The Quest for the Angry Prince
She took down the curtains to be washed, noticing as she did so that the windows needed cleaning. The sudden flood of light revealed that the slip-covers also needed laundering and with a sigh she slipped them off, too. The whole room looked dingy in the spring sunshine. It would take her all day to furbish it up. She felt a sudden surge of rebellion as she stepped outside the door to cross to the laundry at the back. The lemon tree was in bloom; bees bumbling happily from flower to flower; and the fresh scent of the blossoms filled the air. A couple of orchard butterflies floated lazily over the garden, and a warble of wrens were twittering happily to each other as they searched for insects in the branches.
Spring cleaning suddenly appeared utterly unimportant. She flung the curtains and covers into the washing machine and turned it on. Then, with a mutter of: "Housework be hanged!", she sped quickly back inside the house, grabbed a couple of apples and her purse, and left the house and spring cleaning behind her.
Half an hour later she was tramping happily along a bush trail on the Harbour foreshore, rejoicing in the sunlight and sea breezes. Rounding a bend in the path, she stopped in delight. A small pool of water, about a metre across lay beside the path. Many small birds flitted through the branches above it, fluttering down to drink or splash and bathe in the shallows around the edge. An early flowering wattle was in bloom beside it, and she closed her eyes to concentrate on the delicate fragrance of its powdery blossoms.
The sudden cessation of bird song made her open her eyes again, and she blinked in surprise. She was no longer gazing down at the peaceful pool, but into a conical pit. Slimy pink-grey things were sliding round the sides. Faster and faster they whirled, the motion becoming hypnotic and dizzying in its effect. She craned forward with an urgent desire to be able to see properly the pattern those hurtling streaks were forming. She was just on the point of overbalancing when a hand jerked her roughly back.
"Aliehs! Haven't you any more sense than to go peering into a voorworm's pit?" Pendar demanded in disgust. "If you're really bent on suicide there are many pleasanter forms of death to be found in Lorn Lady forest."
Aliehs gazed up into his blue eyes, then gave her head a brief shake to clear it. So! She was back in Diandee, no doubt off on another perilous mission. Who were her companions this time? She glanced round at them as Pendar released her shoulders and stood back.
A brown-haired woman, slightly taller than herself, she recognised immediately - Ennyl, the Emissary. A small lithe form stood beside her, bow slung over her back - Illithia, the elf maid. The fourth member of the party she did not recognise, but she wore the white robes and carried the silver double twined snake staff of a healer.
Pendar, meanwhile, was eyeing Aliehs with suspicion.
"You've been hocussed again, haven't you?" he demanded. Aliehs regarded him with a would-be innocent gaze.
"Hocussed?"
"Where are we going and why?"
"On a mission for King Jor, of course." That should be fairly safe.
"Where?" Pendar was implacable.
Aliehs gave up with a shrug.
Pendar groaned. "I suppose we'll just have to put up with it. I wonder who's responsible for these odd fits of yours?"
"Talia?" hazarded Illithia.
Talia was a sorceress, well-known to both Illithia and Pendar, and very powerful.
"Why should she?" Pendar asked. "You haven't had any trouble with her, have you?"
"Only once. You remember some years ago when she became bored with being on the side of good all the time? She created all sorts of havoc and got herself exiled to Earth for a while when Merlin intervened - I was mixed up in that. But this doesn't really seem like someone taking revenge. After all, I'm not suffering, only having an occasional lapse of memory."
"Oh well, I daresay we'll find out the whys and wherefores sometime or other. In the meantime, I suppose we'll have to put up with you. Just be very careful with that magic of yours. No fires, no floods, and above all..." He fixed her with a firm glance, "....no unicorns!"
Aliehs concealed a grin and nodded meekly.
"Have you forgotten who we are?" Ennyl asked.
"Not entirely. I remember you, Pendar and Illithia," Aliehs responded, "but not our healer."
"Acinom," the tall woman introduced herself. Her brown eyes were kind and friendly, and Aliehs could feel the healing power of her touch as they shook hands.
