Mated to the Dragon

Chapter 7

The Captain started laughing again. "Very well, then, shall we go a few rounds?"

"As you wish, Captain. First blood? Or something a bit more strenuous?"

The Captain arched his eyebrows at this. "Are you offering me a way out, or do you require one yourself?"

Calico gestured at the men he'd downed. "None of them are dead, Captain. I see no need to kill here. I also find a first touch event to require more skill than a killing event."

The Captain looked around, nodding slowly. "I win, and the princess goes home. You win, and you're both free to go."

"I accept, Captain." And with one fluid lunge, Calico tried to end the fight.

The Captain barely managed to parry in time and it was on. The Captain was a lithe man and quick on his feet, where as Calico was slower but he had truly impressive hand speed. Time and again one would get the advantage over the other only to be parried at the last instant. They would both advance and retreat, looking for openings. They went back and forth around the cavern twice and then it happened. A pebble rolled under the Captain's foot and he went down in a pile of madly waving arms and legs.

Selene really thought it was over then, but Calico calmly stepped forward and offered his hand to the Captain. The Captain looked surprised but let Calico help him to his feet. As the Captain stood up he offered Calico a smile. Something Selene had, until now thought him incapable of.

"You had me there, brother knight. Why did you not press your advantage?" Queried the Captain.

Calico gave out a hearty belly laugh. "Captain, this is an honorable combat. Part of our knightly code is to not take advantage. In war, the Earthly hinge that swings the fate of kingdoms, we take no advantage so that we can know God's will. I see your kingdom's future will be decided here. So while I will beat you, I won't take unfair advantage."

"And if it were unfair combat?"

"Well, then, my good Captain, it might get a lot more interesting. Especially since we are so evenly matched."

The Captain paused for a second. "And if I take unfair advantage?"

Calico grinned. "Is that a warning?"

"I wish it was." The Captain grunted and swung his blade in a glittering arc.

Calico leaned back and the blade missed his throat by a finger's width. He straightened up and before the Captain could recover, poleaxed him with a shot between the eyes. The Captain went down, blood gushing from his nose.

Selene was pretty amazed at the swiftness of his actions. He must have been waiting to pull that off. She was even more surprised when he again leaned forward and held out his hand to the Captain. There didn't seem to be an ounce of ill will in him.

The Captain squinted at his proffered hand and, grinning despite himself, allowed Calico to help him up. The Captain seemed to have weak knees for a moment as he sagged into Calico. Selene saw the Captain's lips move and Calico's startled look and swift glance at her. She couldn't hear what was said, but knowing her stepmother and the Captain, it wouldn't be good.

The Captain called for his medics and they did something with his nose that seemed to stanch the bleeding. Then, with a look, he gathered his men and set them to gathering the dead bodies. All headed for the door. They stopped only long enough for the Captain to pick up his wounded and to confer with the Queen. Selene thought she'd be furious at the Captain but she seemed very concerned for him. She glanced at Selene, took a long look at Calico and nodded to the Captain.

The Captain turned and in a loud voice asked. "Do you stand as her guardian for the duration of your stay?"

Calico shot Selene a hard look. "The deeper meaning in that question cuts to the quick. If you mean will I stand in loco parentis’ yes I will. How much of a head start will you give us?"

Selene was surprised when her stepmother answered. "I do not think I could find a better guardian than you, sir. You have our leave to wander the world and see what you will."

Calico bowed deeply to her and gave Selene another look.

"Show respect to the position, if not the person, Princess. As you treat the Queen others will notice and so treat you one day." He whispered.

She stiffened, but took his advice and curtsied. She was amazed when she heard the guards whisper to each other. They were truly impressed with the respect she showed the Queen. The Captain presented an arm, the Queen accepted, and in no real order their party left the cavern to Selene and her summoned warrior. Calico turned to look at Selene, a slight smile upon his lips.

"So, Princess. When we are done, can you send me home from anywhere, or will we have to return to this cave?"

"Well," She stammered. "I really can't send you back."

"I see." He said, thinking about it. "So you escaped from your wicked stepmother, got your entire guard killed and kidnapped me from my world to fight a battle against overwhelming odds, only to imprison me here forever?"

"It won't be that bad. When we succeed, you'll have your pick of women. And there are worse places to live than Dossray." She sniffed at him.

"Well, princess, you did summon a guardian rather than a warrior, did you not?"

She didn't quite follow this, but nodded. "I had indeed summoned someone to guard me. And to guard my realm." She said.

"And your realm..." He nodded.

He helped her pack up the things she'd brought into the cave and they headed outside.

