New Perils of Rosella

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<h1>Chapter I</h1> <h1>The Story Begins... Again</h1> The young girl sat in front of her vanity, twisting sun-washed golden hair into long elegant braids, while tying the ends with red satin ribbons. Red satin ribbons that matched her royal gown. A marvelous vermilion dress, velvety to the touch, ending at her feet, only to reveal slender legs clad in delicate royal white stockings through a high cut slit. Her feet were mischievously free of shoes while she made faces at her reflection. “Rosella!. Princess!?. Yes, Rosella. Princess Rosella was being summoned by the humdrum voice of her doting mother, Queen Valanice. It was suppertime. “I’m coming!” cried the impatient princess, pausing a few moments in front of the mirror examining herself some more. She stuck her tongue out and wrinkled her nose before sighing and getting up. Alas, it had been a boring several months since she had returned from what had been a most perilous yet undeniably exciting adventure. Rosella had traveled to a far off land known as Tamir in search of a magical fruit that would save her ailing father, King Graham, and ultimately save the life of the good fairy Genesta as well. It was a quite a lot to handle for such a young princess, but she had returned a mighty heroine amongst her questing family. The following months had been rather boring as things returned to royalty as usual. Being a princess meant being sheltered and pampered from the dangers of the world. "Where all the fun is," Rosella often thought to herself. /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/mirror.jpg" align="right">*/With a wistful sigh, Rosella turned to head downstairs to the when she heard what sounded like a familiar voice. “Hello?” asked Rosella squinting her blue eyes and peering about the room searching for the source of the faint sound. It was then she saw a shimmer of colors bouncing between the shadows of the stairwell. Picking up a small pair of black heels into her hands, Rosella proceeded to pad quietly down the steps, watching the colors dance on the walls going down the stone archway. At the bottom, Rosella was face to face with a very familiar sight. The very mirror that the good fairy Genesta had contacted her with many months ago was again alive with moving images; only this time it was not Genesta. It was… Lolotte!!! This couldn’t be. There had to be some mistake. Rosella had killed Lolotte with an arrow of pure love, right through the heart. There was no way that she could have survived. Could there. But Rosella couldn’t refute what she saw before her. The wicked hag witch was moving about wildly holding two small cages, in swinging arms. It didn’t make sense, but it looked like she was on Genesta’s island, and everything was in disarray. What Rosella saw next struck her the most dumbfounded. It was Edgar. At least she thought it was. He had gone back to his ghoulish form, and seemed to be aiding his evil mother in capturing Genesta’s fairies! The events unfolding in front of Rosella looked so real and close that she didn’t notice herself extending a slender finger toward the magical mirror, poking it through as if water in a pond. “Oh!” she exclaimed, pulling her finger back. Her little heart beat with a sense of urgency. What should she do? “Rosella. Dear, are you lost in your fantasies again. Please come to dinner,” called Valanice, chiding her daughter. Rosella turned and could see her mother’s shadow calling from the dining room. She then turned and faced the magic portal again. Dropping her favorite black heels to the stone floor with two clicks, she gingerly slipped her stocking feet snugly inside. It was time for Rosella to make a decision. Will she… [[Step inside the door immediately and face the unknown perils ahead->Back to Tamir!]] [[Go to her family and tell them that she must return to Tamir->Mission Grounded!]] [[Head straight to the dinner table and forget she saw a thing->Nothing to Get Choked Up Over]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://alexandrarena.deviantart.com/">Rena Dementia</a>*/

<h1>Back to Tamir!</h1> With one last glance at the flickering shadows, cast by the fireplace upon the wall in the dining hall where her family waited for their beloved daughter, Rosella turned and stepped into the shimmering mirror… Immediately she was met by light and a force of wind that threatened to blow up her long red skirt had she not the modesty to catch it in her tiny hands, keeping it intact while she was hurtled through space far away. Rosella had to keep her eyes squeezed shut to be safe from her long braids that whipped wildly like attacking snakes. And as she fell sideways through the long warp, she questioned her rash decision to step through the mirror. Wouldn’t her family worry. Didn’t they love her very-very much, and would worry sick about her sudden disappearance. The logic was outsized by Rosella’s big heart, and admittedly, curiosity for adventure again. Just when she felt she had rationalized her decision to step through the portal, the shimmering lights and chaotic winds came to a halt, and Rosella felt quiet suspension, if only for a moment. She then dropped, in a not so graceful fashion onto a mildly cushioning bed of moss and cattails. As soon as she gained the wind back in her lungs, Rosella crawled up onto her knees, rubbing her sore fanny with a grimace. “How very unladylike” she chirped while turning her nose up in mock royalty. Getting to her feet, she felt a tiny prickle on the bottom of her foot, “ouch!” she yelped in the surprise that comes from an unexpected feeling of pain. Looking down, she saw that she had stepped on a small broken reed growing up out of the damp green moss. “Oh dear, where are my shoes!?” asked Rosella, wiggling her white stocking feet. “I must have lost them coming through the portal. Now I wonder where they have gotten to?. Taking a ginger step away from the poking reed, Rosella looked up from her feet and glanced at her overall surroundings. The humid air hung in an almost visible fashion. Moss covered everything it could grow on, which was just about every rock and many-legged tree in the muck rich area around the bewildered princess. Crickets, frogs, and many unknown creepy crawlies filled the silence with their unnerving dialogue. Yes, Rosella was back in Tamir, back in the swamp of Tamir for certain. It seemed as though it had grown even more wild and sinister looking since her last visit, if that was possible. Now where were her shoes. Was it even possible to find them in this place. Could she safely go on without them. The only certainty Rosella had was that she needed to get out of this creepy place. It was time for Rosella to make a decision. Will she… [[Forget the shoes, I'll take my chances barefoot->Snaking Around]] [[Look for the shoes, this is NOT a safe place->If the Shoe Fits...]]

<h1>Mission Grounded!</h1> Deciding it best to tell her family where she was headed so as not to put any unnecessary stress upon her father’s only recently regained health, Rosella put her chin forward and marched into the flickering light of the dining room. “Well, hello there my daughter,” cooed Valanice of her precious young princess. King Graham smiled warmly at the entrance of his beautiful daughter. Her brother, Prince Alexander was the only one to see it immediately. “What is the matter?” he asked forwardly. /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/kq4-pondering.JPG" align="right">*/Pondering, Rosella shook her head of her own thoughts, the words she was planning during her march into the room seemed to be rattled by her brother’s acute observations of her inner workings. “I… there’s… I need to return to Tamir. There is trouble there once again, and I fear Lolotte… I must go back,” her words trailed off into a whisper as her cerulean eyes searched the warm rug pattern on the floor for the strength to sound resolute. Alexander dropped his gaze from his naïve sister at the sound her proclamation. Valanice’s eyes did nothing to hide her surprise and they didn’t need to, because her jaw dropping seemed to sum it up for the audience in the fireplace lit royal dining hall. It seemed only Graham showed no reaction. His eyes betrayed nothing, while the muscles in his face followed suit. And that seemed to be it, for several moments, unless somebody could hear the sound of Rosella’s heart beating like a humming bird in her chest. Her ivory face was revealing a bit of red and she hadn’t breathed in nearly a minute! “You will do no such thing, now sit down and--” “I will- I am. I am going to Tamir to--” “Sit down, Princess Rosella!. Graham’s cold formality frightened his young daughter, but her resolution would not be defeated that easily. “No, I won’t, I’m going!” she cried through newly formed tears, turning to burst out of the room, back to the mirror. Back to Tamir and adventure. /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/mission-grounded.jpg" align="left">*/“Alexander!” called Graham in royal authority. The young prince nodded in response, quickly standing to block his sister’s stubborn escape, and gently, but firmly grab her upper left arm. Rosella’s blue eyes burned with cold sibling betrayal, seeking out her guilty brother, but his face had turned down in the shame of responsibility. Her chin quivered in the overwhelming feelings that erupted as this situation played itself out. “Take her to her room, Alexander. Rosella, you are grounded and will not leave the confines of your bedroom until I say otherwise. Are we clear?. She did not reply. The guards cover the magic mirror“It is for your own good, my daughter,” added Valanice trying to sooth the wound that this room had become. Once again, Rosella said nothing. With a gentle urge, Alexander led his obstinate siste. out into the hall, and up the winding stairs to her room. She cast a longing glance at the shimmering mirror and the adventure that lay behind the glass. Two palace guards had shown up to hang a heavy tarp over the magic mirror even before Rosella reached the top of the stairs to her bedroom. Once she was inside, Alexander locked the door from the other side, leaving the princess to her solitude. Despite the fact that her bedroom was large and lush with extravagance, it felt cold and small. She was after all a prisoner under another name. Looking at her new surrounding, Rosella was determined to get an idea, something, anything that she could do to remedy her current situation. It all boiled down to one thing. It was time for Rosella to make a decision. Will she… [[Attempt to escape out her window on the ledge->It Slipped Her Mind]] [[Lay down on her bed, there's no chance of escape!->Sob Story]] [[Tie sheets together and climb out the window->Tying Up Loose Ends]] [[Pick the lock and sneak downstairs->The Key Thing Is...]] /*First illustration by <a href="https://rachykins.deviantart.com/">Rachel King</a>*/ /*Second illustration by <a href="https://alexandrarena.deviantart.com/">Rena Dementia</a>*/

<h1>Nothing to Get Choked Up Over!</h1> Deciding that she’d really had enough of Tamir the last time, Rosella turned to head into the dining hall for a much-needed meal. She was starving. Let the Pesky Genesta deal with Lolotte herself this time. After exchanging brief greetings with her family, Rosella eagerly gnawed away at the large portion of chicken before her. It looked absurd in front of her ever-slight frame, but she was a growing young girl after all. With a sudden surge of panic, however, the princess stopped eating all together. Her slender fingers slowly let go of the piece of chicken while her naïve blue eyes, glazed over with an ever so subtle confusion. The delicate ivory skin on her face began to playfully imitate the color of her eyes. Rosella wanted someone in her family to notice and help, but they all seemed attentive to their own platters. The sweat began to form on her brow, and air seemed a preciously lacked resource, as Rosella began to think. Are my braids to tight. Is my gown to heavy for this fire warm room. Alas it was none of those things. Just a little chicken bone that found it’s way into her narrow throat. And while Genesta and her fairies were likely meeting a terrible end at the magical hands of Lolotte, not to mention the unsolved mystery: was Edgar really a monster again and helping Lolotte. Rosella found herself getting all choked up over it! -The End [[Try Again->The Story Begins... Again]]

<h1>Snaking Around</h1> Deciding to take her chances barefoot, Rosella keenly looked at her surroundings, trying to discern where in the swamp she was. As much as it seemed to have overgrown there and back upon itself, there must be something that she could recognize from her previous trip here. The air was hot, and stray blonde strands of hair clung to the perspiring princess’s face. Her porcelain face was now flush with the blood close to her cheeks. The bugs were merciless on the back of her neck, and on her hands, the only exposed flesh they could find on the poor young girl. Rosella counted her blessings for her heavy red gown and white stockings, despite the irony of the pressing heat that made her body weaken with each step. Licking her drying lips, she peeled the sticking strands of hair from her slender face, tucking them neatly behind her ears. Rosella took a few steps in each direction trying to jar her memory, when she caught sight of a familiar looking tree. It wasn’t that she found it any less creepy than the other vine tangled contorted trees in the bog. If anything it was just the opposite. This tree could be described as even more nightmarish within its nooks and arches. It’s lifelong desperation was obvious from the way it grew in outlandish directions, following the sun’s too few rays, that managed to pierce the canopy of the shadowy swamp. Day to day, the crooked branches twisted and turned just for five minutes of warm light. The result was an abomination of a tree, like a broken body, the ugly of the forest. But all the reaching and sacrifice yielded one true thing. This tree was the only one of its peers to bear life. So true in its pursuit of the sun, a lone life giving fruit had grown upon its limb; a magical rejuvenator that Rosella would find only a few short months before in order to save her dying father’s life. /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/snaking-around.jpg" align="right">*/As the memories came back to her in a flood, Rosella found herself unconsciously moving toward the familiar tree because it brought a sense of direction to her chaotic surroundings. For now that she had found the tree, she could easily navigate her way out of the swamp. While her eyes were fixated on the broken stem where she had plucked the magic fruit from, Rosella’s little ears picked up a rustling sound followed by a flicker. Quickly her blue eyes sharpened, snatching up the details as fast as they filtered through. Curled up under the tree was a rather large cobra not but 10 feet from where the young princess stood. Its tongue flickered while it seemed to sway about, consistent with only one detail. Its eyes were o. Rosella, like it recognized her. Who knew if it remembered the time she fooled it and stole the magical fruit from under its dutiful watch. It was impossible to even tell if it was even thinking. Perhaps this was simply a situation based on instinct. Either way, the princess had a decision to make. Will she… [[Wade into the muck and go around the snake->Avoiding the Problem Never Solves It]] [[Toss a rock to make him go away->Pitching Bites]] [[Walk calmly past the snake->The Straight and Narrow]] [[Splash him with some water->Wash Away Your Problems]] [[Pet the cobra->Stupid, Stupid Girl]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://alexandrarena.deviantart.com/">Rena Dementia</a>*/

<h1>If the Shoe Fits...</h1> “I can’t go wandering around this ugly swamp without finding my shoes, it’s too dangerous,” Rosella assured herself after deciding that it was in her best interest to find her lost foot ware before high tailing it out of the wretched humid swamp. Deciding that they couldn’t have fallen far from where she landed herself, the princess began a shrewd and scrutinizing analysis of the grounds immediately surrounding her. She parte. thick tufts of grass like a long carpet in hopes of turning up her favorite black heels, but alas they were not to be found. Turning this way and that, Rosella had all but given up hope when she caught a sliver of bright light in the corner of her eye. Turning to see what it was, she let out a squeak of excitement as she recognized the sun gleaming off the silver buckle on one of her shoes. There they were, bobbing on the surface of the murky swamp water a dozen feet away. “Oh dear, there they are!” Rosella exclaimed thinking she had almost given up hope of finding them. But now, how was she to get them all the way out there. Decisions, decisions. Will she… [[Wade into the muck after the shoes->Not Quite Frog Legs]] [[Look for something to help reach the heels->A Hip and a Hop]] [[Wait and see if they drift to shore on their own->Sweet Dreams]]

<h1>It Slipped Her Mind</h1> Rosella paced the length of her room several minutes before realizing that saving Tamir could not wait, and certainly could not be delayed on account of her father’s grounding her. Genesta needed help, and Edgar… she must find out what was happening with him. Why was he a monster again. Was he really helping Lolotte in her evil plans. And speaking of Lolotte; how was it possible that she was still alive? /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/slipped.jpg" align="right">*/Rosella stopped in her tracks and clicked her heel down on the stone tablet floor defiantly. Turning to look out the window at the burning purple sunset, an idea began to form as she imagined her escape. Short hurried steps carried her to the windows as she thrust them wide open. The wind whipped across the grassy plain far below and curled right up the castle wall breezily cool on her excited face. Peering out, she noticed there was a narrow ledge outside her window that led along the wall to a lower roof that in turn led to an iron pole she might be able to slide down to the ground from, thus escaping her current confinement. The taste of freedom was deliriously sweet on her imagination, and she didn’t give due consideration to the slick wooden bottoms of her black leather shoes. With a girlish grunt, Rosella pulled herself up onto the window’s ledge, gingerly holding the length of he. whipping red gown as she lowered one leg at a time onto the narrow ledge outside, bracing against the wind. One look down was enough to inform the foolish princess that it was certainly not a good idea. Seeing just how far down it really was from out here on the ledge made her tiny heart pound as a cornered rabbit’s might. After a couple deep reassuring breaths that she was okay, Rosella lifted her tender cheek from the rough wall of the castle, sure it was raw, to slide herself a few more feet over. Her hands trembled, and palms sweat in contrast to the cold stone beneath them as she moved. If only the princess’s admirable focus were enough. Alas her smooth heels proved to be an unwise choice for this climb, and it wasn’t long before the naïve princess slipped backwards. Rosella scratched with her hands trying to grab onto the flat castle wall, breaking a nail in the process. Her long braids whipped in the wind behind her while her gown blew upward, embarrassingly revealing her undergarments. She let out a wide blue-eyed scream before going THUD! At the sound of the princess’s scream, knights on patrol headed her way with hunting hounds barking in alarm. “How am I going to explain THIS one?” thought Rosella. But then she realized she didn’t have to. She was already dead. Nice going Rosella! -The End [[Try again->The Story Begins... Again]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://alexandrarena.deviantart.com/">Rena Dementia</a>*/

<h1>Sob Story</h1> Rosella lay curled up in a fetal position, sobbing to herself with puffy red eyes and a nose to match. Her father had laid down the law and it seemed as though mother and brother were in agreement with him. The emotionally fragile princess felt defeated by the odds of her rigid royal family. She knew down deep they were only trying to look out for her safety. On the plus side, she wouldn’t have to worry about getting zapped into a pile of powder by a vengeance seeking Lolotte for their last encounter. But on the minus side, her yearning for adventure would gnaw at her wanderlust heart. Rosella turned her face into her pillow and cried long and loud, muffled within the plush until her fitful body resigned itself to sleep. She would awake to be the princess of Daventry, and nothing more. -The End Congratulations. You’ve reached a neutral end to Rosella’s adventure. [[Try for a better ending?->The Story Begins... Again]]

<h1>Tying Up Loose Ends</h1> Rosella spent only a precious few moments analyzing the situation of being locked in her room before setting her sights on her open window, silk curtains billowing from a gentle evening wind. Having read one too many of her fantasy novels featuring princesses with wanderlust mixed with watching the hypnotizing lull of the curtains, Rosella had a sudden vision of her mode of escape. She would tie a rope together out of her bed sheets and curtains and climb out the window, safely to the ground far below. Excited by her idea, and quite certain that Genesta and her fairies were no doubt in terrible peril, Rosella went to work, tearing the sheets off her lavish bed, then pulled the curtains down with a ping-ping-ping! they came undone from their metal loops. Taking great care to tie tightly secured knots, Rosella inspected her handiwork. The multicolored rope snaked around her room nearly 50 feet in length, she was nearly certain of it. Looping one end into a great knot around the thick leg of her bed, Rosella, approached her open window, arms full of the makeshift rope. With a grunt, she threw out her arms, as if letting loose a bird back out into the sky, and watched as the cloth snake uncoiled wildly against the purple sunset, fighting the wind, gravity on its side. It was difficult to tell in the fast fading light, but it looked like the rope was just about long enough. There would be a short drop to the ground at most. She hoped. Rosella looked at her skinny arms giving each of her biceps a tiny pinch. There was no way she would be able to climb back up once she was out there. A princess spends her time trying on dresses and combing her long beautiful hair, not building upper body muscles. “How inconvenient for this occasion,” thought Rosella. Her decision had already been made though, and she climbed gingerly onto the ledge of the window, careful to gather up her vermilion gown in her slender hands so as not to plummet to her an early death. And so Rosella began her rappel down the wall of the castle quickly finding out that her smooth wood bottom heels provided virtually no traction on the equally smooth wall of the castle. She held on with all her princess might, allowing just enough slack through her slender hands to take hurried if a bit clumsy steps down. Despite the fact that Rosella had not predicted the velocity of descent on account of her lacking any traction, the situation seemed to work out in her favor. She wasn’t dangling at the bottom of the rope, for more than a single whimper, before the burning pain in “pipe-cleaners” she called arms gave out, and princess Rosella dropped. Luckily for her, her clear blue eyes did well by her, and the drop was only a few short feet. Though, as any princess in an elegant gown would, she landed on her backside with a comical yelp in pain. Not allowing too much time to waste on her own misfortunes, Rosella mended herself with a soothing rub of her fanny and then quickly turned her attention toward getting back to the magic mirror. As far as she could tell, there were two routes that she could take to get back inside. There was a drainage stream that ran under the castle with various metal grates leading up through the first floor of the castle. Her other path would bethe drawbridge of the castle itself, certain to be guarded by two knights. The question was, which way to take? [[Take the drainage route->Fish Food!]] [[Take the drawbridge->Pulling Rank]]

<h1>The Key Thing Is...</h1> Rosella balled her tiny fists marching furiously back and forth in her lush bedroom quarters, temporarily acting as a prison. Realizing the futility, she took hold of the large doorknob and turned it aggressively, sighing when it gave not at all. It would appear she was locked within her room for the time being. Crouching down, Rosella closed one beautiful blue eye and peered through the intricate keyhole with the other. Strange, she could see no light on the other side. Backing her face away from the door, she blinked her eyes a few times, giving them a rest, then held her breath; listening. Yes, she did hear the crackle of a torch flame in the hall outside her door. Again she lined up her eye with the keyhole and saw no light. It didn’t make any sense… unless. Unless her brother Alexander in all his foolishness left the key in the lock! Rosella scrambled to her feet and rushed over to her vanity, combing through her drawer with able slender fingers for a hairpin. With a squeak of excitement, she returned to the locked door hairpin in hand. Concentrating carefully, she slid the pin into the lock, and waited to feel the resistance of the key on the other side. She gently forced the key back out of the lock and listened to it clatter to the floor. Rosella pressed her porcelain cheek to the floor, gasping at the sudden chill from the stone slabs, and peered under the door with excited blue eyes. The dull brown metal key was lying just outside the door, staring back at her temptingly. Sliding the hook end of the hairpin under the door, Rosella fished around for a grasp on the precious key for many moments. When she finally felt sufficient resistance, she gingerly pulled back watching victoriously as the key slid under the door and into her waiting fingers. Savoring a small moment of victory holding the large dull key in her proportionately tiny hand, Rosella slid it into the lock and turned it, listening for a click signaling freedom. The door swung open just wide enough for the slender princess to slip out, legs slipping embarrassingly through the slit in her skirt in the process. Two steps and Rosella stopped in her tracks with a wince. Her heels clicked and clacked on the stone floor, echoing down the hall. With a one and two, she kicked her feet back, slipping off the noisy shoes and holding them in her hands. The floor was chilly on her white stocking feet she noticed with a shiver of each padded step. She moved in short quick strides, sneaking quietly down the stairs to where she knew the magic mirror awaited. The heavy tarp that covered the mirror came off with a determined tug, and Rosella stood staring at the still open portal. She sighed in relief that she had not missed her chance, dropping her heels to the floor. In an unconscious action, she righted one shoe that had landed on its side with her toe, and then gingerly slipped her delicate feet snugly back into her favorite black heels. [[Step into the swirling magic portal->Back to Tamir!]]

<h1>Avoiding the Problem Never Solves It</h1> Rosella stood on the damp moss island staring at the cobra as it fluidly swayed back in forth, lulling her as nature had so intended; but the princess was actively on her guard. Shaking her head, her long blonde braids whipped about as she resisted the deadly tranquility of the large snake. The island was nothing more than a narrow moss bed, with the still ugly previously bearing magical fruit tree in the center, and the coiled cobra positioned under it’s shady canopy. There wasn’t enough room to walk around on the snake because the island was just too narrow. It could definitely strike her from either side. And walking directly past it was simply ludicrous. Her floor length skirt might have helped if not for the high cut slit that exposed her white stockings with each step. And the snake seemed all too eager to offer a bite on whichever slender exposed ankle the young princess wished. Convinced her sheer white stockings were not going to offer the “support” she needed, Rosella decided her only option would be to make a wider arc around the snake, and as it would have to be, the island itself. That meant, venturing out into the murky waters. She stood looking into the green and brown sludge for many moments, staring down at her clean white legs, and lush red gown. After several absurd moments of deliberation, she decided that the swamp waters would not be turning into the crystal blue of the fountains she was so fond of sitting by in the royal garden. With a sigh, Rosella took a couple of measured steps into the thick sludge reacting with a gasp as her pristinely white stockings, soaked up water like a thin sponge. She began making her arc around the guarded island, but the further she got away from the moss-covered land, the deeper the murky water seemed to get. But the naïve princess didn’t notice the rising waterline. Her little blonde head filled with girlish lamentation and nonsense about ruining brand new stockings, and the beautiful gown she had picked out to wear to the royal ball being in thrown in honor of her upcoming 18th birthday. The dress fit her petite body perfectly! /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/sinking.jpg" align="left">*/It was the next step she took that finally shook the frivolous fashion perils from her teenage mind; the one where she didn’t feel anything solid underfoot. Rosella quickly gathered her wits together, scattering her imagination of everyone wowed by her beautiful vermilion dress at the ball, but it was too late. The murky swamp had already claimed the slender waist of the foolishly mind wandering princess. Used to getting what she wanted, Rosella pointed her toes downward, reaching for any hint of solid ground deep below in the muck. She found no such rescue. The quagmire seemed impartial to the perils of the porcelain skinned beauty. At first, her blue eyes looked all around her clouding up with the smoke of confusion. After the first drips of mud seeped into the neckline of her once lovely dress, panic set in. Rosella raised her arms above her head, extending her long slender fingers outwardly in an almost begging manner. “Somebody help me, please!. She wheezed as the pressure of the bog crushed her petite torso. Rosella tasted the salt from a thin stream of tears flowing down from her wide blue eyes into the corners of her ruby red lips. Her braids were golden water snakes laid out upon the top of the green surface of the swamp as the mud smeared her delicate chin. She had just enough time to ponder her foolish decision, take a gulp of ear and squeeze her eyes shut, as she slipped beneath the quagmire. Way to circumvent THAT problem, Rosella. And then… -The End [[Try again?->The Story Begins... Again]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://alexandrarena.deviantart.com/">Rena Dementia</a>*/

<h1>Pitching Bites</h1> Deciding to square off against the cobra and determined not to let it intimidate her, Rosella looked around for something to use as a weapon. After picking up several little stones, scrutinizing them with a wrinkled nose, then tossing them aside unsatisfied, Rosella’s hand came upon a seemingly appropriate specimen. The rock was about the size of her balled fist, and had a nice heavy weight to it she though with an approving nod. Holding it awkwardly above her head in one hand, she sneered at the snake that remained coiled, passively swaying up until this point. It appeared uncomprehending of the princess’s violent tactics ahead. With a deep breath, Rosella pitched the heavy stone with her tiny might. The princess was not a very good athlete. In her defense, she was a lovely young girl, graceful even in her role of royalty, but certainly not a good athlete. She missed her mark, failing to scare the snake. She did, however, succeed in stirring the snake’s aggressive temper. Reacting to the perceived attack, the snake came quickly uncoiled, slithering angrily toward the immediately sorry princess. /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/pitching-bites.jpg" align="right">*/Instead of running away, Rosella stood there frozen in place, her knees girlishly turned inward, whimpering as she watched the cobra come for her. Just before it was upon her, she arched back on one foot, drawing her other leg up defensively cringing away. The strike was quick, and felt like a tiny hot pinprick on the big toe of her raised foot. Rosella let out a terrified squeak and then nothing at all. Her mouth remained open wide in silence to match her terrified blue eyes. All the critters of the swamp could see her turn a bright pink, followed by orange, and finally a dark purple as the princess felt her blood catch fire. Rosella’s skinny legs gave out on her, as she slumped to her hands and knees, holding that position for as long as her trembling arms could bear before slumping onto her stomach, cheek pushed into the damp moss. Next time, wear 'support hose!'She pulled her knees up close to her chest, as her fingers pulled at the nylon that covered her toes where the poison had entered her blood. Rosella had a while to ponder her mistakes, as she died a painful death of snake poisoning. -The End [[Try again?->The Story Begins... Again]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://alexandrarena.deviantart.com/">Rena Dementia</a>*/

<h1>The Straight and Narrow</h1> Having convinced herself that a calm and non-aggressive approach would yield a safe passage, Rosella smoothed out her skirt, put her chin forward, and gracefully took measured steps toward the swaying cobra. While her face showed a mask of confidence mastered through years of royal upbringing, the princess’s heart pounded with overwhelming anxiety. She held her breath as she got near the snake, shortening her steps even further so as not to spook any reactions into the watchful creature. It didn’t seem quite possible, but she was certain that she was within reach of a wicked strike, and yet the snake passively swayed, seemingly unthreatened by the slender girl. Rosella closed her eyes exhaling a sigh of relief as she passed the deadly snake. Unknown to the princess, her “luck” was merely the result of the hunting instincts of the snake. It was so lucky to have this delicious looking ankle walk right past, that it savored the moment. And then it struck. The deadly sharp fangs cut through her stocking clad ankle like it was a spider’s web. The surprised princess let out a shriek of pain as she collapsed to the ground in delirious weakness. Rosella whimpered as the poison went to work on her while the cobra slithered up to her ear laid out next to her like a third braid, hissing in her ear as if to remind her of the stupidity of her actions. So much for saving Tamir. Who's going to save YOU!? -The End [[Try again?->The Story Begins... Again]]

<h1>Wash Away Your Problems</h1> Feeling quite certain that approaching the dangerous looking cobra would mean certain doom, Rosella decided to take a more effective route, albeit a bit more childish. Bending down, she cupped her hands and dipped them into the murky waters. Eying the snake mischievously, she splashed a wave of water toward the unsuspecting serpent. This tactic seemed to work just wonderfully. The cobra did not like it one bit, and slithered away as fast as it could. Rosella smiled at her accomplishment, but then perked her ears when she heard what sounded like a tiny gargle and cough coming from near the snake’s nest. Creeping closer, she saw a faint glow emanating from tall grass. “Hello?” asked the princess mustering up a little bit of courage as she edged ever closer, arching her neck to see. The question was answered with a sneeze. Rosella’s curiosity took over completely and she crept dangerously close, standing atop the glowing patch of grass. There at the princess’s feet was what appeared to be a tiny fairy, and she didn’t look happy. For all her glowing beauty, she was wiping swamp water from her face, no thanks to Rosella. “Oh dear. I’m so sorry!” apologized the embarrassed princess. “You should be. Look at me. I’m covered in mud!” squeaked the little lady followed by another sneeze. “Here, let me help you,” said Rosella, offering the hem of her long red skirt. The fairy took hold of it in a tiny fist, and used it to wipe clean. Rosella had secretly hoped she wouldn’t have. But as lovely as her dress was, it was her fault the fairy got soaked. It only seemed fair. “Who are you, anyway?” asked the cranky fairy, drying off. “I’m Rosella, Rosella of Daventry,” replied the young princess while pinching her skirt in her fingers and dipping for a bow. “I’m here to help.” “You’re the one here to help?. Asked the fairy, raising an eyebrow, “You look like a princess,” she added skeptically. “I AM a princess,” said Rosella, squaring her jaw, and placing her hands on her hips, “and I’ve been to Tamir before. And, well, not to brag, but, I helped save this land,” she added with a bit of sass. Not to be outwitted by a smart mouth bratty princess, the fairy was quick to point out, “Then you’re also aware that you are dressed completely inappropriately for the dangers of Tamir?. The fairy in turn put her hands on her own hips, her tiny jaw squared. “Oh, well,” Rosella felt her fair cheeks flush as she realized the haste in which she did jump through the portal. She had neglected to even think that it might not be wise to travel to Tamir in such formal, dainty clothing. “Well, Genesta was able to change my clothes last time,” defended the proud princess. “Well, Genesta will not be able to help you this time, your highness,” replied the sarcastic fairy. “What has happened here. I saw strange events in the magic mirror back home and…” Rosella’s voice trailed off evident of her fears and concern. The fairy’s mood became somber sensing their bickering introduction had run its course. She fluttered her butterfly wings, and floated up into Rosella’s slender hands to tell the brave young princess what indeed had happened in Tamir. “A short while ago, you had valiantly freed our land from the clutches of the evil witch, Lolotte, saved Genesta’s life by returning her magic amulet, and broke the curse on Edgar, returning him to his noble human form. Genesta thanked you for your courage and sent returned you home to save your own dying father. Tamir was thought to be a safe place with Lolotte dead. With Genesta’s health back in full form, we fairies went about our gardening and cleaning, so full of joy. We had planned a grand celebration on the island, decorating the castle, and baking all matter of sweets. The business of the festivities kept everyone so busy, we hardly noticed that nobody had seen or heard from Edgar since his marriage proposal to you.” Rosella’s eyes dropped. “He had returned to the mainland of Tamir, and to the castle, we assume to finish putting things in order as was needed after Lolotte’s evil rule. None of us suspected what was to come,” the fairies delicate voice trailed off. “What. What happened. I don’t understand what any of this has to do with me?” Rosella blurted out, confused. The fairy silenced her with a solemn look. “My poor Rosella. You truly are a naïve sheltered young lady. What you don’t understand, what none of us predicted, was how it was that Edgar would take your rejection of his love.” “Rejection!. How could I marry him!. I’m 17, I don’t know him, I know nothing!” blurted the princess rapidly, wiping away at tears forming in the corners of her overwhelmed eyes. Allowing Rosella her tirade, the fairy continued. “Edgar returned to the castle devastated by the rejection in his heart.. Rosella wanted to scream again by the look in her eyes, but bit her ruby lips and allowed the fairy her tale. But that was not his only surprise. Instead of returning to find the wicked corpse of Lolotte in her wretched bed, he found her not dead. For the arrow of love that should have slain her, by some cruel turn of fate did not. She was mortally wounded, but she willed herself to survive. There he found the pathetic Lolotte lying in her bed, weak and needy. But he himself was weak and needy in the heart, and she could see this in her wicked red eyes. Lolotte cooed and comforted her poor Edgar, lulling him into sedation. She convinced him to nurse her back to health while she continually reminded him of the harlot that was Rosella.” Rosella put her hand to her mouth in shock. “After several weeks, Lolotte had her strength back, and had filled Edgar’s head with so many lies, and heart full equal doubt, he had reverted back to the despicable green creature he once was under her care. With her ghoulish minions, and a bitter Edgar at her side, Lolotte launched an attack on Genesta’s island. They stormed the castle, and took her captive, along with the fairies unfortunate enough to be on the island at the time. I had the strange circumstance of being on the mainland collecting flowers to plant in our garden at the time of the attack. The remaining fairies and I believe that Lolotte has taken our sisters back to her evil fortress for an unknown purpose. We can only assume that Genesta’s very life is in grave peril. That is why we contacted you. You Rosella of Daventry are our only hope. The very fate of Tamir rests upon your shoulders.” Rosella thought she might faint at the words. It was all simply too much. How could all of this have happened!. She had killed Lolotte with Cupid’s Arrow. She was certain she had. And there was no way she could have married Edgar. It was absurd. She had needed to return to save her father. She wiped the last couple of tears out of her eyes when the fairy extended a large leather pouch (relative to the tiny fairy) in her arms. “Inside this leather sleeve is a key to the graveyard crypt. There you will find Cupid’s bow. Lolotte had it removed there, under the ghastly watch of the mummy. You must retrieve the bow and slay the evil witch in order to save Genesta and all of us from certain doom.” Rosella closed her hands around the leather sleeve, feeling the skeleton key inside with a shiver. “Now that we got that out of the way. We need to travel through the troll’s cave in order to reach Tamir, and it might be wise for us to find your shoes, princess, unless of course, those are ‘support hose’ you’re wearing” said the fairy nodding to her stocking feet, with a wink, sarcasm reactivated. Rosella looked down, cheeks on fire, wiggling her toes, she nodded in agreement. “I think they’re over there,” she indicated out into the center of the swamp water. The fairy, fluttered safely over the quagmire scooping up the lovely black heels from an untimely end, and returned them to a very happy Rosella whom eagerly slipped them back on her feet. “By the way, my name is Jenna,” said the fairy, extending a decidedly tiny hand to the princess. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jenna,” replied Rosella, extending a slender finger in return. The two girls shook, if only a bit awkwardly. With that out the way, they headed toward the cave’s entrance, Jenna floating gracefully, and Rosella once again wearing her favorite heels. [[Inside the cave->Inside the Troll's Cave]]

<h1>Stupid, Stupid Girl</h1> In an example to prove that her braids were indeed tied too tight, Rosella slowly tiptoed up to the cobra thinking he was a “cute little guy” that could use a good petting. She crouched down up close to it. The snake begged to differ, and after one good patting, it lurched back and quickly made a strike on Rosella’s exposed hand. She screamed, falling back onto her bottom in sudden pain. It felt like she had poked by a hot needle, and in a matter of moments she felt groggy, and overly warm. Her arms couldn’t support her weight anymore, and she slumped onto her back eyes trying to keep focus on the blurry sky. The snake was the hero of the swamp, having felled a delicious meal for the critters of the swamp. It hissed loudly as they climbed out of the muck, down from the trees, or buzzed in on wings to inspect the offering. Rosella moaned helplessly as the creatures began nibbling holes in her dress and stockings, even her hair. It gave her time to reflect her stupid an idea it was to pet a cobra, killing herself in the process. A short while later, the snake coiled up under its tree for a nap right next to its new neighbor, a pile of bones that looked an awful lot like princess Rosella. Great way to lose weight, princess! -The End [[Try again?->The Story Begins... Again]]

<h1>Not Quite Frog Legs</h1> “Oh, there they are. I don’t have a moment to lose,” Rosella exclaimed to herself watching her favorite pair of black heels bob perilously in the wretched muck. She only prayed that she could cross the 12 feet in time. Without wasting any more time, she treaded into the water, taking as long strides as she could. The water in this part of the swamp was surprisingly cleaner than the rest of it. There wasn’t really any mud here, so the water was much easier to wade through. More importantly, the ground was solid. This was most reassuring, as she had heard the nasty stories of the quagmires that existed in swamps that would suck a plucky princess under forever, without giving a second thought. The water gradually became deeper as she took each step away from the bank, leveling off at her slender waist, when something bumped into her leg. “Oh. There must be fish in this part of the swamp. How interesting,” she said with a giggle watching the vague shadow swim around under the water. Rosella’s anxiety eased as she watched the serene ripples flow away from her waist, causing her shoes to tip and bob in the water just a few feet away. She closed the distance with a few more gingerly steps, before claiming her victory, “gotcha!” she said, closing her hands around her dainty black heels. /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/notfroglegs.jpg" align="right">*/The princess’s victory was short lived though as the surface of the water was overcome by an agitated feeling, followed by a great splash. A large scaly creature stood up from under the water behind the unsuspecting Rosella. Taking her by surprise, it wrapped its large clawed hands around her tiny waist. Despite her terrified screams and protests, the swamp creature hoisted he. effortlessly out of the water, holding her upside down in the air, legs kicking as her skirt fell embarrassingly around her torso. Rosella looked down from her awkward angle to see the mysterious monster that had her in its clutches, only to see its oily sightless eyes staring back at her blankly. More frighteningly were the razor sharp teeth lining its large open mouth. She gulped and squirmed with all her girlish might as she terrifyingly realized what was going to happen next. Now had she been Connor a brutish lad from her home of Daventry, she would have broken free of the swamp creature’s grasp and gave it a good walloping. She was however, not Connor, rather she was princess Rosella of Daventry, and a bit of a squirm was the best she could manage. Thus, the swamp creature dropped her down its gullet head first, gobbling her up. She kicked her legs defiantly in the air, as it swallowed her whole. Why does this always happen to me? Holding its fattened belly with a painful feeling of indigestion, the swamp creature moaned and with a burp, put its scaly hands to its mouth, pulling out a stretchy pair of sheer white nylons snagged in its razor sharp teeth. Crumpling them up, it tossed them to the wind, submerging back beneath the surface. “I prefer frog legs, but those were a close second,” it thought to itself. -The End [[Try again?->The Story Begins... Again]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://alexandrarena.deviantart.com/">Rena Dementia</a>*/

<h1>A Hip and a Hop</h1> Deciding that there must be a better way to save her favorite pair of heels than wading out into the dangerous swamp waters, Rosella sharpened her big blue eyes, and wandered around a bit more. The more she surveyed the surface of the water, the more she noticed that there was what appeared to be a sort of pathway on the lily pads leading from the island to the mainland and the mountain beyond. If she hopped along the pads, they would take her just close enough to her precious shoes that she might be able to reach them with a long stick. As most of the trees were dead in this area of Tamir, Rosella had little trouble finding a fallen limb that was long enough but still light enough for her delicate arms. With the stick in one hand, and her long red skirt scrunched up in the other, the princess gingerly hopped from one lily pad to the next, letting out a few gasps as she nearly lost her balance a few times. Just as the strange path of giant lily pads curved in toward the mainland, Rosella reached out with the long stick she had picked up, fishing for her lost heels. Awkwardly, she pulled the little black shoes over toward the lily pad one by one. After they were safely within arms reach, she tossed the long stick into the water, and scooped up her precious heels with a smile. They were wet, but they would survive. Deciding it was unwise to hop onto already wobbly lily pads wearing heels, Rosella chose to finish the path barefoot, clutching her reacquired shoes tightly to her chest. Making the final leap onto solid ground felt remarkably good to the young princess. She dropped her heels to the ground and slipped her feet inside with a grimace. They were quite wet, but it beat getting any further runs in her nylons. Turning her attention the mountain before her, Rosella spied the small crevice at the base. This looked to be the entrance to the cave, and her pathway into greater Tamir as her memory recalled. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Rosella, crouched down onto her hands and knees, and crawled into the cave. The opening was so low to the ground that the disgusted princess was forced nearly onto her belly to get inside. Inside, she stood up, brushing leaves off her dress. Licking her hands, she ran them up and down her legs, desperately trying to remove any mud from her white stockings. After her catlike actions, Rosella was satisfied she had cleaned up. She was standing in a tiny globe of light, cascading in from the small hole leading back out into the swamp. Beyond a couple of feet, Rosella could see absolutely nothing in the darkness. She shivered and took a step back, knocking over a piece of wood that had been leaning against the wall. It clattered overwhelmingly loud in the vacuum like silence of the cave. Squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth against her clumsiness, Rosella glanced down and recognized she had knocked over a familiar board. She had used it to cross a seemingly bottomless chasm that awaited an unsuspecting victim in the darkness not far inside this very cave. She would certainly need it again to avoid a treacherous fate. Picking it up in tender hands, she frowned at its rough splintery texture, but assured herself the discomfort far outweighed the consequences of leaving it behind. What Rosella did not see was any source of light. On her previous journey through the cave she had found her way with a modest lantern that painted each step before her with a flickering light. Whoever had passed though the cave after her, had left the board, but not the lantern. Without it, she would be engulfed in blinding darkness after only several steps. And the silent chasm was not the only danger that awaited victims in this cave. There was a vicious troll that patrolled the darkness. Who knew what he would do if he caught the poor princess. Rosella knew she had to pass this cavern in order to rescue Genesta and her fairies from Lolotte’s evil plans, but could she do it blind. The weight of a decision lay before the nervous young girl. [[Proceed into the darkness->Are You Afraid of the Dark? You Should Be!]] [[Crawl back outside->You Got a Light?]]

