Princess Master 3, page 17
“Just thinking about weird fish, no big deal.” I grinned at her. “But I do appreciate the snuggles.”
“Yes, I can’t wait to see what we come across further down.” Jessamine’s eyes widened, and she shivered.
“Alright, here we go,” Ariana announced as the chariot slid to a stop along the ground, and she gestured to some plants growing nearby. “It does look like there’s some edible kelp growing around here, and of course, these nearby fish are fairly delicious.”
I noticed a large school of what looked like sea bass swimming by, and Ariana grabbed her trident.
“You’re going to spear something for us, Ariana?” I asked her with a big grin. “I love when my women provide for the family.”
“That’s right,” Ariana said, and then she grunted slightly as she shot forward in one swift motion with her trident. She speared a giant, silvery fish with black stripes running the length of its body, and then she looked back at us in triumph.
“Holy shit,” I breathed as I watched the fish squirm on the end of the huge spear. “That was incredible. This thing has to be at least two feet long, if not more.”
“Thanks, Joe,” Ariana said and blushed. “It kind of comes naturally to merpeople.”
“You don’t give yourself enough credit,” I assured her. “Those were some impressive skills right there.”
“I grew up doing it,” the redhead giggled. “Jessamine, why don’t you see what else is in the food chest?”
“Of course,” Jessamine replied, and she pulled open the latch on the trunk nearest to her and started to dig around. “Looks like we have some seaberries, and I think these red fruits are apples, and I’m also going to grab these bottles of ale, like you said.”
“So, what do we do with it?” Cienna was staring at the dead fish on the end of the trident with a grossed-out expression. “My food has always been… prepared by the time it got to me.”
“Well, let’s figure out how to prepare it, then,” Ariana laughed. “You know I don’t mind mine raw, but I totally understand that it’s not for everyone. At least the three of you don’t complain all the time like… certain other people from the surface did.”
Ariana’s ex-husband never failed to sound like a total tool.
I tried to think of a way I could actually be helpful in this situation, and then something occurred to me.
“I want to try something, just for fun,” I told my wives. “Remember when Fiona made Genie’s Wrath more powerful?”
When I’d fucked Cienna’s fairy godmother in the name of enhancing my giant sword, it had been one of my more memorable sexual experiences.
“How could we forget, Joe?” Jessamine poked me in the side and rolled her eyes with a smile. “It was the ritual of a lifetime.”
“Yeah, it was,” I snickered. “Anyway, the first time Genie’s Wrath shot sparks, it scorched the wall of Cienna’s chambers. I was just wondering if I could try to cook the fish.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to do it?” Jessamine asked with a furrowed brow. “I can just transform it for us.”
“Nah, thanks, but I feel like fucking around with Genie’s Wrath,” I explained. “Ariana, I think you should leave it on the end of your spear. Here, can I do something with your trident?”
“Sure, Joe, whatever you say!” my mermaid wife replied.
All three of my wives looked around at each other with smirks on their faces, and I was glad they were willing to indulge me in my little experiment.
So, I got out of the chariot with Genie’s Wrath and took the trident with the fish from Ariana’s hand. Then I walked over to place the trident on the sandy sea bed about twenty feet away from the carriage.
“I think this is far enough away,” I muttered to myself, and then I looked up at my wives, who were all leaning over the edge of the chariot in anticipation of the show I was about to put on. “Here goes nothing, ladies!”
I pointed Genie’s Wrath down at the fish, and then I focused on the blade’s large purple stone for a moment. As I expected, a blast of sparks shot out of its tip and into the animal, but what I hadn’t anticipated was how much more powerful the blast would feel. A vibrating sensation ran up my entire arm, and I wondered if it had to do with the jolt of energy I’d felt when Ariana had first cast the spell on the necklace.
The fish glowed bright purple for a moment before I could see smaller sparks run through its body, and then it simply laid flat on the seafloor.
“That was amazing, I have to admit,” Cienna called out to me. “Now, you just have to go pick it up…”
“No problem.” I grinned back at my wives. “Thanks for letting me go through with my little experiment. Is there anything in that chest I can put it on?”
