The Curse and the Traveler's

[poohlive]

"A long time ago, we shared a world with a group of fairies. These aren't the fairies you think of in your stories, small sprites with wings. These were people more like elves, nymphs of the forest that lived alongside us.

"One of our princes fell in love with one of these fairies. He was out riding one day, and he saw her. One look and he knew she had to be his. He talked with his father, who talked with the leader of the fairies, but the fairies said no. The fairies did not want to mix the races. Humans, to them were dumb and cruel. They had no magic, and were too quick to anger. It would not be a good mix. The young prince was in love though, and he could not stand them not being together.

"So, he called the King's armies, and raided the fairy village, taking the girl he loved so much back with him. He loved her, raped her, and made her his own. The fairy king was outraged... this was his own daughter. He went to war with the whole world of humans, fighting them all. Because humans did not have magic, they were powerless. The fairies won, nearly wiping the entire human population out.

"For the royal family, the king, the prince, the servants and maids, everyone who was in the last castle on the planet, it was not death, but banishment. The fairy king banished them to this un-world, a place in the universe that has no home of its own, but is rather a gateway between worlds. The Fairy King banned us here, placing a curse upon the royal bloodline. Until we found a true love, and married her, and she accepted us for who we were, we could never return back home. We were destined to stay here, forever.

"Which is why, with each generation, each young prince, we search all the worlds, for the one princess that can lift the curse. The one girl who can finally send us back home, and fall in love with the prince. That is why with each princess that comes to us, we are so hopeful, so excited. We think this is the time we may finally be able to go home. We can once more see our home world. That is why so many people put their hopes and dreams on you. You are the only one that can lift the curse.

"The fairy woman, whom the prince took, helped us a little bit after our people were banished from the Fair King. She told us how to open portals, about fairy rings. These are circles that, when activated, are doorways between the worlds. Each prince is taught at a young age how to look for them, and what to do inside them. I've been to your world since I was about 6 or so. And that is why I picked you. I saw you, staring at our world. It was off there in the distance, just beyond the horizon. No one ever saw it before, but you did. I kept watching you, as the years went on... and I feel in love with you. I knew you were the one. You were the only one that could see our world, see the magic that was there. I knew you could lift the curse once and for all."

 

[caela]

Skye listened quietly as David told the story of the Fairy Princess and the Prince who loved her so selfishly. It was a sad tale and for the first time she actually understood why people in this strange place glanced at her with such looks of awe and treated her so deferentially. They hoped she'd end their banishment.

"No pressure there," she murmured under her breath as she pulled her robe tighter around her. Looking up to meet his gaze her brain clicked back to something else he'd said while explaining why he'd brought her here.

"Did...did you just say you love me?" she asked, her eyes wide and slightly disbelieiving. He couldn't love her could he? Oh granted he'd been watching her a long time but that didn't mean he knew her well enough to love her.

Suddenly she felt a shiver of panic run through her body. She didn't know how to deal with love, her life had most been devoid of it and she couldn't even remember the last time someone had said they loved her! Biting her lower lip sharply she tried to quell her panic with a sharp burst of pain.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Serena awoke, and quickly moved from her place on the bed with Maximillion. She hurriedly straightened the covers and left the room. Her first thoughts were that someone may have seen her sleeping next to him, so she quickly moved herself to the farthest part of the castle, and began to read one of the many books, that were in the castle libraries.

"What was I thinking?" she asked herself, as she moved the pages of the book of maps, slowly. Her eyes rested on each page, but she really didn't study them. Her heart was heavy, she was to be married, and she had not yet flirted or found someone to teach her how to flirt. Max was still ill, David had to be with Skye, and she was waiting for a man that she would wed, as soon as he got to her land.

She began to dream of Skye's world, and wondered if she studied more, if perhaps she could return, and flirt there. She would protect herself better, and she would be quiet and demur. Serena allowed the thoughts to grow. Everyone was busy here at the castle, and she couldn't expect to be needed once Skye found her place in the castle, Max would be married to some royal or some nobleman, so she wouldn't even have him to speak with.

The pages of the map called out to her, and she looked upon them. They were maps of several places that the generations before her had traveled. She now knew how to get home, she remembered the small pea thing that David had in his pocket, "I wonder where he keeps those?" she thought to herself, as she looked at the maps.

 

[poohlive]

"I do love you, I know it may be hard to understand, but that's the only reason I picked you."

