess. She took James’ arm and they strolled to a
terrace just off the ballroom. The couple followed a low
wall, which surrounded the terrace, until they found a
dark corner. It was the first time in ages that Beauty
had had a chance to talk to someone near her own age. The
young officer was kind and charming, not – it seemed to
Beauty – because he was out to advance his career, but
because he was genuinely interested in her. Thanks to
some magical assistance from Elise, the terrace soon
cleared of everyone except James and Beauty.
“You must have danced with every eligible nobleman in the
kingdom tonight,” said James.
Beauty laughed. “Yes, I’m afraid that I have to pick out
a husband from amongst that lot.”
“There must be dozens of them, it’ll be quite a chore.”
“Not really,” said Beauty. “Only a few of them meet my
father’s approval.”
“And which one meets your approval?” asked James.
Suddenly reminded of the conflict between her duty and
her own desires Beauty said, “I’m not sure.”
“I wish it could be me,” said James. And with that Beauty
was in his arms. They kissed as if they were old lovers.
Their bodies meshed perfectly. Beauty ran her hands up
James’ arms to his shoulders and pulled him to her
urgently. She could feel her juices begin to flow and her
knees weakened. It was all she could do to break the
passionate kiss and draw away from James.
Beauty loudly cleared her throat. She avoided James’ eyes
when she said, “Please escort me back inside.” James
didn’t speak, but he offered his arm and they reentered
the ballroom.
Two hours later Beauty was in her bedroom. As she sat in
front of her mirror combing out her hair, Beauty replayed
every second of her encounter with James. Her breathing
became faster as she remembered how his tongue had
wrapped around hers. Beauty shook her head and looked at
herself in the mirror. You meet a guy and two seconds
later you’re so horny you can’t stand it, she thought.
“You need to get laid,” she advised her image in the
mirror.
There was a tapping at her door. Beauty frowned,
wondering who it could be, her maid had gone to sleep
long ago. “Come in,” she called out. The door softly
opened and James Miller slipped in. He smiled at Beauty.
“How did you get in here?” she asked. There were guards
at the base of the tower that lead to her rooms, and her
maid always locked the outer doors to their suite.
James shrugged and began to remove his jacket. “I’m a
trusted officer of His Majesty’s Army, and by definition
a very resourceful chap.” He continued to strip off
various pieces of clothing.
“What…what are you doing?” Beauty said. She tried to
sound demanding, but the words came out breathlessly.
“Exactly what you want me to do,” said James. By now he
was down to an undergarment that did nothing to hide his
erection.
Beauty took in his broad shoulders, flat stomach and the
impressive tent in his shorts. She remembered his kisses
and how he had felt in her arms and said, “What I want
you to do…is to wait for me over there.” She pointed to
her oversized bed.
Beauty stood beside her bed and stripped off her bed
robes. James took in every luscious curve of her body as
he slowly stroked his cock. When Beauty joined him on the
bed, James kissed her mouth. Their lips and tongues
melted together. His hands seemed to be everywhere at
once and then suddenly he had a finger in her pussy. He
found a particularly sensitive spot and he lingered
there, bringing her to orgasm. Then he kissed her neck
and her breasts and trailed his lips across her stomach
until his tongue touched her clit.
Minutes later Beauty moaned, “Ohhh…do it again.” She’d
lost count of the number of times that her body had
shaken with yet another orgasm. James seemed to know just
when and where to touch her swollen pussy and clit to
bring her off, but now she wanted more. “Fuck me,” she
demanded. “Do it now.”
James manipulated her clit until she was at the brink of
another cum and then he slid his cock into her aching
pussy. It filled her perfectly, as she knew it would.
James began to fuck her with slow steady strokes. Despite
the fact the his cock had been swollen and stiff and
drooling precum ever since he had entered her room, James
was certainly in no hurry to cum.
“Harder, damn you,” urged Beauty, but James held her on
the edge with his slow strokes for what seemed like an
eternity. When she finally came, Beauty passed out and
then fell into an exhausted sleep.
