Simpell and Einstein reached the border late in the afternoon.
"Look Einstein!" The prince shouted. "The border!"
Now how did you know that was coming? Could it be…my characters don't know when to stop? Probably. Oh well. I'm off track again.
Einstein pulled Gallant to a halt and peered down at the line. It was about 6 inches thick, in a bright red, and stretched exactly straight in either direction, as far as the eye could see. Then he realized something strange was about…it was raining. On the far side of the line. He walked Gallant right up to the line, leaned out, and stuck his hand into the rain. It was wet. Yes, it was rain, nothing more, nothing less. A right downpour, too, falling straight down. He looked up. There was a distinct line between blue sky and gray clouds. He shook his head. Must be a border thing. Some tragedy must be happening in the other Land. He looked at the prince.
"Well, Sire, shall we ride on? We've about an hour until dark."
The prince sat back in the saddle and thought. Einstein's shoulders slumped. At the prince's thinking rate, he would decide by the next morning whether or not they should stop.
"No. Let's ride now."
Einstein jumped. Was the prince getting smarter, or was it just a fluke? He decided to ponder that later and stashed it away in the back of his brain, where he kept things like old socks and failed exams…
Together, the horses jumped the line into the rain.
***
"So, highness, what sort of tragedy do you think is happening today?" Einstein asked conversationally.
"Tragedy? What makes you think there's a tragedy?" Prince Simpell asked in bewilderment.
"Well, it's raining. That usually happens when a tragedy has occurred, affecting a princess, or occasionally a poor woodcutter." Einstein explained.
The prince threw back his head and chuckled. "My dear Einstein, you do have a lot to learn about these matters."
"Whatever do you mean?" It was Einstein's turn to be bewildered.
"It rains when something sad is happening. A tragedy indeed…" the prince went into another chuckling fit.
"…Er…yes, sir." Einstein dropped back slightly to clear his puzzled mind. In the distance he could just barely see the top of a tall tower – a city was not too far away. The thought cheered him slightly…hot food, maybe a bath. The thought of these things grew nicer and nicer as over the next twenty minutes he got wetter and wetter.
"Look there!" The prince shouted suddenly, reining in his horse and pointing ahead. Einstein nearly fell out of the saddle whilst trying to see what had his master so excited.
"What?" He asked finally, not seeing anything.
"There! A tall tower! There must be a maiden asleep in it!"
"Oh, that. I saw that a quarter of an hour ago, at least." Einstein shrugged. "It's just part of a city or something, let's ride faster and we can get something to eat."
"Damn your stomach, Einstein! We must rescue the maiden!"
"What maiden?" Einstein was yet again bewildered.
"The one asleep in the tower! Hi ho Spot, away!" And before Einstein could even fully comprehend what the prince was saying, he had ridden off on his round pony towards the tower. Einstein thought a moment more, then moaned and spurred Gallant after them.
"Sire! Even if there is a maiden asleep in the tallest tower, what about it?"
"We must rescue her!" Prince Simpell yelled again.
"From what?" Einsten yelled back.
"From sleep!"
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS WRONG WITH SLEEP?" Einstein screamed. Alas, his words were lost as Prince Simpell and his stubby pony rode through the gates into the city.
"Sorry, Gallant," Einstein muttered, urging his horse to run faster, "but we've got to catch them before they do something stupid." They rounded a corner and once again Einstein nearly fell from the saddle as he tried to stop before crashing into Spot, who was standing docilely in the road before them.
"Sire!" Einstein gasped, looking round wildly.
"Shh, not now, this young lady is telling me her troubles." Prince Simpell was seated on a bench, out of the rain, listening to a lovely young girl talk.
"And (hiccup) there's just nothing (hiccup) that I can do!" She burst into fresh tears.
"There there, it can't be all THAT bad!" Prince Simpell said mournfully.
"Yes (hiccup) it can. I can sing beautifully – a gift from a fairy – and I'm pretty, and I'm smart – also gifts from fairies – but none of what I do is (hiccup) useful!" She burst into more fresh tears, the last ones having gone stale.
"Well…what do you like to do?"
"Well, I'm gifted in the artistic area – more fairy gifts – so I've grown up doing lots of arts and crafts."
