To Cure Them Both (Closed for Rubicante)

[White_Jade]

Two Months Ago

The house was not a large one, but larger than many in the crown city of Lior, particularly for the neighborhood it was in. A neighborhood of craftsmen and artisans, all with living space above and shops below, housing the crafters' families and their apprentices. All save this house. For the one living there was the city's only practicing witch, and she lived alone, save for her son.

The inside shop was tidy and clean with various potions behind the counter and a work area for the witch's alchemy and brewing. Charms for good luck, fertility, and more hung on a rack near the door. None of them were locked up; which in another shop would be a sign of foolishness or madness. Here it was merely confidence. Only a fool would steal from a witch or dare to cross her.

It was in the well kept apartment above where this would again be proven. The witch sighed as she turned from the hearth with a steaming tea pot, pouring the water into a cup to steep. Lizette was a handsome woman in her fifties, hardly the ugly hag most people thought of when they heard the word witch, she was fit and had a nice matronly figure which the simple and unadorned peasant's dress she wore complimented. Her once blond hair was graying now, and her face was pained. "I'm sorry it ended this way, Ran."

At the table in the room, a younger man lifted his head from where he had been cradling it in his hands. His face was stricken and hurt, his features handsome and similar enough to the witch to show their relation. "You never wanted me there, Mother," he replied. He shook his head, "And you were right. I wouldn't blame you for saying so."

Secretly, she wanted to but it wouldn't help matters. His heartbreak was real enough. Instead, she simply ignored that part of the conversation, smoothing her dress as she looked down at him, "She denounced you in front of the entire court?"

Ran didn't answer at first, turning his steaming tea cup in his hands. Then he nodded, "She did. I had done all that she had asked, every challenge she presented, every test of my...my love." His voice shook slightly on the last word. "Then she read the letters she'd demanded I write aloud, scolded me for...for lusting after her, and then dismissed me. All in public view. After I...after all that I'd done to show that I loved her!"

His shoulders tensed and for a moment the witch thought me might rear up and hurl his tea cup across the room. Though he didn't do so, she did note that the hearth fire blazed up noticeably. "All my years at the palace are wasted now. The training and hard work, the contacts I made, the alliances, none of them will even speak to me now that the princess has scorned me and cast me out. I've wasted all this time, and all for someone who was just...just playing some game with me."

Lizette sat in the chair beside her son and put an hand on his shoulder. It made her heart ache to see him so unhappy. He felt such despair right now it was actually dangerous. With his magical talent, those feelings could cause great harm. "I'm sorry, Ran, that she wasn't what you thought. But don't think your time is wasted. You've learned much of the nobility and the way the kingdom works, and that has value. And the skills you've learned have their place and value." She paused, "Particularly if..." She trailed off, unsure of how to continue. This had been something of a bone of contention between them in the past.

"Yes, I...I suppose it would." Ran sat up straight in the chair and took a deep breath. "If I were to become a wizard myself, and seek employment with this kingdom." After a beat, he grimaced, "Or perhaps another."

"I know that you didn't want to hear about it last time," she said after another brief pause, "but Ello's offer to you is still open. He has yet to take an apprentice and remains very impressed with you."

Ran closed his eyes. "I wanted to be a knight...but maybe it wasn't supposed to be." He nodded and opened them, "All right. Please let him know that I accept his offer and will become his apprentice." He shook his head, "Getting away from here...from her...I think that's best right now." His voice was hollow and defeated and he stared down at the cup in his hands without seeing it.

Lizette rose and embraced her son as he sat there, feeling only misery at his broken heart and broken dreams. She felt a bit guilty, as this meant her own dreams for her son would be fulfilled, but to see him so hurt...

Princess Valeria Rune Altacea was about to learn why one didn't cross a witch.


Fourteen Days Ago

Princess Valeria Rune Altacea, Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Altacea, Duchess of Dunnoc, Jewel of the Kingdom, Light of Lior, and Rose of the Crown, was feeling decidedly strange today. It had started after that strange dream last night. The one where she'd heard that beautiful voice singing such bawdy, awful things about her, telling her that...well, it didn't bear thinking about! She'd started awake feeling suddenly afraid but, as everything seemed fine, she'd gone back to sleep.

But since then, she'd felt so...warm. Her clothes felt oddly constricting and tight. She was noticing the people around her in different ways; how soft and smooth the maids' skin was, how strong the guards hands looked, how fit and athletic the squires were as they practiced and trained. And above all, how much she felt a warm, wet ache in her "lady parts" that was getting stronger and stronger as the day went on.

The princess was reputed by many to be the beauty of the kingdom, and in truth, there would be few other contenders. She was strikingly lovely, with fine, delicate features, lush lips of an inviting pink, and large, expressive green eyes. Her hair was a glorious tumble of midnight black curls, shiny and sleek. Her figure was the envy of many and admired by far more; shapely, supple legs leading to round hips and a pert butt, a slender waist and taut stomach, and large, high, plush, pert breasts that seemed immune to gravity. The fact that as a girl of just 18, she had a few more years to grow to womanly perfection only made her beauty and lush body all the more desirable.

