Carter was lying in a white room with pillows and couches arranged in a small pattern around a fireplace. He was lying down, watching the fire as it danced back and forth. Tiny fingers ran through his long hair, tickling him into going back to sleep. His eyes caught the tanned skin of two naked knees hanging off the white couch in front of him. He flipped onto his back with a broad smile as a woman's darkened red eyes looked down on him. His head was lying in her lap. Two enormous breasts obscured the bottom of her face as she leaned in to kiss him on the forehead. Her lips were cherry red and felt wet to the touch. Her breasts squished against the side of his face as he became flush with embarrassment and excitement.
"You are sleeping, little one. You need to wake up," said the gorgeous woman.
"Can't I stay here with you? Um, what is your name?" said Carter as his eyes focused from her breasts to her amazing eyes.
"My name is Venus, little one. You are needed where you are," said Venus, kissing him on his forehead again.
"Venus? Will you be here when I dream?" said Carter.
"Sometimes," said Venus.
"Oh," said Carter as he returned to his side with his head resting on Venus's naked lap. He watched the flames of the fire jitter around. Venus played with his hair some more, and he fell asleep again.
*Dragon* [https://images.writing.com/imgs/writing.com/writers/e21/dragon.png]
The sun went down on the world of Thresh, and Carter still slept in the royal carriage. Nobody came to get him. The sound of dancing and singing slammed into his ears, causing him to wake up. His tear-incrusted eyes fluttered open, and he could see the stars through the burnt hole he made at the top of the carriage.
"I invented the moonroof here in Thresh,” said Carter, letting out a hearty laugh. He stopped laughing and gave a few coughs from the searing pain in his chest. He touched it with his hand and felt the burnt flesh. He let out a small “ow” and stopped touching it. He pushed himself up and looked around. He rubbed his reddened eyes, brought about by childish crying, and chastised himself for acting like a baby. It seemed that the past events and the newly burnt hole in his chest were a little too much stress for him to take, and he broke down mentally.
"Justified, but that's enough acting like that," Carter said to himself. He needed to escape, and no amount of crying would accomplish that.
He combed the large carriage like a specialized forensic team. He discovered a small, black, hooded cloak underneath the carriage seats. He grabbed it and stood up. He placed it over his burnt clothes and pulled the hood up. Carter’s long blonde hair peeked out from under his hood.
Carter opened the carriage door slowly and looked around discreetly. "The coast is clear," mumbled Carter. He jumped down to the ground and closed the carriage door softly.
Lighted torches dotted the interior of the castle's inner wall. Small fires and braziers littered the outside entrances of the oversized castle, warming up the sentries that guarded them. A small, dimly lighted path led to the back door of the castle's servant entrance. Carter ran up to the door and started pushing with all his might to no avail. The metal-reinforced door was locked from the inside.
"Wait. Why do I want to go inside? That's where the crazy royals are," whispered Carter to himself. He looked around again and saw the large gate leading to the town, which had been closed for the night.
"Damn," cursed Carter under his breath. His chest flared up in pain as he hit his chest in anger accidentally.
“Hey, you're not allowed to enter the Castle after dark. Only the servants are allowed inside,” said a voice behind Carter.
He slowly turned around, tensing up his legs in anticipation of escaping. Standing at ease, two female guards dressed in green and blue armor glared at him. One of the guards, a blond-haired, blue-eyed woman, bent down on her knees and smiled at Carter.
“My name is Cern. Do you need help, little one?” asked Cern as she looked into Carter’s eyes. She looked genuinely concerned. A first for this place.
“Not every little street urchin you meet needs your help, Cern,” said a dark-haired, stern-faced lady from behind her. Carter looked back and forth between them.
Cern stood up and looked back at the other guard. “Cape! You don’t have to be mean about it. What is she going to do? Is she an assassin here to kill the Regent?” said Cern with a smirk on her face.
“We can only hope,” said Cape with a sneer that comes after killing a small child.
The two women were very beautiful in their own ways. Cern was the gorgeous girl next door, while Cape was the evil countess widow with hundreds of husbands she had killed.
