Chapter 13

"There it is! The City of Wizards."

Avril reaches over and squeezes Roy's hand reassuringly. "You can do it."

"Of course I can do it, but let's just get this over with and get the hell out of here. I hate this place." They start riding up the main road that leads straight into the city castle that is the City of Wizards. They haven't gotten ten feet when Roy turns to Avril and says, "But thank you, babygirl." Avril smiles with moist honored eyes.

"You're most welcome, sir knight."

As they continue to ride, Roy turns to Avril and says, "Avril, there are several things I probably should tell you before we go in here."

"Okay."

"Firstly, the last time I was in this city, I didn't leave on the best of terms."

"What do you mean?"

"The last time I was here on my twenty-fifth birthday I got into a serious argument and a huge fight broke out. Several people were seriously injured."

"Did anybody die?"

"Not that I know of. I didn't stick around long enough to find out, and I made a pledge to never return to this accursed place. What I do now, I do for you." Avril starts to say something but Roy stops her with a raised hand. "Please, honey girl, let me finish. This could be very important."

"Okay." Avril whispers wide-eyed.

"I also have quite the temper. All my life when people crowd me or get up close to my face, I immediately get enraged. I thought that was who I was meant to be. That, that in some odd way is what gave me the edge to be a great warrior, but recently I have found that is not who I am, only that I was agitated because a big part of me was missing, and because of pressures certain people have been putting on me all my life.

"I have recently discovered a wonderful part of me, and it is all because of you, Avril. It's you. When you cuddle up next to me or take my hand, or any physical touch between us, all my concerns and rage fades away.

"Normally I don't even kiss my sisters or mom because I don't like people up close to my face, but the several times you have kissed me on my cheek all I felt was elation and wonder. Your sharp pretty features has allowed for me to understand that hope is out there for me. When I took your hand to pull you up when we were going after the Battle Axe of Destiny, well, it sent a jolt through my arm."

Avril nods her head and says, "Me too."

"Is that why your hair went blonde with a strip of pink in it?"

"It did?"

"Yes." Roy can tell Avril is feeling a little vulnerable, so he continues on, "That's alright, Princess, you don't have to tell me. I'm slowly figuring it out for myself." Avril's eyes go big and she half rolls them, looking away. "Anyway, Avril, I guess what I am trying to say is thank you."

"You are welcome."

Roy smiles but continues, "But the point of what I am saying is that you will be the only hope for me if things turn bad in there. If things get violent, you will be the only one who will be able to stop me."

The five foot two, hundred and five stoneling petite princess, looks over at the six foot, two hundred and twenty-five stoneling muscular knight, and doubts it, but for some odd reason it is making her feel really warm and loved. Roy looks over and notices that Avril's hair is a mixture of blonde and brunette, with the tips being pink. Avril notices him looking at her hair, even though he doesn't say anything, and she gets control of herself and her hair goes back to her natural brunette.

"Anyway, if anything bad starts happening, all you have to do is touch me or put my hands on you, and all my rage should drain away."

"Should?"

"Fear not, babygirl, your power over me is complete."

Avril is not sure how she should feel about this. After all, she is betrothed to a great king. However she definitely knows how she wants to feel about it, but duty must be maintained. All she knows is that her heart is beating a little harder, and she also can't get the feelings out of her mind of when they touch and how she feels safer and more content than ever before.

She leans forward in her saddle and her legs jump on their own accord. To stop them she clamps them real hard and that sends a jolt through her. Getting frustrated with herself, she spreads her legs apart and leans forward as best she can on the saddle, in hopes that that will stretch out the tingling, but when she does that all her weight gets put on her girly parts and she squeals. Unbeknownst to either of them at the time, but a strip of pink appears in Avril's hair, and this time it doesn't go away.

Roy notices and says, "Getting nervous, sweetheart?"

With big eyes and nodding her head emphatically, Avril says, "Uh huh!"

Roy rides closer and strokes her hair and rubs her back. That doesn't make the feelings go away, and in fact it only spreads the warmth, but she knows everything will be okay as long as she has Roy at her side.

When Roy strokes Avril's hair, all his apprehension and concerns fade away and a smile comes to his face, and then with a huge exhale of breath he is ready to deal with these fools.

That is until they get about thirty feet inside the city-castle walls. Roy is riding on Avril's right when a wizard walks up to the left side of Avril.

He is wearing multi-colored robes, as most wizards do, and is looking over the brim of his glasses as he walks up to Avril and says very loudly, "Mistress, it is shameful that you wear such a short skirt while atop your horse."

Before she can answer, Roy can tell Avril is burning crimson with embarrassment, so he says to the wizard, "Shut he hell up, old man. Her leggings are basically riding pants, and I for one appreciate when pretty girls put in the effort to look pretty. That is, unless you prefer the boys, sir wizard." The shocked look on Avril's face is almost comical, but definitely horrified.

The wizard angrily turns to Roy, who he hadn't seen because he was riding on the other side of Avril, but then he recognizes Roy and says, "I'm sorry, Sir Knight Bane, I did not recognize you." Then he turns around and walks away hurriedly.

Now the look on Avril's face is curiosity with a tinge of admiration and appreciation.

"Come on, Avril, let's get this over with. I hate this place."

Avril rides closer and takes Roy's hand for a brief moment to give it a grateful squeeze, and in that instant all of Roy's building rage drains away. For a moment Avril's hair goes blonde, but even when it goes back to brunette the pink strip remains on the left side of Avril's hair, and will remain there for the rest of her life.

Avril and Roy slowly make their way through the streets heading towards the Wizard's Hall and The Council. Every ten paces there is an example of their arrogance, as a white marble statue or water fountain gleams brilliantly in the sunlight of some wizard doing something great for the world.

The amount of money and effort it takes to build just one of these statues could feed a village for a week or more. It is one of the main reasons Roy does not like the wizards. At least the witches remain true to themselves and the world, and embrace nature and put in a hard day's work to get the world to honor them with food and supplies.

As they turn a final corner, a big white marble building looms large at the end of the road. "Wow, that is beautiful."

"Yes, yes it is, Avril, but magic comes from a connection with nature and creation, and it appears to me that wizards try to distance themselves from those very things with every action they take."

"I guess that's true. I never thought about it like that before. Oh well, let's get this over with so we can get the hell out of here, because you hate this damn place."

Roy tries to hide is smile, but he can't. "I hear that, babygirl."

They ride up to the front of the building and tie off their three horses. As they are standing there, a man in a gray robe comes up to them. "Purpose?"

"Our purpose here is to talk with The Council immediately. Tell them Princess Avril of Azure has arrived."

"I'm sorry, but The Council is awfully busy today, perhaps tomorrow." Roy rests his hand on his sword and walks up on the courtier. The courtier takes several hasty steps backwards and says, "Well, yes, let me make sure. Please wait in the antechamber and I will check."