She stood int he library now, looking out a tall window at the palace grounds where the squires were training. She never cared to watch such things usually, unless she'd decided to play a courtly love game with one of them, but for some reason today, she couldn't stop watching them. Many of them had their shirts off; young, strong, manly bodies moving and muscle rippling under thin sheen of sweat as she watched. Gods, she wanted to run her hands over those muscles, feel those strong hands on her body, parting her legs, a long, hard-

She shook her head, blushing brightly. What was wrong with her? She was breathing faster, her breasts swelling in the corseted gown she wore. Gods, it felt so hot. She wanted to be out of it; out of it and feeling hands on her, mouths claiming her, and men's hard, hot-

"Nn!" She rapped a small fist on the windowsill hard, the brief pain breaking her line of thought. Valeria shook her head slowly, trying to will these feelings away, but they only seemed to get stronger. Gods, she would drown in them! Her body was trembling, her heart thudding in her chest, breath more rapid and ragged, her face flushed. She needed...needed something, someone, to let it all out!

"Princess Valeria?" The voice was a bit unsure and soft but it was a young man's voice. Behind her was a slender youth, maybe a year or two older than she, with mousy brown hair in a simple cut, and a pair of glasses perched on his nose. His clothes marked him as a scholar in the Royal College, and the epaulets and markings on his sleeve as one of the alchemists. "Your Highness, I'm pleased to see you here in the library," she never came here at all that he could remember, "but are you all right?"

Her trembling and rapid breath both stilled and she let out a soft, throaty giggle. Valeria turned from the window to look at him with smoldering eyes that were no longer green, but the deep color of red wine. "I've seen you before but I don't think I know your name." She swept towards him, her hand moving to the ties of her corset. The young man blinked, his eyes widening behind his glasses, gaping at her as she approached with a sultry smile. "I don't feel good. Like I'm going mad, and I'm so...so hot and empty." She pulled her corset loose and then yanked her dress down enough to let her tits bounce free. They were magnificent; soft and yet firm, plush, smooth, flawless mountains of flesh slightly bigger than her head. "But you'll help me feel full, won't you?"


Ten Days Ago

Valeria looked down at her hands, both folded in her lap, blushing and feeling utterly mortified. She sat in a richly carved and cushioned wooden chair in her father's Council chamber. Her father, King Altacea V, stood at the table's head with an aggravated, weary expression on his regal face.

They had acted quickly but there were still rumors floating about; rumors about the princess and a scholar in the library, the princess and one of her chambermaids, the princess and the two guards assigned to keep her in her chambers, the princess and the Lord Chamberlain and his wife, her godparents, and even a few others.

Also in the room were the Royal Alchemist and his apprentice, a young man with glasses and brown hair who steadfastly was not looking at the princess, as well as an older man and woman, each wearing the robes of a different priesthood. The King looked up at them, "What have you to report?"

The Royal Alchemist cleared his throat, "I am sure that the Princess has been cursed. Our tests on her hair and blood make it clear." The King nodded and the man went on, looking slightly nervous and embarrassed, "This curse is very strong and very clever. It will strike her at random and make her...ah, desire, very strongly, sex. The longer she resists the curse's compulsion, the greater the desire, until the curse will almost make her, ah, yes. Well. There is also a danger in resisting the curse." He sighed, "Once it has started pushing her, if she does not, ah, indulge or manages to resist for a full day...she will go mad."

Valeria made a soft whimper, drawing a hard look from her father, who silenced her with a raised hand. "How long will it last?"

The alchemist was silent for several long beats before he sighed, "Her whole life, Your Majesty. The curse will not naturally end or abate itself; it must be broken."

The king hung his head and then nodded, "Thank you. Holy Ones, can your divine magic remove this curse?"

The old man shook his head. He wore robes of deep blue and vibrant white and there was a faint clink of mail beneath them; though he was old, he was hale and hearty, strong in body and mind. "No, Your Majesty. I serve the God of Justice...and we cannot remove this curse, for it is just."

The woman nodded, she wore robes of green, and carried not even a staff or knife upon her, "Nor can we, Sire. The Goddess of Mercy spoke to us and said that this curse came about because the princess was merciless and cruel."

Valeria sat up in her chair, "How dare you! You are simply refusing to help me! Me, a member of the royal family!"

The king frowned, "Valeria..."

The princess went on, "This is treason! And maybe your doing all along, plotting to humiliate me and force my father into concessions for your church!"

"Valeria, enough."

"He'll show you the price of your treachery!" Valeria had stood up at this point, glaring at the old priestess fiercely, "You will be punished most severe-"

"ENOUGH," the king roared, "You selfish girl, be silent!" Valeria's mouth hung open in shock several moments before she shut it. He'd never spoken to her that way! Ever! "We know who cursed you, and why, and you will not speak so to those deserving of your respect whom I have personally implored to help you."

Valeria blinked owlishly, still startled, "Y-you know?"

"Of course, it was simple," he said with a heavy sigh. "It was Lizette."

She gasped, her hand going to her mouth, "Our own witch?"

King Altacea grimaced, "Yes, our witch. Whose son you humiliated, disgraced, and dismissed from my court." His voice became rich with simmering anger, "The last of which was not in your power to do. You broke that lad's heart and, he thought, dashed his hopes of knighthood. And so his mother cursed you."

