The Princess & the Slave: Part Two

Being part two of this story from my book Talons of the Hawk. But don't just read it here. Go and buy the book right now by clicking on the link to the right! 

You know you want to! And you get this plus five other fantastic stories! 

Over the next few weeks, Princess Saffie experimented with the powers of the stone hawk and found it to be a wonderful toy.

Its powers weren’t limitless but it was still a potent artefact. It couldn’t create something from nothing but it could work its sorcery on living things as much as she desired, altering them in body or mind. While the hawk was in her hand, she could change the shape of man or beast and then make them think they had always been that way.

She delighted in using her new powers on the slaves. She made one an old man; one a child. One man she turned into a big fat woman and his wife into a reedy moustached man then she altered their ways so that the new woman was bombastic and bossy; the new man fawning and snivelling.

She turned one lazy slave girl and her entire family into swine to teach her a lesson! That was hilarious! And more hilarious still; she’d planned to return them to human form but they became mingled with the common herd until she couldn’t tell one from another. Oh, how she laughed at that! But what did it matter? They were only slaves.

Changing the thoughts of men was her favourite pastime and she became quite good at it. She made one slave fall desperately in love with her and another consumed by jealousy. One murdered the other and was beheaded for his troubles.

It was all so delightful to play with these people as though they were dolls. It was much more diverting than the straw dolls she’d had as a child. And she could make them forget what had happened afterwards so easily!

The one slave she never touched with the magic was Raul. He never left her side when they were outside the palace and functioned as a bodyguard as well as a servant. She had a gaggle of servant girls always on hand to take care of her every whim but she often preferred Raul to do such duties. He was a mountain of a man with a bald head and darkly gleaming skin and he was doggedly loyal. That was why Princess Saffie never changed him. He was perfect already – just as subservient as she would have liked and nice to look at too if she were bored.

Raul knew about the statuette of course but he knew better than to judge her exploits. He watched impassively as she altered the age, hair colour, race, creed and desires of the people all around her, eyes dull and face impassive.

Saffie gained comfort from his stolid unwavering presence and trusted him implicitly.

One day, the palace was visited by a prince and his family from across the sea. The prince was near to Saffie’s age and was very handsome, but though their parents had hoped a match might be made to join the two kingdoms, the prince took an instant dislike to Saffie’s petulance and self-centred demands for attention.

The princess had never met a man who showed such dislike for her (openly) but seeing that made her want him all the more. She resolved immediately to use the power of the hawk to make him love her desperately. Then she would decide if she would have him. In all likelihood she would refuse him and leave him to pine for her for the rest of his days. The audacity of the man to reject her advances!

But try as she might, she couldn’t persuade Prince Kalide to meet with her alone so she could affect the change. He spent every waking moment talking politics and reform with the two kings – wasting precious time he could have used to court her!

Well, she’d deprive him of any interest in politics soon enough. When she was finished with him he would show interest in nothing but her. She would drain his will and make of him a simpering idiot obsessed with love.

But still she didn’t get her chance and didn’t want to risk exposing her power in front of the two sets of parents for fear they might snatch the statuette before she could make them all forget.

Before she knew it, the prince and his family were leaving and the chance was gone. They took to their ship and set sail across the sea to their home port.

But Princes Saffie was not so easily deterred. One month later she announced her intent to visit the kingdom of Prince Kalide.

Her father and mother were not optimistic about the match. Though they doted on their daughter, they understood how difficult she could be. Nevertheless, they did not refuse her and the princess gathered together fifty of her favourite slaves to tend to her needs on the journey. She took with her countless beautiful dresses and fantastic jewellery and set sail across the sea. 

Read the complete book of Talons of the Hawk by clicking this link. 

If you dare!