Princess Master 3, page 26
“Oh, my gods, is that Callie?” Cienna began to swim faster. “Holy shit, Ariana, we found your chariot…”
When I finally saw what the princesses were talking about, I realized it was, in fact, Ariana’s chariot, and it was smashed up against a large rock.
Chapter 15
“Oh, my gods, Callie, you’re okay!” Ariana cried out, and she swam as fast as she could to throw her arms around the large turquoise seahorse. Callie nuzzled the mermaid’s neck, and I saw Ariana was crying again. “I-I didn’t think I was ever going to find you!”
It definitely seemed possible that the seahorses had bolted in fear during the fight, just as Cienna had predicted, and they’d totaled the chariot against a rock and gotten their harnesses completely tangled.
“Ariana, they’re all still alive!” Jessamine grinned and clasped her hands below her chin “It looks like they’re still stuck in their harnesses, but I think they’re okay.”
“Thank god,” I said, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief as I swam down to Ariana and Callie. “I’m so happy the seahorses are alright.”
“I-I-I… Callie--” Ariana was sobbing so hard she couldn’t get any words out.
“Sweetie, it’s okay now,” Cienna told the mermaid, and she wrapped her arms around the redhead. “Your baby is alive!”
“I know, I know.” Ariana rubbed her eyes and squeezed Callie one last time before she looked in dismay at her chariot. “Our chariot, on the other hand…”
“I’m so sorry it crashed,” I told my red-haired wife, and I wrapped an arm around her waist.
“Well, it’s more important that the animals are okay, but this still isn’t good,” the mermaid sighed, and she covered her face with her hands for a moment. “How are we going to get back to the palace now?”
“Yeah, I’m not really sure how we can cross the Valley of the Whales without it…” Cienna said with a doubtful frown. “It’s definitely a concern, but Ariana, I’m more worried about you…”
“Me, too,” Jessamine chimed in. “Ariana, I know you must be having a lot of feelings right now, and I want you to know we’re here to help.”
“Thank you.” Ariana bowed her head. “I have to admit this is a lot, from the story about my mother to Callie being alive after all, but then there’s the matter of the chariot itself…”
“You poor thing,” I told the redhead in a sympathetic tone, and I squeezed her even harder. “We’ll definitely figure something out.”
“I’m sad about my chariot, of course, but it was only an accident, there are more chariots, and I know there must be a solution…” Ariana said as her eyebrows furrowed in thought. “Now that we’ve found Callie, we can call for help. I think if we reached my father, he could come for us. Even if he’s not at the palace, Marinus should be able to get him a message.”
“Do you think you could send Callie back there to try to communicate with him?” Cienna suggested. “I know you and your seahorse have a very strong connection.”
“I could definitely command her to go back to the palace, and we have this parchment to write on, so I could send that with her…” Ariana furrowed her brow in thought. “Do we have a pen? Are our supplies still in the chariot?”
“Let me see…” I swam over to the wrecked carriage and peered inside, and when I dug around in one of the banged-up chests, I was incredibly relieved to see my plumber’s tools were still there in their apron. So, I pulled the apron out and tied it on, because I definitely didn’t want to lose the few things I still had from home. The map Marinus created for us had gotten ripped into two pieces, but I grabbed them and stuck them into my pockets. It seemed like most of the dishes in the food chest had gotten smashed, but there were still a few apples left, so I pulled one out and took a bite.
“Joe, you’re eating?” Cienna laughed when I swam back over to my wives. “We have a problem to solve.”
“Well, I didn’t find a pen,” I told my blonde wife as I tossed the apple core to the ground, “but I did find Marinus’ map. And maybe the apple made me a little smarter, because I came up with an idea. Jessamine, you can make a pen out of just about anything, right?”
“I can,” the raven-haired beauty said with a nod. “I used a piece of kelp for the glass bubble, so why don’t I just do that again? It’s certainly everywhere around here! Although, Ariana, I’m not sure what you make pens out of. Do you think you can explain it to me?”