David went over to her, holding her hands in his own, a soft smile on his face, "For the longest time, people thought the only way to lift the curse was to find the strongest woman with magic they could. They would bring her here, and marry with the prince. Only someone strong in magic could lift the curse. Each time it happened though, the curse was never lifted. So, that's why Max and I found a different theory. We deicded to choose someone, not who was the strongest, but simply one that I loved. Even mother and Father do not know. They all think you are the most magical woman we could find. Max and I have done this on our own.

"I love you Skye. I have ever since I first saw you. I watched you on that beach so many afternoon's, stood near you... walked in your footsteps once you had gone. I left shells for you to find, rare ones. I hoped you would pick them up, put them somewhere safe. That's why I think I act so weird in front of you. For me... I'm already in love, for me there is no question. There is only you."

 

[caela]

Skye didn't know what to say or what to do. Her fingers lay gently in his hands and she didn't seek to pull them away but neither did she hold his hands in return. The soft look in his eyes both soothed and frightened her. That look more than his words told her that he truly believed he loved her, a fact she found both wonderful and terrifying.

She had indeed found the shells he'd left for her and she had a large box of them safely cleaned and wrapped under her bed back in her own world. Each one had been tenderly cared for and preserved because each was unique and she'd never found their like again. Even when she tried to look them up in the library she couldn't find many of the listed and now she knew why. They hadn't come from her world but had been left there as gifts for her.

Confusion ran across her face as she gently drew her hands away and pulled her knees up to her chest, her arms wrapping tightly around them as if she drew in upon herself. Her voice sounding much like a lost little girl when at last she spoke, "Why? Why would you think you love me David? My own parents didn't, why should you?" Not wanting him to see the pain those words caused as she spoke them she turned her head to the side, her cheek resting on top of her knees as she blinked back tears.

 

[poohlive]

"I know I do. I wouldn't have picked you from all those other women if I didn't know in my heart I love you. I wish I could explain it to you how you want to hear it. You love things to be logical and rational, you want these long drawn out explanations, but I can't do that with how I feel about you. Just... every time I see you I want to do what I did the first day, I want to kiss you, and hold you, and take care of you, and tell you everything is going to be ok."

And David knew he had overstepped his bounds now. He hated doing this, telling her everything, opening up to her so much. She asked for it, and in a way he wanted to tell her, but in all honesty, he thought it better to leave her in the dark. Let her find her own way, love him, and they could have gotten married without any of this breaking the surface.

Too later, now she knew.

"I just know, it's you. Even if we didn't have this curse, even if the fate of my entire world didn't lay on you, I would still love you, and want to marry you."

 

[caela]

Skye couldn't decide which was harder to believe...that she'd been transported into another world or that this man loved her. Both seemed highly improbable to her. He was so earnest though and that touched her, calming her somewhat.

Lifting her head from her knees she looked up at him and reached out, her fingers lightly brushing his cheek while tears glimmered in her eyes though she tried to blink them away.

"That is the sweetest, kindest thing anyone has ever said to me David. Thank you."

She didn't know what else to say and let her hand flutter away from his cheek to wrap around her knees again. Resting her cheek on her knees once more she let her tears slide quietly down her cheeks trying to make sense of what he'd told her. In her mind it just didn't make sense. She'd grown up in an environment devoid of love and friends. She hadn't really known just how much she might have been missing though until she came here. She'd never realized how lonely she'd been until she came here. It had all just seemed normal.

She knew she'd never be able to go back now, the lonliness would kill her.

"I...I'm sorry David. You tell me the sweetest thing on earth and all I can do is cry. You deserve better than a mess of a girl like me."

 

[poohlive]

"And you deserve bettern than someone from another planet that practically kidnapped you. A prince who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and knows nothing of the real world. But, I don't think it's a matter of whether or not we deserve better. We found each other... I had to look through a whole universe, but I found the woman I love, and I'm not going to let her go."

David hugged her, pressing into her, letting her cry on his own shoulder.

"It doesn't matter, I won't let you go. I refuse to."

 

[caela]

David hugged her, pressing into her, letting her cry on his own shoulder.

For a moment she stiffened but gradually she relaxed against him and nestled her head into his shoulder. She let her tears flow freely until they slowly abated leaving her red eyed and sniffling. She knew she'd look like a total mess now - crying always made her look aweful - but she didn't really care. Long after she had stopped crying she remained curled against David trying to remember the last time she'd felt cared for...safe.

"It doesn't matter, I won't let you go. I refuse to."

Lifting her head she managed a small smile up at him, "Yeah, you say that now. Just wait til I really start to drive you batty. In a month you'll be wondering what the hell you were thinking to bring me here."

 

[only_more_so]

Max turned in his sleep which quickly brought him to full consciousness as the pain ripped through his side. As his muscles relaxed the pain slowly ebbed and he realized that his mind was clear for the first time since the fight.

