We decided we all want to have a party for Wendy and Candy. As most of the family sat arguing, some wanting the party at Apostolis and others saying we should go somewhere cooler, Robbie sat talking with Cherine, Dommi and me.
3631
“With the two of you appearing as gay young men and Sam writing about me being feminine in many ways, I’ve been wondering…”
“You’re not gay Roberto.” Dommi said, laughing.
“Hmm, it makes me wonder why you feel it is necessary for you to reassure me. Have you been peeping in my mind?” We could not see where he was going with this conversation and were puzzled. “For our two birthday girls, I have a plan and wanted your opinions. Do you think they would enjoy having a day and night alone with me, them as young men and me as a little girl?”
Cherine hardly needed to feel Dommi and me. She looked into his eyes. “No Robert, this is too special to be just for them, we all want to be a part of it.”
He looked as if she had blown his mind. “Forty young men with one little girl! I wouldn’t survive it Cherine.”
I was certain all of the girls would not be talking to me afterwards, but I spoke anyway. “Not for sex Robert.” Cherine sent me a startled, Not!!? I grinned. “Also, not forty, forty two young men. We can’t leave Haven and Shiyra out of this. What I suggest is this. Not one day; one month. As we did when you became a little boy, you do not have any gifts, you become a Normal little girl, say about six years old.”
The girls were instantly around us, all delighted. Robbie kept on insisting he should be at least eight and we kept on shouting him down, insisting on six. Dommi silenced us and then said Robbie should feel comfortable with the idea so if he wanted eight, then eight he would be. Haven and Shiyra, sitting apart, listened with eyes showing they did not believe what they were hearing.
We began to map out the rules. Since I’d already put my foot in the water I went whole hog and insisted we had to agree it would be a month of strictly no sex for any of us. As disappointed as everyone was, they were about to agree, but Robbie refused.
“The choice is mine Sam.” He smiled. “Or rather, the choice will be of the little girl I’ll be.” His eyes boring into mine he asked, “Are you insinuating that it was alright for you girls to seduce me as little girls, but I’m not allowed to?”
Robbie decided he should not have any gifts. The idea makes us uncomfortable and Cherine with Jade suggested there should be a trigger that would unblock him should he be in danger. Robbie refused. “You will all be responsible for caring for and protecting me. That is what young men are supposed to do.”
Claudia and Laura suggested his parents might like to meet him at that time, perhaps spend a few days with us. That led to us adding Alki and Marian to the list. Robbie laughed.
“Marian will enjoy it. She’ll feel I’m about to get some of my own medicine.” Cherine smiled, but did not comment, aware of how her mother loves and almost worships Robbie.
Dommi said, making us fall over laughing, “Roberto mou, you may feel queer, but I think we should also invite Nicko to come for a day.” She blushed when she realised the double meanings of ‘queer’ and ‘come’ and at the lewd remarks being shouted. I doubt Robbie would have agreed if he had not felt her embarrassment.
Agapi said, “But we are cheating Wendy and Candy of something meant for them. We must at least have a party for them.”
“You want to invite all the Cherinians to see us as men and Robert a little girl?”
Lucy said, with a happy grin, “It will be the first time there are enough men to dance with the girls at a Cherinian party.”
Rosie had a mischievous look in her eyes as she hugged herself. “Mmm, and a romantic walk on the beach in the moonlight. This could turn out to be quite an interesting night!” We all laughed (enjoying it thoroughly) at the instant reaction of jealousy in Robbie, even though he knew we were teasing.
Cherine was almost hysterical with laughter as she said to Robbie, “This is the first time we’ve ever felt you being jealous at the idea of us being with another girl.” He looked sheepish, he’d pictured us with men.
3632
Haven spoke with force, angry. “You are crazy, all of you! Stupid!”
“Why Haven, would you attack me if I have no powers?”
“What if I attack her!” She pointed at Shiyra. “I don’t like her at all.”
He shrugged. “That’s up to you, I’ll just bring her back. Keep in mind that the more often you attack her the more addictive it becomes for her. She already wants you to make her pay, doing so will only reinforce her need. You would actually end up giving her pleasure.” Shiyra eyes were ready to pop out as she stared at Robbie.
