Talking to Astra

I decided that I would try bribery first. If that failed, then I could turn to more direct means. The guard would probably not let me into the castle, in case I was a potential assassin, but he might see no harm in telling me where Astra's bedchamber was.

I reached under my robe, and he drew his sword, evidently afraid that I might be going to reveal a weapon of my own. But when my hand came out, I let him see that it contained several gold pieces. "I mean no harm," I said. "I was just wondering which bedroom was the Queen's."

The royal palace dominates the capital, built on top of a hill as it is. I gestured at it as I spoke.

"I don't see any harm in telling you," the man said. "She is too well protected for anyone to get near to her. Give me the coins first, though. I don't trust you."

I handed them over. He examined them carefully, then - deciding that they were genuine - put them away in his pouch. "See the highest turret of the palace," he said. "Right at the top of that is the window of the Queen's chamber. She says that it's quieter than anywhere else in the palace and offers a better view."

I estimated that the window was the best part of a hundred feet above ground level. No wonder the guard thought that Astra was beyond reach, since the stair to the room was sure to be well guarded, even if one could get inside the palace. But the height was no problem to a dragon. Even better, even though I was several hundred yards away, I could see that outside the window was a balcony. (Even in my human form, I retain a dragon's keenness of vision.) That balcony would allow me to land and then turn into my human form, without any risk of falling.

I thanked the guard and walked away. I waited till about midnight, then changed into my dragon form. Then I flew to the balcony, without the palace guards being any the wiser. I can fly totally silently when I wish to, and it was a conveniently overcast night so that there was little chance that they would see me.

I reverted to my human form, since I would not fit through the French window otherwise. [Translator's note: the original of course did not use the term "French window", since there is no France in this world.] It was not locked. Why should it be, since it was obviously impossible for anyone from outside to access the balcony.

I entered the room. It was very dark, but my dragon vision meant that I could see perfectly well. Astra was asleep in bed. There was probably a guard posted outside the closed door that gave access to the stairway down, so I cast a spell of Muffling to ensure that no-one outside the room would be able to hear what was said inside it.

I saw that Astra kept a dagger on her bedside table, within easy reach. In case of accidents, I took it and stuck it in my belt. I also moved her (unlit) bedside candle out of her reach. Then I said in a loud voice: "Wake up, Princess."

She sat up immediately, and I saw that she was in the habit of sleeping in the nude, at any rate from the waist up. I wouldn't be able to use the old gag "I almost didn't recognise you with your clothes on". As compensation, her breasts were just as fine as I remembered them.

"Who's there?" she said, reaching either for her dagger or her candle, but thanks to my precautions finding neither.

"An old friend, who would like some information from you, Princess," I said. "Don't bother calling for your guards. They won't be able to hear you."

I saw her eyes widen with surprise. Evidently she had recognised me from my voice. "You!" she said. "I never expected to hear your voice again after all this time. What do you want with me? Do you intend to carry me off to your lair, in time-honoured fashion?"

"Not at the moment, though what you tell me could conceivably change that. First, please tell me how it can be that after fifty years you look not a day older."

"When you never returned, Velus and I eventually managed to escape from our imprisonment. We helped your other prisoners to escape as well. It had been several weeks since you left, so we were fairly sure that - whatever the reason - you wouldn't be coming back. I went to the Aqualarian court wizard, who was sure to be interested in your magic books. I told him that, if he could break your wards on the books, he could have them. In return, he had to promise not to tell anyone else about the books and to cast any spells that I might desire, whether ones found in your books or otherwise. Through two of those spells, I became the never-aging ruler of the world."

"I see. I must commend you on your cleverness. Are you just never-aging whilst you live, or are you genuinely immortal?"

1. "I'm immortal."
2. "I'm not immortal."
3. "You don't think that I'd tell you that, do you?"

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