1001 Nights in Their Garden
The Third Night- The Hunt III
The Imperial Princess and the Fox
Author's note: Sometimes Spinel is Connie, Spinel is Spinel… Perks of the frame only having two characters… so far.
My name is Steven, and that vixen will be the death of me.
The men of the princess' guard were in their most immaculate coats and marched with muskets to shoulders, and sang in hearty, bold fashion of distant conquests. Drums beat to the march, while fifers plied their trade in excellent harmony. As a country prince of modest means, it was perhaps the most beautiful sight of organization I had ever had the opportunity to observe.
Soldiers marched step to step down the rough road that led from my little frontier town, and towards the highway of the great king, and the long journey to the capital. Behind their endless ranks were the soldiers in the bright red of the old imperial guard. Next was an ornate chariot pulled by four, magnificent, white horses, and a detachment of lancers with gleaming breastplates. It was a fantastic display of imperial might.
Unfortunately, Spinel, Pearl, and I could only watch in sheer horror as that cunning little vixen ran to-and-fro, throwing the whole mass into a confusing, writhing, mess. The men slipped and fell as the little creature barked and pulled shoelaces, the fifers lost time, the drums stopped beating. The even columns of men collapsed into rubble. The tricky little woman bit the heels of the horses on the carriage just before nibbling the harness and sending the panicked horses in every direction of the compass.
The lancers, valiant though they were, fared no better as they attempted to regain control of their steeds. Several were tossed and landed in the mud as their horses made their escape. It was a grand catastrophe. Pearl saw to it that the citizenry returned to their homes while the poor officers took stock of the situation.
Her Grace immerged from her coach, which had been knocked over in the chaos. It was interesting to say the least, to see the woman, clad in immaculate white, land in the mud. She was helped to the ground by her Pearl maidservant. The princess pointed and bid me come closer, so I complied. Of course, Spinel, true to her fashion, ran ahead, splashing mud the whole way. Pearl stayed close to his side.
Spinel changed completely when she got close to her grace. She straightened out, and even offered a proper curtsy, low to the ground. This act was proper but caked the bottom of her dress in mud. "Your Grace, apologies for this most unfortunate accident, I regret to say that there is no inn in this town. Milord would be honored to have a guest such as you for the evening while you wait for repairs."
I stepped forward awkwardly. Trying to ignore the sinking suspicion that somehow, I had something to do with all this nonsense, I simply nodded. She was beautiful, in the harsh imperial way. Her body hidden beneath several layers and a hoop skirt. It had to be miserable on a day like today. Even her face was covered in makeup. She was, every inch, the idealized doll. In that sense she came off as both imposing, and altogether fragile.
She was smoothed and dignified amidst the chaos that surrounded her. Nodding, she said, "I graciously accept."
"Princess Connie?" An elderly officer exclaimed.
"I will do as I please," was all she said in answer.
Not one to sit idly by, she personally directed the better part of the cleanup. To everyone's immense relief, no one was fatally wounded in the stampede. There were plenty of cuts, bumps, bruises, pulled muscles, and a couple of broken ribs among the pride of the imperial cavalry. When she was told of this the princess laughed as she reclined on a bench, "You ought to petition your monarch for the Cross of Valor, that one fox of yours inflicted over seventy casualties."
Pearl, who was stitching up a small cut on a soldier's face nearby said, "Milady, Prince Steven wouldn't dare tarnish the good name of your bodyguard."
"I'd say they did a better job of tarnishing their own." She giggled. How old was she? Her dress was so elaborate I would've guessed her to be in her forties, but that laugh…
An officer approached her kneeling, "Milady we have set camp as you asked."
"Excellent captain, the sun will set soon, see to it that your soldiers get rest. We still have a long way to the Capital."
"Of course, your grace." He stayed kneeling.
"See to it that Steven gets due compensation for the all the trouble that we caused." In short time he produced a notebook. "No, see to it he is compensated three-fold for the worth of his estate."
I thought I would faint, "Wh-wh-what?"
"There are benefits to having the vast wealth of the empire. Now I think I should like to retire for the evening, do you live nearby?" I nodded and the four of us: Spinel, Pearl, the princess, and I made our way to my estate. All of this was against the backdrop of a beautiful and vivid and bright red sunset.
"You know I came here in an effort to keep the peace."
Spinel found reason for spite, "Oh, so that's why you brought the army."
For Pearl that was unacceptable, she attempted to reign in what she viewed as a commoner. Much to everyone's surprise the princess quickly returned, "My father insisted on it, he's never been much for humility. I truly am here to keep the peace though.
"I'd just like to catch that damned fox," was my reply.
Her Grace beamed, "Given what she did to my army, it would truly be a feat worthy of the annals."
My pig tailed friend giggled in obvious crude humor. Pearl visibly rolled her eyes.
It was a little underwhelming that my hunt had ended so climactically, ended with my goal unfulfilled. "Maybe my hunt, will have to wait for another day. Spinel, who had been keeping her distance, came up behind me.