In her old cold voice, Haven replied, “You are telling me that to make her suffer I must not make her suffer!”
“How did I make you suffer Haven?”
“I am not a stupid Robert!” She felt she had responded incorrectly and walked out of the room.
“What are you trying to do Robert? Please explain so that I do not say the wrong thing. You know I’m willing to do as you say.”
“First I thought you were cured and then found out you were not and now the same with her. I cannot make any more sacrifices to help you two, I have hurt my loves too often already.”
Before she could reply, she sensed us all concentrating on Tina, whose eyes had darkened as she communed with a part of herself not open to us. Robbie stared with fascination as she spoke without intonation.
“There is no reason for sadness on their behalf Robert. They are both cured, but ideas linger. They are both fixated on the thoughts that have filled their minds for millions of years. The past will fade and they shall turn their faces again to the sun. Be sad instead, for those you love, for they shall pay a heavy price during the time you turn your face towards the darkness.”
As she does, after speaking a prophesy, she began to tremble and weep and Robbie picked her up in his arms. He was shaken by her words but, as always, she comes first. Aganthi approached and stared into her eyes. We felt a sorrow in her as she softly said, “Her gift grows and it tears at her heart, for she has no control over it.”
Robbie scoffed, “Why should that tear at her heart? Every time she has spoken this way her words have helped us prepare and survive. So what if they puzzle and frighten us a little at the time they are spoken?”
With a pleading look Tina said, “Robert, it feels as if I am making up what I say.”
“Calm down and I’ll tell you a story Allan told me.”
Saucily Rosie asked, “Is it worth her calming down for?” Tina hiccuped and giggled.
“Many years ago, while he was still a young man he stayed in London for a while. He went to an exhibition that dealt with psychic phenomenon. He had a Kirlian photograph taken of the aura of his hand and was told his hands had the power to heal. He said that he spent a few years after that surreptitiously trying to heal, but nothing happened, not even the heating of his hands as he’d been told to expect.
While at the show he saw a stand where they were offering a course that guaranteed that over one weekend he would experience an extra sensory perception phenomenon or else they would refund their fee with no questions asked. It was Friday and he only managed to get the money for the fee by Saturday morning so he missed the first day of the three day course. They told him the first day was not important and their guarantee was still valid.
Sunday morning - and we all know how he hates waking up early - he went to have his guaranteed experience. He’d been told he had to bring with him two sheets of paper. The papers had to be folded and on the outside he should write the name of a person he knew, city they live in and sex. On the inside, which they were not allowed to show anyone, they had to write a physical description of the person, a brief summary of their character or quirks and a paragraph on what illness or problems they have.
3633
Allan chose a friend who had been paralysed from diver’s bends and the other was someone he loved who had a tumour in his brain.
Allan was paired off with a woman close to fifty and a girl of about twenty. The older woman chose to be the first subject. They had been taught to go to a room of their imagination that nobody but them and invited guests could enter. While there they would be given the details of a person, as written on the outside of the paper and they should invite that person and then imagine they had come. The next stage was stressed very strongly by the tutors. They must allow themselves to say whatever came to their minds, even if they were convinced they were making up the facts.
Allan gave the woman the person who was paralysed and within seconds she opened her eyes in alarm and left the hall in a panic. A tutor joined them to become the third person and Allan asked the girl if she would like to go next. She had been spooked and refused.
Allan went to his dome under the sea and the girl gave him the details of the first subject. He said he could not see anyone, could not even feel the presence of another and yet words came to him. He described the woman, even the area surrounding her, spoke of the hate the villagers in Italy felt for her and then described her illness.
The girl was tittering nervously but when the tutor asked Allan if he wanted to stop he said he would prefer to try the second subject since he was in the mood for it. He knew for certain that he had talked a lot of rubbish, but thought that since he had already made a fool of himself he would not be worsening his embarrassment by trying again.
He spoke of the second subject, saying he felt an enormous power in her and then gave the other details as he was supposed to. By this time the girl was giggling hysterically.