James dressed back into his uniform with jerky, wooden
movements. Elise was having trouble controlling his tired
limbs as she looked into Beauty’s mind. Elise couldn’t
believe it, James was everything that Beauty could want
in a lover. He was handsome, charming, caring and he’d
just fucked her until she literally couldn’t stand it
anymore, but James wasn’t the lover in her heart. It was
some peasant whom she hadn’t seen in months, someone who
was too far away to figure into Elise’s scandalous plans.
She studied Beauty’s sleeping form and decided on another
tact. Elise summoned her magic. Very well, she thought,
you’ll sleep and sleep forever unless this true love of
yours comes to rescue you. She spread a pall of gloom and
malaise over the palace and then she enchanted the
surrounding grounds and forests. Elise flew from James’s
body and her invisible spirit hovered over Beauty. You’re
in love with this peasant boy? We’ll just see how much he
wants you, she thought.
**
Hal’s horse picked its way through the main camp of Lord
Vance’s army. It had been two years since he had heard of
the mysterious deaths of Beauty and her father, the King.
Hal had had little time for mourning because war between
the barons of the leaderless kingdom had broken out
almost immediately. Lord Vance, the Baron of Gorgia, and
his allies had fought to keep the kingdom together until
a new king could be named. Under the pressure of war,
Hal’s military career with Lord Vance had advanced
rapidly. He had become one of the baron’s aides.
Hal pulled up before a large tent in the center of the
camp and dismounted. He turned his horse over to a
soldier and entered the tent. Lord Vance and a number of
his officers were standing around a table that held a map
of the surrounding area. “Hal,” called out Vance when he
saw him. “What news do you have?”
The men in the tent grew silent as Hal approached the map
table. He pointed to road on the map and said, “We
engaged Lord Rupert’s men here and fought a delaying
action through Green Valley until we reached the river.
It was a bloody two days, but when we reached the river
your trap was sprung.” Hal allowed himself a brief smile.
“Your plan worked, Lord Vance. Rupert surrendered when he
saw that his men would be crushed.”
A cheer went up in the tent. Several of the men slapped
Hal on the back and congratulated him. Hal appreciated
the acclaim of his fellow officers, but to him the
victory was just another battle in a long and bloody war.
Vance roared over the clamor in the room, “You don’t
understand, Hal. It’s all over. With Rupert out of the
way, the rest is simply a mopping up. I’ll be able to
call an enclave of the barons before the summer is
through. We should have a king before the first snows
fall.”
Hal was stunned. The battles and bad food and hardships
of the field had seemed interminable. Lord Vance put his
arm around Hal and said, “I’ll want you at that enclave,
but for now I want you to go home. You certainly deserve
a rest.”
A few hours later Hal was headed out of the encampment on
his way north. After days of travel he entered the
village of Leedston. It was the last independent village
that he would pass through before he reached the castle
district. He decided to stop there for a meal and to wipe
away the grime of the road. With any luck he would be
seeing his parents the next day.
Hal had reached the center of the village when he saw a
group of small children being entertained by some sort of
street showman. The children shrieked as a tiger leapt
over their heads and burst into a shower of candy and
small toys. Hal smiled; there was only one person who
could do that trick. He waited until the show was over
and approached the short, wild haired performer.
“Clarence,” he called out.
Clarence studied the young man before him. It took him a
few seconds to realize that the young man with the thin,
haggard face and tired smile was Hal. “My boy, I’d hoped
that you would come through here one day.”
The two men went to a nearby tavern and talked at length
about the war. Hal told his story and ended with, “…and
Lord Vance felt that he could convene an enclave of the
barons before the end of summer.”
Clarence suddenly looked shocked. “That means they would
pick a new ruler,” he said.
Hal shrugged. “Of course.”
“But Beauty is still alive!”
Hal felt as if someone had punched him in the gut. He
shook his head. “Clarence, Beauty’s dead. Everyone knows
that.”
Clarence shook his head violently. “Yes, that’s what
everyone thinks and feels, but here’s the truth. I was
summoned to Beauty’s rooms on the morning following a
ball that celebrated her eighteenth birthday. No one
could awaken her, and some of the servants were sure that
she had died in her sleep. It was very difficult for me
to detect her breathing and heartbeat, but I could tell
that she was barely alive.”
“Some sort of enchantment?” asked Hal.
The wizard nodded. “Yes, and a very powerful one at that.