<h1>Sweet Dreams</h1> Considering herself a sharp young lady, Rosella decided “why should I go and do the dirty work, when my shoes may very well float on over to me without me ever having to wade into this disgusting water.. She turned her nose up with a royal snobbish air. Seeing as it might take a little while, the princess, found herself a nice little spot of dry moss that appeared to be nice and plush. The seat was accommodating even by the girl’s royal standards she thought with a satisfied smile. Rosella watched with a growing boredom as her favorite heels bobbed in place, getting no closer, and yet no further at the same time. The minutes passed uneventfully as the princess remained vigilant, while the lifelike humidity of the swamp began to wear on the girl. She pulled at her dress where it clung to her, and stretched at her nylons desperately trying to get some cool air on her tired legs. Sweat dripped from her beat red face, down onto her glistening collarbone as she began to feel tired. While she fought to keep a close eye on her shoes, Rosella couldn’t find the strength to sit up any more, and she lowered herself onto her side. The moss was so comfortable, and it was so hot out, a short little nap couldn’t hurt. Besides it didn’t look like her shoes were going anywhere. The weary princess gave into to her overwhelming desire, closing her eyes, she drifted off into a deep slumber. Rosella’s poor judgment got the better of her, but she would never know this. Her blissful little nap turned out to be her last. The swamp was no place for a young girl to be sleeping. While she lay there dreaming about how lovely she would look at he ball that evening, the cobra had woken from its nap and slithered over to find the slumbering girl. She had gone and let herself become an easy prey, and as a result got a generousdosage of snake venom injected into her stocking foot. Unconsciously, she stirred in her sleep, reaching down to rub the bite, thinking it only a bothersome bug. Rosella would never know the comedy of her errors! -The End [[Try again?->The Story Begins... Again]]

<h1>Fish Food!</h1> “Those guards have no doubt been informed by my traitorous brother of my temporary confinement, so trying to breeze by them using the draw bridge is not going to work,” Rosella said to herself. She stood there with a fast burning sunset at her back, gazing down at the drifting waters of the castle moat. The sound was a hypnotic lapping at the rocks lining the shore. Taking her red skirt up in her hands, Rosella took slow and calculated steps down the bank until the water splashed up onto the tips of her black heels. “Well, I might as well not ruin these,” she said of her shoes, bending one leg back at a time, slipping the dainty heels off her feet. She took a hesitant step into the dark glassy moat and gasped in surprise at how cold the water turned out to be, imagining it would have been much warmer. It was impossible to see anything beneath the surface at present light. The water itself appeared as though it were black, a cold and clean black. Rosella took a few more steps and quickly found herself waist deep in water on a steep decline. The next step was her drop off, and she was forced to tread water to keep her head afloat. It was a little awkward trying to kick her legs in the skirt. While the high slit helped here, her sheer white stockings did little to protect her slender legs from the chill of the dark waters. After acclimating herself to her uncharacteristic swimming attire, Rosella relaxed into a breast stroke heading across the moat, toward the shadowy outline of an iron grate at the base of the castle wall. Upon reaching the middle of the moat, she felt a rush of water beneath her that seemed out of place. It was strange enough that she stopped to tread for a moment quiet as possible, little ears listening for anything at all. Rosella bobbed in place listening to silence in the calm waters. There was nothing around her, no sign of life. And then she felt it again; the rush of water beneath her. Only this time is started small, and got bigger and more powerful. It was getting closer to her, coming from below. The princess didn’t have much time to be confused before something large and solid bumped into her, and with a large splash, raised her up out of the water. Rosella was high up on a pedestal, only it wasn’t a pedestal. The girl was sitting on the snout of a large reptilian creature. She looked down at the moat monster and saw its large red eyes, feeling the hot steam from its nostrils as it clashed with the cool night air. The head was as large as the princess with a long neck that disappeared under the black waters. The moat monster looked at the trembling princess sitting on its snout for a few moments, then flicked its head, tossing Rosella up into the air. The poor princess came tumbling down to a wide-open mouth, sliding right down the serpent’s throat and into its belly, screaming all the way. With a satisfied flicker of its tongue and a tender morsel had, the moat monster sank back beneath the inky waters and returned to swimming laps around the castle. And that, princess Rosella, was the end of you. Though it should be mentioned the bed sheet rope leading down from your bedroom window was found, and your favorite black heels at the edge of the moat were also found. Heads shook at the foolishness of your actions, and they even left your shoes there as a reminder with a wooden sign wedged into the ground that read. “Do not feed the moat monster” as a reminder to the folk of the kingdom. Way to go, Rosella! <img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/comic-moat.jpg"> -The End [[Try again?->The Story Begins... Again]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Pulling Rank</h1> Deciding that she was princess, and princesses do NOT swim through disgusting drains, Rosella smoothed out her skirt, and began marching toward the drawbridge. The two knights guarding the portcullis dropped their conversation to yell out to the intruder “halt, who goes there?. It was in fact what they would have said to anyone approaching the gate; anyone that is, until she came closer, and they recognized her to be the lovely princess Rosella. “Princess!” they exclaimed in unison, suddenly fumbling their spears, armor clanging as they straightened up their spines to a posture worthy of royalty. Rosella kept her nose elevated, and didn’t even dignify the bumbling guards with a response, feeding into her royal status. She figured the arrogance would work in her favor, while she normally would have giggled and gotten into mischief with the guards as she often liked to do. They didn’t seem to notice the difference, and if they did, neither had the guts to show it in front of the fairest maiden in all of Daventry. All breath was held as her slender body slinked past the suits of armor. Rosella let out a tiny giggle as she passed them, more a reference to her personal victory than anything to do with them, but they would never know this. The guards exchanged uneasy glances at each other, neither daring to breath, until the last click of Rosella’s high heels was heard. Happy to know that her father had not spread word to the entire castle about her grounding, Rosella pulled rank two more times as she made her way through the halls of the castle toward the magic mirror. Apparently, the king had not thought that it was possible for his daughter to actually get out of her room, and thus nobody beyond her brother Alexander who put her there, needed to know of her confinement. While she felt a twinge of guilt at making the guards squirm in their heavy armor, she realized that it had to be done. The land of Tamir was counting on her success in the matter. And it was rather funny, she giggled to herself. Pulling the tarp off the magic mirror, Rosella stared into the swirling colors, concentrating on her memories of- [[The far-off land of Tamir->Tamir]]

<h1>Inside the Troll's Cave</h1> With that out the way, they headed toward the cave’s entrance, Jenna floating gracefully, and Rosella once again wearing her favorite heels. Inside, she stood up, brushing leaves off her dress. Licking her hands, she ran them up and down her legs, desperately trying to remove any mud from her white stockings. After her catlike actions, Rosella was satisfied she had cleaned up. She was standing in a tiny globe of light, a magical aura emanating from the fairy Jenna. Beyond a couple of feet, Rosella could see absolutely nothing in the darkness. She shivered and took a step back, knocking over a piece of wood that had been leaning against the wall. It clattered overwhelmingly loud in the vacuum like silence of the cave. “Shhh!” exclaimed the little fairy. Squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth against her clumsiness, Rosella glanced down and recognized she had knocked over a familiar board. She had used it to cross a seemingly bottomless chasm that awaited an unsuspecting victim in the darkness not far inside this very cave. She would certainly need it again to avoid a treacherous fate. Picking it up in tender hands, she frowned at its rough splintery texture, but assured herself the discomfort far outweighed the consequences of leaving it behind. “Sorry,” Rosella apologized for her clumsiness. What Rosella did not see was the lantern. On her previous journey through the cave she had found her way with a modest lantern that painted each step before her with a flickering light. Whoever had passed though the cave after her, had left the board, but not the lantern. Without it, she would be engulfed in blinding darkness after only several steps. And the silent chasm was not the only danger that awaited victims in this cave. There was a vicious troll that patrolled the darkness. Who knew what he would do if he caught the poor princess. Rosella said a silent “thank you” to herself grateful for the magical light surrounding Jenna. Rosella knew she had to pass this cavern in order to rescue Genesta and her fairies from Lolotte’s evil plans, but couldn’t do it without the help of Jenna’s light. Making a promise to each other to be as silent as possible the two companions had to decide which direction to go. Rosella tried to remember the correct path that would lead them safely to the other side. After all, there was a deep chasm and a vicious troll out there. With Jenna floating around the slender princess’s feet they headed… [[North->Wrong Turn!]] [[West->Wrong Turn!]] [[South->The Passage Through Darkness]]

<h1>Are You Afrait of the Dark? You Should Be!</h1> Thinking there is no other way, Rosella took timid steps in her heels into the darkness. Her ears strained to hear anything at all, praying for absolute silence. Perhaps it was the fragrance of her blonde washed hair, the scent of her perfume, or the clicks of her heels, but to her regret Rosella heard a guttural growl and dragging footsteps. It must be the troll! In her panic, Rosella tried to flee but she couldn’t see anything at all. The terrified princess couldn’t seem to figure out which direction was out, but it was too late anyway. In her high heels, she couldn’t have hoped to outrun the subterranean troll in the natural darkness. It raised its terrible club and struck down. Rosella found the board knocked from her delicate hands. She stood still, hugging herself, trembling in the pitch black. “Hello. I’m Ro-Rosella of Daventry,” she dared to ask in a mousy voice. Rosella was answered by the deep growl from behind. She spun on her heel, finding two green glowing eyes in her small beautiful face. Her blue eyes grew into saucers and she screamed, tripping as she backed up in fear. Rosella landed roughly on her backside, scrambling to get away, never losing sight of the wicked green eyes. And then the green lights went out. And Rosella found herself alone in the dark. Her heart pounded so loud and so fast, it threatened to give out. Stray blonde hairs lay across her face, resting on her uncontrollably trembling jaw. The silence and calm threatened to overtake the petrified young princess. What happened to its green eyes. Where was it? The suspense proved too much for Rosella, as she let out a whimper of fright. A powerful and nasty hand grabbed onto her slender exposed ankle and pulled, drawing an onslaught of screams in protest from her. With a grunting tug, the troll tried to pull on the princess’s leg, but despite its firm grip, her smooth nylon clad leg slipped through. A wave of elation came over Rosella as she saw a glimmer of escape, but her hopes were crushed when the troll’s jagged nails snagged on the toe seam of he. stockings, trapping her. The troll paused for a moment in confusion, but then stretched the strange nylon fabric further and wrapped it around his hand. Tugging, he dragged the newly bound princess bumping along the cave floor. With panic levels at an all time high, Rosella feverishly tried to work her stockings down her slender legs. If she could manage to roll them down and off the end of her toes, she would be free, and might be able to run away from the befuddled vicious troll. But she was so scared about where it was that she was being dragged to, and afraid that she wouldn’t get free in time, that she only managed to work her stockings around her ankles before her precious time was up. /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/wrongturn.jpg" align="right">*/The troll dragged her into a small den dimly lit by torches. The trembling princess could see the huddled forms of several more trolls like the one that dragged her here, all with the same wicked green eyes. They circled the perimeter of the room, just outside the light, watching her with those eyes. She might have tried to crawl away, but her skinny limbs had no courage, and thus no strength. Too bad, Rosella... you're dinner now! She had little time to adjust to her dimly lit surroundings before one of the trolls came up from behind and hoisted her screaming into the air. Rosella was forced, kicking and screaming into a small wooden cage hanging above a large cauldron. There was a crackle of wood, the smell of smoke, and heat coming from below that really caused the young princess to panic. A crank was turned as the dangling girl was lowered into the bubbling waters. Serving size Rosella: one family of trolls. Delicious! -The End [[Try again?->The Story Begins... Again]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://alexandrarena.deviantart.com/">Rena Dementia</a>*/

<h1>You Got a Light?</h1> To0 afraid to face the darkness as a skinny helpless princess, Rosella crawled back out into the swamp and decided to take a longer look around. Certainly there was something here that would help her find her way through the treacherous cave. But there was no way around it. She was going to have to deal with that cobra if she was to safely search this swamp. Feeling quite certain that approaching the dangerous looking cobra would mean certain doom, Rosella decided to take a more effective route, albeit a bit more childish. Bending down, she cupped her hands and dipped them into the murky waters. Eying the snake mischievously, she splashed a wave of water toward the unsuspecting serpent. This tactic seemed to work just wonderfully. The cobra did not like it one bit, and slithered away as fast as it could. Rosella smiled at her accomplishment, but then perked her ears when she heard what sounded like a tiny gargle and cough coming from near the snake’s nest. Creeping closer, she saw a faint glow emanating from tall grass. “Hello?” asked the princess mustering up a little bit of courage as she edged ever closer, arching her neck to see. The question was answered with a sneeze. Rosella’s curiosity took over completely and she crept dangerously close, standing atop the glowing patch of grass. There at the princess’s feet was what appeared to be a tiny fairy, and she didn’t look happy. For all her glowing beauty, she was wiping swamp water from her face, no thanks to Rosella. “Oh dear. I’m so sorry!” apologized the embarrassed princess. “You should be. Look at me. I’m covered in mud!” squeaked the little lady followed by another sneeze. “Here, let me help you,” said Rosella, offering the hem of her long red skirt. The fairy took hold of it in a tiny fist, and used it to wipe clean. Rosella had secretly hoped she wouldn’t have. But as lovely as her dress was, it was her fault the fairy got soaked. It only seemed fair. “Who are you, anyway?” asked the cranky fairy, drying off. “I’m Rosella, Rosella of Daventry,” replied the young princess while pinching her skirt in her fingers and dipping for a bow. “I’m here to help.” “You’re the one here to help?. Asked the fairy, raising an eyebro, “You look like a princess,” she added skeptically. “I AM a princess,” said Rosella, squaring her jaw, and placing her hands on her hips, “and I’ve been to Tamir before. And, well, not to brag, but, I helped save this land,” she added with a bit of sass. Not to be outwitted by a smart mouth bratty princess, the fairy was quick to point out, “then you’re also aware that you are dressed completely inappropriately for the dangers of Tamir?” The fairy in turn put her hands on her own hips, tiny jaw squared. “Oh, well,” Rosella felt her fair cheeks flush as she realized the haste in which she did jump through the portal. She had neglected to even think that it might not be wise to travel to Tamir in such formal dainty clothing, “Well, Genesta was able to change my clothes last time,” defended the proud princess. “Well, Genesta will not be able to help you this time, your highness,” replied the sarcastic fairy. “What has happened here. I saw strange events in the magic mirror back home and…” Rosella’s voice trailed off evident of her fears and concern. The fairy’s mood became somber sensing their bickering introduction had run its course. She fluttered her butterfly wings, and floated up into Rosella’s slender hands to tell the brave young princess what indeed had happened in Tamir. “A short while ago, you had valiantly freed our land from the clutches of the evil witch, Lolotte, saved Genesta’s life by returning her magic amulet, and broke the curse on Edgar, returning him to his noble human form. Genesta thanked you for your courage and sent returned you home to save your own dying father. Tamir was thought to be a safe place with Lolotte dead. With Genesta’s health back in full form, we fairies went about our gardening and cleaning, so full of joy. We had planned a grand celebration on the island, decorating the castle, and baking all matter of sweets. The business of the festivities kept everyone so busy, we hardly noticed that nobody had seen or heard from Edgar since his marriage proposal to you.” Rosella’s eyes dropped. “He had returned to the mainland of Tamir, and to the castle, we assume to finish putting things in order as was needed after Lolotte’s evil rule. None of us suspected what was to come,” the fairies delicate voice trailed off. “What. What happened. I don’t understand what any of this has to do with me?” Rosella blurted out, confused. The fairy silenced her with a solemn look, “My poor Rosella. You truly are a naïve sheltered young lady. What you don’t understand, what none of us predicted, was how it was that Edgar would take your rejection of his love.” “Rejection!. How could I marry him!. I’m 17, I don’t know him, I know nothing!” blurted the princess rapidly, wiping away at tears forming in the corners of her overwhelmed eyes. Allowing Rosella her tirade, the fairy continued. “Edgar returned to the castle devastated by the rejection in his heart.” Rosella wanted to scream again by the look in her eyes, but bit her ruby lips and allowed the fairy her tale. But that was not his only surprise. Instead of returning to find the wicked corpse of Lolotte in her wretched bed, he found her not dead. For the arrow of love that should have slain her, by some cruel turn of fate did not. She was mortally wounded, but she willed herself to survive. There he found the pathetic Lolotte lying in her bed, weak and needy. But he himself was weak and needy in the heart, and she could see this in her wicked red eyes. Lolotte cooed and comforted her poor Edgar, lulling him into sedation. She convinced him to nurse her back to health while she continually reminded him of the harlot that was Rosella.” Rosella put her hand to her mouth in shock. “After several weeks, Lolotte had her strength back, and had filled Edgar’s head with so many lies, and heart full equal doubt, he had reverted back to the despicable green creature he once was under her care. With her ghoulish minions, and a bitter Edgar at her side, Lolotte launched an attack on Genesta’s island. They stormed the castle, and took her captive, along with the fairies unfortunate enough to be on the island at the time. I had the strange circumstance of being on the mainland collecting flowers to plant in our garden at the time of the attack. The remaining fairies and I believe that Lolotte has taken our sisters back to her evil fortress for an unknown purpose. We can only assume that Genesta’s very life is in grave peril. That is why we contacted you. You Rosella of Daventry are our only hope. The very fate of Tamir rests upon your shoulders.” “Inside this leather sleeve,"" the fairy continued, "is a key to the graveyard crypt. There you will find Cupid’s bow. Lolotte had it removed there, under the ghastly watch of the mummy. You must retrieve the bow and slay the evil witch in order to save Genesta and all of us from certain doom.” Rosella closed her hands around the leather sleeve, feeling the skeleton key inside with a shiver. “Now that we got that out of the way. We need to travel through the troll’s cave in order to reach Tamir, and it might be wise for us to find your shoes, princess, unless of course, those are ‘support hose’ you’re wearing” said the fairy nodding to her stocking feet, with a wink, sarcasm reactivated. Rosella looked down, cheeks on fire, wiggling her toes, she nodded in agreement. “I think they’re over there,” she indicated out into the center of the swamp water. The fairy, fluttered safely over the quagmire scooping up the lovely black heels from an untimely end, and returned them to a very happy Rosella whom eagerly slipped them back on her feet. “By the way, my name is Jenna,” said the fairy, extending a decidedly tiny hand to the princess. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jenna,” replied Rosella, extending a slender finger in return. The two girls shook, if only a bit awkwardly. With that out the way, they headed toward the cave’s entrance, Jenna floating gracefully, and Rosella once again wearing her favorite heels. [[Inside the cave->Inside the Troll's Cave]]

<h1>Chapter II</h1> <h1>Tamir</h1> The raging waterfall poured down into the stream at its foot crashing loudly into white foam while the wind contrasted gently through the lush green grass of the meadow. Birds traversed through the afternoon sky chirping away, taking perch in healthy green trees eyes sharp for any worms wiggling down on the ground. The scene was nature at a calm, just plants and animals. A slender white hand cut the surface of the foamy waters. Delicate fingers stretched, searching for something unclear to the animals that watched from around the meadow. The hand rested upon a heavy rock that lay at the bank of the stream, and the fingers suddenly clenched with intensity. Another hand surfaced and reached for the rock, and the matching pair proceeded to pull forth a young girl from the chaos of the swirling waters. Her thin arms struggled to pull her out of the water to rest her back against the rock, panting for breath. The girl’s skin was porcelain white accented more so by the chill waters and her chattering teeth. Her sopping wet hair was sun washed golden, twisted into twin loosening braids with red satin ribbons. However out of place for her recent activity, she wore a long vermilion gown slit high up her thigh on the side to reveal two slender legs encased in fine white nylon. Her feet were tucked snuggly into a pair of dainty black heels with silver buckles. Blinking her eyes, the girl wiped the back of her hand against her face to remove the drops of water from her long eyelashes so that she might see the world around her with her bright blue eyes. Her eyes squinted against the glaring sun, but adjusted and welcomed the warm rays just as her pounding little heart slowed its pace back to a normal rhythm. 17-year-old princess Rosella rested with her back against the rock for many moments letting the warm sunlight dry her sopping red dress and water logged stockings. She kicked of her heels watching a puddle of water pour out of them causing her to grimace. With a tug, she loosed the satin ribbons binding her twin braids, and shook her blonde locks free to cascade over her back and shoulders like a golden flag set out to dry. She closed her eyes, and took a few moments to rest against the rock in the sunlight while gaining her wits back, and drying her royal self off. The warm air and sound of the birds helped calm the princess, but she knew her rest was short lived. She could not afford to bask in the sunlight for very long. Adequate rest would have to wait as the afternoon sun was passing quickly, and would soon lead into sunset, the prelude to nighttime. Perhaps the world of Daventry under the moon and stars was a marvelous and invigorating delight, but not in Tamir. The darkness brought about unspeakable horrors out from the fog that lay low on the land. It would not be wise to be a well-dressed girl so unprotected traversing around flippantly and without caution. And this was nothing to say of the unknown perils Genesta and her fairies were facing at the wicked hands of Lolotte and her henchmen! Feeling the imminent weight of her quest resting on her sleight shoulders, Rosella got to her feet, slipping her heels back on. The gracious sun’s rays had done wonders to dry her off in precious minutes, and she felt a refreshed vigor coursing through her veins. Adjusting her stockings, and smoothing out her dress, the princess took a deep breath signaling that she was ready. While Rosella knew she ultimately needed to retrieve Cupid’s bow from the mummy’s crypt, she wasn’t entirely convinced that it was the safest place to go without protection. With the vast locations of Tamir, Rosella needed to decide where to investigate first. [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Just Another Creepy Mansion]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Not Whistling, Just Working]] [[The Dwarves' House->A Bachelor Pad]] [[The Ogres' House->The Big House]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest]] [[The Fisherman's Cabin->Plenty of Fish in the Sea, Eh???]] [[The Ocean->The Deep Blue Sea]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away!]]

<h1>Wrong Turn!</h1> Thinking this to be the right direction, Rosella took timid steps in her heels, watching the ground in the low light of Jenna’s glow. Her ears strained to hear anything at all, praying for absolute silence. Perhaps it was the fragrance of her blonde washed hair, the scent of her perfume, or the clicks of her heels, but to her regret Rosella heard a guttural growl and dragging footsteps. It must be the troll. In her panic, Rosella tried to flee, but Jenna flew about in disarray, causing her magical light to strobe. The terrified princess couldn’t seem to move fast enough in the confusing light, but it was too late anyway. In her high heels, she couldn’t have hoped to outrun the subterranean troll in the natural darkness. It raised its terrible club and struck down. Rosella found herself in immediate darkness. Jenna was gone. What had happened. Where was Jenna. The questions were echoes of terror in her head as she stood still, hugging herself, trembling in the pitch black. “Jenna?” she dared to ask in a mousy voice. Rosella was answered by the deep growl from behind. She spun on her heel, finding two green glowing eyes in her small beautiful face. Her blue eyes grew into saucers and she screamed, tripping as she backed up in fear. Rosella landed roughly on her backside, scrambling to get away, never losing sight of the wicked green eyes. And then the green lights went out. And Rosella found herself alone in the dark. Her heart pounded so loud and so fast, it threatened to give out. Stray blonde hairs lay across her face, resting on her uncontrollably trembling jaw. The silence and calm threatened to overtake the petrified young princess. What happened to its green eyes? Where was it? The suspense proved too much for Rosella, as she let out a whimper of fright. A powerful and nasty hand grabbed onto her slender exposed ankle and pulled, drawing an onslaught of screams in protest from her. With a grunting tug, the troll tried to pull on the princess’s leg, but despite its firm grip, her smooth nylon clad leg slipped through. A wave of elation came over Rosella as she saw a glimmer of escape, but her hopes were crushed when the troll’s jagged nails snagged on the toe seam of her stockings, trapping her. The troll paused for a moment in confusion, but then stretched the strange nylon fabric further and wrapped it around his hand. Tugging, he dragged the newly bound princess bumping along the cave floor. With panic levels at an all time high, Rosella feverishly tried to work her stockings down her slender legs. If she could manage to roll them down and off the end of her toes, she would be free, and might be able to run away from the befuddled vicious troll. But she was so scared about where it was that she was being dragged to, and afraid that she wouldn’t get free in time, that she only managed to work her stockings around her ankles before her precious time was up. /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/wrongturn.jpg" align="right">*/CAUGHT! The troll dragged her into a small den dimly lit by torches. The trembling princess could see the huddled forms of several more trolls like the one that dragged her here, all with the same wicked green eyes. They circled the perimeter of the room, just outside the light, watching her with those eyes. She might have tried to crawl away, but her skinny limbs had no courage, and thus no strength. She had little time to adjust to her dimly lit surroundings before one of the trolls came up from behind and hoisted her screaming into the air. Rosella was forced, kicking and screaming into a small wooden cage hanging above a large cauldron. There was a crackle of wood, the smell of smoke, and heat coming from below that really caused the young princess to panic. A crank was turned as the dangling girl was lowered into the bubbling waters. Serving size Rosella: one family of trolls. Delicious! -The End [[Try again from the beginning of the cave?->Inside the Troll's Cave]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://alexandrarena.deviantart.com/">Rena Dementia</a>*/

<h1>The Passage Through Darkness</h1> Rosella took tiny measure steps, too afraid to move outside the small magical globe of Jenna’s aura. She listened nervously as tiny pebbles crunched under her awkward black heels. Every sound seemed amplified in the vast darkness of the cave. She thought at any moment the vicious troll would come lumbering through the dark and carry her off to a horrid fate. Rosella shook her long blonde braids, trying to rid her head of such unhelpful thoughts. The imagination was a terrible thing, especially at a time and place that she now found herself. Gaining control over her wandering mind, Rosella focused on something that seemed more important right now, and that was the location of the chasm. She new it was close by from her previous journey through the cave, and it had the tendency to sneak up on her, and it was a long way down. That was a fate she did not want to meet. Clutching the splintery board as tightly as she dared, she shuffled her small feet carefully, testing each step with a jumping heart. Before long, Rosella felt a tug on her skirt from Jenna, a signal that they had come upon the chasm. Kneeling down carefully, Rosella lay the board across. Taking a deep breath, she prepared to cross. With the aid of Jenna’s light, the young princess took measured steps, gasping as she felt the board groan even under her waif like weight. It was when she reached the middle that sour luck came their way. The girls thought they heard the growl of the troll, and Jenna in her panic, fluttered chaotically down into the chasm to hide her light, but the strobe disoriented Rosella’s direction sense, and left her in complete darkness. Nearly losing her balance in her awkward heels, the princess now found herself in a dilemma. Should she wait until Jenna returned from down in the chasm to or try to navigate herself blindly to safety so as not to test the resilience of the decaying board? [[Straight->That Last Step Was...]] [[Left->That Last Step Was...]] [[Right->Good to Be On Solid Ground]] [[Stay put->Nice Going, Fatty!]]

<h1>That Last Step Was...</h1> After the blur of disorienting light from Jenna’s chaotic departure at the alarming sound of the troll possibly nearby, Rosella tries to gather her wits about her and finish crossing the board before it shatters into tiny chips of wood, dropping her screaming to an untimely end. Taking a step, she finds out all too late that she was facing the wrong direction, falling into the gaping chasm. Her screams echo off the walls until she has no breath to scream any more. Only then does she come crashing to the bottom of the deep chasm. Nice going, Rosella. -The End [[Try again from the beginning of the cave?->Inside the Troll's Cave]]

<h1>Good to Be On Solid Ground</h1> After the alarming scare that the troll might soon be upon them, Rosella calmed herself and gathered her wits to get herself safely off her precarious current location. Thrilling as it was, she had no intention of falling to a screaming death. While Jenna’s chaotic departure left the princess disoriented, she went with her gut instinct, and turned to the right, taking a hopeful step with her pointed black heel. There was a click of wood, and Rosella let out a sigh of relief. Wasting no more time on the fragile board, she took three more steps in the right direction and found herself once again on solid ground. Even with the danger of the troll still out there lurking, she found the ability to enjoy her success. Moments later she was joined by Jenna who came fluttering out from the deep of the chasm to rejoin the intrepid princess. Now that she had safely crossed the dangerous chasm, she would have to navigate though the labyrinth like cave while avoiding the clutches of the vicious troll. Which way was it? [[North->Sneaking Through the Troll's Cave]] [[South->Wrong Turn!]] [[West->Wrong Turn!]]

<h1>Nice Going, Fatty!</h1> After the blur of Jenna’s light as she chaotically flew about trying to hide from what they thought might be the troll coming, Rosella found herself completely at a loss for direction. She was standing on the board over the gaping chasm, with no idea which way she was facing now, and one wrong step could send her to her doom. Logically she decided to wait for Jenna to return, and the safety of the fairy’s light to guide her to solid ground. And while Rosella was a feather of a girl, the groaning board had had enough of her petulance, parting into splinters and dumping the spoiled princess gleefully into the darkness below. Rosella tumbled past Jenna’s floating body screaming helplessly as she watched the glow of the fairy get smaller and smaller. Jenna could do nothing to help, covering her ears from Rosella’s cries. Letting the poor princess fall to her death made her feel kind of bad, but then again, she never saw her surviving the adventure anyway. Jenna floated away to wait for someone else to come along and save Tamir. -The End [[Try again from the beginning of the cave?->Inside the Troll's Cave]]

<h1>Sneaking Through the Troll's Cave</h1> Once again choosing the right direction, Rosella and Jenna the fairy crept through the dark and dangerous troll’s cave getting ever closer to the other side and the land of Tamir. Just a few more twists and turns… [[North->Wrong Turn!]] [[East->Wrong Turn!]] [[West->Creeping Through the Troll's Cave]]

<h1>Creeping Through the Troll's Cave</h1> Once again choosing the right direction, Rosella and Jenna the fairy crept through the dark and dangerous troll’s cave getting ever closer to the other side and the land of Tamir. Just a few more twists and turns… [[North->The Inevitable Shining at the End of the Darkness!]] [[South->Wrong Turn!]] [[East->Wrong Turn!]]

<h1>The Inevitable Shining at the End of the Darkness!</h1> After many perilous twists and turns, Rosella’s eyes caught sight of something she never thought she would live to see. The other side of the cave. She could see the light cascading in, and the sound of the waterfall outside filled her ears with such joy. She did everything in her power not to run for the exit, knowing that she was still in danger while in the cave. After all, the troll could pop up at any moment. Fortunately for the young princess, she avoided such a fate once again, and breathed a sigh of relief as she stepped through the exit of the cave. Upon leaving the cave, she found herself behind a great waterfall. The mist moistened her hair and dress, but it felt so good and clean, she hardly cared after the stagnation of the air in the swamp and the smell of death in the troll’s cave. “We did it!” exclaimed the excited princess referring to their success in crossing the dangerous path behind them. But the fairy Jenna did not reply. As Rosella turned her head this way and that… Jenna was nowhereto be found. Where could she have gone. Did she go back into the cave or fly off somewhere else. The answer was not certain. Rosella shivered with a touch of confusion at the thought, but ultimately decided it would not be the last time she met up with the helpful fairy. Surely their paths would cross once again. Rosella looked at the leather pouch containing the mummy’s crypt key as she remembered her task at hand. Jenna told her Lolotte locked Cupid’s magic bow in the crypt after Rosella had tried to kill her with it during her last adventure in Tamir. The evil witch certainly did not want the bothersome princess to find herself in possession of the powerful magic ever again. It was up to Rosella to find a way to retrieve the magic bow, discover the mystery surrounding Edgar’s sudden turn to the side of evil, and vanquish Lolotte once and for all. With the weight of her quest before her, Rosella stepped into the pool behind the falls, and allowed herself to be pulled into the powerful flow of water, dragging her down and spitting her out on the other side into the land of Tamir… <center><strong>The End... of Chapter I</strong></center> [[Tamir->Tamir]]

<h1>Breaking and Entering</h1> Rosella stood before the ominous iron door that was hinged into a mountainside. Tilting her head back a little, she glanced up at the several ton rock awning above her head supported by four large marble pillars, blue eyes praying that age hadn’t weakened anything. She unrolled the leather pouch that she had been holding for so long in her nervous sweaty palm. The key dropped out clumsily with a clang on the smooth stone surface outside the crypt. Rosella squinted as if the sound might wake the dead while crouching down and hastily picking up her precious item. “Jenna said this key would open the crypt and that I would find Cupid’s bow inside in order to defeat Lolotte and save Tamir,” mumbled the princess as if the words themselves reassured her of what it was she was doing. The skeleton key slid into the old lock just as the tiny fairy had said it would with a click. Turning the key to the left, the princess smiled as she heard the distinct sound of ancient tumblers falling into place, releasing the lock for the one who holds the key. Rosella released the key, and turned her attention to a large iron ring fastened to the great door. Wrapping her slender hands around the cold metal, she took a deep breath, and did her best to imagine what stance would give her the best leverage in her awkward heels. While the image was most certainly comical to any of the birds that watched the wealthy girl from their perches dotted among the gravestones, there was a fact none could deny. Despite her royal graces, thin little arms, and foolish attire, Rosella had the grit to pull the giant iron door open with a little groan from her, and great groan from the old hinges. She may have only opened it a sliver, but Rosella after all, was no more than a sliver of a girl! Careful not to snag the delicate fabric of her outfit, Rosella slipped inside the spooky crypt. The slightly opened door allowed a shaft of light to cut into the low light of the torches that burned on the walls. How the fires remained lit for all time was not something the pretty princess wanted to find out. Suffice to say, dark magic had its hand in things here. The entranceway led onto a stone platform, high above the floor of the crypt. A long rope ladder lie in a heap by the edge, presumably the only safe way down. While the crypt was large, it was not so large that Rosella could not see it in its entirety from the stone platform. Against the northern wall stood an ornate sarcophagus, resting place of the mummy. A shiver ran down her spine as she imagined its red eyes, rotting bandages, and reaching hands. Hanging on a hook on the lid of the sarcophagus was a simple little bow and quiver of arrows. “Cupid’s bow!” exclaimed Rosella immediately cupping her hand over her foolish mouth. There was a moan that creepily filled the chamber and then nothing but the flicker of the torches. Daring to breath again, the princess surveyed the rest of the crypt from the safety of the platform. In the southern corner was a small black box with clawed feet. It was Pandora’s box, and sat exactly where Rosella had returned it on her previous journey to Tamir. An odd thought occurred to her as she looked at its deceiving plainness. Certainly Lolotte would have wanted to release all the evil stored in Pandora’s box. So why did she not retrieve the box when sealing the bow inside the crypt. The question nagged at the girl’s curious brain, but ultimately it wasn’t pertinent to know at the time. What she did need to decide was, how to safely get Cupid’s bow. What will she do? [[Unravel the rope ladder and climb down->It's a Wrap!]] [[Can't trust the rope ladder... hang down and drop->Dusting Herself Off]]

<h1>Just Another Creepy Mansion</h1> From the outside the old mansion looked broken down. The wood siding was nervous with termite invasion, while most of window shutters were hanging by a single hinge, squeaking in the wind. That didn’t really seem to matter all that much because several of the windows were little more than fractions of shattered glass. Musty velvet curtains hung heavily to obscure curious outsiders even where the windows failed in their brittle piles. The depression of the mansion felt physical as though it had two giant sagging shoulders sad for the rusty gate outside, and the dead leaves that littered the front steps. The sadness was complete by overgrown unkempt bushes manifesting the lawn and crawling up the front of the miserable structure. Princess Rosella shivered a little as she gingerly made her way up the walk, crunching leaves under her heels as they clicked up the stone path. Even while the sun was in its late afternoon descent, the air in Tamir was warm and engaging, but when her hand wrapped around the rusty doorknob of the house, it felt cold. Rosella shook her head of the nonsense ghost stories that were beginning to take form inside her pretty little head. They were tales of ghosts and goblins that her father would tell her when she was just a little princess and refused to go to bed. She would jump into her lush royal bed quicker than a jackrabbit and pull the safety of blankets over her blonde head, dropping them just enough for her wide blue eyes to keep watch over her room for invaders of the dark. While barely a young woman now, Rosella resolutely turned the cold rusty knob and gave the door a confident push. The hinges creaked from nonuse while a gaggle of dead leaves blew inside from the wind across the wooden floors like nails of an excited dog returning from outside to the side of his master. Said master it would appear was long dead, leaving the great mansion to cobwebs and dust. While the décor was revolting and downright icky to the pampered princess, she realized that her quest at hand took precedence. She hoped this old mansion would hold something that might prove helpful in her retrieving Cupid’s bow from the clutches of the mummy’s crypt. The ticking grandfather clock only seemed to press the urgency of her quest. Goodness knows what Lolotte was doing to Genesta and her fairies. And Edgar. What of Edgar and his recent descent into evil. The questions were heavy locks hanging around Rosella’s heart threatening her collapse if she pondered too long on the subject, so she combed the mansion room by room searching for clues that might aid her in saving Tamir. After fruitlessly searching the kitchen and bedrooms, Rosella found herself sitting on a musty couch in the den, trying hard to remember what it was that she was missing from her previous visit to the mansion. She had been everywhere in the house and had still come up with absolutely nothing of worth. In fact the search itself only seemed to unearth scattering bugs that caused the petite young lady to scream in terror. She sat with her elbows in her lap, hands holding the flow of her loose blonde hair from her delicate face, thinking, thinking. It was then that Rosella sat up straight closing her eyes as she realized what it was that she had forgotten about the mysterious mansion. Opening her eyes, she slowly twisted around on the couch to look at a painting that hung on the wall over the fireplace behind the couch. The art itself was nothing of repute, rather the curious gaze of the woman depicted. Her eyes were looking off to the side, as if something in the room. Rosella followed the line of sight to a barren stone brick wall across the room. Rosella hopped up from the couch remembering there had been something there before. There had been a doorway. Dusting off her skirt repulsively from the film picked up from the old cushions, the princess traced her soft hands over the cool stone bricks. There was a door here, she knew it, just couldn’t see it. Determined not to give up, she traced every inch of the wall, until her dainty nails dragged over something brittle. There appeared to be a tiny nook in the wall’s design that had been caked up with dirt. Wrinkling her nose, Rosella scratched the dirt away, using her lovely manicured nails with a sigh of lament. When she was satisfied that most of the dirt had been cleared out, she bent down squinting her eyes in the low light of the room to peer into the small nook. Her discovery appeared to be a hidden keyhole. And where there was a keyhole there most certainly was a door. The young princess’s spirits soared high for but a moment of success. The terrible question now was: where is the key to the secret door. She knew that Lolotte must have sealed something behind the wall, and if so, the key would be somewhere else in Tamir. If Rosella wanted to save Genesta and her fairies, she would have to find the mansion’s parlor key. Where should she search next? [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Not Whistling, Just Working]] [[The Dwarves' House->A Bachelor Pad]] [[The Ogres' House->The Big House]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest]] [[The Fisherman's Cabin->Plenty of Fish in the Sea, Eh???]] [[The Ocean->The Deep Blue Sea]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away!]]

<h1>Not Whistling, Just Working</h1> Forced to duck through the low archway of the dwarves’ mine, Rosella found enough room inside to stand up straight. While the cramped mine was lit by a lantern here and there, the true shining light came from the twinkle of diamonds that lined the hard rock walls. The reflection in her big blue eyes was nothing short of true love. If it weren’t so dirty and the air weren’t so stale, she might have thought this to be heaven. The mood here was nothing like heaven. Seven dwarves worked diligently in the hall. Some laboriously swung pick axes into the walls reverberating in loud echoes, while others pushed wheel barrels back and forth filled with crushed rock ready to be sifted through in search of precious shiny diamonds. The group of small men worked like a well-oiled and powerful engine. Their seriousness could not be questioned, and they had little time for chitchat with a dainty young princess whom seemed only a nuisance and in their way. Rosella squeaked and gasped as she was shimmied this way and that out of the way of the stalwart moody dwarves. They hardly seemed like friendly little men at all she thought to herself, but she realized that she could be viewed as a bother not to be bothered with so out of place. With that in mind, Rosella hurriedly peered around the mine for something that might aid her in her quest. While taking some diamonds seemed like a grand idea, they were all deep within the rock walls, held fast, part of the earth. So the princess set her mind to seek out something more practical. That’s when her eyes fell upon a deep wooden bucket that lay on its side. While she couldn’t see an immediate use for anything inside the bucket, she did see a possible need for using the bucket as a possible stool. Rosella stood taller than the seven dwarves in the mine, but there were some places and things in Tamir that stood taller than Rosella. The bucket might be just what she needed to reach new heights. Pondering these new ideas, the princess wondered if the dwarves would miss their bucket. They didn’t seem to be using it to hold any water or precious diamonds for that matter, but the dwarves were a serious bunch and they might not take well to thievery no matter how noble the cause. If only there were a way to get them to stop working and clear out of here while I took the bucket, she thought to herself. Well, it was time to decide what to do… [[Try to sneakily take the bucket?->Working Girl]] Or look around Tamir to find something to clear the cave with? Go to... [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Just Another Creepy Mansion]] [[The Dwarves' House->A Bachelor Pad]] [[The Ogres' House->The Big House]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest]] [[The Fisherman's Cabin->Plenty of Fish in the Sea, Eh???]] [[The Ocean->The Deep Blue Sea]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away!]]

<h1>A Bachelor Pad</h1> /*<img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/kq4-cottage.JPG" align="right">*/Walking along the stream through lush green grass, Rosella came upon the home of the seven dwarves. It was a quaint home with a smoking chimney but the thing that just couldn’t be ignored was the fact that the house was built within a gargantuan tree. While the idea of a tree house sounded more than a little childish, the well-crafted architecture was anything but. Complete with windows and a door, the seven dwarves had made their home inside the biggest tree in all of Tamir. Knowing that the dwarves were all at work in their mine as they always were, Rosella didn’t feel too forward in going inside to take a look around. After all, she was on a mission to save Tamir, which was as much home to the dwarves as it was to Genesta and her fairies. So they certainly wouldn’t mind her looking for something to aid her in her quest to defeat Lolotte. With that reasoning in mind, the intrepid princess quietly opened the front door and crept inside. She responded to her sneaking with an immediate feeling of foolishness. Who was she sneaking from. All the dwarves were hard at work in their diamond mine. Knowing that her usually porcelain cheeks were flush, Rosella relaxed her pose and let her heels click on the hardwood floors of the tree home. The clicks came to halt as she surveyed the kitchen area and the stairs leading up to the bedroom. The place was a pigsty. Dirty dishes were everywhere. Sooty clothes were lain out like a dirt trail up the stairs, and the princess could only imagine the unmade beds at the end of that trail. This will certainly not do. How can they live like this? She thought to herself. While standing with her hands on her hips, Rosella noticed a slow brewing soup cooking over a brick fire pit in the kitchen. The smell almost immediately made her remember how empty her own little stomach was. She had been so quick to jump into the magic mirror, that she had forgotten she had skipped dinner with her family. And what of her family. Did they wonder where their precious daughter had wandered. Had they figured it out yet. Would she ever see them again. “Stop it!. Rosella surprised herself by the sound of her own voice. She rubbed a newborn tear away from the corner of her eye with the sleeve of her dress and with a sniffle spoke aloud once again, “What this place needs is a little feminine touch.. She giggled to get herself back on task. Smoothing out her skirt, Rosella took a deep breath. The dwarves would be home for dinner soon, and she decided that she would clean up their bachelor pad in hopes of gaining the help of the ever working little men. Perhaps they held some treasure that would aid Rosella in her quest. With that, the princess tied an apron around her slender waist, and went to work scrubbing the dishes, sweeping the floors, picking up the clothes, and making the beds, singing all the way. Only moments after finishing her work, washing and drying her delicate hands, Rosella heard the footsteps of the dwarves, their gruff voices in idle chatter as they returned home for a short well earned meal. While there was no mistaking any of the dwarves for bearing a sunny demeanor, it was obvious the surprise on each of their faces as the waddled inside to see a sparkly clean home; that, and a breath taking beautiful blonde princess standing in their kitchen. But it was the newly clean house that really impressed them. Still, they were not cold to the blue-eyed eager girl. After shuffling one by one up to the stew pot to collect their bowl of soup, the last dwarf taking two bowls, they sat down at their long kitchen table, leaving one seat empty with a steamy bowl of soup at its place on the table. No word was spoken to the girl who herself had not spoken a word, but one dwarf gestured his hand to the open seat at his right. Rosella timidly took her queue, stepping lightly in her heels over to the table to take her seat at the table with the seven dwarves. She graciously lapped up the delicious soup with her seven hosts and not a word was spoken throughout dinner. The dwarves finished their soup in unison, and like an assembly line carried their empty bowls over to the sink, a practice uncommon to them, but a gesture they felt needed to respect their pretty guest. After depositing his bowl into the bubbly suds of the sink, each dwarf marched back outside to return for a few more hours of mining before a well-deserved night’s sleep. The last dwarf paused on his way out, reaching into a pocket in his soiled vest. He produced a small velvety bag and tossed it down on the end of the table opposite the silent doe eyed Rosella. With a nod to her, went out to catch up with his working brethren. The mystified princess sat for a few moments unmoving both from the strangeness of the company she just shared, and the curiosity of what was in the bag that the final dwarf had left for her. It didn’t take long for curiosity to get the better of the young girl as she slid down the wooden bench; gingerly sliding her fingers into the bag and forcing it open so she might peek inside. The sparkles that stared back at her made Rosella gasp. The bag was home to a handful of tiny diamonds. Certainly a gift like this would certainly come in handy in her quest. With a renewed sense of strength from the food in her belly, and the diamond pouch in hand, Rosella doused her own dirty bowl in the frothy sink bubbles and quickly left the dwarf tree house to head to her next destination, which was… [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Just Another Creepy Mansion a]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Not Whistling, Just Working a]] [[The Ogres' House->The Big House a]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest]] [[The Fisherman's Cabin->The Fisherman's Words]] [[The Ocean->The Deep Blue Sea]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away!]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://rachykins.deviantart.com/">Rachel King</a>*/

<h1>The Big House</h1> Rosella strolled through the lush grass of Tamir’s countryside enjoying the fresh air, gentle wind, and warmth of the afternoon sun. It reminded her of the majesty of Daventry and helped her forget the putrid swamp, and terrifying troll cave. Despite how serene and lulling the wavy green grass was, the princess did notice the startling size of the trees as her direction transitioned into a wooded area. The trees were gigantic and marvelous. Dark brown trunks massively big around, and green explosive canopies of leaves provided a rooftop over the rich earthy land. After stumbling a few times over troublesome roots in her awkwardly favorite heels, Rosella noticed a cottage in a clearing up ahead. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary until she got closer and closer. It became as majestic as the forest itself, even more so. Upon breaching the forest perimeter, she found herself 50 paces away from the sturdy cottage and the looming size took her breath away. The strong oak door at the front of the house must have stood twice the princess’s height, and a thatched roof that forced Rosella to tilt her head all the way back to see the wisps of smoke puffing out angrily from the chimney top. She had returned to the ogre’s house. While she had never actually spoken to the ogre or his wife, Rosella was not sure they would take kindly to her decidedly small self. That being said however, she could not deny that a home so grand might contain grand things. So, courageous or not, the intrepid young lady would have to find a way to get inside and have a look around. Pacing quietly around the cottage, Rosella decided there were only two possible ways to get inside. The obvious one was the front door, while the somewhat less obvious way seemed to be two windows. One was on the side of the house, and the other on the back. While both were located on the first story of the cottage, they were too high for the human sized princess. Even standing in her heels, her polished nails could barely reach the windowsill. If only she had something that she could stand on to make her taller, she would be able to climb in through the windows. There was nothing around the outside of the house that appeared usable, though perhaps elsewhere. But was there time to look around. How was Rosella going to get inside the ogre’s cottage? [[Knock on the door->Knock, Knock...]] [[Open the door->Good Doggie!]] Nah, I shouldn't be here yet! I should go to... [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Not Whistling, Just Working]] [[The Dwarves' House->A Bachelor Pad]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Just Another Creepy Mansion]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest]] [[The Fisherman's Cabin->Plenty of Fish in the Sea, Eh???]] [[The Ocean->The Deep Blue Sea]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away!]]