He opened his eyes and the tutor took the two pieces of paper, glanced at the writing on the inside and handed them over to Allan. He had the shock of his life - every single detail, even to the gland he’d named were all correct. The same with the second subject. There was only one screw up. What he had said about the medical problems of the first subject applied to the second and vice versa.”
As Robbie talked Tina had paled. “Robert, the dome under the sea, it is where I go!”
“He said he gets in a boat, rows to a small float and diving into the water he pulls himself down to the seabed, counting down from ten to one.”
“That was how I started! Now I just go directly to my dome.”
“He must have passed it on to you Tina.” He paused, but then he felt forced to admit, “Tina, I also took the course Allan did and my secret room was also a dome underwater! This can’t be coincidence. It can’t be! Samantha, ask Arthur, has he also created a dome underwater? That would explain it if he has, it will prove he influenced us and is responsible for your prophesies Tina.”
I dismissed the wonder (for the moment) as I will ask Arthur when I write of it. “Tina, Robert was trying to tell you something about the way you feel when you prophesy.”
“I’m aware of that and it did help. Thinking it was my own gift made it something unique to me, but it also frightened me, I’m not certain how it affects me knowing either Allan or Arthur passed on this talent.”
Robbie smiled. “He probably got the idea because of the way you were described in the diary; a wild looking gypsy girl with the purest sweetest heart.”
She grinned, her good humour coming to her rescue. “I’m not pure and I’m not wild - I’ve known you for too long, you’ve tamed me.”
He pulled a face, “It would be terrible if I have my love. I also love the wildness in you, even though you hide it so well.”
3634
Sometimes I think you enjoy stirring the pot more than you do writing your story!
The next week or so were not pleasant for any of us. Either Haven and Shiyra were sniping at each other or exchanging veiled comments or showing irritation for petty reasons. Sometimes Shiyra was submissive, as if resigned to her fate, but now and then she would blow up. The rest of us sort of danced around them, keeping out of their way. Finally Robbie was sent to visit his father in Cyprus and Dommi called both girls to her.
“Both of you are impossible to live with, but under other circumstances we would grin and bear it. As from today though, it stops! I will not be interested in excuses, reasons or listening to where the blame lies. What Roberto is doing for us is very special to all the girls and we will not allow you to spoil it for us.
You have a choice. We send you both to separate alternate realities to visit, or you give us your word you will behave. Personally I was not in favour of allowing you to stay. First of all, these days are intimate, for family only. Second of all, when your bodies are changed to male and aged to about twenty, you are both going to become a lot more aggressive.
Cherine has demanded we allow you to stay and we have agreed, if you want to. If you do not behave and any ill feeling is felt by Roberto while he is a little girl, you will have betrayed Cherine.”
Chapter One Hundred and Sixty Nine
Using Meli's world seemed to be the ideal solution, but it also posed a number of problems. Time on Earth, where our bodies are, passes at the same rate as time on her world. If Robbie takes our bodies to Meli's world we are not certain what the effect on Meli will be if her body is also taken with; it smacks of paradox and Robbie is ultra wary of creating any kind of paradox. On the other hand, to leave hers behind is unthinkable.
“You have to remain 'Lady Meli' as they call you there, so that you can manipulate his mind by creating a history of Robbie having lived her six years as a girl. Can you do that if your body is carried there? I'm also puzzled by how Robbie can carry you into yourself.”
“It is not necessary for me to come with. I can visit every day, it would not harm me to spend half my time there. You've given me an idea Sam. Why should I create a history for Robbie and not for all of you? I will be the only male there who knows the truth, which means I can change you all back when the month has passed.”
“You would have to block our gifts!” Cherine said. “What would happen to the link? How would you join us Meli?”
3635
“That is no longer a problem on our world, between the strength of the sons of Tasso and Lua they can stay linked, as they do while we are absent. I'm more worried about us.”
“Don't be Roberto, since none of us will recall the link, its absence will not be felt. Meli's world has no dangers so we will be safe there. If any danger presents itself, Meli can instantly release Cherine's block so that we are all linked again.” Dommi spoke in a soft voice that convinced us by its lack of vehemence, by her gentle certainty.
“What about the others?” Alki and the others were also wondering.
Meli smiled. “Leave it to me.”
