Author: Robotguru As Giles played with his toys (easy guttarbrains), Ethan walked into the room holding his sceptre. "My Lord?" Giles looked up from the model of the palace to Ethan, "Yes?" Ethan walked over to Giles, "I believe that I have found the answer to your little suitor problem." Giles' eyes lit up, "Yes?" "If the Princess cannot find a suitable suitor, she should marry the Grand Vizier... oh, that would be me." Ethan feigned shock at this thought as if the answer had come to him with the spells he used on Giles' ring. Giles took his glasses off, "But she is so young... and you are so old. Think about the age difference Ethan." Ethan leans in closer to Giles' face, holding the sceptre to his eyes. His voice became low, almost a growl, "It is for the best." "But..." "Tara will marry me!" Giles fell completely under Ethan's spell. "Tara... will marry..." Before Giles could proclaim this as law, Ethan's spell over Giles was broke by a loud fanfare. Music started to blast in the street as a procession was visible approaching the gates. The noise had also alerted Tara as she watched, looking bored, from an upper window. "Make way for Prince Will!" Anya's voice boomed from her perch on the carpet, cutting through the general hubbub of the crowd. All that could be seen for now was Anya and a few movements in the shadows, suddenly, the crowd scattered as a female black panther sprung out of seemingly nowhere to appear in the middle of the crowd., 'Prince Will' coughWillowcough riding majestically on her back. Miss Kitty walked on a few paces as Willow waved to the crowd. After a while, she got off to shake hands with the people as Anya magicked up a procession behind her consisting of the common place and the exotic. She began to sing. "Come one come all, welcome to the travelling ball. Anya steps off the carpet as Willow gets mobbed by the crowd (none of them seeming to notice the breasts under her loose shirt) "We heard that there was a Princess, fine as any in the sands, At this line, Anya grows many arms, all of which have watches all up them. The crowd gasp as she and Willow vanish in a puff of smoke to reappear on the rafters. Anya again disappears and is now in the crowd, changing shape as necessary. "I heard he defeated a whole army." (Flash and then she's a kid among others) "A thousand bad guys with swords!" Suddenly she reappears on the carpet, "He has even dealt with monsters in their hordes!" A click of Anya's fingers and Willow's muscles grow. "Many feats has he completed Miss Kitty purrs as some of the crowd stroke her. Makyrah suddenly jumps up in a puff of smoke as if from the ground, a mix of Anya's magic and her own street skills making this possible. The crowd gasp as she lands on top of the panther, her voice rhythmical, almost hypnotic. "My brother is worthy for any lady Makyrah jumps and backflips onto the carpet where she is soon joined by Willow. Carpet spirals in the air as they head towards the palace, Miss Kitty jumping over the fence. In a feat of daring, twenty foot high, Willow places her hand over her eyes and falls onto the back of her compadre. The gates open as Ethan heads over to the doors to cut them off. Makyrah zooms over his head on the carpet putting him in a spin as Miss Kitty pounces through the door. Willow front flips off Miss Kitty's back, landing in a crouch at Giles' feet, her head bowed. Anya walks through the door as Willow remains in her crouch, "Sultan, introducing Prince Will." Willow looked up, her emerald green eyes meeting Giles'. Her voice was soft and waspish, almost a whisper. "I have travelled over the many deserts to find the rare beauty held by your daughter." Tara creeps towards the door so she can listen in on the conversation. Meanwhile, Giles is quite taken with Carpet. "May I?" Willow nods her head and Giles steps onto Carpet, Carpet zooms around the room, startling Amy who had been resting by the window. When Carpet comes to a stop, Giles gets jerked off (not in that way guttarbrains among you), his body still travelling. Giles landed on his butt and bounced across the floor, laughing and landing on top of Amy who had scuttled onto the floor. Giles stands up, chuckling. "I believe you would make an excellent husband for Tara." Ethan glares at Willow, "My Lord, I don't like him, he seems... untrustworthy." Ethan turns to Willow, "Where did you say you came from again?" "I didn't. I have travelled so far, you would not know the name of my land." "And that is exactly the point my lord. How do we know we can trust him? Is this the man who would marry Tara?" The door crashed open, "How dare you!" Everyone looked over at Tara, her blue eyes blazing with fury. "How can you discuss my future like I am yours to trade? Like I do not have my own free will?" Giles tried to placate his foster daughter, "With all due respect..." "With all due respect? What respect?! I am not an item to be given away my lord and I am not a prize to be won!" Tara storms out of the room slamming the door behind her. Willow sighs as she sits outside the back of the palace. Anya and Carpet are playing checkers at a table. Miss Kitty walks over to Willow and places her head on her lap, purring as they watch Anya make her move. Anya smirks, "I have you now my tasselled friend." Carpet picks up a checker and does the classic 'take-every-piece-on-the-board-in-one-move' trick. Anya glares at him, "Meh, I lost to a rug... again!" Willow sighs again and Anya looks over at her. Willow speaks, making no attempt to disguise her voice, "I wish to be a Prince yada yada yada." Willow spits, "Like I had a chance one way or the other." Makyrah steps out of the shadows to sit next to her, "Come on Will, we aint even gone through round one yet." Anya walks over, "Will, you should know what it takes." Anya shrugs, "For heaven sakes Will, you are a woman, you should know that the way to a lady's heart is to tell her the truth." Willow turns away, "No way! You think I'd have a chance if Tara knew I was a scoundrel? A lesbian at that?" Makyrah shrugs, "She was pretty interested in you before, I saw." Willow stands, "No, I'll do it my way. I just have to play it cool." Willow throws the end of her cloak over her shoulder. "So, How do I look?" Anya sighs, "Like a Prince." Willow steps onto Carpet and he flies her up to the balcony. Meanwhile, Tara lay on her bed, crying into the pillow. Rajah nudged his head against her hand. "They don't understand Rajah, how could they? A Princess isn't allowed to pine after another woman, it's not done." Wiping her eyes, Tara sings softly to Rajah and herself. "So many conflicting feelings Tara stops singing as she sees a shadow at her window. Rajah leaps forward. |