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Rescuing A Princess? Author's Notes by Bill Hart I've been working on this story on and off since October 1996. The inspiration for this story originates with a cartoon posted by Mike Allegretto to one of the pictures' groups at that time. If you're familiar with the cartoon or the site, then I'm sure you'll be able to guess at least one of the transforms in the story. When I first sat down to write this story, I didn't expect it would be very long, but it took on its own life as time passed. My original notes for the story consisted of two handwritten pages on 3x5 paper (in centimeters, that's around 7.6x12.7). It was a fun story to write, and there are parts where my imagination just took over. Although there were other times when I felt like pulling out what little hair I have remaining on my head. I actually finished it once, but I didn't like the way it ended. Changing the ending required changing the beginning. And changing the beginning causes changed and extensions in the middle. Probably 60% of this has been written in the last two months, and 25% has been rewritten in the same time frame. And as all of you can no doubt see from the subject line of this file, it grew well beyond two small pages of notes. I hope you all enjoy it. The following story is a work of fiction. Any similarity between the events and people appearing in this work, whether living, dead, or some state between is purely coincidental. Permission is granted to archive, copy for personal use, and repost, provided that this statement is left intact, the story is made *FREELY* available, and no changes are made to the text of the story. Any rights not explicitly stated are reserved by the author. copyright 1998 by Bill Hart ------------------ Rescuing A Princess? Part 1 by Bill Hart It was a day just like any other day in the Kingdom of Tomandia. Of late, there seemed to be little else besides the widespread serenity that had firmly entrenched itself across the kingdom. The tranquility in the realm greatly pleased its monarches, King Chonar and Queen Elanna. And the calm and placid nature of this day did nothing to belie the long standing aura of peace within the kingdom. As was his normal monthly custom, King Chonar, feeling strangely anxious for some unknown reason, was sitting in the midst of his scheduled audience with the people of Tomandia, when a courier, one of the land's finest messengers, broke through the rank and file in order to speak to him. "Your Highness." addressed the breathless courier as he approached. "Yes, Arlond." replied the King. "This had better be of the greatest importance. You know how much we dislike being interrupted when we're meeting with our people." "It is _extremely_ important, Sire." replied Arlond. "It _is_ most important news. It's about your daughter, Your Highness." Chonar sighed. His daughter was always in some sort of trouble of late. "I sincerely doubt that you have anything to tell us about our daughter, the Princess Rena, that cannot wait until after we've concluded our monthly audience, Arlond. Please, return here in a couple of hours, and, then we shall discuss further whatever her latest problem is." "But, Sire, this news is does not concern Princess Rena." said Arlond, hemming and hawing as if not really knowing how to continue. "It is about ... your other daughter, Highness ... the _Princess Deela_." A hush suddenly fell over the assembled crowd. As far as any of them could remember, no one had mentioned the missing princess' name to her father in several years. "_Deela_!" exclaimed Chonar, who now believed that his earlier unexplainable anxiousness had been a premonition of this news of Deela's possible return. "Why didn't you say so earlier, man? Might I dare hope that after all this time our daughter has been returned to us unharmed?" "She has, as yet, not been returned, Highness." spoke Arlond cautiously. "But the Knights Guild, Division of Missing Princesses, did receive early this morning an anonymous message stating exactly where your daughter is currently being held as well as who holds her." "Hell's bells, man! It is obvious that we must expedite her rescue from whoever is holding her immediately. She has been gone from us far too long already." exclaimed Chonar. "Arlond, go back and inform the Knights Guild that they are to ready as large a party as they deem necessary - money is no object - to rescue our daughter." "As you wish, Sire." And with that Arlond hurriedly left to so inform the Knights Guild of the King's decision and desire. "This is almost totally unbelievable." said Chonar wistfully to the assembled crowd about him. "After what has been the most dreadfully long fourteen years, our little girl has finally been found and will soon be coming home." The King sat down and grinned like a Cheshire cat. "Just imagine how happy your Queen shall be when we tell her the wondrous news of the return of our youngest daughter. And, likewise, our other children, Princess Rena and Prince Andar, shall no doubt be elated when we inform them of their sister's pending return." "Your Highness." came a raised voice from the crowd. "You must go and tell the Queen of this most wondrous news. She must be told as soon as possible. We can postpone the rest of this meeting until some later date." A roar of approval erupted from the crowd. "Thank you, my people." replied Chonar. "We shall continue this meeting tomorrow morning. Hopefully by then, we shall have news concerning the rescue party." * * * * * As the King had expected, Queen Elanna was beside herself with joy at the prospect of her youngest child returning home again. "I still find it difficult to believe that after the passage of fourteen long years that Deela will be finally coming home once more." Tears of joy streamed from her eyes. "I had almost given up hope of ever seeing her again." "As had I, my dear." replied Chonar. "But you must remember, she will not the same little girl that disappeared. After the passage of these past fourteen years, she will have become a young woman." "Is it really true, father?" interrupted Rena. "Is my little sister really coming home again?" "Yes, Rena, it is really true." replied the King. "Very soon, your younger sister shall be home with us as she was meant to be." "That is indeed most wonderful news, father." she replied. "But now, if you will excuse me, I think that you and mother probably want to spend some time alone together to celebrate. If it is alright, I will take my leave and seek out my brother in order that I might tell him of this wonderful news." "How thoughtful of you, Rena." replied her mother. "Thank you, dear." echoed both her parents. * * * * * Princess Rena stormed angrily into the room belonging to Larnak, the court wizard. "I thought you said she'd never return!" she shouted angrily at the wizard. "That is not what I said at all, Princess." replied the wizard calmly. He had been expecting Rena's arrival ever since he had lifted the spell of forgetfulness from the kingdom. Just two hours earlier, no one in the Kingdom remembered or even had the slightest idea who Princess Deela was. But now, a mischievous grin spread quickly across Larnak's face. "I said she would not return until the time was right. And now, with our plans finally coming to fruition, that time is almost here." "Then everything is still alright?" asked Rena. "Of course, my Princess. Everything still proceeds according to our plans. If my old friend and colleague, the witch Senesha, has done her typically slow but generally adequate work, as she assures me she has done, then your little sister will neither be a cause for concern nor create any problems for us whatsoever. In fact, I believe your sister should be a very useful pawn in gaining us allies. You are certain, your parents and your brother