Wait to hear from Courtney

Adella’s anxious thoughts continued for two days. During this time, she went back and forth a thousand times between deciding to abandon these mad ideas or being so **** for freedom that she would risk a magical solution. She also found herself wondering more and more about this Rezkin fellow. He seems so mysterious. Added to that is the fact that Courtney described him as being quite handsome and the taboo against associating with people of his kind. It all combined into a very evocative and thrilling prospect.

At last, Courtney returned. The look of excitement on her face told Adella that she had good news.

“I met with Rezkin as you asked,” she said, once the two ladies made sure they would not be overheard. “He was suspicious when I told him that a member of the royal family wanted to meet him. He thought it might be part of a crackdown on magic and that I was trying to entrap him. It took a little — persuasion on my part.”

Adella’s cheeks turn red as she gasps. “Courtney! Did you sleep with this man just to secure his help?”

Courtney’s face assumes a look of innocence, but the gleam in her eye betrays her true thoughts. After a moment, she drops the façade and giggles. “No, I didn’t sleep with him. Although I confess I would not have been opposed to the prospect. He is a rather dashing young man, after all. And before you ask, no, I didn’t do anything else with him, either, and that would have taken even less encouragement. Apparently his order of magicians draw their power from purity. Apparently, if I had given him so much as a handjob, it would have an effect on his magic.” She pouts as she shares this information.

“What, then, did you do to persuade him to help?”

Courtney grins and says, “I may have accidentally worn a dress that was a little too small for me. And I may have mysteriously forgotten to wear any underclothes. For some reason, every time I dropped something and bent over to retrieve it, or whenever I reached upward, Rezkin’s suspicions diminished. It would seem I have a bit of magical abilities of my own.”

Once again, Adella admires Courtney’s ability to be so utterly unscripted in life. Of course, she would never stoop to using sexual temptation to get her way, but she would be lying if she said that she never fantisized about what it would be like to do so.

Courtney shows her friend a small bottle. “Rezkin brewed a potion for us that will allow us to sneak out of the palace and meet him.”

Adella takes the bottle and examines it cautiously. “A potion? What does it do?”

“Just a few drops will render a person utterly invisible,” Courtney explains. “Rezkin tried to explain how it works, but it was far too technical for me to understand. All I know is that if we use this, we will be able to slip, undetected, out of the palace, all the way to Rezkin’s home. There will be no need for excuses, disguises, or anything like that. We can meet with him and see if he can help you find some way of better enduring all the restrictions that are upon you. Afterwards, we’ll slip back here, and no one will be any wiser.”

Adella looks with fascination at the bottle. “This is really crossing a line, Courtney,” she says. “It’s one thing to talk to a magician, but to actually partake of magic is strictly forbidden.”

“Well, you’re not really performing magic, are you?” Courtney counters. “Rezkin did the magic. We’d simply be using a product that someone else manufactured. Besides, no one really enforces the anti-magic rule when it comes to stuff like this.”

“What do you mean?”

Courtney rolls her eyes. “Honestly, Adella! Are you that sheltered that you don’t know that fermented wolfsbane is all the rage among teenagers when they get together for celebrations? It has a most liberating effect on one’s inhibitions — much better than ****. That’s technically illegal, but it’s just a harmless thing that the authorities turn a blind eye to. And do you think for a moment that the medicinal supplies of most of the lords of the kingdom don’t include Rocktite?”

“Rocktite? I’ve never heard of such a thing,” says the princess.

“Trust me, m’lady. You will after you get married — especially if you wed an older man. Rocktite is a concoction made from succubus perspiration and basilisk venom. It can only be made under strict magical conditions, but it is very much in demand throughout the kingdom. It is a powerful aphrodisiac that will allow any male to — shall we say — _rise _to every occasion.”

“Gracious me!” exclaims Adella. “And you are saying this Rocktite is widely used despite the laws governing magic?”

“Of course! When it comes to good times, authorities have always been willing to turn a blind eye to harmless little things like that. So tell me what’s so wrong about you using this potion? You’re not even going to use it to fornicate with anyone.” Courtney pauses and adds, “Not that I’d be opposed to you using it for that purpose, of course.”

Adella looks at the bottle thoughtfully.