A Bewildering Stranger
1310 Words
“A prince?” My jaw hangs open stupidly in a very uncharacteristic way for a moment. Then I snap it shut and shake my head a bit to wake myself from the shock.
A prince.
“Aye,” says the stranger, “Prince Lucas.”
I’ve dealt with princes before, and I’m not exactly fond of them. Men are evil enough, but give them wealth and power and they become even more despicable.
All the more reason to end him as quickly as possible.
“Why do you need to find him?” Asks the filthy stranger. “You’ve got a perfectly willing man right in front of you.” He leans toward me again, forcing me to smell his aura once more.
I hold my breath and force another smile. “We met the other day, and there was a… conversation we didn’t get to finish.”
The man scoffs. “That’s impossible,” he says. “The prince has been in hiding for months now. Ever since the king died… nobody has seen him.”
“The king died?” I ask. That means this prince is about to take the throne. My time is running short.
The man takes another swig of his drink, then plops the mug down on the bar with a shlosh. Then, a low belch rumbles from his chest making his flabby cheeks flap in the wind.
Just when I thought he couldn’t get any more repulsive.
But I need him… or at least… the information in his drunken brain.
“What happened to the king?” I ask.
The stranger wipes his face with the back of his sleeve and shrugs. “Nobody knows,” he says, “It was very sudden. He seemed healthy enough.”
I frown and look down at my own mug, wondering if I really want to delve down the rabbit hole of this human drama. Maybe I should just return to the sea while I have the chance.
“So you don’t think he’d take an audience with me?” I ask.
A sputtering laugh bursts from the stranger’s mouth. “Nah,” he says loudly, taking yet another drink from his cup. “Trust me, little lady. Don’t get your panties in a bunch over him. He’s already betrothed anyway.”
“Betrothed?” I ask.
I hate to admit it, but the word stings. Just enough to make me wonder what the hell is happening. My hand automatically finds its way to my lips, and I touch them as I remember how it felt to press them against his.
Stop this.
Stop.
I yank myself out of the daydream and back into the present. This has to end. He has to end.
“Well,” I say with a seductive sigh, “I truly appreciate all of your help, kind stranger. But I must be leaving you. It’s very important that I find this… Prince Lucas.”
The stranger knits his hairy brow and pouts a little, his shoulders slumping forward as he huffs in disappointment.
I suppose I should leave him with a parting gift, right? It’s only fair.
So I lean in, holding my breath as a plant a little peck on his lips. “Thank you for your kindness, dear stranger,” I whisper.
He looks at me in shock, completely paralyzed by my kiss. I have to hold back laughter at the stupid expression on his face. “Goodbye,” I whisper flirtatiously as I turn to leave the tavern and its stench behind.
At least I know where to begin my hunt now. I stand in the middle of the street as bustling strangers pass by, and turn my gaze to the palace on top of the hill in the distance. I chew on my lip thoughtfully, trying to come up with a plan to get inside.
First of all, I can’t meet a prince while dressed like this, so I’ll have to clean up first. Then I’ll need to come up with a story to convince the guards to let me inside.
So I wander the streets a while until I find a suitable dress shop with some fancy-looking gowns in the window. I push the door open, and the old man behind the counter looks up at me over the top of his round-rimmed glasses. He frowns a little, then lifts his chin and pushes the glasses up his nose.
I’ll probably have to use my dark charms on him too.
Without saying a word, he comes out from behind the counter and walks toward me, looking me up and down with curiosity in his gaze.
It’s not the hungry, lustful gaze that I’m used to, so it throws me off a little. I’m not sure how to react to this man.
“Darling,” he sighs, then he begins to click his tongue and shake his head. “You have such potential! It's been wasted. You are in desperate need of my help.”
My eyebrows shoot up in shock.
He grabs my hand and spins me in a circle, and I’m not sure how to react. I don’t remember the last time a man touched me without wanting… something.
Then, he drops my hand and claps excitedly. “I have just the thing for you!” He exclaims.
“I…” I’m so shaken by this character that I’m not sure what to say. I thought men were all the same. But this one seems… different. “I… um… I don’t have much money,” I say slowly. Suddenly I don’t feel so good about using my charms to steal a gown from this man.
He places a hand on my shoulder and smiles. “Don’t worry about it,” he says, “We will work something out. You’ve obviously been through a lot, and I could use an assistant.”
“You’re… you’re offering me a job?” I ask in shock, “You don’t even know me! I could be…”
“You could be what?” He asks with a smirk, “An evil murderess? I doubt it.”
I have to laugh at the irony of his words. But I still don’t understand what’s happening. “Why do you want to help me?”
“Well my dear,” he says as he turns to walk back to the counter, “It’s not every day that such a beautiful canvas walks through my doors. I'm an artist, and yet I spend my days trying to make pigs look like princesses.”
A sharp laugh bursts from my lips, and I find myself smiling… really smiling… for the first time since I was a child.
“Dressing you would be a treat for me,” he says. “And good advertisement for my shop. If someone as beautiful as you is walking around in a dress I made, it’s sure to get the attention of some wealthy customers.”
I c**k my head to the side, looking at this bewildering stranger for a few moments, still unsure of how to react.
“So,” he asks as he bends down behind the counter to pull out a bolt of fabric. He plops it down with a thud and smiles at me. “What do you say?”
- Writer
