Not Another One!

"That was what my sister was going to call her child if it turned out to be a girl."

"Her age is about right for it to be her. It occurs to me that, as you were the elder sister, you ought to be Queen now."

"They obviously long ago presumed me to be dead. Though I may have a claim ro the throne in law, I don't think that I should press it. Who would believe that I am really Astra? Even if some did, many surely would not, and it could easily lead to a civil war."

"I... Princess!"

"Yes?" Astra said, before she realised that Fred was not addressing her. The "witch-light", as it was called, that Adele was producing for them showed a tall, slim, dark-haired and very pretty young woman, chained by her wrists and ankles to the cave wall. She was totally naked.

"It's Princess Exotica, the daughter of my king," Fred said.

"To find one naked princess may be accounted a surprise," Adele observed, "but to find a second is verging on the ridiculous."

"Fred!" Exotica exclaimed in relief. "I hoped that you'd find me. The dragon snatched me just after you left on your quest. He said that he was preparing a jewel for me, but I didn't know what he meant. But who are all these people with you?"

"We don't have time for that now," Sigin said. "First we must free you before the dragon comes back to check up on you. Once we're away from here we can start on the introductions."

"A talking tiger!" Exotica exclaimed. "Sorry. All right, please make all speed to release me."

1. Exotica was quickly freed from her chains. They were running rather short of clothing to cannibalise by now, so she had to make do with an extremely short skirt and a bikini-style top.
2. Exotica's bonds proved very resistant to magic. They had to settle for using magic on the cave wall to free the chains at that end.
3. They were unable to free Exotica.
4. "The dragon is approaching," Adele said in alarm. "I can detect his magical aura."

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