As usual this work would not be half so good without the intervention
and able assistance of the far too modest Steve Zink. Editor, writer,
and friend... Steve there are far too few like you in the world.
A little something I have been thinking about lately. It was meant to
be a comedy but doesn't seem to be developing
that way at all. ~SIGH~ The best laid plans I guess. JDG
A MIDWINTER NIGHT'S DREAM
PART ONE: PUCK-er UP
My life began in the year 5559, on January 11. At least if you go by
the great calendar of Oberon, which is the only one anybody goes by here
in the land of the Fey. Oberon, you see, measures time from when he
ascended to the great throne. He feels that nothing before that matters.
So it was that my life, as a Fey, began on that date. Seems like just
yesterday. Probably because it was... here. There it was... ooohhhhh let
me see... an hour is a day so... I guess it was about a month ago now.
Maybe I had better start at the beginning, as it were. You see it was
something like this...
David sat at his workstation staring at his computer screen. It was
another boring day, one in a long string of boring days. His whole world
seemed one long stretched out period of boredom anymore. Oh, he had his
wife and his four beautiful daughters. He had his hobbies that kept his
45 year old body in the kind of shape a 22 year old might envy, and he
had his prestigious job at the bank. Still, he was bored. He yearned to
travel to distant lands and have exotic adventures. Had he known what
the day held for him he may have amended that dream a bit.
At 5:00pm on the dot he closed down his computer and left his office.
He drove home through the exceptionally warm January weather. Ohio was
usually covered in ice and snow this time of year, but it was as mild as
Spring. His thoughts wandered. He had to do his workout when he got
home. Day 45 of his latest exercise regimen adjustment. He hadn't missed
a day working out since he was in his late teens. Memories of the
hurtful words he was often subjected to back then were all the incentive
he needed. Plus he loved to see the looks on the faces of his former
classmates when he showed up at the reunions.
After his workout he had to take his youngest to her dance classes. She
was remarkably skilled for one so young. Her next older sister had a
flair for art and gymnastics. Then came the two oldest, Hockey Queens of
the ice! David was proud of all his girls, but often wondered what life
might have been like if he had a boy. He sighed. Dinner would be roast
beef and potatoes with string beans and ice tea. It was Tuesday after
all. Since it wasn't the weekend he would read a bit on the computer and
then to bed. On weekends he and his lovely wife sometimes still engaged
in marital relations. Though, anymore, even that seemed too much of an
effort sometimes. Maybe after 20+ years of marriage they had just grown
too used to each other. God knows she was still a beauty. She had kept
her figure despite the 4 children.
David pulled into his garage and went in to change for his workout. Two
hours later he was showered and running his daughter to dance class.
Then home for supper (his little one ate earlier), chat about the kid's
day, and his lovely wife's. Off again to get his daughter and then to
his computer. He loved to read the fantasy and science fiction stories
on the net. He especially loved transformations stories. To be a mighty
centaur, or a great dragon! Many wrote such things. Others wrote about
being animals, Unicorns, children, robots, and even WOMEN!
David had trouble believing any man could want to be a woman. It
seemed, that past a certain age, they were always just starting, going
through it, or just ending their period. Burrrr it gave him chills.
Besides women were so soft and... well... weak. Physically anyway. David
loved the fact that he could bench press 450lbs., for 10 repetitions. He
loved knowing he could squat and dead lift well over a quarter ton for
reps. He liked the look of admiration he received from men and women.
Give all that up to be a woman? Those guys must be nuts. With these
thoughts David fell fast asleep.
"Wakey, wakey! Come on now sleepyhead!" The deep man's voice disturbed a
delightful dream David was having. He was Batman and had just
deliberately set off an alarm in Lex Luthor's hideaway to let him know
he was there. Luthor was cowering and begging for mercy, and then this
jerk had to start disturbing his sleep.
David sat bolt upright in bed. What was a strange man doing in his
bedroom?!! David was overwhelmed by a flood of sensory input... all of it
wrong. He could smell a delicate scent of lilacs and body powder. He saw
a huge four poster bed had somehow replaced his own bed. It was draped
with silk hangings, and the sheets were silk as well. The mattress was
as soft as down and caused the slickery material of his gown to slide
under his expansive butt.
Gown? Expansive butt? David had a hard muscular butt and didn't wear
anything to bed, much less silky gowns. Then there was the room. It's
walls were hung with tapestries of beautiful, verdant woods. Huge deer
and other animals roamed in them. Unicorns could be seen in the
background, and Nymphs played with Satyrs by the pool in the background.
At the foot of the bed stood a handsome young man. He was dressed in
flowing robes and wore his dark hair long. It hung in ringlets about his
shoulders. His teeth were so white they looked false. He could have been
20 or 30. His age was indefinable somehow. He was slender in build, yet
had an air of strength about him. David had to admit he was about the
handsomest man he had ever seen.
"Why, thank you... Princess." The young man sketched a courtly bow, as
if he had read David's mind.
David looked left and right for the Princess he referred to. All he saw
was a mass of inky black hair. It hung about his own shoulders in whorls
and ringlets. The shoulders it hung on were slender and encased in the
finest silk. The front of the silk coverings he wore was tented
magnificently from within. Raising one delicate hand to his face David
marveled at the fine skin and delicate bone structure. The nails were an
opalescent pink color, though it did not seem that they had a coating of
nail varnish on them.
"I'm dreaming." David said. "Of course, I was thinking about all those
guys who want to be women when I went to sleep last night, and it made
me have this dream." His voice was a breathy contralto.
David moved to slide off the bed, marveling at the strange sensation of
heavy breasts swaying slightly from his own chest. His hair, which he
normally wore quite short, felt incredibly heavy. As he slid onto tiny
feet, with toenails the same color as his fingernails, he felt so short.
Everything seemed so big. Of course, having never been in this room
before he had no idea of how big it was supposed to be. Dreams often
made things seem disproportionate anyway. He glanced at the young man at
the end of the bed. His eyes were a brilliant aquamarine color and
seemed to hold barely contained mirth in them.
"I wonder what made me dream you up?" David mused aloud.
"Dream my Lady? As in 'A Midsummer Night's'?"
David got the distinct impression he was being laughed at. He felt
quite put out that his own fiction should be laughing at him.
"Look you. This is an interesting dream and all but I really haven't
time to dally. My dreams never last long. When they get interesting
then they suddenly end! I haven't even seen what I look like in this
dream yet."
With a smile the enigmatic fellow gestured to a large mirror, free
standing, in a gilt frame. David felt the air rush out of his lungs.
Reflected before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She
looked to be about medium height for a woman, say 5'6". Her features
were delicate, with skin so fine he could not detect a single pore. Her
lashes were long and thick. They were dark black like the heavy mass of
hair that hung to her waist. Her brows were delicate and finely arched
above beautiful aquamarine eyes that were wide with surprise.
He stepped hesitantly toward the mirror and felt the strange sensation
of the breasts moving again. What breasts they must be! They looked like
they were slightly wider than the narrow chest he possessed in this
dream form. His hands and feet were tiny. The rest of his form was
hidden by the silk hangings that adorned him. Soft pastels of green and
blue, were wrapped about him... her in this dream world.
With a shaking hand David reached toward her crotch and, with a
delicate finger, confirmed the female contours there. Definitely her.
"This is so fuc*ing weird!" David breathed softly, in her high feminine
voice.
"Weirder than you know my Princess." Was the young man's enigmatic
reply.
"Why do you keep calling me Princess?"
"For the simple fact that you currently wear the form of the Princess
Celine. Daughter of Kind Oberon and Queen Titania."
"Oh. Of course! I took Desi to see a Midsummer Night's Dream a couple
of months back. That must explain it. I take it you, then, are Robin
Goodfellow?"
"Puck, to my friend's. Since I aided the Princess in this lark I trust
you will count me as much a friend as she, while you wear her skin
anyway."
David felt a slight chill tickle her spine. This was awfully detailed
for a dream. Usually she would have woken up by now. Besides the
flagstone floor felt chilly against her bare feet. She wondered then,
when she had started thinking of herself as a she?
"Would you mind terribly, explaining what you mean?" She asked
nervously. The air seemed too sweet. The colors too vivid. The
sensations too real. David was rapidly starting to worry that this was
no ordinary dream. Perhaps no dream at all.
"Certainly. After all you are, currently, the Princess of the realm and
heir to the throne of Oberon. You see Celine has long been fascinated by
the world of mortals. She has made me recount, time and again, my
adventures there in the olden days. Oberon has since forbidden any
travels between the realms, too dangerous for the mortal folk. They are
so frail, and tend to become fascinated by our land. Before you know it
you have another Centaur, Satyr, Nymph, Dryad, Unicorn, or Pixie. Really
it is just so bothersome having to substitute a changeling for those who
become part of the fey. As you may have noted, things are more real here.
You can feel it can't you? The very air vibrates with a power... with life!"
David had to admit that she could feel it. It made her shudder all the
more. She desperately wished to wake up.
"Celine cast about for a proper receptacle. She wanted to be a doughty
warrior. She has been female all these years after all, and never had
the chance to be male yet. She also needed someone who was asleep,
yearning for adventure and travel, and near a locus of magic. You
happened to fit the bill nicely. Handsome, with a powerful body, and all
the rest. So she "borrowed" your form while her Sire and Dam are away on
the Great Hunt."
David gulped loudly. "And... and just how long will they be away on this
hunt?"
"Oh they should return by tomorrow morning."
David breathed a sigh of relief. If, as she was beginning to suspect,
this really wasn't a dream at all she at least wouldn't have to endure
it for long.
"That is, of course, in Faerie time."
"Faerie time?" She asked with a sinking feeling in her gut.
"Yes. Time in the land of the mortals flicks by at an incredible pace.
It must be why you burn your lives up so quickly."
"How... how long does that translate to in mortal time?"
"Ohhh roughly a month. An hour here is a day there. It used to be worse
until Oberon instituted daylight savings time."
David felt the world spin around her and blackness rushed up to engulf
her. As she fell she felt two strong arms catch her and Puck's voice
whispered in her ear, "Sleep now Sweet Princess. Loyal Puck will stand
watch over you." Then she knew no more.
PART TWO: WHAT FOOLS THESE MORTALS BE
The faint didn't last long and David soon found herself awakening to
her nightmare once again. The scent of lilacs filled her nostrils and
the slick feel of her bed clothes gave notice to her awakening senses
that she had not escaped through the realm of Morpheus.
"Awake again I see."
"Puck? Are you still here?" She could scarce credit the existence of
such a being, much less his presence in her bed chamber. Of course the
fact that it was HER bed chamber, at the moment, made other such shocks
seem rather blas? by comparison.
"I am, as ever, at the service of my Princess." Puck's smile was as
saucy as the glint in his eye.
David groaned. "I am not actually your Princess, as you well know."
"True, but my loyalty is to the form of the Princess, not the spirit.
For in the land of the Fey it is the form that is strong and the spirit
that is weak."
"What do you mean?" David had no idea how cute she was when she
crinkled up her nose in consternation.
"In the mortal world your flesh is weak and given to any number of
diseases, injuries, and even the ravages of time. This is compensated by
your spirits being very strong. Since the spirit is so strong, and the
flesh so weak, you find it near impossible to shift from one form to
another. We, on the other hand, have strong flesh. It is adamantine and
unyielding. It rules and controls, so our spirits have no need for great
strength. We never die, well rarely in any case, so our spirits don't
need the power to exist for prolonged periods of time without a fleshy
housing. Thus we can command our forms to flow and shift and our strong
flesh will obey."
"Wait a minute. You're saying that the Fey can shape shift?"
"Absolutely!" Puck seemed genuinely surprised that she would find such
a concept difficult to grasp. "Are not your *fairy tales* filled with
such accounts?"
"Well then, I can just shift to male until the Princess returns to
claim her flesh!"
David's excitement was short lived. Puck crushed her hopes with his
next words.
"No. You cannot, and for two reasons. One-you don't have any
familiarity with that flesh, let alone it's magic. Two-as the daughter
of Oberon and Titania you are not allowed to shift to ANY male form
until after you have conceived and borne an heir to the Great Throne.
It is Oberon's strictest rule. His word forbids it and prevents it,
since here his word is literally the law."
David felt a hot rush of tears behind her eyes. It was so unfair! Puck
moved to a sitting position next to her and cradled her head to his
shoulder. She was taken aback for a moment, but then yielded to the
comfort his strong shoulder offered. As she did the floodgates burst
and the tears rushed forth.
"Oh I hate women who cry." David sobbed.
"You cannot deny your body its privileges Princess. Your spirit is
strong but it is contained in an envelope of flesh that is equally so.
If you fight every instinct it will drive you mad. Though your stay is
short, and not entirely of your own choosing, I would not see you
suffer. Rather I would make this as pleasant as possible for you."
Slowly David got control of her emotions. The tears slowed to a trickle
from the corners and finally stopped. Sniffing she stared up into the
chiseled features. Why did Puck have to be so damn handsome anyway?!
Before she quite realized what she was doing she found her lips pressed
against Puck's own. At his gentle urging her lips parted slightly and
she felt his tongue flicker against hers. A hot rush of warmth coursed
through her body and she squirmed where she sat.
Suddenly realizing what she was doing David jerked back. 'My God!' She
thought silently. 'What am I doing?! I was jut making out... with a guy!'
The brush of Puck's fingers across her fevered cheek brought David's
attention back to the handsome Fey. "It's alright Princess. It is just
the confusion of your very female body warring with your masculine soul.
Here you are surrounded by the trappings of the Princess Celine. You
are, and will continue to be, treated as Celine while you are here. You
must learn to let your body lead you. For all our sakes no one must
suspect that you are not Celine, Princess of the Fey. It would be worth
our very lives!"
"Our lives! What do you mean our lives?"
"Oberon forbid his daughter to experience masculinity before she was
wed, bred, and mother to a new heir. He also forbids our traversing
across the border to the mortal realm. If he discovers that she, with my
help, found a way to circumvent his will..." He left the sentence
unfinished.
"Surely you're not suggesting that he would kill his own daughter!"
"No. But he might force her to spend a few thousand years as a newt, or
perhaps a she-ass. As for me... well he would certainly kill me. You also
by the way."
"Me!??! Why in the name of God would he want to kill me?!"
"Because you are a part of this. You provided the Princess the vessel
to pour her soul into, and you are now here masquerading as her."
"But... but..." She was so flustered that for a moment she couldn't even
speak. "I didn't willingly cooperate! I didn't deliberately set out to
aid her in her plot! How can he blame me!??!"
"Did you not yearn to travel to far off lands and have great
adventures? Did you not yearn to experience transformation and with it
great power? Your spirit called to her. It cooperated willingly in the
exchange, even if you were not consciously aware of it. The spirit was
willing even if the flesh was weak."
"Oh God!" Her mind whirling with confusion and fear, David whimpered
quietly to herself.
"You must learn, and quickly, to stop calling on the mortal's God. We
don't do that here. Since we are virtually immortal we have no need of God
or demon's. You also need to stop thinking of yourself as David. You are
not he, while you are here. You are the Princess Celine! Every time you
think of yourself as the mortal David, your spirit flares and shines
forth through your flesh. It will be a signal to any of high rank and
power that you are not who you seem to be."
"Well, then I'll just remain here in this room until the real Celine
exchanges us back tomorrow. That way I don't have to worry about fooling
anyone."
"An admirable plan. Unfortunately it won't work."
"What? Why not?"
"As Princess you are expected to do certain things. More especially so
with your parent's off on the Great Hunt. Your attendants will come soon
to bathe and dress you for this afternoon."
David... no! "Celine dammit!" Felt her heart thudding in her chest. She
imagined she could feel her heavy breasts vibrating with each beat.
"This afternoon?"
"You are having an afternoon luncheon with some of the minor nobles who
wish to introduce their heirs, in hopes that one may catch your eye and
interest you in marriage." Puck's tone was so laconic that Celine almost
missed the last part.
"Marriage? Marriage!"
"Don't worry. All you have to do is be politely distant to them all.
Talk sweetly, nod demurely, and dance politely with each man in his
turn, but make no selection. If you do then Celine will be obligated to
marry that one upon her return."
Inwardly Celine groaned. 'What else could go wrong?'
A knock at the heavy oak door drew her attention. "Princess? Princess
Celine? It is your handmaid, Jennifer. I have your bath drawn. Once you
are in it I will bring you your breakfast. Are you quite ready Princess?"
"No." Celine groused quietly. "The Princess is damn well not ready!"
Raising her voice just loud enough to reach the Faerie woman on the
other side she called, "In a moment Jennifer."
"I'm sure glad she told me her name."
"All will when you cannot see their faces. It is custom. I will stay by
your side to whisper the names of those who come into the view of your
royal eyes so that the deception will not be revealed by a slip of the
tongue."
Celine gently squeezed the hard bicep of his arm. "Thank you Puck. I
hope Celine, the real Celine, appreciates what a friend she has in you."
"My Lady. For the here and now YOU are the real Celine. Puck will
remain ever your servant during your stay."
Nodding her thanks Celine rose, for the second time, from her bed. As
she walked toward the door she noticed things she had been too shocked
to notice before. Her wider hips shifted as she walked, giving her gait
a sensuous sway. Her heavy breasts moved in time with her hips. She
hoped they had bra's here in Fairyland! With boobs this size she was
going to need one.
As she opened the door and greeted the timid Jennifer, Celine never
noticed the sly smile on Puck's lips. "Yes Princess. Get fully absorbed
in the role. Good friend Puck will stay by your side to guide you. And
before the morrow comes, you shall be mine." With a dark chuckle he
strode confidently after the faux Princess.
PART THREE: MEANWHILE BACK AT THE RANCH
Celine lay back against the sheets panting. A sheen of sweat coated her
muscular body. The experience of sex as a mortal, and as a man, had been
beyond exhilarating. It had been more than she had ever imagined. The
slow torturous build to that sudden rushing climax! Every synapse in her
brain firing all at once! No wonder males had to rest after such an
experience.
Beside her the mortal's wife stirred sleepily. "David. What in the
world ever got into you?" Then snuggling closer. "Never mind. Whatever
it was I just hope it stays around for a while!"
Celine smiled to herself. What got into him indeed. With a contented
chuckle she reached one brawny arm around the golden haired lass at his
side. The afterglow of the experience was fading and she felt
unaccountably tired. Sleep would be most welcome. The experience had
left her rather drained. Still it had taken her mind off of the pain.
When Princess Celine first exchanged with the sleeping man's spirit she
had been jarred by a veritable cacophony of pain! Her back, her right
calf, a molar in the left rear of her jaw, her bladder, her face. Tiny
aches and pains registered from everywhere. She had never experienced
pain before. Fey flesh was much more resilient than mortal, and most
things translated into pleasure... not pain.
She lay gasping in his large and hairy body for a few moments,
wondering how he could function with such constant nagging agony. It
hadn't been long, though, before she discovered what every human knows.
The body adjusts to pain and learns to ignore it for the most part.
David had accumulated little aches and pains like everyone else over the
years. If asked he would have said he had no pain. He was just too used
to it. Like the hum of the tires on the highway just behind the house he
grew up in. New comers noticed it constantly, but he never heard it.
Celine had fidgeted in the bed until the male's wife had awoken. She had
turned her face to him, a shaft of wan moonlight catching the gold in
her hair and making it shine, as if with an inner luminescence. While
she had experienced trysts with many males, and many females in the land
of the Fey, Celine had never felt the powerful compulsion toward sex
that a mortal male felt when confronted with a nubile female.
Her lips had been as red as ripe pomegranates, and just as full. It had
been instinct rather than thought that led Celine to press her lips
against the woman's. Her thick muscular hand went, naturally, to the
fullness of her breast. She had thumbed the nipple into awareness and
kissed her way down the alabaster neck. A low moan had been her answer.
Celine used every trick she knew to produce pleasure from the female
form. She was sure that the man's wife had reached the crescendo of
passion at least three times before Celine had finished once. But oh,
that once! With that thought Celine faded to sleep, snuggled beside
David's wife.
Linda looked, lovingly, at her sleeping husband. He had been so tender,
yet insistent. Passionate, yet caring. He had stimulated her in ways
that she had never suspected she could be stimulated in. He had
surprised her. She didn't think that after more than two decades of
marriage he had any surprises left for her. She was happy to discover
she was wrong. It was almost as if she were making love to someone else
entirely. Yes that was what it had felt like. That delicious tingle one
gets from a taste of forbidden fruit. Smiling contentedly Linda drifted
off to slumber land also.
An irritating noise was interrupting Celine's dream. In it she was a
doughty warrior, dressed in fine armor, and battling an evil troll. She
rode her magnificent stallion, Glover. But in the dream she wore the
mortal's form and must needs think of herself henceforth as he. His
blade flashed and Troll Cleo's head fell from her wart encrusted
shoulder's. The fair maiden, who looked amazingly like the woman he had
ravished only hours earlier, rushed into his arms. The stallion had
vanished as had their clothes. Soon the two lovers lay entwined in a
field of poppies. The warm sun and cool breezes caressed his flesh and
then... then... that dam* noise simply would not let him finish the dream!
Groaning Celine sat up in his bed. His wife lay beside him, smiling
coyly at him. "Morning Stud." She giggled like a schoolgirl. "How would
my manly man like some bacon and eggs for breakfast? I can fix while you
shower and shave."
Celine found focusing surprisingly difficult. Her head ached slightly
and her thoughts were muzzy. Having never experienced dependency on
anything, she could scarcely be expected to recognize a need for a
morning cup of coffee. He nodded and rose from the bed.
"You get your water running and I'll bring you a cup of mud." With that
Linda pinched David on the butt before dancing down the stairs.
'Mud?' Celine wondered. 'Do they truly drink such a vile concoction
here?'
So caught up in her musings was Celine that he sat there until Linda
returned with a steaming cup of coffee. "Better get a move on there big
boy!" She smiled as she handed the cup to Celine. "The girls will be up
soon and you know how fast the hot water goes when they start getting
their showers!"
Tentatively Celine brought the ceramic cup to her lips. The liquid
inside was truly as dark as any mud he had ever seen. But the smell! The
smell was heavenly. "In for a penny, in for a pound I suppose." Celine
said as she took her first sip.
"What did you say Dear?"
"Mmfppgghhh. Nothing. This is the most delicious mud I ever tasted! Had
I suspected that it could taste like this then I would have been
drinking it all along!"
"That's nice Dear." Linda called over her shoulder as she headed back
downstairs. "Now you better hurry and get showered and ready. You have
to leave for work in an hour."
"Work?!!?"
The shower was a unique experience. Nothing like bathing under the
crystal falls. The water could be made to be hot or cold, and Celine
seemed only able to make it too much of one or the other. Finally
settling on too cold as the lesser of two evils she swabbed her body
with soap and rinsed off. She couldn't believe the hair this body had.
It seemed to be hairy like one of the ape people. But beneath the hair
were hard rippling muscles. Surely this man was a warrior of some
importance.
Finishing her bath Celine was distressed at the lack of maidservants to
dry and dress her. She finally managed and headed downstairs, only to be
greeted by howls of laughter from Linda. "I guess last night must have
really taken it out of you. Or is this your way of saying that you want
to have an orgy?"
Confused Celine glanced down at the garments she had draped about her
form. It was a standard type of wrapping, a bit stiffer and less
colorful than she was used to, but pretty normal. At least if you were a
Faerie, or an ancient Roman. Sheets made into toga's just would not
make it in modern day society.
Linda shook her head. "Oh so that's the way you want to play it is it?
Ok then my big snuggy wuggy babycums. Let Mommy take her big bear of a
baby back upstairs and get you dressed. While we're at it I guess you
want me to shave you also? Boy you certainly expect a lot for one little
shag. Still..." Here she wrapped her arms about his muscular waist, "for
one like last night I'd gladly bathe, shave, and dress you for a week."
Taking the bewildered Celine by the hand she led him back upstairs.
Shaving had been interesting. First Linda wet his face, and then
smeared on some sort of sweet smelling cream. It had not tasted nearly
as good as it smelled and looked. Then she had used an odd looking tool
to scrape the foam, her facial whiskers, and -at least it felt like- the
top two layers of his skin off. That had been nothing compared to the
stinging blast the "aftershave" had given Celine. The mortal realm may
be somewhat dull in it's smells, colors, and tastes, but it had it all
over the Great Land in it's pain inducing rituals.
Before Linda could lead the whimpering man to the bedroom to dress him
David had stepped into the shower. Aiming his member at the drain he had
let fly with a sigh of great relief. This was a truly unique experience
for Celine. Peeing standing up! It was fun and she had begun to direct
the stream all about the tiled shower stall floor, as a shocked Linda
stood by with her mouth hanging open.
Seeing such a convenient target Celine couldn't resist aiming the
stream at Linda. The answering shriek had seemed loud enough to wake the
dead. However no zombies or ghouls were in evidence so he figured it had
not been loud enough after all.
Sputtering and glaring at him Linda had taken the confused Celine back
to the bedroom scolding him with a tongue that could cut leather. "Now
look Mister! I am just as open minded as the next when it comes to sex
and humor but that wasn't sexy and it certainly wasn't funny! If you are
getting into kinky things like golden showers then you can just forget
it!! Understood?"
Celine was in shock. No one had ever dared speak to her that way. Well,
no on besides her father, Oberon. She just stared open mouthed as the
woman, who had seemed so loving and beautiful a moment before, was
transformed into a shrewish Harpy. No, come to think of it, that was
unfair to Harpies every where.
Linda continued her diatribe even as she dressed Celine and then
changed her own damp garments. Breakfast was a somber affair with the
kids wondering what Mom was angry with Dad about now. After eating the
fatty fried strips of pleasingly flavored meat and the embryonic birds
Celine was ready to go to her first day of human work. She did so wish
that she could have another cup of mud first, but was afraid to ask the
mortal woman in case it set of another bout of angry recriminations.
Celine wondered what exactly it was that this mortal did. Was he a
general? He couldn't be a regular warrior his clothes were at once too
restrictive of movement, and also too soft to be decent battle gear. The
noose he wore about his neck as a decoration was particularly
disadvantageous for battle. His wondering was interrupted by a set of
metallic disks and odd shapes being thrust into his hand.
"Here's your keys. Now you had better hurry or you'll be late for
work." With that Linda kissed him on the cheek and whispered in his ear.
"I'm sorry I blew up at you. I know you were just experimenting. Maybe
tonight we can have a repeat of last night." With that she gave him a
gentle push into another room. In it sat two metal objects. They looked
something like wild beasts, and one said "Mustang" on the side. Yet it
didn't look like any horse Celine had ever seen.
Linda had gone back inside after pressing a button that caused the back
wall to rise up just under the ceiling. This provided a method of egress
from this cavern like room. Shrugging Celine began to walk down the
smooth hard path to the road beyond.
"David! Hey David!" It took Celine a moment to realize that the man was
calling him.
"Yes?" He was surprised every time he spoke at the depth and timbre of
his voice.
"Something wrong with the Ford? I warned you about those cars. Fix or
repair daily I said. Do you want me to have a look at it and see if I
can get it started for you?"
"Ummm... sure?" Celine didn't know what this varlet was talking about,
but it seemed best to humor him. At least until he could figure out what
was going on.
Striding over the big black man took the metal shapes from Celine's
hand and walked back into the cavern. Striding up to the Mustang he
inserted one of the oddly shaped pieces into a silver disk on the side
and caused a part of it to swing out, allowing him to climb inside.
'Rather like a chariot.' Celine thought.
The man then inserted the metal shape into another spot beside the
wheel that sat inside the strange chariot. He twisted it to the right
and the thing roared like a Griffin disturbed in it's slumber. "Seems ok
now. Maybe you just flooded it."
"Err... uhhh... yeah. I guess so." Celine walked back beside the Mustang
and stood looking at the heavy Nubian sitting inside it.
"Well I don't want to keep you. Tonight after work I'll bring my tools
over and give it a good going over, okay?"
"Okay." Celine replied, having no idea what the man was talking about.
The man got out and left. Celine stood looking at the oddly purring
Mustang and then tentatively climbed inside. As she did her foot caught
on the hatch that had opened in the side and it shut behind her. For a
moment she felt panic. Was she about to be eaten? But nothing happened.
Celine began to wonder he was expected to do, when he noticed a stick on
the floor beside him. It had a track it traveled down with letters
beside each point. P was the letter it was in now. Then there was R,
then D, then D2. Deciding that he had nothing to loose, Celine reached
for the stick and moved it to R.
PART FOUR: TO BE, OR NOT TO BE
Celine followed Jennifer as she led her toward the royal bath. So
caught up in her own inner musings was she that she scarcely noted the
magnificence of the rooms through which she passes. Rare paintings and
sculptures. Magnificent friezes and tapestries. Heavy, meticulously
crafted furnishings, and everywhere gold and jewels. A thousand king's
ransoms in just a few rooms. One thing, though, did catch her eye.
Through one of the highly arched windows she noticed a shimmering
tower. It appeared to be cut all from one piece of opalescent crystal.
Celine knew that back in her world this would be impossible, yet here in
the land of the Fey who could say?
Stopping in her tracks she stared entranced at the shimmering edifice.
"What is that?"
Puck, ever at her elbow, answered. "That is the crystal tower. In it is
imprisoned a half-breed. His Mother was a Faerie and his father was a
mortal." The emphasis placed on each was noted by Celine.
"You make the word mortal sound like what you're really saying is
garden slug."
"Forgive me Princess. I hadn't realized you thought so tenderly of
those frail beings." Puck's eyes flashed a warning as they cut over
toward Jennifer.
Choosing to ignore the warning look Celine continued her line of
inquiry. "Why is he imprisoned?"
Jennifer was looking at her oddly. "My Lady... everyone knows the tale.
He was advisor to the Once and Future King. He was tricked and
imprisoned there until he is needed by his liege once again. Surely you
cannot have forgotten this?"
Realizing her error Celine sought to cover. "Forgive me Jennifer if I
have worried you with my little jest. I sought merely to aggravate the
boastful Puck." She tittered nervously.
Puck's cheeks flamed for a moment, but he rapidly recovered and
smoothly added to her deception. "Most excellently done Majesty. You had
me going for a moment."
Feeling rather like a rabbit caught in the gaze of the hungry fox
Celine hurried on. "Well let's get to the bath shall we?"
In the royal bath chamber Celine felt as if she would swoon. The floors
were of the finest Venetian marble. The counter tops were of onyx and
jade. The tub was cut whole from a gigantic pearl and sat in a solid
gold frame encrusted, with rubies and diamonds. Jewel encrusted steps
led up to it. Jennifer slipped her royal accouterments from her as she
placed one dainty foot into the steaming mass of bubbles.
Puck stood admiring the alabaster perfection of her arse. A perfect
conjoining of two globular hemispheres. They twitched with a metronomic
perfection with each step. The outer edges of her heavy breasts could be
seen as they swayed to either side. Her hair spilled down her back in a
midnight fall so black that it had blue highlights. She was perfection
of all things feminine and she would be his.
Jennifer glared at Puck, but dared not say anything. He may play the
merry jester, but none could doubt Puck's power. Many believed that, if
he chose, he could challenge Oberon himself. Still, it was not proper
for him to gaze so lustfully at Oberon's only child.
Celine, unaware of the effect she was having on Puck, settled herself
into the warmth of the bath. The bubbles came up around her neck,
effectively screening her flesh from sight. Sighing gratefully she lay
her head back against the edge of the ornate tub and relaxed. With the
water supporting her overly massive mammeries she could, for a moment,
forget her change of station and gender.
Signaling Jennifer to get on with bathing the Princess Puck retreated
to a corner of the lavatory to observe.
Jennifer took a soft cloth and began to carefully bath her Princesses
face with it. Her touch was as light as a butterfly's wing. So gentle
that Celine barely noticed it. Taking the princess by the hand Jennifer
guided her upright and proceeded to bath her body. The soft soapy cloth
traveled down her long, beautiful neck. Then over her shoulders and down
her arms. The touch was warm and gentle. It began to have a noticeable
effect on Celine.
Before she quite knew what she was doing Celine invited Jennifer into
her bath so that she could more easily bathe her. The young Fey blushed,
but quickly divested herself of her garments. Her figure was glowingly
beautiful, if somewhat more slender and less endowed than Celine's.
Pulling Jennifer into an embrace Celine began to soap the young
Faerie's back. Jennifer did the same, spending an inordinate amount of
time on the perfect globes of her buttocks. The soft cloth traveled
around and under, then up the divide between the cheeks. When her hand
started down for perhaps the fourth or fifth time she went deeper into
the juncture of her Princesses thighs.
Celine gasped at the sudden sensation of having herself touched, there.
Her mind was whirling with the sensation. It was like nothing she had
ever experienced before. She rubbed her massive breasts against the
slighter girl's smaller endowments and moaned softly.
Jennifer moved her hands to the front and gently guided Celine to a
sitting position. She spread the royal woman's legs and gently brought
the cloth to bear on the fine petals thus revealed. Tracing it up and
down her charges labia with exquisite gentleness and care she soon had
the Princess panting with the explosion of passion she was experiencing.
Her pink nipples were turgid and glistened with droplets of water. Her
sparse pubic hair was a fairyland of soapsuds. Below her lips were
swelling and flowering open with her passion.
Jennifer seized the moment to apply another cleaning technique. She
replaced the soft cloth with her tongue, running it from Celine's anus
up to her clitoral hood. Tracing back down again she suddenly plunged
her tongue inside the freely flowing opening.
Celine gasped and thrust her hips up against the other woman's mouth.
Never had she felt anything like this! Never had she imagined that it
could feel this way for women! She wondered, for a moment, how any woman
could ever stand to stop having sex, even to eat, if it felt this good.
Then all thought was washed away on a tide of ecstasy. She screamed as
she came in shuddering jolts that racked her body with a forceful
passionate release that was unlike anything she had ever experienced
before. Finally, whimpering with the after glow of her passion, she
allowed Jennifer to slowly slip her back beneath the bubbles.
Puck watched the tableau with hidden glee. Contemplating how soon he
would be the one who would be driving the Princess into mindless
passion. Quietly he whispered to himself, "Soon my Princess. Oh yes,
very soon indeed. You will be the Princess Celine in fact as well as in
body... and you shall be mine!"
PART FIVE: VIGNETTES
-Good Thing The Dryad Wasn't Home-
David sat shaking. Never had such a thing happened to him! The
strange chariot, which the Nubian had called a car, had rushed backwards
without regard for his royal commands to stop! If it hadn't been for the
precipitous involvement of the oak tree adjacent to the stone path he
traveled, then the car may never have stopped.
The car continued to make the odd humming noise that had followed the
twisting of the metal talisman which, David assumed, meant that it was
prepared to continue on it's erratic path if allowed. Tentatively, he
reached out and grasped the talisman. Nothing happened. Grasping it
tightly, he commanded it again, "Cease!" Again, nothing happened. His
face screwed up in consternation; David decided to try twisting the
metal thing.
As he twisted it to the right a noxious noise came from the front of
the vehicle. A kind of grinding noise that did nothing to stop the
constant hum. Not being one to give up easily, the masculinized Princess
twisted the talisman in the opposite direction. Success! The hum
stopped. Grasping the black stick, he shoved it back up by the "P".
Shifting it from that place was what had started his pell-mell descent
down the stone path in the first place.
Satisfied with himself beyond all reason, he looked up, only to see
the face of the mortal Linda staring at him in shock. 'Oh, I do hope she
isn't going to start screeching at me again,' David thought. Out loud,
he said, "Hello, dear. Do you think the Dryad will be angry?"
-I am Woman-
The bath had left Celine more confused than ever. She had never felt
such sensations... never imagined what it was that women could feel. It
was as if the orgasm had been spread throughout her entire body, waves
beating against her mind, her consciousness. Afterwards, she had been
like an automation as Jennifer dried, powdered, perfumed, and dressed
her.
She stared at the reflection in the mirror. A tall, elegant woman
looked back at her. Beautiful and sensuous. But was it really her? What
was the reality? The incredible woman, or the common man within?
Her thoughts were troubled for another reason. In over twenty years
of marriage, she had never been unfaithful to Linda. Oh, there had been
temptations, but she had never given in. Yet, here she hadn't been a
woman for more than a few hours, and she had engaged in a lesbian sexual
encounter, in full view of the lasciviously grinning Puck! She was so
confused. If only there was time to just sit and think.
"Majesty?" Jennifer spoke quietly, as if afraid of disturbing her
musings.
"Yes?"
"Your guests will be here within the hour. Do you wish to go and
check the preparations within the dining hall now?" There was more than
a hint of suggestion in Jennifer's voice that she should do so.
"Of course. Just... just give me a moment. I need to speak with Good
Sir Puck... alone."
Jennifer curtsied her way out, closing the ponderous door behind her.
"Puck? What's going on?"
"What do you mean, my Princess?" His voice was soft, but with an
undercurrent of raw sexuality that sent little thrill chills up and down
her spine. Gooseflesh rose on her arms, bare from the shoulders down in
the elegant gown she wore.
"That's exactly what I'm talking about. Why am I reacting this way?
I seem to be losing myself in this flesh... in this identity."
"Fey flesh has a strength and solidity that mortal's cannot conceive
of. It is why we are so enduring. Years pass for us like weeks.
Centuries like years. Your spirit is strong, but it battles the natural
instincts of your flesh."
"No! Not *my* flesh." Celine felt the tears threatening to come
again. She turned to keep Puck from seeing this further sign of feminine
weakness.
"For now... it is your flesh. You must learn to accept this, or we are
all undone." He seemed almost to be pleading with her now. "It will only
be for a few more hours. Surely you are strong enough to endure for that
long."
"That's not what I'm worried about."
"What then, Princess?"
"I'm worried that I'm learning to like this flesh too well. That when
the time comes, I won't want to leave it." With that, she hurried from
the room, missing Puck's triumphant grin.
-I Said I'm A Faerie, Not A Homosexual-
David sat in his living room, a cold compress held to his forehead,
where he had bumped it on the wheel of the car. Linda was on the phone
to his master's, explaining that he would be unable to come in today.
He saw no reason for this. His head hurt only a little. Surely not
enough to keep a real warrior from battle!
As Linda hung up the phone, she turned toward him. Her face had a
grim cast to it. She strode toward him with a purpose that he
recognized. His Mother used to stride purposefully like that when she
was preparing for a battle of wills.
"Okay, work has been notified that David is ill." David wondered at
the inflection she put on his name. "Now, just who the hell are you, and
what have you done with my husband?"
David sat there with his mouth hanging open. How had she deduced the
fact that he was not really her husband so quickly? Clearing his throat
nervously, he replied, "My name is Celine. I am the daughter of King
Oberon and Queen Titania. I am a Faerie Princess."
"A fairy? Like in, a homosexual? David! Are you telling me that after
over twenty years of marriage, and four children, that you are coming
out and revealing that you're not straight?!" Linda was almost
shrieking.
"Not a fairy. A Faerie. One of the Fey. A supernatural being. Your
husband dreamed of travel, strange lands, transformation, and adventure.
I wanted to experience the mortal realm, against the wishes of my
Father. I also yearned to experience masculinity, so I used his desire
to swap places with him." Linda's laughter interrupted David before he
could say more. He thought her mirth out of place, and sat with quiet
dignity as Linda rolled about on the floor, gales of laughter pealing
out of her mouth. "I fail to see what is so humorous about this."
Barely getting herself under control, Linda explained.
"I'm... hee... sorry. Haaaaaa! It's just that the story, on the face of
it, is ridiculous, yet I find myself believing you. Then the idea of my
super macho husband, as a woman, HAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" The laughter drowned
out anything else she might have meant to say.
David soon discovered another truth from the mortal realm. Laughter
is contagious. It wasn't long before he had joined his wife on the
floor, laughing until tears ran from his eyes. His daughters stood in
the doorway, watching their parents.
"Personally," Desi said, "I think they're both loons." With that, she
dragged her younger sisters off to get them ready for the bus.
-You Can Dance, Every Dance With The Guy Who Gives You The Eye-
The banquet hall was huge. A stone fireplace took up one entire wall,
and was large enough to roast an entire herd of cattle. A table sat
before the blaze, laden with delicacies of every type. Celine saw whole
roast pigs, haunches of beef, peacocks tongues in honeyed cider, airy
castles of crystallized sugar, candied fruits, cheeses, smoked meats,
fish in wine sauce, eels in a rich milk broth, crab cakes, breads and
pastries. She was shocked, though, at the sight of the stuffed rabbit.
It was almost the size of a child. It made her think of her friend Phil
for a moment. A chill ran through her at the thought.
The guests were soon being announced. She and Puck stood just inside
the door, greeting each as they arrived. Puck whispered the names to her
as each entered. Baron Zink and his son Stephan; Lord Craft and his son
Leo; and the Earl of Glover with his son Freddie. The names soon became
a blur to Celine's ears. She was struck by the handsome Freddie, though.
He was both rakishly handsome, and at the same time, darkly menacing. It
was a look that had always repulsed her when she had been David, but now
it caused her stomach to tighten, and she stood just a bit straighter,
thrusting her breasts forward.
The meal was sumptuous, and Celine found herself nibbling at things
she would have never believed she would eat in a hundred years. Sheep's
eyes and peacocks tongues would have never been her choice of canap?
before. Still, she ate but very little, her body exhorting itself to
enforce Celine's normal dietary habits.
Celine found her eyes continually moving to the face of Freddie. She
couldn't remember his last name, and Puck seemed oddly reticent to
remind her of it. Chatter was kept light, and she managed it without
embarrassment, or giving herself away.
It was as Celine was talking to Leo Craft, laughing at some minor
witticism he had made, that she felt a presence at her right shoulder.
Looking up, she saw the darkly handsome Freddie standing there, his hand
extended. Almost without realizing what she was doing, she raised her
dainty hand and placed it in his much larger one. She was swept up into
his embrace, and he danced her out into the middle of the room. Music
had started up from somewhere. His breath reminded her of warm cinnamon
and cloves. His eyes were dark and almost hypnotic.
As he spun her across the room, she caught a glimpse of Puck's face.
It was clouded dark with anger. Wondering what the problem could
possibly be, she looked back up at the Earl's son, just as his lips
descended and covered her own. His hand crept up and roughly handled her
left breast. The pain of such effrontery shocked her out of the haze she
seemed to have been caught up in.
With a cry, Celine pushed Freddie back from her. Her arms, though,
lacked the strength to force more than a few inches between them. The
handsome man laughed, "You want it! You know you do!" With that, he
grabbed for her breast again. Her reaction was entirely instinctive, and
entirely feminine. She slapped him, hard across the face.
Rearing back, the Fey held his hand to his stinging cheek. Then his
face clouded with anger and he grabbed for her again with an
inarticulate cry. Celine had gotten her center now, and fell back on the
years of martial art's training she had. Kicking off the high heels, she
spun into a defensive stance, right foot back, body bladed toward her
foe. Her knees were flexed, and her hands were up defensively.
As the young man grabbed for her tender breast again, she grabbed his
wrist with her right hand. Her left hand came up, palm towards the sky,
and struck him at the elbow. She spun in toward him, twisting his wrist
and pushing up with her left palm against his elbow. He spilled
forward, off balance. She trapped his hand between her cheek and her
shoulder, maintaining her grip on his wrist. Lifting her left foot, she
drove it into the back of his right knee. He tumbled towards the floor,
his balance completely destroyed. She rode him to the floor, trapping
his arm between her knees, with his wrist bent back toward his forearm.
Her full weight landed on his back, driving the air from his lungs.
Freddie's scream's were an inarticulate roaring of pain and
humiliation. He kept trying to rise, despite repeated warnings from
Celine to desist or be injured. When he threatened to sodomize her and
then make her beg him to make love to her, she reached her breaking
point. With a savage twist, accompanied by a dull popping sound, she
tore his arm from the shoulder socket. Standing, she left him lying in
his agony. His elbow was bent at an unnatural angle. His arm flopped
bonelessly on the floor beside him.
Celine was panting heavily with the adrenaline rush. She looked
about, and found Puck standing over the Earl, Freddie's father. He lay
unconscious on the floor, a sword in his hand. It was then that she
felt the dam burst, and the tears came cascading through.
Later, in her chambers, Puck explained, "The Earl can trace his
lineage back to the original King of the Fey. The one that Oberon
deposed. They had used a glamour on you. It as so subtle that even I
didn't detect it at first. They couldn't make you fall in love with
Freddie, but if they could have made you complacent to his advances, in
the presence of others, then you would have been seen to have given
consent to marry him. When you broke the glamour, they felt their best
hope was to force the marriage, and consummation of that marriage,
before Oberon returns."
Shaking even now, in Puck's strong arms, Celine sobbed. "He... he
w-wanted to... to... r-r-rape me."
"You dissuaded him of that intent, Princess. You must have been a
mighty warrior back in the world of mortals. Had I not been occupied in
stopping his father from running me through, I would have been able to
help. Still, it was apparent that you needed no help from me... or any
man, for that matter."
Celine felt such a rush of love and gratitude for Puck, what she said
next only seemed natural. "Puck, will you stay with me tonight? I don't
want to be alone."
Puck should have been overjoyed. It was even better than he could
have hoped. So why was he so torn? Because, he realized, that he had
come to love this fiery mortal spirit within the flesh he had long
wanted. What would he do? The plan called for him to seduce Celine,
prior to Oberon's return on the morrow. But now he found he could not
do it. When they came together, if they ever did, it would have to be
because she wanted him, with full knowledge, and full control of her
emotions. Not because she was frightened, confused, and so terribly
alone.
"Fear not, my Princess. Faithful Puck will sit guard beside your bed
through out the long hours of the night. But for now, I must go and see
that the Earl and his son are safely ensconced in the dungeon. I will
return anon, and until then, Jennifer will stay with you."
Celine was washed with a warm gratitude she had never felt for any
man before. With it, though, was just a tinge of regret. He had not
actually rejected her, but it was clear that he would not share her bed.
Shaking off this confusing train of thought, she composed herself and
prepared to receive Jennifer.
PART SIX: INTERLUDE - To Sleep, Perhaps To Dream
Celine swam through warm blackness, secure in the knowledge that her
trial was almost at an end. A small cough intruded in her warm cocoon of
darkness. Surely, no one would be boorish enough to disturb her royal
slumber?
Where the heck had that thought come from?!
Her eyes snapped open. She found herself sitting in a field of
daisies, white and yellow splotches of color as far as the eye could
see. They rose in colorful swells across gently rolling hills. The sky
was the washed out blue of summer. The softest hint of a breeze lifted
her long black hair in a cloud about her face. She felt it's sensuous
caress across her naked breasts. Like a lover's fingers, it trailed
down her stomach onto her thighs. With a sigh, she opened her legs to
it. It was a delicious tickle in that most secret of places. Then she
heard the cough again.
Languorously, she turned her head toward the sound. Sitting nearby,
as naked as herself, was... herself. Rather, her old self. It was the
mortal David. He smiled at her, a warm smile with slightly crooked
teeth. There was a minor blemish on his cheek, and his beard had grown
out to a five o'clock shadow. All the little details of imperfection
that made him real... solid... mortal.
"Hello, Celine." It had only been a few hours, surely, since she had
spoken with those lips... with that voice. Yet it sounded so alien to her
now. A deep rumble in place of the soft dulcet tones with which she
spoke. She shook her head and sat up. Her breasts swayed with a gentle
rhythm from the motion.
"David?" The question hung, pregnant, in the air between them. He
chose to ignore it.
"Have you enjoyed your time in Faerie?"
"You ask the wrong question."
"I know. But it's your question to ask... not mine."
"Are you here to switch back?" Was there just the hint of tremor in
her voice, as of a powerful emotion repressed? She did want to switch
back. Didn't she?
"I'm meeting you here... in the realm of Morpheus, to talk. The
Dreamer is an old friend, and won't begrudge me the misuse of his venue
this once."
Celine blinked back her surprise. Did her heart beat just a tiny
fraction faster at the thought... but no. She wanted to be herself again.
She wanted to be David again. She was almost sure of it.
"So talk."
"I was discovered very quickly by your wife, Linda. She is a most
remarkable woman. She told me things... things which I don't think you
were totally aware of."
Celine was confused. What could Linda have told this imposter, after
discovering that it was not her husband, that she would not have told
the real David? "Like what?"
"This is why I wanted to meet you here. The fabric of the realm of
dreams is malleable, like clay. Here I can show you the conversation as
it happened."
*****
Linda stood looking at the amalgamation that sat before her. It was
her husband's incredible body, with a gentle female spirit animating it.
She smiled ruefully. "I should be angry at you. You possess my husband's
body, casting his spirit into your female form in another where... another
when. Then you seduce me, waking me from sleep with gentle touches and
caresses. Loving me as only a woman can understand and know how."
Linda's eyes suddenly filled with tears.
David sat looking at his wife. She was never so beautiful as she was
now. In her pain and vulnerability, she was transcendent. Her beauty
outshone the sun, to his eyes, at that moment. "I'm... I'm sorry. I never
meant to hurt you."
Linda laughed. A small strangled sound. "You never meant to hurt me?
YOU NEVER MEANT TO HURT ME!??!"
David stood and moved as if to take her into his arms, then thought
better of it. Turning, he said, "I'll go. When sleep comes to my form in
my land, I will switch back." There seemed to be nothing else to say.
As David approached the door, he heard Linda's voice, so small, so
gentle, that he barely heard her words at all. "Don't go." He turned
toward her and suddenly she was filling his arms, her lips burning on
his own. For a timeless moment, they were lost in each other's embrace.
The gentle caress. The slow building to that peak of pleasure... of
ecstasy. Afterwards, they lay in each other's arms. Their hair mussed,
their bodies covered with a sheen of sweat.
David looked at her. "I don't understand. I thought you would hate
me. That you did hate me."
Linda sat up. Her back was to David, her head hung down. "David never
knew, but I'm bisexual. I have always loved the gentle caress of a
woman. Her intimate knowledge of what felt right and proper to another
female. Yet such pairings were always doomed. When I reach that point,
you know the one I mean, I need to feel myself filled. I need that rod
of flesh... hard as iron and soft as silk. But men never quite get it
right. Oh, some listen and try. David was one such. But they have never
experienced sex as a woman. They don't know what a spiritual experience
it is for a woman. I knew you understood. I absolutely knew last night
when we came together. I could feel your gentle feminine spirit calling
to mine, even as your powerful male body filled me as never before. Now
that I've tasted this... perfect love, I don't think I can bear to be
without it. If you go... I shall die." Here she broke down with huge
shuddering sobs.
David cradled her in his strong arms, gently stroking her hair. He
realized, in that moment, that he didn't want to go back either. He had
finally found a true purpose in life. No longer being the pampered
Princess. No longer the figurehead, the vessel for the next royal heir
to come into the world. Until that moment, he had never realized just
how much he had loathed his existence.
"It'll be okay. I promise you. I'll make it okay... somehow."
*****
Now Celine's heart was hammering in her chest. Linda? Bisexual? She
had never realized it. Never suspected. What a fool she had been. She
felt a tear crawl slowly down her cheek. "So where does that leave me?"
"To exchange, both must be willing. When I swapped with you, your
spirit yearned to go wandering. I merely provided the conduit by which
it could."
Celine savagely nodded her head. "I've already heard all that! Deep
down inside I was a poofy-boy." Her words dripped venom.
"No." David's simple one word response was like the opening of a
gateway. Tear suddenly flooded Celine's eyes.
"Damn it! It seems like all I ever do anymore is cry!"
"It's one of the privileges of being a woman. You can cry with
impunity, without others judging you for it. You were not a poofy-boy,
as you put it. You had savagely repressed your feminine side, and this
had created an imbalance in your spirit. This was why you yearned so to
go to other places and times. Why you yearned so for adventure. You
sought to fill the empty place in your soul. Now... you have."
The answer seemed so simple and so obvious. Could it be as simple as
that? Celine wanted so for it to be true. Maybe in becoming a woman, she
had become a much better man. "So what do we do now?"
"I've come to love Linda, just as you did. The kids are great, too.
So bright, and talented, and full of life! Elizabeth took first honors
in a local gymnastics meet the other day." David's sincerity was
obvious. "I've also found that your computer language is very easy.
Languages are a natural gift of all Fey. I mastered your job in just
over a day."
"Well, thanks a heap for denigrating the twenty years it took me to
work my way into that position, and all the education that went with it."
"I'm sorry. That was poorly done. I just wanted you to know that you
needn't worry about Linda and the kids. We're all going to be just fine."
A cold thrill raced up Celine's spine. "You talk as if this exchange
is no longer temporary."
David hung his head. "I'm sorry. I know you never asked for it. That
this is not what you sought, but I can't give it up now. From now until
the end of your life... I will be David Chaffin. You are now and forever
more the Princess Celine of the royal house of Oberon."
Celine's head spun with the revelation. "But... but what about when
your Mother and Father return in the morning? They'll kill me!"
David smiled at the distraught woman before him. "I think not.
Believe me, in the land of the Faerie, things are rarely what they
seem." With that, David began to fade from the dreamscape.
"Wait!" Celine called desperately. "What about Puck? Is his concern
for me true?"
David's voice drifted back like a vagrant breeze. "It's as true as
such creatures are capable of being. He loves you as he may." Then David
was gone, and Celine found she was sitting up in her bedroom, back at
the palace. David's last words were ringing in her ears.
"Love?"
PART SEVEN: TOMORROW WILL TAKE CARE OF ITSELF
Celine sat in her bedchamber, her heart racing from the truths
revealed to her in Morpheus' realm. For she had no doubt of the truth
that was said there. She was now, and perhaps forever more, Celine of
the House of Oberon, Royal Princess of the Shining Realm. But love?
Puck? Shaking her head, she summoned her handmaiden Jennifer to draw her
bath and bring in her breakfast. She never noticed how easily it came to
her now to treat another as a servant.
*****
"So...is my daughter now truly happy?"
Puck knelt before his King and Lord, the being to whom he had sworn
fealty. "I believe so, Sire. She has achieved that balance of flesh and
spirit that she sought for so long. Already, her heart experiences the
first swellings of true love, and the first stings of pain and guilt
that must ever accompany it."
"So it is done. You have my gratitude, good Puck. The strong spirit
of the new Celine will reinvigorate the line of Oberon and, someday,
grant our heirs the right to the world of man once again. We shall see
our destiny fulfilled in her descendants. Magic shall again flourish in
man's world, and we will be as gods to them. As it once was, so shall
it be again and forever more!"
Puck kept his head bowed. He could not let his liege lord see the
faint traces of anguish that were the most extremes of emotion that any
of the natural Fey could feel. Bowing his way out, he exited the royal
presence and went off to find Celine.
Celine. What did he truly feel for her? She was an enigma. Strong of
spirit and body. A woman who could one day rival, and perhaps surpass,
even her royal Sire's power. But love was too strong an emotion for any
Fey. Their weak spirits could not support so all encompassing a force
as true love. Could it?
*****
Celine walked in the royal gardens. The blooms ran the gamut from
mundane to wildly exotic. She saw gardenias and night blooming jasmine
sid