"B-but if we know it is her, then you can make her-"

The king laughed mirthlessly, "Make her? What could I make her do? Even were I to kill her, it would not lift the curse, but her Death Curse would stain our kingdom for a generation. I cannot even ask her or beg her forgiveness, Lizette is gone, and her son also." And that was even worse; without a witch in the city, there was no one to go to for magical aid. The city, and the kingdom, were exposed. He lifted a hand to his face, "I am angry with what the Holy Ones have said but I know they are right. Valeria, this curse was of your own making. And it threatens the whole kingdom."

Silence fell over the room. After a minute or so, Valeria swayed where she stood and then shivered, "Father...I'm...I'm starting to feel...strange again," she said with a deep blush.

The king sighed and closed his eyes, "The Gods must hate me." He looked up at the alchemist's apprentice, "You."

The youth jumped, his eyes frantic and guilty, "Y-Your Majesty?"

"Take the princess back to her rooms. No one else is to join or accompany you, on pain of death. You will...assist her with whatever she needs for the time being. Is that clear?" The young alchemist bowed jerkily and opened the door for the princess, closing it after the two of them. The king sighed and fell back into a heavy chair. "...Is there nothing that can be done?"

After a moment, the Royal Alchemist spoke up. "Sire, there is a possibility. There is a man, a mage-hunter, who is known to have broken powerful magics before..."


Now

Rain poured down, dimming the shining lanterns and lights of the rural village even more than the early night. Figures moved through the rain, heading home mostly, though a few made their way to the large and brightly lit inn by the main gate into town.

As the last man made it inside and shut the heavy door behind him, a horse and rider trotted through the gate and towards the stables. The rider was wrapped up in a large, heavy cloak and a hood was drawn over the face so it could not be seen but the horse's tack and baggage was well crafted and expensive looking. The horse went into the yard and stood there. Minutes passes and the horse stood in the rain, sniffing and shaking it's head, the rider looking this way and that.

"Hey!" A voice called from the inn's kitchen, a maid having opened the window. "Stableman's not coming out in this mess. Stable the horse yourself and come in, eh?"

The rider seemed to go still in shock. The maid had closed the window again before a woman's voice, more that of a girl than a woman, rang out, "Myself? Myself! Your worthless stableman should be earning his keep and-ooooh!'

Princess Valeria Rune Altacea was dirty, tired, hungry, thirsty, wet, and cold, and she did not like this at all. She was expected to care for her horse herself? The gall! But there was no sign of the stableman or any movement from the inn. "Damn these stupid peasants," she growled, sliding from the saddle. "Making me do all of their work for them."

She was tempted to just put the horse in a stable and leave it, but she didn't actually want to hurt the animal. "Come on, Marvel," she said softly, leading the horse to the stable and the warmth and fodder within. "We'll get you settled in first, I guess. A horse must be tended to before the Crown Princess of the land, it seems."

Gods, what she wouldn't give for a warm meal and a bath...and she'd get one, she hoped, once she got in the inn herself. If she still had enough money. The last man she'd had to...well, he'd stolen a lot of it from her. Gods, why couldn't she find this mage-hunter? She'd been following his trail for days and days and never seemed to catch up!

 

[Rubicante]

A second rider had been traveling the same road towards the town, similarly shrouded in a heavy, hooded raincloak, and trotting at a strangely leisurely pace considering the horrendous weather. In stark contrast to the first, the rider’s broad shoulders and height that was obvious even in the saddle marked him as a man. The worn leather of his massive warhorse’s tack and luggage, and the mail-backed gauntlets that clutched the reins, were all made with function in mind rather than form. A round shield hung over the bags on one side of the saddle, so pitted and scarred from use that any painted emblem it might have once born had long ago been chipped away. A simple, unornamented longsword was tucked behind it rather than on his hip, showing that he was a traveler rather than a bandit or mercenary, but it was conspicuous enough to let others know that he was armed and would not be an easy mark.

The rider finally reached the stables, to all appearances indifferent to other rider’s presence as he dismounted and led it into an empty stall. He plucked an apple that was a day or so past its prime from one of the saddlebags and offered it to the massive beast, which shook the rain from its hair before greedily devouring the treat. He patted it on the nose in the same rough way one man might pat a friend on the back, then shut the stall‘s bottom door and headed silently for the inn.

--------------------------------​

The rider was Galen Hawkwing, once a knight of the recently destroyed kingdom of Keldere. His former home had been razed by a demented sorceress, the same sorceress who had enslaved him for the better part of a decade. The experience had filled him with a burning hatred for the evils that magic could do when placed in the wrong hands, and with his knightly order lost and his friends and family dead, he had channeled this anger into a new life of wandering the land and righting the wrongs inflicted by malicious mages. He had become something of a folk hero in the towns and villages too far from the capital to count on, or even expect, the protection of the king’s soldiers. Even in small communities in other kingdoms, tales were told of his exploits - the defeat of the diabolist in Edune, the liberation of Kal’s Pass from the oppression of the necromancer Skrel and his undead minions, the slaying of the three witch sisters at Fire Peak, the battle with the sorceress Malia, which prompted her to reform rather than die by his hand, and countless others. And when the tales were told by women, they never failed to mention his ruggedly handsome features, his peerless, muscular physique, and his prodigious skill as a lover.