“It looks like they even packed a tablecloth and plates!” Jessamine’s smile widened as she produced a large white cloth and put it over the chariot’s back seat. Then she pulled out a pale green porcelain plate and put it on the cloth to hold it down. “What an adorable little underwater picnic! Although, I’m not sure this plate is anywhere near large enough to hold the fish.”
“It’s okay,” Ariana said. “At least, I think it’s okay… It should be fine with that cloth under it. I just don’t want to get my new chariot dirty…”
I certainly understood the sentiment, because I wouldn’t have wanted the giant fish in my car, either.
“This cloth is pretty thick,” Jessamine assured her. “I think it’s going to be fine.”
“Alright, then, I’m bringing it over.” I walked over to the fish, knelt down, and poked it. I could smell the faint aroma of roasted seafood, and it definitely felt more flaky than solid. “I think it might have worked! I’m gonna keep it on the trident and somehow slide it onto the plate… all without stabbing myself. Wish me luck.”
I picked Ariana’s trident up off the ground, and white chunks of fish immediately began to drift off into the water.
“It actually looks cooked,” Cienna said, although her voice was still a little doubtful. “Joe, bring it over here so I can look at it.”
I was going to need two hands to complete the process, so I dropped Genie’s Wrath and let it sink down to the ground. Then I grabbed the trident near the top and used my other hand to attempt to hold the fish together. It was a somewhat futile effort because the fish was so big, but there was still going to be plenty for us to eat. I managed to get most of it onto the plate in the back seat, and then I swam back to get my sword. Jessamine cut the fish open with a small kitchen knife Ariana’s staff had packed, and then she stabbed the fish with the knife so it wouldn’t float away.
I slid back into the chariot just as my dark-haired wife was taking a bite.
“This looks pretty good!” Jessamine said, and she pulled off a small piece and popped it into her mouth. “Hmm, it is good, but it’s a little plain. Can I please fix it up a little?”
“Hey, I managed to cook it!” I told her with a grin. “If you want to enhance it, go right ahead.”
“Just give me a second,” the raven-haired beauty said, and I saw her focus on the dish in front of her. It didn’t look any different, but she looked up after a moment and smiled with satisfaction. “There, I think I did it. Joe, you try a piece.”
“Sure, I’d be happy to.” I pulled a small chunk of fish off its skin and put it into my mouth to taste it. It was virtually identical to pan-fried fish in a buttery herb sauce, and my stomach growled at the thought of having more. “You all need to try this, because Jessamine did something great here. Even you, Cienna.”
“We did it together, Joe,” Jessamine laughed. “Genie’s Wrath is a great… fish cooker… but I still maintain I could have done the whole thing.”
“Maybe so,” I chuckled. “Sometimes men like to grill, or whatever the hell you want to call what I just did.”
“I know this isn’t very princess-like, but I think we’re just going to have to gather around and pull pieces off,” Jessamine told us. “I think it’s too flaky to put on the plates, and we’re underwater anyway. I think you two should climb into the back seat with me and Joe, and then we can eat!”
“Okay,” Cienna sighed, and then she briefly climbed out of the chariot to slide in next to Jessamine in the back. “I’m going to try it, I swear.”
“Of course, I am!” Ariana giggled. “Well, I would have eaten it anyway, but I’m sure this is way better.”
The mermaid swam back to sit next to me, and I handed her a large piece of fish. I saw Cienna regarding the chunk she now held in her hand, and then I watched her place it delicately into her mouth.
“Wow, this is actually really good!” the beautiful blonde mumbled through her mouthful, and she held her hand out for more. “It tastes like something they’d cook at the palace, so I’m impressed. Nice job, all three of you.”
“Here, who wants a bottle of ale?” I asked, and all three wives nodded their assent with their mouths full. “You sure you can drive after this, Ariana?”
“Joe, I’ve been drinking the palace ale since I was Vivian’s age,” she reassured me with a smile. “You don’t need to worry about me.”