The King and I stayed by her side day and night. I tried
everything I knew to bring her out of her state, but
nothing worked. She still lies in her rooms at the
castle. An incredible feeling of loss and hopelessness
filled the castle and the surrounding forest. It was much
more than the natural feeling of loss for a loved one. A
number of people committed suicide and the rest fled in
despair.”
“My parents?” asked Hal.
“They were among the last to leave. When the King died,
it broke their spirit. Your father saved as many of the
royal horses as he could and fled. He breeds and cares
for them at a farm not far from the castle.”
“Thank goodness for that,” said Hal. “And you say that
the King is truly dead?”
Clarence nodded. “Yes, he stayed by Beauty as I tried to
arouse her. Neither one of us rested for days; I had my
magic to sustain me, but the King died – more of a broken
heart than anything else I think.”
Hal stared hard into Clarence’s eyes. “We have to try to
help Beauty, you know that don’t you?”
“I’ve been preparing to do that for the last two years. I
have several new spells that I can try on her, but the
truth is that I’m an old man and I won’t be able to fight
the enchantments that surround the castle and the dragon
at the same time.”
“Dragon?” said Hal.
“Yes, a rather large one I’m afraid.”
Hal shook his head. “Dragon’s don’t live this far north.”
Clarence smiled thinly. “Perhaps he’ll toddle on home if
you point that out to him.”
A few small dragons could be found in some of the wetter
areas in the south of the kingdom, but the truly large
beasts, the ones that gave the dragons their fierce
reputations, lived in the swamps far beyond the southern
border. One of Hal’s soldiers had been a dragon hunter.
The man could tell tale after tale of harrowing escapes
from the beasts that could kill a man with claws, or
teeth or fiery breath. He’d made it clear that it took a
team of men working in concert to bring down a large
dragon.
Hal said, “I suppose I can get together some of the
returning veterans to take on a dragon, especially if it
means helping Beauty.”
Clarence shook his head in disagreement. “You don’t
understand, anyone who nears the castle is filled with
dread and foreboding. They become absolutely certain that
there is neither anything nor anyone worth finding in the
castle. And don’t think that people just haven’t tried. I
watched as hundreds of adventures tried to reach the
castle. The overgrown forest and their own fears repelled
most long before they even came within view of the
castle. A few strong willed individuals reached the
walls, but the dragon either killed them or drove them
away. You’ll never get a group of men to the castle, much
less have them work as a team once they get there.”
Hal frowned in frustration. “How do we – or I – do it
then?”
“I do have something up my sleeve,” said Clarence as he
actually reached into one of the voluminous sleeves of
his robe and pulled out a small leather pouch. He opened
the pouch and poured a red jewel as big as his thumb into
Hal’s hand.
“I got that from a wizard who was fleeing the war. He
said that if you could get that into a dragon it would
die almost instantly,” continued Clarence.
“Any chance he was lying?” said Hal as he looked askance
at the small stone.
Clarence gave him wicked smile, “Wizards rarely lie to
one another; the consequences are too severe.”
Hal replaced the jewel in its pouch and put the pouch
away in his jacket. “Alright then,” said Hal. “I’ll take
care of the dragon and you revive Beauty.”
Clarence nodded and looked out a nearby window. “I have
to get going. I have to give at least one more
performance this afternoon, or else the children will be
in here after me.”
“And I need to eat a meal,” said Hal. He looked around
for one of the serving wenches. “I haven’t eaten since
dawn.”
**
Elise had been alerted to Hal’s arrival in Leedston. Her
thirst for revenge against the King had been quenched
when he had died miserable and broken. But she had found
the predicament in which she had placed Beauty most
amusing. Now she was going to find out how faithful Hal
could be to his quest.
Elise flitted about the tavern, looking at the available
women. It was in the upstairs quarters of the owner that
she found her mark. There was the tavern owner’s
daughter. Elise entered her mind and body. The girls name
was Rebecca. She was a pretty but headstrong and
conceited girl. Her father was no doubt anxious to
betroth her to the first eligible man who came along.
Unfortunately, she looked nothing like Beauty, but Elise
decided to use her to entice Hal anyway. Rebecca was
short and bit plump with blonde hair. Elise used that
extra weight to her advantage. She moved pounds of flesh
from the girl’s stomach and thighs to her breasts. Now
the bosom of her dress was filled to near bursting. Next,
Elise smoothed out her skin and made her butter-yellow
hair fairly glow.