While there were many people who could say they’d met him, or at least seen him, there were very few who could truly call themselves his friend. He seldom stayed in one place for long, and in most cases was never seen again once his business was concluded. Even so, there were a few scattered contacts he checked in on periodically, to keep informed of any rumors or reports from travelers that might be of interest or, very rarely, on social visits. It had been a business-related visit a few towns back that had brought him through the rain to this tiny hamlet.

Word was, there was a girl visiting towns in the area, asking about where she could find Galen. As well known as he was, it was very, very rare that someone actually sought him out. With his well-known habit of staying on the move, most people knew not to even bother. He always made sure to keep informed of any strange goings-on in the kingdom’s more remote communities, so he typically knew where his services were needed. In some of the more superstitious, backwater towns and villages, this diligence had led to the belief that whenever he was needed, he would simply appear. So he had decided that this unusual occurrence was not something to be ignored.

And, unusual or not, the reports that the girl was “as beautiful as a goddess in the flesh” definitely made it worth investigating.

 

[White_Jade]

Valeria was struggling with Marvel's tack as someone else entered the stables, leading a wet but magnificent horse. His gear was battered and worn and of no real note, but the steed that the cloaked man brought in was a grand horse indeed. Still, she took note of his sword and shivered nervously, shrinking away from him and moving to the other side of her pretty, sturdy mare.

The man wasn't there long though. He just fed his horse an apple and left. The princess slipped back around her horse and looked out after him into the rain. How strange. Or maybe that was what one was supposed to do...but there was no sign of the stableman yet and she wasn't about to let the cold seep into her horse's muscles or make her sick because the fool couldn't be pulled away from his beer.

She struggled to take off the tack and tend to her sweet Marvel, the mare turning her attention to the hay in the manger as soon as the bit and reins were removed. It wasn't that she hadn't done this before, she had. But usually the stable servants did it for her, so she was out of practice. Once the saddle and rest of the tack was off, she grunted with effort as she placed her heavy saddle bags on the side of the stall before giving Marvel a quick rubdown to get the worst of the water and chill off of her. Valeria then shouldered the bags, again grunting at their weight, and finally staggered out into the rain again and towards the inn.

Cold, cold, cold, she'd never felt so cold! As she finally stepped into the inn proper, she let out a soft gasp as the sudden heat of the place enveloped her. It was such a change from the miserable weather outside and the wetness of her own soaked clothes, the cold from them stealing her own natural warmth away. "Oh, my," she breathed.

The inn seemed busy, wenches and men going this way and that. Valeria stood by the shut door on a lower section of stone from the main floor of the inn, her cloak and the saddle bags dripping water. She waited to be approached or spoken to as the inn staff went about. And waited. And waited some more. Finally, shivering, she stepped up and walked deeper into the structure, "Is there anyone actually t-taking guests h-here tonight?" Her voice was waspish and aggravated, but also stumbling on words due to the cold she felt.

"Eh? Oh!" From the smoky common room, a somewhat portly man came in to the hallway, "Bless you, miss, we thought you'd gone on by! Here for the night, then?"

"Yes, Goodman," she nodded, "I need a room with a fire as soon as possible. Oh, and a bath, if you can provide would be simply heavenly." The princess shivered and sniffed, "Um, please. Oh, and there was a man who came into the stable after me with his horse. Your stableman didn't come out to help me, and I hadn't seen him coming in. You'd best get him out to tend to the animal before it catches a chill."

"Ah," he said carefully. Well, while he didn't like her tone, if his man slacked and the horse took ill it could cost the inn a pretty penny to replace the beast. "Right away then, miss. Let me show you to your room first."

The innkeeper was kind enough to help her with the saddlebags, which was a relief, she'd packed a great deal into them and they were quite heavy. At the first inn she'd stayed at, she'd left them with her horse only to find the stable boys pawing through them when she'd come back to give the mare a treat. Now she hauled them inside with her wherever she stayed. He showed her to a nice little set of chambers; a sitting room with a deep hearth in which a fire was deeply banked and a few chairs by the nearby window, and a small bedroom. Normally, she'd have sneered at such commonplace accommodations but right now they looked like a dream come true.

"Now then," he said as he set one of the bags near the hearth, "I'll be sending my girls along with a meal for you, a tub, and plenty of hot water. Will you be joining the company after?"

Valeria shook her head, pulling her hood down for the first time. She heard the innkeeper's intake of breath as he saw her, his eyes wide and marveling at her beauty, "No, Goodman, I don't think so." She didn't want the curse to activate surrounded by a bunch of strangers or possibly worse. "There is one thing I would like to ask you."

"Miss?"

She turned to look up at him, her large green eyes frustrated but hopeful and her dark hair soaked and plastered to her pale skin, "I'm looking for someone, Goodman, a man by the name of Galen Hawkwing. Do you know if he has been through here recently?"

"Galen, you say?" The innkeep hesitated before replying. Galen was here, in the inn's common room right now, but who was she to be asking for him? He knew the stories of the man's exploits; what if this was some sorceress come to blow Galen up? And his inn with him! "I've heard of him, of course, and he's gone through a time or three before, but not seen him lately."