are unaware of our plans?" "My parents suspect nothing. And my brother, as you well know, is so infatuated with that horny little slut Hakena, you introduced him to, that he barely thinks of anything past new ways to please her. With all the time Andar spends in that trollop's bed, I'm surprised she hasn't turned up pregnant by now." Rena grimaced as a new thought occurred to her. "You don't suppose there is something wrong with my brother's seed. Do you, Larnak?" "Of course not. There is absolutely nothing wrong with your brother, my Princess. Other circumstances have simply delayed Hakena's time to find herself in a family way. At least, as yet." replied Larnak with a devilish grin. "And even though you don't like her, you must admit that Hakena is a very passionate and extremely sexy young wench who manages quite easily to keep your brother occupied and out of our affairs. Sometimes, my Princess, I find myself wishing that I could bed that lush, definitely sensuous, body of saucy Hakena." "Ha!" exclaimed Rena haughtily. "My brother would kill you if you ever laid a hand on her." "Of that, I am quite sure, my Princess." answered Larnak casually. "Love spells often produce that particular side effect when administered to a man like your brother." "But please tell me, Larnak, that you can do something about her. I am not overly pleased about that whore's prospects of being the next Queen of Tomandia." "There is no need to worry about that, my Princess." replied Larnak. "The people know what she is and would never approve of her being their Queen. I'm quite certain that the infatuated Andar realizes that as well. I envision her becoming the Royal Concubine. That is, without doubt, the most acceptable position for her at court, but it is a position that will be acceptable to the people and it will also allow her and Andar their little pleasures with one another. And when her circumstances change and the time becomes right, perhaps then, she'll mother a royal bastard." And the laughter of Larnak and Rena echoed throughout the hall. * * * * * In deference to their King's desires for a speedy rescue, the Knights Guild had met in emergency session well into the night for the purpose of selecting the party that would rescue Princess Deela. And early into the morning hours, they finally agreed on a rescue party composed of just five knights. According to the consulted seers, five knights, no more and no less, were required for success. And even as the King and Queen were informed, the five chosen rescuers prepared for the attempt to free their princess from the clutches of the ancient crone Senesha. The Guild had chosen Rornick as the foray's leader. It was not a selection based on his leadership abilities, which were regarded by most as fair at best. Instead, it had been primarily based on his being extremely lucky. Countless times in the past he had faced witches in battle and each time, against all odds, he had somehow managed to survive. Additionally, Rornick had previously worked with each of the other four hand-picked knights on earlier missions. Both factors enhanced his value to the mission and, hopefully thought the Guild, its eventual success. Traekar the Giant would be his second in command. As a long time member of the Guild, he was one of its few remaining members to have actually met the Princess before her abduction years ago. Hopefully, even given the passage of several years, he would be able to recognize her. With his experience, the very presence of Traekar, who stood nearly seven and a half feet tall, commanded respect from every member of the Guild. Malpa and Otnahl, the twins, had also been picked for the team. Even though twins, they were far from identical. Even a blind man could have easily told the two brothers apart. Malpa was at least six inches taller and over seventy pounds heavier, then his older brother who had been born two minutes earlier. Despite his size, some of the guild had argued against Malpa's inclusion in the party. But Otnahl knew they would have a better probability of success with his Malpa along, despite the rumors running rampant through the Kingdom that Malpa fancied men. And yet, whether he did or didn't was unimportant to the mission. For in the entire kingdom, there was no one living that would even dare risk Malpa's wrath by asking if the rumors were actually true. Little Dehlar rounded out those making up the team. Although, by far the smallest member of the guild, he possessed a unique and invaluable talent for the mission. Known as "The Fly" to his friends in the Guild, Dehlar could, without the aid or assistance of any known tool or device, scale any wall that existed. They knew they were the five selected to rescue the Princess. They knew they were the five who had been dutifully prepared and were now ready to set out on their mission. And, with the blessings and prayers of the King, the Queen, and all of the people of Tomandia, they were the five that set out the following morning on their momentous task of rescuing their Princess. Part 2 The long overland journey to the castle where the Princess was being held was both boring and uneventful. After several weary days of travel, the would-be band of rescuers finally caught their first glimpse of the castle where Princess Deela was held by the old crone Senesha. Within sight of the impressive edifice, they pitched their tents and made camp for the evening. It was their intent to rise early, quickly rescue the princess, and then head off for home. Having arrived in the stillness of late evening, the small band surveyed the outlying castle grounds. What they discovered in their limited reconnoitering made them all smile. All five of them were now in complete agreement. Despite the involvement of the witch Senesha, this would be a relatively routine rescue mission. At that particular moment, Rornick decided it was time to give his comrades the guild's obligatory "going into battle overconfident" warning speech. If the speech had not been mandatory, he would have likely foregone it. After all, he had served with each of his comrades previously. He knew exactly what he could expect from each of them. And by the same token, they knew exactly what they could expect from him. * * * * * A gentle morning breeze blew across the field, as the sun began its slow rise over the horizon. Rornick smiled as he realized the advantages of his position. The sun would be rising behind them as they approached, making it difficult for any of the castle's defenders to see them. Even the breeze was helpful, for their camp was located upwind of the castle. After days of weary travel, it would be nearly impossible for anyone within the castle to catch the slightest whiff of them. But yet, they might be heard. That was a very strong possibility, and someone might hear them as they approached. They decided they would not talk among themselves once they were on their way, since there was no need. And all five knights were more than ably skilled in the art of making a stealthy approach. In addition, reasoned Rornick, most of the castle's inhabitants would still be sleeping, while the remainder, who had been on guard all night, would more than likely be sleepy. "Its time to move out." Rornick told the men with quiet determination. "Let's go." The band of five stealthily made their advance towards the castle walls. As each of them had expected, they had been unobserved by the few guards manning the battlements. It was obvious that no one inside had expected any trouble. In virtually no time at all, all five knights stood at the base of the castle. "Dehlar." whispered Rornick. "You know what must be done." "Yes, sir." he whispered in reply. Using neither rope nor pitons, for he truly had no need of them, Dehlar free climbed the outside castle wall. Having heard only the rumors of his