“Um, well, it would be a bit of a scientific explanation, I suppose, because they aren’t quite like the pens you have up on the surface…” the redhead replied as she pursed her lips and twirled a long strand of hair. “I don’t know if this would work, and maybe it’s a long swim, but what if we all held hands to join our powers, and I focused on the pen’s composition?”
“Yeah, that just might work… ” I thought aloud. “Because we did have that telepathic connection when I was in the whale…”
“That’s right!” Cienna snapped her fingers. “Okay, let’s try it.”
Jessamine and Ariana clasped hands with one another, and then Cienna and I joined the circle. The mermaid and the dark-haired princess both closed their eyes in concentration, and suddenly a piece of kelp that had been floating in the water in front of me turned into a pen and sank to the seafloor.
“Hey, you did it!” I said as I felt a broad grin flash across my face. “Eudora’s necklace must be making us super powerful.”
“Wow,” Ariana breathed, and her aqua eyes were wide with awe. “Jessamine, that was amazing. Tell me, how exactly did you figure out what to create?”
“I just… must have gotten the image in my head that you were sending me,” my black-haired wife replied, but her expression was slightly puzzled. “I could kind of hear words, but they were mostly scientific terms I didn’t understand. Still, when I focused on your thoughts, I was able to create a pen… some sort of pen, at least! Before you compliment me too much, let’s make sure it actually works.”
Jessamine flipped the switches on her armor and let herself sink down to the ground. Then she picked up the pen and handed it to Ariana, and I pulled the remainders of Marinus’ map out of my pocket for the redhead to write on. We still had the map Jeffrey created, anyway, which was probably more accurate at this point.
“Jessamine, this looks perfect,” Ariana told her sister-wife, and then the redhead scribbled on the piece of parchment with the pen and held it up triumphantly. “It works! Now, let me write a message to my father, and I’ll attach it to Callie. I’m just worried she’s not going to be safe on her way back, not to mention the other seahorses. I can’t leave the rest of them here!”
“Why don’t you make a bubble for Callie?” I suggested to the mermaid. “Actually, could you put them all in a bubble, with Callie leading the way? You could even do a glass one like we just made around the fish.”
“Can they swim while they’re in the bubble?” Cienna asked and pursed her lips. “That fish didn’t seem to be able to move.”
“Hmm, I’m not sure moving within the shield is intuitive for an animal to figure out,” Ariana began with a thoughtful expression. “But with the right sort of communication with Callie, I think she could do it.”
“So, you’re going to put up the barrier first, right?” Jessamine asked as she floated back up to swim with us. “And then I’ll surround it with glass?”
“Yes, that’s right,” Ariana said as she looked thoughtfully up into the water. “Maybe it shouldn’t be quite so thick this time, just so Callie can navigate better. Oh, my gods, how is she going to cross the whales?”
“I don’t know, but Callie is really smart,” I tried to reassure the mermaid, and I squeezed her hand. “Ariana, I think it’s the only chance we have right now, because Callie and the other seahorses can’t stay here, can they? I’m so glad they’ve survived this far, but they really aren’t safe without someone watching them. And we don’t have an easy way back home, either, unless we can get this message to the palace. I think them traveling in the bubble is our best shot.”
“You’re right, Joe,” Ariana said, but she bowed her head sadly. “I’ve just been so worried the whole time she’s been lost, and I’m so scared of losing her… for good.”
“I totally understand,” Cienna sniffled, and her eyes filled with sympathetic tears. “I know what it’s like to be without your pet and to worry they’re in danger. You all need to know I think about Starlight a million times for every time I mention her name, and I’m sure Ariana’s the same way.”
“Yes, it’s true.” Ariana looked at her blonde sister-wife with gratitude in her eyes. “But I know sending Callie is our only way.”
So, the redhead scratched a note out onto the parchment, and then we all swam over to release the tangled seahorses from their harnesses.
“I can definitely work out these knots,” I offered, and I flipped the switches on my armor so I’d have more leverage on the ground.