I laughed, a little bit self-consciously. “I can't see how you can make nearly forty men care about one little girl. It will have to be some kind of fairy tale.”
“I like Meli's fairy tales.” Candy said and everyone laughed.
Wendy turned serious, emoting her worry. “What if one or some of us do not love him... I mean her? They will feel bad afterwards.”
Robbie asked, “What if most of you don't love me... what if I don't love you? So what? We are playing a game and there are no consequences. I expect most of you not to love me. You may care for me as normal male adults would care for a child, but I do not expect you to love me. To expect a little girl to love so many of you would be asking too much. It is more likely that through happenstance I will focus only on one of you. Let it be my gift to that one without any hurt feelings from the rest of you. Have I made myself clear?”
“You are always clear Robert.” Cherine said and we smothered our grins. Alki, Marian, his parents and Nicko felt free to show their appreciation of her cheeky double meaning.
Meli went to the bedroom to make herself comfortable and be on her world when Robbie brings us to her.
“Alki, we cannot leave Meli alone. Someone must stay here with her.”
“Our children can stay to watch her body - er, I mean, to monitor her body.” We all grinned at his embarrassment.
They jumped over, each carrying a few necessities for their stay. They will be able to walk over to their home for clothing and anything else they need. Alki made certain they have enough cash and then Robbie left us. Within a short while he was back as the void. Fifteen of us came together as a group and he carried us within his energy form. I went with the first group, so I cannot comment on the others, as Meli blocked me as I arrived on her world. I woke up as Samuel, no longer Samantha.
3636
I woke up with the taste of sea sand grit in my mouth and teeth. I could feel the warm water swirling up to my waist, so I rolled over and looked up into a brilliant sky. No sign of the storm that had sunk our ship was evident. At the memory I sat up, urgently seeking signs of my companions and our little princess. I saw bodies strewn along the beach, most half out of the water as I had been, all of them stirring or sitting up. My heart racing I stood up, looking for the tiny form of our princess. We had sworn to guard her with our lives and yet none of my comrades were holding her.
Our Captain was on his feet and also searching. Our eyes met and we saw the fear in the other. How could so many of us have survived without her? None of us would have abandoned her, I could have sworn I recalled her being kept on a tiny raft as we swam alongside, pushing in what we thought was the direction to land. I shook my head, trying to clear my memory, to recall the last hours before awakening, but they remained hidden, a blank spot in my mind.
Within a minute of each other, all were standing and then those at either end of us ran along the beach searching for our precious charge. Captain Erin clambered onto some rocks and looked out to sea. He shouted he saw something in the distance. Without waiting for orders a number of us ran into the sea and swam in the direction he had pointed. I was close to the end of my strength, battling to stay afloat, when a wave raised me and I saw the raft close by. Within a few desperate strokes I arrived and clung to the side.
By the time I was able to pull myself up over the edge to see clearly, Theros and Ian had already done so and we stared at the empty raft. Partly for our own sakes and partly to show the Captain, we pushed the raft to the beach.
The others all stood by the Captain and long before we arrived at the shore they had seen the raft is empty. Most faces reflected the despair I felt, shame that we could have saved ourselves while abandoning our princess. Only the Captain stared with a grim look that told us he will demand we search every inch of that ocean if we have to, but he is not willing to give up until he has her or her body.
The Captain is not an unreasonable man, nor is he cruel. His determination to find our princess had good reason and we agreed with him. We have been at war with the Perts for years now and though we are winning, our king and queen knew the likelihood of their surviving assassination attempts by Pert spies or traitors from our own court were negligible. If the royal family are all killed, the war will not end with victory over the Perts; civil war will break out as lesser men or women try to claim rights to the throne. Only if one of the direct royal line survives can civil war be averted. We were ordered to carry the princess on a voyage that was to last at least three months, by which time war would hopefully have ended. The leaders, judicial, church and government were all present at our departure and had sworn allegiance to the princess, even should she only return a year later. Any longer than that, and should the king and queen be dead, they will have to ally themselves with other claimants. It was for obvious reasons that the king could not nominate any other as his heir since that would have given that person the power to use their position to ensure the princess never returns. It is only by keeping the kingdom divided that the king could provide for the future of his daughter.