"Oh." Her slender shoulders sagged and it seemed as if some great weariness that she'd been fighting came on her all at once. "Well then, just send the food and the bath along and I'll be fine." She unfastened her cloak and pulled it off, revealing a luscious figure hugged by her rain-soaked garments. She offered it to him, the innkeep starting before he hung it on the peg by the door. "Thank you, Goodman. That will be all for now."

~~~~~~~~~​

The innkeep returned to the common room, quickly answering a few more calls for ale or wine. At his first free moment, he walked over to where Galen was sitting, "Begging your pardon, Galen, but there's something you might want to know." He shook his head, "Prettiest lady I ever seen just took up for the night in the west suite and asked for you straight away. I told her I hadn't seen you, in case she's some vengeful witch or what not. Figured you should know."

The man hesitated, "You, ah, you ain't brought no angry sorceress to my inn, have you? Not that magic don't have it's place and all, but I'd rather not be burnt to ash, nor my place neither."

 

[Rubicante]

"Prettiest lady I ever seen just took up for the night in the west suite and asked for you straight away. I told her I hadn't seen you, in case she's some vengeful witch or what not. Figured you should know."

“So everyone says,” Galen said, pulling back his hood. The middle aged barmaid made an exaggerated show of fanning herself and letting out a dreamy sigh as his intense green eyes and chiseled features were exposed, framed by reddish-brown hair trimmed to avoid being a nuisance in combat. His skin was lightly tanned and weathered, a testament to a hard life of battle and braving the elements as he traveled through the most remote regions surrounding the kingdom.

“It’s nice to see you, too, Rhoda,” he called across the room.

The barmaid gave a facetious smirk and went back to her business.

“No, Nolan, I’m almost positive your pretty visitor isn’t a sorceress. I heard she’d passed through a number of towns over the past few days asking about me. I finally caught up to her at the last village down the road, and I’ve been keeping a cautious eye on her. I’ve tried to be discreet, and I don’t think she’s noticed me.”

The innkeeper hadn’t heard anything after Galen’s first sentence.

“Almost positive?”

Galen let out a good-natured laugh.

“Like I said, I’ve kept an eye on her, and haven’t seen any evidence that she’s a sorceress. Magic users become dependent on their magic, almost like an addiction. I doubt she‘d be able to go so long without using it for even just a small, mundane task unless she had the willpower of a monk.. And if her ‘fish out of water’ demeanor is just an act, she belongs in the royal theater, not an arcane library. Besides, I’ve never let your inn burn down before, have I?”

Nolan’s cracked lips forced themselves into an uneasy smile. Galen slapped his heavy hands onto the table and pushed himself to his feet, towering a full head taller than the innkeeper.

“I suppose it’s about time to meet my admirer.”

As Galen turned towards the common room‘s exit, Nolan put a hand on his shoulder to get his attention.

“I just wondered, will you be staying the night? I’m sending Isaac out to tend to the lady’s horse. Should I tell him to unpack yours, as well?”

“No, I don’t think I’ll be here long. I’m just going to hear her out, then I’ll be on my way.”

“At least let me take your cloak, then.”

Galen paused and nodded, shrugging the heavy, soaked cloth from his shoulders. Underneath he wore a battered breastplate that may have been of fine quality once, long, long ago, over pieces of leather armor and rugged travelers clothes. His heavy boots thumped across the floor, leaving bits of dried mud behind him, and Nolan swallowed thickly when he saw the large hunting knife across the back of Galen‘s belt. He prayed to the gods that his girls wouldn’t be cleaning up any blood this evening.

--------------------------------​

Making his way towards the stairs, Galen went over the situation in his head once more. Who could this girl be? He was being truthful with Nolan; he was fairly certain she was not a sorceress. He’d studied magic and magic users for years, and encountered much more than a few in the flesh. Nothing he’d seen or heard about her matched the typical behavior of someone who had extensive experience with powers not meant to be wielded by mortal men. Nolan was right, magic had its place, but the mages Galen hunted twisted it towards sinister ends, and used forbidden magics that had been lost to history for good reason. Still, he always left a tiny part of himself open to doubt, which had kept him alive on more than one occasion where putting all of his faith into an assumption could have ended very badly.

But who was she? He didn’t remember seeing anyone of her description in any of the towns he’d visited in the past, and if she really was as beautiful as everyone said he was sure he wouldn’t have missed her. The way she carried herself, the fine quality of her horse and its accoutrements, and her obvious unfamiliarity with having to do things herself all pointed to nobility. If that was the case, what could be so important that it would bring her so far from the royal city just to find him? There were plenty of soldiers and sanctioned magic users in the larger cities to deal with most of the threats he typically encountered, and even if it was a situation further away from the King’s protection, why would she care about it? How would she even know about it? Especially when he hadn’t heard anything himself. And someone of her obviously pampered and privileged lifestyle definitely couldn’t have come from any of the truly remote settlements, even those across the borders of other kingdoms. The more he thought about it, the more intrigued he became.

Lost in thought, he nearly bumped into two of the inn’s maids. They were on their way down the stairs after delivering the mysterious guest her meal, chat excitedly to each other and not looking where they were going, either. Gods only knew how they were able to understand each other, talking as fast as they were, but he managed to figure out the gist of it. It was more about how gorgeous the guest was - her clothes, her hair, the way she spoke and carried herself. Throughout the course of tracking her, with all the tales he‘d been told by his contacts about how beautiful she was, she’d better be surrounded by a damned halo of light when he finally saw her.

“Excuse me, girls,” he said with a pleasant smile, eliciting a blush from both of them. He moved aside to let them pass, and heard them giggling quietly as he climbed the steps and headed towards the west suite, where he was told his mystery woman would be staying.

Once there he knocked twice, loudly, then stepped back and stood patiently with his hands behind his back. He kept his expression even, not wanting to come off as intimidating, but at the same time he didn’t want to appear overly friendly. He didn’t really know what to expect, but he planned to treat the encounter as a simple matter of business until he found reason to do otherwise.

 

[White_Jade]

Valeria spooned a hearty stew of chicken and vegetables in, occasionally tearing a few hunks off of the half-loaf of brown bread and dabbing it in the thick, hot liquid. It was low food, yes, but hot and well made and utterly wonderful after her long, cold days on the road.

After this and a bath, she just might feel human again.

But though she felt better physically, her heart had sunk in her chest. No Galen Hawkwing again. She'd begun to wonder if he was even real. He might just be a story...but everywhere she'd gone it seemed like the people did know him. Unless they were lying. She'd been lied to a lot since leaving home; so many had lied to her and tricked her to steal or cheat from her.

And it might all be for nothing. She had some money left, but the thief had taken most of it. If the next few villages were like this one, she could make it to three, maybe four more before she ran out of money. Then what? She couldn't go back to Lior. What would she do? She didn't really know how to make a living. She could sew, yes, and take care of horses, and sing, dance, write very well, but there were probably others who could do those things better.

She could...and that would take care of the curse too...but, oh! Oh, she'd hate herself! She'd die first!

Her sniffle at that thought was cut off by a knock on the door. Valeria blinked and then stood up. Could they have brought the tub and hot water this quickly? Maybe these peasants did know how to serve, after all!