<h1>Scary Forest</h1> There was a cave that was home to three blind witches in the northern region of Tamir and Rosella was certain those hags would have something that might aid her on her quest. As she headed north, the meadows of Tamir began to grow thicker with brush, and increasingly more wooded until Rosella found herself in a forest, and a scary one at that. The trees loomed all around her with crooked branches. More shocking were the lifelike facial features they seemed to possess. Their faces were sinister; eyes wicked. Rosella hugged herself feeling small beneath the watchful eyes of the scary forest. She couldn’t help but think they might reach out and grab her at any moment if she wasn’t careful. So her big blue eyes looked left, right, up, and behind as she took timid steps deeper into the woods. If she hadn’t been so distracted by the fear clutching her little body, she would have noticed that she had stopped breathing, and that her heart was pounding like a tiny animal in danger. It wasn’t so far from the truth. Rosella was a dainty princess, pampered and protected from the scourge of danger in her native Daventry. Now here she was, waltzing headlong into that danger. Her lungs forced her to take a fresh breath and brought her fearful imagination back under wraps. They were just trees after all. Trees don’t have faces. Their branches don’t curl out and snatch up foolish princesses. The young heroine forced a small giggle to relax herself as she continued to keep her eyes alert in all directions, jumping at the tiniest leaf blowing along the ground. Evil forest or not, Rosella became concerned she was getting lost. She knew that the witches’ cave was in northern Tamir, but the forest was giving her a winding confused feeling. It was time to reevaluate her current direction. Looking around at the giant trees, she could probably climb one and see a far distance and likely spot the location of the cave. Or she could continue plodding what she hoped was north, and try to reach the cave before the sunset. What should she do? [[Climb a tree and take a look...->Going Out on a Limb]] [[Um, no way... Keep going North!->Setting Down Her Roots]]

<h1>Plenty of Fish in the Sea, Eh???</h1> Rosella crossed the countryside of Tamir enjoying the fresh air on her way toward the Fisherman’s cabin. He lived humbly by the shoreline with his wife at the end of a magnificent dock that reached out into the vast ocean. Upon reaching the simple cabin, the princess rapped at the door gently with her slender hand. She heard a shuffling from inside, and moments later the door opened revealing a middle aged woman of a homely presentation. If she was surprised to see the young princess again, her face didn’t betray the fact. The fisherman’s wife merely ushered the girl inside with a wave her of hand. Rosella dipped a short bow in gratitude, slipping in past the aging women. She took note of the woman’s aged and stained dress and the shawl hanging over her hunched shoulders, fraying badly at the ends. After closing the door behind the girl, the fisherman’s wife hobbled over to the table, pulling out a chair for Rosella to sit. The princess blushed, and graciously sat down, crossing her legs. The old woman’s outfit it turned out, was a summary of the rest of the cabin. The table was a cluttered mess, the mattress straw; what was left of it, was coming out onto the floor where most of the stitching had come undone. The clothes that were lying around showed years of wear, and holes to prove it. Rosella suddenly felt very self-conscious. She pulled her skirt across her legs to conceal her lavish sheer white stockings where they had been exposed when she sat down. They were extravagant and opulent, and contrasted the old woman’s own thick and knitted hosiery. Her polished black heels, even her long washed hair seemed over the top in the sadness of the fisherman’s cabin. After many moments of silence, Rosella got the old woman to open up in short bits of dialogue. She lamented the recent shortage of fish in the sea, and blamed the wickedness of that witch (by “that” she meant Lolotte, best Rosella could guess), despite her dear husband’s best efforts at the dock, day and night trying to catch some fish to provide for his beloved wife. “What is it that Lolotte did to scare away all the fish,” asked the concerned young princess. “It’s been this way ever since those creatures were out there flying around over the water. They’re evil you know. They’re evil, and the bring evil with them, leave it when they’ve gone,” she said. By creatures, Rosella guessed that the fisherman’s wife was referring to Lolotte’s henchmen. While once normal humans, they were taken captive by Lolotte and twisted by her wicked magic. Despite retaining their human form, their skin was bleached white, fingers with claws, gnashing teeth, devilish red eyes, and perhaps most horrifying, giant leathery bat wings upon their backs. They fly around her castle keeping guard and do the evil witch’s bidding. “Why would Lolotte send her henchmen out this way. What could she possibly want in the ocean?” asked a confused princess. “It’s not what she wants, dear. I fear it’s what she wants to get rid of. Her goons dropped a strong box into the depths of that ocean and I’m sure it contains something she wants nobody in Tamir to know about.” “But you know about it. Do you know where it is?” the interest in Rosella’s tone was hardly disguised. Anything Lolotte wanted hidden from Tamir, had to be of some use to her quest. “I…” the old woman was about to answer the princess’s questions when she stopped herself. She looked at the beautiful young girl’s poise in the way she sat, and the luxurious clothes on her body, thought about the misery that was her current existence, and she stopped. Another idea popped into her desperate mind. “I do know about it. And in fact… my husband knows where it is.” “He does!. Could he tell me. I would be grateful.” Rosella interjected excitedly. “He could. But I’m afraid my husband and I can’t go on much longer like this. He works so hard, but has yielded nothing as of late.” “What are you saying?” inquired to newly confused young lady. “A lavishly dressed girl as yourself certainly must have a great fortune of wealth. A wealth you might trade for the location of the strong box.” “I would… but I… I’m far from my kingdom. This dress is but a show. I have no wealth to give you here.” “I see… I’m sorry to hear that. I’m afraid that I cannot help you young miss. Please leave and come back when you have found the wealth we seek, and you shall have the location of the strong box,” said the fisherman’s wife ushering for Rosella to get up and go. She felt terribly guilty by her negotiations, but her desperation got the better of her. She simply could not watch her husband sit at the end of the docks another day with nary a fish to show for his devotion. Rosella would have to come through if she wished to find where the henchmen dropped the strong box. Rosella thought better than to argue with the resolute old woman. She gracefully stood and left the cabin wondering where in Tamir she could find a source of wealth to aid the poor fisherman and his wife. She would have to find out in order to get the location she sought after. If not, she would have to swim around the ocean and try to find the box on her own. Where will she go? [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Just Another Creepy Mansion]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Not Whistling, Just Working]] [[The Dwarves' House->A Bachelor Pad]] [[The Ogres' House->The Big House]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest]] [[The Ocean->The Deep Blue Sea]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away!]]

<h1>The Deep Blue Sea</h1> Rosella walked onto the beach, looking out over the vast blue ocean. The afternoon sun was already on it’s decent, and the shine made her squint her sensitive blue eyes. Any number of clues or helpful things could be out there she thought. Though there was almost certainly an equal amount of danger. Genesta’s island was a healthy swim, but reachable, that she knew. Just with the glare on the water, she couldn’t quite make it out on the horizon. With daylight not on her side, Rosella removed her black heels one by one, standing on the damp sand in her sheer white stockings, which felt cold at first. It was going to be difficult enough to swim in her dress, but it would be impossible in her heels. For a moment she considered shedding her dress as well, and swimming in just her undergarments as it would be much more practical, but her face reddened and she quickly dashed the frivolous thought. “You’re a princess, Rosella. What if someone were to see?” she scolded herself for her naïve thoughts, and utter lack of modesty. She waded into the initial shallow waters allowing herself to become accustomed to the temperature which she was delighted to find did not take long. Tamir’s ocean was one of warm and blue waters. Rosella treaded in the water for a few moments, adjusting her skirt so that the high cut slit opened wide, allowing her legs to kick freely, and avoid the danger of getting all tangled up in the long gown. Her hair, recently free from the twin braids, floated behind her in a blonde trail. Rosella stabbed her arms forward, pumping her slender legs as she swam out into the deep blue sea in search of anything that might aid her in her quest against Lolotte and her evil goons. The taste of the saltwater was an immediate nuisance to the young princess, but hardly something she could avoid. She decided to focus her mind on anything else to distract herself from the disgusting taste. Her mind settled onto Edgar, the tender hearted goblin that was Lolotte’s son. On her last adventure in Tamir, Edgar had saved her life from the horror of an arranged marriage. Even though he was smitten at the beautiful young princess, he knew that she had been on a quest to save her father’s life, and that time was a luxury that she did not have. And so, he allowed her to escape, even if his heart wanted something else. Yet the tender hearted monster seemed to have given in to his evil mother’s ways and was now helping her carry out an evil scheme as Rosella had witnessed in the magic mirror. Could he truly have been so bitter by Rosella’s refusal to marry. How could he have expected that of her. While Rosella liked to think she understood the ways of the world and those of the heart, she was still a very sheltered and young princess. Her drifting thoughts had distracted her a little too much and so she stopped a moment to tread water while she made a decision. [[Keep swimming further out->Out to Sea]] [[Try a different direction->Open Water]] [[Nah, better head back->There ARE Plenty of Fish in the Sea]]

<h1>Bombs Away!</h1> Deciding that the best way to rescue Genesta and save Tamir was to confront the evil Lolotte herself, Rosella marched toward the mountain path that lead up to her wicked castle. The rocky ground leading up the path was difficult to navigate in her awkward heels, and quickly the young girl found her ankles and knees straining themselves unnecessarily. Complaining about it would do little good at the time. Her hasty decision to jump into this quest, and utter lack of thinking on her outfit would have to wait until later. For now, all Rosella could do was grin and bear it like a good little princess. While the path began with mountain walls looming up on both sides, it shortly gave way to very narrow and very high open path. It was like a stone snake that wound up and around, leading into the jaws of the monstrous black castle. The sight of it just gave her the shivers. As scary as the castle was, her more immediate threat was the winding stone path at her uncertain feet. It was only a few feet wide, and had Rosella had the courage to peer over either side, she would see that it dropped off into a foggy imperceptible depth. Digging deep within herself, Rosella found some courage and managed to get her frozen feet working. Each step was taken carefully with wobbling ankles, partially because she was in heels, and partially because she knew she was in heels and one misstep from toppling down to a plummeting death. Alas that proved to be the least of her problems, as shrieks cut through the air, and the sound of flapping wings soon followed. Looking up quickly, Rosella saw something that made her heart sink, and cover her mouth to prevent the scream already in her throat. They had a wide span of leathery bat wings protruding from their backs. While human in form, their bodies were jet black, with ghostly white horned heads, and sunken eyes. Clawed hands reached out in anticipation as they flew in the direction of the girl teetering on the narrow path, her long hair and dress billowing in the wind as she watched their approach with saucer blue eyes. Rosella thought about trying to run away from Lolotte’s flying goons, but she couldn’t move her feet. It was as though her heels were spiked into the rocky path, terrified eyes fixated on the creatures as they made wide arcs through the air, circling her. The two goons made a formation and swooped down quickly at the cowering princess as she held her arms above her head in feeble attempt to protect herself. That only made it easier to snatch her right up off the path and high up into the air, each one with a firm grip on an arm. Rosella kicked and screamed in protest watching her heels fly off her feet in the process disappearing like little doll’s shoes into the abyss below. The sight made her heart flutter with an overwhelming panic. While she assumed the goons were carrying her off to have her kneel before the judgment of the evil witch, Lolotte, she never expected they were simply there to assure she never reached the castle. The thought only crept into her mind when she felt the clawed grip loosen on each of her slender arms. The delicate fabric of her dress sleeves ripped as they slipped through the clawed fingers that had only a moment ago gripped her like a vice. She watched the winged creatures get smaller and smaller through a wide eyed scream. She was now the doll following the shoes… -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]]

<h1>It's a Wrap!</h1> Nudging the rope ladder pile with her foot, Rosella watched as it kinetically unraveled down to the floor below, shaking off the dust of time unused. The timid princess sneezed against her will and looked around with fearful blue eyes in hopes her indiscretion didn’t wait the dead, literally. After she felt certain that everything was still safe, she crouched down at the edge of the platform, and reached a leg down feeling around with her heel for the first rung of the ladder. One, two, three, the princess used the arch in her heels to secure her safely each rung down the ladder, until she saw something that literally scared her out of her shoes and consequently landed her once again roughly on her bottom. Hanging directly underneath the platform was what looked like the remains of one of Lolotte’s goons. He was mostly wrapped in dirty rotting bandages, but his leathery batwings were partly exposed badly broken and tattered. The shocking surprise had been enough to send the princess reeling backwards off the ladder and down the crypt floor. Rosella now realized that Lolotte had tried to retrieve Pandora’s box when she had Cupid’s bow locked safely inside the crypt, only her “man inside” never made it out. It appeared that he had fallen victim to the guardian mummy. These revelations came to Rosella in her unexpected fall and were followed by two little clunks on her pretty blonde head as her little black heels came tumbling down after her. A scary dead goon, and a sore bottom however, were the least of the poor princess’s concerns. As soon as she hit the floor in the crypt something happened. Something evil. There was a long groan and cracking sound that echoed loudly in the chamber. Rosella craned her long slender neck to see what was happening, and then wished she hadn’t. The sound was coming from the sarcophagus against the wall as it unhappily opened in a cloud of smoky dust. Cupid’s bow hung trembling on lid as it opened. For a moment, Rosella thought she might have the courage to scramble to her feet, scurry over there and grab the bow but a bandaged hand with long broken fingers curled out from the slightly open lid and changed all that. The mummy pulled itself forth from the confines of the sarcophagus forcefully twisting and cracking its limbs after so long of misuse. The sound of he bones made Rosella cover her ears, the vivid red eyes made her squeeze her own shut tight, and the putrid smell made her sick to her stomach. The princess was terrified, but she wasn’t about to stand still and become the next victim of the mummy. She picked up her little black shoes and hurled them at the shambling monster only scoring one hit, which bounced harmlessly off the bandaged walking corpse. Escape seemed to be the smartest idea, so Rosella turned and reached for the highest rung on the ladder she could grab with her small hands, and proceeded to climb up as fast as she could, but it proved too late. Her courageous “attack” had wasted the only precious time she had had. The mummy’s rotting hands grabbed hold of her long skirt and tugged hard. Rosella’s slender fingers proved no match for death’s grip, and slowly the lost their grip around the precious escape ladder. The terrified princess fell down into the arms of the mummy, one under her back, and one under legs. Contact with the creature made the princess feel cold instantly. She screamed, kicking her legs in frenzy and swinging her arms against his firm grip on her. Rosella watched in horror as her clean white stockings opened up in runs, and her skin was turning a sickly gray. The mummy carried the princess kicking and screaming toward the open sarcophagus as she resisted her pending doom. Dropping her legs, he hugged her in a standing position against him, and backed into the coffin. As the lid was slowly closing, the mummy’s bandages came alive like snakes and began wrapping around the wriggling princess’s slender body. After the lid closed there were few muffled screams and then just the sound of the flickering torches in the crypt. Nice going, Rosella. Guess that’s a wrap! <img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/comic-crypt.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Dusting Herself Off</h1> Taking one look at the dusty rope ladder, Rosella decided that was not a safe option. Peering down the crypt floor below, she did get a few butterflies in her stomach, but perhaps if she hung down over the ledge, it wouldn’t be that far? Slipping off her heels, Rosella crouched at the platform edge. She didn’t want to break her ankles upon landing after all. Slipping one leg over at a time, she slowly lowered herself over the edge, hanging by her slender fingertips. Groaning at the stress, she turned to look how far down she had to go, and her heart sank when she noticed it was still many feet below. Unfortunately her arms were already trembling with fatigue and she never had the strength in them to begin with to pull herself back up. Not having the courage to take responsibility and just drop, Rosella stubbornly hung on with her quivering arms and tears welling up in her eyes until her strength finally gave out. She landed with a thud on her side, but took a bump to the head in the process and was rendered unconscious. It was probably for the best, because she would not have liked what was happening next. As her body lay still on the floor of the crypt, the lid of the sarcophagus opened with a crack and a long groan. The broken and bandaged limbs of the mummy reached out like nightmarish bugs as it fought to be free of its prison. Instantly the evil red eyes locked on to the still form of the pretty princess. Her long golden hair lay out like a warm blanket and her skin was porcelain white save for a bruise on her cheek where she hit the floor. Rosella’s dress fanned out like a red velvety pool on the floor and her white legs were tucked to the side. The mummy shambled eagerly toward its prize unable to resist the youth that awaited him. He reached down and grabbed one of her feet by the stocking clad toes and proceeded to drag her toward the open feeling his strength grow even from the first moment of contact with the young maiden. His evil magic fed powerfully, and quickly and as he dragged her, Rosella’s white stockings faded to a gray, and soon the skin beneath too became gray. Little by little, the poor princess broke off into little bits of dust until the mummy was dragging nothing at all, and all that remained was a trail of dust leading back to his sarcophagus. His broken limbs straightened out, and rotting bandages renewed, and the redness of his eyes was ever brighter. Just one more victim and he would be free of the curse. Leave it to Rosella to donate to a good cause! -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]]

<h1>Knock, Knock...</h1> Being the polite and well-mannered princess that she was brought up to be, Rosella gave a little knock on the giant door with her small hand. A few tense moments passed as she held her breath while leaning in close to listen for the sound of anyone home. “I’m coming!” boomed a voice from inside, causing the very startled girl to jump backwards. In a moment of appearance consciousness, Rosella adjusted the top of her dress, smoothed out her skirt, and tried to brush the dust off her pretty black shoes in an attempt to gain back a bit of her nobility. Brushing back some tresses of her golden-blonde hair from her face, she settled on tucking them behind her ears, and folded her little hands in front, feeling that she had done the best she could given the last minute consideration. As she watched the door handle turning, Rosella heard her mother’s scolding voice in her head about “posture”, and she quickly arched her back, keeping her chin up. <img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/comic-dragged.JPG"> The giant wooden door swung open and a giant of a woman greeted the proud young princess. She was easily twice Rosella’s height wearing a tattered green wool dress, with a dingy white apron covering it. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?. She asked in a bellowing voice, looking over the interesting little visitor at her door. “I wasn’t expecting dinner to just show up like this,” she added with a toothy grin. Rosella’s knees were already weak from the ogress’s presence, but her words caused them to nearly buckle completely. Her blue eyes and gaping mouth drained the overflow of fear that filled her slender body. She put up her little hands in meek defense, but the ogress dismissed them with one of her own large dirty hands. The wretched ogre’s wife seemed more interested in the long flowing hair atop the trembling princess’s head. Her thick soiled fingers gnarled themselves in Rosella’s beautiful blonde hair, and hoisted the hapless girl off the ground. The shock caused Rosella to instantly see spots as she was dragged up and down, bouncing roughly off the ground by her poor hair into the ogre’s cottage. When they reached the kitchen, Rosella was hoisted onto the counter top and dropped with a resounding crash. The princess tried to orient herself and squirm away while the ogress reached for a stinky old rope on the floor. Noticing the girl trying to escape, she grabbed at the hem of her skirt, and pulled her back to the center of counter, and pinned her with a fat ugly thumb. Rosella kicked her legs around in a fury, but that only succeeded in forcing her skirt open, revealing her long white stocking clad legs, and a preview of dinner. The ogress, kept the squirrelly princess pinned while she coiled the smelly rope around her again and again. Moments later, Rosella was effectively bound with rope, and the ends of her long blonde hair, tied to hook, hanging her above a large black cauldron. Between the feeling of dreaded warmth beneath her, the ogress setting the table, and her knotted hair holding her on a hook (she was going to need a LOT of conditioner to get THAT out!), Rosella found it within herself to squirm a little more. She only succeeded in causing her shoes to drop from her feet, followed by a couple plops and a hiss. Gulp, thought the princess as she curled her little stocking toes in dread. While she was all for being the guest of honor at dinner, THIS was a little ridiculous. It was however, too late for princess Rosella. The ogress came toward her menacingly with a large cleaver. One swipe at the knot in Rosella’s hair, and she dropped into the boiling stew pot. Even though it wasn’t very funny to Rosella, her long hair DID kind of resemble spaghetti as it bubbled around in the water ; . -Her last thought was “I hope Genesta and co are fairing better than THIS!” <img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/comic-danglingdoom.JPG"> [[Try again?->Tamir]] Illustrations by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Good Doggie!</h1> Rosella reached up and turned the great door handle, pushing the door open with a grunt. The only way she was going to save Genesta and Tamir was to be brave and face her dangers head on. She did not however, anticipate that her “dangers” would include the ogre’s giant bulldog. But there he was, lumbering toward the surprised princess, as she stood dumbfounded in the threshold of the ogre’s house. As she watched the black dog scrambling across the wooden floor toward her, she couldn’t help the nagging feeling that she had left something “important” in the troll’s cave. Shaking her head of the nonsense, Rosella turned to run away, but she had already wasted too much time. The dog was upon her. He opened his large maw wide and went right over Rosella’s scared little head down to her knees in one gulp. Lifting her up, she kicked her legs around in classic damsel fashion, losing her pretty black heels before the dog swallowed her wiggling feet in two more gulps. With a satisfied burp, the dog meandered back to his little bed, and just like that, princess Rosella’s adventure had come to an end. Shortly after, the ogre returned from hunting, and upon entering noticed the girlish perfume scent in the room. Looking down, he noticed two doll-like heels scattered on the floor, and his proud dog licking its chops. On his way into the kitchen to see what was for dinner, he patted the dog on the head with a hearty “Good Doggie!” <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic2-bulldog1.JPG"> <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic2-bulldog2.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]] Illustrations by <a href="https://psylisiadragoon.deviantart.com">Psylisia Dragoon</a>

<h1>Going Out on a Limb</h1> With the sunlight on it’s way down, and direction sense becoming a little harder to come by, Rosella decided it was time, to climb one of the scary trees and see if she could spot the direction of the cave above the tree line. Luckily the trees were so crooked and gnarly, that were relatively easy to climb, even in a beautiful gown and heels. While she grunted and groaned her way up (easy or not, she wasn’t accustomed to such a work out) she could have sworn she heard a few groans of its own coming from the tree. She quickly disregarded the foolish thought as a trick of the wind blowing through the branches. A silly thought that accompanied the fact that the trees seemingly had evil faces and eyes, so why couldn’t they talk and groan too, right. After all, a petulant young girl was clamoring all over them. A chuckle from her winded red cheeks decidedly put an end to that foolish line of thinking. Living trees. As if. After catching a few fresh breaths in her little lungs, Rosella worked her way higher up the tree until she came to a lone branch that curved up. Judging from the looks of it, she would be able to see over the tops of the forest, if she could reach the end of the branch. Looking down at her heels, she realized that would lead to an early grave, so she balanced herself against the trunk of the tree, while slipping them off and dropping them down to the ground below where she would pick them up later. Curiously, the shoes never made it to the ground. The branches of the tree seemed to “catch” them on their way down. “Odd,” mused Rosella to herself out loud. “Oh well, I’ll just shake them free on my way down I guess,” she decided. Hoping her grace, as a princess would come through for her here, Rosella began walking one foot in front of the other, arms out to the side, along the branch. Teetering only slightly, the princess was proud of herself as she made her way up the angled branch toward the roof of the forest. The top of her blonde head, her big blue eyes, and half of her nose breached the canopy of the woods when she let out a gasp “It’s the-!. But she never finished her exclamation. Either due to her excitement or some more sinister force, Rosella’s balance was lost as she swung her arms in circles desperately trying to reclaim it. She slipped off the high branch and tumbled down toward the ground and what would be an almost certain doom when she was caught in the lower branches, just like her shoes. Only this time, the branches were definitely curling, twisting, and groaning. The face on the tree was also far less illusionary, but no less wicked! The branches twisted around the princess entangling her with an unmatched might. Perhaps this tree is not very forgiving of petulant princesses that clamor about its branches for their own means thought Rosella to herself as she felt the branches constrict around her slender body. Her skinny little bones couldn’t hold up for long. Moments later, Rosella was nothing more than a broken rag doll, hanging out with the trees. Next time, drink more milk! -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]]

<h1>Setting Down Her Roots</h1> Deciding these trees were way too scary to be climbing, Rosella trusted her gut to tell her which was north, and made her way carefully through the forest. Despite her best hopes, the forest only become denser and the trees more menacing. The tension made her little heart pound overtime and breaths came in short spurts as the trees themselves seemed to whisper to the bewildered young princess, “come closer… closer pretty girl.” Before long she was ducking and squirming from branches that seemed to reach out to touch her, snagging at stray hairs atop her blonde head. When Rosella thought that fear was about to claim her heart for good, she saw an opening in the forest. That must be it. She thought with a wash of elation. It must be the passage to the witches’ cave! Abandoning much of the guard she had been holding up, Rosella ran as fast as her heels would allow, even stumbling a bit to escape the scary forest as quickly as she could. “Wait. Don’t go. Stay. Stay with us pretty girl. Stay,” cooed the whispering trees as Rosella scrambled. Her abandonment of care and good sense proved to be her undoing. As Rosella carelessly ran for the clearing, her long and loose blonde hair entangled in the reaching tree branches. It was a terrible mess. She quickly fought with trembling fingers to work the soft locks free, all the while; little branches sneakily wrapped themselves around her slender ankles, waist, arms, and even her neck. By the time she caught on, it was too late. There were too many of them around her. “Let me go!” she screamed in protest. “You must stay,” was the sinister reply of the wind. Rosella stared in horror as her black shoes split open, and holes poked in the white stockings covering her feet as her toes stretched and reached down into the earth. Her once tender calves grew hard, and the affect moved further up her legs and torso. Before her very terrified blue eyes, Rosella’s body was turning into wood. Before she could let out a scream, her delicate porcelain jaw and soft ruby lips were transformed into solid wood. Lastly her lush golden hair grew wild about in many branches sprouting leaves. Her transformation was complete. Rosella would spend the rest of eternity as a tree in the evil forest of Tamir, fully aware of her foolishness and the tragic end of her choices. Mental note: Shorthaired princesses live longer! -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]]

<h1>Working Girl</h1> Positive that the large wooden bucket was essential to completing her quest, Rosella decided it would be okay to “borrow” it for a little while, and return it to the humble dwarves after she had finished saving Tamir. Hoisting it up over her head, she placed the empty bucket up on the ledge by the mine entrance, satisfied that she could leave it there while, she followed the path back up the exit, and pick it up on her way out. Turning while taking her first step, Rosella almost barreled into the lot of dwarves that stood there tapping their feet, arms crossed over their chests, faces not so happy. In all her cleverness, princess Rosella had not noticed the lack of clanging and hammering as they caught wind of a thief in their midst. A serious and hard working bunch, the dwarves did not take kindly to a soft-handed princess type stealing from their mine. Rosella gulped at her predicament. Moments later, she found herself with a chain around her neck and ankle, fastened to the wall of the mine, and a pickaxe in her hands. Before long, her beautiful red gown was torn and dirty, pretty white stockings soiled and run, feet aching in her heels, blonde hair a sweaty mess, and calluses on her previously soft slender hands. Foolish Rosella had hard work under the watchful eyes of the dwarves to look forward to for the rest of her days. When’s break time!? <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-dwarfmine.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Out to Sea</h1> Rosella continued swimming, as her limbs grew weaker and weaker with no land in sight. Occasionally her limbs would fail her, and she would take an unpleasant dunk, and receive a hearty gulp of saltwater. These occasions became more and more frequent until she had no strength left at all. Her tired body gave out after a short bout of kicking and reaching. Her head breached the surface taking furious gulps of air once, twice, three times. Alas, the weary princess had no strength left for a fourth. Rosella held her last breath in blown out cheeks as long as she could as she sank down to join Davy Jones in his locker. THIS is what they mean by “save enough strength for the journey back,” she realized too late. -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]]

<h1>Open Water</h1> The endless blue ocean surrounded the determined princess as she swam along in search of Genesta’s Island. I know it’s around her somewhere, she thought to herself as she spit out more disgusting saltwater. As she pushed more water behind her cupped hands, Rosella began to regret swimming in her gown. While the slit allowed her to kick her legs, the drag of the skirt under the water was fast growing taxing on her little muscled legs and arms. As if to add to her woes, she found herself in open water. Looking ahead, she still couldn’t see Genesta’s Island, yet looking back, in the glare of the sun; she could no longer see any land either! The question her weakening limbs were dying to ask was: Which way do I have the strength to make it to? [[Keep heading toward Genesta's Island->There ARE Plenty of Fish in the Sea]] [[Head back->Out to Sea]]

<h1>There ARE Plenty of Fish in the Sea</h1> Unfortunately for Rosella, some of those fish happen to be sharks! She soon realized this as she saw the dreaded dorsal fin break the surface headed in her direction. In foolish hope, the princess turned and attempted to out swim the aquatic predator back to shore, and cheat him out of a well-deserved meal. From the shark’s prospective beneath the water, Rosella’s tender kicking legs were too good to be true. A couple flicks of his tail, gave the shark the burst of speed he needed to catch the hapless princess and gobble her up in one bite. …Later on, the fisherman sat at the end of his dock gloomily holding his fishing rod, hoping for something, anything he could sell to the market to provide for he and his wife. A tug at his line shook him from the dormancy of his wallowing, and he began fighting and reeling in at the line. When he thought for sure either his line would break, or his rod was about ready to snap in half, the old fisherman gave one last heave and what happened next nearly scared him to death. A giant shark crested the surface of the water, biting on the end of his line, arcing right over his head, landing on the dock behind him. The great shark flopped around for many moments before going still. The fisherman could not believe his luck. A fish, no less a shark this size would bring him a fortune at the market! As he cut the shark open, getting ready to gut it, he thought about the tales about the bizarre things found inside sharks; wondering what it was that he would find in this one. Sifting through the mess, he pulled on a gauzy white material curiously. Pantyhose? The fisherman scratched his beard in thought, then remembered the young girl that had visited recently. He carried them in to show his wife, and they both shared a laugh. “Guess she ended up helping as after all!” <img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/comic-shark.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Just Another Creepy Mansion</h1> From the outside the old mansion looked broken down. The wood siding was nervous with termite invasion, while most of window shutters were hanging by a single hinge, squeaking in the wind. That didn’t really seem to matter all that much because several of the windows were little more than fractions of shattered glass. Musty velvet curtains hung heavily to obscure curious outsiders even where the windows failed in their brittle piles. The depression of the mansion felt physical as though it had two giant sagging shoulders sad for the rusty gate outside, and the dead leaves that littered the front steps. The sadness was complete by overgrown unkempt bushes manifesting the lawn and crawling up the front of the miserable structure. Princess Rosella shivered a little as she gingerly made her way up the walk, crunching leaves under her heels as they clicked up the stone path. Even while the sun was in its late afternoon descent, the air in Tamir was warm and engaging, but when her hand wrapped around the rusty doorknob of the house, it felt cold. Rosella shook her head of the nonsense ghost stories that were beginning to take form inside her pretty little head. They were tales of ghosts and goblins that her father would tell her when she was just a little princess and refused to go to bed. She would jump into her lush royal bed quicker than a jackrabbit and pull the safety of blankets over her blonde head, dropping them just enough for her wide blue eyes to keep watch over her room for invaders of the dark. While barely a young woman now, Rosella resolutely turned the cold rusty knob and gave the door a confident push. The hinges creaked from nonuse while a gaggle of dead leaves blew inside from the wind across the wooden floors like nails of an excited dog returning from outside to the side of his master. Said master it would appear was long dead, leaving the great mansion to cobwebs and dust. While the décor was revolting and downright icky to the pampered princess, she realized that her quest at hand took precedence. She hoped this old mansion would hold something that might prove helpful in her retrieving Cupid’s bow from the clutches of the mummy’s crypt. The ticking grandfather clock only seemed to press the urgency of her quest. Goodness knows what Lolotte was doing to Genesta and her fairies. And Edgar. What of Edgar and his recent descent into evil. The questions were heavy locks hanging around Rosella’s heart threatening her collapse if she pondered too long on the subject, so she combed the mansion room by room searching for clues that might aid her in saving Tamir. After fruitlessly searching the kitchen and bedrooms, Rosella found herself sitting on a musty couch in the den, trying hard to remember what it was that she was missing from her previous visit to the mansion. She had been everywhere in the house and had still come up with absolutely nothing of worth. In fact the search itself only seemed to unearth scattering bugs that caused the petite young lady to scream in terror. She sat with her elbows in her lap, hands holding the flow of her loose blonde hair from her delicate face, thinking, thinking. It was then that Rosella sat up straight closing her eyes as she realized what it was that she had forgotten about the mysterious mansion. Opening her eyes, she slowly twisted around on the couch to look at a painting that hung on the wall over the fireplace behind the couch. The art itself was nothing of repute, rather the curious gaze of the woman depicted. Her eyes were looking off to the side, as if something in the room. Rosella followed the line of sight to a barren stone brick wall across the room. Rosella hopped up from the couch remembering there had been something there before. There had been a doorway. Dusting off her skirt repulsively from the film picked up from the old cushions, the princess traced her soft hands over the cool stone bricks. There was a door here, she knew it, just couldn’t see it. Determined not to give up, she traced every inch of the wall, until her dainty nails dragged over something brittle. There appeared to be a tiny nook in the wall’s design that had been caked up with dirt. Wrinkling her nose, Rosella scratched the dirt away, using her lovely manicured nails with a sigh of lament. When she was satisfied that most of the dirt had been cleared out, she bent down squinting her eyes in the low light of the room to peer into the small nook. Her discovery appeared to be a hidden keyhole. And where there was a keyhole there most certainly was a door. The young princess’s spirits soared high for but a moment of success. The terrible question now was: where is the key to the secret door. She knew that Lolotte must have sealed something behind the wall, and if so, the key would be somewhere else in Tamir. If Rosella wanted to save Genesta and her fairies, she would have to find the mansion’s parlor key. Where should she search next? [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Not Whistling, Just Working a]] [[The Dwarves' House->A Bachelor Pad]] [[The Ogres' House->The Big House a]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest]] [[The Fisherman's Cabin->The Fisherman's Words]] [[The Ocean->The Deep Blue Sea]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away!]]

<h1>Not Whistling, Just Working</h1> Forced to duck through the low archway of the dwarves’ mine, Rosella found enough room inside to stand up straight. While the cramped mine was lit by a lantern here and there, the true shining light came from the twinkle of diamonds that lined the hard rock walls. The reflection in her big blue eyes was nothing short of true love. If it weren’t so dirty and the air weren’t so stale, she might have thought this to be heaven. The mood here was nothing like heaven. Seven dwarves worked diligently in the hall. Some laboriously swung pick axes into the walls reverberating in loud echoes, while others pushed wheel barrels back and forth filled with crushed rock ready to be sifted through in search of precious shiny diamonds. The group of small men worked like a well-oiled and powerful engine. Their seriousness could not be questioned, and they had little time for chitchat with a dainty young princess whom seemed only a nuisance and in their way. Rosella squeaked and gasped as she was shimmied this way and that out of the way of the stalwart moody dwarves. They hardly seemed like friendly little men at all she thought to herself, but she realized that she could be viewed as a bother not to be bothered with so out of place. With that in mind, Rosella hurriedly peered around the mine for something that might aid her in her quest. While taking some diamonds seemed like a grand idea, they were all deep within the rock walls, held fast, part of the earth. So the princess set her mind to seek out something more practical. That’s when her eyes fell upon a deep wooden bucket that lay on its side. While she couldn’t see an immediate use for anything inside the bucket, she did see a possible need for using the bucket as a possible stool. Rosella stood taller than the seven dwarves in the mine, but there were some places and things in Tamir that stood taller than Rosella. The bucket might be just what she needed to reach new heights. Pondering these new ideas, the princess wondered if the dwarves would miss their bucket. They didn’t seem to be using it to hold any water or precious diamonds for that matter, but the dwarves were a serious bunch and they might not take well to thievery no matter how noble the cause. If only there were a way to get them to stop working and clear out of here while I took the bucket, she thought to herself. Well, it was time to decide what to do… [[Try to sneakily take the bucket?->Working Girl]] Or look around Tamir to find something to clear the cave with? Go to... [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Just Another Creepy Mansion a]] [[The Dwarves' House->A Bachelor Pad]] [[The Ogres' House->The Big House a]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest]] [[The Fisherman's Cabin->The Fisherman's Words]] [[The Ocean->The Deep Blue Sea]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away!]]

<h1>The Big House</h1> Rosella strolled through the lush grass of Tamir’s countryside enjoying the fresh air, gentle wind, and warmth of the afternoon sun. It reminded her of the majesty of Daventry and helped her forget the putrid swamp, and terrifying troll cave. Despite how serene and lulling the wavy green grass was, the princess did notice the startling size of the trees as her direction transitioned into a wooded area. The trees were gigantic and marvelous. Dark brown trunks massively big around, and green explosive canopies of leaves provided a rooftop over the rich earthy land. After stumbling a few times over troublesome roots in her awkwardly favorite heels, Rosella noticed a cottage in a clearing up ahead. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary until she got closer and closer. It became as majestic as the forest itself, even more so. Upon breaching the forest perimeter, she found herself 50 paces away from the sturdy cottage and the looming size took her breath away. The strong oak door at the front of the house must have stood twice the princess’s height, and a thatched roof that forced Rosella to tilt her head all the way back to see the wisps of smoke puffing out angrily from the chimney top. She had returned to the ogre’s house. While she had never actually spoken to the ogre or his wife, Rosella was not sure they would take kindly to her decidedly small self. That being said however, she could not deny that a home so grand might contain grand things. So, courageous or not, the intrepid young lady would have to find a way to get inside and have a look around. Pacing quietly around the cottage, Rosella decided there were only two possible ways to get inside. The obvious one was the front door, while the somewhat less obvious way seemed to be two windows. One was on the side of the house, and the other on the back. While both were located on the first story of the cottage, they were too high for the human-sized princess. Even standing in her heels, her polished nails could barely reach the windowsill. If only she had something that she could stand on to make her taller, she would be able to climb in through the windows. There was nothing around the outside of the house that appeared usable, though perhaps elsewhere. But was there time to look around. How was Rosella going to get inside the ogre’s cottage? [[Knock on the door->Knock, Knock...]] [[Open the door->Good Doggie!]] Nah, I shouldn't be here yet! I should go to... [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Not Whistling, Just Working a]] [[The Dwarves' House->A Bachelor Pad]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Just Another Creepy Mansion a]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest]] [[The Fisherman's Cabin->The Fisherman's Words]] [[The Ocean->The Deep Blue Sea]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away!]]

<h1>The Fisherman's Words</h1> The old fisherman reeled in his line as he heard his wife come running down the dock, hollering for him to “come quick.” She was yelling something about “the young girl from far away” and “their prayers finally answered.” Whatever it was, she was running a mighty bit faster than he had seen her in recent years. He finished reeling in his old line, empty as usual, just as she reached him. “Look!” she shouted, shoving an open palm in his face (he was still sitting on the dock, legs hanging over the end) a shiny diamond lying in the middle. His grew like saucers as he swung his legs up on the dock, scrambling to get to his feet, so clumsy, he almost smacked the diamond right from her palm and into the ocean! She backed up, letting her wild husband some space while he got to his feet before she opened her palm again to allow him a longer safer look at the end of their poor streak. “Where in Tamir did you get this?” he asked, puzzled, scratching at his gray beard. “From this young, princess,” replied his wife, stepping to the side, and ushering the shy young girl that had finally caught up to the end of the dock. Rosella had run ragged in her heels. Her porcelain cheeks were red, hair windblown. She fixed her hair, tucking the lovely blonde locks behind her ears, and smoothed out her vermilion skirt. The young princess shifted her weight from one foot to the other, as running in her little black heels hurt more than a little. “Well then, beautiful miss. How is it that my wife and I might thank you for your heavenly generosity?” he asked making the girl blush. But it was his wife that spoke up for Rosella. “She wishes to know the whereabouts of that strongbox that those wicked winged creatures dropped into the ocean a short bit ago. “I see,” he replied, scratching his beard, and looking the young maiden over. “Well, I can’t say I recommend it, but show you where it is, that I can do. Should a girl as pretty as yourself get involved in such danger as Lolotte? I say no. But your generosity to my wife and I demands that I heed your wish. Aye, I can take you there.” He finished with a nod. “Dear, get dinner ready. I shall return shortly.” With that, he grabbed Rosella gently by the arm and led her back to shore where he had a small rowboat cast up on the beach. “We’ll take this, and find you the contents of that box,” he said with a reassuring squeeze to Rosella’s arm. He was a bit of a rustic man for the well mannered Rosella, but somehow the skittish princess trusted that the fisherman would indeed help her find the sunken chest that Lolotte so badly wanted to remain lost. Gentlemanly helping Rosella into the tiny boat by her dainty hand, the fisherman turned away so as not to see the generous portion of white stocking clad leg revealed by her high slit gown. The princess’s face flushed with color and heat as she sat down, pulling her skirt about her. She could hear her mother scolding her now in her head, “Rosella, that is NOT the outfit for an adventure!” Shaking her head, the sound of the fisherman’s voice brought her back to reality. “Everything okay?” he asked as he sat down in boat opposite her, already rowing them out into the water. “Hmm? Oh, yes. I’m sorry. I was just… thinking of home,” she replied honestly. Daventry seemed so far away right now. Indeed it was. Rosella was far away from home and safety. All that lay before her were the dangers of her quest, and the wonder if she would ever live to see Daventry again, or even her 18th birthday! She began to feel the foolishness of her decision, and the weight on her shoulders, so sleight and young. The fisherman nodded, and allowed Rosella her time in silence as he skillfully rowed them into the open waters toward their destination… [[Continue to the next page->Sunken Treasure]]

<h1>Sunken Treasure</h1> The fisherman pointed the oars straight down in the water, and dragged the small boat to a halt in the pleasantly calm ocean waters. “We’re here,” he said assuredly. “We are? How can you tell?” asked the quizzical Rosella. She turned her head this way and that, and all she could see was water. It all looked the same to her. “I’m sure. The chest should be right below the boat. It’s my job to know this ocean, lass,” he said with a wink to the puzzled princess. She let out a sigh, and took his word for it. Peering over the edge of the boat to get an idea of where she was headed, Rosella unconsciously curled each of her legs back slipping off her heels, one, two, clunk, clunk they went as they dropped to the floor of the boat. “Can’t swim in those,” she chuckled, cheeks turning red as she prepared to slip over the edge into the water. “No, of course not,” the fisherman laughed back at the pretty young girl, “but there is one thing. I’ve noticed a giant squid that swims these parts of the ocean. If you see him, don’t panic. As long as you stay still, he won’t bother you. The mention of the squid sent a chill down Rosella’s spine, but she’d come too far to chicken out now. Thanking him quietly, the timid young princess slipped one leg and then the other over the edge of the boat, careful not to snag her delicate hosiery, and then cut beneath the surface like a slender dagger. After sinking a few feet, Rosella got the courage to open her eyes. Despite the salty seawater, the view was relatively clear through the clean blue waters. Tamir’s ocean was no less magically beautiful than the land. Small schools of fish cut patterns in the water as though they were flying. Everything seemed like it was flying beneath the surface. Rosella immediately took notice of how her long blonde hair stood about like a beautiful sea plant, and perhaps more to the embarrassment of her flush air puffed cheeks, was that her long skirt also floated about with a mind of it’s own, offering the residents of the ocean an unhindered view of her long shapely legs, and undergarments! That was something she would just have to grin and bear, or at least bear for the moment, as her little cheeks could be air pockets for only so long. Forgetting modesty for just the moment, Rosella swam down further toward the ocean floor, and excitedly released a few air bubbles as her big blue eyes caught sight of a rust chest sitting in the sand at the bottom. She found it! Sinking down till the tips her stocking clad toes touched the sandy bottom, Rosella reached her hands out and touched the chest with long slender fingers. She curled them around the edges and tried to open the lid, only to find it a bit harder than she imagined. The chest was old, even before it was dropped here, and the days or weeks it had spent down here at the bottom of the ocean didn’t seem to make things any easier on the princess. As if to add to her woes, she thought she saw something out of the corner of her eye, swimming past in the distance. Was it the giant squid? It was at that point that she also felt her head get a little light. She had been holding her breath for a very long time, and the air was getting a little thin in her persistent little cheeks. Looking down at the chest, her vision began to get a little blurry. Her lungs began to feel the fire. And as if to scare the last bit of air out of the poor girl, she looked around her, and caught sight of some fleeting tentacles. The squid was about! Rosella’s heart begged her mind to make a decision. The chest was right here at her fingertips. Just a little more tugging, and she would have the contents inside. But what about her desperate need for a breath of air? And what of the giant squid? She could hear the fisherman’s words in her head, but he wasn’t the one about to be lunch! What should Rosella do? [[Swim up for air before she drowns!!!->Seafood!]] [[Keep at the chest, one more tug!->What's Behind Door #1?]]