“I believe you,” I laughed, and then I passed a bottle to each of my wives.
We all sat around and ate the fish for a few minutes, and then Jessamine handed us each one of the apples.
I took a bite of the small fruit, and it was tart and crisp. “Hey, this actually turned out to be a decent meal!”
“It did,” Cienna agreed, and she sat back and put her hands on her stomach. “Is it naptime now?”
“I wish!” Ariana laughed as she dusted off her hands in the water and pulled out Marinus’ map from where she’d stashed it inside the chest. Then she unrolled it and spread it out on her lap. “Yes, it’s definitely whales next. We need to prepare for that, since I remember Marinus said it’s a deep trench. In any case, since we’re going deeper, let’s get our lanterns out. I think they’re in this other chest. Joe, can you look for me?”
The redhead climbed out of the chariot and then back into the front seat, and I pried open the second chest and found our four lanterns. Then I handed one to each princess and kept one for myself.
“So, everyone is done eating?” I asked as I looked around at my wives. “Can I put the plates and bottles and everything else back away?”
“Yes, I’m done,” Jessamine confirmed, and the other two princesses nodded. “What do we do with the rest of the fish?”
“Just throw it back into the water,” Ariana laughed. “Some other animal will eat it soon enough.”
“Whatever you say.” Jessamine shrugged, and then she tossed the remaining fish over the side of the chariot.
As we watched, a school of tiny, silver fish swam rapidly downward and began to devour the meat we hadn’t eaten.
“Glad they weren’t attacking us while we were eating,” I commented as I examined the small fishes’ sharp, needle-like teeth. “Those things look vicious.”
“They can be,” Ariana said with a nod, and then she grinned. “Good thing they’re so tiny! Unlike whales…”
“Yeahhh, so about that, are we going to leave soon?” I asked the redhead as I finished closing the chests and securing them into place in the chariot. “I kinda just want to get this over with.”
“Yes, I’m just wondering who’s going to sit up here with me now,” Ariana mused.
“I want to!” I raised my hand. “Can it be my turn?”
“Of course, Joe,” the mermaid replied. “Obviously, we could all fit up here if we wanted to…”
I jumped up, pulled myself over the seat, and landed in the chariot’s front row.
“Joe!” Cienna scolded me with a grin. “It’s her brand-new chariot!”
“Hey, I’m not going to get it dirty,” I said as I grinned back. “We’re in the water, right? The fish was kind of greasy, but I’m not.”
“Well, I’m getting in front the regular way,” Jessamine responded in an unusually prim tone, and she got out of the chariot and climbed back in next to Ariana.
“Not me!” Cienna announced, and she jumped over the seat to sit next to me. Then she caught sight of me smirking at her and laughed. “What? You convinced me.”
“Okayyy…” I snickered, but then I put a hand on her trim thigh and squeezed it. She covered my hand with her own, and I leaned against her for a moment and smiled at her. “You’re funny.”
“Be quiet, Joe, you’re funny,” the blonde princess laughed, and then she turned to Ariana. “So, are we ready to move?”
“Y-Yes…” Ariana stammered, and I noticed she was drumming her fingers on the seat next to her tail. “I-I’m still a little nervous about driving, I guess.”
“Hey, you’ve got this!” I put my arm around her. “I would take over, but I’m not sure the seahorses would respond to me the same way they do to you. You’ve been doing amazing so far, so I’m not sure what you’re worried about.”
“Thanks, Joe.” Ariana nodded resolutely. “I appreciate your confidence in me. Giddy up, Callie!”
“Whoa!” I was pushed backward in my seat as Ariana directed the chariot away from the seafloor and up into the water. The ride soon evened out, though, so I was correct when I said the redhead was a great driver.
“Hey, hand me that map,” Cienna requested, and I grabbed it from its place at Ariana’s side and handed it to my blonde wife. Then she unrolled it and began to study its symbols. “Okay, there’s really no way right now to tell exactly where we are, but I’m guessing we’re about halfway between the sandfalls and the whales.”
