Chapter 1: Placid Waters

Chapter 1: Placid Waters

Pandora bolted wide awake! Her forehead was clammy with sweat. It was another one of those terrifying dreams. The hounds from hell were in hot pursuit and her legs were were heavy and lethargic. She was trying to run and get away but her feet felt like lead slippers. In slow motion she floated along with an agonizing lack of urgency as the pack got closer and closer, barking ferociously nipping at her heals... Then they were upon her, and Pandora's heart clutched. She woke up. Damn stupid wolves..., and that stupid ass dream.

Once upon a time there lived a princess, named Pandora. She was tall with thick red hair. Her face was too sharp to be called beautiful but it resonated with character. Her nose, high cheekbones and sensuous lips gave her an aristocratic look. However, it was her eyes that were spellbinding. They were piercing and seemed to gaze into your soul. She was her mother's daughter and the intensity of her stare made others avert their eyes.

Her body had curves that were the envy of any woman; an ample bust, but not to excess mind you. Her hips were tight like cantaloupes, firm and round. Her legs were long and stretched giving her a willowy grace. These feminine attributes were enough to turn any man's head for a second look.

She dwelt with her family in the ancient fortress of Magnifico, a great walled estate. She wanted for nothing and had only to snap her fingers to have her every need provided. She did, however, occasionally experience unfamiliar longings. A dark spirit resided inside and oft, as she lay in bed, in deepest night, a voice from her soul whispered intimate suggestions and her imagination painted seductive images of the secrets a man and a woman might share behind closed doors—You know–that duty to provide an heir to the throne. The princess knew she'd one day marry and learn those secrets for herself. "If the King and Queen managed to figure it out, so can I." She grinned wickedly encouraged by the dark side and from her innocence a soft blush colored her cheeks.

Naturally, like any young woman, the young princess dreamed of a loving husband who'd appreciate her fine qualities, be her knight in shining armor, be the sire of many stalwart sons and beautiful daughters. Oft' when romanced by such notions she'd spin around the room in a dreamy dance. That certain someone who'll be the love of my life and man of my dreams. Her eyes misted. Despite this tender adolescence, strange hints and flashing images troubled her. Since coming of age, lascivious whispers and inexplicable desires haunted her dreams. At times they offered fanciful and serene delights and at other times, glimpses that were disconcerting.

Her parents, the King and Queen, doted on their beautiful daughter. The Queen, a Witch of great beauty, had earned the deference and respect of her subjects. Even so, dread might better describe the awe that the Princess's Mommy inspired in many. The Wizard King, renowned for his wisdom and power– her Pops–ruled with benevolent kindness. One and all considered him the Philosopher King.

Pandora's training included all aspects of spell making, elixirs, and potions, yet she was forbidden to practice what she learned. Her father often told her, "Magic is no substitute for a keen wit and the exercise of good judgement. Until you marry any use of the Dark Arts is strictly forbidden!"

In her mind she had fond memories of him pacing back and forth in the library. "One day you'll be queen." The King's gesture encompassed not only the palace, but also his entire kingdom. "You must therefore learn everything a great sovereign must know to rule wisely. There are many who wish you ill. You must understand how to ferret out the characters of our nobles and ladies and all those who attend the Court."

The princess only half-listened to her father. Hmmmm, Is that like reading a book? She giggled under her breath. If he's told me once, he's told me a thousand times, "Think before you act!" The familiar lecture rolled over her yet again. "Beyond these walls are dangers you cannot yet imagine," the King continued. "While you may venture anywhere inside and onto the grounds and gardens beyond the drawbridge, you must never go further than yonder high hedge. Beyond the hedge row, lurk dangers that are indefensiveable."

Even within these guidelines the Princess had a huge world at her feet. Inside the palace Pandora explored all the rooms and corridors, the staircases, battlements, as well as the lower levels where the cisterns collected water and the storerooms with their barrels and vases of provisions. She even ventured through the Dungeons, which never had any prisoners. Still the rusting chains bore mute testament to terrible events of a distant past.

The torture chamber bore a particular fascination. The rack, iron maiden, and forge teased her mind with ancient memories of the agony and the screams of the poor, tormented souls once detained for questioning. An oppressive fear still permeated the walls and lingered in the air, even after long years of disuse. Drawn by a compulsion she couldn't explain, Pandora experienced something inexplicable, a dark resonance in her soul, when she went there to do her embroidery. The skylight high above provided abundant sunlight and made the stitching easy on her eyes. When she paused and gazed at the tools adorning the walls, strange sensations washed over her. She could almost feel an oily specter rear its head and stir with an evil malevolence. "It's only my imagination, of course!" She'd shake her head as if to loosen the cobwebs of dark images. "How could anybody treat a fellow human being with such cruelty?"

In clear weather the Princess loved to walk about the gardens and enjoy the scent of the roses. She strolled down the well manicured hedges that gave a sense of symmetry, balance, and order that contrasted to the wild forest and gnarled trees in the distance. Sometimes she rode her pony, Merilot, in the uncultivated zone between the gardens and the distant hedge. It represented a no-man's land between her world and one ruled by nature.

One day, as Pandora rode Merilot around the grounds, she discovered a unicorn grazing with her foal. Surprised delight filled her and she urged her mount forward. Upon seeing the young princess the magnificent creature and her colt bolted for the hedge row. Over the top the horned beast leapt. Unable to match his mother's stride, the foal stopped, looked back, and stared a long moment, before picking his way through the barrier of foliage. Pandora rode up, dismounted, and stuck her head through the opening. An irresistible urge to follow washed over her, yet the warnings of her parents echoed in her ears. In an instant she decided. They only told me that to make sure I was home in time for dinner, It was a rationalization she'd soon regret. Tossing caution to the wind she picked her way through the twisting briars. Pandora soon emerged on the other side. In the distance the magical beasts entered the forest. Again the colt paused and looked back before the two unicorns disappeared from sight.