Finally

Phew. More than a month between posts (don't let the date fool you. I started on Aug. 24, but posted this on Sept. 9). This thing really is becoming like a journal to me. Sorry to those who waited for so long. I hope I haven't lost anyone. Anyway, I like this installment. It introduces someone I've been wanting to introduce and explains some things, too!

Oh, in other news, I interviewed with Auto-Owners Insurance recently. I think it was a good interview, but they told me to wait to hear something. D'oh. Of course, they also asked if I was willing to relocate. So, here I come... anywhere! My dad tried to check with them for me today to see what the status was. I know, "Awww." Fingers crossed!

And story ho!
(I haven't proofread; be gentle)
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After coming to terms with the Sorceress, the Princess changed her routine. She now traveled very discretely outside of the tower, often with a cloak and never on the back of her new equine friend. The stallion, so fond of racing across the land with the Princess, took to the change well. Whenever she went walking about, he would trot calmly beside her. Occasional glimpses from atop the tower of a shining white horse charging across field and meadow, however, told the Princess that he had not given up his wild gallops completely. The most surprising change in the daily life of the tower, though, was the Princess' new fascination with the magical study and its treasury of books.

The Princess had been considering a trip to the study since the day she arrived in the tower. The magic traps and the curiosities of the tower would not leave her mind, and she pondered over them much during her first few weeks. She had assumed, however, that the Sorceress would come back one day with answers to the riddles that haunted them both. Each time that the Princess would ask about it, the Sorceress would smile and say that she was still looking into it. The Princess had grown more impatient every time she asked, and soon found the study entering her thoughts as often as the riddles themselves. After the incident with the horse and the discovery of her father's decree, her longing for answers burned and her resolution to find them hardened.

The Princess had been spending most of her days in the study, only taking the occasional break whenever she needed to eat or when the stallion who visited her - whom she had named Lysander- started neighing loudly for her to come out and see him. The rest of her time was spent going through book after book. She started out with the most introductory book on magic she could find, since she knew nothing other than what she saw the Sorceress do. She had expected to understand maybe half of the book, and that was if she read it paced and slow. What she found was surprisingly simple explanations of how to begin using magic. She wondered if this was a sort of first textbook for those born into magical families. She was so fascinated by her new studies that her pride was unfazed by her interest in what was a possible children's book.

The Princess had amassed a rather untidy pile of books she had read. She had also begun to understand how the Sorceress did the things she did. With a vicious grin, she circled spells in the book she was now reading that had been used in the trap on the tower's door. It was this, more than anything, that made her feel as she did back in castle before her escapade began. She felt a sense of direction. She had only scratched the resources of the study, but she felt like she was finally starting to get a grasp on things. Closing the book of curses with a vindictive slam, she opened up a catalog of wildlife: Creatures - Magical and Otherwise.

The Princess was amazed at the number and variety of creatures she had never heard of, but she was looking for information one beast in particular: the horse. Unlike most of the entries she had looked at so far, the one for horses was divided into normal characteristics and magical properties. With a pounding heart, she started to read the section on magical properties.

"Next to the cat, the horse travels between the realms of magic and nature more than any other creature. Compared to the cat, whose frequent transitions can be impossible to keep track of, the horse has been well observed and documented in its sojourns. As opposed to the cat, however, the horse carries much more of the essence of each world between the veil. Untamed horses are the greatest carriers, even to the extent of exibiting magical abilities of their own in the natural realm and resistance to mystic forces in the magical. Horses used for work or those otherwise denied of their nature show the least magical sensitivity. Between these extremes lie most horses used as mounts and even some warhorses. It is the horse's natural affinity for magic combined with its use as transportation that make it such an important asset for people from both realms. Horses have time and again proven themselves the most effective method for persons traveling between natural and magical towns.

