“Look at them,” I bragged. “Have you ever seen such wondrous beauties before?”
The women, including Vanessa, didn’t hesitate to come forward, and when the guards took another moment to study them under the glowing sunset, they swallowed hard before they looked cluelessly between each other.
“Come back in the morning, and perhaps you can have an audience with the prince--” one began, but I raised my hand to cut him off.
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible,” I said in my most confident voice. “I will be looking to sell them elsewhere, and if you do not accept my offer now, perhaps you can take it up with your prince once I send him a letter from afar, telling him his two guards refused to accept a handful of the fairest women imaginable.”
Again, the soldiers looked at each other with confused glares, until finally, the one with the raven hair shook his head and sighed.
“Fine,” he snapped before he sheathed his longsword. “Follow me.”
I internally breathed a sigh of relief before the darker one whistled, and the wooden portcullis slowly began to rise. I could sense the women’s tension as we walked after the guard, and I could feel the other soldiers’ eyes on us as we ventured into the palace yard. Beyond the gates and green grass, there were two tall wooden doors with gold shells as knobs, and when the guard knocked hard on the doors, it took a moment for them to part open.
A brisk air whipped past our faces as we strolled inside the bare, great hall of the castle, and the first person we saw was a young man seated at the very end of the room. It was the ruler from my earlier vision. He sat upon a ridiculously tall, gold throne adorned with two tridents on each side, and two soldiers were standing next to his throne, while a handful of others were positioned behind him.
The prince looked to be at least sixteen years old from the doorway, which would account for the arrogant, spoiled aura I sensed from him earlier, but it was difficult to tell with these fish-like species. He had curly, dark, navy-blue hair, bright round eyes, and salmon-pink tinted scaled skin. His features were plain, he was narrow-shouldered, and even though he was sitting down, I knew he was a short man.
When we first entered his grand hall, he looked bored to tears, but when he saw the women without their hoods, his glowing blue eyes quickly lit up, and he straightened himself in his royal chair. He gazed upon the transformed witches with parted lips, and before we were even halfway across the hall, he stood up, hopped off his throne, and took several steps closer.
“Well, what do we have here?” he asked, and his voice was unbearably high-pitched. “I’ve never seen such beauties before in my lifetime.”
“This man has come to offer you his wives, oh great and holy king,” the guard said before he kneeled, and we all did the same. “Please, my prince, I know you requested not to see anyone tonight, but when I saw these women, I had to bring them to you. I hope I made the right decision.”
“Indeed, you have,” the young, repulsive prince purred as he rubbed his scaled chin. “Well done, Alon. You and Bellus shall be rewarded greatly for this. May the Lord bless and keep you both.”
“T-Thank you, my prince,” the guard stuttered before he bowed again and slowly retreated from the grand hall.
The other soldiers in the room did their best to remain straight-faced as the prince marveled at the beautiful women, but I could see the longing, envy, and admiration in their bright eyes as they studied the witches.
“May I just say,” Vesta purred before she took another step closer and then curtsied. “It is a pleasure to meet you, my prince.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” the prince replied with a greedy grin. His eyes then turned to me, and he slowly began to rub his hands together before he licked his lips. “So, tell me, how much do you want for them?”
“I don’t desire jewels or riches,” I explained in a steady voice, “but I would like to see the secret room of realms that everyone speaks of.”
A collective gasp from the guards instantly filled the undecorated grand hall, and the prince’s eyes narrowed at me in confusion and, if I wasn’t mistaken, a tint of humor.
“Wait,” he chuckled as his small shoulders shook. “You must be jesting. These women are worth at least a two-story home of your own or even three bags of silver and gold. Why in elder heaven would you want to see a room rather than spoil yourself with riches, stability, and luxury?”
“Because I am a curious man,” I said in the politest voice I could muster. “I have been searching every holy land for mysteries and surprises, and when I first heard of your secret room of realms, I knew I needed to see it for myself. Ever since I was a boy, it was all I wanted.”
The prince stared long and hard at me before his face broke into a broad smile, and all I could see were his blood-red gums and small, sharp teeth. Then he began to laugh and shake his little head.
“Well, I suppose you have a deal,” he chortled. “Any other conditions or requests? This is your only chance.”
“I’d like to see it with my wives,” I said. “Just us, alone together for one last time as I gaze upon the room.”
“Hmmm,” the prince pondered as he clicked his tongue. “How about this? I will join you while you gaze upon the room, but I’ll only give you one minute.”
“My prince, you cannot go without your guards for one