"Do you like to sew?" Prince Simpell asked.
"Well, not particularly. Embroidery is all right, but that doesn't help anyone."
"What about weave?"
"Goodness no!" The princess's eyes grew wide. "That's ever so hard on your eyes. I would get…w…w…"
"Go on, say it," the prince encouraged.
"Wrinkles!" She burst into fresh tears. Einstein vaguely wondered what ruining your eyes had to do with wrinkles, but he thought it best not to ask.
"Well…have you tried to spin? Making yarn is very useful, and it could help a lot of people!"
"Hmmm…I've never tried to spin. I don't think that there is a spinning wheel in the entire city!"
"Well, if you really want to help people, you'll find one." Prince Simpell said firmly.
"What if I can't?" She hiccuped again.
"Where there is a will, there is a way. You're rich, aren't you? You can pay someone to make one!"
Einstein began to worry. He had heard stories about this girl. He cleared his throat gently.
"Er…Sire…perhaps there is a reason for-"
"Einstein, just this afternoon we discussed how much you have yet to learn. Do let me handle this, please." The prince was in a snotty mood. Einstein could only roll his eyes and hope that nothing bad came to the girl.
"Well, there, it's all settled. You're going to go find a spinning wheel even if it kills you, and that way you can help people." The prince stood up, grinning broadly.
"Thank you ever so much!" The princess said, looking much happier now. She then remembered that she was supposed to be incredibly virginal while at the same moment being incredibly alluring, so she adjusted the neckline of her gown and stood very close to the prince and invited him to dinner.
"So sorry!" Einstein interrupted, grabbing the Prince by the arm. "We have our reservations at an inn all set."
"An inn?" The princess asked, face falling.
"Yes." Einstein said firmly. "Three towns over. Let's go, Sire."
"Goodbye, fair damsel!" Prince Simpell called woefully as he was forced onto his horse and down the street.
HAH! They didn't give anything away that time! And I didn't ramble! *Feels incredibly proud* So once again, I unplug the characters and give them dessert for being so well behaved…even though they stole from me in chapter one…stay tuned for chapter three!
"Look Einstein!" The prince shouted. "The border!"
Now how did you know that was coming? Could it be…my characters don't know when to stop? Probably. Oh well. I'm off track again.
Einstein pulled Gallant to a halt and peered down at the line. It was about 6 inches thick, in a bright red, and stretched exactly straight in either direction, as far as the eye could see. Then he realized something strange was about…it was raining. On the far side of the line. He walked Gallant right up to the line, leaned out, and stuck his hand into the rain. It was wet. Yes, it was rain, nothing more, nothing less. A right downpour, too, falling straight down. He looked up. There was a distinct line between blue sky and gray clouds. He shook his head. Must be a border thing. Some tragedy must be happening in the other Land. He looked at the prince.
"Well, Sire, shall we ride on? We've about an hour until dark."
The prince sat back in the saddle and thought. Einstein's shoulders slumped. At the prince's thinking rate, he would decide by the next morning whether or not they should stop.
"No. Let's ride now."
Einstein jumped. Was the prince getting smarter, or was it just a fluke? He decided to ponder that later and stashed it away in the back of his brain, where he kept things like old socks and failed exams…
Together, the horses jumped the line into the rain.
***
"So, highness, what sort of tragedy do you think is happening today?" Einstein asked conversationally.
"Tragedy? What makes you think there's a tragedy?" Prince Simpell asked in bewilderment.
"Well, it's raining. That usually happens when a tragedy has occurred, affecting a princess, or occasionally a poor woodcutter." Einstein explained.
The prince threw back his head and chuckled. "My dear Einstein, you do have a lot to learn about these matters."
"Whatever do you mean?" It was Einstein's turn to be bewildered.
"It rains when something sad is happening. A tragedy indeed…" the prince went into another chuckling fit.
"…Er…yes, sir." Einstein dropped back slightly to clear his puzzled mind. In the distance he could just barely see the top of a tall tower – a city was not too far away. The thought cheered him slightly…hot food, maybe a bath. The thought of these things grew nicer and nicer as over the next twenty minutes he got wetter and wetter.