“Thanks, Joe,” Ariana replied with a grateful smile, and she knelt down beside me to work on the straps. In a couple minutes, we’d set the animals free, but they were clearly well-trained, because the brightly-colored creatures remained clustered in a small herd around Ariana.
“Are you ready?” Jessamine asked the mermaid in a soft, kind voice. “I know how hard this is for you.”
“Yes, I suppose so,” Ariana sighed, and she bent down to attach the note to Callie’s collar. Then she kissed the seahorse on the head and squeezed her around her scaly body one last time. “I’m going to put my barrier up around them now, and then you can work your magic.”
The mermaid concentrated for a moment, and then I noticed the seahorses bumping their rainbow-hued noses into the invisible walls that meant the shield was in place.
“So, it’s my turn now…” Jessamine looked at the seahorses with a thoughtful frown. “And you said glass you can see through, right?”
“That’s right, I think it’s probably our best option,” Ariana replied, and I saw her blink back more tears.
Then, before I knew it, the shield was covered in glass about three inches thick.
“That looks perfect,” Cienna said, and she smacked her palm gently on the glass that now surrounded the seahorses. Then the blonde began to giggle. “I’m sorry, I’m just trying to imagine what the merpeople are going to think if they see this thing making its way back toward the palace.”
“You’re right, it is pretty funny looking,” Ariana laughed through the tears in her eyes. “I don’t think my kingdom has ever seen anything like this before. Alright, I suppose I should send them on their way. Goodbye, Callie. I really hope this works.”
I was amazed to see that as soon as the redhead tapped the glass, the large bubble started moving in the direction of the palace.
“Wow, Ariana, I’ve always known you communicate well with Callie, but she seemed to know exactly what you wanted her to do,” I marveled, and I patted the mermaid on her shoulder.
“Yes, I believe she does,” Ariana said with a nod, and then she slumped her shoulders and looked down at the ground. “I hate to admit it, but I’m tired already. It was a late night last night, and everything that’s happened today has been wearing me out. But I know we have to move forward. We’re so close to Eudora now, I can feel it.”
“Well, I noticed there were a couple of bottles of ale that made it through the crash, along with those apples,” I told my wives, and I raised my eyebrows at them. “We could always sit down and have a little snack for a couple minutes. Anyway, I think I came up with an idea I want to tell Jessamine about.”
“Sure, that sounds like a good plan,” Cienna said with a nod. “We definitely need to keep our strength up before the big fight.”
So, I swam over to the carriage and grabbed the bottles of ale and the fruit, and then I came back to where my wives had settled themselves in a circle on the ground. I let myself sink back down to the sandy seafloor, sat between Jessamine and Ariana, passed each of the women an apple, and then handed a bottle to the princesses on either side of me.
“There were only two that didn’t get smashed, so we’re going to have to share,” I reported. “I know you don’t mind sharing, though…”
“Yes, Joe, we love to share everything,” Cienna laughed and rolled her eyes at me from across the circle. “Ale, each other, you…”
“I know.” I grinned, and a shiver went down my spine at the thought of the last time my wives had shared me.
“Okay, Joe,” Jessamine said with a big smile. “This is a fun conversation, but I didn’t want you to forget you had something you wanted to talk to me about.”
“That’s right, and it was important, too,” I replied, and I ran my hand through my hair as Ariana passed me one of the bottles of ale. Then I took a big drink before I set it down in the sand. “You know how you made that pen for Ariana? Well, I want you to make something from my world called ear plugs.”
“Yes, I think I can do that for you.” Jessamine nodded. “It’s just… you know how Ariana’s tired? I have to admit I’m a little tired, too. I got perked up this morning after you made wonderful love to us, but I want to make sure I have enough energy left for what we’re about to go through. So, I suppose what I’m saying is I can make you what you need, but I think we need to figure out a way to conserve some of my powers.”