Lying on his right side but some strain on his wounded left flank, but it felt good to be lying in a different position. He extended his left arm tentatively under the covers and tried to stretch his side gently. His fingers did not encounter the expected cool sheets, however. They were warm and there seemed to be a slight depression in the matress, as if someone had recently lain there.

The pillow next to him seemed similarly disturbed, even if the bedding seemed to indicate that no one had been laying next to him. He was about to shrug it off as his imagination when he noticed a long hair on the pillow next to him. It was too dark in the room to tell the color, but it was definately not his.

Max again felt beneath the sheets and reassured himself that his clothing, well undergarments, were intact. Although how a girl could do anything without him screaming in pain he didn't know. Sighing, Max consigned it to a mystery for another day.

Feeling somewhat restless, Max pushed himself into a sitting position despite the protests from his wounds. With his right arm on the bedpost and the left holding his side, he slowly swung his legs to the floor.

The movement caused him to realize a certain pressure in his bowels and bladder. Eventually he managed to undo the cotton undershorts and maneuver the bedpan from the nightstand into a suitable position. After much sweating and gritting of teeth through the pain, he completed his abulutions and with a shaking hand returned the pan to the table and recovered it.

At this point his meager supply of strenght left him and he collapsed back onto the bed with his feet still on the floor next to his undershorts.

 

[poohlive]

"Are you kidding," David said, hugging her tighter, "I've put up with all this and am still here. You think after a few more of your outbursts I'd just head for the door? You're going to have to face it, hun, you are stuck with me."

David kissed her forehead, his brow furrowed, "And I'm stuck with you. That's just how it is from now on. I wouldn't have it any other way."

 

[caela]

Skye giggled at the kiss to her forhead and snuggled in against him. It felt surprisingly good to be held gently and told she mattered. It gave her a warm, content feeling that she didn't want to go away.

"Well if we're stuck with each other maybe we should set up a few rules, well guidelines, to help me through the whole culture shock thing, " glancing up at him she gave him an impish grin. "Guidelines about things like when you can walk into the bathroom on me and when you can't."

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Serena pulled out several different maps. One was of Skye's world Earth, one was of a place called Vulcan, and a space colony called Terra Venture. She tucked them in the pockets of her skirt, then returned the map book back to the shelf.

The hour was growing later in the afternoon, and she hurried to move back to her room. She passed a few other servants, that waved and smiled at her. Several suddenly seemed to need to speak with her concerning trival matters. Serena acted as normal as she could, which to her meant a nervousness that had her talking faster, nodding harder, and smiling wider.

Soon she made it back to her room, opened the door, and leaned against it. Her back to the door, she breathed hard trying to catch her breath. She looked around the room, and noted no serving maids. She saw Max on the bed, then took a step to her desk, only to stop short, and feel a heated blush burn her cheeks.

Her eyes looked back to her friend, and her jaw dropped, "Oh my!" She closed her eyes and turned toward the bed. Squitting through her long lashes she clumsily walked toward Max's unconsious and partially naked bed. Looking as best she could without really looking, she pushed the bedpan away, with her foot, and then bit her lip. "Damn," she quickly covered her mouth.

She took a deep breath, closed one eye completely tight, then bent down and pulled up Max's underclothes. Her fingers grazed across his skin, and she felt the firm muscles of his legs. Serena felt her face burning and her body beginning to heat from the embarrassment of the situation. Soon she had wiggled the clothing back up his thighs.

Stepping back she closed both her eyes, looked at his form quickly, then bit her lip once more. "Damn, damn, shit... ohh this isn't fair Max!" she told him, though she knew he couldn't hear her. She reached down and turned his body to one side, while she worked to pull his shorts up to the left, then she moved him to the other side and wiggled his clothes to the right.

Taking a deep breath, his body of muscle outweighing hers, she pulled the shorts up high over his ass. Then she looked over her handy work and crossed her arms. "No, absolutely not! Wake up Max, right now!" she told him. Over and over she yelled to him, but nothing happened. "Max," she heard a whine come from her, "I'll never forgive you!" She closed her eyes, grabbed his sex, and pushed it into his shorts. Then she quickly moved him back to lie on the bed.

Taking a deep breath she hurried to the door. She waited a moment, and went to find a maid. "Go get the young doctor, tell him, that Max has stirred and may have reopened his wounds. "Then go to my room, and stay with him, until I return."

Sophia ran to the ponds, and removed her clothing, to quickly plunge herself deep into the cool water. She made laps of the pond over and over, until she felt the embarrassment of the whole situation try and erase itself from her mind. "Never, ever, ever again!"

