Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming. Part 4
Chapter 4
Ylith was just tucking a blanket about Princess Scarlet, who had dropped off to sleep in mid-conversation with her, when the knocking occurred upon the castle gate. It was not like Azzie to knock, and Ylith could not imagine any other visitor, there atop the glass mountain. Leaving the girl in the leather arms of the huge chair, she moved quickly out of the sitting room and headed for the castle’s main hall. The sound came again as she traversed the high-ceilinged stone room.
She unlatched the normal-sized postern door beside the big gate, opened it, and looked outside. A tall, not uncomely figure, clad in white and gold, returned her gaze and smiled.
“Yes?” she said.
“Am I correct in assuming this to be the castle of the Napping Beauty, Princess Scarlet?” he inquired.
“You are,” she replied. “But you can’t be Prince Charming, can you? It’s a little early, and those aren’t the right eyes -not that I have anything against big blue ones, mind you.”
“Oh, no,” he answered. “My name’s Babriel. I’m the observer for the Powers of Light. I’m a guest of Azzie’s and I just thought I’d pop over and check out this end of the operation. Is everything proceeding in good fashion?”
“Why, yes,” she said. “Won’t you come in?”
“Thank you, I will,” he replied.
“I’m Azzie’s-associate,” she said, “in this matter. My name’s Ylith. Glad to make your acquaintance.”
She offered a hand. He raised it and pressed it to his lips.
“Oh,” she remarked, staring at her hand after he released it. “Uh, come this way. I’ll take you to see the lady. She’s napping now, of course.”
“Of course,” he replied, seeming to realize suddenly that he was still holding her hand and releasing it quickly, “if it is convenient.”
“Certainly, certainly.”
She turned and led him across the hall.
“Nice hall,” he observed.
“Thanks.”
“You and Azzie been together long?”
“Oh, we go way back. But we’re not exactly-together- right now. Except on this project, I mean.”
“Clever entry you have.”
“I suppose so. It’s all Azzie’s idea. I’m just helping him out, for old times’ sake.”
“I see. Brotherhood of Evil and all that,” he said. “Sisterhood, too, of course,” he corrected quickly.
“Sort of. This way,” she said, leading him out of the hall and into the sitting room. “There she is. Napping Beauty. Pretty, huh?”
“Lovely,” he remarked.
Ylith blushed as she realized he was looking at her. Immediately, he suffered a coughing spell.
“May I get you something to drink?” she offered. “A little ichor, perhaps?”
“Please.”
“Have a seat. Be comfortable.”
She hurried off, returning in a few moments with a pair of drinks.
“Here. Thought I’d join you,” she said.
“Thank you.”
He sipped it slowly. She seated herself nearby.
“I take it the project goes well,” Babriel repeated after a time.
“Oh, Azzie has his problems, I understand,” she answered.
“You must be a great help and comfort to him.”
“I wouldn’t know,” she replied. “He’s been somewhat uncommunicative. ”
“I don’t understand.”
“The last time we talked he was a trifle -cold. It may be he has more problems than I realize, or it may just be -”
“What?”
“That he’s just that way – to me.”
They sipped their ichor in silence for a time. Then: “It is in the nature of evil to be nasty, I guess,” Babriel observed. “Even to its friends and allies.”
Ylith looked away.
“He wasn’t always like that, to me.”
“Oh.”
“Your side is nicer about these things, I suppose.”
“I’d like to think so.”
“But then you have to be. . . . The nature of things.”
“I suppose. But I like to think that we do it because we really want to. It just makes us feel good.”
“Hmm.” She turned toward Princess Scarlet. “Look at her,” she said. “Poor thing has no notion that she’s only a counter in a game.”
“But she wouldn’t exist, save for that.”
“Still, it might be better than being used.”
“An interesting theological point.”
“Theological, hell! Excuse me. But people aren’t things, to be manipulated that way.”