Closely related to the normal family of horses are the unicorns. Some believe they are descended from wild horses that chose to stay in areas inundated with natural magic energies, while others believe that regular horses are unicorns who preferred wide, magicless pastures. Their entire body flows with magic, but their horns are believed to have grown as the foci of their latent powers. Whatever the case may be, there have been sightings of what seem to be half-breeds: unicorns without horns, or perhaps horses with magical blood in their veins. It is an little-understood and rare phenomenon-"

The Princess closed the book, though she made sure to place a bookmark for a later read. Her head was swimming. Could this be why her father banned the riding of horses? Was he afraid of people traveling to the abodes of sorcerers and witches? But the castle was filled with magic users! And the Sorceress! She seemed to know all about it, yet she had shown no regret over the restriction when she told the Princess. No, something more was going on, and the Princess vowed she was going to find out.

Since her head was still spinning with thoughts, she decided it was time for a break. She climbed the stairs to the top floor and walked to the wall. It was already evening. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her mind as the breeze played with her hair. Upon hearing a neigh, she looked down to see Lysander staring up at her, tossing his head wildly and rearing up on his hind legs. "He must be so excited to see me," the Princess thought fondly. She was about to head down to see him when she noticed a small light coming out of the forest.

The light, a single floating orb, was shining directly in front of a young girl wearing what seemed to be a hoodless cloak. She was walking straight towards the tower, glancing around occasionally. Her dress- was it a dress?- was mainly black, with cuts of purple and blue along the arms and across the chest. Despite a high collar, there was a portion cut out below the neck to reveal some cleavage. As the girl drew closer, the Princess saw that she wasn't wearing a cloak at all, but that the bottom part of her sleeves draped down to her ankles. She could also finally see the girl's long hair, but it was a rainbow of shimmering colors, almost translucent. The girl stopped at the base of tower, still looking around. Then, she caught sight of the Princess staring at her, and frowned.

"Uh... Hello!" the Princess called down, trying to start a dialogue.

The girl continued to stare at the Princess. Then, she lowered her head and closed her eyes. The Princess couldn't tell what she was doing, but soon a glowing mist started to radiate from the girl. Then, the form of a person began to rise from the girl's head. It was a duplicate of the girl herself, except that it was floating up towards the Princess. It reached eye level with the Princess herself and folded its arms, still frowning. Its hair was no longer a translucent, but a dark, shimmering blue. It looked the Princess up and down, eyeing her critically.

"How did you...?" the Princess started, impressed by the spell.

The illusion held up its hand. "I'd rather not answer questions that might damage your little mind, Princess, since there are answers I want from you, first," it said with indifference.

The Princess found herself speechless. Not only was this her first true insult, it was completely unprovoked. Who was this girl? More importantly, who did she think she was?! "How... how did you know I was a Princess?" was all she managed to say.

"This," the girl said, pointing to the blue hair still waving in the breeze.

"What?!" the Princess cried, forgetting the girl's rudeness, "You know something about this? Tell me, please!"

"You don't even know what it means?!" the girl spat, her eyes burning now. Her hair was also a bright red, and flickering about her head like fire. The Princess backed away, afraid of some violence, but none came. The girl continued looking at her with those burning eyes. The Princess thought she could see, behind the anger and contempt, a little sadness, so she tried her luck again.

"Please. I did not know what this tower was when I came here. I still don't, but I'm trying to find out. This place is important, somehow, so maybe I can help you," the Princess said.

"Hmph. I doubt some silly royal girl could help me with more than being mild amusement," the girl replied angrily. Her eyes had lost their violence, though, and her hair calmed down, changing from bright red to violet.

"Will you tell me?" the Princess pressed.

"Fine," the girl sighed, "but only enough to shut you up. That dye responds to magic. It won't fasten itself to anyone without some exposure to magic. Since you're obviously no sorceress yourself, you must know one. And the only people out here they have regular contact with are the kings and queens who like having them around."

The girl's illusion floated in closer and sat on the wall, facing inward, "And unless this whole boring world is doing worse than I thought, you're no queen."

"No," the Princess answered.

"But you would need the help of someone who knew magic -and well- in order to get past the traps my uncle set," the girl concluded.

"Your uncle? The warlock was your uncle?" the Princess asked.