Sixty eight of us swore to protect the princess with our lives and now we were only forty two. The loss of our comrades was a blow to us, but at this moment it was nothing compared to losing our princess. If one of us had survived, that one should have only done so if he held the princess. For so many of us to be alive while she is lost is cause for shame and a sort of betrayal of our king.
“The last I recall it was dark, daylight still stretching hours away and we surrounded this raft, pushing it while our princess slept upon it. I do not recall approaching land, nor do I recall the Princess Thina waking. Do any of you recall anything more than I do?”
A chorus of 'nays' showed none of us did.
“Samuel, what do you make of this?”
“I am puzzled Captain. We could not have fallen asleep or else we would all have drowned.”
3637
“My thoughts too. I will think on it later, we must concentrate on finding the princess first. We will split into three parties. You, Ash, Lance and Cord, your eyes are keen, stay here upon the highest rock and search for any sign of her at sea. The others, split into two, half of you to the left and the others to the right. Search the shoreline ahead of you and be careful of possible signs or marks upon the sand. Walk for three hours at a steady pace and if you find nothing return. The raft was found close to us, her body should not be any further away.”
Tinas shook his head. “No Captain, not body, I can sense our princess is alive.”
“Can you sense where she is?”
“No Captain.”
“I pray your sense is true. Begin your search men.”
I was supposed to walk off to the right, but I noticed Jan and Domarque had not joined our group; they were walking inland. The Captain saw them and frowned but did not speak.
“I will join them Captain. She could have arrived with us and walked off into the bush. She had slept through most of our ordeal and may have lost herself in there.”
“You ally yourself with those two, knowing they have a sensitivity we all lack?” he asked sarcastically.
“They use their sensitivity Captain, all I have is logic and hope to guide me.”
“Find her Sam or else we are all done for. I will not return without her.”
“The shame belongs to all of us Captain and ultimate responsibility is mine.” He squeezed my arm and I went to join the two.
At first none of us said anything. The three of us walked at a distance from each other, covering more ground that way. We passed through the bush and palm trees and sand gave way to solid earth. Before us stretched about a hundred metres of long grass with an occasional bush and then grew what looked like a tropical forest. We came together.
“She might have entered the forest, she would be attracted by the colours.” Domarque said.
“Surely she would not enter deeply, the possibility of dangerous animals would keep her close to the edge.” I said.
“No, she has no knowledge of danger. She is a princess and has been sheltered from all that might harm her. We cannot presume.” Jan nodded, agreeing.
Troubled I stared at the forest. “If we go too deeply into that we will be lost. I suggest we walk within easy hailing distance of each other.”
None of us are skilled at tracking, but we skirted the edge of the forest searching for signs, a broken blade of grass, a snapped branch at the entry to the forest. We did not see anything. We entered the forest, keeping a distance of about ten metres between us as we shouted ‘Princess Thina’.
Jan called to us, “Be quiet a moment, I think I hear something.” Soon as we were quiet we heard the sounds of a stream. We rushed there in the hope of finding her, but also to slate our thirst and wash the salt out of our throats. Jan froze in front of us and we had to stop to avoid crashing into him.
Princess Thina lay on soft moss sleeping, and watching her were three fairies. They must have been fairies, for they were tiny, not much larger than my hand and they had gossamer wings that shimmered in the stray sunbeams that broke through the canopy. At our appearance the fairies rose above the height we could reach.
Softly Domarque instructed us. “Sam, inform the Captain. Take a drink before you leave. Jan, circle the area to ensure no danger exists.”
The Captain stared at me as if I had taken leave of my senses. “Fairies you say? Are you certain you were not hallucinating?”
3638
“We all saw them Captain.”
He refused to recall any of the men and had me lead him to her. As he saw her I pointed up at the branches and he saw the fairies. He showed no interest in them and sank to his knees to touch our princess. His hand only lightly touched her dress and he bowed his head, overcome by emotion. He looked up at the fairies and whispered, “Thank you”. They danced in response, but kept their distance.
We stayed by her side while Jan went to call the men. They arrived some time later; silent as ghosts they approached to see her for themselves before taking a drink. The Captain touched my arm and with Melios we moved to a distance where we could converse without waking our charge.
