Princess master 3, p.8
Princess Master 3, page 8
“You’re joking, right?” Jessamine gulped.
“I wish I were, Your Highness,” the merman sighed. “It’s going to be a very, very difficult journey for you, and I wish there were more I could do to help besides giving you a map and telling you more about the things you’re going to encounter. I traveled quite a bit throughout the kingdom when I was younger, and I saw many… interesting things.”
“Just to be clear, Marinus is going to stay here and watch over the palace while I continue to go above the surface to gather more intelligence,” King Liron cut in, and then he chuckled. “I have always thought of making difficult journeys as a job better suited for younger people, although Marinus’ fifty-five years makes him merely a child compared to my, well, we don’t need to talk about exactly how old I am.”
“I’d travel anywhere to save the kingdom, Your Majesty, Sir Marinus,” I assured them. “So, where exactly are we going, anyway?”
“Do you mind if I clear the table?” the giant blue king asked, and when none of us protested, he snapped his fingers, and the gleaming pink coral surface was immediately bare as if none of the food or other place settings had ever been there.
Damn, that was a pretty cool trick. I’d seen my wives transform a lot, of course, including Jessamine’s invisibility spell, but I’d never actually seen them make stuff actually go away. I looked at Jessamine and Cienna, and their mouths were both hanging slightly open, so I knew I wasn’t the only one who’d been impressed.
Marinus pushed out his chair and reached over to a smaller desk that sat to the side of the room, and he grabbed a pen and a large map printed on a piece of parchment and put them on the now-clean table.
“How exactly do you write when you’re underwater?” I marveled. It was something I’d wondered for a while, but I hadn’t gotten around to asking yet.
“Oh, this technology was developed by our people many centuries ago,” King Liron informed me as he adjusted his pointy gold crown and grinned at his daughter. “If there’s anyone who knows about the science around here, it’s Ariana, as I’m sure you’re well aware.”
“Well, it involves a combination of squid ink, and…” the mermaid began, but then she shook her head and frowned. “Joe, I’ll explain more later. I know you want to look at the map to see where you’re going to lead us.”
“Yes, it’s going to be a long mission.” Marinus pulled his chair back closer to the table and spread out the map in front of us. Then he grabbed the pen and circled a spot near what I read as the western side of the parchment. “This map represents our kingdom as a whole, and here’s where we are right now…”
“So, we’re going to be headed east?” I asked, and the middle-aged merman nodded.
“Yes, Joe, that’s correct,” he replied, and then he drew another circle around a symbol on the opposite side of the map. “And this, this over here is Eudora’s cave. So, as you can see, you’ll basically be traversing the entire kingdom.”
“Damn,” Cienna muttered, and I was glad the curse had slipped out of her mouth and not mine.
“Yes, that’s pretty much right, Your Highness,” Marinus said with a kind smile. “Eudora’s cave isn’t close at all.”
“So, what’s in between?” I asked, and I looked more closely at the map in front of me.
“A few towns, some sea life, and some challenges like you’ve never seen before,” the advisor told us. “I can guarantee you, some of it’s going to be more fun than others.”
“Tell us something fun to start with,” Jessamine requested, and then she laughed. “I think I need to be cheered up a little.”
“Of course, Your Highness.” Marinus nodded, and he drew a smaller circle that was fairly near to where he’d circled the palace. “I think you’re really going to like the first town you come across. It’s a tourist attraction that’s fairly nearby where they have sandfalls. Now, I’ve never been to the surface, as you know, but I think you might have something similar involving water.”
“So, they’re like… underwater waterfalls made of sand?” I asked. I seemed to have remembered hearing about something like that back home near LA, maybe in Mexico.
“Yes, that sounds right,” the merman replied. “In any case, they’re beautiful, and a lot of people travel to see them. I think you’ll enjoy visiting there, because they even have a couple of really nice inns to accommodate everyone.”
“Okay, that sounds alright,” I said and nodded. “What next? When does it get worse?”
Marinus laughed and drew another circle, and this time the symbol on the map looked like some sort of fish.