"Is. He's doing fine, thanks for asking. And yes, he was here not long ago. Now, if your pretty little curiosity is satisfied, I'd like to ask about important things," the girl said cooly.

The Princess scowled at the girl's continued rudeness, but waited for her first question. "First of all," the girl began, "tell me why you came here."

"That... is my business," the Princess said defiantly, not wanting to share her embarassing story with some rude stranger.

"That's very cute, Princess, but either you tell me, or I take it from your mind," the girl said flatly.

The Princess did not like this girl. She told the story of the Princes, the whole time afraid that her face would catch fire.

"You poor thing," the girl said with a sarcastic smile after the tale, "It must have been so hard to be the object of so much affection." Her hair almost seemed to bounce, going from purple to bright green for a few moments, then back again.

"You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?" the Princess thought angrily.

"Well, that explains a lot," the girl said thoughtfully, "I only have one question left for you, then: when do you leave?"

"Leave? I plan to do no such thing!" the Princess said. She was not very surprised that the girl would ask this. From the moment she had arrived, the Princess thought that she was little more than an inconvenience to her. This was a battle of wills, and the Princess did not like losing. Besides, the problem with the Princes was no longer the Princess's main concern. There were things she needed to know, and the tower might be the only way she could find answers.

The girl tossed the long, trailing edges of her sleeves behind her head, where they slowly arched together and stopped in mid-air. The girl then leaned her head back against them and closed her eyes. When she spoke, she sounded bored, "Well, the way I see it, you can either leave yourself, or I can go tell your father that you're doing just fine out here with no evil witch in sight."

"What? That's just... childish!" the Princess cried. Then something occured to her. It was childish. Why would a girl with such obvious magical skill resort to telling on her? Why not just force her out? Could it be that she couldn't? Sky-blue strands brushed by her face as the Princess decided a second time that night to take a chance.

"I can handle my father," the Princess said, squaring her shoulders and clenching her fists, "So why don't you make me leave?"

The girl opened her eyes. Her hair briefly flickered red and curled around her arms before it settled back into a straight purple. She stared at the Princess, whose whole form was rigid with determination and anxiety. "Maybe you're not as dumb as you look," the girl said, studying the Princess a second time. "Though that's still not saying much," she finished with a smirk.

The Princess was now rigid with renewed anger. She opened her mouth to say a few unkind words of her own, but the girl lept down onto the floor from her reclined position in mid-air and continued on. "Very well, Your Highness," she said with a mocking bow, "I will tell you about this tower you seem so fond of. Then maybe you'll understand why it's important that you take your rather enviable problem elsewhere."

"You see, Princess, this tower is rather special. It's old, for one thing. It was first built as a kind of watchpost for the border between the two realms. You see, this spot is very special. There are... flows of power both magical and natural that intersect here," the girl explained.

"Like leylines?" the Princess asked, remembering what she had read.

"Yes... leylines. Seems you have had some education in the magics. Good. Then this will go faster," the girl said, and continued on, "Finding intersecting leylines from both realms was like finding a diamond in a peat bog. A Dream Temple like no other was going to be built here, but considering the proximity to your kingdoms, it was decided that a tower would be better."

The Princess wanted to ask what a Dream Temple was, but after impressing the girl, she didn't want to ruin her image.

"That was in the old days. For some time, this tower has been abandoned. I don't know why, and neither did my uncle," the girl paused, weighing her words, "There are things we wanted to know, so my uncle came here and started to replace the weakened enchantments here. I came to straighten things up and make it liveable."

"That explains the kitchen, at least," thought the Princess.

"After about a year, my uncle needed a more secluded spot for... certain studies, so he went to a dragon friend of his. Which brings us to the present," the girl finished. She was now looking expectantly -and impatiently- at the Princess.

"That's it?" the Princess asked in amazement, "That doesn't answer anything! You can't expect me to leave after just that? If this place is so important, how did the Sorceress find it in a classified? Why did you just leave it? What's all that hair for? And why is my hair blue?!"

The girl's hair turned a dark orange and began to twist in and out around itself. "You should be thankful for that hair, girl. It means more than you know," the girl said in a low voice.