I would have given a lot for a GPS right now.
“If I’m right, we’ll smell the whales way before we actually see them,” I remarked. The biggest thing I remembered from whale watching was how awful the huge animals smelled when they breached the surface. “That should be fun.”
“Yes, on the rare occasions I’ve seen one, they do smell terrible,” Ariana agreed. “I know a lot of things under the sea do smell bad, although I suppose I’m more than used to it after spending basically my whole life down here.”
“Makes sense,” I said with a nod, and then I relaxed my head against the back of the chariot’s comfortable bench. I thought about having to adjust so abruptly to being in Fairyland, and I sighed when I missed home for a tiny moment. “It seems like it’s possible to get used to pretty much anything, although sometimes I wish I could bring the three of you back to LA with me. I can only imagine what the guys there would think of you…”
“Who cares?” Cienna laughed, and she squeezed my hand softly. “There’s a lot of guys here in Fairyland, and look who we picked. I don’t know about LA, but you’re the only hero of legend I see around here.”
“Thanks, Cienna.” I kissed her on the cheek, and then my wives and I rode on in silence for a little while as the seafloor continued to dip below us. I was glad we’d brought the lanterns, though, because it was getting dimmer and dimmer.
Suddenly, as I’d predicted, I caught a whiff of the unmistakable whale smell. It reminded me of a garbage dump combined with the distinctive sulfurous odor of rotten eggs. I looked ahead of us and squinted, but the water was murky, and I couldn’t see much.
“I think I smell it now,” Jessamine confirmed, and she peered around Ariana so she could see me better. “Is that what you’re talking about, Joe?”
“Yep.” I nodded. “Pretty bad, right?”
“Yes, it smells awful, but I also feel something.” Ariana looked around in the water, and I realized the chariot was rumbling.
“I think we must be getting close,” I said with a grimace. “If it looks at all like I’m imagining, it’s going to be pretty crazy.”
The vibrations had started to get stronger, and I thought I could hear sounds similar to the lowest key on a piano.
All of a sudden, I could see gigantic shapes about five hundred yards in front of us. The water wasn’t clear enough to make out their exact forms, but if Marinus had been correct, we were definitely headed in the right direction.
“Are you all ready for this?” Ariana gulped, and she pulled up on the reins to slow the seahorses. “Marinus said we were going to have to cross through the valley to reach Eudora, so I don’t think there’s any turning back now…”
“Nope, definitely not turning back,” I replied, and I squeezed her arm. “Don’t worry, we’re all in this together.”
As we continued to approach, I squinted to see the bodies of the animals who were swimming before us. Marinus hadn’t been lying when he said they were as big as pirate ships, because the largest of the shapes I could see had to be at least a hundred feet long.
And then, suddenly, the water in front of us cleared, and everything became apparent.
The ocean floor sank down into an abyss that was deeper than my eyes could see, and it was lined with thousands of whales all migrating in the same direction. The rows of swimming animals also stretched high up into the water, which gave the effect of a wall of whales blocking our way.
The magnificent creatures were pale purple, and they glimmered softly in the light from our lanterns. The graceful beasts reminded me of giant ballerinas as they swam slowly through the dim water, and their musical vibrations only added to the effect. It seemed to take an eternity for an individual animal to pass by us, and it gave me the chance to admire their long, smooth bodies and slender flippers.
I’d never seen anything both so simultaneously beautiful and terrifying.
“So, how are we going to make it across this valley?” I asked as Ariana pulled the seahorses to a stop. “Cienna, do you think you can stop time?”
“Hmm, I can definitely try,” my blond wife said, and she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to happen, and the whales continued their slow, majestic progression through the trench. Cienna’s lip briefly trembled before she responded, but then she took a deep breath. “Joe, everyone, I’m really sorry. We can try to join hands to increase our powers, but honestly I think the whales are just too big, and the valley’s so deep. I’m not feeling my magic working at all here, so I think we’re going to have to come up with another plan.”