“I don’t know if it’s worse,” the merman told us, “but it’s interesting, and it’s definitely a challenge. This place here is called the Valley of the Whales.”
“Whales?” Cienna breathed. “That sounds amazing.”
“Yes, amazing is one word for it,” Marinus agreed. “It’s a trench the whale populations from around the sea use for migration, and it’s going to be one of the most beautiful things you’ve ever seen, and one of the most terrifying when you have to traverse it.”
“How--how big are they?” Jessamine gulped.
“I’m sorry to have to bring up the Boneyard again, but you know the ships down there?” Marinus looked around, and we all nodded. “Well, they’re at least that size, if not larger.”
“Holy--” I stopped myself before I could embarrass myself in front of the king. “Yeah, that’s pretty big.”
I’d been whale watching, but swimming with thousands of the huge creatures was clearly a whole different story.
“Yes, so you’re going to have to make your way through the whales, which is going to be a major challenge,” Marinus said, and he stared off into space for a moment. “And I wish I didn’t have to tell you this, but it gets even harder.”
“Well, we’re pretty tough,” Cienna said, and she tightened her lips into a firm line. “Whatever it takes, we’re going to do.”
“Yes, I know,” the merman sighed, and he drew an arrow on the map that led from the Valley of the Whales to Eudora’s lair. “So, once you make it through that, there’s much less civilization on the other side. When you’re traveling the route I’ve marked here, you may come across a town or two, but I’ve heard Eudora herself has been attacking those citizens much more heavily. And then, to reach her actual cave, she’s set up a very difficult series of obstacles. I’ve even heard there’s a puzzle to enter her chambers. And that’s all before you have to fight her…”
I looked around at my wives, and I was more than impressed by the expressions on their faces. None of the women looked scared or had tears in their eyes, and they appeared absolutely resolute that we were, in fact, going to make this journey, fight this battle, and win.
“So, I guess all we need is the map,” Ariana responded in a soft but firm voice, and Marinus nodded and began to roll it up.
“Well, that’s not all you’re going to need,” King Liron boomed. “Marinus gave you all the bad news, but I’m going to give you the good news. Ariana, I’ve gotten you a present, and I know you’re going to love it. So, I hope you’ll all accompany me back outside now to see it.”
Chapter 5
“A present?” Ariana asked with wide eyes. “Father, I don’t understand. Surely, I already have everything I need?”
“Well, you don’t have this yet,” King Liron replied with a resounding laugh. “Let’s leave my chambers now so I can show it to you.”
“Do you want me to leave them dry?” the mermaid asked. “That’s a new trick I came up with just this morning…”
“No, it’s okay if you let the water back in,” her father said, and he winked at his advisor. “I’m partial to my tail, how about you, Marinus?”
“Yeah, I think I’d like my tail back,” the merman agreed as he squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. “This has been interesting and all, but…”
“Not a problem!” Ariana laughed, though the topic made her cheeks flush pink. “Joe, Jessamine, and Cienna, I’m going to cast mermaid’s kiss for you now.”
After she mumbled her magic words, she grabbed the rolled-up map, and we all got up from the table. Then we made our way out through the room with the giant furniture to the chamber’s main door, and King Liron pulled it open.
When a rush of water flooded into the room, it was fascinating to see it immediately dissolve Ariana’s magic. The carpet disappeared right away, followed by the upholstered furniture and pillows.
“All right, we’re going to head toward the back of the palace, near the stables,” the king explained as he began to swim in that direction, but unlike Ariana, he had no inclination to swim slower so the humans could keep up.
As I tried to keep sight of the giant blue merman, I thought I’d never moved so fast in my life.
“I’m so confused, but I have to admit I’m pretty excited,” Ariana said as she swam beside me, and she grabbed my hand. “I know my father is good at picking out presents, although he likes to give them a little dramatically.”
“I’m sure it’s going to be great,” I told her, and I squeezed her hand.
We rounded the back of the king’s huge tower and swam downward toward the sandy seafloor. I caught a glimpse of the huge dome Ariana had created to enclose the hot springs, and I snickered to myself at the thought of how I’d fucked my wives there the night before.