"Thankful?! I lost my beautiful gold to this Forever Dye! And if it means more than I know, why don't you tell me everything, girl?" the Princess snapped back.

The girl's hair lit up immediately into a shining bright orange. Her face was livid, and her voice grew with each word she spoke. "I have no intention of wasting anymore of my time prattling on just to please the spoiled fancies of a displaced royal tart! I don't care how, but one way or another you're going to leave this tower!" she shouted.

"Or what?" the Princess said with a smirk, finally unable to keep her anger in check, "You'll blind me with your uncontrolled hair?"

Almost as if in response to the Princess's suggestion, the girl's hair shined brighter, lighting up the top floor of the tower. It flailed madly around her head. The Princess covered her face with her arms, expecting some horrible magic. What she saw, silhouetted against the brilliant hair, was the girl's face, contorted in rage and... something else. Bitterness?

"CURSE YOU!" the girl cried, and the Princess fell as if struck.

As soon as she uttered the words, the girl's hair fell and returned to a dark purple. She looked around in confusion. "What? No, that couldn't be it...," she began to say to herself in a worried voice.

The Princess stood up and checked herself over. Whatever happened, it hadn't done anything to her. Well, nothing obvious. "What just happened?" she asked the girl.

"I... I think I just trapped you here, Princess," the girl answered, still in shock.

"Huh? But I thought you wanted me gone?" the Princess asked.

"I did! But then I lost my temper, and I cursed you, and... apparently that was the trigger," the girl said angrily.

"Trigger? For what?" the Princess asked.

The girl sighed, "There is ancient magic in this tower, as my uncle and I discovered. As you may or may not know, magic is born, ultimately, from the soul. The longer it remains somewhere, the stronger and more complicated it gets, until it finally comes alive."

"A-Alive?"

"Yes, alive. What is born from shall be born into. We knew that there was a powerful awareness in this tower, but we couldn't reach it. We knew nothing about it. Now, I seem to have caught its attention with my outburst, and what it wants is for you to stay right where you are."

"No, that can't be...," the Princess said. It was only a tale to get her away from the castle! It couldn't have just become real!

"Look at your hand mirror, then, if you don't believe me. I can tell it has a magical connection to another mirror. I you were just sealed here, then the shock would have broken it," the girl said.

The Princess slowly walked over to the table where she kept the mirror the Sorceress had given her. It was faced down. She slowly reached out and grabbed the handle. She held it up to her face, and with a deep breath, turned it around. Right across the middle of the mirror was a single, thick crack.

The Princess dropped the mirror in devastation, ignoring the sounds of it shattering on the stone floor. It was true. Before it was a lie, but now it was true. And it was all because of that infuriating witch!

"You!" the Princess yelled, spinning on her heel to face the girl, "This is all your fault!"

To the Princess's surprise, the girl's hair remained a calm, dark purple, "I think we're both to blame here. Me, for losing my temper, and you, for not knowing what you were getting into." She sighed, "But, as I am partly responsible, I won't leave you alone in this."

The girl closed her eyes. After a few moments, the girl herself, who had been on the ground the whole time, flew up to the top floor and stepped into her illusion. It vanished into her as she walked up.

"My name is Melina," the girl said, holding out a hand to the Princess.

The Princess looked from the hand to the girl, then slowly reached out to take it, "My name is-"

"Don't tell me," Melina interrupted, "Now that you're wrapped up in the magics of this tower, your true name has power, even over you. Guard it, and only give it to those whom you truly know and trust. In the meantime, you'll need another name to go by."

The Princess thought. She was continually being caught up in things she didn't understand and left to fend for herself. She was scared and uncertain, but also a little excited and very curious. Most of all, though, she wanted company...

The Princess tightened her grip on Melina's hand, and said, "Then call me Lenoa."

"Excellent, Lenoa," Melina said, with the first smile that the Princess- that Lenoa- had seen, "I don't expect that we'll become the best of friends, but I think we can tolerate one another."