"As for where we're going," Pendar told her, "King Jor has sent us off to the court of Prince Sivart. He's been making a nuisance of himself again - raiding our borders and trying to ferment rebellion in the outlying shires. We have to either persuade him to stop - that's Ennyl's job, of course; get him to agree to single combat with Jor, or warn him that Jor will call out his knights and retaliate by storming Castle Sorua, Sivart's main strong point. Acinom's got a theory that if she can heal his arm and eye he'll be more amenable to reason, which is why she's along. You're supposed to use your magic to make him consent to being healed in the first place. I'm along to guard you, and Illithia to guide us, this wood being what it is."
"Of course the simplest way to stop all this trouble would be for us to find the Lady Agni and persuade her to marry him," Ennyl said thoughtfully. "If only she hadn't been such a stupid idiot in the first place, she would have chosen to marry either Sivart or Jor. Instead she says she doesn't want to cause trouble between them by choosing one and not the other. Then she disappears into thin air. Jor didn't take long to console himself with Ariom's mother, but Sivart's been driven really mad by her disappearance, and he takes it out on all and sundry."
"Sivart wouldn't have liked it any better if she'd picked Jor," Pendar pointed out. "She didn't pick either and we've got to deal with the consequences. Let's get on our way."
They halted to camp for the night some hours later. Illithia went off to hunt while Aliehs gathered enough wood to last through the night. This task completed, Aliehs looked round in exasperation.
"Where are the other two?" she demanded of Ennyl who had been gathering piles of leaves and a few pine boughs for their beds. "The work's done. Pendar should be back by now. He can smell food a mile off. And what was Acinom doing?"
"Acinom went down the trail towards the river," Illithia said. They followed the trail for a short distance then noticed where someone had gone though the thick brush on the side of the path. They followed the traces until they came out of the tangled undergrowth into the clearer ground under the larger trees.
"There they are," came from Aliehs.
"Do you think we should interrupt them?" asked Ennyl.
There was some point to her question; Pendar was leaning against a tree trunk looking tenderly down at Acinom who was seated on a fallen tree trunk and gazing up at him with a rapt look on her face. He was talking. The lower soft tones, so unlike Pendar's usual voice, reached them. But they were just too far away to distinguish the words. The two were far too engrossed to notice the newcomers.
Ennyl felt it was a pity to disturb such an idyllic scene, but Aliehs had no such scruples. She was sick and tired of the way Pendar seized any and every excuse to dodge anything that remotely resembled work, and intended to tell him so.
Striding into the clearing she let forth the first clarion of her wrath. Pendar turned and moved towards her. Acinom continued to gaze raptly at the empty space where he had been.
"Beware Aliehs! That's not Pendar," called Illithia. She reached over her shoulder and pulled a silver arrow from her quiver, nocking it to her bowstring and releasing it almost in the same movement.
The arrow found its target and the supposed Pendar dissipated into a faint wraith of mist which blew away among the tree trunks.
"That," said Illithia grimly, as she retrieved her arrow, "was Ganconer, the Love Talker."
"The Love Talker?"
Illithia pointed at the still raptly gazing Acinom. "He decoys females away with the sound of his pipe. Sweet talks them until they're mesmerised, and then fades away leaving his unfortunate victims to die of starvation."
"Oh?" said Aliehs, somewhat blankly. "So how do we get her out of the trance?" She tried snapping her fingers in front of Acinom's face, and when that didn't work, slapped her briskly. Acinom continued to stare raptly into space.
"That's no use," Illithia told her. "I'll have to summon help. I hope Yrillis is within hearing." She produced a small wooden flute from her bet and began to play. The notes stole away among the trees, a thin thread of melody with a compelling call in it.
The creatures of the forest began to gather about them in the twilight; rabbits hopping close to crouch about Illithia's feet, a troop of deer almost invisible in the dappled shadows beneath the trees, a white owl swooping on silent wings to land on the branch above her head, and numbers of night moths fluttering in a ghostly dance in the air around her.
And then, as the moon rose above the treetops, at last he came, stepping delicately and proudly down the path the moonlight cast upon the ground, seemingly almost made of moonlight himself so silver did he gleam, his single spiralling horn blazing like a torch upon that proudly held head.
Illithia dropped her pipe and cried a delighted greeting, stretching out her arms in welcome. Yrillis moved to meet her, nuzzling her gently as she reached up to caress him, murmuring gentle words in the elven tongue.