“That makes sense,” Cienna agreed, and she patted Jessamine on the shoulder. “Because right now, you’re holding up so many illusions, like the giant glass bubble, and we’ll probably need you to protect us with a stronger shield at some point, and even sing during the fight. There are probably even some illusions I can’t remember right now! Plus, I’m sure it was draining for Ariana to communicate with you through her mind. My magic certainly has limitations, so it only makes sense that yours does, as well.”
“Thank you for understanding, Cienna.” Jessamine leaned her head against the blonde’s shoulder. “I hate going into this fight feeling so exhausted, so I know I need to pick and choose what I do right now.”
“Yeah, I get it,” I admitted. “But I can’t think of another way to protect me from the sound of singing during our battle with Eudora. Do you think if you let the pen turn back into kelp you might be able to make these for me?”
“Well, they must be small, right, if they go into your ears?” my dark-haired wife asked, and she picked up the bottle of ale I’d left on the ground and took a drink. “I think if I let go of the spell on the pen, I could make something small right now.”
“There’s the pen, if you want to take care of that,” Ariana suggested. The writing instrument was lying on the ground in the middle of the circle, and she nudged it with the tip of her fin. “I have to admit I find these new enhancements to our powers fascinating. The telepathic connections add a whole new element to things.”
“Alright, I’m almost ready,” Jessamine announced, and she looked at the pen on the seafloor. Then, in a flash, it turned back into the original piece of kelp. “Okay, let’s all hold hands again, and then I’m going to try to make your ear things, Joe.”
“Thanks, Jessamine,” I replied as I grasped her and Ariana’s hands on either side of me, and they grabbed hold of Cienna. As I felt sparks surge through my palms, I tried to focus as hard as I could. So, I closed my eyes as I pictured a pair of standard, bright orange ear plugs in my head, and I concentrated on the texture of the foam, the small size, and the roughly cylindrical shape. I had no idea what Jessamine was going to come up with, but I tried as hard as I could to mentally transmit the information she needed.
“Did I do it, Joe?”
I opened my eyes to see Jessamine looking at me with a huge smile on her face and holding two orange items in her palm. My dark-haired wife handed the small objects to me, and I had to admire her handiwork. The ear plugs were more of a pale peach than the bright, fluorescent orange I’d pictured, and they were a little too flat, but, most importantly, they seemed to have the right squishy consistency.
“Jessamine, they seem just about perfect.” I flashed the raven-haired beauty a huge grin. “I think you really might have done it. Let me try to put them into my ears, and we’ll see what happens when you sing.”
My wives all watched as I squeezed the pieces of soft foam and jammed them into my ears. The roaring of the ocean was definitely quieter once I inserted them, but I knew the real test would be the singing.
“Are you ready, Joe?” Jessamine yelled out to me, and I gave her a thumbs up. So, she opened her mouth and began to sing, and while I could see her mouth moving and hear the faintest traces of an incredible melody, I only got the slightest bit dizzy.
“I think it’s working!” I called out. “Jessamine, this is amazing! I think we just solved one of our biggest problems!”
“I’m so glad it worked.” The raven-haired princess stopped singing and grinned at me, and I pulled the earplugs out and gazed at them with amazement.
“This new power is so fascinating to me,” Ariana marveled. “It’s interesting Jessamine can create things without knowing the true composition of the materials. I know our magic isn’t infinite, but this will help us out in so many ways.”
“And you can still sing, Jessamine!” Cienna patted her sister-wife on the back.
“That wasn’t as hard as I was expecting,” Jessamine said with a smile and a shrug. “I just know we’re going to beat Eudora now!”
“Hell, yeah, we are.” I smirked, stuck my new ear plugs into my pocket, and leaned back on my hands. I knew we couldn’t stay here, but I wanted to savor these few minutes with my wives before we got to the real battle. So, we sat around for a little while longer and chatted, and I began to feel more energized.
“Well, this was nice,” Cienna said, and then she drained one of the bottles of ale. “But putting this battle off is starting to make me more nervous than actually doing it.”
