Part II of a Collaborative Fairytale

At long last, forgive me. I also humbly apologize for the rushed nature of these lines. They were composed this morning at a coffeeshop while under the influence of the wares sold at such places.

Straightening out her cloak, the princess checked around her to make sure no one had seen her clandestine arrival. There was no one about the courtyard. "Strange." she thought to herself as she reached to pick up her bag. "There is always at least someone around. This is a castle afterall." Despite this the courtyard and arched doorways leading into the entrance halls of the castle were deserted. Dusk was beginning to fall creating long bars of shadow arcoss the courtyard green. The princess began walking along these lines of shade to keep herself as hidden as possible, in case someone should come roaming. "Why should I walk in shadow?" she thought. "I am disguised! No one shall know me, they will think me a servant!" With new resolve the princess raised her head and marched right out of the courtyard and into the castle's township.

Because the Night, in her infinite mystery and depth, was coming on fast over the tiny kingdom the princess felt it best to make haste, but to where? Where to go? The coast was near, perhaps a ship! To take a ship! Oh, the quixotic nature of a sea voyage quickened her heart, and her pace, as she passed castle merchants taking down their stalls for the night. Then a thought struck her. Pirating adventures and sailor's tales are only truly romantic in books or via the honeyed throats of troubadours when a fair princess is snuggled next to a fire or wistfully leaning on the railings of her balcony. In reality, sea voyages are tedious, damp with a strong hint of brine, and too much sun. None of which are pleasant for a fair maid who too easily slips into ennui, and when sailors by there very nature are a gruff peoples who are usually smelling of piss, and after all; salt spray and an over abundance of sun are never good for the skin. "Perhaps, a ship is not so suiting to my taste after all." She thought.

While she was thinking these very juvenile and yet practical thoughts our princess still had not made her way through the castle village to the main gate which would then lead her into the wild beyonds of her realm and the things she knew. Her boots stirred up the dirt in a huffy-scuffy sort of way. One could tell that her step was intentionally careless. She tugged in an amateurish way at her shift as the coarse wool beat gently against her collar. The people passing her were ordinary enough. Dull roars issuing forth from taverns as she passed towards the castle gates. Music also accompanied the loud voices as the townspeople made their way home about her. Never had she stopped to look at her surroundings when she had been allowed to enter into the town. She had always been ushered about by guards or her companions from stale to stale, especially on festival days. The princess found a small doorway with a generous wood covering from which she could place herself, at least for a moment, and observe those peoples and their happenings. Nestling herself in this manner, one shoulder slouched against the side of the frame, she watched, smelled, and drank with all of her senses the new world into which she had transplanted herself.

Lamps were being lighted in windows. Through doorways she could see fires being built up for the evening meal by disgruntled matrons too used to this daily ritual, and contrasting with young wives still tending lovingly to every careful timber placed within the hearth. Tender caress passing from husbands and wives, reunited after a day of separate tasks. Children running in and out of these same doorways, through the narrow streets, causing their last bits of mischief for this sun's cycle. Animals began nestling into doorways, in a fashion similar to her current position. She became aware of the feeling of being watched and our voyeureuse checked herself and began to look around more closely. Scanning the upper story windows of the structure under which she stood. A pale colored cat sat in one such window and was eying her suspiciously, as if it knew she was a stranger in this familiar place. The cat's coat was a dirty white and the hair about it's shoulders bristled, giving the appearance of a disgruntled mantle. Despite these poor elements of appearance the cat still sat erect, as if presiding over all that passed beneath it. The natural pretension and arrogance of cats would rival that of any despot and this cat was no exception. Suddenly, a light came on in the darkened room which framed the cat. Its eyes flashed momentarily as it turned to face whomever had lightened the room before descending from the window, and by a series of cleverly planned jumps landed without so much as a thump on the road. The cat took one more look up to the window from which it had just flown before once again locking eyes with our princess. While not at all together unusual for a cat to do any of these activities something in the aura of this cat was strange and haunting to our princess. The creature began to move towards her, never breaking its gaze. The princess too began to move, very naturally stooping to give the puss a friendly pat once it should reach her. Suddenly the cat stopped in its tracks and issued forth a most ferocious hiss, its ears pricked and its hackles raised. Startled, the princess made to turn to see what had upset her new acquaintance. But as she made to move, two rough hands grabbed her about the arms, flinging her into the darkness beyond the dusky doorway, before she had even a chance to cry out.