Astra had the uncomfortable feeling that something was badly wrong. Surely
her words to Fred when he had freed her hadn't really all gone unheard?
She was sure that she could remember him calling her "Princess". Apart
from that, there was also the mystery of why the inn staff hadn't offered
to lend her any clothes. Surely that would have been normal courtesy?
Well, she had better tell her story if she wanted her pitcher of beer to be free. She had no money of her own, of course, and she would rather not have to ask Fred to lend her some. It was very good beer, too, though it seemed unusually strong. She tried not to slur her words too obviously, or to look across to the distracting Mr M, as she began her tale: "It was a dark and stormy night when I left Themyscira, the capital of Aqualaria. I was on a quest to find myself..." "...a rich and handsome Allarian nobleman for a husband," Fred interjected. Everyone roared with laughter, except for Astra, whose face reddened again. "No!" she shouted. "Please let me finish. I was on a quest to find myself. All Aqualarian noblewomen go on such a quest when they come of age. Each woman finds herself in a different way, but it is always by undertaking some difficult task. Only by facing the ultimate challenge can you find out who you really are." "And you found out that you were a seductress," Fred said. Astra scowled. Fred had seemed like the perfect gentleman before this. It was such a disappointment that, now that he was a little the worse for drink, he was showing himself in his true colours. Ignoring the interruption, she went on: "It was a long journey, but after two weeks I finally arrived at the Northern Caves - that's the Southern Caves to Allarians, of course."
|
4/13/2003 11:09:12 AM
Extending Enabled
21319827 episodes viewed since 9/30/2002 1:22:06 PM.