After a few moments she led him towards Acinom, who still stood in the same position, deep in the grip of Ganconer's enchantment. Yrillis breathed gently on each eyelid in turn, then touched his silver horn to a point midway between her brows. Acinom blinked slowly, took a deep breath and then gave a cry that held joy and amazement as she saw the unicorn. Yrillis bowed his head in greeting, but wheeled away as she tried to touch him, dancing backwards into the shadows of the forest until all they could see was a gleam of light among the tree trunks. Illithia sent a ringing call of thanks and farewell after him, and the party turned to retrace their steps to the camp. None of them spoke of Yrillis. He was beyond human words, an unsullied dream that would remain in their memories forever. Instead, Illithia told Acinom what she knew of Ganconer and asked how he had managed to decoy her away.
"Pendar went down to the river for water," Acinom explained. "I followed him to see if there were any fish. I thought I could hear a woman singing, but then the notes of a pipe seemed to answer her, and the sound of that drew me away to where you found me. But where is Pendar?"
Ennyl uttered an exclamation of dismay.
"We'd forgotten all about him while we were rescuing you."
"You say you heard singing coming from the river? I wonder if it was the Lorelei?....If so he's in trouble."
He was. But not so much trouble as Illithia had envisaged. They found him down by the river. There was a pit-trap in the middle of the path, and he had fallen headfirst into it. Fortunately, since the pit had already trapped a bear, Pendar had not fallen to the bottom, his toe having caught in a root right on the edge of the hold. Hanging head down over an angry bear for well over an hour had not been the pleasantest way of passing time, and Pendar greeted them with a stream of abuse when they pulled him up. They ignored him, standing thoughtfully around the pit, looking down at the bear.
"Better feed him first," Illithia advised. "He doesn't seem to be in any better a temper than Pendar. I wonder how long he's been down there?"
"Some time, probably. He looks awfully thin," Ennyl said. "Aliehs, can't you conjure up some honey; bears love honey."
Pendar blanched. "You're not going to let her work magic around a hungry bear, are you?" he demanded.
"You go back to camp and fetch the axe," Acinom told him. "We'll have to fell a sapling and drop it down into the pit so he can climb out. Don't worry," she added kindly. "We'll feed him well first, so he'll be in a much better mood when he does get out."
Pendar raised his eyes to heaven and disappeared back up the trail to the camp where he consumed an ample and leisurely supper before condescending to stroll back to the pit with an axe.
In the meantime, Aliehs had been thinking about associations with honey. Bees, of course, but they had stings. Then there was Rupert Brooks', "Still stands the churchyard clock at ten to three, and is there honey still for tea?" But she had learnt to be careful about what she mentioned in spells, and churchyards didn't seem altogether safe. Of course! Christopher Robin's friend was a bear (of very little brain) and very fond of honey. It should be safe to invoke him.
"Oh Winnie the Pooh,
Here's a bear like you,
Who would like lots of honey,
To comfort his tummy."
Not the best quality verse, she admitted to herself, but Pooh's own efforts were no better. He wasn't likely to be critical.
He wasn't. Ten large pots of honey promptly arrived at her feet.
They tied a length of creeper round one and lowered it into the pit, where the bear swatted angrily at it as soon as it was within reach. The jar tipped and a stream of honey trickled stickily down his paw. The bear sniffed at it suspiciously, then licked it off, and settled down to rapturously lick the jar clean, looking up at them hopefully as soon as it was empty. They lowered a second jar, and then a third. By that time Illithia, who had been foraging along the river banks, had returned with her gleanings - several fish, some tasty fungi, beech nuts, early berries and a few roots. By the time the bear had finished this repast, he seemed in a much better mood, and Pendar had returned with the axe.
Ennyl and Aliehs soon felled a sturdy sapling, while Acinom attended to Pendar's cuts and bruises. They all lowered the sapling into the pit, slanting it so that it was easy to climb. The bear shinned rapidly up it, crawling out at the top, and then sitting down on its haunches to peer round at them with its black beady eyes. Pendar backed away, hand on sword, but Illithia moved closer and spoke to it in a series of soft grunts. The bear rose on its hind feet and grabbed her in a bear hug, its jaws gaping wide.