<h1>Seafood!</h1> Kicking off the lid of the chest with her stocking feet, Rosella launched her way toward the surface and a desperately needed gulp of fresh air. Her long white legs kicked feverishly, and her long red skirt floated about like the fins of an exotic fish; exotic and delicious. That’s what the giant squid was thinking anyway. It lashed out with a long and very strong tentacle. The suction cups on the underside of the tentacle latched onto the surprised girl’s leg, but her stretchy nylons proved to save her life once that day as the squid’s suction cups would not hold the girl’s strange “skin.” The princess’s victory was short-lived as the tenacious squid was none too eager to give up its meal. One, two, three more long tentacles came in for reinforcements to wrap painfully tight around Rosella’s slender body. She thrashed around with her arms, but it was hopeless. The squid pulled the terrified girl toward its gaping beak, as dozens of frightened air bubbles escaped Rosella’s wide-open mouth. Her giant blue eyes stared helplessly as she was fed into the beak in one terrifying gulp. Perhaps the fisherman has a harpoon? Perhaps you should have stayed still like he said. Bon appetite! -The End [[Try again?->Tamir]]

<h1>What's Behind Door #1?</h1> Deciding to once again put complete trust in the fisherman’s words, Rosella risked drowning and getting gobbled up by a giant squid (or both!) and used the remaining strength she had to try and pry open the mysterious sea chest. Against the panic of her burning lungs, pounding terrified heart, and weak little arms, Rosella stayed her ground, and gave one last tug at the lid of the box. And that was all it took. A little determination, and a princess’s elbow grease! The chest burst open in a small cloud of murky dirt and sand that had been idle inside the box for who knows how long. Rosella waved at the cloud with her hands, unable to afford the luxury of time, desperately trying to clear the water so she might see what was inside. Unfortunately there wasn’t enough time to wait. Rosella dashed her hands through the murky cloud, searching the contents of the open treasure chest. She almost lurched her hands back through the cloud when she felt something cold and squishy inside, but fought the fear as time she did not have to waste. Back and forth, corner-to-corner, the only thing inside the chest was this cold squishy thing. Grabbing it up in one hand, Rosella pushed off the side of the chest with her stocking clad toes, and made for the surface and some air. Whether the giant squid had passed or was just not interested in a Rosella snack, the young princess crested the surface with nary a problem. She tossed the “object” over the edge of the boat, and grabbed onto the sides with her slender fingers, gasping at the air as if her very life depended on it. The fisherman was quick to her aid, grabbing at her hands, and helping her back aboard the small vessel. “I thought we’d almost lost you, lass,” he said concerned. Rosella wasn’t quite ready to speak yet, still taking in gulps of air heartily, but she nodded in acknowledgement that she too had thought the very same thing down there. “Well, what did we find in the box?” he asked, moving the conversation away from Rosella’s possible demise. Together they looked at the floor of the boat, and together shared the same shocked expression. The “cold squishy” thing that Rosella had brought up from the sunken treasure chest was nothing more than a dead fish! The princess slapped her sopping hands against her clammy red cheeks as the fisherman let out a low whistle with raised eyebrows. Rosella was perplexed. “Why would Lolotte seal a dead fish in a chest and drop it in the ocean?” exclaimed the young girl, unable to keep the perplexed feeling inside any longer. The fisherman shook his head to acknowledge that he had no idea what her reason might be. “But surely she had a reason, young miss. That witch is evil if one thing is for certain. She does all things with reasons. Evil ones.” While the mystery ate at her little head, Rosella couldn’t help but agree with the fisherman’s wisdom. The answer would come to her sooner or later. In the meantime, she picked up a small sack that lay on the floor of the boat, and placed the dead fish inside, slinging the sack over her shoulder. The fisherman, nodded, and began rowing them back to shore where he looked forward to his wife’s well-cooked meal and the laughter and talk of their new fortune. Rosella declined the invitation to join them, rather she took a few moments to dry off on the docks in the late afternoon sun. It was the second time that day that she soaked her dress and hosiery, and was none too pleased with the clingy feeling. She slipped her damp feet back into her heels, and thought about where it was she should go next, and what to do with the newly acquired dead fish. [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering b]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Just Another Creepy Mansion b]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Clearing the Room]] [[The Ogres' House->The Big House b]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest b]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away! b]]

<h1>Breaking and Entering</h1> Rosella stood before the ominous iron door that was hinged into a mountainside. Tilting her head back a little, she glanced up at the several ton rock awning above her head supported by four large marble pillars, blue eyes praying that age hadn’t weakened anything. She unrolled the leather pouch that she had been holding for so long in her nervous sweaty palm. The key dropped out clumsily with a clang on the smooth stone surface outside the crypt. Rosella squinted as if the sound might wake the dead while crouching down and hastily picking up her precious item. “Jenna said this key would open the crypt and that I would find Cupid’s bow inside in order to defeat Lolotte and save Tamir,” mumbled the princess as if the words themselves reassured her of what it was she was doing. The skeleton key slid into the old lock just as the tiny fairy had said it would with a click. Turning the key to the left, the princess smiled as she heard the distinct sound of ancient tumblers falling into place, releasing the lock for the one who holds the key. Rosella released the key, and turned her attention to a large iron ring fastened to the great door. Wrapping her slender hands around the cold metal, she took a deep breath, and did her best to imagine what stance would give her the best leverage in her awkward heels. While the image was most certainly comical to any of the birds that watched the wealthy girl from their perches dotted among the gravestones, there was a fact none could deny. Despite her royal graces, thin little arms, and foolish attire, Rosella had the grit to pull the giant iron door open with a little groan from her, and great groan from the old hinges. She may have only opened it a sliver, but Rosella after all, was no more than a sliver of a girl! Careful not to snag the delicate fabric of her outfit, Rosella slipped inside the spooky crypt. The slightly opened door allowed a shaft of light to cut into the low light of the torches that burned on the walls. How the fires remained lit for all time was not something the pretty princess wanted to find out. Suffice to say, dark magic had its hand in things here. The entranceway led onto a stone platform, high above the floor of the crypt. A long rope ladder lie in a heap by the edge, presumably the only safe way down. While the crypt was large, it was not so large that Rosella could not see it in its entirety from the stone platform. Against the northern wall stood an ornate sarcophagus, resting place of the mummy. A shiver ran down her spine as she imagined its red eyes, rotting bandages, and reaching hands. Hanging on a hook on the lid of the sarcophagus was a simple little bow and quiver of arrows. “Cupid’s bow!” exclaimed Rosella immediately cupping her hand over her foolish mouth. There was a moan that creepily filled the chamber and then nothing but the flicker of the torches. Daring to breath again, the princess surveyed the rest of the crypt from the safety of the platform. In the southern corner was a small black box with clawed feet. It was Pandora’s box, and sat exactly where Rosella had returned it on her previous journey to Tamir. An odd thought occurred to her as she looked at its deceiving plainness. Certainly Lolotte would have wanted to release all the evil stored in Pandora’s box. So why did she not retrieve the box when sealing the bow inside the crypt. The question nagged at the girl’s curious brain, but ultimately it wasn’t pertinent to know at the time. What she did need to decide was, how to safely get Cupid’s bow. What will she do? [[Unravel the rope ladder and climb down->It's a Wrap! a]] [[Can't trust the rope ladder... hang down and drop->Dusting Herself Off a]]

<h1>Just Another Creepy Mansion</h1> From the outside the old mansion looked broken down. The wood siding was nervous with termite invasion, while most of window shutters were hanging by a single hinge, squeaking in the wind. That didn’t really seem to matter all that much because several of the windows were little more than fractions of shattered glass. Musty velvet curtains hung heavily to obscure curious outsiders even where the windows failed in their brittle piles. The depression of the mansion felt physical as though it had two giant sagging shoulders sad for the rusty gate outside, and the dead leaves that littered the front steps. The sadness was complete by overgrown unkempt bushes manifesting the lawn and crawling up the front of the miserable structure. Princess Rosella shivered a little as she gingerly made her way up the walk, crunching leaves under her heels as they clicked up the stone path. Even while the sun was in its late afternoon descent, the air in Tamir was warm and engaging, but when her hand wrapped around the rusty doorknob of the house, it felt cold. Rosella shook her head of the nonsense ghost stories that were beginning to take form inside her pretty little head. They were tales of ghosts and goblins that her father would tell her when she was just a little princess and refused to go to bed. She would jump into her lush royal bed quicker than a jackrabbit and pull the safety of blankets over her blonde head, dropping them just enough for her wide blue eyes to keep watch over her room for invaders of the dark. While barely a young woman now, Rosella resolutely turned the cold rusty knob and gave the door a confident push. The hinges creaked from nonuse while a gaggle of dead leaves blew inside from the wind across the wooden floors like nails of an excited dog returning from outside to the side of his master. Said master it would appear was long dead, leaving the great mansion to cobwebs and dust. While the décor was revolting and downright icky to the pampered princess, she realized that her quest at hand took precedence. She hoped this old mansion would hold something that might prove helpful in her retrieving Cupid’s bow from the clutches of the mummy’s crypt. The ticking grandfather clock only seemed to press the urgency of her quest. Goodness knows what Lolotte was doing to Genesta and her fairies. And Edgar. What of Edgar and his recent descent into evil. The questions were heavy locks hanging around Rosella’s heart threatening her collapse if she pondered too long on the subject, so she combed the mansion room by room searching for clues that might aid her in saving Tamir. After fruitlessly searching the kitchen and bedrooms, Rosella found herself sitting on a musty couch in the den, trying hard to remember what it was that she was missing from her previous visit to the mansion. She had been everywhere in the house and had still come up with absolutely nothing of worth. In fact the search itself only seemed to unearth scattering bugs that caused the petite young lady to scream in terror. She sat with her elbows in her lap, hands holding the flow of her loose blonde hair from her delicate face, thinking, thinking. It was then that Rosella sat up straight closing her eyes as she realized what it was that she had forgotten about the mysterious mansion. Opening her eyes, she slowly twisted around on the couch to look at a painting that hung on the wall over the fireplace behind the couch. The art itself was nothing of repute, rather the curious gaze of the woman depicted. Her eyes were looking off to the side, as if something in the room. Rosella followed the line of sight to a barren stone brick wall across the room. Rosella hopped up from the couch remembering there had been something there before. There had been a doorway. Dusting off her skirt repulsively from the film picked up from the old cushions, the princess traced her soft hands over the cool stone bricks. There was a door here, she knew it, just couldn’t see it. Determined not to give up, she traced every inch of the wall, until her dainty nails dragged over something brittle. There appeared to be a tiny nook in the wall’s design that had been caked up with dirt. Wrinkling her nose, Rosella scratched the dirt away, using her lovely manicured nails with a sigh of lament. When she was satisfied that most of the dirt had been cleared out, she bent down squinting her eyes in the low light of the room to peer into the small nook. Her discovery appeared to be a hidden keyhole. And where there was a keyhole there most certainly was a door. The young princess’s spirits soared high for but a moment of success. The terrible question now was: where is the key to the secret door. She knew that Lolotte must have sealed something behind the wall, and if so, the key would be somewhere else in Tamir. If Rosella wanted to save Genesta and her fairies, she would have to find the mansion’s parlor key. Where should she search next? [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering b]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Clearing the Room]] [[The Ogres' House->The Big House b]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest b]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away! b]]

<h1>Clearing the Room</h1> While Rosella wandered around carrying her newly acquired mystery treasure, she pondered just what it was she was going to do with it. The smell was becoming unbearable not to mention that it was beginning to organically break down. Her dainty sensitive nose sent a little idea up to her brain above. A treat as putrid as a dead fish might be just what was needed to clear a mine full of hard working dwarves. Perhaps with them gone, she would be able to safely borrow the unused tall bucket inside. By the time the young princess arrived at the mine, the last rays of sunlight were cresting the horizon, and shadows grew very long. While it was not yet night, a lantern on a post was already lit to keep a glow around the entrance to the mine, to assure no dwarf would twist his ankle after hanging up his pick axe long after the sun had set for the day. There was something admirable about the way the seven dwarves began their workday early and ended it late. While it seemed strange to Rosella their passion was their hard work, the naïve princess wondered just what exactly her passion was, if indeed she even had one. Such contemplation had no place in Tamir in the dangerous times at hand, so Rosella quickly brought her mind back to the quest. She took a deep breath and made her way up the stony path to the mine entrance, the lantern aglow on her blonde head and fair skin. The sound of the clinking pick axes made Rosella wince a she stepped carefully along the path down into the mine, mindful of the rocky debris that seemed almost sinisterly waiting for a foolish young lady to come walking by in a pair of heels so inappropriate for this place. Once again the dwarves seemed to barely pay the slender girl mind but for a glance and a sneer ‘a stick of a lass, arms to skinny to swing an axe’ and such under-the-breath remarks about her delicate air. The clever girl waited for her opportunity and saw it rolling by in the form of a dwarf pushing a wheel barrel. He seemed to be making his rounds up and down the mine, pushing his cart full of fist sized rocks broken out of the earth, diamonds mashed within like sweet chips in a cookie. While he wasn’t looking, Rosella produced the rotten fish from within her pouch, and tossed it into the wheeling barrel. The unknowing dwarf continued his rounds up and down the mine and after but two passes the stench of decayed fish had devoured what little precious air was in the mine like smoke. There was nothing to breath but foul smell and to Rosella’s mischievous bemusement, the dwarves could not figure out where such an unholy odor was coming from. At first they argued back and forth that it was one of them and they might have even tried to point the finger at the elegant young visitor had they had the stomach for it, but by the time they’re arguing had reached a raucous, the dwarves stampeded from their beloved workplace. Rosella backed up against the wall slender as she could, holding her skirt around her tight so as not to be snagged on the dwarves as they rushed past. They were so intoxicated by the rankness in the air that they paid her no heed. With a flowing sleeve from her dress covering her little nose, Rosella knew the protection wouldn’t last long. She had to get that bucket and get out fast, lest she find herself sick as well. She picked up the tall bucket, and dragged it out of the mine by its handle. It was heavier than she imagined, or perhaps she imagined herself stronger. Either way, she wanted to decide where she was going to use it and fast, because dragging it all over Tamir would get tiresome quick! As the sly princess exited the mine a chill air kissed her face. Her dress and hosiery were still just damp enough to make her shiver as she glanced up at the now midnight blue sky and a thousand twinkling stars. Night had settled upon Tamir and it was beautiful. But with the beauty came a danger. Things that go bump in the night. For not all things safe during the day, remained so under darkness. Thoughts like these made Rosella’s spine tingle as she caught herself wishing that she were back in her bedroom, safe in the castle in Daventry with her fireplace, her pillows, and her bed. Even if she was questing to be the champion of Tamir, she was also just a fragile princess, frightened of the dark, and all the things that waited for a young girl to step into it. Using both her little hands to hold the heavy bucket, Rosella decided she would take it to… [[The Crypt->Underground Blues]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Too Late for Visitors]] [[The Ogres' House->A Step Up in the World]] [[The Witches' Cave->Setting Down Her Roots c]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away! c]]

<h1>The Big House</h1> Rosella strolled through the lush grass of Tamir’s countryside enjoying the fresh air, gentle wind, and warmth of the afternoon sun. It reminded her of the majesty of Daventry and helped her forget the putrid swamp, and terrifying troll cave. Despite how serene and lulling the wavy green grass was, the princess did notice the startling size of the trees as her direction transitioned into a wooded area. The trees were gigantic and marvelous. Dark brown trunks massively big around, and green explosive canopies of leaves provided a rooftop over the rich earthy land. After stumbling a few times over troublesome roots in her awkwardly favorite heels, Rosella noticed a cottage in a clearing up ahead. It didn’t seem out of the ordinary until she got closer and closer. It became as majestic as the forest itself, even more so. Upon breaching the forest perimeter, she found herself 50 paces away from the sturdy cottage and the looming size took her breath away. The strong oak door at the front of the house must have stood twice the princess’s height, and a thatched roof that forced Rosella to tilt her head all the way back to see the wisps of smoke puffing out angrily from the chimney top. She had returned to the ogre’s house. While she had never actually spoken to the ogre or his wife, Rosella was not sure they would take kindly to her decidedly small self. That being said however, she could not deny that a home so grand might contain grand things. So, courageous or not, the intrepid young lady would have to find a way to get inside and have a look around. Pacing quietly around the cottage, Rosella decided there were only two possible ways to get inside. The obvious one was the front door, while the somewhat less obvious way seemed to be two windows. One was on the side of the house, and the other on the back. While both were located on the first story of the cottage, they were too high for the human sized princess. Even standing in her heels, her polished nails could barely reach the windowsill. If only she had something that she could stand on to make her taller, she would be able to climb in through the windows. There was nothing around the outside of the house that appeared usable, though perhaps elsewhere. But was there time to look around. How was Rosella going to get inside the ogre’s cottage? [[Knock on the door->Knock, Knock... b]] [[Open the door->Good Doggie! b]] Nah, I shouldn't be here yet! I should go to... [[The Crypt->Breaking and Entering b]] [[The Dwarves' Mine->Clearing the Room]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Just Another Creepy Mansion b]] [[The Witches' Cave->Scary Forest b]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away! b]]

<h1>Scary Forest</h1> There was a cave that was home to three blind witches in the northern region of Tamir and Rosella was certain those hags would have something that might aid her on her quest. As she headed north, the meadows of Tamir began to grow thicker with brush, and increasingly more wooded until Rosella found herself in a forest, and a scary one at that. The trees loomed all around her with crooked branches. More shocking were the lifelike facial features they seemed to possess. Their faces were sinister; eyes wicked. Rosella hugged herself feeling small beneath the watchful eyes of the scary forest. She couldn’t help but think they might reach out and grab her at any moment if she wasn’t careful. So her big blue eyes looked left, right, up, and behind as she took timid steps deeper into the woods. If she hadn’t been so distracted by the fear clutching her little body, she would have noticed that she had stopped breathing, and that her heart was pounding like a tiny animal in danger. It wasn’t so far from the truth. Rosella was a dainty princess, pampered and protected from the scourge of danger in her native Daventry. Now here she was, waltzing headlong into that danger. Her lungs forced her to take a fresh breath and brought her fearful imagination back under wraps. They were just trees after all. Trees don’t have faces. Their branches don’t curl out and snatch up foolish princesses. The young heroine forced a small giggle to relax herself as she continued to keep her eyes alert in all directions, jumping at the tiniest leaf blowing along the ground. Evil forest or not, Rosella became concerned she was getting lost. She knew that the witches’ cave was in northern Tamir, but the forest was giving her a winding confused feeling. It was time to reevaluate her current direction. Looking around at the giant trees, she could probably climb one and see a far distance and likely spot the location of the cave. Or she could continue plodding what she hoped was north, and try to reach the cave before the sunset. What should she do? [[Climb a tree and take a look...->Going Out on a Limb b]] [[Um, no way... Keep going North!->Setting Down Her Roots b]]

<h1>It's a Wrap!</h1> Nudging the rope ladder pile with her foot, Rosella watched as it kinetically unraveled down to the floor below, shaking off the dust of time unused. The timid princess sneezed against her will and looked around with fearful blue eyes in hopes her indiscretion didn’t wait the dead, literally. After she felt certain that everything was still safe, she crouched down at the edge of the platform, and reached a leg down feeling around with her heel for the first rung of the ladder. One, two, three, the princess used the arch in her heels to secure her safely each rung down the ladder, until she saw something that literally scared her out of her shoes and consequently landed her once again roughly on her bottom. Hanging directly underneath the platform was what looked like the remains of one of Lolotte’s goons. He was mostly wrapped in dirty rotting bandages, but his leathery batwings were partly exposed badly broken and tattered. The shocking surprise had been enough to send the princess reeling backwards off the ladder and down the crypt floor. Rosella now realized that Lolotte had tried to retrieve Pandora’s box when she had Cupid’s bow locked safely inside the crypt, only her “man inside” never made it out. It appeared that he had fallen victim to the guardian mummy. These revelations came to Rosella in her unexpected fall and were followed by two little clunks on her pretty blonde head as her little black heels came tumbling down after her. A scary dead goon, and a sore bottom however, were the least of the poor princess’s concerns. As soon as she hit the floor in the crypt something happened. Something evil. There was a long groan and cracking sound that echoed loudly in the chamber. Rosella craned her long slender neck to see what was happening, and then wished she hadn’t. The sound was coming from the sarcophagus against the wall as it unhappily opened in a cloud of smoky dust. Cupid’s bow hung trembling on lid as it opened. For a moment, Rosella thought she might have the courage to scramble to her feet, scurry over there and grab the bow but a bandaged hand with long broken fingers curled out from the slightly open lid and changed all that. The mummy pulled itself forth from the confines of the sarcophagus forcefully twisting and cracking its limbs after so long of misuse. The sound of he bones made Rosella cover her ears, the vivid red eyes made her squeeze her own shut tight, and the putrid smell made her sick to her stomach. The princess was terrified, but she wasn’t about to stand still and become the next victim of the mummy. She picked up her little black shoes and hurled them at the shambling monster only scoring one hit, which bounced harmlessly off the bandaged walking corpse. Escape seemed to be the smartest idea, so Rosella turned and reached for the highest rung on the ladder she could grab with her small hands, and proceeded to climb up as fast as she could, but it proved too late. Her courageous “attack” had wasted the only precious time she had had. The mummy’s rotting hands grabbed hold of her long skirt and tugged hard. Rosella’s slender fingers proved no match for death’s grip, and slowly the lost their grip around the precious escape ladder. The terrified princess fell down into the arms of the mummy, one under her back, and one under legs. Contact with the creature made the princess feel cold instantly. She screamed, kicking her legs in frenzy and swinging her arms against his firm grip on her. Rosella watched in horror as her clean white stockings opened up in runs, and her skin was turning a sickly gray. The mummy carried the princess kicking and screaming toward the open sarcophagus as she resisted her pending doom. Dropping her legs, he hugged her in a standing position against him, and backed into the coffin. As the lid was slowly closing, the mummy’s bandages came alive like snakes and began wrapping around the wriggling princess’s slender body. After the lid closed there were few muffled screams and then just the sound of the flickering torches in the crypt. Nice going, Rosella. Guess that’s a wrap! <img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/comic-crypt.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->What's Behind Door #1?]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Knock, Knock...</h1> Being the polite and well-mannered princess that she was brought up to be, Rosella gave a little knock on the giant door with her small hand. A few tense moments passed as she held her breath while leaning in close to listen for the sound of anyone home. “I’m coming!” boomed a voice from inside, causing the very startled girl to jump backwards. In a moment of appearance consciousness, Rosella adjusted the top of her dress, smoothed out her skirt, and tried to brush the dust off her pretty black shoes in an attempt to gain back a bit of her nobility. Brushing back some tresses of her golden-blonde hair from her face, she settled on tucking them behind her ears, and folded her little hands in front, feeling that she had done the best she could given the last minute consideration. As she watched the door handle turning, Rosella heard her mother’s scolding voice in her head about “posture”, and she quickly arched her back, keeping her chin up. <img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/comic-dragged.JPG"> The giant wooden door swung open and a giant of a woman greeted the proud young princess. She was easily twice Rosella’s height wearing a tattered green wool dress, with a dingy white apron covering it. “Well, well, well. What do we have here?. She asked in a bellowing voice, looking over the interesting little visitor at her door. “I wasn’t expecting dinner to just show up like this,” she added with a toothy grin. Rosella’s knees were already weak from the ogress’s presence, but her words caused them to nearly buckle completely. Her blue eyes and gaping mouth drained the overflow of fear that filled her slender body. She put up her little hands in meek defense, but the ogress dismissed them with one of her own large dirty hands. The wretched ogre’s wife seemed more interested in the long flowing hair atop the trembling princess’s head. Her thick soiled fingers gnarled themselves in Rosella’s beautiful blonde hair, and hoisted the hapless girl off the ground. The shock caused Rosella to instantly see spots as she was dragged up and down, bouncing roughly off the ground by her poor hair into the ogre’s cottage. When they reached the kitchen, Rosella was hoisted onto the counter top and dropped with a resounding crash. The princess tried to orient herself and squirm away while the ogress reached for a stinky old rope on the floor. Noticing the girl trying to escape, she grabbed at the hem of her skirt, and pulled her back to the center of counter, and pinned her with a fat ugly thumb. Rosella kicked her legs around in a fury, but that only succeeded in forcing her skirt open, revealing her long white stocking clad legs, and a preview of dinner. The ogress, kept the squirrelly princess pinned while she coiled the smelly rope around her again and again. Moments later, Rosella was effectively bound with rope, and the ends of her long blonde hair, tied to hook, hanging her above a large black cauldron. Between the feeling of dreaded warmth beneath her, the ogress setting the table, and her knotted hair holding her on a hook (she was going to need a LOT of conditioner to get THAT out!), Rosella found it within herself to squirm a little more. She only succeeded in causing her shoes to drop from her feet, followed by a couple plops and a hiss. Gulp, thought the princess as she curled her little stocking toes in dread. While she was all for being the guest of honor at dinner, THIS was a little ridiculous. It was however, too late for princess Rosella. The ogress came toward her menacingly with a large cleaver. One swipe at the knot in Rosella’s hair, and she dropped into the boiling stew pot. Even though it wasn’t very funny to Rosella, her long hair DID kind of resemble spaghetti as it bubbled around in the water ; . -Her last thought was “I hope Genesta and co are fairing better than THIS!” <img src="http://www.amystories.net/rosella/comic-danglingdoom.JPG"> [[Try again?->What's Behind Door #1?]] Illustrations by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Good Doggie!</h1> Rosella reached up and turned the great door handle, pushing the door open with a grunt. The only way she was going to save Genesta and Tamir was to be brave and face her dangers head on. She did not however, anticipate that her “dangers” would include the ogre’s giant bulldog. But there he was, lumbering toward the surprised princess, as she stood dumbfounded in the threshold of the ogre’s house. As she watched the black dog scrambling across the wooden floor toward her, she couldn’t help the nagging feeling that she had left something “important” in the troll’s cave. Shaking her head of the nonsense, Rosella turned to run away, but she had already wasted too much time. The dog was upon her. He opened his large maw wide and went right over Rosella’s scared little head down to her knees in one gulp. Lifting her up, she kicked her legs around in classic damsel fashion, losing her pretty black heels before the dog swallowed her wiggling feet in two more gulps. With a satisfied burp, the dog meandered back to his little bed, and just like that, princess Rosella’s adventure had come to an end. Shortly after, the ogre returned from hunting, and upon entering noticed the girlish perfume scent in the room. Looking down, he noticed two doll-like heels scattered on the floor, and his proud dog licking its chops. On his way into the kitchen to see what was for dinner, he patted the dog on the head with a hearty “Good Doggie!” <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic2-bulldog1.JPG"> <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic2-bulldog2.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->What's Behind Door #1?]] Illustrations by <a href="https://psylisiadragoon.deviantart.com">Psylisia Dragoon</a>

<h1>Too Late for Visitors</h1> Rosella wandered up the stone walkway of the creepy old mansion dragging the bucket along with her. She was hoping that perhaps it might help her get into the hidden room behind the parlor somehow. A quick glance over the front of the house windows revealed no lights on inside. What Rosella foolishly did not expect was that the mansion was not as safe at night as it was during the day. The rustling in the bushes caused her heart to jumpstart and the last thing Rosella got to do was open her mouth and prepare to scream in terror as her big blue eyes locked with a pair of glowing white ones. The decayed arms wrapped around her slender form and held her for a moment as her body went instantly cold. Rosella tried to release her scream but she was already doomed. Her beautiful soft white skin wrinkled into a sour pale gray, while her lush blonde hair dried out to a straw-like state fading to a deep charcoal. Her beautiful velvet vermilion gown aged with fade and frays. The lovely sheer white nylons that encased her slender legs turned a putrid brown and opened up with holes like a flame held near paper. The zombie then released Rosella’s rotten body as it dropped to the ground. The princess’s fate however was not death. While she lived 17 years as a beautiful girl, she was doomed to wander forever as the undead. Her collapsed body reanimated with the same glowing white eyes of the other zombies in the graveyard. Note: To keep a clear complexion stick to the mansion’s normal visiting hours! <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-newzombie.JPG"> -The End [[Try Again?->Clearing the Room]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>A Step Up in the World</h1> After dragging the heavy wooden bucket over what seemed like half of Tamir, Rosella set it down, and leaned on it while enjoying a satisfied huff and puff. She looked upon the giant cottage that was home to the ogre and his wife with mixed fear and excitement. Inside was certainly home to something critical in her quest as well as terrifying perils. There was no other option than to overcome her fears and face the dangers ahead if she was to vanquish Lolotte and save Genesta. There were two windows that standing on the bucket would allow her to reach. One was a safe passage while the other was most certainly a one time only dinner date! The question was: Which one to use? [[The side?->The Sharp Solution]] [[The back?->Dropping In For Dinner]]

<h1>Setting Down Her Roots</h1> Deciding the best place to take her newly acquired treasure would be the witches' cave. Rosella trusted her gut to tell her which was north, and made her way carefully through the forest. Despite her best hopes, the forest only become denser and the trees more menacing. The tension made her little heart pound overtime and breaths came in short spurts as the trees themselves seemed to whisper to the bewildered young princess, “come closer… closer pretty girl.” Before long she was ducking and squirming from branches that seemed to reach out to touch her, snagging at stray hairs atop her blonde head. When Rosella thought that fear was about to claim her heart for good, she saw an opening in the forest. That must be it! She thought with a wash of elation. It must be the passage to the witches’ cave! Abandoning much of the guard she had been holding up, Rosella ran as fast as her heels would allow, even stumbling a bit to escape the scary forest as quickly as she could. “Wait. Don’t go. Stay. Stay with us pretty girl. Stay,” cooed the whispering trees as Rosella scrambled. Her abandonment of care and good sense proved to be her undoing. As Rosella carelessly ran for the clearing, her long and loose blonde hair entangled in the reaching tree branches. It was a terrible mess. She quickly fought with trembling fingers to work the soft locks free, all the while; little branches sneakily wrapped themselves around her slender ankles, waist, arms, and even her neck! By the time she caught on, it was too late. There were too many of them around her. “Let me go!” she screamed in protest. “You must stay,” was the sinister reply of the wind. Rosella stared in horror as her black shoes split open, and holes poked in the white stockings covering her feet as her toes stretched and reached down into the earth! Her once tender calves grew hard, and the affect moved further up her legs and torso. Before her very terrified blue eyes, Rosella’s body was turning into wood! Before she could let out a scream, her delicate porcelain jaw and soft ruby lips were transformed into solid wood. Lastly her lush golden hair grew wild about in many branches sprouting leaves. Her transformation was complete. Rosella would spend the rest of eternity as a tree in the evil forest of Tamir, fully aware of her foolishness and the tragic end of her choices. Mental note: Shorthaired princesses live longer! -The End [[Try again?->Clearing the Room]]

<h1>Underground Blues</h1> The bucket she acquired from the mine might be just what she needed to help get Cupid’s bow out of the crypt, or that’s what she hoped, thought Rosella as she groaned and struggled with the bulky wooden thing, approaching the cemetery's edge. Under the eerie glow of the moon, a dull fog curled between the weathered headstones of the graveyard. Tufts of tall weeds swayed in the gentle evening wind giving the whole area a spooky feel. As Rosella grunted and huffed over dragging the heavy wooden bucket into the cemetery, she paused thinking she suddenly heard her name. How could that be? There was no one around. But she most certainly heard it. It came as a whisper, almost as though it were the wind itself. The voice was that gentle. “Rosella” she heard it again. “Who’s there?” Rosella asked trying to sum up the courage to confront her mysterious watcher. Once again, there was nobody there. Tension began to run a tingling line up the slender princess’s back as the muscles in her limbs tightened. She left the bucket where it was, and instead clenched her fists on her skirt with anxious fear. It was that moment that she saw a silhouette hunched near one of the headstones. Rosella took cautious steps toward the mysterious stranger. “H-hello? I’m, Rosella. Rosella of Daventry,” announced the nervous princess through a dry throat. Her hopes to grab the stranger’s attention before startling him were dashed, as he seemed not to respond to her timid girlish voice. Even in the moonlight he was hard to make out because he was stooped beneath the shadow of one of the larger headstones. “Hello?” Rosella tried again, this time, reaching a slender white hand into the shadow toward the stranger’s shoulder. Before her trembling fingers could reach their mark, the stranger turned his head and looked Rosella straight in the eyes. She shrieked from the bottom of her young heart with a terror she had never known. His eyes were a solid glowing white, and his skin a sagging dull gray. He reached for the princess’s soft tender hand but she reeled back in horror. Rosella turned to run full force from the monster and the Tamir cemetery itself, but upon turning around, she was faced with an even greater horror. Similar gray hands were splitting the earth apart and lurching forth from the ground all around the cemetery. One after another pairs of glowing white eyes haunted the darkness. They crawled from the ground and peeked around the headstones, shambling toward the paralyzed princess. They desired her young white flesh, her living flesh. A horrified Rosella turned again and ran for her life. In her panicked forgetfulness she ran right into the one behind her, effectively hugging the zombie. Her saucer blue eyes were all she could muster, as she could not even scream. The decayed arms wrapped around her slender form and held her for a moment as her body went instantly cold. Rosella opened her mouth to scream but she was already doomed. Her beautiful soft white skin wrinkled into a sour pale gray, while her lush blonde hair dried out to a straw-like state fading to a deep charcoal. Her beautiful velvet vermilion gown aged with fade and frays. The lovely sheer white nylons that encased her slender legs turned a putrid brown and opened up with holes like a flame held near paper. The zombie then released Rosella’s rotten body as it dropped to the ground. The princess’s fate however was not death. While she lived 17 years as a beautiful girl, she was doomed to wander forever as the undead. Her collapsed body reanimated with the same glowing white eyes of the other zombies in the graveyard. Her adventures had exhausted her to the point where had she felt dead on her feet, but THIS was ridiculous!!! “Wander” over to the dry skin and hair products section of Tamir, Rosella, you need it! <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-newzombie.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->Clearing the Room]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>The Sharp Solution</h1> Rosella set the bucket upside down at the side window of the cottage and as she did so, the smelly fish fell out and broke apart on the ground revealing the glint of metal in the night air. Reaching down she realized it was a key! I wonder what this goes to? thought Rosella to herself. Why would there be a key inside a dead fish? The answer to that lay with Lolotte, for she was the one that had locked the key in the chest under the ocean. The fish must have been an accident. It slipped into the chest and swallowed the key. Things were starting to make more sense. But first things first. I need to get inside the cottage. Grabbing the key up in her little palm, Rosella clambered on top to get a peek in the window. Gingerly lifting it open with her slender fingers she held her breath hoping there wouldn’t be a squeaking loud noise. Luckily for her, there was not. She hoisted herself up over the sill and then lowered herself down into what appeared to be the dining area of the cottage. While a disheartening place to be, it appeared that the ogre was still out and the ogress and their giant bulldog were nowhere to be seen at the moment. The wise young princess took this moment to dash toward the stairs and see what treasures awaited her on the second floor. As she crested the top of the stairs, Rosella found herself in the bedroom of the cottage. While trying to keep grotesque images from her innocent little mind, the princess looked around for anything that might prove useful in her quest. While most of the items in the room appeared to be mundane domestic things, there was something in particular in the corner of the room that caught her eye. A great axe sat against the wall, exhibiting an air of power and influence. Despite knowing that she was not a violent girl, Rosella thought perhaps the axe might come in handy in her quest. Surely there was a clever use for it without resorting to an un-princess like violence. Grabbing it up in her hands, Rosella quietly snuck back down the stairs to find the ogre asleep at the dinner table awaiting his wife’s cooked meal. Only glad it wasn’t her, Rosella quietly opened the door to the cottage, and slipped out none the wiser to the inhabitants. With her newly acquired axe and mysterious key, the princess pondered where they might be most useful this time of night. [[The Crypt->Underground Blues d]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Too Late for Visitors d]] [[The Witches' Cave->Minus the Menace]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away! d]]

<h1>Dropping In For Dinner</h1> The clever princess decided that sneaking in through the back window would be the wisest choice, and so she set the bucket up around the backside of the cottage, and clambered in through the rear window, dropping down to the floor. A quick inspection filled her slender body with dread. She was in a sweltering kitchen. <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-dragged.JPG"> “Well, well, well. What do we have here?” asked a bellowing voice, looking over the interesting little visitor that decided to drop in. “I wasn’t expecting dinner to just show up like this,” she added with a toothy grin. Rosella’s knees were already weak from the ogress’s presence, but her words caused them to nearly buckle completely. Her blue eyes and gaping mouth drained the overflow of fear that filled her slender body. She put up her little hands in meek defense, but the ogress dismissed them with one of her own large dirty hands. The wretched ogre’s wife seemed more interested in the long flowing hair atop the trembling princess’s head. Her thick soiled fingers gnarled themselves in Rosella’s beautiful blonde hair, and hoisted the hapless girl off the ground! The shock caused Rosella to instantly see spots as she was dragged up and down, bouncing roughly off the ground like a yo-yo. Rosella was hoisted onto the counter top and dropped with a resounding crash. The princess tried to orient herself and squirm away while the ogress reached for a stinky old rope on the floor. Noticing the girl trying to escape, she grabbed at the hem of her skirt, and pulled her back to the center of counter, and pinned her with a fat ugly thumb. Rosella kicked her legs around in a fury, but that only succeeded in forcing her skirt open, revealing her long white stocking clad legs, and a preview of dinner! The ogress, kept the squirrelly princess pinned while she coiled the smelly rope around her again and again. Moments later, Rosella was effectively bound with rope, and the ends of her long blonde hair, tied to hook, hanging her above a large black cauldron! Between the feeling of dreaded warmth beneath her, the ogress setting the table, and her knotted hair holding her on a hook (she was going to need a LOT of conditioner to get THAT out!), Rosella found it within herself to squirm a little more. She only succeeded in causing her shoes to drop from her feet, followed by a couple plops and a hiss. Gulp, thought the princess as she curled her little stocking toes in dread. While she was all for being the guest of honor at dinner, THIS was a little ridiculous! It was however, too late for princess Rosella. The ogress came toward her menacingly with a large cleaver. One swipe at the knot in Rosella’s hair, and she dropped into the boiling stew pot! Even though it wasn’t very funny to Rosella, her long hair DID kind of resemble spaghetti as it bubbled around in the water ; ) -Her last thought was “I hope Genesta and co are fairing better than THIS!” <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-danglingdoom.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->Clearing the Room]] Illustrations by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Underground Blues</h1> The bucket she acquired from the mine might be just what she needed to help get Cupid’s bow out of the crypt, or that’s what she hoped, thought Rosella as she groaned and struggled with the bulky wooden thing, approaching the cemetery's edge. Under the eerie glow of the moon, a dull fog curled between the weathered headstones of the graveyard. Tufts of tall weeds swayed in the gentle evening wind giving the whole area a spooky feel. As Rosella grunted and huffed over dragging the heavy wooden bucket into the cemetery, she paused thinking she suddenly heard her name. How could that be? There was no one around. But she most certainly heard it. It came as a whisper, almost as though it were the wind itself. The voice was that gentle. “Rosella” she heard it again. “Who’s there?” Rosella asked trying to sum up the courage to confront her mysterious watcher. Once again, there was nobody there. Tension began to run a tingling line up the slender princess’s back as the muscles in her limbs tightened. She left the bucket where it was, and instead clenched her fists on her skirt with anxious fear. It was that moment that she saw a silhouette hunched near one of the headstones. Rosella took cautious steps toward the mysterious stranger. “H-hello? I’m, Rosella. Rosella of Daventry,” announced the nervous princess through a dry throat. Her hopes to grab the stranger’s attention before startling him were dashed, as he seemed not to respond to her timid girlish voice. Even in the moonlight he was hard to make out because he was stooped beneath the shadow of one of the larger headstones. “Hello?” Rosella tried again, this time, reaching a slender white hand into the shadow toward the stranger’s shoulder. Before her trembling fingers could reach their mark, the stranger turned his head and looked Rosella straight in the eyes. She shrieked from the bottom of her young heart with a terror she had never known. His eyes were a solid glowing white, and his skin a sagging dull gray. He reached for the princess’s soft tender hand but she reeled back in horror. Rosella turned to run full force from the monster and the Tamir cemetery itself, but upon turning around, she was faced with an even greater horror. Similar gray hands were splitting the earth apart and lurching forth from the ground all around the cemetery. One after another pairs of glowing white eyes haunted the darkness. They crawled from the ground and peeked around the headstones, shambling toward the paralyzed princess. They desired her young white flesh, her living flesh. A horrified Rosella turned again and ran for her life. In her panicked forgetfulness she ran right into the one behind her, effectively hugging the zombie. Her saucer blue eyes were all she could muster, as she could not even scream. The decayed arms wrapped around her slender form and held her for a moment as her body went instantly cold. Rosella opened her mouth to scream but she was already doomed. Her beautiful soft white skin wrinkled into a sour pale gray, while her lush blonde hair dried out to a straw-like state fading to a deep charcoal. Her beautiful velvet vermilion gown aged with fade and frays. The lovely sheer white nylons that encased her slender legs turned a putrid brown and opened up with holes like a flame held near paper. The zombie then released Rosella’s rotten body as it dropped to the ground. The princess’s fate however was not death. While she lived 17 years as a beautiful girl, she was doomed to wander forever as the undead. Her collapsed body reanimated with the same glowing white eyes of the other zombies in the graveyard. Her adventures had exhausted her to the point where had she felt dead on her feet, but THIS was ridiculous!!! “Wander” over to the dry skin and hair products section of Tamir, Rosella, you need it! <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-newzombie.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->The Sharp Solution]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Too Late for Visitors</h1> Rosella wandered up the stone walkway of the creepy old mansion dragging the bucket along with her. She was hoping that perhaps it might help her get into the hidden room behind the parlor somehow. A quick glance over the front of the house windows revealed no lights on inside. What Rosella foolishly did not expect was that the mansion was not as safe at night as it was during the day. The rustling in the bushes caused her heart to jumpstart and the last thing Rosella got to do was open her mouth and prepare to scream in terror as her big blue eyes locked with a pair of glowing white ones. The decayed arms wrapped around her slender form and held her for a moment as her body went instantly cold. Rosella tried to release her scream but she was already doomed. Her beautiful soft white skin wrinkled into a sour pale gray, while her lush blonde hair dried out to a straw-like state fading to a deep charcoal. Her beautiful velvet vermilion gown aged with fade and frays. The lovely sheer white nylons that encased her slender legs turned a putrid brown and opened up with holes like a flame held near paper. The zombie then released Rosella’s rotten body as it dropped to the ground. The princess’s fate however was not death. While she lived 17 years as a beautiful girl, she was doomed to wander forever as the undead. Her collapsed body reanimated with the same glowing white eyes of the other zombies in the graveyard. Note: To keep a clear complexion stick to the mansion’s normal visiting hours! <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-newzombie.JPG"> -The End [[Try Again?->The Sharp Solution]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Minus the Menace</h1> The chill night air surrounded princess Rosella as she leaned on the ogre’s axe outside his luminous cottage. She watched for many moments, the smoke puffing from the chimney as it curled lazily around the full moon backdrop of the night sky. She had just risked her very bones sneaking into the carnivorous ogre’s cottage and now she had decided she was about to increase the level of danger to your slender frame. Rosella decided to take her newly acquired axe and carry it into the scary forest where glowing yellow eyes awaited the site of a bewildered young girl, and grabby branches were eager to wrap around her skinny limbs. Lucky for her the forest was located not far behind the ogre’s own cottage because Rosella was anything but a strong girl, and the axe was quite large. What the princess lacked in physical prowess however, she made up for in her courageous spirit of adventure. This she knew, made Rosella her father’s daughter. King Graham was arguably the greatest adventurer in all of Daventry, but those are many other tales. Despite her admirable courage, Rosella was not foolish enough to forget she was an itsy bit of a heroine, and thus with each little twig that snapped under her delicate high heels, she jumped with a squeak as she made her way, trembling into the scary forest. Deep inside the forest, the moonlight was cut this way and that by gnarled branches that split the pale light into crooked shafts while casting menacing shadows. The yellow eyes in the trees never blinked as they maintained their vigilance over the wandering girl in the vermilion red dress. Her lovely blonde hair swayed back and forth as she tried to keep her saucer blue eyes on all things around her. This of course was not possible. And each time the intrepid girl’s eyes turned away, a wicked branch reached down from the canopy unable to decide what part to cinch. Her long delicate neck? Her slender waist? The small straight pipes of her arms? Or her long lean legs as they swished in and out of the slit in her skirt as she walked? The tempting decision was almost too much for the wicked branches to decide. The branches were in fact so entranced by each choice on Rosella’s lovely body that they failed to notice what it was that she was dragging along behind her. By the time they did, it was too late. Rosella stopped in the middle of the forest and took a deep breath, mustering up the strength that she did have, and with a girlish grunt, she hoisted the axe up behind her. Half a dozen gnarled branches that were inches from the princess’s lovely blonde head reeled back into the darkness as the razor edge of the silver headed axe glinted in the moonlight. While the yellow eyes of the trees never blinked, there was no doubt that they were transfixed on the curved death dealing edge of the mighty axe in the girl’s little hands. The tempting whispers on the wind for the girl to “come closer” hushed, even the crickets stopped as Rosella grunted and let the axe swing in front of her again and again. With the full attention and obedience of the forest, the young girl lowered the axe head to the ground, and leaned forward on it, huffing and puffing to catch her breath. Too scared of the cleaving death to even notice, Rosella’s skinny arms burned with exhaustion while her legs quivered as the adrenaline of bravery left her. While not knowing what dangers lie ahead, the princess did know one thing. She had bested the menacing trees of the scary forest and could come and go as she pleased without the slightest danger to a golden hair on her pretty little head. With that, Rosella swung the axe blade down into the earth to seal her dominant reign in the woods. Releasing the wooden handle of the mighty axe, she smoothed out her skirt and tucked the a few loose locks of hair behind her ears, and headed north toward the cave of the three witches. [[The Witches' Cave->The Skull Cave]]

<h1>The Skull Cave</h1> /*<img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/kq4-skullcave.jpg">*/ Even with her new found dominance over the menacing trees, Rosella still could not wait to be free of their brooding canopy of unease. And so, the break in the forest didn’t come a moment too soon. Despite her mind’s willpower, she couldn’t stop her legs from running as fast as she safely could in her heels (and maybe a little bit faster) the last few yards of the oppressive woods. Perhaps secretly she hoped it would break into a field of wild flowers and dew covered grass under the moon’s watchful eye. This was however not the case. The open earth on the other side of the forest only boasted patches of grass sprinkled about. Rosella tried to step carefully on the uneven barren ground, but she was excused for any carelessness. The mountainside she approached mainly captivated her attention. More specifically it was a cave at the foot of the mountain. The rock formed a giant skull complete with a gaping eye sockets and an open mouth that lead chillingly inside the mountain. The moonlight washed the rock in a yellow light that gave Rosella an even more curdled feeling of death in her nervous stomach. It appeared that somebody was inside as well. A spiral of smoke wisped lazily from a small crack on top of the skull. This was the cave of the three witches, and while Rosella couldn’t shake the butterflies in her stomach, she knew that she had to go inside. Genesta, her fairies, all of Tamir was counting on her to complete her quest. It was too late to lament her rash decision to jump into the magical portal that brought her tumbling through space to crash into this dangerous world. But if she ever wanted to wander the lavish gardens of castle Daventry or squirm and kick lazily in her plush bed again, she would have to rescue Genesta. The good fairy was the only one with the power to return the princess to her homeland. Rosella’s nostalgia for Daventry was almost more than her damp blue eyes could support. She wiped her face quickly with the dusty sleeves of her pretty red gown, and sniffled a couple times to get herself under control. Falling to pieces would do no good. It’s what Lolotte would want anyhow. To see the heroic princess’s spirits crushed and meet her doom by the denizens of Tamir. With chin up, Rosella strolled into the open jaw of the skull cave, exuding an air of confidence on the outside if not in her timid heart. The cave was simple inside. It was but a single domed room with shelves chiseled out of the walls. The shelves were lined with books, bottles, bones, and other such hideous décor to match the large wrought iron cauldron that stood in the center of room. A ring of logs that popped and cracked within dancing flames garnished the bloated black beast. A frothy green liquid bubbled and rolled as it simmered away above the flickering fire. But the true answer as to “what was Rosella to find inside a skull cave?” was the three old hags that lined the back wall. Three gray skinned old ladies wrapped in ratty old black robes, stood hunched in a line passing a spherical object between them, up and down the line. What happened next made Rosella gasp, and cover her pretty red mouth with a slender hand, staring with wide blue eyes. While the princess possessed a finely chiseled face, creamy white skin, and two beautiful big blue eyes… the three witches had faces with an unknown bone structure for their dull gray skin sagged revoltingly and was covered in scratches and warts. But what made Rosella shiver was their eyes, or rather their lack of eyes! Each witch had two gaping sockets unfilled as the skull cave they called their home. The small glass sphere they passed between themselves was held up to an empty socket and allowed each witch to see for a few precious moments before passing it back down the line. The silence, save for the cracking of the burning wood and boiling pot was broken, “Hello? Who’s there?” asked the three blind witches in tandem, one word a piece right down the line. They sensed that someone had broken their miserable sanctuary. “My –my name –my name is… Rosella,” replied the princess. Her words were as nervous as her body. “Rosella? Rosella? Rosella?” Each witch tried the name out on her tongue, eerily. “Such a… pretty name… Rosella. You see… we can’t… see. Please… Rosella… come closer,” they cooed. The young girl willed her feet forward, taking hesitant steps toward the three witches. Their eyeless sockets stared straight ahead but their ears were rapt with attention at the sound of Rosella’s dainty heels scraping against the gravelly cave floor as she shuffled forward. Unable to control themselves the witches smiled, revealing rotten but sharp toothed grins that made Rosella’s knees go weak beneath her skirt. As she passed the boiling cauldron, she peered over into the bubbly green liquid quickly pinching her nose lest she be overcome by the putrid smell wafting from the unknown contents. Rosella stopped several feet away from the line of witches, a safe distance she decided. With the princess closer, the witches took in a deep breath through their long grotesque noses. “You smell… so… delicious.” There was that rotted grin again. Rosella hugged herself unconsciously. “Let… me… see!” argued the witches as they passed the glass eye anxiously now that Rosella was closer. “You’re… so… beautiful! You must be… the most beautiful maiden… in the land! Your skin… looks… so soft. You’re so lovely my dear… and we’re so withered and old… please take pity on us and give us a hug,” pleaded the old hags. The desperate request caught Rosella off guard. All the while she had been thinking about stealing their glass eye to make sure they stayed helpless. After all they seemed like harmless old ladies. Maybe a hug could do more good than foul. Besides, stealing could lead to more trouble than she bargained for. Rosella could sneak in and take the eye as they passed it between themselves, try to lure one of the witches away before snatching the eye, or trust in the good of these old witches, and offer a hug from a beautiful princess and perhaps get more help than she ever imagined in her fight against Lolotte. What should Rosella do? [[Sneak in and snatch the eye!->Blinding Speed]] [[Lure one witch away and swoop in for the eye!->Playing the Odds]] [[Hug a witch->Stupidest Girl in the Kingdom]] /*Illustration by <a href="https://rachykins.deviantart.com/">Rachel King</a>*/

<h1>Blinding Speed</h1> Thinking better than to trust the decidedly devious looking witches Rosella’s sharp blue eyes had watched back and forth the eye passing from witch to witch as they tried to lull her into a naïve state of young girl’s trust. After getting the time down just right, Rosella dashed forth with a sharp slender hand and popped the glass eye up into the air, taking a few measure steps backward as she kept her eyes on “the ball.” Down came the eye into her waiting hands, a perfect catch! Rosella backed up a few more steps for good measure, not wanting any surprises from the now fulltime trio of blind witches. “Our eye! You wicked girl! Give us back our eye!” Rosella tapped her heel not giving in that easily to their begging. The witches, sensing this, crouched down onto their knees to plead with the wicked princess. “Please… we beg you… give it back.” More silence followed and the witches were forced to bargain. The middle hag produced a small object from deep within her sleeve and tossed it forth. It scuttled forth across the dirt floor of the cave to stop at Rosella’s feet. She looked down at the round item with a looping chain attached in curiosity. “What’s this?” asked Rosella crouching down to scoop up her new prize. It appeared to be some sort of amulet. A polished obsidian stone clutched within a wrought iron frame just like the cauldron in the middle of the room. “It’s… a scarab… it will protect you,” answered the witches, “from the darkness… that wanders… in the cemetery.” Rosella shivered at the mention of the horrors that walked under the moon in Tamir. While the ogre and the forest terrified Rosella, the terrors outside the crypt were unspeakable. If the witches spoke the truth, such an item was invaluable to the success of her quest. “Thank you,” she said as she slid the scarab over her head and around her slender neck while pulling her long blonde hair out from under the chain. The chain was cool on her neck, and there was a dark magic inside the stone that made her feel a little sick in her stomach. It had to be endured; at least until she retrieved Cupid’s bow from the depths of the mummy’s crypt. “What about… our eye… little girl?” asked the witches, desperate for the exchange. Rosella had the scarab, which was what she needed. There was no need to give the witches back their eye. Giving it back to the wicked hags might prove to be her undoing. On the other hand, the witches had given her a very valuable item, and perhaps it was the right thing to do to return their precious eye. As Rosella left the skull cave, she had a decision to make. [[Return the eye->Eye Don't Need This]] [[Keep the eye->Surprise!]]