"Agreed," Lenoa said, releasing Melina's hand. Her smile had seemed forced in Lenoa's view. Lenoa could see guilt still lingering in Melina's eyes over what had just happened. Maybe she wasn't such a bad person after all. Well, not quite as bad.

Melina walked to the edge of the tower, then turned to Lenoa, "I'll come by every now and then to check on you. There's still much for us to discuss, and even more to find out."

With that, she jumped off the edge and floated to the ground, where Lysander was standing, watching as she came down. They stared at each other, until Melina held out her hand. Lysander looked at it, then lowered his head to allow Melina to stroke it.

"I'll keep an eye on Lysander here," Melina called back to Lenoa.

"Are you sure? He seems to like it here, and I... like having him here, too," Lenoa called back.

"Don't worry so much. You may be trapped, but there are few better places I can think of to be stuck in," Melina said. She began to walk towards the forest with Lysander at her side. "And if you get too bored, just brush your hair some more," she said, and Lenoa could barely make out dancing green hair before they entered the woods.

The Princess stared out into nothing while the stars whirled overhead. The night creatures chirped and howled, and all the world was still about her. "I am Lenoa," she said softly to herself. The words broke her silence, and coursed like hot water through her soul. She sank to her knees and began to cry, unaware that for the first time, the wind had completely died.

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Weeell, how was that? Long, I know. I'm wondering if maybe shorter installments might help me with more regular updates. Now is an interesting part, though, since that's all I had written in my head. Now we're in new territory that I have to map out. So, maybe some normal posts while I work it out. Maybe some other stories. Who knows? Let me know what you think, and if you like it!


Twilight out.

Choices

Hey, there, folks. Been a while, I know. It takes an effort of will for me to keep this place updated. You guys haven't been demanding, but I think I can understand how some successful authors might feel that their story becomes the people's story. It's then that installments become the 'duty of the storyteller'.

As for myself, I'm still jobless and still trying to figure things out. After a good but intense talk with Becky, she helped me realize that what I do and who I am is my choice. I can wallow or I can move on, it's up to me. Was it the Iron Giant that had the line, "You are who you choose to be"? Such a good movie...

On with the tale.

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Although she lacked a castle, the Princess was still the child of a royal upbringing. So, even as she had braced herself for the worst, the luxuries of the tower made the Highness inside her purr with delight. She had also been taught the reponsibilities of rulers, and so took it upon herself to become acquainted with her new "kingdom." During the initial few weeks of settling into the tower, she made frequent journeys into the surrounding lands. She learned the paths of the forest, held conversation with the babbling brooks, joined in choirs of songbirds, and danced with the wind across the rolling plains that stretched towards the horizon. The same horizon that she gazed at each morning and each night, enthralled by the small silhouette of her old castle and home.

As the days wore on and the thrill of her new home began to fade, the Princess found herself torn. She missed her parents and friends in the castle terribly, almost coming to tears when she thought too long upon them. A quick recollection of the scores of Princes with ravenous eyes put such nostalgia to rest, but it left her feeling listless. After helping her settle in, the Sorceress made fewer visits. She still had duties at the castle (which also included listening for talk about the Princess), so the Princess found herself with more time than she knew what to do with. She tried to bury herself in the books held in the tower's collection (which was quite impressive), but she still missed her favorite past time: riding.

Fortune smiled on her, though. During her first few days, the Princess had been wandering in the woods when she had found a wild stallion. When she saw it, she was frightened, as it looked stronger and fiercer than any horse she had seen. It was almost mother-of-pearl, and its mane looked like actual threads of silver. To her surprise, the horse approached her and bowed its head for her to stroke its neck. In a moment of boldness, she tried to climb its side and found it nudging her up with its nose. For a time, her spirits were lifted and a strange joy stole upon her heart. The Sorceress, however, had not approved.

The Princess had been trotting back to the tower at the end of a ride and had seen the Sorceress waiting for her. Her arms were crossed and she did not have her usual air of amusement with the world. The Princess knew that this did not bode well.

"Ah, good evening, friend Sorceress. If I may ask, does something-"

"Trouble me?" the Sorceress cut in, "Yes, there is something troubling me, and it is that beast you are sitting upon."