**
Hal had finished his meal and he was contemplating what
to do next when someone walked up to his table. He turned
his head and looked up into an enormous pair of breasts.
It took a moment before he realized that their owner was
speaking.
“Excuse me?” said Hal.
“I said, ‘Did you enjoy your meal?'” came a high-pitched
voice from above the breasts.
Hal dragged his eyes upward until he was looking into the
face of a lovely young lady. “Oh, it was good…good,
thank you…uh?” he prompted.
“My name’s Rebecca,” said the girl as she sat opposite
Hal. “My father’s the owner here.”
“Oh really,” said Hal, and a second later they were
discussing the pros and cons of the life of a tavern
owner’s family. Hal couldn’t get his fill of Rebecca’s
stunning figure and beautiful features. For the last two
years about the only women he’d seen were camp followers
of Lord Vance’s army. The hard lifestyle they had to
endure wasn’t conducive to making a woman attractive.
As they spoke, Hal felt a pressure against his boot. The
pressure traveled up his leg until it was obvious that
Rebecca was feeling him up with her bare foot. As she
pressed her toes against his crotch, she said, “Is there
anything else I can do for you?”
Hal could have sworn that he heard his cock moving in his
pants as it became instantly stiff. For two years the
thought of Beauty’s death had driven away his sexual
desire, but now with the idea that he might see her again
and this exquisite pubescent female making a pass at him,
he was suddenly aching with lust. He took a deep, calming
breath and said, “I may spend the night; do you have any
rooms available?”
Rebecca jumped up and grabbed Hal by the sleeve of his
coat. “We have lots of nice rooms; let me show you,” she
said, as she dragged him up the stairs. She ushered Hal
into a spacious room and locked the door behind them. Hal
looked around room. He was almost certain that he was
about to get lucky, but he wasn’t sure what his next move
should be. The matter was resolved when Rebecca sat on
the edge of the bed and pulled the top of her dress off
her shoulders and down to her waist, revealing her
magnificent breasts. As she eyed Hal’s tented pants, she
said, “I bet you can’t wait to fuck my titties.”
Hal waited only the length of time it took him to cross
the room, pull down his pants and gather up the plump
fullness of Rebecca’s breasts in his hands. He wrapped
her tits around his throbbing cock and sighed. Her skin
was like warm silk on the head of his dick. He thrust his
hips a dozen times and then it felt as if something hot
and almost solid was surging through the end of his cock.
A half dozen full, scalding jets of cum followed the
first one.
Hal withdrew his cum-slick cock from between Rebecca’s
breasts. He felt embarrassed. “Well, that was a little
quick,” he mumbled.
“It sure was,” giggled Rebecca, as she massaged his
massive load of cum into her breasts. “But that’s
alright,” she said, and promptly grabbed Hal’s dripping
cock and stuffed it into her mouth.
Hal grunted in surprise, but he quickly gave into the
sensations that her tongue and lips were creating. In a
couple of minutes he was as hard as ever. Rebecca
released his cock and said innocently, “Do you want to
fuck me now?”
“Oh baby,” said Hal as he took his cock in hand to keep
the feeling going. It took only seconds for Rebecca to
drop her undergarments to the floor and gather her dress
around her waist. Hal maneuvered himself between her legs
and slid his cock into her pussy with surprising ease.
He’d expected that the little lady’s pussy would be
really tight on his cock, but it wasn’t. It was certainly
hot and liquid but he wasn’t getting all the friction
that he wanted.
Rebecca didn’t seem to suffer from any lack of
stimulation. She lifted her hips and knees until her legs
slipped over Hal’s shoulders. Her nails scratched at his
arms as she chanted, “Come on Hal, fuck me faster –
harder – fuck me, fuck me…”
Hal pounded straight down into Rebecca’s relaxed pussy.
He went harder and faster until the screwing couple were
bouncing of the bed with each thrust. Sweat formed on his
well-muscled torso and dripped onto Rebecca’s pillow
sized breasts. By the time Hal shot his second charge of
cum she was enjoying continuous orgasms. Well spent, Hal
fell on his side and promptly went to sleep.