<h1>Playing the Odds</h1> Thinking it better to increase her own odds, Rosella decided that even two witches were better than all three. So she temptingly backed away from the trio hoping that one of them might follow her out into the open. It was a risky gamble, but it was all she could think of and as she took her small backward steps careful not to tumble into the boiling cauldron. Predictably one of the witches stepped out of line, drawn by the perfume scent of the young girl. “Come back,” she cooed with blind eyeless sockets. Her bony withered arms reached out before her as she took measured steps with surprising speed. Rosella’s heart sank a little at this revelation. It seemed the witches knew their own cave fairly well. It shouldn’t have been that surprising. It was their home after all. Keeping a close eye on the witch in pursuit, Rosella carefully made her way around the boiling cauldron, sure to keep it between the following witch and herself. She should have just enough time to get around the pot, rush over to the remaining two witches, snatch the eye from between them, and get safely away from them. Focusing all her attention on the pursuing witch, Rosella waited impatiently for her moment to arrive and when the witch came around the far side of the cauldron she dashed toward the other witches. Rosella’s idea and its execution were two completely different matters. It was a good idea to lure a witch away and increase her odds, but she spent so much time focusing on the lone witch, that she failed to pay close attention to the other two. She hadn’t spent the time studying the way they passed the eye to see the moment of opportunity in which to intercept. By the time she was standing right there, the adrenaline of giving chase was so high that she was borderline spastic with energy. Rosella was a young girl in peril, an adventurer in the thick of danger. But she was too naïve for this level of operation. She didn’t have the experience or the reaction of a great adventurer… like her father. And that cloudy thought was her undoing. Rosella reached forth without thinking, and instead of the glass eye, she found a withered gray hand clamp around her slender white wrist with a surprisingly crushing strength! “Oh dear!” she gasped as she realized her folly, but it was too late. With a toothy grin the witch stood up tall and grasped the surprised princess into a great bear hug. Rosella kicked and squirmed as the witch crushed the very air from her lungs but to no avail. The witch’s grasp held her firm in place while the witch in pursuit returned for their catch. The helpless young girl was handed off to the returning witch, held tightly around her waist from behind. “No, let me go! Stop! Put me down! What are you doing!?” she spat forth every terrified thought that came to her helpless little mind while she kicked her legs so hard that her heels flung from her tiny feet. None of it did any good. The witch carried her newly trussed little friend toward the boiling green waters of the stew pot. The horrible realization was enough to seize Rosella’s stomach into her throat right behind her terrified screams as she kick and flailed with all that she had left in her little body. When the poor princess realized she couldn’t break the iron grip of the magical hag, she tucked her long legs in, desperate to avoid the cauldron’s boiling waters as long as possible. As she felt the wicked witch begin to lower her down, she planted her stocking clad feet on the edge of the pot, fighting her fate. Her efforts alas were weak and short lived. The rim of the cauldron was scalding against the thin sheer stockings covering Rosella’s poor feet. She yelped in pain, trying to keep them in position even as they were sliding off from the force of the witch pushing her down. In mere seconds the scathing hot metal melted the nylon from the bottoms of her little feet, and princess Rosella slid into the boiling waters, steeped up to her armpits in stew. Arms over her head, she thrashed about for several seconds before succumbing to the doomed dinner date. Her final thought was “if only she had been as good an adventurer as her father she could have avoided such an untimely end!” The next morning, the sun had rose on Tamir and inside the skull cave, the wrought iron black cauldron was tipped on its side, a large damp spot on the earth where it had been drained. Fading red embers glowed ever so slightly, remainders from the night before. A skinny pair of white pantyhose lay over the side of the fat black cauldron. The gauzy fabric was still damp, laid out to dry against the still sizzling iron cauldron. The beautiful vermilion gown of the noticeably absent young princess was adorning one of the three hags, a description I will spare you from. Where was Rosella? Perhaps she went back to try from the beginning… -The End [[Try again?->The Sharp Solution]]

<h1>Stupidest Girl in the Kingdom</h1> Ever the princess to believe in the good in the world, even in the case of suspiciously ugly old blind hags that live in a skull cave, nursing a putrid stew cauldron, Rosella gave in to her impulse to hug one of the poor old witches. While she was smart enough to avoid petting the cobra in the swamp, this indeed proved without a doubt that she was the stupidest girl in the kingdom. Rosella bent down to hug the decidedly smelly old hag in all her lovely royal beauty. How noble, thought Rosella. How unselfish and noble. Certainly she was soiling her gown by even touching the disgusting “woman” before her, and yet here she was, generously doing just that! The fantasies of noble grandeur were short lived for the naïve young lady. The hug slowly grew stronger until the growingly uneasy princess let out a whimper. “Hey stop that. That hurts!” she cried. Next to her little ear, she could hear the toothy smile cracking on the witch’s face. It was a trap, and Rosella stupidly fell for it. The despicably clever witch finished hugging the soft skinned princess before handing her off to the clutches of one of her sisters who held her tightly around the waist from behind. “No, let me go! Stop! Put me down! What are you doing!?” she spat forth every terrified thought that came to her helpless little mind while she kicked her legs so hard that her heels flung from her tiny feet. None of it did any good. The witch carried her newly trussed little friend toward the boiling green waters of the stew pot. The horrible realization was enough to seize Rosella’s stomach into her throat right behind her terrified screams as she kick and flailed with all that she had left in her little body. When the poor princess realized she couldn’t break the iron grip of the magical hag, she tucked her long legs in, desperate to avoid the cauldron’s boiling waters as long as possible. As she felt the wicked witch begin to lower her down, she planted her stocking clad feet on the edge of the pot, fighting her fate. Her efforts alas were weak and short lived. The rim of the cauldron was scalding against the thin sheer stockings covering Rosella’s poor feet. She yelped in pain, trying to keep them in position even as they were sliding off from the force of the witch pushing her down. In mere seconds the scathing hot metal melted the nylon from the bottoms of her little feet, and princess Rosella slid into the boiling waters, steeped up to her armpits in stew. Arms over her head, she thrashed about for several seconds before succumbing to the doomed dinner date. Her final thought was “if only she had been as good an adventurer as her father she could have avoided such an untimely end!” The next morning, the sun had rose on Tamir and inside the skull cave, the wrought iron black cauldron was tipped on its side, a large damp spot on the earth where it had been drained. Fading red embers glowed ever so slightly, remainders from the night before. A skinny pair of white pantyhose lay over the side of the fat black cauldron. The gauzy fabric was still damp, laid out to dry against the still sizzling iron cauldron. The beautiful vermilion gown of the noticeably absent young princess was adorning one of the three hags, a description I will spare you from. Where was Rosella? Perhaps she went back to try from the beginning… -The End [[Try again?->The Sharp Solution]]

<h1>Eye Don't Need This</h1> Believing in the good of all things, even pathetic old hags, Rosella decided that she had no use for their glass eye. And since they had provided a treasure of far greater value to her, it was the noble and hence “princess-y” thing to do. Rosella rolled the glass sphere to the foot of the three blind witches, ending their endless wailing for “their precious eye.” Shamelessly, they went back to their cooing. “Come… here… little girl.” Rosella sneered and turned on her heel. “Yeah, right,” she replied knowing that no good would come of that. Bidding the blind witches good luck, she left the skull cave for good, praying to never have to return to the eerie place. As she made her way back through the scary forest, she thumbed the newly acquired scarab hanging around her neck. The sickness it left in her stomach made her uneasy, but she was too afraid to remove it. Would it work? Not knowing was almost more than she could bear. Between the mysterious dead fish key and now the scarab, she only had a few remaining places to investigate in Tamir. Where would she go next? [[The Crypt->Love and Death in Tamir]] [[The Haunted Mansion->Watch the Door!]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away! e]]

<h1>Surprise!</h1> Already in possession of the scarab, Rosella couldn’t find a logical reason to return the glass eye to the three blind witches. They would only use it to try and harm her again. Thinking this the wisest answer, the princess turned on her heel, ignoring the wailing witches begging for their eye back. Their curses of “wretched girl” and “you will suffer” slid off her elegant back. Rosella was focused on her quest, so much so that she never saw what happened next coming. “Surprise!” came a familiar voice dropping down from atop the mouth of cave. It was Jenna! But Rosella was so startled by the sudden appearance of the lost fairy that she stumbled backwards and accidentally tumbled over the edge of the boiling cauldron! Her long legs kicked into the air and down she went into the sizzling waters. It was such a system shock and awkward angle, try as she might, the clumsy princess could not right herself. While her sheer white legs kicked and jerked, her vermilion skirt fanned out over the top of the black cauldron like a tablecloth embarrassingly revealing the hags and Jenna a very unladylike view of her undergarments! The shock of the green boiling waters and the embarrassing show was too much for the young princess to endure and she quickly expired. Her wildly kicking legs settled down, the backs of her knees resting on the edge of the pot, hanging out, heels dangling on her stocking clad toes. “Oops,” squeaked Jenna in a guilty tone while she bit her thumb. “I didn’t think THAT was going to happen!” <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-oops.JPG"> -The End [[Try again?->The Sharp Solution]] Illustration by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Love and Death in Tamir</h1> The whispers of the scary forest faded behind Rosella as she came out the other side safe and sound with a little help from the threatening axe she acquired from the ogre’s cottage. A few yards ahead the wary princess could see the silhouettes of the headstones in the cemetery under the pale glow of the watchful moon. Some of them were rounded and hunched like great shoulders; others were flat like the top of a neck where a head has been severed. The frogs and the crickets made their atmospheric music unaware or unafraid of the death that lay beneath the broken earth just waiting for a warm and foolish ankle to happen by. Rosella shivered and pull her skirt around her tighter at the thought of the rotting fingers of the zombies touching her pale skin. A sigh of reassurance allowed her to recall the ornate black scarab that adorned her neck. The jagged rusty chain from which it hung chaffed the skin of Rosella’s slender neck and delicate collarbone as it continued to make her stomach turn from nausea. Ladylike or not, she would vomit soon from the dark magic she realized, long fingers holding her belly. The imminent fear of sickness superceded her fear of what lie beneath the many headstones of Tamir’s cemetery, and the intrepid princess made her way through the tall grass leading up to the unkempt grounds. Her heels were met with uneven ground, nose with earth that smelled of rot. Rosella was a dainty girl by all means and this was almost more than her senses could bear. One hand fanned the air in front of her face, while the other clutched at her cramping belly, enduring the trials like a good little heroine. But a new sound borrowed her courage with no intention of giving it back. It was a shambling, a crackle, and the sound of earth breaking up from big pieces into little crumbs. With her courage out on leave, Rosella let out a whimper along the lines of “please no.” Her spine went rigid and the muscles in her arms in legs tightened with cramp. She dipped her face down ever so slightly to see decaying hands reaching up from the earth around her ankles. The putrid skin did its best to dangle on to the hands, but mostly the browning tips of the finger bones were poking through the dead flesh. The contrast was alarming to the pristine sheer white nylon fabric that coated the princess’s delicate little ankles. The hands were just “dying” to see how soft they really were! While Rosella foolishly stood frozen in fear, she failed to notice that a circle of moaning death had surrounded her. There were nearly a dozen zombies moving in on her with sightless yellow eyes, slack falling jaws, and blood curdling groans. Rosella let out a choked sob as she realized her impending doom. The hands coming from the ground around her would shred her frail white stockings with ease to get to the flesh underneath, while the other zombies would pull at her long blonde hair and drag her into the earth to a very untimely end. Squinting her eyes while cringing to brace herself against the seeking claws, Rosella waited. But nothing scratched at her ankles and nothing tugged at her flowing hair. Nothing touched her at all. The overflowing adrenaline that forced her eyes shut impossibly tight passed when the anticipated assault seemingly never came. Her big blue eyes opened slowly with a squint, her body’s muscles releasing the cringing stance in tandem. A sudden flood of confusion drowned the fear that was dominating Rosella’s body. All the zombies were recoiling from the slender and decidedly non-intimidating princess. Even the claw-like rotten hands had retracted back within the earth at her feet. The zombies groaned and hissed as the fled as far as they could from Rosella’s body in the confines of the cemetery imprisonment. The scarab was… working! The young girl had little time to celebrate. On cue, she doubled over and gagged from the pulsating power of the dark amulet. After a few moments of crippling pain, Rosella was able to right herself and take back her borrowed courage. While the mere sight of the zombies made her shiver with revulsion, she felt safe enough with the scarab’s proven protection to take measured steps through the graveyard toward the mummy’s crypt. [[The Mummy's Crypt->Breaking and Entering f]]

<h1>Watch the Door!</h1> Rosella walked up to the mansion with her head cocked back. It was certainly creepy during the day, but that didn’t compare to the spookiness give off at night. She peered up at the dusty windows wondering if she might see a ghost. Swallowing that thought, the princess tried to tiptoe in her heels down the slate walkway of the giant old house. The clicks were tinier and her effort was laudable, but the dressy shoes just did not allow a level of stealth worth mentioning. She grabbed hold of the cold doorknob in her little hand and gave it a turn. Rosella cringed as the door gave a long creak while it slowly opened. Her long blonde hair swayed about as she poked her head inside quickly to see if any creepy monsters lay in wait for an unsuspecting princess. When she met no such fate, she slithered inside with the rest of her body, eyes straining to adjust to the minimal shafts of moonlight cutting through the windowpanes. It was so quiet inside the mansion without the wind, the crickets, and the frogs outside. Their absence made the ticking of the grandfather clock seem all that much louder. Rosella gingerly approached the elaborate antique as her eyes finished adjusting to take a look. Her heart sank. If the time was correct on the clock, then it was well after midnight. The mention of possible real time made the princess feel suddenly exhausted. As if the actual trials of her quest had not been tiring enough, the length of the day seemed to sap what precious little strength she had remaining. Turning her eyes from the sands of the clock, Rosella headed for the parlor and the real reason that she had returned to the mansion. Passing through the doorway, the musty couch and dusty tables, she came to stand in front of the smooth cobblestone wall. She traced her fingers over the cool surface of the bumpy rocks, and then turned her head as if she felt someone spying on her. There on the wall was the painting of the woman whose gaze fell directly on Rosella. Or rather where the young princess stood. Turning back to the wall, Rosella continued dragging her finely manicured nails gently along the cobbles until one of her nails clicked down on a previously hidden indentation in the rock. “Aha,” she said to herself, opening up the pouch she had been carrying with her, and producing the small dead fish key from inside. While the tiny ornate key still smelled rather distasteful, that hardly mattered now. What Rosella hoped the key she found inside the sunken sea chest was, was actually the mansion parlor key! Uttering a silent wish for good fortune, the eager princess slipped the little key into the slot. Holding her breath, she gave it a little turn. Nothing. Feeling her heart beginning to sink, Rosella cut back on the gentleness and gave the key a solid turn. The ancient tumblers dropped into place with a click, and the heavy cobblestone door began to slide open toward a startled Rosella. She took two quick steps backward, but peered inside the secret door as soon as she could, curious as ever. Inside, a torch burned against the wall. How could that be? Rosella asked herself. How long had it been burning? Surely there was magic at work. Not one to question her blessings, Rosella was thankful for the light. It allowed her to see inside the secret room. The door led into what looked like a tower from the circular shape of the room, and a spiraling wooden staircase attached to the wall. Peering up, all she could see was darkness, but any thoughts of traveling up were dashed when she noticed that the staircase ended halfway through a spiral above her head. The only other thing of note inside the tower was an old shovel leaned up against the wall. Why would there be a shovel locked up in a secret room? Thought Rosella. Obviously something is buried that I need to find, but where would Lolotte bury something in Tamir? It could be anywhere! Rosella’s stomach turned with her first guess. But she didn’t have time lament on the thought. Her attention drawn to the sound of the cobblestone door scraping across the floor as it dragged itself shut. Had it been timed? Rosella had no idea, but she slapped at it fruitlessly with the palms of her hands. It was no good, as the door would not budge. The door was made so well, the rock so smooth, that it didn’t even look like a door was ever there. Just like a secret door should. And much to Rosella’s dismay, there appeared to be no handle on the inside. The princess was trapped. Over time, Rosella cried her eyes out, lamenting her foolishness for not thinking that the room might be a trap. First she distressed over the growling of her stomach. Then she noticed that her dress was fitting a little loose. Finally she realized that she was finished when even her pantyhose were fitting loosely. She already wore them in a size small, but size “skeletal?” THAT’S ridiculous! -The End [[Try again?->Eye Don't Need This]]

<h1>Breaking and Entering</h1> Rosella stood before the ominous iron door that was hinged into a mountainside. Tilting her head back a little, she glanced up at the several ton rock awning above her head supported by four large marble pillars, blue eyes praying that age hadn’t weakened anything. She unrolled the leather pouch that she had been holding for so long in her nervous sweaty palm. The key dropped out clumsily with a clang on the smooth stone surface outside the crypt. Rosella squinted as if the sound might wake the dead while crouching down and hastily picking up her precious item. “Jenna said this key would open the crypt and that I would find Cupid’s bow inside in order to defeat Lolotte and save Tamir,” mumbled the princess as if the words themselves reassured her of what it was she was doing. The skeleton key slid into the old lock just as the tiny fairy had said it would with a click. Turning the key to the left, the princess smiled as she heard the distinct sound of ancient tumblers falling into place, releasing the lock for the one who holds the key. Rosella released the key, and turned her attention to a large iron ring fastened to the great door. Wrapping her slender hands around the cold metal, she took a deep breath, and did her best to imagine what stance would give her the best leverage in her awkward heels. While the image was most certainly comical to any of the zombies that watched the wealthy girl from the graveyard, there was a fact none could deny. Despite her royal graces, thin little arms, and foolish attire, Rosella had the grit to pull the giant iron door open with a little groan from her, and great groan from the old hinges. She may have only opened it a sliver, but Rosella after all, was no more than a sliver of a girl! Careful not to snag the delicate fabric of her outfit, Rosella slipped inside the spooky crypt. The slightly opened door allowed a shaft of light to cut into the low light of the torches that burned on the walls. How the fires remained lit for all time was not something the pretty princess wanted to find out. Suffice to say, dark magic had its hand in things here. The entranceway led onto a stone platform, high above the floor of the crypt. A long rope ladder lie in a heap by the edge, presumably the only safe way down. While the crypt was large, it was not so large that Rosella could not see it in its entirety from the stone platform. Against the northern wall stood an ornate sarcophagus, resting place of the mummy. A shiver ran down her spine as she imagined its red eyes, rotting bandages, and reaching hands. Hanging on a hook on the lid of the sarcophagus was a simple little bow and quiver of arrows. “Cupid’s bow!” exclaimed Rosella immediately cupping her hand over her foolish mouth. There was a moan that creepily filled the chamber and then nothing but the flicker of the torches. Daring to breath again, the princess surveyed the rest of the crypt from the safety of the platform. In the southern corner was a small black box with clawed feet. It was Pandora’s box, and sat exactly where Rosella had returned it on her previous journey to Tamir. An odd thought occurred to her as she looked at its deceiving plainness. Certainly Lolotte would have wanted to release all the evil stored in Pandora’s box. So why did she not retrieve the box when sealing the bow inside the crypt? The question nagged at the girl’s curious brain, but ultimately it wasn’t pertinent to know at the time. What she did need to decide was, how to safely get Cupid’s bow. What will she do? [[Unravel the rope ladder and climb down->Mummy-proof!]] [[Can't trust the rope ladder... hang and drop->Losing Her Charm?]]

<h1>Mummy-proof!</h1> Nudging the rope ladder pile with her foot, Rosella watched as it kinetically unraveled down to the floor below, shaking off the dust of time unused. The timid princess sneezed against her will and looked around with fearful blue eyes in hopes her indiscretion didn’t wait the dead, literally! After she felt certain that everything was still safe, she crouched down at the edge of the platform, and reached a leg down feeling around with her heel for the first rung of the ladder. One, two, three, the princess used the arch in her heels to secure her safely each rung down the ladder, until she saw something that literally scared her out of her shoes and consequently landed her once again roughly on her bottom! Hanging directly underneath the platform was what looked like the remains of one of Lolotte’s goons. He was mostly wrapped in dirty rotting bandages, but his leathery batwings were partly exposed badly broken and tattered. The shocking surprise had been enough to send the princess reeling backwards off the ladder and down the crypt floor. Rosella now realized that Lolotte had tried to retrieve Pandora’s box when she had Cupid’s bow locked safely inside the crypt, only her “man inside” never made it out. It appeared that he had fallen victim to the guardian mummy. These revelations came to Rosella in her unexpected fall and were followed by two little clunks on her pretty blonde head as her little black heels came tumbling down after her. A scary dead goon, and a sore bottom however, were the least of the poor princess’s concerns. As soon as she hit the floor in the crypt something happened. Something evil. There was a long groan and cracking sound that echoed loudly in the chamber. Rosella craned her long slender neck to see what was happening, and then wished she hadn’t. The sound was coming from the sarcophagus against the wall as it unhappily opened in a cloud of smoky dust. Cupid’s bow hung trembling on lid as it opened. For a moment, Rosella thought she might have the courage to scramble to her feet, scurry over there and grab the bow but a bandaged hand with long broken fingers curled out from the slightly open lid and changed all that. The mummy pulled itself forth from the confines of the sarcophagus forcefully twisting and cracking its limbs after so long of misuse. The sound of the bones made Rosella cover her ears, the vivid red eyes made her squeeze her own shut tight, and the putrid smell made her sick to her stomach. The princess was terrified, unable to move. She only hoped that the scarab would protect her from the mummy as it had with the zombies. Cringing in awe at the looming frame of the rotting mummy, Rosella squealed in fear only a moment before the mummy reeled back in anguish from the magic of the black amulet. The keeper of the crypt shambled back from whence it came, pulling the lid of the sarcophagus shut to get away from the protective aura. Rosella sighed in relief, wiping the fearful sweat from her brow as she got to her feet, rubbing her backside after a nasty spill. Looking around the now seemingly safe crypt, there were two objects of interest… [[Take Cupid's Bow->Quiver of Love]] [[Open Pandora's Box->Stupidest Girl in the WORLD]]

<h1>Losing Her Charm?</h1> Taking one look at the dusty rope ladder, Rosella decided that was not a safe option. Peering down the crypt floor below, she did get a few butterflies in her stomach, but perhaps if she hung down over the ledge, it wouldn’t be that far? Slipping off her heels, Rosella crouched at the platform edge. She didn’t want to break her ankles upon landing after all! Slipping one leg over at a time, she slowly lowered herself over the edge, hanging by her slender fingertips. Groaning at the stress, she turned to look how far down she had to go, and her heart sank when she noticed it was still many feet below. Unfortunately her arms were already trembling with fatigue and she never had the strength in them to begin with to pull herself back up. Not having the courage to take responsibility and just drop, Rosella stubbornly hung on with her quivering arms and tears welling up in her eyes until her strength finally gave out. She landed with a thud on her side, but took a bump to the head in the process and was rendered unconscious. It was probably for the best, because she would not have liked what was happening next. The already weak chain of the scarab had snapped during the fall and the protective charm rolled away into the corner. As her body lay still on the floor of the crypt, the lid of the sarcophagus opened with a crack and a long groan. The broken and bandaged limbs of the mummy reached out like nightmarish bugs as it fought to be free of its prison. Instantly the evil red eyes locked on to the still form of the pretty princess. Her long golden hair lay out like a warm blanket and her skin was porcelain white save for a bruise on her cheek where she hit the floor. Rosella’s dress fanned out like a red velvety pool on the floor and her white legs were tucked to the side. The mummy shambled eagerly toward its prize unable to resist the youth that awaited him. He reached down and grabbed one of her feet by the stocking clad toes and proceeded to drag her toward the open feeling his strength grow even from the first moment of contact with the young maiden. His evil magic fed powerfully, and quickly and as he dragged her, Rosella’s white stockings faded to a gray, and soon the skin beneath too became gray. Little by little, the poor princess broke off into little bits of dust until the mummy was dragging nothing at all, and all that remained was a trail of dust leading back to his sarcophagus. His broken limbs straightened out, and rotting bandages renewed, and the redness of his eyes was ever brighter. Just one more victim and he would be free of the curse. Leave it to Rosella to donate to a good cause! -The End [[Try again?->Eye Don't Need This]]

<h1>Quiver of Love</h1> Even with the protection of the scarab, Rosella was terrified to approach the sarcophagus where Cupid’s bow hung for she knew the monster was just inside. What if he reached out and snatched her in? What a horrible fate thought Rosella! But she had come thus far, and could not fail to muster the courage now. Rosella bravely took the final steps and reached out to get the bow and quiver hoping that her overactive imagination was just that. Cupid’s bow and quiver came off the hook rather easily and Rosella didn’t wait around to see what happened next. She ran as fast as her heels would allow back to the ladder. Keeping her eyes tightly shut, she scrambled back up the rope so as not to see the horrible remains of Lolotte’s fated servant. She reached the fresh night air not a moment too soon, gasping in the fresh breathes after the stale rotten stench within the mummy’s crypt. After clearing the haze from her head, Rosella had only two places left to go… [[The Haunted Mansion->Watch the Door! a]] [[Lolotte's Castle->Bombs Away! f]]

<h1>Stupidest Girl in the WORLD</h1> Unable to contain her curiosity, Rosella walked over to the ornate wrought iron box that sat on the floor with four clawed feet. It was Pandora’s box. According to the stories, the box contained all the evils of the world safely inside. Dying to know if such a far-fetched story could be true, Rosella knelt down in front of the box with her hands in her lap. With a mischievous grin on her slender face, she reached forward and opened the lid on the strange black box. Before Rosella could realize the stupidity of her action, it was already too late. A mist of spirits and demons curled forth from the open box and up around the ceiling of the crypt and then gently out the open door into the world to wreak unstoppable havoc. Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Rosella turned her head and looked up at a skeletal reaper adorned in a dark robe carrying a wicked scythe. Knowing that she had been a bad girl, the princess stood and hung her head in shame, following the reaper. Pausing she looked back at the blonde haired skeleton in the red dress and wrinkly pantyhose, lying on the ground. Not only had she loosed all the evil, ending the world for Tamir, Daventry and everywhere for that matter, but she had killed herself in the process! -The End (That's it) (No retry) (End of the world) (Rosella ''REALLY'' blew it ''THIS'' time!) [[Oh, all right, just this once->Eye Don't Need This]]

<h1>Watch the Door!</h1> Rosella walked up to the mansion with her head cocked back. It was certainly creepy during the day, but that didn’t compare to the spookiness give off at night. She peered up at the dusty windows wondering if she might see a ghost. Swallowing that thought, the princess tried to tiptoe in her heels down the slate walkway of the giant old house. The clicks were tinier and her effort was laudable, but the dressy shoes just did not allow a level of stealth worth mentioning. She grabbed hold of the cold doorknob in her little hand and gave it a turn. Rosella cringed as the door gave a long creak while it slowly opened. Her long blonde hair swayed about as she poked her head inside quickly to see if any creepy monsters lay in wait for an unsuspecting princess. When she met no such fate, she slithered inside with the rest of her body, eyes straining to adjust to the minimal shafts of moonlight cutting through the windowpanes. It was so quiet inside the mansion without the wind, the crickets, and the frogs outside. Their absence made the ticking of the grandfather clock seem all that much louder. Rosella gingerly approached the elaborate antique as her eyes finished adjusting to take a look. Her heart sank. If the time was correct on the clock, then it was well after midnight. The mention of possible real time made the princess feel suddenly exhausted. As if the actual trials of her quest had not been tiring enough, the length of the day seemed to sap what precious little strength she had remaining. Turning her eyes from the sands of the clock, Rosella headed for the parlor and the real reason that she had returned to the mansion. Passing through the doorway, the musty couch and dusty tables, she came to stand in front of the smooth cobblestone wall. She traced her fingers over the cool surface of the bumpy rocks, and then turned her head as if she felt someone spying on her. There on the wall was the painting of the woman whose gaze fell directly on Rosella. Or rather where the young princess stood. Turning back to the wall, Rosella continued dragging her finely manicured nails gently along the cobbles until one of her nails clicked down on a previously hidden indentation in the rock. “Aha,” she said to herself, opening up the pouch she had been carrying with her, and producing the small dead fish key from inside. While the tiny ornate key still smelled rather distasteful, that hardly mattered now. What Rosella hoped the key she found inside the sunken sea chest was, was actually the mansion parlor key! Uttering a silent wish for good fortune, the eager princess slipped the little key into the slot. Holding her breath, she gave it a little turn. Nothing. Feeling her heart beginning to sink, Rosella cut back on the gentleness and gave the key a solid turn. The ancient tumblers dropped into place with a click, and the heavy cobblestone door began to slide open toward a startled Rosella. She took two quick steps backward, but peered inside the secret door as soon as she could, curious as ever. Inside, a torch burned against the wall. How could that be? Rosella asked herself. How long had it been burning? Surely there was magic at work. Not one to question her blessings, Rosella was thankful for the light. It allowed her to see inside the secret room. The door led into what looked like a tower from the circular shape of the room, and a spiraling wooden staircase attached to the wall. Peering up, all she could see was darkness, but any thoughts of traveling up were dashed when she noticed that the staircase ended halfway through a spiral above her head. The only other thing of note inside the tower was an old shovel leaned up against the wall. Why would there be a shovel locked up in a secret room? Thought Rosella. Obviously something is buried that I need to find, but where would Lolotte bury something in Tamir? It could be anywhere! Rosella’s stomach turned with her first guess. But she didn’t have time lament on the thought. Her attention drawn to the sound of the cobblestone door scraping across the floor, dragging itself shut. Had it been timed? Rosella had no idea, but she wasn’t about to wait around to find out. With a burst of speed, she grabbed the shovel and dashed through the small remaining opening of the door. Good thing she was as slender as she was. Laughing to herself, she wondered if her brother Alexander could have made THAT narrow escape. She intended to make it home to ask him herself. Acting on the remaining adrenaline of narrowly escaping a fateful trap, Rosella carried the shovel through the parlor and out the front door of the mansion. It was pretty obvious where she had to go with it. She had a pretty good hunch that it was time to do a little grave digging. [[The Graveyard->Buried Treasure]]

<h1>Buried Treasure</h1> Rosella did her best to swallow her feminine pride as she pierced the earth with the first stab of the shovel. While the entire situation was odd with the zombies wandering around as she basically invaded their “homes,” they would not bother her while protected by the magic scarab. Once and again she shoveled through the earth fast taxing her skinny arms. Lucky for Rosella she hit something solid before her little “pipe cleaners” gave out for good. Dropping the shovel, she wiped the sweat from her brow and tucked the loose blonde hairs behind her ears. The princess knelt down and reached into the hole she had been digging. Brushing some of the dirt away, it appeared to be a metal box. Wrinkling her nose, Rosella cleared away more of the dirt getting some of it under her precious nails. With a little bit of elbow grease and a groan or two, the resilient princess managed to free the metal box from the earth. Falling backward on her bottom, Rosella sat with her chin in her hands, staring at the box for several moments wondering what might be inside. When she could stand the curiosity no longer, she reached forth with slightly trembling fingers and opened the latch on the box, swinging the lid wide open. Inside was a luxurious looking fabric of a midnight blue. Reaching inside, Rosella pulled it out and unfolded it. The mysterious item turned out to be a very lavish and beautiful cloak! Standing up, the princess swung the fabric over her shoulder in dramatic fashion needing no provocation to play dress up. It wasn’t until Rosella began to mock model her new garment and look down at how it looked on her that she gasped. “Oh my!” she exclaimed. She looked down and tried to look at her hands and feet, but she was… invisible? The confusion was thick but it slowly ebbed away and mingled with a new sense of awe. The cloak was magical and afforded the wearer the fortune of invisibility! “This is just what I need to get into Lolotte’s castle,” Rosella said to herself as she adjusted the bow and quiver on her shoulder, mostly to reassure herself they were still there. Pulling the hood of the cloak up over her blonde head, and the cape closed around her front, Rosella bid goodbye to the cemetery and its misfortunate inhabitants. Unseen by anyone, she headed for the mountains and the path to Lolotte’s castle. ''The End... of Chapter II'' [[Chapter III: Lolotte's Castle]]

<h1>Chapter III</h1> <h1>Lolotte's Castle</h1> The chill of the night air was intensified by a biting wind that whipped around the crooked mountain path. Only a few feet wide and open on either side it was an immeasurable fall into inky blackness and the jagged rocks at the bottom, waiting teeth for just one misstep to shred a foolish adventurer and leave another skeleton on the pile of those that failed before. Each step had to be taken with great care and faith as little useful light was cast by the ghostly yellow eye that was the full moon hanging in the horizon over the shoulder of the great dark fortress at the end of the twisted path. The castle was itself seemingly carved out of the great mountains as a cursed fist clenched at the black sky, surrounding it in eternal gloom. Great burning torches lined the battlement of the sinister castle and ghastly yellow light was aglow from the flickers of those that burned beyond the windows giving but a hint of life and the horrors that awaited inside. No plants or animals could sustain life on the barren stone path that lead into the jaws of the monstrous fortress, nor even birds dared to brave the seemingly poisonous sky around the place. There was however, something else that filled the void. Not an animal, nor any sort of natural bird, and certainly no longer human. Their shrieks rivaled the howls of the open wind while their wide leathery batwings cast long menacing shadows on the twisty path as they passed in front of the full moon’s glow. For those unfortunate enough to get close enough to one, you could see the blanched skin pulled taught against their skulls, vicious curved fangs of their wailing mouths, and the wicked razor claws on their long bony fingers. They circled the sky in endless vigilance as guardians of the dark castle. The fade in their empty eyes indicated they once might have once been human, adventurers tricked or captured and cursed by black magic. There was nothing left of their previous selves. This was their doomed existence now. These creatures, “goons” were now servants of the dark fairy, Lolotte. This was her castle… Loose pebbles crunched under the heels of the sneaky princess as she carefully measured each gravelly step with the attention it demanded given the failing moonlight. The crackles and clicks of her heels on the stone path were lost in the howling wind, a measure of luck she certainly needed while Lolotte’s goons swirled overhead. While silence was not her luxury, invisibility was. Rosella pulled the magical cloak more tightly around her as the biting wind found an opening that sent a chill through her slender body. She had returned to Tamir via a tumbling magic portal after a vision revealed that the good fairy Genesta was once again in peril at the hands of the wicked fairy, Lolotte. While freeing Tamir, and rescuing Genesta was the greater good of the quest, something more compelling and mysterious was driving the young princess this time around. Lolotte had a son, Edgar, whom she had transformed into a hideously pathetic green ghoul before Rosella’s first adventure in Tamir. Back then, Rosella had defeated Lolotte and found the magical fruit that would heal her dying father, King Graham. She returned to her home Daventry, but not before she had also restored Edgar to his natural form, a handsome young man. And also not before she declined poor Edgar’s marriage proposal. She declined hastily and had Genesta transport her back home, never thinking about the consequences of her actions. Now, not only was Lolotte somehow still alive and once again rising to power, but the vision had shown Edgar once again in his ghoulish green form, and seeming to be in conjunction with the plans of his devilish mother! Could Rosella’s decline have affected him so much? Did his bitterness overtake him? How would he feel to see Rosella again? Could she undo the pain that she had unintentionally caused him? At what cost? And would she want to pay it? The flood of questions made the princess’s head spin. Since she had recklessly decided to take on this quest, she had survived the murky mess of the swamp, a vicious troll’s cave, narrowly avoided several “dinner dates,” and walked shoulder to shoulder with zombies! But now she stood in front of a castle full of untold dangers, both physical and emotional. And for the first time of the day, Rosella really did not know what to do. Her heart was not speaking to her at the moment, and that left her feeling very lost indeed. But the quest for survival always kept her from wandering too far or too long into her own thoughts. And this time it was the billowing winds that assaulted the narrow winding path toward Lolotte’s citadel. The wind was becoming stronger, and thus more dangerous. Wearing a foolish pair of heels was enough stress on her slender ankles and knees without a strong wind in the mix. With little to no room for error on the twisty mountain path, a void on both sides, Rosella felt her muscles and joints straining to support her. With the winds picking up, the princess needed to make a choice. Crouch down and wait for the winds to pass, or briskly make her way up the rest of the path praying that her legs and balance support her before it’s too late! Which will it be? [[Crouch and wait->Laying Low]] [[It's Now or Never->Mad Dash]]

<h1>Laying Low</h1> As the wind picked up to dangerous gusts, Rosella carefully crouched down onto her hands and knees wincing as she felt bits of loose gravel biting through the dainty fabric of her gown and hose. She hoped to make herself as flat as possible in the increasing winds and wait for the danger to pass. It seemed wiser than taking the unnecessary risk of running in a pair of heels while teetering over an endless void! Unfortunately things are not always as they seem, and sometimes taking risks is the necessary route. Rosella’s hopes were dashed when the winds did not die down. As she crouched low, trembling in the might of the gusts, she began to rethink her decision to not move forward, but the revelation came too late. When she stood up to undo her first instinct, the powerful wind caught hold of her slender body. Her knees and ankles could not withstand the pressure of balancing in her heels. Rosella waved her arms out at her sides as she teetered back and forth awkwardly before the wind finally slapped her off the path like an unforgiving hand. She screamed as she fell and Lolotte’s goons screamed back at her in mockery as the doomed princess tumbled down into the void. The cloak whipped about her chaotically as she blinked in and out of sight. Her cries were constant until her lungs gave out and the colors of her blonde hair, red dress, and white legs faded into the inky void. She wouldn’t be alone, however. There was a large pile of bones that she would be joining! -The End [[Try again?->Chapter III: Lolotte's Castle]]

<h1>Mad Dash</h1> The uneasy feeling in her gut is what allowed Rosella the courage and foolishness to run in a pair of high heels up a winding mountain path with gaping death to both sides, and a vengeful wind threatening to sweep a girl off her feet! The claps of her shoes against the hard stone path sent throbs through her delicate feet and slender legs, but she ignored the pain for the greater good of survival. The wind’s howl became a raucous and Rosella knew now that if she had decided to stay back where she was on the path, she would already be tossed over the edge, like a little doll. Despite having avoided a terrible fate through one decision did not mean she was safe from a similar fate in the other. And so, Rosella pinched her skirt in her slender fingers and briskly made her way up the twisty path grinning and bearing the exhaustion setting in her legs from having to concentrate so furiously on balance under such dire circumstances. The focus paid off as the princess reached the top of the path and a safe plateau at the foot of the monstrous castle. Out of breath, and legs strained beyond endurance, Rosella’s ankles gave out and she slumped to her hands and knees too exhausted to notice the pains from the pebbles that pressed into her palms and through the thin fabric of her dress and hosiery. Her little arms and legs trembled trying to support her as she panted with burning lungs, while her long blonde hair blew about her in a mess. “Rosella?” called a tiny familiar voice. The weary princess couldn’t tell if the voice was real or a result of her oxygen deprived brain, but then she heard it again. “Rosella, is that you?” Looking up from her slumped position, Rosella could see a wooden barrel at the base of the castle. There was a twinkling of light, and what appeared to be a pair of fluttery wings, two little hands, and a tiny face peering over the edge, from within. “Jenna?” spat Rosella still gasping for breath, clearly surprised to see the fairy again. “Is that you?” “Yes, oh Rosella it’s so good to see you again. I had feared the worst!” “You? What about me? I thought I had lost you back in the troll’s cave. Or… I thought you were lost under the waterfall. I didn’t know what to think when you were gone!” The words came out like the mixed up emotions that Rosella was feeling at seeing the lost fairy again. “Where have you been, Jenna?” “I’ll admit, I narrowly escaped with my wings from that nasty cave troll. But a little magic goes a long way. By the time I managed to get out though, you were nowhere to be seen. I looked everywhere for you, but on the open countryside of Tamir, it was just too big. Before I knew it, the sun was setting, and then I knew I would never find you. All I could do was hope for your safety and plan to meet you here at Lolotte’s castle. I knew if you survived that you would make your way here, Rosella!” “Thanks for your confidence,” remarked Rosella dryly. “How long have you been here, and have you been inside? More importantly, do you know how I can get inside?” The questions were streaming. “I have been inside, Rosella, and you couldn’t have arrived a moment too soon! Lolotte and Edgar are planning terrible things. They have Genesta and the rest of the fairies held captive all throughout the castle. I overheard Lolotte talking to Edgar about a terrible enchantment and draining the life force of Genesta and my sisters to animate a monster of unstoppable power. A beast so grand that not only would it lay waste to all of Tamir, but it would cross the sea and destroy other kingdoms, even Daventry!” “What!? What creature could be so massive that it… Daventry!?” The shock and imagination leveled Rosella’s thoughts. “How could Lolotte be so… and Edgar?” her voice trailed off. Jenna sensed Rosella’s confusion. “Yes, Edgar. I heard him speaking too. He… he has changed, Rosella.” “Changed?” “Yes, he knows you have returned to Tamir.” “He knows!? How?” “Lolotte is a very powerful witch. She can see most anything in this mystical land, and she has shown her scorned son, the return of the bride not to be his.” “That’s not fair,” Rosella cast Jenna a wounded glance at the accusatory phrase. “None the less, his pain is real, and he is angry and jealous of your beauty. I fear the worse should you fall into their hands, princess.” “What do you mean? What do they plan to do to me? Jenna!?” Rosella’s questions grew hysterical. “I’m not sure. I was almost discovered by Lolotte’s vigilant magic that I was unable to hear what they had in store for you. But you cannot let the fear of the unknown choke your heart, princess. You need to be courageous now not only for Tamir, but for all kingdoms! If you fail to save Genesta and my sisters, I fear this mysterious beast will be brought to life, and then all hope shall be lost…” Jenna’s doom prophecy trailed off into whimpering mumbles. Rosella was confused. The threat of an all-powerful beast was being clouded by her thoughts of Edgar, and his scorn for her. How could he be so hateful toward her? He had wanted to marry her, and now this? What would he do when they again faced each other? Could he forgive her? And what was the cost to be forgiven? “There is no more time to waste Rosella. You must pick yourself up and get inside the castle. You have Cupid’s bow and quiver I trust? You will need it if you are to vanquish Lolotte and prevent unthinkable destruction. Rosella!” Jenna’s words jolted the inward princess. “Yes, of course. It is my quest,” said Rosella. And for the first time, she wasn’t sure she meant it. She wasn’t sure about any of this anymore. But for now, she went along with it, if by Jenna’s prodding only. The little fairy spiraled through the air in lines of sparkly dust, before disappearing through a keyhole in a small door at the base of the brooding castle. Moments of tumbles followed by a click, and Jenna reappeared dusting off her hands. “There, it’s unlocked. Now get yourself inside and save this land, princess. But be careful! As I said, Lolotte knows you’re about once again!” Rosella nodded and took hold of the cool iron knob on the door. With a turn and a tug, she took the first step into the final part of her journey… [[Inside the Castle->Far From Home]]

<h1>Far From Home</h1> The door shut heavily with a sound that sent shivers of loneliness down Rosella’s slender spine. The motion sent wisps of the cool mountain air under the door that swirled around her ankles and up her elegant skirt, leaving goose bumps on her thinly clad legs. Without thinking, the timid princess called out for her only friend in the land of Tamir. “Jenna?” Rosella turned around to look for the tiny fairy, but Jenna was nowhere to be seen. Had she not come through the door with the princess? Rosella spun around and around causing her long blonde hair and flowing skirt to fan out as she desperately looked for her little companion. The truth settled in heavily. Rosella was alone once again. As quickly as the little fairy had reappeared on the princess’s journey, she had once again gone without so much as a whisper. Only a warning: beware of Lolotte, she knows you’re about. Those words did little to comfort the helpless pit forming in the young girl’s stomach. Rosella swallowed her lonely thoughts and focused her sharp blue eyes on the room. There were barrels and crates stacked against the walls and a few scattered messily throughout the floor. It looked like the door had led into a storage room of some kind. The walls were made up of large stones fit snugly together centuries ago and judging from the moss that had overtaken the walls and the mixture of sawdust and cobwebs lining the floor, this room had not seen use for some time now. Wrinkling her nose at the stringy dust bunnies attaching themselves to the toes of her heels, Rosella danced around the loose cargo as she navigated her way to the center of the room. A lone torch burned valiantly against the wall in an iron harness. Somebody had to light the torch now and again, and the footprints in the dusty floor further revealed that this room, while unkempt was trafficked. By whom or what, Rosella would rather not know, though images of those winged goons flying about the skies outside the castle haunted her behind the eyes. The footprints led in two directions and both ended at a door; one to the north, and one to the east. Somehow having a choice made the princess more so queasy than she already was. Jenna had said that Lolotte had captured Genesta and her fairies and was holding them prisoner in her castle. She also said that the fairies were scattered throughout the castle. “They could be anywhere!” whined the princess, tossing her slender hands up in the air in frustration. As childish as she was being, her concerns were valid. Lolotte’s castle was a giant fortress full of danger. Rosella put her hands firmly against her slender waist and narrowed her saucer blue eyes. She would begin her search by… [[Going through the northern door->Flicker]] [[Going through the eastern door->Redecorating]] [[Searching through the crates and barrels->A Bone to Pick With Her]]