possible flyish heritage, Malpa and Otnahl stood amazed as they watched Dehlar quickly scamper up the outer wall. And no one would ever have doubted those rumors about "The Fly" being at least part fly ever again, if they had only been able to watch his descent along the inside wall. Before any of the defenders had time to notice that anything was amiss, Dehlar had opened the gate for his comrades and the small band had firmly established themselves within the castle walls. In the battle that followed, all five knights engaged in fierce combat, both hand-to-hand and with swords, with the castle's defenders, who, although noticeably out of shape, still managed to hold their own in defense of their castle. It hadn't taken long for Traekar, Malpa, and Otnahl to form a tight offensive line that systematically cut through the defenders leaving countless bodies in their wake. And with equal precision, Rornick and Dehlar battled along a second, just as impressive, front. All five knights were well-trained warriors. And all of them were numbered among the best in Tomandia's service. But the ease with which they routed their opposition made them all feel confident that victory would soon be theirs. However, none of them recalled the dangers of overconfidence until scant moments later ... ... when suddenly ... ... the witch entered the fray. Unseen by Rornick, who had been separated from his companion, the witch made a wide sweeping pass with her hand. And suddenly, without warning, Traekar screamed out in painful agony. Unable to hold onto it, his sword fell weakly from his hand to the ground. And then, as his body began to pulse and transform, his screams intensified. Having always been taller than most, his body began growing even taller. And as each new inch was added to his height, both his torso and his legs stretched out correspondingly thinner and thinner. Both Rornick and Dehlar winced in sympathetic pain as they heard the snapping and cracking of the bones within Traekar's rapidly contorting feet. In shock, they watched as his toes extended into stringy filaments that began furrowing into the ground. Deeper and deeper they dug themselves into the now dampened soil. And still both men could tell that Traekar's transformed toes continued to dig even deeper. But by the time the digging motion ceased, his legs had fused into a solid woody trunk. Both of his arms continued to lengthen as the rose above his head. And then, Traekar bellowed in pain, as his arms splayed, even as his much longer fingers did the same. And then - very suddenly - all was quiet. Rornick stared out in silent awe at the tall palm that now graced the courtyard. Had he neither seen nor heard the terrible transformation that had befallen his comrade, he would have never believed it possible that the majestic palm now standing silent guard over the pond beneath it had only scant moments before been Traekar. Almost immediately, the silence was broken by the croaking of frogs in the pond beneath the palm. Quickly, Rornick scanned the courtyard for his men. He saw Dehlar aimlessly wandering toward the pond as if entranced, but of Malpa and Otnahl he could find no trace. Again the frogs within the pond began croaking. And then a sudden intuitive leap left no doubt in Rornick's mind exactly where his missing men must be. They were deep within the shade of Traekar the Palm, alternately swimming about and resting contentedly on lily pads floating about the newly formed pond. Malpa and Otnahl, he knew, must now be the frogs he heard croaking from the pond. The witch spotted Dehlar as he advanced toward the pond. She grinned at the sight of her next victim standing helplessly alone in her courtyard. "Well. If it isn't the little fly. Eh, my pretty one?" cackled Senesha contemptuously. "I will be done with you very quickly, fly. Then I will seek out the missing leader of your little band. But with him, I promise to be very, very deliberate." Dehlar looked up as the sound of her voice broke whatever spell he'd fallen under. Reading obvious fright in the face of the man, who stared helplessly toward her, the witch smirked. "There is no need to fear me." Senesha basked in her prey's obvious fear of her. "Your transformation shall be very quick, although I fear I cannot, in all good conscience, guarantee that your change will be completely painless." And with that Senesha's smile broadened. But "overconfidence in battle" was never only a mortal failing. And overconfidence was simply overconfidence regardless of whose it was. And this time, the witch had misread the cause of Dehlar's fear. As she had seen fear in an opponent's eyes countless times before, she naturally assumed that his fear was a respectful fear of her. In her overconfidence, stemming from her centuries long life, she had failed to recognize, nor even consider, the existence of any other reason to explain his fear. There was no doubt that Dehlar was afraid. In fact, he was nearly petrified. But it was not for anything that might be done to him. Instead, he was afraid that he might compromise his comrade and leader Rornick, who was slowly and silently sneaking up on Senesha from behind. The witch could do whatever she wanted with him, as long as the mission was successful in the end. Three of his comrades had already fallen victim to the old witch's spells. If he had to be the fourth so transformed, then, if his sacrifice were necessary to rescue the princess, so be it. And in the end, Dehlar was highly successful. For as the unsuspecting witch made a small pass of her hand in Dehlar's direction, Rornick stepped up and swung his blade. Thunk! The witch's severed head struck the ground and rolled a short distance away. When it came to rest, Rornick stared into the witch's lifeless face that had a stunned look of great surprise frozen on it. As he continued watching, it and then her headless corpse vanished in twin puffs of purple smoke rapidly dispersed by the wind. Once again, all was suddenly quiet in the courtyard, save for the croaking of the frogs upon their lily pads ... and that infernal buzzing from the annoying little fly that now constantly circled about his head. Several times, he'd ineffectually swung his blade at the fly, before another sudden feeling made him realize that only he, this infernal fly, two frogs, and a palm tree were the only living things remaining inside the castle courtyard. Every other thing he had considered a living being had literally disappeared when the witch died. And since he knew where (or rather what) Traekar, Malpa, and Otnahl were now, he quickly deduced that Dehlar, by the process of elimination, must now be that annoying little insect buzzing about his head. The band, as they had so overconfidently expected, had won the battle in the end. But the victory had been costly. His band, who might never be human again, numbered eighty percent casualties. Was it truly a victory? Even if his men were merely transformed and not actually dead, Rornick found it difficult to believe his superiors would consider this much of a victory. * * * * * And yet, Rornick realized, there was a rescue still undone. Now all alone, Rornick diligently searched the castle room-by-room and floor-by-floor. It was tedious work for a lone man, but it was work that must be done, if only to justify to himself the loss of his men. With only two doors remaining on the last floor to be searched, Rornick finally located her. As he looked into the room and saw her, he knew without doubt, that the beautiful young woman sitting naked in front of her mirror while calmly brushing her long golden hair, could be no other than she who his band had been sent to rescue. For several minutes, Rornick could only stare at the naked perfection of the princess. Her breasts were firm and full. And he found himself unable to turn away. Nor could find