Astra's Transformation
The Never Ending Quest - Episode 64176
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The guard was surprised to see that the Princess had an unfamiliar man
with her - and probably a foreigner by the look of him - but it was
the
Princess, so she stood aside and let the carriage proceed. There were many
pedestrians milling about, so Astra had to be content with proceeding at
walking pace. That suited the assassin. He followed, being careful to
remain behind the carriage where neither Fred nor Astra could see him, and
far enough distant that no bystander was likely to realise that he was
tailing it.
"You remember those items that I purchased in that town a few miles back?" Astra asked Fred. "The clothes and the dyes." "Yes. I wondered what you wanted them for." "Well, if you will take over the reins for a bit, you will shortly find out." Astra disappeared into the interior of the carriage and made sure that the curtains were drawn over the windows. That left her with just enough light to see what she was doing. She opened the bags that contained her purchases, and went to work. About ten minutes later, Fred heard her climb back beside him. "What do you think, Fred?" she asked. Fred turned to look at her, and almost dropped the reins in surprise. Instead of a fair-skinned redhead, a swarthy brunette was looking back at him. Gone was Astra's warrior garb; instead she was wearing a long blue dress with a high neckline and long sleeves. "I chose this dress, because I only needed to dye my face and my hands," the apparition said in Astra's voice. "Why have you disguised yourself, Astra?" Fred asked. He knew that it had to be her, and besides - now that the initial shock had worn off - he could recognise her eyes, the cut of her chin, the tilt of her nose and her full lips. "Surely you don't fear any danger here?" "No, of course not. But it's my habit on returning home, before immersing myself in court life again, to spend one night unrecognised in some ordinary inn. During the evening and at breakfast, I listen carefully to all the gossip in order to find out what has been going on in the city while I've been away. Surprisingly often, I've found out something to my advantage that my kinsfolk, isolated in the palace, have not heard about. I hope you've no objection to spending the night in an inn?" "Of course not. I've done so often enough on this trip, after all." Astra smiled. "Good. We'll pose as...
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JH
1/8/2007 1:15:24 PM
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