<h1>Flicker</h1> The northern door led into a narrow room, almost hallway like in size. The eastern wall was a barren stonewall, not even so interesting as to be covered by moss, but the smoky haze in the room probably choked that idea. On the opposite wall was an altar of some type. There was an old and fraying rug in which to kneel that bore a dizzying pattern and upon the altar was daylight’s worth of burning candles. They pushed their flickering light into every inch of the narrow hall. While most of their smoke traveled north up into a chimney above the altar, the airshaft was not wide enough to accommodate the cloudy traffic. Thus a haze had settled into the room that caused the dainty princess to cough and pinch her nose. The armies of candles left little room on the altar for a collection of hideous figurines from gargoyles, to medusa, to a powerful minotaur. The dark idols must have played some role in the strange worship that took place here. Rosella could see Lolotte fitting in here just fine, and she wasn’t even sure if the goons had minds anymore, but what she truly wondered is if Edgar ever came to this creepy room? In truth she knew very little about the cursed young man other than his devoted proposal in marriage that he had made to her some months ago. She had declined in order to return to her home, Daventry in order to restore King Graham’s health with the magical fruit that grew only in the deadly swamps of Tamir. In truth, she never imagined that she would be returning to Tamir, let alone see Edgar again. Nor did she anticipate the way he would take her rejection. Was he merely heartbroken, or did he truly wish the princess harm as Jenna had implied? Again, Rosella reasoned that it could not be her fault if he had taken her decline to the side of evil. She was a princess after all and he was… a monster, right? Her thoughts were becoming cloudy, or was it the room? Rosella sneezed and her head cleared, but as she blinked the smoke from her eyes, she screamed and fell on her backside. Had she been hallucinating? Had the altar put her into a trance? Through all her thoughts of her trials of adventure and Edgar’s love, Rosella had slipped down onto her knees at the altar unknowingly! The thought made the princess reel further away from the altar until her back was firmly against the opposite wall. Scrambling to her feet, Rosella dignified herself by brushing off her sleeves and skirt, arching her back, and straightening her jaw to focus herself. There were better things for a princess to be doing she decided. While she wished nothing to do with the hideous ornaments that adorned the altar, taking one of the candles along seemed to be a prudent idea. Prudence. Something Queen Valanice had always scolded her daughter for lacking. “Hmmpfh” sneered Rosella, turning up her nose at the thought. Another door was located at the northern end of the hallway. Plucking a candle from the altar, Rosella headed for the door. [[Heading north->Princesses Melt In... Not In Your Hand]]

<h1>Redecorating</h1> The eastern door opened without the creaks and groans that the other doors had as if it was well oiled and well used recently. That was not a fact that gave the princess any sense of comfort. But a quick scan of the room with her saucer blue eyes quelled her fears for the moment, as the room appeared to be vacant of life. This room was decorated as though a parlor might. The dusty couches, chairs, and dingy paintings on the walls reminded her of the haunted mansion from earlier in the evening. What stood out here were the rolls of fabrics strewn about the floor and across the musty furniture. Several wheeled racks filled the rest of the room creating an almost mazelike feeling of corridors within the room. Several designs of tunics and trousers hung on the various racks, most looked like they were for a short square-like man. Edgar? Others featured dark robes and gaudy looking dresses. Rosella couldn’t help but make a face at Lolotte’s “taste” in fashion. The princess’s haughtiness got the better of her when she rounded one of the corners of the racks to be startled by an old woman sitting at a table. The old woman’s eyes were sewn shut. Rosella let out a scream that took both her hands clamped tight over her mouth to stop. The clamp was tight, and her terrified breaths let out like steam from the seal of her hands at the speed of the pace of her pounding heart. Never had her feelings that she was alone left her so wrong, and so startled. “There-there, dear. I didn’t mean to startle you.” The old woman spoke to the panicked princess. Despite her horrifying presentation, her voice was velvety and soothing. The smooth sound startled Rosella equally; still she fought to pry her hands away from her gaping mouth. Her chin quivered, and two tiny tears threatened to drip from the corners of her big blue eyes. Quickly she wiped the small tears away with the backs of her hands, and pursed her lips, fighting for control of her breath again before she fainted. It would not have been the first time. With a little perseverance, she got her wits under control, and forced herself to look at the old woman again. “I’ll admit, I’m not much to look at, what to a beautiful young woman like yourself, but…” “Who are you!?” interjected an impatient princess. Not because she was rude. On the contrary; Rosella had been raised to the highest of etiquette. In manners, she was nothing short of a lady. It was her pounding heart calling the shots. She feared if she did not speak at that very moment, she would not have the courage to speak at all. “Who am I indeed? Dear child… you certainly know my daughter. This is her castle. Now I know that you don’t think very highly of her. Often times I wonder myself what I should think, what with her leaving my poor eyes like this,” indicating at her eyes sewn shut as they were. “But my daughter’s story is a long and unfortunate one, filled with treachery, rage, and most of all, betrayal. Her quest for power…” Rosella listened while the old woman prattled on about Lolotte’s tragic life, listened while this woman, claiming to be the mother of the most evil being in Tamir, tried to paint a sympathetic tale. As she listened, her eyes wandered, to the ragged dress that adorned the frail old woman’s body, the sewing table she sat behind, the needle in her bony fingers, and mysterious garment that she was threading before Rosella arrived. What was it? The fabric was black. It was midnight satin. It was a dress, a long gown, off the shoulders, with white lacy trim. But it was more than just a dress. There was something more, something strange, something revolting in the beauty. And how did this blind woman know Rosella was a beautiful young woman? “Dear? Is everything okay? I must be boring you with my old tale. I apologize for going on like that. I don’t get many visitors here, though you sure are quiet for a girl your age.” There she said it again: a girl your age! “Who is that dress for!?” demanded the princess authoritatively. She surprised herself at the command. “Why… for you, Rosella. This dress belongs to you. It’s your wedding dress.” The words hit the princess. They attacked her. They were a kick in her frail body that sent her reeling backwards. She caught herself on the wheeled racks, grasping at the hanging garments to steady herself. Her lack of grace was to be excused at the stupefying news. As she steadied herself, she forced her eyes back to the midnight gown. The words were air-born. They were in her ears. It was mud in her veins. The proof was there. She looked again. The delicate satin fabric was held gently in the old woman’s frail hands while she applied the final stitches to the undeniable midnight masterpiece. But that wasn’t all. A bouquet of black roses hung from a dark ribbon on a rack behind the old woman. Next to that was a pair of exquisitely sheer barely black pantyhose clipped to the rack. Finally a pair of black satin elbow gloves and the wedding ensemble was complete. Rosella felt as though she might be sick. She gripped the racks for support. “Don’t fret my dear. You’ll make a lovely bride.” The soft tone in her words did nothing to sooth the panic in Rosella’s heart. A shiver convulsed her entire body. It was all too much. The gown, the accessories, the midnight was consuming her sanity. Rosella turned without a word to the old woman. She had to get out of this room. It felt as though she were being strangled. As Rosella fled chaotically from the room, the old woman called out to her. “Dear, you would be wise to take that curtain with you. It might just keep the winds of destiny from blowing out the frail flicker of life.” Her words barely punctured the confusion surrounding the princess’s head. But there it was on the couch. A seemingly nondescript curtain lay folded on the back of a musty chair off by itself. It was a heavy fabric, maybe velvet like her dress, but heavier. But what did she mean by “preserving the flicker of life?” There was a door leading east, and one leading back the direction she came. Grabbing the curtain, she headed… [[Through the eastern door->The Witch's Throne]] [[Heading back west->Flicker a]]

<h1>A Bone to Pick With Her</h1> “These fairies could be anywhere in this crazy castle,” thought Rosella aloud as she forced open crate after crate, barrel after barrel, careful not to break a nail. So far, all she was coming across were strange packaged items. They were nondescript items for the most part. It was beginning to seem like this was some sort of shipment that never got shipped. Most of the barrels’ and crates’ contents were packed with straw padding. The good-natured princess could not overcome one nagging thought. What if Lolotte was planning on shipping Genesta’s fairies to a far off evil land? Based on that sinister theory, Rosella stepped up to the final unopened crate. This one was shorter than the rest, but long and rectangular in shape. Using a metal wedge she found in the corner, she forced open the lid with a few groans. The nails were holding this lid tight, but her skinny arms would prove some use yet. After a big of elbow grease, the nails yielded their slots and up came the lid a little bit. Pulling her skirt up a bit, Rosella crouched down on her knees to peer inside the final crate. It was dark inside, and the difficult to tell what was inside. Squinting her big blue eyes, Rosella edged closer to the opening looking for fairies. The princess did not find any fairies, but something inside the mysterious crate found her. Out sprang skeletal arms with vengeful surprise, one two three four! A fistful of blonde hair, the neckline of her delicate dress, a slender arm, and the top of her skirt slit, snatched up in a bony fist. She begged, pleaded, kicked, scratched, squirmed, and fought with all her girlish might. But the skeletal arms still dragged her screaming into the crate and down slammed the lid with a cloud of dust in the air. The room went quiet, and nobody knows what became of poor princess Rosella. Though the crate was clearly marked at the bottom: Contents: The Deadfall, Ship to Ooga Booga Land. Handle with care… -The End [[Try again?->Far From Home]]

<h1>Sizzlin'!!!</h1> Rosella pressed through the northern door, leaving the confining altar hall behind her as she pushed further onward into the castle. This new room was pitch dark save for the lone candle she held in her slender porcelain hand. It was difficult to make out the details in the room, but from what she could see, the room started out wide, then truncated in the middle as though the room were split into two rooms. Watching where each of her heels clicked, the princess trying to carefully navigate her way in the candlelight without bumping into too many things. To her relief, the room was empty and her steps grew more confident. By the time she reached the truncated portion of the room, Rosella noticed two things. One there, was a window just before the hall and a terrible gusting wind billowing in from outside, and two, some of the floor tiles in the hall were a different shade than the others forming a pattern. While Rosella tried to take note of where the off colored tiles were, the ghastly wind snuffed the life from her little candle and left her in immediate darkness. The princess stopped in her tracks immediately paralyzed by the sudden inky blackness and red spots before her dilating pupils, but it was too late. She had already taken one too many steps into the hallway. And one of them was wrong. The floor opened up beneath her and the pitch black gave way to a dull red glow beneath her, paired with impossible heat. Rosella opened her mouth and screamed as her long blonde hair and red skirt flowed behind her plummeting body. Her thin white nylons offered no support as her legs steeped down into the boiling lava like two “dip sticks.” A “plop” and a “hiss” and Rosella was no more. -The End [[Try again?->Far From Home]]

<h1>The Witch's Throne</h1> As Rosella fled through the eastern door of the sewing room, she quickly shut the door behind her, leaning on it and breathing heavily. The claustrophobic attack had almost caused the poor princess to faint! She squeezed her scared blue eyes shut to try and get the image of that horrific black dress from her mind. When she finally had the courage to open them back up, she looked around to see where this new door had led her. First she looked down the pointed toes of her heels, standing on a lush patterned rug that ran the length of the room. The main attraction was at the center, however. Raise up on granite steps was a lavish and intimidating throne. While it was plush with deep colored cushions, it was made from the same harsh granite of the castle, bore large bat wings from the high-rise back, and claw-like feet at its base. The empty throne forced images of an ugly powerful witch scheming in all her evil ways atop its intimidating base while surrounded by her goons. Lucky for the princess the evil Lolotte did not appear to be in the room at the time, nor were her servants, or Edgar for that matter. The throne room was void of life, save for the timidly beating heart of princess Rosella. There was a door opposite the princess that presumably led further into the castle, and hopefully to Genesta and her fairies, while another path attracted her attention. To her right, there was a great set of double doors that looked like an exit. The temptation was great in Rosella’s fearful little body. Her courage had gotten her to plunge through the magic mirror, tumbling back to the land of Tamir. It had allowed her to overcome numerous dangers, had even allowed her to enter Lolotte’s castle. But now she was inside the heart of evil. At any moment she could come face to face with the wicked Lolotte, and the very thought made her veins chill as ice. Being inside the castle walls made her courage falter. There was something evil and alive within the walls and Rosella was scared. The presentation of an exit gave her hope. No harm had befallen her yet. She could walk out the door and perhaps find a way back to Daventry, maybe even make it back to the ball she so had so wished to attend that evening. While it would abandon Genesta and her fairies and all in Tamir, the thought attacked her courage, “what can you do? You are but a princess.” After facing her choices, Rosella decided to… [[Continue East->Dear, Diary]] [[Take the exit->A Slick Escape Plan]]

<h1>Flicker</h1> The northern door led into a narrow room, almost hallway like in size. The eastern wall was a barren stonewall, not even so interesting as to be covered by moss, but the smoky haze in the room probably choked that idea. On the opposite wall was an altar of some type. There was an old and fraying rug in which to kneel that bore a dizzying pattern and upon the altar was daylight’s worth of burning candles. They pushed their flickering light into every inch of the narrow hall. While most of their smoke traveled north up into a chimney above the altar, the airshaft was not wide enough to accommodate the cloudy traffic. Thus a haze had settled into the room that caused the dainty princess to cough and pinch her nose. The armies of candles left little room on the altar for a collection of hideous figurines from gargoyles, to medusa, to a powerful minotaur. The dark idols must have played some role in the strange worship that took place here. Rosella could see Lolotte fitting in here just fine, and she wasn’t even sure if the goons had minds anymore, but what she truly wondered is if Edgar ever came to this creepy room? In truth she knew very little about the cursed young man other than his devoted proposal in marriage that he had made to her some months ago. She had declined in order to return to her home, Daventry in order to restore King Graham’s health with the magical fruit that grew only in the deadly swamps of Tamir. In truth, she never imagined that she would be returning to Tamir, let alone see Edgar again. Nor did she anticipate the way he would take her rejection. Was he merely heartbroken, or did he truly wish the princess harm as Jenna had implied? Again, Rosella reasoned that it could not be her fault if he had taken her decline to the side of evil. She was a princess after all and he was… a monster, right? Her thoughts were becoming cloudy, or was it the room? Rosella sneezed and her head cleared, but as she blinked the smoke from her eyes, she screamed and fell on her backside. Had she been hallucinating? Had the altar put her into a trance? Through all her thoughts of her trials of adventure and Edgar’s love, Rosella had slipped down onto her knees at the altar unknowingly! The thought made the princess reel further away from the altar until her back was firmly against the opposite wall. Scrambling to her feet, Rosella dignified herself by brushing off her sleeves and skirt, arching her back, and straightening her jaw to focus herself. There were better things for a princess to be doing she decided. While she wished nothing to do with the hideous ornaments that adorned the altar, taking one of the candles along seemed to be a prudent idea. Prudence. Something Queen Valanice had always scolded her daughter for lacking. “Hmmpfh” sneered Rosella, turning up her nose at the thought. Another door was located at the northern end of the hallway. Plucking a candle from the altar, Rosella looked toward the next door. [[Heading North->Saving on Heat]]

<h1>Saving on Heat</h1> Rosella pressed through the northern door, leaving the confining altar hall behind her as she pushed further onward into the castle. This new room was pitch dark save for the lone candle she held in her slender porcelain hand. It was difficult to make out the details in the room, but from what she could see, the room started out wide, then truncated in the middle as though the room were split into two rooms. Watching where each of her heels clicked, the princess trying to carefully navigate her way in the candlelight without bumping into too many things. To her relief, the room was empty and her steps grew more confident. By the time she reached the truncated portion of the room, Rosella noticed two things. One: there was a window just before the hall and a terrible gusting wind billowing in from outside, and two: some of the floor tiles in the hall were a different shade than the others forming a pattern. The room gave the princess an uneasy feeling and the words of Lolotte’s mother came to mind, “The winds of destiny blowing out the frail flicker of life.” As the wind caused the stray hairs on her head to tickle her cheeks, Rosella noticed the nervousness of her candle flame. Placing in gingerly on the floor safely away from the gust of the open window, the young princess took the large curtain that she had been carrying over her sleight shoulder. To her delight there were two hooks at the top of the window right where a curtain could hang rightfully in place. The weight of the fabric quieted the room and eliminated the bothersome wind. Walking back the safety of her glowing candle, Rosella crouched down and picked it back up in her slender hand. As she approached the narrow hall, passing the once howling window now covered by the heavy curtain, her candle barely flickered at all. With the healthy globe of light provided by the flame, Rosella was able to decipher a pattern in the floor tiles that ran the length of the hallway. Daintily hopping along the marked path with clicks from her heels, she smiled with successful satisfaction upon reaching the end, feeling as though she had avoided a possibly grisly accident. Upon reaching the other side of the hallway, Rosella noticed the room widened back up and ended in yet another doorway. [[Through the door->I Know Why the Caged Fairy...]]

<h1>Dear, Diary</h1> Avoiding the temptation the flee the castle and save her own skin, Rosella pressed onward through the castle and soon found herself inside a rather “warm” feeling study. The room was messy, strewn with books astray from their shelves, and papers widely scattered, but the plush chair, solid looking desk, and fire burning in the hearth gave the room a strange and surprisingly cozy feeling. The relaxation came pleasantly to Rosella, feeling the anxiety slowly ebbing from her muscles after her ordeal with Lolotte’s mother and talk of “the wedding.” Thumbing through a few of the miscellaneous books and random sheets of paper proved uninteresting for the most part. Uninteresting that is until she found an open book on top of the desk and spotted her name on the page. With her attention in full, Rosella pulled out the comfortable chair from the desk, and had a seat to read through the book that contained her name. “Princess Rosella denied my feelings, and while she quickly left Tamir to return to her family, she left me to the remains of my wicked mother, and in effect, killed my soul,” read the words on the page. Rosella’s eyes widened at the tone of the writing. What had she stumbled upon? Flipping through the pages, she quickly realized that the format of the book was very similar to that of a diary. And it soon became apparent that the diary belonged to none other than Edgar! While in her heart, she knew it was wrong to be reading the diary; the curious princess could not pull her blue eyes from the pages. Edgar had been such a mystery to her until now. When she had first met him, he was a green hunched over monster under the cruel roof of Lolotte. But by the time Rosella had restored peace to Tamir during her first quest, Edgar had been transformed back into the handsome young man he was. His proposal in marriage to the young and surprised princess came too sudden. Rosella needed to return to Daventry with the magic fruit to heal her dying father, and so she hastily declined and had Genesta return her home before it was too late. She never thought for a second about the consequences of her actions. She never thought that Lolotte had lived through their first conflict and that she would use her evil powers to heal and claw her way back into power over Tamir, dragging poor Edgar back into the darkness and transforming him back into the hunched green monster that he was! None of these thoughts crossed the naïve princess’s mind until she read page after page of Edgar’s diary that revealed the bitterness in his heart over Rosella’s trivial carelessness with his feelings. She never realized the error of her ways and the seeds of jealousy that were planted within Edgar’s darkening heart. “I imagine Princess Rosella dancing in the green fields of Daventry, her hair a fine spun gold blowing in the wind, and a gown so soft I could never touch, happy with her royal family healthy, happy, and at peace. But she forgot that she never would have returned to save her father had it not been for my help. She never once tried to return, instead slapping away my hand in marriage like a bothersome fly. And left me to wither in the poison that Lolotte covered the land in her return to power. Someday I will have Princess Rosella as my wife, and she will be like a possession. She will regret the day she treated love so trivial. I will bring that careless girl to her knees.” The rest of the entries trailed off into horrifying words of punishment and years of misery the princess could expect at the married hand of a bitter Edgar and his wicked mother, Lolotte. Shutting the book, Rosella unconsciously hugged herself with a slight tremble of fear. Perhaps reading the diary had not been such a good idea. All the things she had wondered about Edgar were painted all too clearly in his written words day after day. The bitterness was saturated and a terrifying truth. Rosella glanced over her shoulder afraid Edgar was there reaching with a green clawed hand, but it was just her overactive imagination. How could things have turned out this way? Was all this resentment really her fault? Did he really feel this way? And could she do anything about it? The questions, the hopes, the regrets were a tangle in her mind. Every passing minute in this castle seemed to drive the young princess further into madness. Pushing away from the desk in part fear, and part revulsion, Rosella looked to another eastern door, leading further into the castle. With any luck she would be able to rescue Genesta and her fairies without meeting the dangers that she had read about in Edgar’s horrid diary. With a gulp, Rosella fled the room. [[Further in the castle->Moving Up In the World?]]

<h1>COWARD!!!</h1> or <h1>A Slick Escape Plan</h1> The overwhelming pressure had gotten to the sleight shoulders of the princess. Rosella pressed on the large main doors of the castle and made her way out onto the stone pathway leading back down the mountain. She had lost all her courage and allowed her fear for her own safety dictate her decisions. Rosella began to scamper down the winding stone pathway in her awkward heels, trembling with fear when a voice stopped her in her tracks. “Wait!” Rosella turned to see who it was, finding herself face to face with a shocked looking Jenna. “You coward! How can you run away?” The accusations hit the princess with almost physical pain, but her guilt was obvious on her face, and she could think of no words to defend her cowardly departure. “You’ve left Genesta and the other fairies to perish at the hands of Lolotte!” Once again, Rosella was speechless, but the shame was coloring her face. Summoning up the courage to beg Jenna for forgiveness, she found it was too late. The tiny fairy had already begun working her hands in furious magic. Rosella cowered under the glowing power, but it was no good. A warm light enveloped her slender body and she felt her very form contort chaotically. Her body seemed to move and shape as though jelly until the light faded and only a pile of clothes lay on the stony path. Rosella was gone. Jenna crossed her arms over her chest and waited a few moments to admire her handy work. The crumpled red gown and wrinkled white pantyhose began to stir until out popped a tiny salamander from the waistband of the wrinkly white nylons. Princess Rosella looked around with her new bug-like eyes at the giant world around her. Her beautiful white skin was now a slick, green, and slimy. She had been reduced to a salamander to live out the rest of her days in Tamir. Crawling around on the rocks, Rosella acclimated to her new humbling existence and prayed she could avoid the hungry claws of the hawks that watched from the skies. She would spend the rest of her days as a coward. -The End [[Try again?->Far From Home]]

<h1>I Know Why the Caged Fairy...</h1> Thankfully, the walls were lined with torches in the next room, allowing Rosella to discard of her low burning candle. As she allowed her sensitive blue eyes adjust to the brighter glow, the princess took in her newest surroundings. The room was mostly nondescript with rundown looking walls and floor strewn with loose bits of hay. The most notable details were a door across the room that matched the one she had come through, and then a pair of doors on the walls to either side of her. These four doors were different than the ones that connected each room of the castle. They were of sturdy wood with small barred windows at eye level. Rosella’s gut told her that she was inside some kind of dungeon room and the feeling was not pleasant. Seeing that no guards were standing outside the cells, Rosella slipped off her heels and took tip toe steps in her stocking feet toward each of the doors to peek inside and see if there were any inhabitants, living or dead. Gulp! The first two doors yielded empty cells but for some rotten straw bedding and miscellaneous grisly tools of torture that made the princess’s heart race. The third revealed a skeleton hanging slack from some chains on the wall, and if not for the quick clamp of her hand, her scream would have filled the chamber. When her instincts told her it was okay to remove the hand from her mouth, Rosella moved to the fourth door trying not to think about who the skeleton used to be. Hoping and praying not to see another horrifying sight, the princess slowly peered into the barred window of the fourth cell with one nervous eye. The butterflies were in frenzy in her belly, but the anxiety was quickly diluted by a different surprise. Amidst all the dingy unkempt grime of the cell was a small cloud of glitter emitting a pleasant glow. There was no mistake; it was one of Genesta’s fairies! The poor thing looked unconscious on a small pile of rotten straw. A feeling of heroism filled Rosella with excitement. The opportunity to rescue was at hand. A quick check on the cell door proved it obviously to be locked. It seemed the princess had a choice to make in breaking this poor fairy out of jail. [[Kick the door open->Moving In Next Door?]] [[Call for help->Can I Get a Hand Here?]] [[Check the northern door->A Word With the Jailor]]

<h1>Moving Up In the World?</h1> Putting yet another stressful room behind her, Rosella found herself in a corner room of the castle. The large hall was “L” shaped with an open window looking out over the mountainous vista that surrounded the creepy fortress. A tangle of green vines was growing in a mess inside the window, catching the princess’s attention. Walking over to it, Rosella poked her head out the open window and tried to look up. As far as she could tell, the vines ran all the way up the castle wall. This presented her with an interesting dilemma. While she could keep on her current course, round the corner of the castle and keep plodding through room by room of the seemingly this seemingly endless floor in search of stairs, she could just as easily attempt to climb the vines up to the next level of the castle, effectively saving herself plenty of time and effort. Peering out the window and then back inside down the hall, the princess pondered what she should do. Time was something she had precious little of left. [[Climb up the vine->Herbivore???]] [[Stay on the current floor->A Bright Idea]]

<h1>Moving In Next Door?</h1> Feeling heroic, Rosella took a couple steps back, and then planted as good a kick as she could muster with her slender leg. Having removed her shoes earlier to keep quiet, her stocking foot connected with the sturdy wooden cell door in a dramatic… nothing. It didn’t even budge. The only thing that Rosella managed to do was snag the foot of her nylons on a splinter in the door, which caused her to lose her balance and fall gracelessly on her behind. Many moments passed while she grunted and groaned trying to get free, but the snagged toe seam held fast. All she managed to do was to stretch one foot hideously longer than the other which looked very tacky, and left her in a very awkward position to try and get free. Rosella continued playing the “stretching” game with fruitless results when a more immediate problem presented itself. While she was fussing with her wardrobe, in walked a pair of Lolotte’s goons on guard duty for the dungeon. Even with their empty sightless eyes, Rosella could tell they were quite pleased to see the “snagged” princess. The hulking albino skinned monsters with folded leather wings on their backs marched toward Rosella’s cowering form. The trembling princess had run out of time to escape. Her rescue plan had turned out to be a very bad idea indeed as the two goons reached out toward Rosella’s quivering body. One grabbed Rosella’s lush blonde hair in a clawed hand and began to drag her across the room, while the other eyed the stretchy white fabric coming off the end of her foot curiously. After a foot, the one could drag her no further. She had actually come up off the floor, her hair stretched out, being dragged by the goon, while the toe of her nylons still held her fast to the other wall. The goon gave a yank on Rosella’s scalp, but she could be pulled no further. The goon growled his discontent, ignoring Rosella’s terrified screams, but his partner had figured things out by that point, and with a swipe of his claw, he cut the strange stretchy fabric free of the cell door. The springy release sent Rosella sliding forward from the goon’s grasp on her hair. She crashed the opposite door open and slid painfully into the cell. Pulling the door shut, the goon’s grunted in satisfaction of their new resident. Locking the cell, they checked on their caged fairy across the way. Satisfied that everything was secure, the two goons continued their rounds of the castle. A few hours later, Jenna came floating into the dungeon and peered in through the bars of Rosella’s cell. She found the princess sitting on a small pile of rotten straw with her knees draw up to her chin, looking rather haggard. “Rosella!” cried the fairy “Jenna!?” the defeated princess looked up with hope in her eyes. “Jenna you have to get me out of here!” “I can’t believe you got caught, Rosella. You’ve failed us all.” With that, Jenna floated out of sight from the little window. “What? No wait, Jenna, come back, please!” but Rosella’s cries went unanswered. The hours passed into days, and those into weeks. Slowly but surely, the princess’s clothes began to fit a little big, and before long, even her pantyhose were loose. By then it was too late. Rosella headed the way of the chained skeleton in the cell next door. -The End [[Try again?->Far From Home]]

<h1>Can I Get a Hand Here?</h1> The door to the cell was too heavy to open by herself, so Rosella cupped her little hands and called out for some help. Perhaps the naïve princess was hoping that Jenna would come floating in with some wondrous magical spell. The foolish Rosella did not expect Lolotte’s goons to come answering her call, but she should have. Her stupidity was evident by her poor life choices. The hulking albino monsters marched in with sightless eyes marked on the slender body of Princess Rosella. With her knees turned inward, knocking against each other in fear, the princess was frozen in place. She barely let out a whimper before the two goons opened their giant leathery batwings and trapped the helpless girl inside a globe with their four clawed hands. To her fortune, they worked quickly, and shredded her to ribbons in a matter of moments. Rosella’s lifeless body slumped to the floor in horrifying pieces. Her final thought was “this is NOT what I meant when I asked for help!” Beggars can’t be choosers, Rosella dear! -The End [[Try again?->Far From Home]]

<h1>A Word With the Jailor</h1> Rosella assessed the sturdy looking cell door, and realized that she did not have enough of “it” in her little body to break down the door. But if it was locked then certainly there was a key around somewhere to unlock it. A quick scan of the room revealed no obvious key rings hanging from the walls, so the princess decided to check the northern door of the room and see if that yielded any results. Turning the handle slowly and opening the door just a smidgen, Rosella peaked her slender face into the next room with wide blue eyes. A quick inspection revealed it to be some sort of guard quarters. Tankards of ale lay spilled on a table scattered with half eaten scraps of meat on the bone gave the room a rather barbaric aroma. But what really caught Rosella’s attention was the lone guard seemingly passed out at the table. The great folded wings on his back heaved up and down rhythmically with his sleeping breath. Much to her relief there was a key ring sitting on the table next to his slumbering form. No doubt he was the dungeon keeper. Still sneakily in her stocking feet, Rosella padded into the room on the tips of her dainty toes with her heart in her throat pounding a mile a minute. If he were to wake, no telling what horrible fate would befall the petite princess. As she approached the table with the keys and the slumbering goon, Rosella found herself eyeballing one of the heavy looking tankards. From the looks of it, she could strike the goon over the back of the head to ensure his continued slumber. The thought was startling to the well-bred girl. What a brutish and undignified idea! Assuring herself that she was NOT a violent girl, Rosella mustered the courage to extend her trembling arm toward the jailor’s key ring. She furrowed her brow to concentrate but it was very difficult being so close to the hulking goon. His arms were spread across the table with the claws on his hands extended in a very intimidating fashion. In truth, the princess was scared out of her mind. But she persevered, and with a skip in her heart, snatched the keys from the table and then paused, squinting her eyes shut. She waited for the goon to awaken, perhaps grab her roughly by the wrist, or drag her off to Lolotte even, but the imagined fate did not come. When she mustered the courage to open her eyes again, the goon was still fast asleep. Not wishing to overstay her welcome, Rosella tiptoed back out of the room to return to the dungeon. Now trembling more from excitement, Rosella fumbled with the key ring searching for the right key to open the cell. Her eagerness to unlock the door intoxicated her dexterity but only after a few mistakes she consummated a marriage between the lock and its key. The wedding bells were in the click. Inside the cell, the fairy stirred at the sound of the cell door opening, no doubt assuming terrible things were coming, but the wideness of her eyes was filled with joy at the sight of Princess Rosella. “Oh, Princess Rosella! What are you doing here? How did you? I! I’m so glad to see you!” the fairy’s gratitude hindered her coherence, but the message was clear enough. She was overjoyed at the sight of a friendly face. Though a fraction of the size of Rosella, the little fairy rose from the rotten straw bed she had been lying on and dusted herself off. Floating toward the smiling princess with butterfly wings, she gave her a great big hug. “Thank you,” replied a blushing Rosella. Suddenly she felt like a heroine. “Are you okay? I mean, are you hurt in any way?” “No, I’m fine. Thank you,” answered the fairy as she backed up from the heroic princess, wiping tears that were forming in her tiny eyes. “But for how much longer, I know not, I’m afraid. Lolotte spoke of a horrible plan to drain the life force of my sisters and Genesta. She said that we would ‘Feed the heart of the castle, born a creature that would ravage the countryside of Tamir and beyond.’ It was terrifying just to hear her speak of it, Rosella!” The tiny fairy trembled in the air, shaking glittery stardust down to the dingy cell floor. “Did she say when this was going to happen? This birthing?” Rosella’s line of questioning was borderline panic. “Soon. She said that ‘Things needed to be ready. Some things, the important things needed to be moved out first.’ I’m not sure what she meant.” Rosella thought about it, and remembered the storage room full of crates and barrels that had been prepped for shipment. Perhaps that’s what she meant; a sort of evacuation from the castle? The only thing that matched the evil in Lolotte’s plots was their mystery. “Well we cannot allow her to succeed in whatever she’s planning. You need to escape from here, fly to countryside. Warn the fisherman and his wife that a terrible evil may be coming and for them to find safe hiding. Do you understand?” The princess looked the tiny fairy in the eyes surprised by her own words, suddenly filled with organized leadership, and royal command. The little naïve princess was beginning to grow up a little. “Yes, your majesty, I understand.” “Good. Now fly from here and don’t look back!” With that, the tiny fairy fluttered off and just as instructed she never looked back. With a sigh of accomplishment, Rosella contemplated her next move. She had rescued the fairy, but Lolotte still needed to be stopped from destroying Tamir. Carrying her heels with her, Rosella crept back through the guards’ quarters to delve… [[Deeper inside the castle->Hardly Good For Her Skin]]

<h1>Herbivore???</h1> In the interest in advancing her quest, saving time, and potentially the lives of everyone in Tamir, Rosella nobly climbed out the window onto the thick growth of vines that lead up the castle wall. Slowly but surely she climbed hand over hand up the tangled ladder. Had her arms and legs not been so skinny, she might have faired better, but Rosella could not be described as a strong young lady. If only she had been wise enough to assess this fact before she committed herself to a free climb up the face of a castle wall that overlooked a deep abyss. As her wobbly limbs burned with exhaustion, the princess began to whimper at her predicament. It appeared as though her thoughtless actions had yet again gotten the better of her, but this time it would cost her 17 year old life a grisly fall into the endless abyss below. Just as Rosella’s overestimated limbs gave out, she mentally prepared herself for what it would be like to break on the rocks below, but that was not to be her fate today. As she free fell down the castle wall, winds whipping at her long blonde hair and flowing red skirt, Rosella never anticipated the true nature of the vines. Not until she landed in the waiting mouth of a giant plant head! She was served a dish of shock, surprise, and terror, while the giant plant was served one delicious and feisty princess as noted by her wildly kicking legs sticking out of its massive mouth. In their white stockings, they resembled two curvy candy canes that a mischievous child had licked off the swirling red stripes. Only this plant was too impatient to even lick his newly “caught” candy, and he eagerly crunched away at the sugary goodness that only a princess could be. Princess Rosella could have used a little more patience and taken the long road in castle. She could have avoided yet another dinner date that never leaves room for seconds! <img src="http://amystories.net/TTHosting/breaking_rosella_s_fall_by_psylisiadragoon-d94unt6%20No%20Text.png" width="700"> -The End [[Try again?->Far From Home]] Illustrations by <a href="https://psylisiadragoon.deviantart.com">Psylisia Dragoon</a>

<h1>A Bright Idea</h1> Getting an unnerving feeling from the window vine shortcut, Rosella decided to proceed around the corner and down the hall to the next door. Poking her head inside she found the hulking form of one of Lolotte’s goons making his rounds. With a whisper of thanks to her unbelievable luck and two skips of her heart, was glad to see his back to her. While some of the important details were that the goon was probably 10 times stronger than the slender princess, had giant batwings in his back, and razor sharp claws on his hands, the seemingly glaring detail the nosey princess took away from the observation was the key ring jingling at his waist as he walked. She had no doubt those keys unlocked a dungeon cell somewhere in the castle. And where there was a dungeon there would most likely be fairies under duress. Spotting a vase on a table in the corner, an idea hatched in the princess’s little mind. Tip toeing over; she picked it up noting the obviously dead flowers inside. “They probably never even watered these poor guys,” she thought to herself disapprovingly. Keeping her mind on the prize, the snatched up the vase and crept up behind the goon as he walked. Padding along in her stocking feet, he never heard her coming. With the vase held high over her head ready to smash him over the back of the head, a feeling suddenly overcame Rosella. “You are NOT a violent girl, Rosella!” said the voice inside her. The internal scolding stopped her cold in her near violent act, but she didn’t have time to waste, so she did the next thing that popped into her pretty blonde head. She tossed the vase lightly over the goon’s head so it would descend right before his eyes. The trick worked, because the goon was so surprised by the vase seemingly falling out of nowhere, that he scrambled to reach grab and catch it. The surprise mixed with the awkwardness of his actions caused him to trip and fall flat on his creepy face, knocking him out cold! Satisfied that “she” had not done anything, Rosella crouched down, and daintily removed the key ring from the guard’s belt. Tip toeing away; she left the goon to his unexpected nap. Wasting no time, she slipped into the next room and found herself in a small dungeon area. It seemed temporary holding area, with only one cell in the room. Peering inside the barred windows, Rosella spotted a tiny fairy fluttering back and forth in visible distress. The sound of the rustling keys set her into a fit of panic, but surprising sight of Princess Rosella soon quelled any of the fairy’s fears. While questions flooded the tiny creature’s mind, she did not speak a word to her rescuer. After the fairy did not answer the third time, Rosella asked her if she was okay, the princess suspected something was afoul. With crude reenactment skills, the fairy tried to communicate to the confused princess was had happened. Not entirely sure that she understood the tiny fairy’s gestures, Rosella pieced together that Lolotte had used her foul magic on the uncooperative fairy and stolen her voice! This new turn of events was unexpected, but Rosella was quite certain that Genesta would know what to do for her little sister, so the princess assured her they would get the lost voice back. But for now, the safest thing for her to do would be to fly as far away from the castle as she could and wait for Rosella and Genesta to return safely. The tiny fairy’s eyes betrayed her doubts and fears, but ultimately she nodded obediently to the seemingly wise and noble young princess. With that, she fluttered out of the dingy cell and far away. With the state of things, there was not a moment to lose. After Rosella watched the last of the fairy’s glitter fade away, she turned her attention back the quest and headed… [[Further into the castle->Easy Bake Oven]]

<h1>Hardly Good For Her Skin</h1> or <h1>STONED!!!</h1> Rosella passed through the door and a peculiar blend of awe and dread mingled to form goose bumps on her delicate skin. The foot of a magnificent staircase stood before her, and like a great serpent, wrapped around the walls of the tower, coiling upward. She had finally reached the path to the second level of the castle! Thanking her lucky stars that she had made it this far without meeting an untimely end, Rosella dreaded what awaited her on the next floor. Every step seemingly brought her closer to Lolotte. The very thought made the princess tremble, but fear would not deter her quest. With heels still in hand, she took resolute steps toward the coiling stairwell to face the unknown evils ahead. Putting one foot on the first step, Rosella tilted her head back to peer up the massive coiling staircase. The effect was dizzying, but what she saw was even worse. At first, she wasn’t quite sure what it was. It almost looked like a cat, but the more she squinted upwards, the more she realized she was wrong. No, it looked much more like a lizard. Yes, it was definitely a lizard. Her big blue eyes stared at the lizard intently; she had never seen anything quite so exotic in her homeland. Aware of her own youth and vibrant beauty, the princess was soon aglow with a smile from the showering attention of this mystical beast. Her vanity was soon misplaced as she began to feel “funny.” Looking down at her body, the smile aglow on her face was soon replaced with a rather dumb look of misunderstanding. A gray splotch had formed on the belly of her beautiful vermilion gown and began to grow as a splash of water might spread through fabric. As the consuming gray forced out more and more of the red in her gown, Rosella felt her own joints going stuff, even the lush locks of her blonde hair seemed to freeze, only they were not cold. With great effort, Rosella put a hand to her mouth to catch a scream welling in her slender neck while her blue eyes opened to saucers. The cancerous gray finished off her gown but only moved to her perfect white skin, claiming every inch down to the tips of her blonde hair. Just as the last thread of her silky stocking foot was claimed, the confused blue in her big eyes yielded to the dull gray. And with that, the fair princess was rendered in stone. Later on that evening, the hapless statue of Princess Rosella was discovered by the guards, and at Lolotte’s request, she was transported to the witch’s bedroom. She insisted the pathetic look on the girl’s face helped her sleep at night! -The End [[Try again?->Far From Home]]

<h1>Easy Bake Oven</h1> Rosella eased her way into the next room with a pleasant feeling of accomplishment. She had just rescued one of Genesta’s fairies and couldn’t help but feel a little heroic about the fact. Finally she was seeing actual results in her brave quest. Looking around, she took in the newest surroundings. Counter tops, pots, pans, large surfaced tables, ovens, knife racks, and sinks. It appeared that the princess had found the kitchen. The implication of the word alone was enough to make Rosella’s mouth water. Her little stomach had been growling for sometime now, but she had ignored it, knowing there was nothing she could do about it. But here in a kitchen now, the natural instinct was dominating her thoughts. Rosella wandered over to the counter tops in search of something delicious to eat, but most of what she came across was platters of rotten meat covered in flies and other unknown insects. Making faces, she moved along, desperate to find something edible in the visibly dingy kitchen. Again and again she came across sour samples that only further soured her appetite. Finally after checking every cupboard high and low, the trays of the ovens, and lengths of the counter tops, Rosella settled upon a delightful looking platter of muffins in the center of the room. Holding her hand close to the pile, she could feel the warmth emanating from the recently baked pastries. Strangely enough there was no sign of the cook who had prepared them, but this Rosella decided, was probably a good thing. Hating the idea of stealing food that did not belong to her, the princess realized this might be her only opportunity for nourishment, and the trembling in her limbs lately had not all been from fear. She was weakening and becoming tired. The day had taken its toll on her slender body. Rosella could either give in to her natural temptation, or stubbornly maintain her dignity and go without. What will she do??? [[Gorge on the muffins->Lunch Break]] [[Leave the muffins->Web Design]]

<h1>Lunch Break</h1> Unable to resist the temptation of the warm pile of muffins, Rosella reached in with both of her slender hands, and greedily grabbed a pastry in each one. Rotating between one and the other, she stuffed her face with bite after bite of muffin, until her cheeks were puffed out as far as they could possibly stretch. She chewed as fast as she could, hardly waiting to swallow large chunks, nearly choking herself before stuffing more and more into her mouth. Rosella could not believe how hungry she was or how unladylike she was behaving. Gorging along, the princess began to notice a chunky textured filling to the muffins, and an open recipe book next to the pan. Curious to the contents of the seemingly delicious desert, Rosella began to read, the filling now beginning to taste a little bit tangy. The feeling that something was off grew more and more as she read the page and then nearly passed out when she saw a picture of a cockroach on the page, being mixed into the batter! Dropping the remaining bits of muffins in her hands to the floor, Rosella backed away from the table trembling in revulsion. At that point, she noticed little antennae poking out from the platter muffins and even one or two of the critters breaking away from their baked prisons. The crunchy textured filling now made revolting sense to the hysterical princess. But her revelations came all too late. The ingested critters in her little belly went to work fast and devoured Rosella from the inside out. Rosella freaked out to her very last breath as the gobbled up all her organs, bones, skin, hair, dress, even her pantyhose. When asked, the cockroaches claimed they were “high in fiber, and a low carb snack!” -The End [[Try again?->Far From Home]]

<h1>Web Design</h1> Figuring that out of sight was out of mind, Rosella fled the kitchen into the next room only to find herself once again at another corner of the castle. Her progress was continuing. This time, there was an intricate web that filled the corner. The princess warily approached the sticky design hanging wall to wall, wondering what kind of spider had designed such a creepily impressive tapestry. “Hello there,” whispered a voice from deep within the web. Rosella screamed and jumped backward in surprise. “Don’t be frightened little girl. I’m not here to hurt you. As a matter of fact, I need your help.” “My… help? Who –who are you?” squeaked the frightened princess, squinting her eyes, trying to peer into the many tangled folds of the web. “I am nobody, a humble servant of the witch, Lolotte. I serve only one purpose, to guard the magic mirror. But it brings me no joy. I only find comfort in spinning my web, but I have not eaten in so long, that I’m afraid I lack the nourishment to produce any more. And that is why, I need your help miss.” With that, the mysterious voice made himself visible, crawling out from the shadows of the web on all eight legs. He dwarfed the size of normal spiders; closer to that of a small dog, there was no mistaking the evil markings on his fat body, and the wickedness in his red eyes. It seemed strange that his voice would be so pleasant to the ear. “What can I do for… you?” asked the timid princess, dreading the answer. “I am bound to this web by Lolotte’s magic, and can go no further, but I lack the nourishment to spin any more, thus I am trapped. Over there… on that table… the guards leave dead animals to tease me because they know I cannot reach them. I ask of you to bring me one of the carcasses so that I might feast… and in return, I will allow you safe passage up my web to claim the magic mirror that I am guardian to. It will allow you safe passage to the second floor of the castle. Without it, you will only find a stone wall.” Rosella pondered the words of the spider as she glanced around the room to see if there were truly freshly killed animals on the far table. Despite her best doubts, they were there, just as the spider had said. But there was no denying how evil the spider appeared, how dangerous his offer was, and how foolish she would be to trust him, and climb up into his web willingly. And what if he was right? What if she did need this so-called “magic mirror?” Then what? Did she really have a choice? Perhaps, she could convince him to allow her to climb up and get the mirror first, then retrieve his sought after food. Or perhaps it was best to trust in his benign request, and do as he asked. One way or another, Rosella had to get that mirror. [[Trust him->Trustworthy Arachnid]] [[Don't trust him->Calling the Shots]]

<h1>Trustworthy Arachnid</h1> “Okay… I’ll do it,” replied Rosella despite every sane fiber in her bones. “Good,” purred the voice of the spider, red eyes seeming to glow a little at the news, fluidly moving along side to side on all eight of his legs. Shivering, Rosella walked across the room to retrieve the decidedly gross fresh rabbit carcass from the table. Carrying it in a pinch as far away from her wrinkled nose as she could, she marched it right up to the spider’s web. “Good, good,” he cooed getting more excited the closer she got. When she got close enough, she tossed the poor dead critter into the netlike web and watched as the vicious spider fawned over his new meal. “Thank you, oh thank you,” he gushed graciously. “And as promised, the mirror is all yours. You may climb to claim your prize.” Peering up into the high corner, Rosella could see the reflection of the glass. Once again, ignoring all good sense that her mother tried to instill in her often-foolish daughter, Rosella reached forth into the icky sticky web, and began to climb. At first, the texture of the webbing was awkward to climb, but slowly and surely, the princess found a workable if not graceful stride up the net unhindered by the fangs of the vicious spider, just as he had promised. That however, did not stop her from holding her breath, waiting with each step for the feeling of hot needles piercing her delicate skin. Before long, she reached the mirror at the top, cradled gently in the webbing. It was an ornate design, gold trim encrusted with jewels. The princess could easily see why Lolotte would want it so well guarded, but she wasn’t quite sure what was so “magical” about it. She only hoped that she would know when the time was right. Grabbing the mirror, Rosella climbed safely back down to floor. She bowed and thanked the spider for his bargain, feeling a bit strange while doing so. Alas the vicious creature paid the princess no more mind, too busy spinning new webbing around his precious meal. How animalistic she thought, with a tremble realizing how easily it could have been her being covered in the filmy gauze. Now in possession of the precious magical mirror, Rosella looked around the room, and realized that she had reached a dead end. There were no stairs in sight. It was time to retrace her steps and head back in the other direction in search of the path to the second floor. [[Heading back...->Flicker b]]