his tongue to speak, so he simply continued to watch her movements in absolute silence. Finally, the Princess spotted him staring at her in the mirror. At that moment, Rornick, thoroughly ashamed of himself, expected her to blush before screaming bloody hell, since those were the most common prescribed actions available to a naked princess who suddenly found herself alone with a strange man standing outside her room. But surprisingly, she did neither. Instead, she slowly rose from her dresser and almost as slowly strolled over to confront Rornick, whose eyes darted back and forth between her eyes and her more than ample bosom. When she reached where he stood, she looked him squarely in the eye and, in a voice that Rornick would not soon forget, snapped out, "Just who the fuck are you?" Rornick blushed profusely at her words. He had never been addressed in exactly this manner by any woman, and certainly not a princess, before. When he found his voice to answer, he replied simply "I am Rornick, Princess." "And just what in hell do you think you're doing here?" "I'm ... well, that is, my men and I are ... well, we're here to rescue you, Princess." replied the flustered knight. The young woman shook her head, then briefly smiled. "It's about fucking time." "We got here as quickly as we possibly could, Princess." replied Rornick sounding overly apologetic. "Would you quit doing that." "Quit what, Princess?" "That. Calling me Princess." she said obviously annoyed. "I _am not_ a princess. I _am_ a prince." Rornick stared at the buxom young woman. "I find that extremely difficult to believe, Prin..., ah, er, miss. After all, with you standing here, quite naked in front of me," he replied, his eyes darted first to her breasts and then somewhat lower, "not only can I plainly see your obviously feminine charms, your Highness, but I can also just as obviously see that you are missing something which is extremely vital to that which makes a person a prince or, for that matter, a man." Flushed, Rornick sought a way to change the subject. "But I suppose, in all fairness to you, I could check and verify the wording of my assignment." Rornick reached quickly into one of his coat pockets and pulled out a small and worn black book. Thumbing quickly through its pages, he finally stopped at a page and began to read. He glanced up at the Princess. His orders listed her as nineteen and Rornick guessed that the young woman standing next to him was that age, give or take a year. "Let's see. You were kidnapped fourteen summers ago." he began. "Well, that certainly explains why you seemed more than a little testy earlier. Your parents are King Chonar and Queen Elanna of Tomandia. Does any of that sound right to you?" "Yes." sighed the young woman in obvious relief. "That's correct." Rornick relaxed and sighed. "Then, according to what I have in my written orders, _you_ are _Princess_ Deela of Tomandia. You were kidnapped by party or parties unknown just over fourteen years ago. No ransom was ever asked. And no trace of your whereabouts was known until several days ago when an anonymous message was delivered to my guildmaster." Rornick quickly looked over (although leered might be a more descriptive word) the girl's naked form. "Unless you can produce some evidence to the contrary, _miss_, I must conclude that, according to my just completed visual examination, your identity, as listed in my orders, is confirmed, _Princess_. I'm quite sure that the King and the Queen will be extremely happy to have their missing daughter safely home at long last." "But my name's not Deela. It's Delan." she replied nearly in tears. "I can't believe that in fourteen years, nobody has fixed that error in my school records." "And what error might that be, Princess?" "Well, I guess, it wasn't exactly an error. I think you might call it more of a practical joke. My best friend Haknee hacked into the school records ... they were supposed to be totally secure. He was supposed to make a few adjustments in both of our permanent records before the first day of school. Our plan was for both of us to be classified as honor students so we could take advantage of their special privileges. Even though I didn't see Haknee at school that first day, I imagine he became an honor student just like we'd planned. But when I arrived at school, I found myself, now officially enrolled as a 'girl' named Deela. My schedule was full of girl classes like cooking and sewing. The people at the school said they'd correct things by the next morning. But it was on that very night, as I was walking home, that I was kidnapped." Strange classes for girl of five to be taking, thought Rornick. But turning back to the woman, he said "Unfortunately, Princess, I do not have the capability of accessing any school records at this time. So, unless you have some other more concrete and confirmable proof, my visual determination must remain intact. Maybe, after our return to Tomandia, I will be allowed some time to investigate this claim of yours further." "What about the witch?" asked Deela. "I'm afraid, Princess, that the witch is neither a reliable nor a very viable source of any information." "Why not? She was the one who transformed me into this girl before you. And many times, she promised to restore me to normal if I were ever rescued. And you have just rescued me, Rornick. Haven't you?" "That is true, Princess. I have undeniably rescued you. But in doing so, I have beheaded the witch. I am certain that being quite dead, she will not be available to keep any promises she may have made to you, Princess." "Shit!" exclaimed the young woman. * * * * * Rornick waited for the Princess beside the pond under the palm that had once been his companion Traekar. As he watched in saddened silence, the two frogs, who had once been his comrades Malpa and Otnahl, as they swam about, seemingly without care, in the calm water. He had no idea of the current whereabouts of the fly Dehlar had become. "I am truly sorry, my comrades, but I have not the means to transform you back into the men you used to be." said Rornick sadly. "I believe our best course of action now is for the four of you to remain here together. All of you should be safe here. After I return the Princess to her parents, I will seek out the finest sorcerers in all of Tomandia with the hope that one of them will be able to undo these vile transformations, so that once again you may be your true and normal selves." "We should be on our way, don't you think?" asked the young woman who was now attired in a low cut pink gown that greatly accentuated her womanly attributes. She seemed to float down the stairs. "I don't own anything really suitable for riding a horse, but I was able to fashion this old gown into something resembling a pair of pants. I hope it will be adequate." As he had been when he first found her, Rornick was momentarily stunned by the blond-haired vision of loveliness gliding down the stairs. He could do little else but stare at her as she descending the stairs. "Your work should be sufficient." he told her before unthinkingly adding "You are very beautiful, my Princess." She blushed a bright beet red, then sighed. "Oh please, Rornick, don't call me Princess. I know we've been through this before, but if you really must think and refer to me as a woman, then ... Why don't you call me Deela? I've been called that for so long, that I sometimes think of it as my real name." "But that would be highly inappropriate, Princess." "Would you prefer I made it an order?" "Well, ... er, ... ah, ... No, Prin..., er..., ah..., Deela." sighed Rornick. "Are these your men, Rornick? These two frogs and this tall palm tree?" she asked curiously. "Yes, your Highness, these are three of the four men that arrived here with me to liberate you from the witch." Suddenly, and before Rornick could