"Look there!" The prince shouted suddenly, reining in his horse and pointing ahead. Einstein nearly fell out of the saddle whilst trying to see what had his master so excited.
"What?" He asked finally, not seeing anything.
"There! A tall tower! There must be a maiden asleep in it!"
"Oh, that. I saw that a quarter of an hour ago, at least." Einstein shrugged. "It's just part of a city or something, let's ride faster and we can get something to eat."
"Damn your stomach, Einstein! We must rescue the maiden!"
"What maiden?" Einstein was yet again bewildered.
"The one asleep in the tower! Hi ho Spot, away!" And before Einstein could even fully comprehend what the prince was saying, he had ridden off on his round pony towards the tower. Einstein thought a moment more, then moaned and spurred Gallant after them.
"Sire! Even if there is a maiden asleep in the tallest tower, what about it?"
"We must rescue her!" Prince Simpell yelled again.
"From what?" Einsten yelled back.
"From sleep!"
"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS WRONG WITH SLEEP?" Einstein screamed. Alas, his words were lost as Prince Simpell and his stubby pony rode through the gates into the city.
"Sorry, Gallant," Einstein muttered, urging his horse to run faster, "but we've got to catch them before they do something stupid." They rounded a corner and once again Einstein nearly fell from the saddle as he tried to stop before crashing into Spot, who was standing docilely in the road before them.
"Sire!" Einstein gasped, looking round wildly.
"Shh, not now, this young lady is telling me her troubles." Prince Simpell was seated on a bench, out of the rain, listening to a lovely young girl talk.
"And (hiccup) there's just nothing (hiccup) that I can do!" She burst into fresh tears.
"There there, it can't be all THAT bad!" Prince Simpell said mournfully.
"Yes (hiccup) it can. I can sing beautifully – a gift from a fairy – and I'm pretty, and I'm smart – also gifts from fairies – but none of what I do is (hiccup) useful!" She burst into more fresh tears, the last ones having gone stale.
"Well…what do you like to do?"
"Well, I'm gifted in the artistic area – more fairy gifts – so I've grown up doing lots of arts and crafts."
"Do you like to sew?" Prince Simpell asked.
"Well, not particularly. Embroidery is all right, but that doesn't help anyone."
"What about weave?"
"Goodness no!" The princess's eyes grew wide. "That's ever so hard on your eyes. I would get…w…w…"
"Go on, say it," the prince encouraged.
"Wrinkles!" She burst into fresh tears. Einstein vaguely wondered what ruining your eyes had to do with wrinkles, but he thought it best not to ask.
"Well…have you tried to spin? Making yarn is very useful, and it could help a lot of people!"
"Hmmm…I've never tried to spin. I don't think that there is a spinning wheel in the entire city!"
"Well, if you really want to help people, you'll find one." Prince Simpell said firmly.
"What if I can't?" She hiccuped again.
"Where there is a will, there is a way. You're rich, aren't you? You can pay someone to make one!"
Einstein began to worry. He had heard stories about this girl. He cleared his throat gently.
"Er…Sire…perhaps there is a reason for-"
"Einstein, just this afternoon we discussed how much you have yet to learn. Do let me handle this, please." The prince was in a snotty mood. Einstein could only roll his eyes and hope that nothing bad came to the girl.
"Well, there, it's all settled. You're going to go find a spinning wheel even if it kills you, and that way you can help people." The prince stood up, grinning broadly.
"Thank you ever so much!" The princess said, looking much happier now. She then remembered that she was supposed to be incredibly virginal while at the same moment being incredibly alluring, so she adjusted the neckline of her gown and stood very close to the prince and invited him to dinner.
"So sorry!" Einstein interrupted, grabbing the Prince by the arm. "We have our reservations at an inn all set."
"An inn?" The princess asked, face falling.
"Yes." Einstein said firmly. "Three towns over. Let's go, Sire."
"Goodbye, fair damsel!" Prince Simpell called woefully as he was forced onto his horse and down the street.
HAH! They didn't give anything away that time! And I didn't ramble! *Feels incredibly proud* So once again, I unplug the characters and give them dessert for being so well behaved…even though they stole from me in chapter one…stay tuned for chapter three!