<h1>Calling the Shots</h1> Not trusting the devilish spider for a second, Rosella decided upon a different approach. “How about I climb up and get the mirror, and when I knowingly reach the floor again safely, I’ll go and get your dinner for you?” she asked. Rosella waited for an answer, but the spider sat in his web, unresponsive, red eyes impossible to read. A little bit confused, the princess took his lack of response as a “yes” and proceeded to reach up into the web and climb it like a ladder. The sticky material was foreign and awkward at first, but putting forth a little effort allowed Rosella to clumsily make her way up the stretchy rungs. She kept her head looking up at the prize trying to focus on just that, and forget that she had willingly climbed into a potential trap. What happened was the last thing she expected, and became the one thing she would regret. Hearing the scuttle of the spider’s legs moving, she heard a whisper in her ear. “Why oh why, princess, did you not trust me?” The sound of his voice sent shivers down her spine, and she froze in her climb. She squeaked timidly. The scuttled sound moved down toward her feet when she felt the surprising sensation of a hot pin prick in her ankle, right where her legs were exposed, protected only by sheer white nylon, where the skin was the thinnest, pulled most taught against the body. The fluid pumped in, and Rosella instantly felt her temperature rise, but it was too late. Her trembling limbs were already becoming unresponsive. As the nerve sensations in her body were fading, she could feel the spider crawling grotesquely all over her body, spinning thin gauze around her slender form. Rosella contemplated her situation as his voice returned. “You are such a young and beautiful girl for something like this to happen. I truly tried to offer you the best scenario for both of us, but you’ve left me no choice. I couldn’t let you have the mirror and then run away without bringing me the food I so desperately needed. Your lack of trust leaves me no room to trust you. I must admit though, that the nourishment from your delicious body will allow me to cover the entire room in my web. With that, the spider ended his transmission and worked artistically with his jointed legs to wrap Rosella’s legs together in filmy gauze. A single tear rolled down her paralyzed cheek as she reveled in her own stupidity during her final moments. “Silk stockings were one thing, but THIS was ridiculous!” -The End [[Try again?->Far From Home]]

<h1>Flicker</h1> With the magic mirror now in her possession, Rosella headed back to the original fork where she had entered the castle. The northern door led into a narrow room, almost hallway like in size. The eastern wall was a barren stonewall, not even so interesting as to be covered by moss, but the smoky haze in the room probably choked that idea. On the opposite wall was an altar of some type. There was an old and fraying rug in which to kneel that bore a dizzying pattern and upon the altar was daylight’s worth of burning candles. They pushed their flickering light into every inch of the narrow hall. While most of their smoke traveled north up into a chimney above the altar, the airshaft was not wide enough to accommodate the cloudy traffic. Thus a haze had settled into the room that caused the dainty princess to cough and pinch her nose. The armies of candles left little room on the altar for a collection of hideous figurines from gargoyles, to medusa, to a powerful minotaur. The dark idols must have played some role in the strange worship that took place here. Rosella could see Lolotte fitting in here just fine, and she wasn’t even sure if the goons had minds anymore, but what she truly wondered is if Edgar ever came to this creepy room? In truth she knew very little about the cursed young man other than his devoted proposal in marriage that he had made to her some months ago. She had declined in order to return to her home, Daventry in order to restore King Graham’s health with the magical fruit that grew only in the deadly swamps of Tamir. In truth, she never imagined that she would be returning to Tamir, let alone see Edgar again. Nor did she anticipate the way he would take her rejection. Was he merely heartbroken, or did he truly wish the princess harm as Jenna had implied? Again, Rosella reasoned that it could not be her fault if he had taken her decline to the side of evil. She was a princess after all and he was… a monster, right? Her thoughts were becoming cloudy, or was it the room? Rosella sneezed and her head cleared, but as she blinked the smoke from her eyes, she screamed and fell on her backside. Had she been hallucinating? Had the altar put her into a trance? Through all her thoughts of her trials of adventure and Edgar’s love, Rosella had slipped down onto her knees at the altar unknowingly! The thought made the princess reel further away from the altar until her back was firmly against the opposite wall. Scrambling to her feet, Rosella dignified herself by brushing off her sleeves and skirt, arching her back, and straightening her jaw to focus herself. There were better things for a princess to be doing she decided. While she wished nothing to do with the hideous ornaments that adorned the altar, taking one of the candles along seemed to be a prudent idea. Prudence. Something Queen Valanice had always scolded her daughter for lacking. “Hmmpfh” sneered Rosella, turning up her nose at the thought. Another door was located at the northern end of the hallway. Plucking a candle from the altar, Rosella looked toward the next door. [[Heading North->Saving on Heat b]]

<h1>Taking Good Care of Her Skin</h1> Rosella passed through the door and a peculiar blend of awe and dread mingled to form goose bumps on her delicate skin. The foot of a magnificent staircase stood before her, and like a great serpent, wrapped around the walls of the tower, coiling upward. She had finally reached the path to the second level of the castle! Thanking her lucky stars that she had made it this far without meeting an untimely end, Rosella dreaded what awaited her on the next floor. Every step seemingly brought her closer to Lolotte. The very thought made the princess tremble, but fear would not deter her quest. With heels and magic mirror still in hand, she took resolute steps toward the coiling stairwell to face the unknown evils ahead. Putting one foot on the first step, Rosella tilted her head back to peer up the massive coiling staircase. The effect was dizzying, but what she saw was even worse. At first, she wasn’t quite sure what it was. It almost looked like a cat, but the more she squinted upwards, the more she realized she was wrong. No, it looked much more like a lizard. Yes, it was definitely a lizard. Her big blue eyes stared at the lizard intently; she had never seen anything quite so exotic in her homeland. She had the strangest feeling that the lizard was staring back down at her when the mirror went deadly cold in the palm of her hand. Terrified that the artifact’s glass might shatter under the pressure, Rosella ducked and covered her face, holding the potentially dangerous mirror above her head. Instead of the cold glass shattering into a shower of deadly shards, an ear splitting screech filled the tower. Startled by the horrifying sound, Rosella uncovered her head and peered up into the tower just in time to see a large gray block of stone plummeting right for her! She jumped backwards to land on roughly on her behind just in time to see a stone lizard crash to the floor and crack apart into large chunks. Rosella stared slack jawed at the broken remains of the stone lizard with blue saucer eyes unsure of what had just happened. She could only surmise that the magic mirror had saved her from a dark magic and being quick on her fate then avoided her a crushing blow! Nearly dying twice in the span of mere seconds was about all that she could handle, and thus she aptly fainted from the stress. At the foot of the stairs sometime later, Rosella’s eyes fluttered open after she had girlishly lost consciousness. “Well, well, well… look who we have here,” came a dreadful voice… [[Continue to the next page->The Three]]

<h1>The Three</h1> "Is she dead?" "I don't know, let me check." "No, don't touch her!" "I'm just brushing the hair out of her face!" "Whatever..." "Who asked you anyway?" The voices sounded distant and unfamiliar. They sounded like young men, three of them. Fluttering her eyelids, she found her vision initially blurry. There were two forms huddled over her body, but no sign of a third. It sounded like three different voices. Perhaps she was mistaken? From the angle they were huddled over her, she must have been on her back. On her back!? What had they done to her!? Panic seized her body, and she slid backward with her feet, inching her back up against the wall behind her, never taking her big blue eyes off the two strangers. By now, her vision had regained its quality and while sitting in an upright position, she could get a better look at the individuals she awoke to. They were both young men, no older than she as best she could tell. They were dressed for adventure judging by their boots and cloaks, and despite her panic, handsome travellers at that. They squatted, looking at her as she dared to look around the room. The stone walls and piles of rotting straw resembled those found in a dungeon. And there in the corner, she found the third voice. He was sitting off alone in the shadows with his knees drawn up to his chest. "Are you okay, miss?" the voice brought her attention back to the two men that were squatting in front of her. She was still too afraid to speak. "You were dragged in here by those goons a few hours ago. You've been unconscious ever since," added the other. The mention of the goons jogged her memory. "My name is, Night." "And I am Jafar, Captain of the Jade Scimitar, defender of the seas!" "Whatever," added the voice of the third from the shadows of his corner. "That would be, Knight." Seeing the girl's confused expression, he clarified. "He's Knight with a 'K.' I'm just Night." To this explanation she just nodded slowly. "Don't mind Knight, he's always that way," added Jafar cheerily. "Whatever," replied Knight. "And who might you be, miss?" asked Night, keeping things on task. Feeling the spotlight on her, she felt her cheeks ablaze with deep red. "I...I'm Rosella... Rosella of Daventry." she finally stammered. "Wow, Rosella of Daventry? Well if I didn't know any better, I'd say you looked like a princess!" exclaimed Jafar, looking her over. Rosella immediately pulled her skirt around her, closing the slit that revealed her legs immodestly. Night cuffed Jafar on the back of his head seeing the young woman's embarrassment. "Actually, I am the Princess of Daventry," she confessed. Jafar shot Night an 'I told you so' look. "Tell me Rosella, what is a princess doing in the dungeon of an evil witch?" asked Night, once again keeping things on task. "I...I," Rosella realized it was such a long story. Taking a deep breath, she did the best she could summarizing her coming through the magic mirror to return to Tamir and aid in the rescue of Genesta and defeat of Lolotte. "I guess I haven't done such a good job so far, huh?" sniffled the princess, wiping at her nose. “Nonsense! You’re merely a heroine in the clutches of evil. Every great adventure features this moment!” Jafar gleamed as he hopped up and down on the straw mattress. “Pardon my friend, Jafar. He has a bit of flare for the dramatic,” eased Night. Still, they managed to put a smile on the sullen girl’s face. A victory for any hero on a journey. Feeling a little more warmed up to discussion, Rosella found the courage to ask the questions. “What, I mean, how did you guys end up here?” “Well,” said Night shrugging his shoulders, “we all met in a port town far up the coast, and it just happened that Jafar was the captain of a vessel and he had caused a little raucous in the inn we were staying at. Something to do with jumping on the beds at all hours of the night.” Jafar grimaced at the sound of this accusation, but Night continued. “The angry patrons chased us from the tavern and all the way to the docks. We quickly boarded the Jade Scimitar and set sail down the coast in search of a King’s Quest.” “A what?” interrupted Rosella, confused. “A King’s Quest,” echoed Jafar. “You know, like a quest fit for a king,” he clarified. The princess nodded while Night continued. “Anyways, so we sailed south for some time before running ashore on a strange new land, we later discovered was Tamir. We wandered the countryside before being confronted by an enormous ogre which Knight was all too eager to fight.” “Whatever.” “Well, while he was convinced that he could defeat the monster, Jafar and I managed to pull him away before things got too out of hand. We were chased into the mountains, and before we knew it, we got plucked up by those bat-winged goons and thrown in this slammer!” “How long have you guys been here?” asked Rosella. “Well, let’s see here… at least a month now, right guys?” Night looked to Jafar, who nodded, while Knight just sort of grunted from his shadowy corner. “And the food is not very good,” added Jafar. “A month!? But, but I can’t stay here. I, Genesta needs me!” cried Rosella. Seeing the tears rimming the girl’s big blue eyes, Jafar and Night huddled close together and discussed something privately, and after nodding in agreement, Night took the information over to Knight in his corner to relay the information. Knight replied with his usual “whatever,” and the next thing everyone heard was Night strangling Knight, yelling something about “you will help Rosella you big idiot!” Jafar pulled Night off their grouchy friend before things got too out of hand, and the three completed their private discussion casting periodic glances over at the wary princess. Returning to the curious princess, they announced that they had a plan, and Night walked over to the dungeon door. Pulling the hood of his cloak over his head, he abruptly transformed into a shadowy form, and slid under the door, only to reappear on the other side of the barred window. His face was devoid of any features except eyes that glowed a menacing yellow, but when he flipped the hood of his cloak back down, his smiling face returned. “Now WHY didn’t you do that 30 days ago?” asked Jafar wryly. “I was waiting to rescue a princess,” he grimaced. Rosella blushed at his heroism, but couldn’t help thinking he was a bit crazy at the same time. “Now, let’s see here,” he said humming to himself as he went to work on the lock. A series of clicks mixed with the occasional curse word, and Night had successfully opened the door. The three remaining prisoners rushed out of the musty cell. “Where to princess?” asked Night as the four stood in the hall. “We need to get back up to the second floor. That’s where we’ll find Genesta… and Lolotte,” she said with a shiver. With that, the four made their way to the stairs based on Rosella’s memory, finding their detained equipment along the way. Upon reaching the stairs where Rosella had defeated the basilisk, the group was startled by a screeching sound. The wall at the base of the tower was dotted with large holes much like a honeycomb. Following the ear splitting cry, half a dozen forms crawled forth from the walls, spreading their leathery bat wings with ferocity. It was Lolotte’s goons! Their miserable pale faces with sightless eyes and sharp-toothed mouths snarled at the intruders, while they stretched their long clawed fingers. “Princess, make haste up the stairwell! We will handle these beasts,” barked Night courageously. “Indeed, get thee to safety, lass. This be a pirate’s work!” added Jafar drawing his blade with just a hint of lunacy in his voice. Knight said nothing, rather placed himself between Rosella and danger while she gathered her wits about her. The three adventurers readied their swords while goons closed in. Terrified of the coming violence, the timid princess gathered her skirt up in her hands, and hastily ran up the winding staircase, the sound of steel and claws clashing horrifically beneath her. She fought the tears rimming her big eyes so not to stumble and fall. Silently she thanked the strange heroes for their valiance. [[Continue to the next page->2nd Floor of the Castle]]

<h1>Second Floor of the Castle</h1> The clicks of Rosella's heels echoed loudly as she spiraled up the magnificent staircase trying to shut out the swordplay that unfolded beneath her. It was not so much her fear for the three strangers' safety. In fact, though she had only just met them, her heart told her they were noble and able warriors. Rather the young princess was trying to keep her mind focused on the mission she returned to Tamir for: to rescue Genesta and her band of fairies. They had to be located somewhere on the second floor of the castle. Between driving the sound of steel from her ears, Rosella fought the thoughts of Edgar's journal from her mind as well. When she reached the top of the stairs, she found herself in the center of a long hallway. Before her was a large set of double doors, while to either side of her stretched a length of hall that both led to a short set of steps up to a door. Rosella concentrated while making her decision. [[The double doors->Plots Unfolding]] [[Right path->Hearts and Sleeves]] [[Left path->Viper!]]

<h1>Plots Unfolding</h1> The double doors swung open to reveal a wide open laboratory complete with tables of bubbling beakers and glass tubes spiraling and funneling bubbling juices and unknown substances. At the heart of it all was another of Genesta's little fairies chained to a dingy tabletop appearing haggard and weak. Rosella threw caution to the wind at the sight of the betrothed little creature and ran toward her, crying out in concern. The two exchanged greetings as the small fairy confessed she had heard rumors that the heroic princess had returned to Tamir, but admitted she could not believe the wonderful news until now. Looking at the strong chains that held the fairy captive, Rosella's brow furrowed in desperate thought until the fairy directed her to a ring of keys that hung on the wall. As the princess retrieved the keys, she noticed something strange and elaborate on one of the other tables. It was a large parchment that appeared to be a blueprint of sorts for the castle. Touching the curling edge of the paper, the fairy cried out. "There is no time, Princess. Great danger is imminent!" Backing away from the ominous drawing, Rosella worked through the ring of keys until she found one that fit the lock of little fairy's imprisonment. "You must hurry, Rosella. The witch, Lolotte has taken my powers as well as those of my sisters, and I'm afraid she is close to acquiring all the power she needs if she has not already!" cried the fairy in one fast breath. Having heard this from the other fairies, Rosella was desperate to know what it was that Lolotte was planning. The curiosity and confusion was evident on the princess's face. "She will use her magic in conjunction with our own to bring a massive creature to life. A creature in this castle. It will raze Tamir, and I fear even lands beyond the sea!" The last words pinched Rosella's heart as she echoed the fairy's words, "lands beyond the sea..." "Where in the castle is the creature, what is it?" fired the important questions at the little fairy. "It's-" but her answer was cut off as the double doors burst open and the daring pirate Jafar, Captain of the Jade Scimitar came bursting through, sword in hand. "Milady! Danger approaches, and I need to get you out of here!" "What!? Where's Night, and Knight?" asked Rosella as she looked behind him for any sign of his companions. Seeming to ignore her tedious questions, he peered around the room with urgency, but seeing the deep concern on her lovely face, gave the hurried Captain pause. "They're fine, lass. They'll meet up with us soon, but for now, we need to get down that chute!" he said, indicating an opening in the wall. "Down what?" asked Rosella suspicious of the small opening that appeared to be a laundry or trash chute of some kind. [[Down the chute->All Time Low]] [[No way!->I'd Sooner Marry a Monster...]]

<h1>Hearts and Sleeves</h1> Peering down the right corridor, Rosella quickly made her way down, curious to find that she did not recall what lie beyond the door at the end. The door itself was nondescript, making it all the more curious. Testing the knob, the princess found it to be unlocked as well. With any luck, she would find and rescue another of Genesta's fairies inside. Cracking the door open just enough to poke her blond head inside, Rosella was not exposed to a prison, rather a bedroom. As it appeared to be unoccupied, Rosella slipped inside and began to peek around for clues. Against the lavishness of the rest of the castle this room appeared small, the decor humble. The air itself felt sad and lonely. "Edgar," whispered the princess. Not to the hunched over green man, but to what lie upon the meager desk in the corner. It was once again his journal. And now it was obvious this sad little room was where he slept, though he was nowhere to be seen at the moment. Taking intimidated steps toward the open book, Rosella touched it with her long slender fingers. She shivered at the grain of the paper, remembering what was written on the pages all too well. "Rosella..." the sad voice came from behind the princess causing her to scream in surprise, turning around to face a hunched over figure, with sickly green skin, dressed in tattered brown clothes. "Edgar!" she gasped. His presence was menacing, causing her instinctively back up against the desk, gripping it for support. "You've returned to me, my love," he said after a long silence. "Edgar, I" Rosella tried to reply. Seeing her standing next to his open journal, he cut her off. "You read my words? Then you know how you abandoned me, to the mercilessness of my mother. I professed my love for you and you forsook me. You chose your kingdom over mine, and left me as a monster." "Edgar, I couldn't, I had to save my," "But now you've returned. And now we may be wed, as it was meant to be." "Wed!? Edgar, I can't! You don't understand! I'm sorry that I hurt you, but I did not mean to!" "Guards. Take my new bride to be to her chamber so she may dress for the ceremony," ordered Edgar, seeming not to listen to Rosella's pleas. Obediently, two goons marched forward and grabbed the exasperated princess by her slender arms. She squirmed defiantly, but they're strength was 10 times hers, and it was futile. Despite her qualms, they marched her down the hall toward a private chamber where she would prepare for... [[The Wedding->The Wedding]]

<h1>Viper!</h1> Wandering down the left corridor, Rosella came upon a sturdy looking wooden door with a wicked iron gargoyle face mounted at eye level that made her fair skin shiver. It was that very icon that stirred her memory from months ago when she had previously visited the land of Tamir in a quest to vanquish evil in the very halls of this castle. Rosella suddenly remembered that beyond the door lay the bedroom of the witch, Lolotte. Rosella thought she had killed the witch with an arrow of pure love fired from Cupid's bow upon her last journey, but her aim had not been true, and the wound not mortal. When the news came to her in the magic mirror that Lolotte had regained power and threatened to once again take over the land of Tamir, Rosella was filled with disbelief and fear. Those same emotions were filling her slender body as she stood outside the sleeping quarters once again. Lolotte's magic was strong, and Rosella had little to protect herself against it, save for Cupid's bow and faith that her aim would be true this time. Rosella trembled at the thought of Lolotte's wicked magic spells. The princess thought about the courage and heroics of her father King Graham and twin brother, Prince Alexander. She admired their quests while forgetting to credit herself for the boundless courage that filled her own fast beating heart. While she trembled, she was the most courageous girl in all of Daventry. She just never let herself see it. Taking a deep breath, Rosella cleverly slipped her feet out of her little black heels, touching the thin nylons down on the cool stone floor with a shiver. She wiggled her toes, knowing she could now proceed silently. Adjusting Cupid's Bow over her shoulder, she gingerly opened the door and peaked inside. When she wasn't immediately zapped into oblivion, Rosella poked her head inside, then slid the rest of her narrow body through the slightly open door. She didn't dare open it more than enough to slink past for fear of it creaking. Rosella's heart raced as one's does when breaking and entering. She was here on a grave quest. Cupid's bow was not for show. It was a tool to aid her in the defeat of Lolotte. She was here to kill her. The truth made Rosella's limbs weak. Again she wished her father and brother were here. She quickly pushed aside the weak thoughts. They were not here. She was. And it was Princess Rosella that would save Tamir by defeating Lolotte. Heroine or not, Rosella was still a scared little girl. She was almost glad when she peered around the bed chamber of the witch to find it seemingly unoccupied. Padding around the circular room, Rosella stared at the bedroom furniture tops scattered with miscellaneous objects and personal affects of the sinister witch. Many of the perfumes gave off a revolting scent that Rosella's sensitive nose curl. The bed was just as the princess remembered it, right before she shot the sleeping witch. It was lavishly large, decorated in animal skins of deep dark colors. She gingerly touched the edge as if not believing someone so evil as Lolotte actually ever slept. The almost quiet empty serenity of the chamber gave Rosella cause to let her guard down, and she took a step back from the bed when she heard a faint word whispered in her ear. "Viper..." She felt a hand with wrinkled fingers trace lines across the smooth skin of her porcelain cheek, gently urging her to turn around. As the princess made the slow turn she found herself face to face with the very one she thought she had defeated. Lolotte. There she was in all her green skinned glory, dressed in a black robe and that word echoed in Rosella's ear... "Viper..." All the while, he crooked green fingers were outstretched glowed with pastel magic, her eyes a magnificent red, and her mouth opened in excitement, revealing rows of sharp teeth. Rosella felt the warmth of the magic envelop the curves of her slender body, billowing her hair like a golden flag, and sending her skirt about to reveal her stocking clad legs immodestly. Her mouth opened wide in shock terror, her blue eyes bulged while Lolotte's magic went to work on her body. The deep vermilion of her gown began fading toward gray and eventually white. The pinkness of her legs beneath their pantyhose disappeared, leaving just white, her sun golden hair blanched, the ruby of her lips, drained to white, the cerulean of her eyes was the last to go, before she stood a snow white statue of ashes, eye sockets and mouth gaping in terror. As Lolotte released her magic, Rosella's form slowly gave way starting atop her head, crumbling down to leave a powdery white pile as her remains. I guess she took your first meeting personally, Rosella! -The End [[Try again?->2nd Floor of the Castle]] <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-zapped.jpg" width="750"> Comic by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>All Time Low</h1> "I will go first milady. Just in case a monster's dinner pot awaits below!" Wait! You mean you don't kno-!?" but Rosella's scream was cut short. Jafar had already grabbed her by the hand and pulled her in after him. The two of them tumbled down the dark shaft both hearts racing to the unknown fate that lay below. The drop ended with an uncomfortable thud. One more so than the other. Jafar, in his chivalry, smacked down first on a crumbly pile of coal. The decidedly "weighty" princess then came crashing down upon him, knocking the poor pirate out cold. With a groan, Rosella sat up with a whisper, "Jafar? Are you okay?" Looking around, her soot powdered cheeks burned a deep red as she noticed she was sitting on the poor hero! Her analysis also revealed streaks of black coal soiled her royal white stockings. "Oh yuck!" she whined, quickly licking her palms and trying to wash her legs clean for the second time this adventure confirming that the tumble and landing had indeed not knocked the princess out of her! Scrambling off the downed pirate, Rosella peered around to see where exactly they had landed, and if there perhaps might be something to help wake Jafar. The lighting was low, and the heat was overwhelming. Fires burned in various pits around the open room, while cauldrons brimming with molten metal hung above the flames, bubbling and overflowing. By all estimates, they had fallen all the way into the basement. The good news was that they were alive, the bad news was they were not alone. Guttural sounds of chatter echoed in the large low-lit chamber. Rosella turned her head this way and that sending her long blond hair whipping about. The voices were coming from all sides and soon the shadowy forms came into visual distance. If they were more of Lolotte's goons, then they made the ones upstairs appear as royal guard, because the skin was sick with green, boils, and spots. Their teeth were whittled down from rot, grotesquely spaced out, but razor sharp. The starved creatures' bodies were hunched over lean in fat, wiry in muscle. Their eyes were frenzied at the sight of Rosella's body. If their heads bore any thoughts, the princess's imagination was too terrified to comment. It would be better not to know. She felt unacceptably beautiful in their vile presence, and the feeling scared her to death. Daring to look down at Jafar, Rosella silently wished he would stir, but he remained fast unconscious. The pressure of choice was heavy on her sleight shoulders. Run for help, and leave the pirate? Or stand her ground and do... what? The trembling princess took a breath and... [[Run for help->Showered With Attention]] [[Stand her ground->Perfect Time of Knight]]

<h1>I'd Sooner Marry a Monster...</h1> "No," replied Rosella incredulously. "No!?" echoed Jafar, as if she might be kidding. "I said no. There is no way I'm going down that chute," confirmed the resolute princess, folding her arms across her chest. "All due respect, princess. There's no time to be high and mighty about this!" exclaimed the pirate, hoping to reason with the stubborn girl. "You heard me. No." Glaring at his tone with her. "I'd sooner marry a monster!" Putting his hands to his head, Jafar contemplated his next move when the doors to the lab gave way in a bursting motion. A pair of Lolotte's goons stormed in, eyes fixed on the intruders. The pirate knew his only chance would be to force the princess down the chute with him. If only he could have known this a moment earlier. The goons' surprise entrance startled the timid young princess. She turned with a gasp to see who had burst in and her hip bumped into an equally surprised Jafar, effectively sending him headlong down the chute. The last thing he saw before the drop cut off his vision was one of the goons grabbing a fistful of Rosella's splendid blond hair, and dragging her along the floor toward her wedding he presumed. He couldn't help but think, "I guess she got her wish!" -The End [[Try again?->2nd Floor of the Castle]]

<h1>The Wedding</h1> Rosella could not believe she let herself get caught. How could she be so stupid? But it was too late for such self pity. Her fate was sealed. She was doomed to become Mrs Edgar with Lolotte as a mother in law! The thought nearly caused the fragile princess to faint as she stood in front of the mirror in her bra and panties. Her body was covered in goose bumps as she looked upon her wedding ensemble. "There there, dear. Get dressed before you catch cold. You'll make a lovely bride," cackled the voice of Lolotte's blind mother. Rosella peered over her shoulder at the wretched seamstress before turning her gaze back toward the mirror. The midnight satin dress was hung beside the mirror, displayed in full length. The smoothness of the dark fabric matched with white lace trim was as beautiful as it was revolting to the nauseous young girl. Taking a deep breath, Rosella pulled it down from the hanger, and slipped it over her head, and letting the liquid satin flow down her tender curves, and puddle ever so slightly at the floor. The dress fit perfectly, as the old woman had assured her. Next, there was a gauzy pair of sheer barely black pantyhose hanging over the mirror. Grabbing them, Rosella settled down on the bed, and rolled them up carefully in her hands. One by one she dipped her foot into the silky fabric, working them slowly up her porcelain calves, past the knees, up the thigh and finally around her waist. While they silky to the touch, and teasingly revealed the whiteness of her legs beneath the smoky nylon, Rosella couldn't help but feel that they were choking the very life out of her. With a sigh, she let her skirt drop back to the floor. The matching elbow length gloves made of the same midnight satin as her dress came next, gliding easily up her long straight arms. And finally, she grabbed the bouquet of black roses to complete her wedding ensemble. A knock at the door, told her the ceremony was ready. With a glance at the mirror and a lone tear from her blue eyes, the sad princess marched weakly toward the door and the waiting guards. Dressed in formal ceremony attire, two of Lolotte's goons led Rosella into the throne room, where Edgar waited at the altar. He blushed at the beautiful sight of Rosella. And indeed she was beautiful. If only it didn't end like this for her though. Lolotte sat upon her throne and watched the ceremony silently. "I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride," finished captain of the guard, head of the ceremony. Rosella swallowed hard, realizing this was worse than a nightmare as she turned to face Edgar, leaning in for the awaited kiss. The kiss sealed the deal of Rosella's failure. Her quest was over, and there would be no others. Edgar and Lolotte were now her family, and Tamir was conquered. It was not the ending she had planned, but it was her ending. After the ceremony concluded, Rosella walked with her new husband into their new lavish bedroom. The night that awaited her made her sick. At the foot of the bed, Edgar shyly blushed, and made gesture at Rosella. Swallowing hard, she obediently slid her dress down to the floor, stepping from the puddle on the floor. Leaving just her bra and hosiery, the princess squirmed uncomfortably. Eying his new wife, Edgar spoke, "You will provide me with a family to rule Tamir, and you will be a good wife." Then he waved for her to proceed. As she reached her thumbs into the waistband of her nylons, Rosella paused. She couldn't go through with it. Out of a mixture of headstrong defiance and total fear, she slowly wobbled and fainted face first onto the bed. It would take more than fainting to save this princess though. Good luck, Rosella. You're going to need it! -The End... or a new beginning at any rate! [[Try again?->2nd Floor of the Castle]]

<h1>Showered With Attention</h1> Rosella broke through the ranks of underground goons with a few gnashes and gashes, but she fought off the fear and pain with a few well shed tears. She ran with all that her terrified heart could muster which was pretty good considering she could not see very well in the low lighting, had no idea where she was going, and was attempting to flee in high heels and a long skirt! As if to make matters worse, thoughts of Jafar crept into parts of Rosella's mind that terror had left vacant. Would he be all right? Did she do the right thing? What help was she going to find? This girlish self doubt was just enough to distract her into tripping over an ill placed stone. Toppling over face forward, she felt the wind knocked out of her as she hit the hard ground. There was after all no pirate to break her fall this time. There was actually no more time at all. Sitting up, she noticed that she was already surrounded by the demented subterranean creatures. Rosella wasn't even able to get her breath back, and that helplessness revealed itself in panicked hyperventilation, clutching and gasping. All the while she saw them circle in around her carrying cauldrons of molten liquid. Before she had the breath back to scream, she curled up into a little ball, covering her silky blond head with her slender hands as the creatures dumped their molten filled buckets, showering her in lava. Her fears were washed away in an instant, along with the rest of her! Her father had taught her to let things roll off her back, but this time it didn't work! -The End [[Try again?->2nd Floor of the Castle]]

<h1>Perfect Time of Knight</h1> Princess Rosella stood next to Jafar's fallen body as it lay upon a sooty bed of coal. Her tiny fists were balled up with as much fight as she could muster. If it weren't for the direness of the situation, she might have looked quite comical. But her determination to stand by her fallen hero, regardless how skinny her arms were, was nothing short of admirable. There was no question of her guts. Initially that is what kept the dwellers of the dark from slashing the slender girl into ribbons. But they could feel the fear even as it washed off her sweaty trembling body. The little balled fists shook, the eyes blinked to dam the tears, the unsteady legs rocked her entire body. There was no question of her guts. She would stand over Jafar until her last sweet breath. Rosella sucked in to take just that as she tried to control the whimper that escaped as her muscles tightened, seeing the first of the monstrosities leap at her. It's claws were poised just as its teeth were gnashed to cut into the softness that was Rosella's pale white skin. The princess stood there and took it like a grown woman. But her courage was not absolute. Fear and reaction were uncontrollable and she squeezed her eyes shut, and let out a groan in anticipation of the horror she could not imagine was next. As next came, she found the pain was not quite as horrifying as she imagined. In fact it felt like nothing more than a tiny poke in the ribs. Sensing that death was not as painful as she had feared, Rosella summoned the courage to open her eyes. She flinched at the sight of the wicked beast looking back at her. Then glancing down to inspect her mortal wound, she touched the dress all about her torso and gasped. There was no blood. And the beast's claw that had "slain" her was no claw at all. It was a point of metal. And while it poked her uncomfortably in her ribs, it drew not a drop of royal blood. Looking up in confusion, Rosella could make out a shadowy form standing behind the monster. The steely point withdrew from her rib and likewise from the vile monster's back leaving it to slump to the floor and Rosella to let out a frightened gasp. It was only then that the naive princess noticed that half a dozen of the subterranean dwellers lay dead at her feet! She put her hand to her mouth, but controlled herself out of respect of her latest rescuer. Looking back up, she squinted her eyes in the low light. "Knight?" she asked in a timid voice. He nodded in silent reply. Rosella suddenly felt compelled to graciously hug the brooding heroic teddy bear, but seeing him take a reserved step back, she awkwardly put her hands to her sides, smoothing out her skirt, and rocking on her heels. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, Rosella looked up at Knight and noticed that he had not survived the fight without a few scratches of his own. Reaching a slender hand up toward the bloody streaks, she gasped, "You're hurt!" "It's nothing. I'm fine," he replied, batting her hand away. The princess wrinkled her nose at him. "Besides, I've got to get you up to see Night. He knows something... about this castle." "Jafar!" exclaimed Rosella. "I'll tend to him," replied Knight echoing the girl's concern. "There's a small tunnel up against that wall. I can give you a boost. At the fork, take a right. It will lead you to Night." Rosella nodded and followed Knight over toward the wall. Taking his hand, she allowed him to gently raise her up so that she could crawl into the raised tunnel. Before crawling in, Rosella turned to Knight with a smile. "Thank you for rescuing me." Returning her smile with half of one, the princess thought she saw him roll his eyes, but she definitely heard him mumble, "whatever." Turning back toward tunnel, Rosella giggled at Knight's seriousness. After crawling a few dozen feet, the tunnel forked into two directions, just as he said it would. Now which direction did he say again? [[Right->Night of Revelations]] [[Left->A Run For Her Life]]

<h1>Night of Revelations</h1> The soft light at the end of the tunnel could not have come soon enough for the squeamish young princess. It had been a long crawl through a cramped and dirty tunnel. The many tiny pebbles that bit into her tender knees through her skirt didn’t make the journey any more comfortable. As she reached the end of the tunnel, she awkwardly turned herself around so that she could lower herself out feet first. The drop was not far at all, and the light she had seen came from a flickering torch secured in a wall sconce. Night had been standing over a large wooden table, hands spread out in front when he heard the girlish grunts of the princess dropping in. Turning quickly with a flap of mysterious black cloak, he greeted her with a smile. “Rosella, I’m so glad you’re okay!” Only to be caught off guard by her throwing her slender arms around him in an excited hug. “Oh, Night! I thought you were…” but she stopped before she said it. “By a couple of goons? Hardly, my dear. Why I should tell you about the time…” but this time he stopped, seeing Rosella fix him with a raised eyebrow, hands on her slender hips. “Though perhaps another time,” he coughed turning back toward the table he had so intently been inspecting before she dropped in. Rosella giggled before peering around his shoulder to see what it was that held the adventurer’s attention so fixed. There was a large parchment unrolled over the large wooden tabletop. Another parchment was rolled up off to the side of the open one. At first glance, it was obvious that it was a map. Peering at the locations depicted on the large sheet, the princess could see the Dwarves’ mine, the Ogre’s house, the Living Forest, and… Lolotte’s castle. It was a map of Tamir. But it was more than that. For beyond the beaches of Tamir and Genesta’s island castle was a vast ocean, and… Daventry! All the lands of the world were on the map. “I… don’t understand,” said Rosella, voicing her thoughts with a confused brow. “Maybe this will help,” replied Night, reaching for the other parchment. Sliding the skull-faced ring off that kept it rolled, he smoothed it out on top of the world map. It was some sort of architectural schematic, that much Rosella could tell from her privileged royal upbringing. It was some sort of blueprint of Lolotte’s castle. But beyond this, the mathematical language became foreign to her. When her eyes reached the bottom corner, she wrinkled her nose in disgust at a strange and grotesque depiction. “What is this?” asked the princess, still in the dark. “Why is there a map of the world down here, and a blueprint of the castle? Knight said you had discovered something?” the edge of panic was straining her words. “It is our worst fear, princess,” replied Night heavily. “I confiscated these maps from a secret room within the castle through use of my… abilities. I did not dare analyze them until I found the safety of this room, and…” “Night, what are you hiding from me!?” cried Rosella, slapping her hand against his chest in panic. Night grabbed hold of Rosella’s wrist. Gently but firmly, he guided her hand down to touch the ghastly illustration at the bottom of the page. Fixing her with a chilling stare he said, “I have uncovered Lolotte’s beast.” Turning her eyes down toward the open parchment, Rosella put her hand to her gaping mouth. Night said what her voice could not. It was all right there on blueprints. The packed up crates, the vacant feeling inside the castle, the stolen magic of the fairies, the molten forges, the warnings of a mysterious beast that would ravage the land. Rosella slid her hand from covering the horrifying picture to look at it in a new comprehending light. “The Castle,” was all she could muster. “Yes the Castle,” echoed Night. “It is the juggernaut of Lolotte’s dark magic. She will not only raze Tamir with the awakening, but march him across oceans to other lands as well!” Rosella did not need him to say it for her to understand that he meant her homeland, Daventry. He thoughts returned to home, and how worried her family must be by now of her disappearance. She felt a pang of guilt, but she had no choice. And now, she was the only thing standing between them and ultimate destruction. Never had the princess felt so small as now. The burden of adventure never looked so heavy on her father’s shoulders, but hers were so sleight, and this bore the weight of a castle. “We need to stop her, stop this from happening,” stated Rosella, trying to shake the fog, say something coherent. “Right. Let’s regroup with Jafar and Knight and plan our next move,” nodded Night in agreement. “That’s a good idea. You should do that. But I have a meeting with Lolotte and Edgar that I must do alone. I will reason with them,” replied Rosella. “Reason with them? Are you nuts!? No offense princess, but Lolotte doesn’t seem like a very reasonable witch, and Edgar has not presented himself as very forgiving! What if you can’t reason with them!?” “Then I will do what I must to save my family, my kingdom. I will kill them both.” Night watched her with an exasperated look on his face, but he was also no fool. Princess Rosella was royalty, bred to be cool, but his shrewd eyes caught the fearful quiver in her jaw, and the near choke in her final words. She was cashing in on more bravery than she had, but for that he had to let her go. Watching her turn and walk with forced grace toward the door, he could not see, but knew she longed to wipe away at the tears rimming her big blue eyes. His sympathies went out to her. Why she felt she had to do all this on her own was beyond him. It was like she was trying to live up to some great family name. Then again, he did not know the history of the royal family of Daventry and all their adventures. Turning his attention back to the castle blueprints, Night decided that princess Rosella would have much more than just his sympathies in support. With a dash of his cloak, he was gone. ''The End... of Chapter III'' [[Continue to Chapter IV->Chapter IV]]

<h1>A Run For Her Life</h1> or <h1>Darn Those Cheap Nylons!</h1> Rosella crawled down the left hand tunnel internally grumbling to herself over the cramped space. Upon reaching the end, she peaked her head out into an open room. With nobody in sight, she glanced down to the floor. It would be a bit of a drop, and she did not wish to twist her ankle, so she awkwardly maneuvered until she was able to pop her heels off. “There,” Rosella said with success as she dropped down the floor with a girlish grunt. Dusting herself off, she got ready to inspect the room, when she heard voices coming from the outside hall beyond the door. Eyes wide with panic, the princess quickly scanned the room for any possible place to hide. With time not on her side, she arbitrarily decided upon a curtain hanging from the wall. Pulling aside the tall curtain, Rosella took a step forward when she felt a tug at her foot. Looking down in irritation to see what the hold up was, she discovered the toe seam of her stockings had snagged on a jagged stone floor slab! Unbelievable! Thought the princess to herself of her wretched luck. Looking the door, she could tell that the voices were getting close. She had time to do one of two things. Either peel off the troublesome undergarment, or try to work the snag free in time. Once again, vanity won out on Rosella’s better judgment, and she went to work on the snag. Unfortunately, the pressure of time made her hands shaky and uncoordinated, and not only was she unsuccessful with un-snagging her toe, she managed to work a run up the side of her foot and halfway up her calf! “Oh, I could just die of embarrassment!” pouted Rosella at the damage her handiwork had caused. She thought about removing the destroyed garment now, but she had already wasted too much time. She would only make it down to her knees before she was burst in upon. With a whimper she said, “This run is going to be the death of me,” before jumping behind the curtain and pulling it around her in a flurry. Not a moment too soon. The door flew open as she disappeared from view; all save for a six-inch stretch of nylon held fast to a snag on the floor. She pulled back with her foot desperately from behind the curtain, but the garment just stretched defiantly. Lolotte stormed into the room followed by a worried looking goon. “What do you mean the maps are gone!?” she yelled with authority. Her red eyes swept the room. “We’re not sure what happened,” stammered the guard. “Well, I want the entire castle turned upside down!” she growled with flaring red eyes and snap of her fingers. “Yes milady,” saluted the nervous goon. With a sweeping scan of the room he noticed a crumpled pile of a white gosamer fabric covered in a fine white ash. “What’s this?” he asked aloud. Stopping just as she left the room, Lolotte replied, “nothing, just a bit of trash.” -The End [[Try again?->2nd Floor of the Castle]] <img src="http://amystories.net/rosella/comic-zappedagain.JPG" width="750"> Comic by <a href="http://www.thewotch.com">Anne Onymous</a>

<h1>Chapter IV</h1> <h1>The Confrontation</h1> Rosella proceeds up the stairway to a dark and musty corridor. Her head swims with the recent relevations from the map room. Lolotte is planning to turn this very castle into a monstrous, lumbering juggernaut, and she has designs on conquering, not just Tamir, but Rosella's home country of Daventry! Upon Rosella's brow lies a dreadful burden, for the lives and livelihoods of everyone she has ever known now rests upon her slender shoulders. She isn't exactly sure how to stop the impending calamity, but she knows she has to do something, and right now, the only something she can think of is to confront Lolotte and Edgar directly. Rosella wanders cautiously out of the stairway and into the hall. Mouldering tapestries adourn the corridor, as well as some decrepit chairs, display tables, and ornaments that seem as though they may once have been rather beautiful, before time and neglect had their way with them. Through an open doorway, she can see what appears to be a library. Another doorway leads to a narrow, winding staircase, which she would guess, from living in Castle Daventry, leads up to a tower. As Rosella surveys the room, she hears footsteps behind her! It's the loud clack of high heels on stone; almost certainly Lolotte herself! Panic seizes Rosella, like an icy, skeletal hand clenching her heart! She came to confront Lolotte, but is she ready to do it now? And, if she is, will it work? What will Rosella do? [[Hide under a table->Smooshed!]] [[Stand tall and confront Lolotte with words->Trophy Princess]] [[Draw Cupid's Bow and prepare to take Lolotte by surprise->Froggy Fate]] [[Quickly! Run into the library!->Quiet!]] [[Up the stairs! The further away from Lolotte, the better!->Slide!]]