intervene, she swatted at and struck the annoying little fly that had begun busily buzzing about her bountiful breasts. "Damn fly!" she swore. In spite of himself, Rornick smiled. Dehlar had always been a boob man. He'd often joked that it would be some buxom wench that would cause his ultimate demise. But a sudden strange noise, sounding something like a slurp, returned Rornick's thoughts to the present. He was shocked. The tongue of one of the frogs had zapped out quickly and caught the stunned fly before he had had time to recover from Deela's blow. "What happened to your fourth man?" she asked in innocence. Rornick looked at her. Then he stared down at the frogs in the pond, no longer sure which had made a meal of his companion. "He..., ah,... er..., didn't make it." he finally said. "That's too bad." "Yes, it is." Once again, Rornick stared down at the frogs. "Do you think they'll be alright, Deela? I can't believe that a tree makes for very good company. And they'll be all alone here for possibly several weeks. I wonder what these two will do to pass the time, while they await my return with help." Rornick watched as Deela gently picked up one frog and then the other. Very carefully she examined them. She'd always wondered how she would ever put to most of the information Senesha had taught her, particularly about amphibian biology. But as she set each frog back on their lily pads, Deela smiled. "I wouldn't be all that worried about these two passing the time." she told Rornick. "As a matter of fact, I wouldn't be surprised if these two don't figure out something to do real soon." Rornick was puzzled. "But there are only just the two of them. And they're so small. I'm afraid they'll probably very get bored." he sighed. "For now, there are only two of them." replied Deela. "But, in this case, two is more than plenty. And somehow, I doubt that they will get bored with each other anytime soon, although I can imagine that one of them will probably be receiving the surprise of his life in the near future. And don't be surprised to find this pond filled to overflowing in frogs when you return." Rornick didn't completely understand the meaning behind what Deela had said. Other than understanding that his transformed men would likely survive until his return, he was confused. But it was time to depart. After he and Deela mounted their horses, Rornick took one last look at the frogs lazily stretched out on their lily pads. He could only shake his head in wonder, as they left the castle and headed for home. Part 3 Even with only two riders returning instead of five, it would still be a long journey back to Tomandia. And with Deela being unaccustomed to being on horseback and wearing clothing ill-suited for riding, it would seem even longer. Seeking to find some way to pass the time away, instead of continuing to ride in complete and utter silence, Rornick finally decided to engage his new companion in conversation. He asked the first thing that came to mind. "Just how did you come to be a female?" "So, despite all your doubts and what you said back that, you do believe me after all." smiled Deela warmly back at him. "Perhaps, I do. Perhaps, I don't. But after seeing what I've seen over the past day, I'm not all that sure I know what to think or believe anymore. I watched helplessly as the witch transformed Traekar into a palm tree, Malpa and Otnahl into frogs, and Dehlar into ... eh, never mind - that's not important now. Given all that, it is not a difficult stretch of the imagination for me to think you could actually be a prince who, for reasons unknown, was transformed into a princess by the witch. What happened to you?" "It's a long story, Rornick." "And we have a long journey in front of us." replied the knight. "A long story should provide the perfect means for both making the time pass faster and the trip seem shorter." "I suppose. It all began," started Deela, "on that night I was kidnapped. That was thirteen, or was it fourteen, long years ago. I was eleven years old and was on my home from school after what had probably been the most embarrassing day of my whole life." "Excuse me." interrupted Rornick. "But how could you have possibly been eleven years old then. My orders list your current age as nineteen and you look no older than that to me. That means you could have been no older than six on the night you were kidnapped." Deela gasped in surprise. "But I'm not nineteen, Rornick. I may not look it, but I'm really twenty-five. Just think about it for a minute or two. Do you actually believe my parents would have let a six year old walk home alone after dark?" "No, I don't. That makes no sense to me." replied Rornick. "But I'd wager that it means there is another mystery involving the witch to solve later. Since we can do nothing about it now, please continue with your story." "Of course, Rornick. If you remember, I told you about my friend who hacked into the school's records to reclassify both of us as honor students. Well, it obviously didn't work the way it had been planned, because what actually happened implies that Haknee had played a little trick on me. Instead of becoming an honor student, he changed my records and then enrolled me in a sewing class and in a cooking class and in a lot of other classes only a girl would take. Most of them were tolerable, except for, maybe, the gymnastics class. I wasn't an overly athletic boy, and most of the girls just sort of stared at me and shook their heads. They were all probably wondering what the gawky boy was doing in their class. "I complained about being enrolled in girl classes to the school authorities. They were thoroughly embarrassed and apologized profusely for the unexplainable mixup in my records. Of course, I couldn't turn in my best friend without getting myself in an equal amount of trouble. And no one had been hurt. and they did promise that everything would be straightened by the next morning. "But on my way home, two men grabbed me from behind. I never saw their faces. They bound my hands and feet before putting a smelly burlap sack over my head. They shoved me into a cart filled with straw and took me out to what I could only assume then was the edge of the city. There, they met with a woman. "I heard her ask them 'Is this our prince?' "To which one of the men replied 'Yes, this is he.' "After a short exchange, the men untied my feet and put me up on a horse. But they didn't remove the bag from my head. I guess they figured, if I couldn't see, I wouldn't try running away." "Was that woman actually the witch?" interrupted Rornick again. "Yes. Although, I didn't know she was a witch at the time. "We rode on for several days. Although they gave me water from time to time by passing a straw through a hole in the sack, they didn't bother feeding me. When we finally arrived at the witch's castle, I was nearly starved. And that night, when they fed me at last, I could have sworn I'd eaten the proverbial horse. "When I could no longer eat another bite, the woman took me to a room and told me it would be mine while I was 'visiting.' It had a simple wooden bed and only a few other simple furnishings. It was sufficient for sleeping quarters, but not for much more. Besides I was well-schooled in what it meant to be a prince. I knew these people would ask for a ransom from my parents and then, once it had been paid, I'd be sent home unharmed. I figured two days, three at the very most, would be the longest I'd be staying in _my_ room. "I was confident I could survive that long." "But that was several years ago. What happened?" "I don't exactly what happened, but I guessed something was wrong, because after a week had passed, I was still their 'guest.' Shortly after that, the witch, whose name I had by then learned was Senesha, told me that I'd already been there longer than she had originally