"I watch too much television," thought Carter to himself.
“Cape! Don’t let people hear you say that. You may be the Commander of the Guard, but she has hurt people for saying less,” said Cern as she hit Cape on her shoulder.
Carter rubbed his chest gently and knew this to be a fact. “I’m just hungry,” said Carter.
“There you go. She’s just hungry. Let’s get her some food and find out where she belongs,” said Cern as she hit Cape on the shoulder.
She grabbed Carter’s hand and dragged him to a wooden picnic table beside a big bonfire. Cape rolled her eyes several times and followed Cern. She sat down with a thud on the opposite side of Carter as Cern went to get their food. More guards were sitting at a nearby table, glancing occasionally at Carter. Carter made sure to hide his face from them.
"Are you ugly?" asked Cape as she touched Carter's hood.
"No," said Carter curtly.
Cern placed a cup of water, meat, and potatoes on a plate in front of Carter and herself. She sat beside him and started eating.
"Hey, where is my food wife?" asked Cape concernedly.
"You have two legs. Go get it yourself, wife" said Cern with a sadistic smile.
"Your little vagabond has two legs, too, and yet you got her food," said Cape as she stood up.
"Leave her alone," said Cern.
Carter took small bites of the food and little sips of the water. The meat was bland, and the water was dirty, but his appetite allowed him to choke it down. He kept his head down, letting his hooded coat cover his face as he ate. Carter looked up occasionally to see if any of the Royal family was looking for him. After eating half the plate of food, he looked up again and saw another person across from him that wasn’t Cape. She was wearing the same hooded cloak as Carter was. A strand of blue hair fell out as she lifted her hood slightly to be able to see Carter. A bright smile came from Princess Caroline’s face as their eyes met.
Cern gasped and whispered, “Princess Caroline, you shouldn’t be out here.”
Caroline looked away from Carter and towards Cern, who was still chastising her. Princess Caroline was very beautiful. Carter wasn’t into women yet but knew beauty when he saw it.
“This is the perfect place. My two personal guards are sitting at this table, ready to protect me,” said Caroline as she placed her hood over her face again.
“Besides, that dreadful party inside is awful,” she added.
"What are they celebrating tonight?" asked Cape as she chuckled and bit into a large piece of meat.
"The King's consort, Raven, has gone into labor and will have her child before morning," said Princess Caroline.
Cern looked over to Cape, and they both gave each other a small smile. Cape extended her hand and placed it on Cern's.
Princess Caroline smiled at that gesture of love.
Carter went back to eating his food. Caroline reached over and grabbed one of Carter’s legs of meat from his plate. Cern and Cape looked at each other and frowned.
“Are you hungry, Princess? We can get you some food,” said Cern.
“No, thank you, Cern. This will be enough,” said Caroline. Cern looked back toward Cape with concern.
“Beg your pardon, Princess, but do you know this person?” asked Cern.
“Yeah, she ran away from me when she shouldn’t have,” answered Caroline with a stern look on her face.
“Who is she?” asked Cape.
“It's none of your business. I’ve come to take her back into the castle. I just thought it would have been harder to find her since Regent said she ran away,” said Princess Caroline with what Carter would call an arrogant attitude.
“Oh, she’s a friend of yours?” asked Cern.
“But you don’t have any friends,” said Cape bluntly. Cern leaned over and smacked Cape over the head with her hand.
“Well, I do now,” said Princess Caroline, pointing her tongue out at Cape.
“Ow!” said Cape while rubbing her head.
.
Cern placed her attention back to Princess Caroline. “That’s great! What is your friend's name?” said Cern.
While Carter was eating, his head bobbed back and forth from each person in the conversation. He now stared at Caroline in anticipation of what her answer was going to be.
“Camille,” said Princess Caroline, proud of herself for thinking up a name on the spot.
“The same name as your chicken?” Cape said with a little smirk.
Cern stood up for the second time and hit Cape over the head with her hand.