The Princess nervously patted the stallion's neck. "But why? What is so wrong about a simple ride through the country? I never imagined a horse with no master would let me ride it, but this one seems to enjoy carrying me as much as I enjoy being born upon him."

The Soceress stared at the horse with an expression the Princess could not read. She then turned a stern gaze upon the Princess. "I'm sorry, Princess, but riding through open fields on horseback does little to help the belief that you are imprisoned, does it?"

"Oh, I suppose not," the Princess said, taken aback. She had been reveling so much in her rides that she had forgotten why she had come out to the tower in the first place. "But what's one person on horseback? Especially with this blue hair, no one would suspect it was me," the Princess contended.

"The color of your hair is of little consequence, Princess," the Sorceress said, "You fail to realize just how uncommon a sight you are on that beast's back." The Sorceress hesitated. For a moment, it seemd to the Princess that she wasn't sure if she should go on. At length, she spoke again, "You see, Princess, no one in this land save the Knights are allowed to ride horses. Your father ordered it long ago. He made an exception for you after seeing your love of the animals, but that is even more reason to stay from riding! You have ever been the only maiden to ride in this kingdom, and anyone who saw a lone girl riding would immediately think of you. Considering our story, they might guess that you had escaped your 'capture'."

The Princess's hand froze in mid-stroke upon the neck of the horse. "I have never heard of this. I admit that I never paid much mind to it, but I find it hard to believe that my father would outlaw horse riding," the Princess said, almost breathlessly. She had never known her father to outlaw anything that was not also a crime. And riding a horse? How could her father deny their people of something so wonderful?

"I am afraid it is so, Princess. I regret that I cannot tell you why, as I can tell you wish to ask," the Sorceress said, her voice softer but her countenance still stern.

"You cannot? You mean to say that my father has not only issued this ridiculous decree, but he has also forbidden that his own daughter should not know its reasons?" the Princess said, stabbing the air with each word.

The Sorceress's suddenly became distant, as if she had just remembered something old and unwelcome, "Princess, you mustn't think too much on this. A king always has his reasons... even if they are not his own. At any rate," she said, regaining her composure, "This riding must end."

The Princess looked away in thought. This wasn't fair! She had just found this wonderful steed, and now she had to give him up? In the back of her mind, she knew the Sorceress was right, but something was pushing her, telling her not to give in. The stallion stomped it's foot beneath her.

"Well," the Princess began, her voice haughty and her chin stuck out like an ocean cliff, "if I can get no good reason not to ride this horse, I don't see why I shouldn't."

The Sorceress frowned. She knew when the Princess was planning to be stubborn all too well, although she had not expected it of her in this case. Talking would not help her much now. The Princess could show an alarming disregard for what others thought when she had settled on a course. Just then, the Sorceress had an idea.

The Sorceress swept her arm out and stretched her fingers downward, so that she could see the Princess beneath her palm. "If you are so determined to be a spectacle, Princess, then let me help you," she said with a devilish grin. She narrowed her eyes and thoughts, then jerked her hand up. The Princess followed, flying up into the air like a living marionette.

"Ah!" the Princess exclaimed.

The Sorceress lifted her several feet over the horse and with a flick caused her hair and dress to spread in all directions. The Princess, however, simply folded her arms and frowned at the Sorceress. The Sorceress had expected as much. She twirled her wrist around, and the Princess now found herself upside down and holding up her dress for dear life. The Princess still held her composure, although her face was a beautiful red now. The Sorceress raised her other hand to add the final touch. The Princess's eyes widened, not sure what the Sorceress would dare do next. With a broad smile and a little concern that she might be enjoying herself a bit too much, the Sorceress extended magical tendrils from her fingertips and began to tickle the helpless Princess.

The Princess burst into laughter, twisting and writhing while trying to keep her dress at her knees. The Sorceress found herself trying every spot she could think of until, at last, the Princess's hands forgot their grip on the dress and it came falling down upon the Princess's face.