 

[only_more_so]

Max woke up to the doctor checking his wound. He was lying back on the bed propped up on the pillows. He was also fully dressed again. Maybe it was just a hallucination.

"So you're awake again. You really shouldn't have gotten up without help."

"Then I guess it wasn't a dream. Sorry that you had to see me like that, but I suppose it goes with the territory, right doctor?"

"So you got a bit sloppy with the bedpan, not such a big deal."

"But..." Max left the thought unspoken. "So how long until I am fully mobile?"

"Well, you should definately stay in bed today, I think you have had enough exercise for today. I still don't understand how you princes seem to bounce back from injuries so quickly. I was there when your father got a spear straight through his shoulder and he was back at work a month later. Anyway, tomorrow we are going to have you walk around some, feel it out. For now you should rest.

"Thanks Doctor."

As the doctor left Max tried to figure out who had redressed him. He quickly realized it must have been Serena. She probably hadn't seen him naked since he was a kid, but surely... Well maybe not. Oh no...

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Serena climbed from the pond, and made her way to shore where she used her cotton slip to dry her skin, and then she got dressed. The maps still crinkled in her pockets of the dress. She pulled her clothes back on, and squeezed out the excess water from her hair.

Sighing she headed back to the castle to grab something for her late day snack, seeing as lunch was long gone. She was angry with herself, she needed to get back to feed Max, and find out if the doctor needed her to do anything.

Making her way through the kitchen, she gathered up the tray, and bowl of stew and tea for Max, and chewed on the fruit of the Yadda tree, as she made her way to her room.

Squaring her shoulders she opened the door, and plastered an artificial smile on her face. "Something for you to eat Maximillion, and you'll need to eat it all." She set the food on the table beside him, and moved it closer to the side of the bed. Her face blushed as she quickly glanced down the length of him, then she hurridly looked at his face, "What did the doctor have to say?"

 

[poohlive]

"I never understood that one. You seem so embarassed, you have an incredible body you know, why would you want to hide it all the time, and feel ashamed? We have the regular bathes where men and women are in there all the time together. It is great, I usually go in there three or four times a..."

David gave a sheepish grin, "Well, nevermind. If that's what you want, I will stay away from your bathroom chamber. In fact, I'll stay away whenever you want. We can work on a system of when I can and can't see you. And, you can tell me more about your culture, and what you think is right and wrong for us to do. I just want you to feel more comfortable."

 

[caela]

"I never understood that one. You seem so embarassed, you have an incredible body you know, why would you want to hide it all the time, and feel ashamed? We have the regular bathes where men and women are in there all the time together. It is great, I usually go in there three or four times a..."

Skye chuckled softly and arched one eyebrow as his sentence trailed off and he grinned sheepishly. When he said they could make a schedule of when he could and couldn't see he she couldn't help but laughing and patted his knee gently.

"First, I'm not ashamed of my body. In my world though taking a bath instead of a shower is often a moment of luxury. It's a quiet time to simply relax and reflect and many of us prefer to do so in private with only the sound of our own thoughts.

And nudity isn't quite so casual in my world. We tend to only let those closest to us see us fully naked. It's an act of intamicy for us, a sign of trust, to bare yourself before someone.

Second, we don't need a schedule. Just do me a favor and knock first is all I ask.

And third...thank you for the compliment."

The last was said quietly, in the voice of one not used to recieving such compliments at all and almost startled to have gotten this one. Looking up she pressed a small kiss to David's cheek and smiled warmly to him.

 

[poohlive]

"Being naked is not all about sex," David said, a laugh on his lips, "Come on... I'll show you."

He grapsed her hand in his own, and took her out of her room, down the hall.

"There is a small pond outside the walls. It is warm, and no one ever goes there. It will just be you and me. We can bath and swim, and do whatever we want. With or without clothes... come on."

 

[caela]

"There is a small pond outside the walls. It is warm, and no one ever goes there. It will just be you and me. We can bath and swim, and do whatever we want. With or without clothes... come on."

Skye blinked as she followed David down the hallway. Her hand felt warm in his but what was he talking about? Surely he didn't seriously mean to take her skinny dipping in some pond where anyone could see them?! She didn't fully believe it until he pushed open a door and they stepped outside.

It was then she realized that all she was wearing was a robe. The grass felt cool and soft under her feet and she laughed softly. It wasn't quite as good as warm sand sliding between her toes but it was a close second.

The pond was a pretty little thing and sparkled merrily as if inviting them into it which made her smile. Walking to the edge she dipped just her feet in before sitting down on the grassy bank.

"All right Mister Unmodest. You first," she said with a small smirk and an obvious glance at his clothes.

