Part Twenty Two
 
 

Another week passed and the Princess become more and more withdrawn.  The troubles and perils which were beginning to overwheml the Kingdom were on her mind all and every day.  Messengers were seen coming and going from her spartan apartment where each night, she slept alone, naked and unprotected,  on the cold stone floor, the windows wide open to let in the icy,  purifyingly clean night air.

  She could no longer be prompted to regale her friend with thrilling tales of her adventures.  Martha still accompanied her darling friend on their morning rides, but found them more and more uncomfortable, as the princess rode slowly, her mind seemingly a million miles away.  The bigger girl found the cold of these Spring mornings getting to her in a way it never did to the hardened and stoical Princess - each day more and more a woman of steel.  Loyal Martha bore all this meekly and patiently, knowing her company to be of value to the deeply worried girl at her side.

Most days they would ride to the same spot where,  years ago,  Sara had humbly apologised to her peasant companion for her unforgivably wicked viciousness and cruelty in ordering her to strip in font of the whole Court, including the King.  They had  been close friends before this seminal event, but after it, their love and mutual respect had deepened so as to assume an almost sacred nature for them both.   Sara would gladly die, if it should ever become  necessary,  to save the precious life of her friend, and Martha felt the same for the Princess with the same supercharged fierceness and utter certainty.

All week the rumours of military incursions from the neighbouring kingdom of Glossburg under their bombastic and ruthles King  Adolf the Terrible, had been circulating and causing growing fear.  Groups of worried looking citizens could be seen  wherever men assembled and met together,  discussing the possibility of war with this ruthless neighbour and the terrible eventuality of possible conquest and subjugation.

 Most men still trusted their beloved  King to  fight for them and lead their army to victory, but those few people with access to the highest in the land knew better than to trust this amiable and selfish weakling and his obese and degenerate son-in-law.  Distrust and uncertainty were beginning to percolate downwards and sap people's morale.  The situation was becoming desperate and the Princess knew this full well.  She rued more bitterly than ever that she had not been born a man! She would have sorted this mess out months ago, instead of letting the situation reach this desperate pass!

One morning, with the frost still adorning the grass, the couple were on their way to their beloved usual spot, where they intended to spend the day, relaxing on the sward as the sun rose and warmed their young and lovely nakedness.  Suddenly, the Princess pulled her white horse, the faithful Champion,  up and dismounted.  For some seconds she stood there, her bare feet chilled by the rime on the grass, but seemingly not affected by this.

After what seemed an age to the shivering Martha, anxious to get moving, the pensive Princess took off the leather pouch from around her slim neck and removed the ring, which she placed on her finger. She had done this plenty of times in the last four years, hoping for something,  and always the ring, obviously several sizes too large for those delicate and almost transparent fingers, slid off.  This time it was different!  The golden,  simple and plain  ring fitted snugly on her finger and would not suffer itself to be removed,  no matter how hard the excited Princess pulled!

"I knew it, my darling friend!  My time has come at last!  Always remember this - darling, precious Martha!  Of all those I know and love in this world, none has ever or will ever stand higher in my affections than you.  Remember that always, my dear friend - words alone, in their pitiful inadequacy,  can never hope to express the love I have for you! And now we must go home.  I will attend the meeting of the State Council to prevent disastrous decisions being taken by the miserable and despicable cowards who are ruining our land, chief among them, I grieve to say, my husband and father!  Come with me, if you will be so kind, my love!  I so desperately need the presence of my truest friend on such a day as this will be!"

With these words, Princess Sara quite literally leapt back onto the back of her adored Champion.  She bent her slim and supple back, sofltly whispering  something into his ear, an expression on that heartbreakingly beautiful face of such gentle and loving tenderness to the beloved steed and companion through her journeys,  as caused the watching Martha to shed tears at the sight of it, knowing with a fearful cold hand on her heart,  that her dear friend might be with her for very little longer.

The Princess urged the horse into a gallop.  He had reacted to whatever Sara had said to him in the most amazing way, pawing the ground frantically with his front hooves and then kicking out frantically with his back legs, snorting and neighing loudly.

Martha caught up.

"What did you say to Champion, Sara?"

"I said he was to bear me on a mission of great danger, in which we might very likely perish, the pair of us!  He is no coward - the brave and wonderful fellow!  And neither am I!  We both rejoice at what we are both called to do.  And - my dear friend - before so very long,  you must cease to call me 'Sara', although it pains me to say it.  You will see what I mean soon enough!  Just never, ever forget that you are the one I love most - apart from my people!"

By the time they reached the Palace, both girls were red with exertion and a healthy glow covered both their bodies, as well as the steaming flanks of the two horses.  Sara dismounted with one bound, landing lightly on her feet with the cat like agility she had acquired during the course of that long and memorable exile,  from which she had returned  four years ago.

"Come along, Martha, my sweet dear friend.  To the Council Chamber, this very minute - not a second must be lost if our land is to be saved from  both the foul hand of the enemy and the evil of traitors within!"

"Surely you must be properly dressed in your Robes of State and I in my Peeress's gown?" asked an amazed Martha.

"Now that I wear once again the Fairy Ring, no other covering shall adorn my body until the danger to our country is past!"

The two naked girls ran up the staircase leading to the Council Chamber and brushed aside the astounded guards, Sara, a little ahead of her friend.  The Princess and the faithful Martha burst into the room.  At once all the feverish talking among the courtiers and generals  ceased, as heads turned in stupefied amazement to the doorway.  The tiny but imperious Princess, speaking in tones of ringing authority and total clarity, demanded immediate admittance to their counsels!