“What land are we in Samuel? Fairies!”
“It would seem so Captain, perhaps…”
“It would seem so!? We see them with our own eyes and still you dispute their existence?”
“No Captain, I do not dispute their existence, I only question our description of them. If this is a land of magic it would explain them and also our method of arrival. Captain, it is not normal that all of us lay on the beach at almost exactly the same place, all with our legs lying in water and we all woke up at exactly the same time… apart from Princess Thina that is. Did the fairies see to our sleep so that they could have time alone with our princess? If so, why?”
Melios was staring at me as if amused and it rankled. I have made a reputation for myself among the men as being the ‘intelligent’ one, always questioning everything and they treat it as being a handicap they should protect me from. When in towns, especially within the alehouses we frequent, the way I talk often leads to derision and fights. The men say I may be intelligent, but I am their intelligent companion and only they have the right to laugh at me. The Captain once suggested I join the church and become a scholar - ‘twas the only time I’ve seen the men upset with him.
“If there is magic here, I’m certain you will succeed in analysing and explaining it so that it becomes mundane. Would you mind if the rest of us concentrate on seeing to matters of survival? If you have time for it, we would appreciate you solving the problem of how we return home within three months.”
Laconically I replied, “That would be easy Captain, if you manage to find a ship.” He was not amused, but Melios turned away so that his amusement would not be obvious to the Captain. I knew the story would soon be told to all.
Princess Thina woke up, her brown eyes with those specks of royal green staring at us and then at the fairies overhead without her saying a word.
“Mistress, you are well?”
She smiled at him. “Captain Erin, who are they?”
He glanced up. “Friends of yours it seems, they fear us.”
“I’m hungry.”
“We have found some fruit and soon as we can set our traps we will have a proper meal.”
Melios paled and he urgently tugged at the Captain’s arm. Annoyed he followed him.
“Captain, none of the royal family eat meat. The princess has never seen anyone kill or eat flesh. We must not either.”
“Thorn!” He came over. “What were you instructed as to meals for the princess. Any special diet?”
“Aye Captain, fruits, nuts, vegetables. No meat. I was ordered that she be served her meals alone and not be allowed to be present when the crew eat.”
“No meat!?”
“None Captain. Not even hams.”
“Spread the word, no meat is to be eaten in her presence.”
3639
“I’m sorry Captain.” Melios said. “I think it would be better you order the men not to eat meat at any time and that no fowl or animal be killed. Should she see it or smell it on our breath by mistake, it could cause her shock and much distress.”
“How are the men supposed to keep their strength! Alright, until I countermand the order, no killing and no eating of flesh. If the men complain, explain to them.”
None of the men were looking at us, they were staring at Princess Thina. She was standing with her arms stretched up and the fairies had descended, flying around her. One landed on her hand and she lowered it to her eyes.
“Did you tell the dolphin people to help us?”
“They called to us.” Answered a tiny piping voice. “You are Thina?”
“Princess Thina, but you can call me Thina.”
“The dolphins told us your heart is the same as ours. Is that true?”
She stared, contemplating the question. “No, I think mine is bigger.” The fairy laughed and flew up to the others.
“Princess, would you ask your friends whether there is a town with people like us close by?”
“They told me a man will find us later Captain.”
Most of the fruit we found we did not recognise, but our princess insisted they were edible, she said her friends had told her so. I do not recall eating fruit as sweet and tasty, but within an hour I felt hungry again. We found trees with nuts and sat on the flattened grass shelling them as we talked.
“If those…fairies speak true, it means we have been seen and someone has been sent to lead us to civilisation. The fact that they are sending only one man as a guide does indicate peaceful intentions.”
“How do they know we are peaceful?” Robin asked.
“Perhaps their town is large enough that they do not need to fear a group of men our size who have no weapons? I would also consider it unlikely any group of men escorting a child appear threatening.” I said.
“Perhaps his tongue should be considered a weapon?” Marios asked, making them all laugh.
“Sam, you better stay out of alehouses, we cannot afford fights with the locals, not while we have the princess to care for.”
The princess was listening to us and she looked at me. “You like to fight?”