Rebecca stood and arranged her clothing back into shape
for public viewing as Elise left her body. Rebecca looked
at herself in the room’s mirror. It was as if she had
been in a dream for the last couple of hours. Somehow,
every wish she’d ever had about her body had come true.
Her face and hair were flawless and her body would cause
a man to start drooling at a hundred yards. She looked at
Hal as he dozed on the bed. He was cute, and if he hung
around, she might give him a tumble or two. But he was
obviously not a rich man, just a soldier home from the
war. She knew that her father was aching to marry her
off, but she wasn’t going to become involved with Hal
just to spite her father. Rebecca arrogantly flipped her
hair over her shoulders and strolled out of the room. It
was time to tell her father that she wasn’t about to
settle for just anyone.
Elise let the girl wander off. She was getting bored with
her little game. If Hal awoke to go panting after the
gorgeous Rebecca, then so be it. If he still wanted
Beauty, then he was going to have to overcome Elise’s
spells and dragon to have her. Either way, the affairs of
humans were beginning to pale. She disappeared from the
tavern as quickly she had appeared.
Hal slept through the evening and didn’t arise until
daylight the next morning. He ate breakfast in the
tavern. Rebecca was there. She was flirting with a half-
dozen men on the other side of the room. She didn’t seem
inclined to seek him out, and that suited Hal. He paid
his bill and left.
He sought out Clarence and they made plans in the event
that Hal was able to reach the castle and subdue the
dragon. Then Hal went to the town’s local fletcher. He
had the man tip an arrow with the dragon-killing jewel
that Clarence had given him. He also purchased a heavy
long bow and a quiver of ordinary arrows. With that
business out of the way, Hal was off.
It was late that day that Hal arrived at his parent’s
home. They had a tearful reunion and Hal was relieved to
see that they were doing well. They spent hours and hours
discussing the events of the past two years, but when Hal
told them about his discussion with Clarence they looked
at him with a mixture of pity and indulgence. Hal’s
father said, “I’m afraid that Clarence went quite mad
with grief when he failed to save the princess. He would
go on and on about how she was under a spell. Of course
everyone knew that she was dead.”
“Did you go to her funeral?” asked Hal.
“Oh no,” said his father. “We had to get away from the
castle, everyone was leaving at that point.”
“But why?” insisted Hal.
His father looked frustrated and confused, as if he was
tired of answering the questions of an overly inquisitive
child. “We just left, we had to take care of the horses
didn’t we?”
Hal dropped the subject. His father wouldn’t have
abandoned his place at the castle so quickly without some
magical influence, so Hal kept his plans to go to the
castle to himself. He spent his days honing his archery
skills, claiming that he was planning a hunting trip. A
week later he assembled his gear and headed out.
Hal had to approach the castle on foot. The surrounding
forest had become more like a jungle than woods with the
widely spaced trees of his youth. A trip that would have
been a pleasant morning’s ride two years ago became a
two-day ordeal. Hal had to hack his way through
undergrowth that seemed determined to trip his feet and
block his progress at every turn. More than once he
almost gave up. His attempt seemed more worthless with
each step. But then he would remember Beauty and his
resolve would strengthen.
Late on the second day Hal cut through an overhanging
vine and the castle was suddenly there across an opening
of trampled down vegetation. He sheathed his sword and
took several steps toward the huge main entrance. He had
completely forgotten about the dragon until he felt the
ground shake. Then it trembled again and again in a
plodding rhythm until the dragon made his appearance. It
filled the main gate to the castle. It was higher at the
shoulder than Hal was tall and it’s head was at least
twice that high above the ground.
Hal had only a second to appreciate the dragon’s size
before he turned and ran for his life. He could hear and
feel the dragon thudding after him. When Hal reached the
screen of leaves and branches of the forest, he took a
hard left turn and dove for the ground. There was a
tremendous whoosh of flame from the dragon that crisped
the vegetation immediately above and behind him. It would
have burned him alive if he’d continued to flee in a
straight line. As it was he could feel the heat singeing
his unprotected skin.