been told to watch over me. Then she told me the plan was being slightly amended. She added that she didn't really know how to properly raise a boy and still wasn't all that comfortable with having me around. I remember smiling after she'd said that, because I assumed I'd soon be going home. "But you remember what everyone says about 'assume,' don't you, Rornick?" Rornick simply nodded. "Later that same night, after getting ready for bed, Senesha came into my room. She'd never come into my room at bed time before then, but that night she tucked me in under the covers. And as she did, she whispered several strangely sounding syllables, none of which I recognized as any word I understood. But all of a sudden, I felt very sleepy. I must have closed my eyes and fallen almost instantly in a deep sleep because the next thing I knew it was morning and I was waking up. "A lot of things had changed during the night. "My room had been totally transformed. No longer was my bed plain and simple. Instead, it now possessed a silken canopy and was of an extremely ornate design. Also, there was an equally lavish dresser among the several new pieces of bedroom furniture, all of which featured the same ornate design, in my now generously decorated room. "There were dolls and stuffed animals on the dresser and all the window sills, which I thought odd because there hadn't been a window in my room at any time during my occupancy. "And standing in the corner of the room was an antique full-length mirror. "When I finally convinced myself I wasn't dreaming, I got out of bed to look around. Strangely, I felt different. I didn't how or why, but somehow I felt smaller. It wasn't by much, but I felt certain I was definitely smaller than I'd been when I'd gone to bed the night before. Still I couldn't put my finger on whatever it was that made me feel different. That is, until I decided to walk over and look at myself in the mirror. "You can't imagine how surprised I was when I saw my reflection in the mirror wearing a full-length _pink_ flannel nightgown. Or when I saw that my hair, once short and dark, had turned blonde and tumbled over my shoulders down to the middle of my back. Even my eyes had changed color - they were now a sparkling blue. For the longest time I stared into that mirror in disbelief. Unbelievably, the image reflected by the mirror - _my_ reflection - was that of a girl. During the night, the witch's spell had transformed me from an eleven year old boy into an eleven year old girl." "That must have been quite a shock." "You'd think so, wouldn't you. But there's not a lot of difference between boys and girls when they're eleven years of age. But at the time, I remember thinking that I was going to die from an acute and terminal case of girl cooties. Yet in the end, I adjusted. The only strange thing that really happened right away was me beginning to play with the dolls and stuffed animals in my room. I think the witch must have done something to make me want to play with them, but I never complained, because I always had so much fun playing with them. "Things went along fairly well for a while after that. But then, about the time I was fifteen or sixteen, something awful happened for which I was totally unprepared. "Senesha called it puberty." "That brings another mystery to the surface, Deela." said the knight. "You should have entered adolescence much earlier than that. I wonder if the witch had the power to slow your natural aging. But why would she have wanted to do that?" "I have no idea, but anything was possible with Senesha." replied the young woman. "I just thought that everything was proceeding normally for a girl." "But all of Tomandia prides itself on their liberal views on sex education. Those policies have been in effect several decades. As a result, I would have thought, especially being who you are, that you would have known precisely what was happening to you and at what age they would occur." "Ha! That's very amusing, Rornick." laughed Deela. "Can you tell me what happens to a girl during puberty?" "Of course. I learned all about that in school." replied Rornick. "It's really very simple, although I thought it unusual at the time that the explanation given to us about what would happen to our bodies took a several hours, while a similar explanation to tell us of the corresponding types of changes that happened to girls lasted less than three minutes." "And what did they tell you?" "We were told that wood nymphs from the nearest forest sprinkled every girl child near a certain age with magic sawdust from the tree she guarded. As she grew older, then the sawdust caused the girl to develop nymph-like features and thus become a woman." "And you _believed_ that?" asked Deela incredulously. "Of course." replied her companion. "They couldn't teach things like that in school if they _weren't_ true." "But that's the point. It isn't true." said Deela staring off into space. "It's all crap. Tomandian school officials might vigorously pat themselves on the back for espousing liberal sex education policies for the rest of the world to hear, but I _am_ surprised they haven't hurt themselves in the process. They are no where near as liberal as they claim to be. "Now I'll admit that I thought I was thoroughly prepared by the school for what was supposed to happen to _me_ during _my_ puberty. But I was a _boy_ then, and it was about a _boy's_ puberty I'd been taught and for which I'd been prepared. "And I was also taught the same old line of bullshit about what a _girl_ goes through during puberty. I can't believe I ever accepted it as true. After going through it, Rornick, I can honestly tell you, Rornick, there are no fucking wood nymphs involved in a girl growing up and becoming a woman. "My teachers, just like your teachers, followed that antiquated policy established centuries ago by people who didn't believe that one gender should know anything about what the other gender went through at certain times of their lives." Rornick was shocked. "That's an asinine policy." "Agreed. But policy is all there is to bureaucrats." replied Deela. "So there I was entering adolescence and expecting bigger muscles, a deeper voice, and chest and facial hair. And what did I get instead? A soprano voice, soft curves in places where I never expected them, these huge boobs, widely fluctuating hormones, and worst of all - a fucking period. I have to tell you, it scared the shit out of me the first time I bled down there. I was convinced I was about to die. Fortunately, Senesha helped me both survive and understand what was happening to me. She told me that the changes my body was undergoing were perfectly normal ... _for a girl_." And as tears began running down her cheeks, Deela quieted and became sullen. Her tale, at least for a while, discontinued. Rornick saw her flowing tears and decided the best course of action would be to leave her to herself for a time. And in the silence that had resumed between them, they rode on. * * * * * "I'm sorry." said Deela, as she led her horse up to ride alongside Rornick. "For what?" he inquired. "For my silence of the past few days." she replied. "Those things were not your fault. It's just that ..." "There is no fault to be placed. And I believe I can understand somewhat, Deela." said the knight. "One word led to another. I saw your tears begin to flow before you disappeared into yourself. And in considering what we had spoken of, I thought you might require some time, such as we have, to be by yourself. Also, from your earlier reactions, I gather the witch was good to you. At least, in her own way. After all, I believe that no one in the world is purely evil." Deela smiled. "Senesha cared for me almost like a mother. Whenever I needed her, she was always there. And I _really_ needed her as I went through puberty. That time in my life was