Meeting Prince Rupert

Fred had heard of Hentzau, a small but prosperous kingdom situated to the west of Allaria. He bowed in return. "I am Lord Frederigo D'Honaire from Allaria, Your Highness" he said. "And this is the Princess Astra of Aqualaria."

Astra considered curtsying, but she realised that the manuals of court etiquette which she had studied had unaccountably failed to mention what a naked princess ought to do when presented to a prince. She contented herself by saying: "Hello, Prince Rupert. I'm pleased to meet you."

"Charmed, Princess!" the Prince said, giving Astra a glance that lingered on her the merest fraction longer than she was wholly comfortable with.

There was a bark from around their feet. Velus wanted to be introduced too. "Ah, yes," Fred said, "and that is Velus, a teenage boy whom the dragon has transformed into a dog."

Fred and Astra told Rupert their stories. The Prince made exclamations of surprise, interest and sympathy at appropriate points.

When they had finished, Astra said: "Perhaps we could hear your story now, Prince Rupert? For anyone who has come into these caverns must surely have a tale to tell."

"Please just call me Rupert. I'm down here looking for my unicorn."

That was a startling statement indeed. Neither Fred nor Astra had ever seen a unicorn, nor even met anyone who had. Simultaneously both of them voiced the different questions which were uppermost on their minds. "How do you lose a unicorn, and what makes you think that it's down here?" Fred wanted to know. "I thought that only a virgin was supposed to be able to tame a unicorn?" Astra said, then blushed slightly, realising that this was perhaps not the most proper of questions.

Rupert replied:

1. "I didn't lose my unicorn. It was stolen by the dragon."
2. "That virgin thing is merely an old wive's tale."

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