“No, my princess, others find my way of speaking pretentious and they make fun of me and then my friends get into a fight with them. I am not much of a fighter.”
“Who fights for you?”
I pointed at them all. “Not the Captain of course.”
She stared into his eyes. “You do not fight for your own man?” She looked at me again. “I will fight for you.”
I was touched, but realised I had to mend some bridges. I stood up and bowed to her. “I am honoured. Princess, it would not be right for a person of your rank to fight uncouth sailors or soldiers. If I am attacked by ladies of their royal court, I will appreciate your assistance. Just like the Captain would fight any other Captain who insulted any of his men.”
“Oh.” She thought about it and then asked Captain Erin. “Am I allowed to help you fight a Captain?”
Captain Erin stood up and bowed to her. “I would be honoured my lady. However, we are guests in this land and it would not be correct of us to attack our hosts, not for slights. Their ways are bound to be different from ours and the slights may be unintended. If I do have a problem though, I will gladly call you to my side.”
3640
She sat with chin cupped in hands and thought about it. “If they are strangers would it be good to let them know I am a princess? What if they are friends of the Perts? I think you must call me Thina, not princess anymore.”
I would have guessed that any child growing up in court as she had would be mature in ways we are not, but her comment showed she has a brain and that she uses it. That pleased me. Cord and Larry called out softly, ‘company’ and we turned in time to see a man approaching. He waved as he saw us looking and we all stood up, surrounding Princess Thina.
“Welcome. We heard from the dolphin people about your arrival. Are any of you injured?”
“None. Thank you for your concern.”
“My name is Daniel.” He slung a bag off his shoulder and set it on the ground. “I have brought some food - we guessed you may not be familiar with what is edible and be starving amid plenty.”
We let Chant check the bag first. He grinned. “Bread and cheeses, lots of nuts also.”
“There is ale back at home.”
“Information in place of ale would be welcomed. Are you free to tell us about your country and what we may expect?”
He seemed strangely at ease for a man among a group of strangers. “With pleasure. I do notice there is a lady among you, may I greet her first?”
“My name is Thina. I am pleased to meet you Daniel.” She walked through the men protecting her and gave her hand. He took it and bowed to her.
“My lor…lady Thina, I am honoured to meet you. Thina - Athena, you are named after the goddess of wisdom?”
“I have not heard of such a goddess. Does she live here?”
He laughed. “No my lady, she belongs to another world. But then, you too are too beautiful to be of this world.”
“You are very kind Daniel. Will you join us as we share your food?”
Captivated he sat by her and she broke a loaf and passed a piece to him. He spread some cheese on it and took a small bite before she did, to show it is not poisoned.
“You ask about our country. Since you came from across the sea, I presume your homes are on another continent. Our people call this world the world of Lady Meli. My people live beyond that mountain range, deep within a forest. Further, over another mountain range live another people of a race alien to ours, but friendly. There is a city within those mountains, but it is still unborn and empty, waiting for Lady Melina to give it life. If you walk back the way I came from, for about three hours, you will find a small village. They have prepared for you and a bed and food for each of you awaits.”
“You call me lady, but I am only six years old. Why?”
“There are a few who are born ladies or lords. Age does not change what you are. When we first met our Lady Melina she was but a baby, yet not one of us felt foolish calling her our Lady.”
“You say this Lady Melina of yours made this whole world and you have met her?”
“Correct Samuel.”
“How is it our people have not heard of her? Are you telling us your people are favoured by her?” Red asked, a trifle belligerently.
“Perhaps it is not us who are in favour, but your people who are out of her favour? On this land there are no wars, no brother raises a hand against another. We do not kill, we see ourselves as gardeners of our Lady, here to care for and tend this beautiful world of hers. The fairies you met, how long would they last in your world?”
I hope you enjoy reading this story of fantasy, adventure and love - and should some of it be true for our reality, I hope you will love our Cherine.
Αλέξανδρος Ζήνον Ευσταθίου
(Alexander Zenon Eustace)10th December, 2019
- posted: 10th December, 2019
If you wish to read from an earlier book, from Book 01 to Book 05, use this link button to open the LC Book Index:
