"Did you say 'Royal Highnesses'?"
"Yes, my dear. You, of course, are a princess. Princess
Scarlet. You want to release your parents from their spell, don't you?"
"What? Oh, sure," Princess Scarlet said. "So I'm a princess!"
"They can be released," Azzie said, "only after you have been rescued from your own enchantment."
"I'm under an enchantment?"
"That is correct, my dear."
"Well-take it away, then!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that," Azzie said. "I'm not the right person."
"Oh. What sort of a spell am I under?"
"You are under a sleeping spell. You spend twenty-some hours a day either sleeping or napping. They call you the Napping Princess. Only one man can break the spell. That is Prince Charming."
"Prince Charming? Who's that?"
"Nobody you've met before, my dear. Prince Charming is a fine, handsome young man of noble family who has just recently heard of your plight. He is on his way here to awaken you with a kiss and take you away to a life of bliss."
Scarlet considered. "It sounds good. But are you sure I'm not dreaming this?"
"This is not a dream, except in the sense that all experience, waking or sleeping, living or dead, is possibly a dream. But leaving metaphysics aside, this is real and you have been enchanted into sleeping. Believe me, trust me on this. Obviously you aren't asleep at the moment, because I need to talk to you and advise you on a few things."
"Maybe the spell isn't working," Scarlet said.
"I'm afraid it is," Azzie said, surreptitiously taking out the sleep spell from his pouch and pressing the little pin that activated it.
Scarlet yawned. "You're right, I am sleepy. But I haven't even had dinner!"
"We'll have it ready for you when you awaken," Azzie said.
The Princess' eyes closed and soon she was in a sound sleep. Azzie, under the watchful eye of Ylith, carried her to her bedroom and tucked her in.
Over the next few days it became apparent that Princess Scarlet was going to be difficult. She didn't want to listen to Azzie. Not even Ylith, with her calm and intelligent ways, could get through to the girl, not even in the guise of her aunt. That Scarlet was beautiful, there was no doubt. Not least of her charms was the fact that her long dancer's legs, olive brown and shapely beyond measure, carried an alabaster-white body topped with a blond head. Her dark legs gave Princess Scarlet the look of wearing silk stockings. This did nothing to harm her beauty.
But those long legs were a problem in themselves, and seemed to carry their own karma. The Princess was caught up with a dancing mania. Azzie had to try a number of spells before he could quench this.
But even under the napping spell, Princess Scarlet walked in her sleep, her long legs guiding her to the great downstairs ballroom, where she danced to flamenco music heard only by herself. Azzie had to take into account the Princess' peregrinations during sleep.
"Ylith," he asked, "will you stay and look after her? I'm afraid she's a bit unstable. She might fall and do herself harm. But she has spirit, and I'm sure she'll do what we expect of her."
"I suppose so," Ylith said. "By the way, I asked Santa Claus to give Brigitte a fancy dollhouse for Christmas."
"Oh. Thanks."
"I just told you in case you had forgotten you'd promised her one."
"I hadn't forgotten," Azzie said, though he had. "But thanks anyhow. Take good care of her, okay?"
"I'm doing this for you, Azzie," Ylith said, in a melting voice.
"And I really appreciate it," Azzie said, in a voice which expressed the opposite. "Gotta go get Charming up and moving. Catch you later, okay?"
Ylith shook her head as her demon lover departed in a flash of showy fireworks. Why had she ever fallen in love with a demon? And if a demon, why this particular demon? She didn't know. The ways of fate were inscrutable, to say the least.
Chapter 3
I just hope we don't have any trouble with this one," Azzie said. "You got those dragon eyes ready, Frike?"
"Yes, master," Frike said. He opened the waterproof deerskin bag in which the dragon's eyes soaked in a solution of ichor, salt water, and vinegar. He lifted out the eyes, first remembering to wipe his hands on his smock, for hygiene in those days, while still rudimentary, seemed important in this situation.
"Beautiful, aren't they?" Azzie said, inserting them into Charming's eye sockets and applying ichor around the edges.
And indeed they were handsome eyes - colored like smoky topaz, with a deep glitter to them.
"They worry me, these eyes," Frike said. "I believe that dragon's eyes see through falsehood."
"Just what a hero needs."
"But won't he see through this falsehood?" Frike asked, indicating, with a sweep of his arm, Azzie, the mansion, and himself.
"No, my poor Frike," Azzie said. "Dragon's eyes cannot see through the falsehood in their own situation. They can detect the flaw in others, but not in themselves. He won't be easily led astray, our Prince Charming, but he won't be wise enough or sufficiently farseeing to discover his own situation."
"Ah!" said Frike. "He stirs!"
Azziehad already taken the precaution of assuming his kindly-uncle disguise. "There, there, lad," he said, smoothing back the youth's golden hair.
"Where am I?" Charming asked.
"You might better ask who you are," Azzie said. "And then you should want to know who I am. Where you are comes a distant third on the list of vital questions."
"Well, then... Who am I?"
"You are a noble prince whose original name has been lost but who is referred to by everyone as 'Prince Charming.' "
"Prince Charming," the youth mused. He sat up. "I suppose that means I'm of noble blood, doesn't it?"
"Yes, I suppose so," Azzie said. "You are Prince Charming, and I am your uncle Azzie."
Prince Charming accepted that readily enough. "Hello, Uncle Azzie. I don't remember you, but if you say you're my uncle, that's fine with me. Now that I know that, can I ask where we are?"
"Certainly," Azzie said. "Augsburg."
"That's nice," Charming said, a little vaguely. "I've got a feeling I've always wanted to see Augsburg."
"And so you shall," Azzie said, smiling to himself to think what a docile creature he'd created. "You'll get a good look at it during training, and again when you ride out of town on your quest."
"My quest, Uncle?"
"Yes, lad. You were a famous warrior before the accident that took away your memory."
"How did I come by this accident, Uncle?"
"Fighting bravely against many foes. You slew numbers of them-you're very good with a sword, you know-but one of the caitiffs sneaked up behind you and hit you over the head with a broadsword when you weren't expecting it."
"That hardly seems fair!"
"People are often unfair," Azzie said. "Though you're too innocent to realize that. But never mind. Your pure heart and lofty spirit will win you golden opinions wherever you go."
"That's nice," Charming said. "I want for people to think highly of me."
"And so they shall, my boy, when you have performed the great deed for which you are destined to be renowned."
"What deed is that, Uncle?"
"Winning through the various dangers that stand between you and Princess Scarlet, the Napping Beauty."
"Princess who? What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about the great deed that will make you world-famous, and give you happiness beyond human measure."
"Oh. That sounds good. Go on, Uncle. You mentioned a sleeping princess?"
"Napping, not sleeping. But it is a severe disability all the same. My boy, it is written that only a kiss from your lips can awaken her from this spell. When she awakens and beholds you, she will fall madly in love with you. You will also fall in love with her, and everybody will be very happy."