She was giggling, "Oh I don't know, take a look!" The lady pointed ahead, and sure enough, there she was. It was coincidence wasn't it. I thought back to pearls stories, but it was all so annoying.
"What is wrong with her?" I exclaimed in frustration.
Pearl was uncharacteristically nostalgic, "Maybe she just likes you."
"I wished she liked me less."
Now the princess added, "And she was the one that single handedly destroyed my guard? Maybe I should make her his Field Marshal? I'd love to see Father conduct a war while his lead general digs her den in mothers prized roses."
I laughed, not so much at what she said, but at the fact that something so human could come from this living porcelain doll. "I'm afraid I can't offer much in the way of luxury. I don't have the money to maintain a large staff, Pearl is my only servant."
"Of course, that is why I insisted upon it." She shocked everyone present by removing her towering wig and tossing it away, revealing a tightly wound bun of dark, black hair. "I despise the overly luxurious style that my advisors insist on. For a man, even what your wearing now is sufficient." She pulled a pin sending her hair down in waves that settled at her shoulders. Next, she pulled out a cloth from somewhere. Using said cloth she broke through the glass of her skin. The result was positively stunning. Her face was nearly as dark as her hair, and I just stood, clumsily with my mouth open.
"I don't suppose I could trouble you for a bath and attire appropriate to rest in?"
"Hmn?" I was totally lost. The porcelain doll had become a beautiful young woman.
Spinel interrupted, "Relax, you can borrow one of my dresses." She pushed up my mouth, "Yer drooling weirdo."
"Y-yes, of course," I stammered out.
"Something bothering you Steven?" The princess asked.
"I was surprised that under all of that there was beautiful princess. How old are you?" Oh stars, what was I saying.
Clearly flattered she added, "Eighteen, most say I act beyond my years. I just wish father wouldn't insist I look it."
It stabbed like one of cupid's arrows in the legends. What was I even thinking? She just made me three times wealthier on a whim. Suddenly I forgot, if only for a moment about that little vixen. Not that I felt any better. Now I felt like she had revealed herself to be a goddess. It was like suddenly seeing Athena where just moments ago a mere mortal stood.
Once we had arrived back at my manor Pearl warmed the bath for both of us. Spinel quickly washed her dress and traded it for one of my night shirts. "The least I can do milord." Now she took on that more regal manor of speaking again. "It's been a heck of a trip," she kissed me on the cheek. Just before she closed the door she said, "Ya know, she may not look it, but she's a kind little fox."
"Oh," I said. It was rather confusing, but the princess called me from the other room, and I decided to drop it for the moment.
Spinel's dress fit her well. It was amazing that such a petite figure was hiding underneath what was certain to be fifty pounds of clothing. "I love this, you know, my hoop skirt is made of oak, fancy some kindling for your fireplace?"
As tempting as that offer was, Pearl had already built a roaring fire, and even fed the small furnaces in the bedrooms. That coupled with the cool evening gave the home a warmth that it seemed all to often to lack. Rather than sitting back on the couch in the immaculate parlor, I laid out two large cushions to be nearer to the fire. The princess saw this and immediately sat down beside me.
My heart skipped a beat "You look beautiful." At nineteen this was the closest I had ever been to a girl in private. Pearl who was a servant to the end, conveniently dismissed herself to work the loom in a separate part of the house. Even the princess seemed nervous.
"Can I get you something to eat or drink." I suggested hoping to break the tension.
"I was hoping to just speak with you, if that's okay."
"Certainly, what about?"
She smiled, now seemed a little nervous. "This situation, it's just so romantic." Her face flushed. For the first time in the evening she seemed entirely human. "I'm sorry, I know it's so sudden." She embraced me in a crushing hug. I returned her embrace and quickly realized that she was weeping. "It's not fair that they subject me to all this." The princess poured out all her worries. It came streaming down her face before harmlessly hitting the floor.
It was only then that I realized how lonely and terrifying life was for her. She didn't want for food, or shelter, just companionship. She told me of how much she had longed to see some knight in shining armor outside her open window to carry her off to the wider world.
Finally, with nothing left to cry over she said, "Imagine my surprise when the handsome prince turned out to be a country prince, and that one of his servants had to bid me to come." She wiped tears from her eyes. I was, not for the first time, utterly speechless.
"Of course, if this were one of the romances I read as a girl, this would be the "happily ever after."
"Life's never that simple is it," I offered.
"If all the power I had could make it so I would. I barely know you, and yet I much prefer…"
Somewhere, deep within me I found confidence, and pressed my lips to hers.
-Back in the Garden-
Now the dream ended, and Spinel shook me awake "You call that a kiss?"
Next time: The Fourth Day- Intruder in the Garden
End Note- Wow did that chapter got a lot longer than I expected. With that the story has crossed the 10,000 word mark! To those who have made the long journey from the first day, thanks so much!