Pendar hastily drew his sword from its scabbard, but the bear merely licked Illithia's face thoroughly in what passed for a bearish kiss, then inflicted the same treatment on the three women. He then gave Pendar a cold and measuring glance before trotting up the trail towards their camp. The four females exchanged amused glances before going down to the stream to wash before returning to camp with the honey as well as the water Pendar had been on his way to fetch when the accident had occurred. They heard no singing.
"It was lucky that Pendar tripped over that root," Illithia said. "Normally a ranger doesn't trip even in a tangled forest. He must have been deep under the Lorelei's spell by then. I wonder why he didn't stop his ears as soon as he heard her song? Surely he realised what it was."
They asked him about it when they got back to the camp, but Pendar merely adopted a lofty attitude and refused to discuss the subject. When they discovered the depleted state of the supper pot, the others found that subject of far more engrossing content.
"If you will invite wild animals into camp..." Pendar remarked, indicating the bear, who was curled up close to the fire.
Aliehs snorted. "Bears don't use plates," she pointed out tartly.
"Oh never mind, let's share out what's left," Acinom said placatingly. They did, but....
"I'm still hungry," Ennyl complained when they had finished. "Aliehs, can't you conjure up more for us?"
"Why not," said Aliehs cheerfully. The honey spell had worked out all right. As long as she was careful to stick to nursery rhyme level and not invoke any more potent powers, things should be safe enough.
"The Queen of Hearts,
She made some tarts,
All on a summer's day.
I thought of those tarts,
I sought for those tarts,
And magicked them clean away."
A large trayful of tarts immediately appeared in front of her, the aroma coming from them tantalising in the extreme. Both Pendar and the bear sat up alertly.
"Mmm! Delicious! Mine's apple."
"Mine's blackberry."
"Strawberry jam in mine."
"I've got custard."
The bear said nothing, but enveloped a whole mince pie in one bite and reached out eagerly for another.
By the time all the tarts were gone, everyone was replete, and they settled down for the night in complete amity.
Illithia roused at dawn, sitting up and listening intently.
"What's wrong?" asked Aliehs, also sitting up.
"I heard something. Listen!"
Distant hoofbeats on the trail, coming at a fast canter.
The others were awake now, and by the time the horseman rode into the clearing on his white horse, followed somewhat incongruously by a little grey donkey, they stood in a group awaiting him.
He was a tall man, clad in a fantastic tabard of white and gold, embroidered with red hearts, and the white curls which touched his shoulder were surmounted by an elaborate golden crown.
He jumped from his horse and ran towards Pendar, brandishing his sword and shouting, "Knave!" at the top of his voice.
Pendar drew his own sword with a flourish and ran to meet him. The blades clashed and clashed again. Thrust, ripost, parry. But soon Pendar began to get the better of his adversary. The King of Hearts was a skilful swordsman, but Pendar was even better. The King's rage did not help his swordplay. After a final flurry of blades, Pendar sent the King's sword spinning through the air and prepared to administer the final thrust.
"Stop him!" Aliehs shrieked in dismay, and the bear lumbered forward with surprising speed and swatted the sword out of Pendar's hand.
Aliehs had by this time guessed at the reason for the King's sudden assault.
"You're angry about the disappearance of the tarts, aren't you?" she asked. "I'm sorry, I just didn't think."
She was genuinely sorry, but also anxious to attract the King's attention. His Majesty wasn't called 'The King of Hearts' without reason. There was an undeniable charisma about him, in spite of his white hair and beard.
"We do apologise, Your Majesty," Ennyl said with a stately bow. She was more immune to his charm than Aliehs. "My friend is somewhat impulsive, and we were all so very hungry. Is there anything we can do to mitigate our offence?"
The King's anger melted visibly as he met her admiring gaze, and he puffed out his chest like a courting pigeon.
"Don't mention it, my dear. I don't like to think of ladies being hungry. My wife was rather upset, I must admit. The knave's always stealing her tarts, and although he gets well beaten every time it doesn't stop him."
"It's a tribute to Her Majesty's wonderful cooking," Ennyl said soothingly. "They really were the most delicious tarts any of us have ever tasted....But you must allow us to make some reparation. What can we offer?"
The bear had trundled up behind her on silent paws, and now gave her a gentle nudge. As Ennyl turned in surprise she saw he held two jars of honey hugged in his arms. He wuffled at her eagerly. Ennyl turned back to the King.