 

[poohlive]

"I'll show you," He said, his shirt falling to the soft ground beneath them. He had a slim build, not muscular, but toned. A prince's body, a man who had spent his life working out and training to one day rule a kingdom.

His pants followed suit, and then a small cloth of underwear. He smiled up at her, seeing her blush. She really did have a thing about being naked.

"See! nothing special or fancy. I'm sure you've seen it all before."

David went up to kiss her on the lips, small and intimate, and then a wicked grin as he dove into the water.

 

[caela]

Skye's eyes went wide as David did indeed strip. She hadn't really thought he would and she knew from the heat in them that her cheeks were turning a bright shade of red. Men just didn't strip out of their clothes and go for a swim damnit! He should have been bluffing!

"See! nothing special or fancy. I'm sure you've seen it all before."

At that she bit her lower lip until he pressed a small kiss to her lips and dove into the water. Honestly she hadn't seen it all before. Well only once anyway and that had been a mistake. Turning her head until he was far enough out that the water hid most of him she quietly splashed her feet in the shallow water by the bank of he pond but made no move to join him.

 

[poohlive]

"Chickening out now?" David said, moving closer to her. His hands coming out to play with the bottoms of her feet under the water.

"Look around, there is no one here but us... and I have already seen you naked. See, when I close my eyes, I can just picture you back in the bath."

David closed his eyes, and slowly his cheeks grew red, "Oh yeah."

He opened them just long enough to wink, and then closed them again.

"So, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Please... pretty please, with sugar on top."

 

[caela]

"Chickening out now?" David said, moving closer to her. His hands coming out to play with the bottoms of her feet under the water.

"Hey!" Skye said, laughter lacing her voice as she pulled her feet back from David. "Stop that it tickles!" she said as she kicked water up splashing him playfully.

"Look around, there is no one here but us... and I have already seen you naked. See, when I close my eyes, I can just picture you back in the bath."

Oh god! Even though his eyes were closed she could feel her own cheeks blushing, especially when he murmured 'Oh yeah'. It was obvious he enjoyed the mental image he'd generated of her and that only made her cheeks flush even hotter. This entire situation was surreal. Prince's did not go around trying to persuade strange women to go skinny dipping in a pond behind their castle...did they?

Well obviously this one did.

"David stop that! You shouldn't be picturing me that way," she said in the haughtiest voice she could muster, as she kicked more water at him, but she could hear the laughter tinging her voice.

"So, you have nothing to be embarrassed about. Please... pretty please, with sugar on top."

Just laughing and shaking her head she shrugged finally and stood up. He was right, he had already seen her naked and since the damage was done was there any reason not to enjoy a leisurly swim? Letting the robe slide down her arms she quickly dove into the warmth of the water and swam toward the opposite side of the pond.

 

[only_more_so]

Max smiled as Serena came in bearing a tray with stew and tea. The smell made him realize how hungry he was for solid, or at least relatively solid food.

"Thanks Serena. I'm starving."

Maximillian ate a few large spoonfools of stew quickly, and gulped down some food. He stopped briefly and realized he should go slowly, and filled Serena in on what the doctor had said.

"He said that I'm doing remarkably well. I think it is part of the curse, but the royal family is endowed with a remarkable constitution. He said I have to stay in bed the rest of today, but I'm going to be walking tomorrow."

He thought for a moment, and decided to have a little fun with Serena, since he was pretty sure she was the one who left the hair on his pillow. "That is, I have to stay in bed resting," Maximillian said with a wink. He followed it up with a loud slurp of his stew.

 

[RedHairedandFriendly]

Serena's eyes widened and her face blushed considerably. "Well, I'm ... ummmm," she swallowed nervously, "I'm glad to hear that Max. I was very worried about you."

She had decided to try and ignore that she had seen him in the nude, it wasn't truly important, she had after all gone swimming with him, and his brother many times, in fact, she really didn't need to be embarrassed.

Watching him eat his meal, she found her mind wandering to the moment when she had to accept she was going to have to look at him to get him dressed, let alone touch him also. She blushed redder as she realized she had been staring at his body, and she quickly scurried over to the other side of the room.

"I'm sure you'll be more then happy to get out of this room, it is stuffy, and not at all as nice as yours."

She twisted the folds of her gown in her hands, and felt the sweat of them on her palm. Why was she suddenly so nervous around him? Serena looked outside, and opened the window slightly allowing a bit of the rain to hit her face, and soak into her hair. "I'm sure you'll be wanting to speak with David and Skye sometime also. They both have been worried about you." She had not yet told him about the medicine that had probably helped his speedy recovery.