I certainly hoped King Liron hadn’t been able to read my mind, but he stopped in place to wait for us and caught sight of the dome.
“Ariana, what is that?” the giant merman asked, and he gestured at the large, steamy half-sphere.
“Oh, it’s just something I made because I thought it would improve the hot springs,” the mermaid said with a shrug, and I was impressed by her ability to sound casual during this conversation. “Now, you don’t have to go all the way down to the bottom to experience the warm water, because it all stays within the confines of the dome.”
“Genius, Daughter!” King Liron exclaimed, and he patted Ariana gently on the back. “Is my princess great, or what?”
“She really is wonderful,” Jessamine replied with a smile. “I have greatly enjoyed all the time your daughter and I have spent together.”
Cienna looked at me and smirked, and I choked back a snort. Being around the king brought out a new tendency for nervous laughter in me, and even though I knew the guy liked me, I still didn’t want him knowing the details of how I fucked my wives every day.
We were almost down to the seafloor now, and King Liron led us along the side of the hot springs toward the stables, which I’d never seen before. Trainers were working with huge seahorses in all colors of the rainbow outside the building, but that wasn’t the most impressive thing.
King Liron’s gift to Ariana was now visible, and I gaped at the gleaming chariot that rested on the ground outside the stables.
“Oh, my goodness, Father,” the mermaid gasped as her jaw dropped. “I-- this is incredible, you didn’t have to do this.”
“Ariana, don’t be silly,” King Liron chuckled. “Of course, a princess should have her own chariot, and there’s no way you could make it to Eudora’s cave without it, at least not easily. Come on, let’s go look at it.”
We swam over to the vehicle, which was about half the size of King Liron’s chariot, but Ariana’s new carriage was covered in a finish of pale green seashells and had thick ropes of intertwined kelp for reins. It was at least ten feet wide and twice again as long with two rows of seats that appeared to be padded in some sort of opalescent fabric. The chariot would clearly have enough room for me, the princesses, and our cargo, with spare space for at least a few more passengers. The seahorses hadn’t been strapped in yet, but I could picture the beautiful sight of the gleaming carriage being pulled by a rainbow assortment of aquatic steeds.
It was pretty badass.
“Oh, Father, this is so beautiful.” Ariana looked up at the king with shining aqua eyes. “It’s even my favorite color, and now I can bring Callie with me on our trip.”
“Yes, Daughter, I suspected you would like those things!” King Liron exclaimed noisily, and he turned to Marinus. “You should thank Marinus, too, because he was an integral part of how I managed to pull off the surprise.”
“Thank you, too, Marinus!” Ariana cried out, and she turned back to the chariot. “Joe, Cienna, Jessamine, can you believe it?”
“It’s so pretty,” Jessamine murmured, and she reached out to stroke the carriage’s smooth finish. “Did you have a chariot back in your world, Joe?”
“Well, I had to drive this ugly white van a lot for work,” I answered, “although I have to admit it was practical, and then there was my red ‘65 Mustang, which I restored myself. That car was really my baby. Now, my first car was this ugly hatchback…”
I trailed off when I realized the whole group was looking at me with strange expressions on their faces.
“Yes, you’ll have to explain more about that later, Joe,” Cienna said as she patted me on the arm, and I laughed a little at myself. My life, and especially my love life, had vastly improved since I’d gotten to Fairyland, but occasionally I missed having people to talk to who understood modern American topics.
“Well, the best way I’ve ever traveled has been by magic carpet, although I haven’t been pulled by a team of seahorses yet,” Jessamine giggled.
The dark-haired princess had been able to transform the magic rug into an ordinary-looking scarf, which made it easy to carry and to pull out in a pinch. I had to admit traveling on the carpet had been cooler than any amusement park ride, and I hoped we’d get it back when we eventually returned to the rest of our belongings that Cienna’s men were supposedly guarding for us on her ship.