"Does Your Majesty by any chance care for honey?" she enquired.
"Honey! By the Joker, my dear, there's nothing I enjoy more, or the Queen either, than sitting in the parlour eating bread and honey. But it's very scarce these days, and they keep trying to fob me off with marmalade instead."
"Then perhaps you would be kind enough to accept these two pots and forgive us our transgression in regard to the tarts. Aliehs, can you do something about lids?" Aliehs closed her eyes and imagined the pots covered with small, tight-fitting lids. The lids materialised, the King remounted and Ennyl handed him up the honey.
He renewed his thanks and said thoughtfully, "But you've still got five pots left."
"Well, yes," Ennyl admitted. "But our furry friend here...."
"Can't carry five pots. Impossible. Why don't you keep the donkey? Good at carrying things, donkeys. And to tell you the truth, my dear, I'm tired of having it follow me everywhere. Daresay your friend can magic up some more harness. What do you say?"
Ennyl was somewhat taken aback. It seemed the bear had decided to stay with them, and she wasn't at all sure she wanted to add a donkey to the entourage as well. But Pendar, foreseeing that the donkey could be loaded with the pack that up until now had encumbered his own shoulders, as well as with the honey, was much more enthusiastic. He thanked the King heartily before taking the donkey by the bridle.
His Majesty waved a last farewell and trotted off, Pendar having to restrain the donkey from following him. Then Aliehs closed her eyes and concentrated on the idea of the donkey carrying panniers. These were soon loaded and the band prepared to set off.
"I suppose," Ennyl was beginning, when Illithia hushed her with an upraised hand, listening intently. Soon they could all hear the noise of some creature's crashing approach, and thunderous roars of,
"Blood! Blood! Blood!"
"Thug!" said Illithia, turning to glare at Pendar. "What in Oberon's name made you think we wanted that particular follower of yours along? What are you up to?"
"Nothing!" Pendar protested. Then, seeing Illithia looking unconvinced, added with a burst of inspiration, "It must have been Talia who sent him. He obeys her."
Illithia knew this to be true, and she had a healthy respect for Talia's guile. But she still couldn't see why the sorceress should wish to inflict Thug on them, and was still suspicious of Pendar's role in his arrival. She had just opened her mouth to interrogate him further when she was forestalled by a yell from Acinom.
"Look out! A bandersnatch!"
It was rolling towards them at high speed. A globe seemingly entirely made up of gaping mouths and wildly grasping tentacles. With one accord the party scattered and Aliehs found herself racing through the trees towards Thug with the Bandersnatch close on her heels. Caught between Scylla and Charybdis she abandoned compassion and gasped wildly:
"Bander, bander, don't catch me,
Snatch that Thug beneath the tree,"
and dodged swiftly to one side.
To her relief the Bandersnatch continued on its rolling course towards Thug, who charged forwards with upraised club which he brought thwacking down on the Bandersnatch. The tentacles enveloped him, but Thug's mighty muscles were a match for them. He continued to rain blows on every part of the Bandersnatch within reach, while it sought to draw him within any one of its six gaping maws.
Aliehs did not stop to discover the end of the battle. She rejoined the others who had abandoned their wild flight and were grouped together on the trail.
"Let's go!"
There was no demur; even Pendar had no hesitation in leaving his henchman to his fate. After all, if they didn't get away quickly it might be Pendar's turn to be a Bandersnatch breakfast next, and if Thug did happen to win, he was too stupid to blame Pendar for deserting him.
They camped that night on the edge of the forest and early next morning set off across the plains to where the grim pile of Castle Sorua loomed black in the early sunlight. Ennyl's status of Emissary gained them immediate admittance, and they were conducted into the Audience Chamber, where a small crowd of petitioners were already waiting. Most of these were obviously dependants waiting to pay tithes, or have small disputes settled by their Lord. But two persons drew immediate attention. One was a being clad in a long cloak, who had, in the place usually occupied in humans by a head, just a single enormous eye. Her companion was by a long way the most handsome man any of them had ever seen. So perfect in fact as to seem almost unreal.
The boom of a gong drew their eyes towards the throne at the top of the room as a tall man, with dark hair and a patch over one eye, entered.