pure and simple hell. "Did you know ... of course you don't ... there's no way you could ... Senesha actually sent me to school? Of course, it wasn't a real school; it was one she created with her magic. It was a girls only school, as I'm sure you could have guessed, so there weren't any boys hanging around. But there were always plenty of girls around." Deela sighed. "You know, now that I've had a little time to think through about some of this, all of them either went through, or would shortly be going through, exactly those things I was going through. There was always someone around with whom you could share any of your problems. Some of them were always helping me and then I'd turn around and get involved with helping the others. Somehow, helping and being helped made things more passable." "Being in the company of friends has long been known to have that effect." answered Rornick. "It creates a lasting bond." "It must be true. I had a best friend at the school. Her name was Jelina. She taught me lots of things about makeup and clothes and other girlish stuff, I needed to know." A puzzled look crossed Deela's face. "You know, that must sound awfully weird coming from a man, even if he appears to be a young woman. It even sounds strange to me as I tell you about it now, but it felt perfectly normal at the time." "Maybe Senesha intervened once again to make you more accepting of your fate." replied Rornick. "We have ascribed many strange things to the actions of the witch. Perhaps your life as Delan were to be forgotten in time." "Maybe. Anything could have been possible." answered Deela. "That might explain a few other things I'd begun wondering about while riding the last couple of days. Jelina went through everything I did, only she was always two or three weeks earlier than me. It was just last week, Jelina told me she'd slept with a man. Believe me, I'd never even considered sleeping with a man before then - somehow, I knew I shouldn't - but afterwards my thoughts began to change. Was I, or am I, being prepared for something over which I have no control? And I've also started wondering, whether the jealousy I always felt, as Jelina's feminine frame filled out more quickly than mine, was real or not. Could it have been somehow induced by Senesha? I remember every time I complained about Jelina's boobs being even a little bigger than mine that Senesha would just smile at me and say nothing. But within a few days, mine had swollen to the same size." "Sounds like a possible case of magical augmentation. Cases are rare, but by no means unknown. And in your case, I find the results extremely pleasing." Once again, Deela's face turned beet red. * * * * * Meanwhile, back in Tomandia... "Well, Rena, my crystal ball informs me that the rescue party sent to free your little sister has been successful, just as we planned. Even now, she is on the road headed for home, my Princess." "Most excellent, Larnak." she replied. "But tell me, wizard. Is my sister pretty?" "Your sister is very beautiful, although, in my opinion, her breasts are far too large." replied the wizard. "Senesha always believed that big boobs enhanced a woman's desirability among most men. And there can be little doubt, Princess, that there will be many men who will look upon her with desire. Senesha, as usual, did a near perfect job sculpting your sister's body, but, unfortunately, she has done a piss poor job on her mental development." "What are you talking about, wizard?" asked the curious Princess. "What mental development?" Larnak smiled. Like the rest of the kingdom, Princess Rena only had memories of having a younger sister. But every now and then, he experienced an irresistible compulsion to tell someone of the things he and Senesha had accomplished with Prince Delan. And now was one of those times. Later, he could, and probably would, remove those memories he would now return to Rena. But right now, there were things she needed to remember. Slowly he passed a hand over Rena's head. "It seems your little sister still believes herself to be your big brother." "How is that possible Larnak?" she asked. She now remembered, as if it had always been true, having an older brother. "Senesha was supposed to take my older brother Delan and make him think he was and had always been my younger sister Deela." "I know. Physically, he is completely female." replied the wizard. "Even the spell that caused her to age but one year for every two that passed has worked perfectly. But alas, Senesha always had problems completing timely mental adjustments. It's her insistence on using the old ways that always presents problems. Those spells, while tried and true, only produce satisfactory results if given sufficient time. Unfortunately, Senesha never seemed to understand that some of the newer methods obtain equal, if not better, results in far less time." "Like that job you did on our unknowing little dupe, Haknee, several years ago." grinned Rena wickedly. "I'd have loved to have watched." "I'm sure you would have enjoyed it, my Princess. Even now, I can still see his face at the moment he realized he'd been used." replied Larnak. "For our own plans to be successful, we needed some way of changing Delan's school records without using any magic. But since all of the school's records had been totally secured against magical alteration for centuries, I had thought all was lost. "I could scarcely believe our luck, when Haknee and his amazingly simple little scheme to improve both his and Delan's records using the new technological methodology instead of magic literally fell into our laps. "I promised Haknee whatever he wanted _if_ he would alter Delan's records into those of Deela. And the fool quickly agreed. How was he to know that I would also make him unknowingly change _his_ own record in a similar fashion? But I did give him everything he wanted in the deal." Larnak smiled. "Only the boy didn't get it exactly the way he had anticipated. "When he told me he'd finished changing Delan's records, I fondly recall asking him if he wanted a celebratory drink. Being far to trusting, Haknee drank the potion I gave him without question. And then, while I sat back and watched, Haknee, totally unaware that anything unusual was happening to him, began to physically change. "Afterwards he acted puzzled when I asked how he liked his new body. At _my_ suggestion, he stood up and walked over to my magic mirror. When he saw his reflected image, I could tell he was shocked by his altered appearance. He even _demanded_ that I restore him. But his demand, as well as his shock quickly faded. With a simple wave of my hand, I completely rewrote _her_ memories. "She became the insatiable Hakena. And since it better served our purpose, I made her seventeen, instead of the twelve Haknee had been. Then I slowed her ageing process so that for every passing year only a single day would pass for her. Nowadays, as your brother Andar would readily attest, pretty young girls have vast and variable uses. "It's a really shame that Senesha never liked using brute force mental transformations. If she had, she'd still be alive now. Her methods employing simulacra always worked, but, as I've already said, when the old methods are employed, sometimes centuries are required to obtain satisfactory final results. Brute force is so much faster. "Using brute force, dull and potential troublesome Haknee has become our sexy Hakena. Now she is one horny little slut with a virtually insatiable sexual appetite. I'm sure you're aware, I'd love to bed that saucy wench once more, but your brother Andar would probably kill me if I tried." "There's no 'probably' about it, Larnak. He would kill you." Rena stated matter of factly. "And he would make it a _very_ slow and _intensely_ painful death. Where Hakena is concerned, Andar is one insanely jealous