“Ow, again! I’m starting to think that this is an abusive relationship,” said Cape.
“Only when you say stupid things, which I’m beginning to think is all the time,” said Cern.
Carter smiled under his hood, eating the last mouthful of potatoes on his plate. These two guards were fun.
“Camille is a wonderful name,” said Cern as she patted Carter’s hand with hers.
“Thank you,” said Caroline. She looked down at Carter’s plate and noticed it was now empty.
“We need to get back to the Castle, Camille,” added Caroline as she stood up. Carter was waiting for this person named Camille to answer Princess Caroline.
“Camille? That’s you,” said Caroline as she pointed at Carter.
“Oh, yes, of course,” said Carter as he stood up, pulling his hood back down.
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“Thanks for the meal, Cern and Cape,” said Carter as he bowed down as a sign of respect.
“You’re welcome, little Camille, a friend of Princess Caroline,” said Cern. Cape still had her hand covering her head. Carter let out another little laugh.
Carter and Caroline walked towards the back door, holding hands. “Something’s off about Camille,” said Cape.
“I’m just glad Princess Caroline has found a friend,” said Cern with a smile.
“Friend? More like a Thrall,” said Cape.
“That, too,” retorted Cern. They both went back to drinking and laughing with their friends and forgot all about Camille.
A secret knock later, Princess Caroline and Carter were entering the Castle's kitchen. Carter was amazed at all the castle’s employees working very hard in the kitchen. The noise was almost deafening. One lady wearing an apron screamed out orders to the other workers. Caroline kept pulling Carter forward, ignoring the inquiries about who they were and the insults thrown towards them.
She pulled him down another hallway towards a grand staircase, where two servants were waiting at the bottom. The room containing the staircase was large and probably had an ostentatious name like Reception Room Twelve. Party noises murmured from a room far away.
“Princess Caroline?” said the dark-haired woman. She was a little bit shorter than Caroline.
“Yes, it is me, Ursa. This is my friend Camille. If she needs anything, you two shall accommodate her. Understood?” said Princess Caroline.
“Yes, Princess,” said the two servants in unison as they bowed their heads.
Caroline looked at Carter and said, "If you need anything, just ask Ursa or Rita, and they will provide it."
Ursa's hair was curly and blonde, reaching past her shoulders. At twelve years old, Carter could meet her gaze without looking up. Her face was soft and tan, with little freckles around her nose.
Carter looked over at Rita; she had dark red hair down to her stomach, with strands of her hair in several long braids. Her most notable feature was her red eyes. Carter had never seen red eyes before. Rita and Ursa wore short skirts, exposing their shapely legs, and both wore what looked like a maid's uniform to Carter.
Carter stopped staring at the women's outfits and quietly asked, “Do you have anything to heal a large burn?”
Caroline turned her face towards Carter and said, “Camille? Did you get hurt swimming this morning?”
“Not really,” said Carter as he lowered his head.
“How big is the wound?” asked Rita with a big smile and twinkling red eyes. As Carter looked at Ursa and Rita, they both had big smiles. Carter opened his coat, exposing the wound to the air. A pain rippled through his chest.
"That looks horrible," said Rita as she reached to touch the blistered wound but quickly pulled her hand back. “I’ll go get a healing potion,” she added as she ran off.
Carter closed his coat again. “That looks like a magic fireball wound,” said Caroline. Her face started to twist into a grimace.
“You didn’t run off, did you? The Regent did this, didn’t she? I’ll make her pay!” said Princess Caroline as she balled up her hands into fists.
“Princess, please stop talking like that. You know the Regent has too much power. Just calm down,” said Ursa.
Ursa grabbed Caroline’s and Carter’s hands and pulled them up the stairs. “Calm down,” repeated Ursa. Ursa’s hand wasn’t as soft as Caroline’s, noted Carter.
They reached the top of the staircase and walked down a dimly lit hallway to the first large wooden door. Ursa let go of their hands and pushed open the door. Caroline walked through, visually upset. Ursa grabbed Carter’s hand again and beckoned him inside the bedroom door. He followed Ursa into Caroline's room, which had a large desk, a canopy bed, and an abundance of dolls staring at him from all corners.