Hal crawled to a point in the jungle like vegetation
where he could see the dragon without being seen. Twice
more its neck arched back as it inhaled deeply. Then its
head would jut forward as its tail arose and flame would
shoot out of its mouth. It watched the forest intently
for several minutes. At that point it seemed that the
dragon was satisfied that Hal had fled for good or was a
pile of charred flesh. It huffed mightily, smoke puffing
from its nostrils, and made its way back into the castle
courtyard.
Hal retreated into the woods to think things over. He’d
hoped that Clarence had exaggerated the size of the
dragon, but the wizard certainly hadn’t. The scales of a
dragon grew larger and tougher as it grew older, and the
one guarding the castle was one well-aged, well-armored
beast. The jewel tipped arrow that Hal carried would only
bounce off its hide if he attacked it directly. He would
have to use his backup plan. It wasn’t nearly as simple
as shooting the monster from a safe distance, but it was
all he could come up with.
Hal spent the night inaudibly moving about in the forest
that abutted the clearing before the castle. He found a
sapling in just the right position, and he trimmed it so
that it would hold his jacket in place with its arms
outstretched. Then he bent the sapling to the ground and
tied it there with a rope that he had carried from home.
He wrapped the rope around a couple of small bushes and
then stretched it out along the forest floor to a point
where he could watch the clearing. At that point Hal ate
his dinner and fell into an exhausted sleep.
It was well past dawn when he awoke. He stretched and
scratched and watered a nearby tree. After a meager
breakfast, Hal decided that he’d better tackle the dragon
before he gave it too much thought and lost his nerve. He
made sure that his bow and arrow were ready and then took
up the end of the rope. He took a deep breath and yelled,
“Hey ugly, you awake in there?” Almost immediately he
felt the ground vibrate to the dragon’s steps.
The dragon emerged from the main gate of the castle and
covered half the distance across the clearing before it
stopped and began to look for the source of the noise
that had disturbed its day. Hal gave several light jerks
on the rope and twenty yards away bushes rustled. The
dragon moved closer, its head turning this way and that,
looking for whatever was making that sound.
Hal continued to tease the dragon and the beast moved a
few steps to one side so as to peer into the forest at a
different angle. When the dragon was facing away from
Hal, he gave a good hard pull on the rope and the knot
that was holding the sapling down came loose. Hal’s
jacket arose from the forest floor and waved its arms
about in front of the dragon like someone who was bent on
suicide.
The dragon roared and then its head came back as it began
to inhale. Hal took that as his cue and he broke cover;
he ran to within twenty feet of the rear of the dragon.
When the beast’s tail arose and the dragon began to
destroy Hal’s jacket with gouts of flame, Hal set his
feet and pulled back his bowstring. He tried not the
think about the fact that he would have only one shot.
When the arrow steadied on target, Hal’s fingers released
it. The arrow covered the distance to the dragon in less
than a second and disappeared into the beast’s asshole.
The roar of flame from the dragon turned into a roar of
pain. It spun on its hind legs much more quickly than Hal
would have given it credit for and came face-to-face with
its attacker.
Hal realized that he’d made a fatal tactical error. He’d
made his attack, but then he’d forgotten to retreat. He
dropped his bow and sprinted for the woods as fast as his
adrenaline-flooded muscles would take him. After the
second step though, he knew it was useless. The dragon
would have him squished flat, clawed into little chunks
and nicely barbequed long before he could reach safety.
Clarence had said that the jewel would work almost
instantly. Of course one man’s ‘almost instantly’ was
another man’s ‘takes a while’. The distinction, Hal
thought, was about to get him killed. Then something
shoved him hard in the back and he went flying through
the air.
Hal tumbled through the weeds and when he stopped he
desperately looked around for the dragon, but it wasn’t
there – at least not in one piece. Something red and
bloody thudded on the ground next to him, and then the
sky began to rain chunks of exploded dragon flesh.
Hal shook his head in an effort to clear his thoughts.
Whatever spells had been cast around the castle had
certainly addled his brain; he’d almost gotten himself
killed. He stood and gathered his few provisions. Now
that I’ve slain the dragon, he thought, I might as well
look around the castle. He entered the main gate and
wandered into the great hall. He had known that the place
would be deserted, but he hadn’t been prepared for the
emotional impact. For his entire life, this huge room had
been full of energy and bustling with life, and now it
was as quiet as a tomb.