"His Royal Highness, Prince Nairb, will dispense justice in the absence of his royal brother, Prince Sivart," the Chancellor announced. "Ambassador Alpha Centauri, what is your petition?"
"There has been a most unfortunate occurrence. My spacecraft crashed nearby and when I left the ship to seek for help, it was surrounded by a group of soldiers who refused to let me near it again. I must be allowed to activate the sub-space beacon or I shall never be rescued. My friend, Price Charming here, assures me it was Prince Sivart's men who took the ship, so we came here to ask him to order its immediate restitution."
Prince Nairb steepled his fingers together and looked down at Alpha Centauri consideringly from his throne.
"Much as I would like to aid you, I have no discretion in the matter. My brother's orders are quite definite - anyone who wants a favour from him will have their request granted - as soon as they find the Lady Agni and bring her here. I'm afraid that this applies you as well, Madame," he added to Ennyl. Whatever your request, it will be granted when, and only when, you find the Lady Agni."
Naturally there were arguments, but Prince Nairb remained adamant. His brother's orders were inflexible. He himself had no discretion in the matter. They must find the Lady Agni or abandon their mission.
Accompanied by Alpha Centauri and Prince Charming, they trailed somewhat despondently back to the stables to collect the bear and donkey.
Alpha Centauri seemed distraught. She was a most important Ambassador, she explained. All the powers of the Galaxy would be invoked to rescue her...once they knew where she was. She must get into her ship and activate the beacon.
"Please, my Lady, be calm. All will be well," Prince Charming assured her. "Perhaps we can join forces with these others. Between us we will surely find the Lady Agni." He smiled winningly around on the other females, who agreed readily.
"Though I don't know where we're going to start looking," Acinom said gloomily.
"Sivart's been searching for years. She can't be around here."
"Not unless she's disguised. But I suggest the first thing we do is get away from this castle. It gives me the horrors. Then perhaps Illithia can summon friends who may be able to help us. Or perhaps I could use my magic."
They collected the bear, donkey and two horses belonging to Prince Charming and Alpha Centauri. Prince Charming gallantly insisted that Ennyl should take over his mount. He walked along beside Acinom, keeping her very well entertained, while Ennyl found much to discuss with Alpha Centauri, their jobs being of much the same kind. After a while Aliehs dropped back beside Pendar, who had a sulky look on his handsome face.
"What's wrong?" she asked, thinking there was less chance of trouble if he was allowed to vent his obvious dislike of Prince Charming to her.
"That fellow's too good-looking. There's something false about him. No-one's that perfect."
"He seems harmless enough. I don't see what we can do except keep an eye on him."
"There is a way to find out," Pendar said, eyeing her warily.
"How?"
"Use your magic."
Aliehs' mouth dropped open in astonishment.
"My magic! But...you don't trust my spells. You don't really mean it, do you?"
"You don't have to put a spell on him. Just take off the spell that's lending him so much beguilement. I know that perfection of his can't be natural."
"I suppose it can't do any harm. If he isn't bewitched nothing will happen."
She reflected for a moment, then with her hands automatically making mystic passes in the air, recited:
"When sorcerers their magic weave,
Beguiling charms our eyes deceive.
But now I bid all spells to leave,
For only truth I will believe.
Let no glamour cloud our sight,
Let all be seen in perfect light."
Several things happened in quick succession. Prince Charming turned into a little green frog, who promptly hopped off to a nearby stream; the bear turned into a good-looking swordsman; the donkey turned into the Lady Agni; and Aliehs found herself in the middle of Sydney Harbour.
With unusual presence of mind, she promptly gabbled:
"Take me back to Diandee,
For it's there that I would be."
Some residue of magic had evidently remained to her, and she immediately found herself back beside Pendar. Soaking wet, it was true, but there.
Ennyl and Alpha Centauri had reined in their horses and were gazing around in astonishment. Acinom didn't know whether to feel bereft at the disappearance of Prince Charming, or delighted at the appearance of Kivraj, an old friend of hers, and the Lady Agni's slight form was wilting under the weight of the loaded panniers.
Pendar went to her rescue, dumping the panniers on the ground and removing the harness.
"Time for you to use that silver tongue," Aliehs whispered to Ennyl. "Persuade her to marry Sivart as soon as possible."