little boy totally spaced out on his testosterone. I often wonder what he would say, if he found out that his sexy little plaything started out life as a boy who wanted to be a part of the royal household." "I'd guess it'd be remarkably close to what your brother Delan would have to say if he found out that his former best friend is now in the enviable position of becoming the Royal Concubine and could quite soon be the mother of the first of Andar's royal bastards." On hearing her brother's true name spoken, Rena momentarily winced. "I don't think we should refer to _her_ as Delan anymore. _Her_ name is Deela. We need to remember that and to think of _her_ only in that manner. We don't want to make any other mistakes now. Do you have any ideas how to cover up Senesha's shoddy mental workmanship." "That will be no problem. I'll either find someone to meet them out on the road, or I'll go myself. Deela won't recognize me. And after a few relatively minor mental adjustments on both your sister and that fool Rornick, she'll truly, and quite permanently, become Princess Deela. No one, not even her, will ever question her identity again. "Then, once she arrives, she'll simply take her place as Princess Deela. Everyone in the Kingdom is expecting _her_ already. You'll all be one big happy family once again. "Then after a few weeks, we'll arrange a marriage between Deela and that Sanarian asshole Crendal. Their marriage should forge the 'unbreakable' alliance with Sanaria we've been courting of late. And with Deela married off, she should be unable to cause us any problems, not that she'd ever want to or even think of doing so." Their scornful laughter mingled into a frightful racket as the sounds echoed down the hall. Part 4 The travelers crested a hill that overlooked a small uninhabited valley. At least they assumed it was uninhabited because their map indicated no settlements located within its boundaries. With the sun hanging low in the sky, Rornick decided they would find a suitable spot on the valley floor and settle down for the night. Their day's journey had been long and exhausting for both Deela and Rornick. Both were road weary, eager to find a a place to pitch camp, and hungry. But when they began their descent into the glen, both of them clearly saw the enormous tent standing majestically on the valley floor. "There must be some other travelers nearby, Deela." said Rornick. "I hope they will not mind having some company tonight. Even if only for a short time. And I'm sure you won't mind having an evening's respite from my cooking either." "Your cooking hasn't been _that_ bad ... exactly." she grinned. * * * * * Oddly, when the travellers finally arrived at the tent, they found it unattended. And as surprised as they'd been at that discovery, they were equally surprised when it became very apparent that the surrounding area had been uninhabited for am exceedingly long time. In fact, Rornick felt certain that the area had been completely abandoned for several years. Littered all around the site were pots and pans covered by layers of dirt (dust just didn't come that thick). And yet, the tent, although made of materials apparently centuries old and covered by strange ancient designs, still appeared to be remarkably good shape. "You should sleep better tonight, Deela, then you have since we left the witch's castle." remarked Rornick. "This tent should offer you the spacious accommodations you've not had since then. And when the morning comes, we will be able to use much of what is already here to speed us on our way. That means we'll be able to unpack less of our own gear tonight, which in turn will mean fewer things to repack in the morning. We should be able to get back on the road tomorrow far earlier than we have so far." "That'll be great, Rornick. Lets get what we need unpacked, find something to eat, and turn in for the night. I'm exhausted." With that, Deela took her bedding down from her horse, then carried it into the tent. And only moments later, Rornick heard her scream. He rushed to the tent. As he entered, he found Deela passed out on the floor. He leaned down and took her pulse. "Princess?" he asked with great concern. "Are you all right?" Deela stirred. "Who the hell are you?" she asked him gruffly as she returned to full consciousness. "And what's this _princess_ shit?" "I'm Rornick. And you're Princess Deela of Tomandia." replied the confused knight. "I rescued you from the witch Senesha. Don't you remember?" "Rescued _me_? From a witch?" puzzled the young woman. Then without warning, Deela's hand shot up and grabbed a handful of her hair. Pulling it in front of her eyes, she angrily stared at the strands she held in obvious disbelief. "By the gods, I have long golden hair." she exclaimed in surprise. Then Rornick was utterly amazed as he watched her expression change once more as one of her hands reached down and first found, then cupped one of her ample breasts. "Oh fuck!" she screamed. "I've got tits, too! Damnation, I'm a girl!" She stared daggers at Rornick. "Just what kind of a miserable excuse for a knight are you? Are you completely ignorant of the all rules of chivalry? Aren't you even aware that a proper knight does not let a _mere_ girl enter an unknown place without checking it out first." "Deela?" questioned Rornick as he wondered what had happened to her. A sudden wave of dizziness and nausea forced him to drop to one knee. He began to raise his hand to his face. "What is hap..." Abruptly, his arm stopped midway to his face. Instead, he looked at Deela. A wide grin began spreading across his face. Continuing in a slightly different tone, he said "Perhaps Kelrik, unlike you, he is one that does not leap into something before he looks. Or just maybe, he is one who sees his female companion as an equal, not just some toy to be pampered. But what is most likely, he simply perceived no danger here." "Marena?" queried the young woman. "You've possessed the man?" "Of course, Kelrik. Why should I not possess the man? After all, my dear, you have possessed the woman, have you not?" "But I was supposed to possess him, not this mere girl child." whined Kelrik in Deela's soft voice. "That is the way it has always been before." "Who you _thought_ you were supposed to possess is no longer of any importance whatsoever." stated Marena in Rornick's voice coldly. "Nor is the 'way it has always been' any longer of consequence." "But by all the rules of our ancient covenant, I have always possessed the one who is first to enter this tent. And according to the inviolable rules of chivalry that person _must_ be male; therefore, I should _always_ possess the male. By all that is right, I invoke our covenant and hereby demand you relinquish the male to my control." "Oh, pish tosh, Kelrik." laughed Marena. "You know as well as I that under our ages old covenant, Kelrik, you were given the right of first possession _and_, as 'it has always been,' you were granted first possession. However, my dear, no where in our ancient agreement is it stated that you are guaranteed a masculine form. Besides, I truly believe your male persona has been in charge here for far too long as it is." "But you know this isn't right, Marena." replied Kelrik nervously. He had invoked their covenant, yet nothing had noticeably changed. For once, he was unsure of himself. "I _am_ the man, here." said Kelrik as he stared defiantly into Marena's eyes. "I _am_ the man." he stubbornly repeated. "I ... was ... supposed ... to ... possess ..." "Under our centuries-old covenant, which _I_ shall now invoke, _young_woman_, all that is important to our agreement is _my_ possession of this man." replied Marena with equal defiance. Marena smiled as she watched Kelrik's eyes begin to glaze. "Had you never wondered before why each of us had both male and female personalities? This time,