--------------------------------------------

As I helped the princess pack her possessions I had a little time to reflect on the day. I'd been at an SCA event when this purple light flared up around me. I'd been pulled into a corridor and as I walked down this corridor of light, I came to a man assaulting a woman. I'd put a stop to that, and then had the first real sword fight of my life. I've been doing rapier in SCA tournaments for years, but this had been different and I'd refused to kill. When I was helping the Captain up he'd whispered to me that the princess needed a parent and maybe I could supply that for her. I'd wondered what he meant until I found that she couldn't send me back. She was willful and didn't care about anyone besides herself. When she became Queen, she'd be a terrible one. She needed to learn to recognize the consequences of her actions and what they would mean to not only the people immediately involved but her realm as well. So my job was not only to protect her but to make her a queen fit to rule. That was a tall order for the son of a preacher man.

As we finally exited the cave we found two horses waiting for us. Both horses were huge. One was obviously a trained war horse and black as midnight. The other, a Clydesdale or whatever they called those here was a gray. The princess claimed the warhorse without a thought. It didn't look any too happy to see her either. I tied the baggage onto the Clydesdale and mounted up. Truth to tell I was pretty happy with this turn of events. I can do almost anything with a car, but I've only been on a horse four times in my life.

Tied to the saddle of my Clydesdale was a pouch that clinked. It was tied with a calico ribbon so I'm sure the Captain knew who would be on which horse. I owed him one.

The princess took the lead and led us in an easterly direction. We had traveled a couple of hours with her not really talking much when we came to a town. It seemed like a nice little place. I was very happy to see as it my butt was already hurting. I don't know how they designed saddles here and now, but they sucked. The cantle road halfway up my back and the seat itself was flat.

We walked our horses into town and the Princess led us right up to what was obviously an inn. The sign on it had only a happy pink dragon...no writing at all. We secured our mounts to a rail and went in. The innkeeper came bustling up and asked us what we would have. The princess ordered some meat and asked for the best room in the house. The innkeeper set us up at a table and sent a maid to see to our room. The maid looked all of twelve years old.

When the innkeeper brought our food he asked for p*****t. The Princess hit the roof. Nobody ever asked a princess to pay for something, ever.

She went on for several minutes and I could just see the innkeeper hardening up. I rose from my seat, and taking the innkeeper by the shoulder, led him off to his bar. He started in on me about her and I told him she was a work in progress. He gave me a hard look and I just shrugged. I settled with him for dinner, the room, someone to take care of the horses we'd left at the hitching rail and went back to the Princess. Her Highness was a royal pain all through dinner, making disparaging remarks about the food and the clientele in general. Finally, I'd had enough.

"Princess, these are your people, are they not?" I queried.

"Yes... you can see how beaten they are by my stepmother's wicked ways."

I looked around as I had since we came to town but all seemed pretty happy to me, not withstanding the onslaught they'd just lived through.

"Either way, Princess, you're not doing us any favors by insulting everything you see." I lectured her. "Everyone needs some dignity in their lives."

She just turned up her nose at me.

We finished dinner and she started to make another scene about getting a bath. I stopped her and said that after we were in our room I'd see about getting her a bath. After all, royalty didn't share their business with common folk. There was an audible sigh of relief as we left the common room.

We found our little maid and she took us upstairs to our room. She showed us in and told us the privy was around back. As she started to give directions the Princess slapped her.

"I do not use a privy like commoners! Bring me a chamber pot that I may use."

As the maid started to cry I reached out and pulled her to me. I gave her a hug and knelt down to look at her face. It wasn't too bad. I pulled a silver coin out of my pouch and gave it to her.

"Stand outside the door and listen. When she screams, peek in. But keep everyone else out." I whispered to the girl.

She looked at me and gave me a grin and a nod. And she scuttled out of the room, the Princess still yelling at her. I stood up and removed my weapons. As I set them out of reach of the bed the Princess realized that something was wrong.

"What are you doing?" She demanded.

"Princess, I've known you about five hours now. In that time I've clubbed two men, fought a duel and listened to you whine about everything. I agreed to help guard your person. I think the biggest threat to you currently, is you. Your father was entirely too lenient with you. I now propose to start remedying that situation." I stated.

"You will not!" She defied me, standing up to her full height.

"I think a spanking is long overdue." I said, starting for her.

"NO!" She cried aghast.

There wasn't much room to run and I quickly caught her. I dragged her down to the edge of the bed so the maid would have a good view from the door and threw her over my knee. I intended a bare bottom spanking but I thought I'd better get the princess accustomed being spanked first. Putting my right hand in the middle of her back I began to spank her using my left. I wasn't holding anything back, either. This was going to be one of those spankings where it hurt me as much as it did her. I administered 50 swats to her. At some point she tried to reach behind her to protect her bottom and I pinned her arm behind her. After the fifty I flipped up her dress and chemise to reveal a very white bottom. As I started spanking this I heard her start to scream. The little maid opened the door a crack and looked in with this big smile. I winked at her and she covered her mouth, trying not to laugh. I heard people coming down the hallway as the maid looked behind her with a grimace and shut the door. I could hear the sound of soft voices talking outside the room and the door did open just a crack for the innkeeper to look, but he gave me a quick grin and shut the door quickly and no one else came in.