“Spooky,” he thought to himself.
“I just don’t understand why the King lets her get away with everything,” said Caroline as she jumped up on her bed and sat down. It was the most enormous bed Carter had ever seen. It also had dolls on it.
“She is a powerful and brilliant wizard. The King values her wisdom and allows her some leeway. Perhaps Camille did something she was not supposed to,” said Ursa as she looked away from Carter.
“Is that true, Camille?” said Princess Caroline.
“I didn’t want to stay on the carriage,” said Carter, shrugging his shoulders.
Caroline said, "Even so, that does not justify her lashing out at him."
“Camille looks well, and we’ll fix her up nicely with the healing potion,” said Ursa. “We just need to forget about the Regent and take care of Camille.”
“Where is Rita with that healing potion?” asked Caroline impatiently.
“Right here, Princess Caroline. I could only find a light wound healing potion,” said Rita as she slipped into the room and closed the door.
"That should be good enough. Healing potions are quite rare and costly. I'm surprised there was still one left," said Ursa.
Rita had a small bottle and a small rag. “Let’s get your clothes off,” said Rita as she walked over towards Carter.
“Um, can I do it myself?” asked Carter.
“Are you shy?” said Caroline with a small smile.
“A little,” said Carter as he looked down. "Very shy. Plus, I'm afraid you'll find a surprise you won't like," thought Carter.
“Fine, the bathroom is over there,” said Caroline, pointing to a narrow door across the room.
Rita handed Carter the bottle and the rag, saying, “Just pour the potion over the wound and clean the blood off with the rag. Don't drink it.”
“Thank you,” said Carter as he walked towards the bathroom.
“Hold on a second,” said Caroline. Carter turned around and saw the Princess digging through a pile of clothes on the ground.
“You can wear these,” said Caroline, walking towards Carter with a handful of dirty clothes.
“Um, thanks,” said Carter.
“They aren’t dirty if that’s what you’re thinking. These are the clothes I wear when I want to sneak outside and not be noticed. I’ve only worn them once,” said Caroline.
Carter grabbed them from Caroline’s outstretched hands and looked at them. They were brown and dark green, nothing fancy at all.
“Thank you,” said Carter, and he walked into the bathroom and closed the door. He took his clothes off and looked down at his wound.
“Ouch,” he thought.
It was kind of hard to see the extent of the damage of his wound in this darkened room. Only a tiny candle was burning on a table in the corner. Carter looked around for a mirror and found none. He shrugged his shoulders and hoped for the best.
He grabbed the small bottle and started to pour the contents into his chest wound. When the liquid touched the wound, it started healing, and he could feel the magic seep into his body. That little place in his body, maybe his stomach or heart, also felt warm as the magic traveled through his body. It was a different feeling than the fireball spell the Regent fired at him; it was a separate and distinct feeling. His wound had started bleeding again and was only about halfway healed. He placed the rag on the wound and cleaned the blood that had spilled out of his wound.
“Is it working?” said Ursa through the door.
“Yes,” answered Carter. He felt that Rita had taken this potion without permission from someone, and to get more would be problematic. “I need just a few more moments to get dressed,” said Carter.
“Okay,” said Ursa as she nervously walked back and forth.
He placed the rag on top of his wound and started to put on the clothes that Caroline gave him. They were tight around the waist and a little too long, but they at least would stay on. After he got his cloak and hood on, Carter decided to push that feeling of magic he got from the healing potion and see if he could do the same thing he did with the fireball. He closed his eyes and started pushing the feeling to the surface of his body. He opened his eyes as the fireball was beginning to exit his body. He stopped and pulled the magic back in at the last moment.
“Ouch...that hurt,” he murmured, falling to his knees. "Stopping magic was a painful experience," thought Carter as a wave of pain pushed through his body.
He bit his bottom lip. “Wrong magic, try again,” said Carter quietly as he pulled himself up.