~~~~~~~~~~~​

The door in front of Galen clicked a few times as locks were undone, "One moment," came a rich and melodious female voice from behind the stout iron-shod wood. "Well, I am impressed! To get back so-"

The door opened and the woman, barely more than a girl actually, cut off her speech with a gasp. She was striking; with delicate, fine features and large green eyes that were wide with surprise and more than a little fear. Her pink, plush lips formed an "o" of surprise as she drank in the sight of Galen; and the pale, porcelain perfection of her skin was brushed with pink as she blushed at his handsomeness despite herself. Her midnight black hair had dried somewhat, falling and curling about her head as she looked up at him.

She had changed out of her rain soaked dress into the robe she'd brought; it was fairly tame but the deep purple material was very rich and expensive, the weave tight and fine, and it well flattered her body beneath. It had slipped open just enough to show a teasing hint of her cleavage and the smooth expanse of one slim shoulder. One of the wall sconces was behind her as she stood in the door, making her seem as though the light from it was pouring around her in a kind of halo.

Valeria recovered after a few moments of staring. Who was he? What did he want? He looked so handsome, but his gear said he was a fighter of some kind. Oh! "D-don't you take one more step! I'll scream my head off and the innkeeper will throw you out in the cold! I've no money that you could take anyway, I gave him the last." It was a lie, and she told it badly.

Her hands trembled as she lifted one to pull her robe back up on her shoulder. "So there's nothing for you to steal, and if you try and lay a hand on me, you will regret it. I did not send for you, and you certainly don't look like you work here at the inn."

Valeria took a deep breath,"You might be looking for someone and come to the wrong room, and if so, then I am sorry but you scared me showing up so unknown and unannounced. But my friends will be along soon either way, so..." Another lie, and one that didn't make sense with what she'd said earlier, but she was scared and didn't really know how to do any of this. Nonetheless, she drew herself up straight and nodded to the strange, gorgeous man as if that ended the matter.

 

[Rubicante]

Contrary to his concerns about disappointment, all the stories in the world couldn’t have prepared Galen for the beauty that opened the door. Not usually one to be caught off guard, he found his breath caught for just a moment as he took in this incredible figure before him. She was quite a bit younger than he’d pictured her, and her posture and demeanor, and skin so smooth and unblemished that he doubted it had ever seen a day of hardship, spoke of a life of wealth and privilege. Her light complexion was further highlighted by her silky black hair and the purple of her robe, and only served to emphasize the deep shadow of her cleavage, which he found drawing his eye despite his original intention of being professional. It took him just a moment to refocus, but he didn’t have much time to introduce himself before-

"D-don't you take one more step! I'll scream my head off and the innkeeper will throw you out in the cold! I've no money that you could take anyway, I gave him the last."

He started to form a smile at the misunderstanding, and prepared to assuage her fears, when-

"I've no money that you could take anyway, I gave him the last."

His smile broadened and his shoulders with a barely noticeable chuckle to himself. He took in a quick breath to respond, and-

"So there's nothing for you to steal, and if you try and lay a hand on me, you will regret it. I did not send for you, and you certainly don't look like you work here at the inn."

