“Whoever rescues my daughter shall have her hand in marriage,” the old king said. “He will become my son-in-law, and my successor. I have told you all you need to know. May the wind be in your favor.”

  The row of princes and knights bowed. Pax grinned at the floor a moment before straightening up to follow the group out of the room. He wasn’t the strongest in the group, or the smartest, but he had something none of them had. 

  Pax was the third son of the third king of the third largest kingdom in the land. He had been third to arrive, and he now made sure he was the third to leave. Fate worked in threes. It was impossible for him to not find and rescue the princess. 

  Outside the keep gates a crowd had gathered. Some were just watching, others were placing bets, but most were selling things. Pax passed two weaponsmiths, stopping at the third. He pointed to the third sword on display. 

  “I’d like to purchase that one,” he told the smith. 

  “No ye don’t,” the smith said, glancing at it. “That one’s cursed. I only brought it to show that me swords can be enchanted.”

   “I’d like to buy it nonetheless,” Pax said, annoyed. 

  “Ye don’t know what the curse is,” the smith pointed out. 

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  “It doesn’t matter. Name your price, good sir.”

  A price was named, and money handed over. Pax picked up the sword and held it out dramatically.

  “With this swo- What’s happening to my voice?”

  The smith shrugged. “I told ye it was cursed.”

  “Well never mind! With this sword I shall rescue the princess! Even with a silly voice!”

  “Oh, that’s not all the curse does,” the smith said. 

  “What else does it do?”

  “Look who’s interested all of a sudden. Could have been that it’d set you on fire, or turn you into a lemming, but nooooo, you said it didn’t matter. You royal types never listen until it’s too late.”

  “Tell me what it does!”

  “Truth be told, I don’t understand it myself. The wizard what cursed it said that the fourth person to pick it up would be destined to always be fourth. He was the first. I was the second. Me mate Joe over there was the third, wanted to see what the curse did to his voice. An you was the fourth.”

  Pax stared in horror at the sword. “Fourth…”

  The smith nodded. “Fourth. Odd curse, if you ask me.”

He dropped to his knees. “Noooooooooooo…..”