Ennyl swung down from her horse and went to work. Agni showed some disposition towards going off to find the King of Hearts whom she was convinced needed help in dealing with the Knave. Then when Ennyl managed to persuade her that this was unnecessary, she said that she could not break the heart of her cousin, Jor, by marrying his rival. Ennyl forbore to mention that Jor had consoled himself years before, and Aliehs readily promised to soothe any anguish he might feel. Then, by dint of dwelling on how much good she would do by calming Sivart's belligerence towards his neighbours, and how grateful everyone would be, Ennyl finally persuaded Agni that she should consent to marry Prince Sivart when he asked her.
"Right, that's settled. Get Sivart here, will you, Illithia?"
Illithia produced a small silver horn and the summons sang through the air commandingly. Other horns answered from the distant forest, and Illithia sounded a last farewell call and returned her horn to its hiding place, leaving the others to wonder just how many more instruments she had concealed about her slender form.
"Prince Sivart will be here soon. We might as well rest till then, and get Aliehs a bit drier."
An hour or so later a horseman thundered up on a tall black charger. Bringing it to a plunging halt he sprang to the ground, flinging the reins to Pendar and clasping the Lady Agni in a passionate embrace.
"We must be married immediately. I fear to let you out of my sight, lest you be lost once more."
"It shall be as my Lord wishes," Agni agreed submissively. She could hardly wait to get on with the task of reforming him. "Just a simple little ceremony performed by Friar Tuck in the chapel of your castle."
"Nonsense! We'll have a splendid wedding. The Cardinal Count of Estragon will perform the ceremony. You will be resplendently dressed. The feast will be magnificent....I insist."
"But my Lord, your Princedom is small and not very rich. It will take months to prepare for such a wedding and your people will be impoverished in paying for it." Sivart set his jaw stubbornly and gazed around the company in search of inspiration. He found it in Aliehs.
"The sorceress will provide us with all we need for a sumptuous wedding." Aliehs looked somewhat taken aback, but recovered quickly. After all, none of her spells had gone disastrously wrong this trip. Why shouldn't she play Fairy Godmother?
"I'll need some raw materials to work on," she said. "Let's get back to the palace." For the next couple of hours she kept everyone busy (that is with the exception of Pendar - he had vanished at the first mention of hard work). By the end of that time she had turned a dilapidated stable into a noble cathedral and clad the Lady Agni in a silver lace and cobweb fine veil (yes, it was converted from a cobweb). Prince Sivart was in sable and silver, and her friends and the Prince's household were in appropriate finery; she had transformed the mundane food and leftovers in the kitchen into a mouth-watering repast, and following tradition turned the numerous mice with which the palace was infested into an army of retainers, and a large pumpkin into a wedding coach. She also, much to his fury, conjured up the Cardinal Count of Estragon to perform the ceremony.
Exhausted by these efforts, she dozed through the wedding service and returned to the castle for the banquet, much refreshed. None of their party except for Pendar showed much interest in eating, and as soon as the happy couple had retired, Acinom informed them that she planned to stay at the castle to heal Prince Nairb's hand and eye, and took him off to get started.
Ennyl was planning to accompany Alpha Centauri, who had heard that a rescue ship was on the way, and Kivraj had volunteered to go along as her bodyguard, so those three also departed.
"We'd better be going, too," Aliehs remarked with an uneasy glance at the clock.
"Go? But it's not even midnight yet. The party will go on for hours," Pendar protested.
"It might, and then again it might not," Aliehs returned enigmatically. "It really would be advisable for us to leave now."
But Pendar refused to be persuaded, and Aliehs and Illithia departed without him, wondering what would happen when he found himself drinking cabbage water and eating dry bread, surrounded by a horde of scurrying mice.
"I can't be certain the spells will wear off at midnight, but since I was thinking of Cinderella when I wove them, it seems likely," Aliehs confided to Illithia. "Pendar's going to be rather annoyed if they do."
Illithia laughed. "It serves him right. If he'd helped with the preparations he'd know about the basic ingredients, but that's not likely to stop his ire. Perhaps we'd better take a different route home. It's a long time since I saw the Enchanted Wood. I'd like to go that way. Will you come?"
Aliehs agreed readily, and the two set off together on a trail that was to lead to: 'The Quest of the Kidnapped Dryad.'