The corner of his lips began to sink into a frown, and his eyebrow raised into an expression that was rapidly approaching annoyance. She took a deep breath to calm herself, and he saw an opening to-

"You might be looking for someone and come to the wrong room, and if so, then I am sorry but you scared me showing up so unknown and unannounced. But my friends will be along soon either way, so…”

He waited a beat as she trailed off, to make sure she didn’t plan to continue, then another just for good measure. Her change in posture replaced her initially surprised reaction to his presence with an air of regal confidence and composure, acting as punctuation to her thought, as if she was giving him permission to speak. He took a slow breath to clear his expression, then finally responded.

“No, I’m fairly sure I have the right room.” He formed a small, non-threatening smile, careful not to appear overly friendly, but hopefully enough to assuage some of her fears about his rough, battle-ready attire. “I’m Galen Hawkwing. People are saying you’ve been looking for me. If something is important enough bring a high-born young lady such as yourself so far from her home, in person and unaccompanied, I‘m very eager to hear about it.”

 

[White_Jade]

She had pulled herself up into a dismissive posture, ready to shoo the rough and tumble, if beautiful, man onto wherever he was supposed to be going. Probably meeting a lover, no doubt. But then instead of leaving, he spoke. She paused in the midst of beginning to close the door again.

“No, I’m fairly sure I have the right room. I’m Galen Hawkwing. People are saying you’ve been looking for me. If something is important enough bring a high-born young lady such as yourself so far from her home, in person and unaccompanied, I‘m very eager to hear about it.”

Valeria's mouth dropped open and the color fled from her cheeks. "You...you're..." The door swung slowly open and she moved to stand fully in it, staring up at Galen with wide eyes. Gone was the fear and the clear dismissal, replaced by an open, desperate hope that was almost painful. "You're Galen Hawkwing? You're...you're Galen Hawkwing!"

She felt angry at the innkeeper for lying to her, upset with herself for not noticing him sooner, grateful for him coming to talk to her, and so happy to finally find him, so hopeful that he might be able to help her, she just-she just didn't know what to do! "Oh, thank the Gods!" She threw herself against him, hugging him in a fit of relief so profound it was almost panicked, "Oh, Sir Hawkwing! I found you, at last! Oh, thank you, thank you for coming to see me!"

Valeria drew back and stepped into the rooms given her, "I'm sorry I doubted you, Sir Hawkwing, it's just...I've had a...a hard time on the road. Please, come in. If you haven't eaten, I'll buy you a meal, only please, come sit with me and hear me, I beg you."

 

[Rubicante]

Galen gave a start at the girl’s jubilation. He was caught completely off guard when she leapt to hug him, and his hands reflexively went up to catch her, thinking she might be falling. He couldn’t help but observe that he felt the pressure of her sizable bust against his breastplate a few very distracting moments before she wrapped her arms around him, and didn’t notice that he had unintentionally joined the embrace. As soon as he realized how it must have looked, he jerked his hands away as though her skin was poison, raising his arms in the air and signaling it was time for her to let him go. He smiled uneasily and waited as she calmed down, then followed her inside.

“Please, just call me Galen. I haven’t been a knight for a long time.”

His demeanor softened, and his smile gradually became more genuine. So much for remaining detached and businesslike. Somehow, the attention of a beautiful woman always had the effect of making men more agreeable and compliant. Even, Galen was ashamed to admit, men as disciplined and guarded as himself.

“I appreciate the kind offer, but I’m perfectly capable of paying for my own meals. I’ve come with the intention of listening to what you have to tell me, so no bribes or ‘begging’ will be necessary.”

He gave that charming smile again, letting her know that he was joking. While he wasn’t usually very forthcoming about personal details of his life, he tried to remain friendly and personable when possible, instead of adopting the stoic detachment that was typically found in knights errant. He took a seat in one of the room’s sturdy wooden chairs, sitting back and relaxing. He’d become so accustomed to the weight of heavy weapons and armor that he barely noticed under normal circumstances, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t appreciate the opportunity to rest.

“So, why don’t you tell me who you are and why you’ve gone to so much trouble to find me?”

 

[White_Jade]

Valeria was too giddy with hope and other warring emotions to have noted how good the embrace felt or how much it embarrassed him. She was practically bouncing on her feet, the drained and forlorn feeling she'd had earlier all but gone now.

She also felt that his smile was very charming, and for the first time truly felt the weight of the staggering beauty of the former knight. For a moment, she fould herself hoping that he would agree to help her not just because she needed it, but because...well, if she HAD to do those kinds of things with someone under the curse...

Valeria shook her head and gave the wandered a brief curtsey in answer to his question, "Of course, Sir-Galen, my apologies." Her eyes were bright as she took a seat herself. "If you hear me and are able to help though, I think you may be a knight yet again, or even more."

Now that it came to it, she felt a sudden reluctance and hesitation. What if he didn't believe her? What if he laughed at her or called her a whore? What if he struck her or...

Without her being aware of it, she started to tremble a little. She swallowed nervously, "F-forgive me, I am still very, well. Once you hear what I have to say, you may understand." The busty girl drew in a deep breath, "You may have heard my name before, your kingdom and mine were neighbors before the fall. I am Valeria Rune Altacea, Crown Princess of Altacea and daughter of King Altacea V." She hesitated, waiting for him to express disbelief. She plunged on after only the barest pause, "And I have sought for you, Galen Hawkwing because I am...cursed."