"AH! Hahaha... my dress! Haha.. and... HAHAHA!! My shift!" the Princess cried in between breathless laughs.

"Oh, what a lovely bush!" the Sorceress said, turning away to purposefully examine the circular hedge that surrounded the tower. It was high enough to hide the horse and Sorceress, but the Princess was just above its top. "I'd hate to think what someone might think if they saw you like this. Especially with a looking glass. But that's no concern of yours, right, Princess?"

The Sorceress relented her tickling and the Princess caught her breath. Then, a loud sigh came from behind the curtain of the dress, "All right, I admit to my folly, and... I'll stop riding," the Princess agreed. The Sorceress lowered her onto her feet and helped her straighten her hair and dress.

"It really is a shame, though. He's a magnificent horse," the Princess said, staring at the stallion, which looked back into her eyes.

"Well, it does seem to like you quite a bit. I don't see why you can't visit with him," the Sorceress said. She raised a warning finger, "Just so long as you do it discreetly."

The Princess laughed merrily, "Yeah, I understand. I think the two of us could manage some 'discreet' walks through the woods. Oh, don't worry about that." The Sorceress had been trying to put the shawl the Princess had been wearing back in place. The Princess took it and tied it absently around her waist and shook all the tangles in her hair free, pulling long strands with her hands.

The Sorceress looked at the Princess curiously, then turned to look at the horse, who met her gaze evenly. "I think you have a very special friend in this horse, Princess," she said thoughtfully. At the Princess's inquisitive look, the Sorceress smiled. She apologized for forcing the Princess into such an embarassing display, but the Princess laughed and patted her shoulder.

"I should be thanking you, Sorceress," the Princess said, "I don't know what came over me. I only wish I could have seen it. I'll bet I was a sight to see."

"Well...," the Sorceress began to say, and started to chant some magical words that echoed in a high, crystal ring as she said them. She then touched a finger to the Princess's forehead and the Princess saw in her mind's eye an image of herself hanging upside down, fallen dress and all. She chuckled.

That had been weeks ago, and the Princess laughed again at remembering it. She was leaning on the low stone wall at the top of tower, as she did every evening. She had recently discovered a number of dresses in the back of her wardrobe that were much less ornate -and much more comfortable- than the royal attire she usually wore. She was wearing one such dress now, and her hair poured freely down her back.

She still wondered over what the Sorceress had told her that day about her father's decree about riding horses. He had always answered any question she posed to him, even if it was hard to answer. "If only I had noticed," she thought, "I could have asked him about it before I came here." But would he have answered? She shuddered as the words continued to form in her mind. If nobody is to know why, then there must be something he's trying to hide. Even from me.

"But not the Sorceress," she said softly to herself. She looked down and saw her lovely stallion laying on the ground next to the tower. It lifted its head and met her eyes before tossing its mane and settling back to sleep. She looked towards the castle and thought of the last report the Sorceress had given her. After the initial shock and grief, her father had sent for the warlock who had owned the tower previously.

"Reclusive warlocks are hard to get a hold of, so don't worry about him," the Sorceress had told the Princess when she expressed her sympathy over causing the Warlock such trouble, "Besides, there's more to worry about with those Princes. Some have returned to their kingdoms, seeing more trouble than was worth their time, but most have set up camps and pledged their assistance to your father. I fear this endeavour has become bigger than we planned, Princess."

Everything had become bigger, it seemed. The idea that there were things in her kingdom that she didn't know about was unsettling. Neither had she forgotten the strange things about the tower she now lived in. She shook her hair out and pulled it forward to fall down her chest. She stroked it softly, almost like she had with the horse.

"You're part of all this, aren't you?" she asked to the sky blue strands, twirling them around her fingers. The sun had fallen behind the horizon, and night was now fast approaching. The magical lamps were starting to flicker on, making the tower an island of light removed from the brilliance of the castle. Looking again at the sleeping stallion beneath her, the Princess began to wonder if this was where she was meant to be.

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Yet again I write something other that what I had in mind. Parts of this story just seem to write itself. Let's see where this thing takes itself!


Twilight out.