“The magic carpet makes me a little ill,” Cienna admitted, and then her lip trembled a little. “But what this really makes me think about is my horse, Starlight, and how much I miss her. Ariana, you never got to meet Starlight, but she’s huge, and white, and she is the best horse ever.”
“Aw, I’m sorry, Cienna,” Ariana consoled her, and she put an arm around her sniffling sister-wife’s shoulders. “You can pet Callie as much as you want, I promise. In any case, Father, I love the chariot more than anything. Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!”
“I was glad to do it, my daughter,” the huge merman replied with a gigantic grin on his face. “I’d do anything to make you happy, and no daughter of mine is going to travel the seas in anything less than the height of style.”
“Congratulations, Ariana!” Marinus cut in. “I hope you and your new chariot are very happy together. I’m going to head back to my office now, but I hope I was able to help you understand your next quest at least a little bit better. Please, stop by before you leave if you have any further questions.”
“Thank you, Marinus,” Ariana answered the palace advisor, and she kissed him on the cheek. “Your help has been invaluable.”
“As much as I hate to leave you, I need to get back to my work, as well, Ariana,” her father informed her with a sad smile. “I’m going to miss you, as always, but I have a lot to do before I can travel again.”
“Goodbye, Father,” Ariana said in a quivering voice. She seemed pretty emotional about having to leave the king, and I also figured she was a little nervous about our upcoming trip. “Thank you again for my new chariot, because it means everything to me.”
“Wonderful, just don’t tell your sisters about it,” King Liron chuckled. “I provide for all my daughters, of course, but, other than Ariana, they never really go anywhere, anyway.”
“I won’t, Father,” Ariana laughed through her tears.
“Joe, Princess Cienna, Princess Jessamine, I wish you all the best of luck on your journey,” the king boomed. “And don’t forget to take care of Ariana.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” the three of us mumbled in unison, and I dropped into my version of a bow again.
The king and Marinus swam away, and I was left alone with my wives for the first time in a while.
“Wow, we have so much to talk about,” Jessamine said with wide eyes. “Everything about this trip sounds crazy, though I’m more excited about some parts than others. The sandfalls sound interesting, and the whales could be pretty fun, I suppose…”
“The second half sounds a little harder, I guess,” Cienna admitted.
“Yeah, I wasn’t entirely sure what Marinus meant by obstacles and puzzles,” I replied, but then I flashed my wives a grin. “Whatever it is, we can figure it out. I want to talk more about Ariana’s new ride.”
“Yes, my… ride… is beautiful,” Ariana giggled. “That was really kind of my father to do for me.”
“It was.” Cienna nodded, and we all gazed at the gleaming chariot for a long moment.
“Oh, there’s Callie!” Ariana cried out when she saw the glimmering turquoise seahorse emerge from the stable. “Callie, come here, girl!”
The adorable animal swam over, and Ariana scratched her on top of her head.
“Hi, Callie!” Cienna exclaimed, and the friendly seahorse sniffed the blonde’s hand and then rubbed up against her like a cat. All my wives were animal lovers, so I wasn’t surprised Cienna had a way with Ariana’s pet.
“Callie…” I called, though I was slightly nervous Ariana’s beloved seahorse wouldn’t like me. It turned out I didn’t have anything to worry about, however, because the bright blue animal rubbed up against my hand the same way she had Cienna’s.
“She’s so cute,” Jessamine gushed as she looked fondly at Callie. “It’s going to be fun to travel with seahorses! I was just wondering what our plans were for the day, however… do we have to wait until morning to leave?”
“Hmm, good question,” Ariana said, and she furrowed her red eyebrows. “Let’s find somewhere more private to talk, and then we can look at the map again.”
“Can we go back inside the dome?” I suggested, and I raised an eyebrow at my wives.
“Joe!” Ariana laughed, and as her cheeks flushed, she smacked me gently with the rolled-up parchment. “I would love that, except I’m afraid the properties of the warm, enhanced water would interact badly with the ink. I’m sure we can find somewhere else to chat on the palace grounds. I don’t think you’ve seen the gardens yet…”