Hal strayed into what had been the living quarters of the
castle’s inhabitants. It hardly seemed worth the effort,
but he took the time to wash away the grime of the last
two days and to put on fresh clothing that someone had
left behind. Then he resumed his tour of the castle. He
walked about until he came to a flight of stairs that
climbed into one of the castle towers. It seemed to him
that there might be something up there of interest. But
the stairs looked so steep, and he was leg-weary from his
exertions. He very nearly turned away, but then he found
himself trudging upwards in what he knew would be a
useless quest.
At the top of the stairs there was a suite of rooms.
There were rooms filled with feminine furnishings and
clothing. There were other rooms with enough books and
charts and maps to stock a library. But there was nothing
in the suite that he wanted. He was about to head back
down the stairs and out of the tower, when he saw one
last unopened door. Just to be thorough, he unlatched the
heavy, ornate door and peered in. Across the room, in a
wide bed, was a woman who appeared to be sleeping.
Hal smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand so
hard that the back of his head crashed into the
doorframe. He cradled his head in pain as he stumbled
into Beauty’s bedroom. How could he have been so stupid?
He’d completely forgotten the reason he was here, not to
mention the woman who was his reason for life.
Hal neared the bed and took Beauty’s hand. It wasn’t cold
in death, but it certainly wasn’t the warm hand that he’d
held so many times. And it certainly wasn’t the hand, hot
with sexual fever, which had stroked his erection so many
times. She’s in a coma and she can still give me a hard-
on, thought Hal.
He stroked her hand as he said, “Don’t worry, I won’t
forget you again. Now that the dragon’s dead, Clarence
will be able to come and remove the spell.” He held her
hand and studied her face for long minutes. She was even
more beautiful than he remembered.
Finally he murmured, “I’d better go. The sooner I leave,
then the sooner I can get back.”
He carefully laid Beauty’s hand back beneath her breasts
and then he softly kissed her cool lips. Hal was about to
pull away when he thought that he had felt Beauty’s lips
move against his. He kissed her harder and was amazed
when he found that her lips were warm and moist and
responding. He felt her arms move and then they were
around his neck as she pulled his face fiercely to hers.
After a long minute they broke their kiss and gazed into
one another’s eyes. “You know that I love you more than
anything, don’t you?” Beauty whispered.
Hal nodded.
“And you feel the same way about me?” she continued.
Hal nodded again.
“Then where the hell have you been?” she said as she gave
him a healthy slap on the shoulder.
“I…I…” began Hal, but then they both began to laugh
and weep as they held each other tight.
**
With Hal’s kiss, Elise’s spells were broken. The people
of the kingdom wondered why they ever thought that Beauty
had died and she was crowned Queen in short order. The
castle staff, including Hal’s parents and Clarence,
returned to their former lives. Hal was made the captain
of the Queen’s personal guard. He was very diligent in
his duties, especially at night when he made sure that he
stayed very near the Queen.
Beneath the sheets of Her Majesty’s bed, Hal slid his leg
between Beauty’s. He wrapped his arms around her and
pulled her close until her breasts were spread across his
chest, and her face was next to his. As he spoke his lips
brushed hers. “When are you going to marry me, and make
an honest man of me?”
“It has been arranged,” said Beauty, “for me to marry
Limner, the son of Lord Willowbrook.”
“What?” cried Hal. “You can’t be serious.”
“Have you ever seen Limner,” asked Beauty with a sly
smile.
“Of course,” said Hal. “He’s a fop and a dandy, and he
surrounds himself with young boys who look just like…”
Hal stopped for a second and then said, “He doesn’t like
women, does he?”
“Not in the least,” said Beauty. “He likes the hard work
that comes with being a leader even less. I’ve arranged
with Lord Willowbrook that one of our children – that you
would be yours and mine – to be the next Lord
Willowbrook. Our family will be even more powerful and
the crown will be even more secure.”
“You’re certainly your father’s daughter, aren’t you?”
Beauty nodded. “It’s what he would have wanted.”
“Then I’ll never get to be a king, or prince, or
whatever?”
“You want to be a king?” asked Beauty.
“Yes, I think so,” said Hal in mock seriousness.
“Get your own damn kingdom,” said Beauty, then she
squealed with laughter as Hal hugged her even harder.”
End