Her green eyes suddenly welled with tears, "I am cursed and it, oh, it's terrible! I hate it! It's ruined everything! And no one can help me, no one!" She shook her head, "The priests can't cure me, and our witch...she's the one who cursed me before she disappeared. The curse won't go away with time, I'll live with it forever unless it gets broken!"

The royal leaned forward in her chair and bowed her head, "Please. Help me. I don't want to live like this."

 

[Rubicante]

Galen’s eyes went wide when she revealed her identity. His first instinct was to assume she was a madwoman. No princess, least of all the princess of a kingdom as large and prosperous as Altacea, would ever travel so far from her royal city unaccompanied. Nevermind whether she would choose to travel on her own, no sensible king would allow his daughter to go unguarded. And yet, her manners and demeanor were certainly those of nobility, and her clothing and well-bred steed pointed to a background of wealth and privilege. And, being drawn in again by her impossible beauty, he had a great deal of difficulty imagining a creature that could be more deserving of the ostentatious title “Jewel of the Kingdom.” No, it didn’t much thought before he was convinced that this woman could be none other than Valeria Rune Altacea, the legendary “Light of Lior.”

“Then please, let me apologize for my rough appearance. I wasn’t expecting to be in the presence of a member of the royal family.”

He bowed his head reverently, certainly a less gracious and elaborate show of subordination than she may have been accustomed to in Lior, but still genuine. He still carried the honor and respect for the nobility from his knighthood, but it was somewhat dulled by the many years he’d spent in the small, remote towns and villages where the king’s influence was not as constant a presence. He had no interest in her offer to renew his knighthood, but he kept that to himself. She seemed very distraught, and he didn’t want to risk her misinterpreting that as rejection.

When she began to look as though she would cry, he began to lean in, and then froze. He couldn’t stand to see a woman so upset, especially one so young. He wanted to comfort her, to hold her, to tell her not to worry, and that he would do everything in his power to make things right. But she was a princess, and he was effectively little more than a commoner now, and he wasn’t sure how she’d react if he’d laid his hands on her. Under normal circumstances, he‘d never have trouble giving a damsel in distress the comfort and assurance she needed, but when that woman was the Crown Princess of an entire kingdom, things got a little tricky.

“Don’ worry, I’ll do whatever I can to help. Curses aren’t exactly my specialty, but I’ve dealt with a few before.” He looked into her eyes and gave a reassuring smile. “I’ve never heard of a curse that can’t be broken, and if I can’t do anything for this one, I’m absolutely certain I’ll know of someone who can. Now, it would be a good start if you could tell me the nature of the curse…”

 

[White_Jade]

Valeria felt her heart swell a bit as he inclined his head to her. It was a simple thing, and back home she'd have expected him to rise and bow. Maybe even kneel before her. But after her time traveling with the curse, after having her body used, her trust betrayed, almost all her money stolen, that little courtesy made her feel wonderful.

As he said he'd help her, she did start to cry a little. There were no sobs, but tears did slide down her cheeks, even as her lips curved into a desperate smile of anguished relief, "Oh, thank you, thank the Gods, I need this so much, I can't even...you were my only hope, Sir-Galen, I'm sorry. I keep forgetting, and you're so noble and handsome."

She was babbling now; and it stood to reason. All the pent-up emotional hurt and fear and mad hope was all trying to explode out of her right now. Valeria held up a hand and took several deep breaths, unaware of how magnificently her breasts rose and fell as she did so, "Please, excuse me, Galen. This is just very emotional for me. I apologize for being so...so undisciplined in front of you."

The girl took several more deep breaths until she felt calm enough to speak again. She looked down at the floor and began to blush, getting redder and redder as she spoke. "I'm so embarrassed by my curse, but...I know you must know about it." She licked her lips and then glanced up at him, "I am cursed to...to have random fits of, um, of...of wanton lust." She was sure she must be blushing right down to her toes right now. "It just comes on me whenever it wants and I....I want sex, of any kind, of all kinds, and it gets stronger and stronger, and I try to fight it, but...but if I do, it sort of takes me over and..." She made a vague gesture with one hand, a kind of pumping motion. Her eyes were horrified and hurt. "I can't control myself when that happens, and...and I've done...such awful things!"

She could feel herself starting to move towards hysterics again and took another deep breath. Her hands shook in her lap, demurely folded. "Our alchemists confirmed that it is a curse, as did several powerful priests, and the details of it. The curse will strike at random for the rest of my life unless it is broken." She licked her lips and turned her gaze away from Galen, "It's...it's bad enough being forced to become a whore for whoever is near but...but there's more. If the curse strikes and I don't give in or if I can't find anyone to...help with it in a day, I will go mad, and be permanently insane and sex crazed."

Valeria shook her head, "The priests could not cure me, nor the alchemist, and our witch was the one who cursed me. Given what it does...I could not stay at court and be seen or known to...to do such things. So I was sent away, supposedly to inspect my father's border holdings, but in truth...to not be an embarrassment and imperil the succession. And to find you. You are a mage-hunter, a champion of those harmed by magic and...and well...there was no one left I could turn to," she finished in a small, plaintive voice.