He grabbed the other feeling from his stomach and brought that to the surface. A white glow appeared and covered his whole hand. He touched his chest, and the white glow seeped under his clothes. His chest started to feel a lot better. After a few moments, all the pain went away. He lifted his shirt and peeled the blood-covered rag off his chest. The wound was gone. He decided at this point to call the feelings in his stomach spells. He had two spells now: Fireball and Heal. I wonder if learning spells is as easy for the inhabitants of this world. His head became foggy, and he fell to the floor upon his knees again.
“This must be backlash for casting spells,” thought Carter. The Regent called her fireball a cantrip, probably the same as a spell, thought Carter. He noticed that his mind wasn't as hazy with the healing spell this time as it was with the fireball spell, and the magical reverberation disappeared quickly.
The door burst open; Ursa, Caroline, and Rita came running in and saw Carter kneeling on the floor. “Are you hurt?” said Ursa as she grabbed Carter and lifted him off the floor.
“It wasn’t enough healing potion, was it?” said Rita as she tugged on her long, red braid.
Princess Caroline didn't wait for Carter's answer. She walked around to Carter’s front and lifted his shirt, exposing his chest to the women.
“How?” asked Princess Caroline. Ursa and Rita looked down at Carter’s chest and saw it was completely healed.
"That potion was good, but not that good. No scar?” asked Ursa as she placed her hand on Carter's peck.
Carter grabbed his shirt and pulled it down. He was embarrassed by the scrutiny of his naked chest. “I need to go pee. Can I use it without you barging in on me?” said Carter.
“What is this word 'pee'?” asked Caroline with a perplexed look. The other women were waiting for an answer, too.
“Use the bathroom,” said Carter. His sister would correct him each time, too.
“Oh, you have to piss,” said Princess Caroline.
Carter frowned, aware that the term was vulgar on his planet. "Yes," he responded.
Caroline pointed towards a tiny room by the wall and said, “The garderobe is there, and the pail of water is here. Plus, you're probably not used to this. There is soap!”
“Soap?” said Carter with a weird look on his face.
"Is this considered a luxury in this world? She said it with such excitement. Does royalty only use soap? " thought Carter.
The two servants started to giggle at Carter’s dismay.
“Do you need help?” asked Rita.
“No,” said Carter. He held out his hands and started pushing the girls towards the doorway.
As they were pushed out of the door, Ursa remarked, "You're quite strong for a little girl."
Carter closed the door, fell to the floor, and allowed the door to keep him upright. The room was lit by a lone candle, creating a spooky flickering on the walls. He let out a quiet grunt as he pushed himself off the floor. Carter slowly walked over to the hole-in-the-wall room and investigated the royal toilet. He noticed it was just a wooden seat with a hole in the middle. To put it politely, he felt a breeze from the hole, carrying a hint of fecal odor.
“It smells like a port-a-potty," he mused to himself. Carter grabbed the seat and tried to pull it up, but it was not budging.
“So much for lifting the seat,” mumbled Carter to himself.
He tried to look down into the darkness of the toilet hole but saw nothing. He urinated through the opening, not caring how this simple toilet worked. After he was finished, he looked around the bathroom. He walked over to a bucket of water on the floor with a small bar of 'luxury' soap beside it. He took a whiff, and it smelled like nothing. He bent over the bucket, washed his hands in the water, and then contemplated that this was probably considered a fancy bathroom.
He sat up, put his hood on, and left through the door. Princess Caroline was sitting at her desk as Carter exited the bathroom.
“Ready to go to the party? The Queen insisted we go,” said Princess Caroline as she stood up and smiled at Carter. Knowing he had no choice, Carter said, “Okay”. It was dark outside, and he was surprised they could go to a party this late at night.
“A proper lady will say yes, not okay,” said Caroline, still having a smile on her face.
“Yes, Princess Carolina,” said Carter.
"That's Princess Caroline. There is no 'a' on the end," said Caroline with a smile. She sort of like it said that way, but she wouldn't tell Camille. She had to be in charge of her little thrall.