<h1>Smooshed!</h1> Rosella's tender nerves fail her. "I need to confront Lolotte," her panicked brain thinks, "But not <i>quite</i> yet..." Looking around in a frenzy, Rosella spots a large, scary looking table, ornately carved from a dark, heavy wood. She decides that the shadows cast by it should be enough to conceal her slender frame. Flopping down onto all fours, Rosella scrambles under the table, hugs her knees to her chest, and tries not to make a scared whimper as Lolotte approaches. The click of Lolotte's heels grows louder and sharper as the green-skinned fairy approaches. Rosella ventures to peek at the high-heeled boots as they grow closer, closer... then pass right by and begin to grow farther away. Lolotte is ceaselessly berating an ornately-dressed goon following her. The subject of Lolotte's rant passes right through Rosella's brain, which is otherwise occupied being terrified at the prospect of discovery. The princess lets out the faintest of sighs as Lolotte passes. No sooner does she do so, though, than Lolotte pauses and spins on her heels to face the direction she came from. A muffled sigh caught her attention, and the briefest flash of white stocking in a place where stockings ought not to be held it. Rosella's heart stops as she stares, breathless, at the pointy black heels that now face her. Has she been discovered? Did her foolishly premature sigh bring her journey to a grim end? She faintly trembles in her stockings at the thought. Lolotte smirks and addresses the goon. "And on top of everything else, you force me to exterminate the vermin that you are too incompetent to wipe out yourself!" With a snap of her fingers, the legs fly out from under the tabletop, causing the heavy wood to plunge down and mash the slight princess flat. The next evening, with the ruins of Tamir smouldering outside her bedroom window, Lolotte unfurls her latest banner of victory: A flattened Princess Rosella, cowering in a fetal position, smooshed to the thickness of a sheet of parchment. Lolotte hangs the princess over her bed as a reminder that, no matter how pretty and lucky a damsel may be, Lolotte always gets the last laugh in the end! -The End [[Try again?->Chapter IV]]

<h1>Froggy Fate</h1> Rosella pulls out her bow, nocks an arrow, and draws back the twine. She prepares to fire at the evil fairy juuuuust as she walks around the corner. Sweat beads on her brow in anticipation. Her mind races, considering the moral implications of her actions. Lolotte is evil, certainly, but is it not also evil to lie in ambush like this? It is not in her nature to be violent, after all... Lolotte rounds the corner of the stairwell and sees Rosella. The princess hesitates, unsure if she can go through with her plan. The dilemma is taken out of her hands, though, as Lolotte reacts quickly and free of moral compunctions. With a wave of her hand, a magic blast arcs through the air and strikes Rosella, knocking the princess onto her dainty backside. Rosella has only half a moment to regret her indecision before the blast strikes her. The princess is shocked and dazed, but otherwise seems... fine? As she collects her bearings, she feels a sudden, sharp hiccup. "Ribbit!" Huh? It comes again, forcing its way out of her tiny lips even as she tries to hold it back. "Ribbit!" Her hand flies to her mouth, and she notices her skin is taking on a slick, green cast. "Oh dear." With a sudden *POOF!* the princess disappears, leaving her dress behind on the floor. Lolotte cackles as she strolls up, stepping carefully on the dress. A small mound in the middle of the dress begins moving around rapidly. Lolotte uses her foot to nudge the mound toward the neck of the dress, and out pops a little green frog, wearing a tiny pair of white stockings. The little Frog Princess can only look up at her gargantuan captor and tremble. Because of her indecision, whatever fate may lie ahead of her is one she is no longer the master of! That night, Lolotte dines on fried frog's legs. They are delicate and tender, reflecting only the rarest breeding. As she finishes, Lolotte wipes her lips delicately with the dish's garnish, a tiny pair of white stockings. -The End [[Try again?->Chapter IV]]

<h1>Quiet!</h1> Rosella dashes into the library and throws herself against the wall just inside the doorway. She hears Lolotte's voice echoing down the corridor. In reply she hears guttural grunts; the princess is unsure if it's because the goon Lolotte is talking to is incapable of speech, or if Lolotte is simply uninterested in any communication from her toadies except affirmations and obedience. "...Castle must be ready to go by the break of dawn; I can barely stand the thought of one more sunrise with Genesta standing in the way of my dominance of Tamir, let us make sure tomorrow is her last." "Grunt!" "Now, about that princess; has she gotten herself killed, yet? I truly hope so. I'd hate to have such a simpleton for a daughter-in-law, and my dear Edgar can't blame me if the poor little airhead manages to get herself killed, can he?" "Grunt!" "Very well, continue the search, but if you find her and an accident SHOULD happen, be sure to bring me her bloody stockings so Edgar can begin his bereavment sooner rather than later. Oh! and speaking of which, have we fuel to bring the juggernaut to that worthless little kingdom of hers?" "Grunt!" "Excellent! I should like to return the favor for all the trouble she's caused me..." The evil fairy means to conquer Tamir, and then move on to Daventry! Your Kingdom! Your family! What are you going to do, Rosella? [[Confront Lolotte->Captured!]] [[Stay hidden->Trapped!]] [[Shoot Lolotte in the back->Quicker than you thought]]

<h1>Slide!</h1> Rosella makes a split-second decision: the controls for the juggernaut must be up in the tower. If she can seize those controls, she may have some leverage over Lolotte in talking her down from her plans of conquest. Or, failing that, she might be able to find some way to destroy the juggernaut. With that decided, Rosella dashes forward and darts up the staircase. She hears Lolotte's voice echoing from the corridor below. In reply she hears guttural grunts; the princess is unsure if it's because the goon Lolotte is talking to is incapable of speech, or if Lolotte is simply uninterested in any communication from her toadies except affirmations and obedience. "...Castle must be ready to go by the break of dawn; I can barely stand the thought of one more sunrise with Genesta standing in the way of my dominance of Tamir, let us make sure tomorrow is her last." "Grunt!" "Now, about that princess. Has she gotten herself killed, yet? I truly hope so; I'd hate to have such a simpleton for a daughter-in-law, and my dear Edgar can't blame me if the poor little airhead manages to get herself killed, can he?" "Grunt!" "Very well, continue the search, but if you find her and an accident SHOULD happen, be sure to bring me her bloody stockings so Edgar can begin his bereavment sooner rather than later. Oh! and speaking of which, have we fuel to bring the juggernaut to that worthless little kingdom of hers?" "Grunt!" "Excellent! I should like to return the favor for all the trouble she's caused me..." Lolotte abruptly stops. "My my! Do I hear the click-clack of heels on stone? Could one of my goons be trying out a pair of my pumps? Or..." Rosella hears a loud *Click!* as suddenly the stairs disappear beneath her feet! All the stairs have tilted down to a forty-five degree angle, turning this staircase into a slide. Rosella falls backwards onto her royal behind and tumbles back down the stairwell, sliding out on her rear end so that she now sits before the evil fairy Lolotte! "... Or is my lovely castle infested by a viper in princess's clothing?" [[Gulp! What will become of you now, Rosella?->Hello, my pretty!]]

<h1>Hello, my pretty!</h1> "Call off the search," Lolotte cackles, "I've got the poor princess right where I want her." Rosella gulps in fear. "You're late, my dear, we had hoped to capture you earlier. I had a very nice wedding planned out. Unfortunately, I now have other business to attend to so your nuptials will have to be delayed. For now, though, I can't have you interfering with my plans, so we'll be accommodating you in a special guest suite. Goon!" She turns to the large white winged ape, resplendant in golden armor, at her side. "Take the princess to the dungeon. Keep her locked there until I have need of her." The evil fairy walks past Rosella, aiming a sharp kick at her backside as she passes. The white ape grabs Rosella roughly by the shoulder and hauls her to her feet. He shoves Rosella along in front of him, heading back the way she came. This doesn't look good at all! As Rosella's captor takes her past the library door, Lolotte screeches back at the ape. "GOON! The lever is stuck! Fix it!" A glance back reveals that Lolotte is struggling with a large wooden lever, apparently the one that triggered the staircase's transformation into a slide. The white ape grunts and runs back to help the fairy. Now's her chance! What should Rosella do? [[Escape into the library!->Escape]] [[Attempt to shoot Lolotte in the back!->Purity Test]] [[Wait patiently for the goon's return->Model Prisoner]]

<h1>Trapped!</h1> Rosella decides that being too rash will only lead to trouble. She stays quiet, holding her breath to avoid detection. Lolotte passes outside, along with a large white goon wearing shiny gold armour. "I've told you idiots to keep the library door closed! It causes a draft!" WHOMP! The door to the library abruptly slams shut! "I'm locking it to keep you little morons from playing in there!" A loud *click!* signals that Lolotte has followed through on her threat. Rosella cautiously jiggles the door handle and, with a gulp, realizes the door locks from the outside; she's trapped! Lolotte's voice grows softer as she moves away. The princesss turns. What now? [[Look around the library->In the library]]

<h1>Quicker Than You Thought</h1> Rosella decides that desperate times call for desperate measures. Gulping, she raises the bow, aiming for Lolotte's back. She feels her palms sweat as she nervously nocks the arrow and pulls the string back. As she pulls, the arrowhead slips down, ever so slightly, making a gentle scraping noise against the gold of the bow. The sound is barely audible, but it comes at exactly the wrong time. A brief lull in Lolotte's stream of instructions allows the goon captain to hear the noise as clearly as a bell. He turns his head, spies the blonde princess, and in half a second has lunged six feet, his spear thrusting with him as though it is an extension of his arm. Rosella can only look down in shock at the spear handle that now protrudes from the quickly-expanding red stain in the middle of her chest. Cupid's bow slips from her fingers and clatters to the ground, and she instinctually grasps at the spear, trying futilely to dislodge it. He mouth opens and she gurgles as a small river of blood pours out, then she falls to her knees. Her arms go limp as she stares, glassy-eyed, at nothing. As the life ebbs from her, Rosella reflects that shooting Lolotte in the back was, perhaps, not very sportsmanlike. -The End [[Try Again?->Chapter IV]]

<h1>Escape</h1> This is Rosella's chance to escape! She uses the moment's distraction to throw herself into the library, grabbing the door and slamming it shut behind her. She holds the door, sweat beading on her forehead, hoping she can keep the pair of villains outside from getting in, but knowing that the chances are poor that a little slip of a girl like her can hold back a muscly goon or a powerful sorceress. A few moments later, Rosella hears Lolotte's amused voice, muffled by the wood. "How nice of you to seal yourself into a prison of your own making! *click* Now, be a good girl and stay there until I need you." With a gulp, Rosella grabs the door handle and turns, only to find it held fast. This door must lock from the outside! She's trapped! [[Take a look around->In the library]]

<h1>Purity Test</h1> No time to think about this one! Like a heartless assassin, Rosella takes the opportunity of being left alone for a moment to nock the arrow into Cupid's Bow and let it fly. Unfortunately, the Goon Captain catches her rapid movement out of the corner of his eye. He swiftly thrusts his arm out to deflect the arrow with his shield. It ricochets up to the ceiling, bounces off... and flies straight back at Rosella! The arrow embeds itself in Rosella's chest and the princess can only stare down at it in stunned silence. She's shocked and horrified to have a projectile sticking out of a vital part of her body... and yet there's no blood and she feels no pain. After a moment's bewilderment, she remembers what she was told about Cupid's Bow: It's imbued with the power of love, and would only be fatal if she weren't pure of heart. Rosella breathes a sigh of relief and raises her hand to extract the arrow. Just as she grips the shaft, however, a mysterious boil pops out on her hand, between her middle and index fingers. Then another boil appears. And another. Soon boils erupt all over her as her skin takes on a green palor. Rosella's hair turns to straw and falls out of her scalp as her flesh roils and boils, then sloughs off her bones, leaving only a shocked skeleton in white stockings behind. Apparently shooting people in the back doesn't make you pure of heart, Rosella! -The End [[Try Again?->Chapter IV]]

<h1>Model Prisoner</h1> Rosella doesn't want to get into any MORE trouble. Maybe if she's quiet and observant, a better opportunity will come along later. Lolotte is displeased with the incaution her goon captain has shown. "Don't leave the prisoner, you dolt! And look, you left the little fool with her bow and arrow! Seize it at once, take her to the dungeon, and then report to me for punishment!" In less time than she can blink, Rosella finds herself disarmed and being shoved down, down, down to the dungeon... <img src="http://amystories.net/TTHosting/Rosella.jpg" width="500"> [[Bow your head and accept your fate...->To the dungeon!]] Illustration by <a href="https://perilsofdawn.deviantart.com">Perils of Dawn</a>

<h1>Captured!</h1> Rosella rushes out to confront the evil fairy. "Lolotte! I won't let any harm befall my family!" Lolotte spins around, a grin twisting her lip. With a snap of her fingers, the extremely large, white winged monkey that stands next to her flies across the room, a white blur that soon has both Rosella's arms in his iron grip. "Call off the search!" Lolotte cackles, "the princess has delivered herself on a silver platter! Unfortunately, she's far too late for the lovely wedding ceremony I had planned; she'll just have to wait until after I finish my conquest. Take her to the dungeon until I have need for her! Oh, and confiscate that troublesome bow and arrow while you're at it." The Goon captain roughly seizes Cupid's Bow from Rosella, then pushes her down the corridor. <img src="http://amystories.net/TTHosting/Rosella.jpg" width="500"> [[Gulp and see what's next!->To the dungeon!]] Illustration by <a href="https://perilsofdawn.deviantart.com">Perils of Dawn</a>

<h1>To the Dungeon!</h1> Rosella is dragged down to the dungeon. She tries to keep track of the route, but the many twisty corridors through which she passes all look alike. Various goons along the way jeer at her, only to be snapped at by the goon escorting her. Based on his size, coloration, and fancy armor, Rosella deduces that he must be some sort of high-ranking goon. The chief goon, perhaps. After descending for what seems like an eon, Rosella finds herself in a dimly-lit dungeon. She is thrown into a cell and the door is locked behind her. The chief goon checks the lock, nods, then growls at another goon, this one smaller than average. The small goon stands up from his moldy wooden chair and snaps a salute. Satisfied, the Chief Goon leaves and the jailor goon slumps back down into his chair. Rosella inspects her surroundings. There really isn't much here; the floor, ceiling, and one wall of her cell are made of cold, heartless stone, she's surrounded by bars of rusted, but still sturdy, metal, and a pile of hay lies in the corner to sleep on. Rosella sits cross-legged on the ground, chin in hand. How might she get out of this mess? [[Try to trick the guard into letting her out->Tricksy Rosella]] [[Try to search for a means of escape->Escape Artist]] [[Wait, rest, and see what happens->Playing the Long Game]]

<h1>In the Library</h1> "Well, I'm stuck here. Might as well take a look around!" Rosella remarks to noone in particular. It's a library, so there are books, obviously. It's not at all like the library Rosella knew back in Castle Daventry, though. Her home library was a bit musty, but always welcoming, full of bright, colorful books and with plenty of light to read by. This one is dark and dusty and full of cobwebs, and the books are faded and in poor shape. Various ornaments and artifacts decorate the walls and shelves. Skulls seem to be a particularly popular decorating motif, with the second most popular being "things that look disturbing and unsettling in a way that Rosella can't quite put her finger on." "If I ran this castle, I would definitely hire a new interior decorator." Unfortunately, nothing in the room leaps out as an obvious weapon, or battering ram, or key. There is a window, though. It's rather tall and imposing, and, since it faces North, doesn't seem like it would provide much sunlight even if it were day. For now, it provides an excellent view of the black clouds that cloak the castle and the dank marsh beneath them. A glance down reveals that she is quite high up, and it's a looooong way down. Well... Now what, Rosella? [[Read some books->Books]] [[Play with the artifacts->Artifacts]] [[Try to make a rope->Rope]]

<h1>Books</h1> There's nothing more natural to do in a library than to read, so Rosella decides to peruse the shelves. Maybe reading a book will help spark an idea that will get her out of this predicament. Rosella searches through the books. She pulls down and browses through a few that spark her interest, one on catching and keeping unicorns, one on the history of Tamir, one on historical women's fashion. It's distracting, but doesn't provide an immediate solution. At last, Rosella's eyes fall on a slender old tome with an intriguing title. "Magic for the Magically Incompetent: An Introduction to Basic Spellcasting for the Very, Very, Very Simple." "I don't like the implication that I'm simple just because I haven't studied magic," Rosella thinks, "But this does seem appropriate for my skill level...". Rosella opens the book and begins leafing through. She decides to skip the introductory stuff, time is of the essence! Despite the assurance on the cover that this book is geared toward the magical first-timer, Rosella does find it pretty confusing. Still, after some browsing she narrows the selection down to three spells of interest: [[Float->Stick-in-the-Mud]] [[Portable Hole->Egress]] [[Fresh Pair->Hung Out to Dry]] That said, she can't fight an inkling in the back of her mind that messing with magic is unwise for an inexperienced princess. Perhaps she should look for a different means of escape... [[Look at artifacts instead->Artifacts]] [[Make a rope instead->Rope]]

<h1>Artifacts</h1> "Perhaps one of these decorations will give me an idea for how to escape." Rosella did always like looking at decorations and pretty things. Lolotte, however, seems to have a very different idea than Rosella of what constitutes "pretty." She finds it hard to look at most of the twisted monstrocities that take up the spare space on the shelves and tables. A few items do catch her eye, though. A strange crystal ball sits on a table in the middle of the library. She's seen these used before to see things at a great distance, and even, sometimes, to communicate. Perhaps she could use this one to call for help? While there are a few busts scattered around the shelves, there's one in particular that Rosella keeps finding her eye drawn to. It is aof a stern-looking bespectacled woman, whom the plaque identifies as Emillianna Gress. Maybe it's just the way her look reminds Rosella of her tutors back home, but she can't shake the feeling that there's something hidden about it. Finally, whilst riffling through the contents of a side table drawer, Rosella unearths a small, smooth black egg, with a tiny seam seperating the fat half from the narrow one. She recognizes it as a container for stocking and hose. This puts the thought of legwear into her mind, which causes her to subconsciously inspect her own stockings. A few runs, a small ladder in the back of the right one, and they're starting to hang a bit loose with long hours of wear and the stress of adventuring. Maybe a fresh pair of stockings is just what Rosella needs to get a fresh mindset to escape this library. At the same time... Something about the little black egg seems... off. Touching it raises the hairs on the back of Rosella's neck, and a sense of ineffable dread lingers in her stomach as her eyes play over it... What should Rosella investigate further? [[The Weird Bust->Secret Passage]] [[The Crystal Ball->Trance]] [[The Black Egg->Sucked Dry]] Or perhaps none of these offer a promising route to escape... [[Make a rope instead->Rope]] [[Look at books instead->Books]]

<h1>Rope</h1> The only obvious escape open to Rosella is the window, which means, Rosella decides, that it should be the focus of her efforts. She glances out the window once again, confirming that a freefall from this height would almost certainly be quite fatal. "Maybe a rope..." Rosella muses. She searches around and quickly determines that Lolotte is not, despite Rosella's hopes, using the library for spare rope storage. "Guess I'll have to improvise..." Rosella stops and thinks. What would make a good rope that's close to hand... The first, most obvious materials to use are the curtains that drape over the window. She reaches out to feel them. They're made of silk and dyed a deep burgundy. Rosella recalls that silk can be quite strong... if it's thick... As she steps back from the window, Rosella nearly trips over a woven rug on the floor. It's an ornate pattern and would probably take a while to unweave, but it's made of hemp dyed black and silver, which should be fine material for a rope... If it's long enough. It's just so hard to judge how much hemp is there when it's all twisted around like that, though... Rosella's eyes drift from the rug to her own legs. They're still clad in white stockings, made of a sturdy, springy material the provenance of which is unknown to the princess. Still, they've held up very well so far... They're certainly not long enough for her to reach the ground outside, though with a bit of stretch she might be able to swing into the window of the room directly below the library... Hmmm.... Which material should Rosella use to make her rope? Or is this whole line of thinking daft? Rosella, after all, is no rope-maker... [[Silk Curtains->I Don't Like Spiders and Snakes]] [[Rug->Going down!]] [[Stockings->Boing!]] [[Forget the rope and examine the books->Books]] [[Forget the rope and inspect the artifacts->Artifacts]]

<h1>Stick-in-the-Mud</h1> Rosella decides that "Float" looks like the most useful spell. It's hard to understand exactly what it does, but it seems to enchant an object, making it lighter-than-air for a short period. It cautions against casting it on a person, lest that person find themselves rocketing toward the moon. Rosella thinks carefully. "If I enchant my dress," she muses, "there's a chance it'll fly right off of me! Then where will I be? Trapped in Lolotte's castle in nothing but my unmentionables! As though I need to feel MORE naked and defenseless here! I suppose I could enchant my shoes... Hmmm, but I'd worry about them flying right off of me mid-flight. My underpants would be pretty securely placed," as she thought this her hand flew subconsciously to her posterior, "but I'd hate to wind up flying through the air held aloft by the crack in my bottom!" Her cheeks flushed red at the thought, "What about my stockings... Yes, that seems to make sense. Full coverage, secure, no worries about them failing to stay on...Yes! That's the answer!" With that decided, Rosella sets about casting the spell on her stockings, being careful to follow the book's instructions to the letter. When the spell is finished, she finds herself suddenly feeling much lighter, but not so light as to lift off the ground. "Perfect!" she thinks, "I'll alight from the window and gently drift to the ground outside!" Rosella walks to the window, daintily sits on the sill, then kicks her legs up and swings them to the outside. A glance down makes her feel dizzy, but she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, then pushes off. Things go very well for the first minute or so. Rosella drifts lazily downward, the force of gravity ever-so-slightly stronger than the upward force of her stockings. But then things take a turn. A sudden gust knocks her off her equilibrium, causing her to tilt backwards. As she does, the shift in weight causes her legs to start pushing up in the opposite direction. She shifts forward, but over-compensates. "Whoa-OH!" It's too late to fix her mistake, and Rosella finds herself flipping head-over-heels. She's found a new equilibrium, but it's with her head facing toward the ground and her legs pointed straight up in the air. The hem of her dress falls around her face, and the princess can't help blushing to consider the sight she must present to any on-lookers! The princess looks down (which, to her, is up). She IS getting closer to the ground. Unfortunately, unable to properly steer, she finds she's now hovering over a roiling morass of bubbling, thick, sticky mud. "Oh, dear," she thinks, "Perhaps I can-" But her thoughts are interrupted as the float spell abruptly loses its power, sending the princess plummeting straight downward toward the mud. As she falls, Rosella briefly contemplates the poor judgment she had shown in dabbling with magic powers beyond her ken and the sticky situation it had gotten her into. SPLORT! Rosella finds herself burried upside-down, from her head to her waist, in sticky brown goop, her long stocking-clad legs kicking in a fruitless attempt to free herself, her skirts lazily drifting down to the surface of the mud, revealing to all who care to look her milky-white thighs and delicate pink panties, adorned with ruffles and lace. Alas, the mud is too viscous for poor Princess Rosella to right herself. After a few minutes struggle, the lack of oxygen takes its toll. "This can't be the end of me!" the petrified princess thinks as her body trembles in a mixture of paroxysms of fear and the involuntary struggle of asphyxiation, "What will my mother think of what an undignified adventuress I made?" With that, her legs give one final, futile kick before falling slack. In her death, the Princess creates the impression of a beautiful, silky flower blooming in the mire of the swamp. <img src="http://amystories.net/TTHosting/fall.jpg" width="312" height="436"> -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]] Illustration by <a href="https://nocomeupance.deviantart.com">Amy Ziegfeld</a>

<h1>Hole-y Mackerel!</h1> Rosella studies the Portable Hole spell with great interest. If she understands the book correctly, it creates a kind of movable empty space, a hole that can be placed on anything and used to pass through it. It's a bit complicated for Rosella's poor brain to handle, but she thinks it might be what she needs to get out of here. After studiously following every step of the instructions, Rosella waves her hand over the book, snaps her fingers, and suddenly feels a strange presence draped over her hand. It's completely invisible, a presence notable for its absence. Entranced by the strange sensation, she lets it flow over her fingers, passing it back and forth from hand to hand. Unfortunately, it proves surprisingly difficult to keep a handle on something you can't see. After a few moments the hole passes right through Rosella's fingers and slips onto the ground. As if by magic (in fact, exactly as if by magic!) a hole appears in the floor through which Rosella can see the room below. If she had been a little more careful, Rosella could have used the hole on the door. But now it's on the floor and she's nervous about moving it. With a resigned shrug, she gathers her skirts and, with a delicate hop, alights to the room below. She lands, somewhat painfully, on her bottom. As she stands up, rubbing her derriere ruefully, she glances up. The ceiling here is quite high, much taller than she is. Even if she knew how to grab the hole again, she wouldn't be able to reach it. She'll have to leave it behind. With all that settled, Rosella turns her attention to her new surroundings. [[Continue->The Armoury]]

<h1>Hung Out to Dry</h1> Try as she might, Rosella can't resist the lure of the spell Fresh Pair, which promises to supply her with a new pair of magically-generated stockings. "I'll figure out how to get out of here once I've taken care of the important things," she thinks to herself, "I can't possibly continue my adventures in these run-filled monstrocities!" Rosella peels off her old stockings and tosses them aside, then consults the tome and casts the spell at her legs. Nothing happens. Frustrated, Rosella consults the tome again. Her heart sinks as she reads a hitherto-unnoticed passage: "As magic cannot create something of nothing, this spell must be cast on an object the caster no longer needs. The transformation process is slow, but inevitable. In short order, the caster will have a fine pair of magical stockings!" Rosella gulps. That sinking feeling in her chest turns to a strange hollowness as she finds herself shrinking, emptying out, dividing, and shifting. In a few minutes, the princess has disappeared and in her place lies a pair of yellow silk stockings, the tops lined with delicate lace with blue embellishments, the same shade as the former-princess's eyes. "At least," think the royal stockings ruefully, "I'm a pretty pair of stockings!" A short while later, Lolotte returns to the library and is delighted to discover the change that has come over poor Princess Rosella. Soon Rosella finds herself occupying a place of honor in the fairy queen's hosiery drawer, her life's purpose now to adorn Lolotte's legs as the sorceress continues her quest for world domination. -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>Going Down!</h1> After a long time spent unweaving the rug, Rosella has a length of rope that isn't very long, but does seem quite sturdy. After tying what she thinks is a pretty strong knot around the leg of a heavy table near the window, she tosses the rope out, takes a deep breath, and begins climbing down. The wind whips at her hair, but the fair princess keeps her concentration. As she makes her way down her weak arms begin to ache. She chances a glance downward. The rope passes the window one story down from the library, but doesn't make it down as far as the window below that. It's still too high to jump, and she doesn't like the looks of the ground, regardless. She decides the best course is to climb into the window just below the one she came out of. Rosella finds herself roughly where she was before, but one story lower. Progress? She inspects her new surroundings... [[Continue->The Armoury]]

<h1>BOING!</h1> Rosella takes stock of the situation, glancing all around the room in search of some sort of rope, before glancing downward and seeing her hose. She is suddenly reminded of a saucy book she "borrowed" from her mother's bedside table, of a woman named Passionate Patti who, in pursuit of her lover, used her hosiery to rappel down a cliff. Could the same idea work here? Rosella quickly falls to her bottom and begins peeling off her well-worn hose. She feels a momentary pang of guilt at being out and about bare-legged, but quickly shoves it to the back of her mind. Her parents will never find out! She removes her stockings and ties them together at the tops. She then reaches above the window and ties one foot (with reinforced toe!) to the curtain rod. Gripping the other foot, the princess closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, then hops backward out the window. The princess falls quickly, then the stockings are pulled taut and slow her descent at a sinusoidal rate, in accordance with Hooke's Law. Also in accordance with Hooke's Law, she finds herself dangling for just a moment before the window of the room below the library, when- BOING! The natural springiness of the stockings asserts itself, sending the princess flying upward. "YEEEEIIIIIKEEESSS!" the princess screams as she soars through the air. The unexpected reversal of her velocity causes the poor, scared princess to lose her grip on the stockings and, with it, any chance of a non-catastrophic landing. She vaults up, past the library window, past the roof of the castle, and toward the uppermost spire of the castle... and a rather large, rather nasty-looking iron spike. "OH NOOOO!" Rosella shouts, wincing in anticipation as her flight crests and it becomes painfully clear that her trajectory will bring her hindquarters into a painful meeting with the tip of that spike. The arc of her flight has left her skirts gathered around her armpits, leaving a delicate snatch of pink fabric as the only protection for her quivering posterior. POINK! "YEEEOOOOWWWCH!" the princess screams as her delicate bottom comes in painful contact with the spike. Rosella instantly convulses, sending her rocketing forward- RIIIIP! -And in the process, leaving behind the torn remains of her frilly, lacy pink panties to dangle from the spike as a lasting mememto of their all-too-brief meeting. It will later be retrieved by a goon and a delighted Lolotte will fly it over the castle as a proud banner of conquest. The suddenly-bottomless princess continues her flight, over the other side of the castle and toward the ground below. Rosella, now rather certain that nothing good will come of this venture, dares to peek ahead. On the positive side, it seems her fall will be broken. Unfortunately, it will be broken by a sea of spiny brambles that surround the castle. "AIIIEEEEE!" Rosella shrieks as she plummets into the briar patch. For the next half hour she serenades the countryside- "OOH!" "AAAH!" "OUCH!" "EEEP!" as she slowly, painfully crawls her way out of the the thorny brambles. At last she emerges, dragging herself across the dusty ground, her body battered and bruised and covered in cuts and scrapes, her dress in tatters, her bare, red bottom and one perky breast on display, her hair flying in all directions, one eye swollen and her mouth now short a tooth or two. The princess manages to pull herself a few feet from the edge of the patch before collapsing face-first into the dirt, her swollen, thorn-pocked royal heiney an angrily throbbing red beacon visible throughout Tamir. As Rosella drifts into blissful unconsciousness, her final thought is "I must tell mother that those stockings do an excellent job maintaining their elasticity..." Rosella is obviously in no shape to continue her quest, which means that this journey has reached- -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>I Don't Like Spiders and Snakes</h1> Rosella decides to use the silk curtains as her rope. She pulls them down, tears them into strips, and then knots them. She hangs the make-shift rope from the curtain rod, ties a knot, and then prepares to rappel down the exterior wall. She hops out the window, but the moment her full weight is put on the silk rope she hears a frightening RIIIIIIIP! She has the sudden, dreadful realization that the silk is not strong enough to bear her weight. It serves to arrest her fall only briefly before she plummets down to the ground below. Rosella falls gracelessly, tumbling end-over-end. Fortunately, she doesn't hit the ground. Unfortunately, she lands in a large brass urn being transported by a pair of goons. Lolotte keeps a prized collection of rare poisonous spiders and snakes, and she is concerned they might be hurt in the war about to ensue. As such, she ordered her goons to relocate them to a safe place. The princess's fall manages to crush a few of the creepy-crawlies, but not all of them. She screeches as they sink their fangs into her flesh and inject their venom into her bloodstream. The poor princess turns first green, then red, then purple, then orange, as a cocktail of venoms fight with one another to be the first to bring an end to the princess's life. Rosella is seized with terror at the thought of all the tiny, disgusting beasts currently making a meal of her. She's utterly incapable of coherent thought as every muscle in her body twitches in terror. Fortunately, her state of horror does not last long. With one last, weak gasp, Rosella's eyes roll back in her head and she slips into unconsciousness for the last time in her short life. Days later, Lolotte opens her collection and is delighted to find a bonus inside: One (1) meddling princess (expired)! -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>E. Gress</h1> Rosella looks more closely at the bust of the judgmental Ms. Gress. As she studies it, she notices that the neck seems to be at a slightly off angle, tilting the head compared to the shoulders. Closer inspection reveals a hairline seam where the neck connects to the clavicle. Rosella pushes the head tentatively and finds some wiggle. Not being the sort to let a bust, no matter how unpleasant, stay uneven, Rosella grabs the head firmly in both hands and tries to shove it into place. Instead, the head snaps backward. Rosella is instantly mortified. Even if Lolotte is an evil fairy queen bent on world domination, that's no excuse for being a poor guest! Concerns about the bust, though, evaporate when a loud grinding sound commences. Whirling about, Rosella sees that one of the other bookcases has just slid open, revealing a secret passageway. Without a wasted moment of thought, Rosella darts into the passage. The bookcase creaks closed behind her as she makes her way down a brief, winding staircase. At the end, a push on the wall opens up a second secret passage. Rosella is now in the room beneath the library. The doorway slams shut behind her. She spins around and feels the wall that was so recently a door. She can't find how to open it. Looks like she won't be going back to the library... not that she wanted to... Rosella turns around and assesses the new room she finds herself in. [[Continue->The Armoury]]

<h1>Entranced</h1> Rosella gazes into the crystal ball. She's seen these things used before, how hard could it be? She tries to think of Jenna, her fairy friend, or one of the three strong, brave men who so recently helped her out of danger. Maybe she can contact one of them and get them to come let her out of here? The ball is filled with dark clouds, somehow still yet constantly in motion. The princess quickly finds herself mesmerized by the shifting shapes within; she thinks she sees patterns emerge, but the harder she tries to identify them, the quicker they disappear. This only strengthens the princess's resolve to discover the mystery of the mystical sphere. Soon she's abandoned all thoughts of contacting friends. If she can just figure out what message the orb is trying to send her, then she can concentrate on the mission at hand. The princess finds herself growing sleepy. She blinks once and tries to shake herself out of it. As she drifts again, she blinks twice, but cannot bring herself to look away. The third time she lacks the strength to resist. Her eyelids fall to half-mast as her brain drifts quietly into a trance, utterly mesmerized. Lolotte returns several hours later to find the princess staring transfixed at the crystal ball. She emits a quick bark of laughter at the manner in which poor, stupid Rosella has done Lolotte's work for her. Just to check, Lolotte walks up to the princess. She takes the princess by the chin and stares her in the eyes. A wave of the hand in front of Rosella's face causes no eye movement; the poor, stupid dolt simply stares, unblinking, straight forward. "Hello?" grins Lolotte, "My dear sweet Rosella? Can you hear me?" The mesmerized princess nods a sleepy "yes." "And are you fully entranced?" Another nod. "My, you're quite the brainless little ditz, aren't you? You've somehow managed to make me feel even more ashamed for losing to you the last time we met. I wouldn't have thought it possible, but you managed to make yourself even stupider than usual, haven't you?" This is a rather complex idea. A look of confusion briefly passes over the dumbstruck Rosella's face, before her shoulders rise in a near imperceptible shrug, an admission that the thought processes required by Lolotte's question are simply beyond her now. "Of course you are. Now, based on the power of this Mesmer Sphere, and factoring in your rather meagre brain, I would estimate it will take you... approximately six months to break free of this hypnotic trance. In the meanwhile, you shall be my docile and dim-witted servant. Let's see what mischief we can't get up to with you in that time, shall we?" SIX MONTHS LATER Rosella awakes with a start. She's in a familiar bed chamber. With a slowly-dawning sense of horror, she realizes that she is in the bridal suite that she once escaped from to avoid a marriage to Edgar. A sound of screaming draws her attention to the window. To her horror, she sees her mother flailing in a window of Castle Daventry. Flames billow all around her. The sky is black with soot, and the kingdom surrounding the castle lies in ruins. "I've got to do something!" Rosella thinks to herself as she spins away from the window. Her movement, though, feels sluggish and heavy, her body feels... wrong. As if on cue, she feels an unfamiliar twinge in her stomach, almost like a kick, but from the inside. A frightened look downward confirms her dreadful suspicion: pooching out from beneath a sea green maternity bra and above a loose, floral blue dressing gown is a perfectly round, pregnant belly! Rosella involuntarily squeezes her thighs together, as though attempting to shut the gates six months after her castle has already been pillaged. She trembles as she realizes that, even returned to consciousness, her body is not her own any longer. Rosella feels light-headed as her new reality overwhelms her. She falls back onto her bed, drifting to unconsciousness as she thinks "What did I miss while I was sleeping?!" <img src="http://amystories.net/TTHosting/PreggersRosellaSmall.png"> Whatever it was, Rosella, a woman in your condition is in no shape for adventuring! After all, you're a mommy now and you've got the wellbeing of your darling little passenger to think about! -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]] Illustration by <a href="https://perilsofdawn.deviantart.com">Perils of Dawn</a>

<h1>Sucked Dry</h1> Rosella can't well resist a fresh pair of stockings! Even if black isn't her color, and even if they do appear to be surrounded by a mysterious green aura. She quickly removes and discards her worn-out old stockings and rolls the fresh black pair up her legs. As the elastic snaps into place, Rosella feels a sudden wrench in her stomach. She panics as she instantly realizes that she's made a horrible mistake. Rosella frantically tries to remove the stockings, but it's too late! They grip her tender legs like a vice! Rosella feels enervated, barely able to stand. She looks at her fingers and is shocked to see them wrinkling up. Her lips pucker, her skin cracks, and the color drains from her hair. The muscle and fat of her body melt away, her skin becomes saggy. On unsteady, buckling knees she tries to take a few steps, then collapses, her body suspended by the door handle. Some hours later, Lolotte returns, opening the door with some difficulty. She soon learns the cause of the trouble; a dried up old skeleton clinging to the door handle, clad only in a pair of jet black stockings glowing with a bright green aura. "My my," she says, carefully rolling the hose off of the skeleton's legs, "Weren't you hungry? Where are your manners? You sucked the poor princess dry!" Lolotte bends over and picks up the skeleton's skull, holding it in front of her face and addressing it. "My poor, stupid Rosella," she clucks her tongue, "Such a shame! So beautiful, so full of life! And in the end, all it came to was feeding your life energy to my cursed stockings! Isn't that right, baby?" The stockings spontaneously make what sounds like a burp, emitting a thin white wisp from the holes of the stocking tops. The final remnant of Princess Rosella's life force drifts upward, coalesces briefly into a likeness of Rosella's horrified visage, then dissipates in the night air to the sound of Lolotte's cackling. -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>The Armoury</h1> Rosella immediately recognizes her new location as an armoury. She was never allowed in the armoury back in Castle Daventry, but she often peeked into the room and gazed in awe at the variety of weapons on display. This place is positively brimming with implements of destruction. Rosella gulps. It looks like they're stocking up for a war! The door to the next room is free and clear; Rosella could just walk out of this nasty place. But she wonders... would it perhaps be wise to take something with her? For protection? As she looks around, she takes note of a cannon pointing out one of the windows. As she looks at it, a stupid idea hits her. A crazy, stupid idea. But maybe... a BRILLIANT crazy, stupid idea? What should Rosella do? [[JUST LEAVE!!!->The Potion Room]] [[Take one of the axes->Split Personality]] [[Take a morning star->Bashed In]] [[Fire herself out of the cannon->Ballistics]]

<h1>The Potion Room</h1> Rosella finds herself in a room with a bubbling cauldron in the center. Along the walls are wooden shelves stocked with glass vials containing potions of every conceivable color, and a few Rosella had never conceived before. A loud grunting noise is coming from the next room. Rosella walks over and sneaks a peak. It's a very large entry hallway; she's on the second floor, and a grand double-staircase leads down to the ground floor. She recognizes the white goon that Lolotte had been talking with earlier. He stands on top of a balcony, waiving his fists and shouting down below. Rosella leans ever-so-carefully out the doorway to get a peak down. A small army of goons are gathered below. They occassionally cheer at the Chief Goon's utterances. The Chief Goon appears to be wrapping up. He ends on a crescendo and gestures in Rosella's direction. He didn't look at her, though; maybe he doesn't see her? The goons begin piling up the staircase, and Rosella has a shocking realization: She is standing between the goons and the armoury. They're about to come barreling through here on their way to collect their weapons. Eep! Rosella looks around. How can she get out of THIS one? Perhaps a potion? In quick arms reach there's a green potion, a grey potion, and an empty flask. There's also a cauldron in the middle of the room. Maybe she could hop in there?<<if $evilEnd>><<if $sluttyEnd>> As she's about to make her decision, Rosella notices an enticing purple potion out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't noticed that one before...<<endif>><<endif>> [[Hide in the bubbling cauldron->Boiled Ditz Soup]] [[Grab the green potion->What a World!]] [[Grab the grey potion->Puppy Power]] [[Grab the empty flask->Stealth Mode]] <<if $evilEnd>> <<if $sluttyEnd>> [[Grab the purple potion->Sapphic Inclinations]] <<endif>><<endif>>

<h1>Split Personality</h1> Rosella is awestruck by the imposing looking polearms. She's heard that long weapons can be good for women, as they rely more on grace and finesse than brute force. There are many different pointy-things-on-sticks to choose from. She knows they each has a distinct name, based on what kind of pointy-thing and how long the stick, but she can't remember which is which. Eventually she settles on what she decides is either a glaive or a glaive-guisarme (it is neither), a very long stick with a hefty axeblade at the business end. Unfortunately it's a bit too heavy for her delicate arms. As she jostles it loose from its moorings it falls foreward. The frightened princess leaps backward, but not nearly far enough. The axe blade strikes her right in the middle of the forehead, then keeps going. Before she can react, the poor princess has been neatly bissected into two mirrored halves. Rosella holds very still, an expression of stunned surprise plastered on her face, certain that this is very bad but not yet fully aware of the gravity of her situation. After a moment, though, gravity insistently reasserts itself. The two half-dresses that the two half-princess are wearing decide they no longer wish to be a part of this absurdity and slough off to either side, leaving the not-quite-whole princess standing in white stockings and pink frilly silk-and-lace bra and panties. The bra then determines that, with its underwire and back clasp cleft in twain, it simply cannot continue operating in a bust-holding capacity. With a solumn fairwell the two half-bras pop off to either side, exposing Rosella's pink-nippled breasts to the cool night air. A moment later, Rosella's ruffled pink panties give up the ghost. Each half slides lazily down a stocking-clad leg, in the process causing the chaste princess's privates to make their public debut. For a few moments, the (naturally) blonde princess stands quivering on full display. This state cannot last, however. A princess divided against herself cannot stand, and as the two halves of Rosella fall apart, she can't help thinking that she's simply beside herself. -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>Bashed In</h1> Rosella decides a flail is the right weapon for her. She picks up a rather frightening looking morning star and gives it a test swing. Unfortunately, her lack of training means the ball and chain quickly spin out of control and- WHAM! crashes into Rosella's head. Reversing it's momentum, the ball swings around and- SMACK! crushes the other side of her face. Rosella drops the mace and looks around. A dusty mirror confirms her suspicion: Her once-pretty face has been smashed in to about a three-inch thickness. The sight of her smooshed face causes the princess to immediately die of embarrassment. -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>Ballistics</h1> Rosella considers the cannon as a truly terrible idea sprouts in her brain. Maybe... Maybe she could fire herself out of the cannon. She could escape the castle right now and begin organizing Tamir to defend against the juggernaut. The canon is pointed straight at some nice looking trees in the distance; they could probably break Rosella's fall. Besides, she had seen this done once by a family of travelling acrobats, and they made the whole thing seem quite easy. Surely a princess of Daventry could figure such a trick out for herself if such simple circus folk were so capable? The princess inspects the cannon more closely. It has a big open end (the cannonball comes out of there) and a round end with a rope sticking out. That's the fuse, she recalls. Looking around, she finds a tinder, a canonball, and a barrel of gunpowder. This all seems easy enough. And yet nervous sweat is moistening her brow; if this is such a good idea, why does she have all these butterflies in her stomach? Rosella contemplates the gunpowder. The one part she's not entirely clear on is exactly how much should she put in... [[A little->Splat!]] [[A lot->Up, Up, and Away!]] [[The whole barrel!->Explosive Ending]] [[None! Just leave!!!->The Potion Room]]

<h1>Splat!</h1> Fearful of the consequences of too much gunpowder, Rosella decides to err on the side of caution and put just a small amount in the cannon. After all, it couldn't hurt to have less explosive force exerting itself on her body, could it? She puts in just a dab, then adds a cannonball, ignites the fuse, and hops in. Rosella winces in anticipation. BOOM! The tiny explosion that results isn't even enough to get Rosella out the window, but is enough to send her crashing into the wall directly below the window. Rosella is followed microseconds later by the cannonball. SPLAT! The sandwiching that results squashes the princess flat, her legs spread out, creating the impression that someone has painted a rather baudy likeness of a pair of stocking-clad legs, doing the splits and converging at a rear-end clad in frilly pink panties. The suddenly-two dimensional heroine, in her final moments of conscious thought, can't help but wonder if she doesn't deserve her present state, after the decidedly poor decisions she made to get here. Rosella is obviously in no shape to continue her adventure. -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>Up, Up, and Away!</h1> Rosella puts a lot of gunpowder into the cannon, but hopefully not too much. She's starting to wonder whether this is the best idea she's ever had. After all, there are soldiers whose whole job is figuring out the complicated math of firing cannons. And they all have targets they're aiming for, while Rosella is shooting blind! She dismisses these thoughts with a shrug. After all, she's gotten this far without killing herself, so she must have some idea what she's doing! Rosella uses all of her strength to hoist the canonball into the canon. Her arms aching, she grabs the tinder, strikes it, then quickly runs around, grabs the barrel of the canon, and hops in. The princess winces in anticipation, then- BOOOM! Rosella finds herself flying through the air above Tamir! The feeling would be exhillerating if it weren't tempered by the realization that she put absolutely no thought into LANDING! Rosella panics, flailing as she soars to heights no princess has achieved before. As she does, she feels herself lose something. A glance backwards reveals that she has dropped Cupid's Bow and Arrow! The loss of the artifact is the least of her concerns, however. A change in the feeling in the pit of her stomach tells her that she's moving lower, lower... She tries to look ahead, and sees the ground growing closer at a VERY rapid clip. She cringes and throws her arms in front of her face, as though they could possibly protect her from the inevitable. CRASH! The impact is painful, but not as painful as she expected. Rosella finds herself surrounded by something prickly, yet strangely soft. She dares to open her eyes to find herself in darkness. A bit of flailing uncovers light above her. She pops her head out. Rosella has, with amazing luck, landed in a hay stack. She crawls out and takes inventory. A bit dazed, but other than that all in one piece. "I'll be picking hay out of my underwear for a month, but I made it out alive!" Rosella says to herself. [[Onward!->Outside the Castle]]

<h1>Explosive Ending</h1> Rosella decides to throw caution to the wind. "After all, if I'm going to do this, I might as well do it all the way. Haha, maybe it'll be enough to blow me back to Castle Daventry. Then I can get my family's aid in fighting the juggernaut." The princess pours the entire barrel of gunpowder into the canon. Then she loads a cannonball, lights the fuse, and climbs in. With a wall-shaking BOOOM the gunpowder explodes. The force is too much for the canon, which flies into pieces, leaving the canonball and Rosella suspended in mid-air. Rosella is now a princess-shaped sculpture of ash, the only color visible a pair of wide blue eyes. The canonball falls to the ground and rolls away. The princess's eyes blink twice in disbelief, then the princess slowly crumbles away, starting at the toes and finishing at her hair. As the ashen remains of the dress disintegrate to the floor, Rosella's white stockings and frilly pink panties are revealed, still pristine. For a moment, Rosella's eyes and underwear hang in the air. Then first one eye, then the other, plop down onto the pile of ash, where they are soon joined by her lazily-drifting undergarb. A single thought resonates through the ashy pile of princess: "Well, that was dumb." <img src="http://amystories.net/TTHosting/rosellaAsh.gif" width="343" height="500"> That's one way to go out with a bang, Rosella! -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]] Illustration by <a href="https://nocomeupance.deviantart.com">Amy Ziegfeld</a>

<h1>Outside the Castle</h1> She did it! Rosella is now back outside the castle! She runs through the land of Tamir, putting distance between herself and the imposing keep. As she runs, she hears a rumbling behind her. She spins around and sees that the castle is moving! It rises from its place in the mountains, debris and dirt shaking free as it does. Two gargantuan legs, the size of thousand-year-old tree trunks, push the castle upward as two great arms push out of the sides. Rosella gulps. She has to find some way to stop this... juggernaut! But how? She takes a moment to breathe deeply and collect her thoughts. [[Run to Genesta's castle in search of some weapon to fight the juggernaut->Genesta's Castle]] [[Rally the people of the kingdom to fight back against Lolotte!->Rally the Kingdom]]

<h1>What a World!</h1> Rosella grabs the green potion. She unstoppers it and brings it to her lips, but is repulsed by the strong acrid sent. "Yech!" Rosella has more determination than sense, however. Each time she tries to drink it, though, she retches in revulsion. She can't possibly stomach it, so rather than drinking it she compromises by pouring some over her head. She instantly regrets this action as the potion proceeds to melt the princess from her head down to her feet. "Now you've done it, Rosella!" She thinks as the last solid bits of her melt away with a bubbly PLOP! The goons arrive to find a pair of white stockings floating in a green-and-yellow puddle. What a world, Rosella! -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>Puppy Power</h1> Rosella grabs and hurriedly quaffs the grey potion. She feels a wrenching feeling wrack her body. Tufts of hair sprout all over. She can feel her muscles expanding as her bones shift. Her face shifts into a snout. Rosella realizes that she must be turning into a werewolf! With a lycanthrope's unnatural strength, surely she can best the horde of goons on their way. She throws back her head to release a mighty howl. "Bark!" What emerges is a tiny, high-pitched yap. The half-princess, half-wolf looks startled for a second, then POOF! Rosella disappears. Her clothes drift to the ground and from out of her skirts emerges a tiny yellow poodle, its fur carefully manicured, its hind legs clad in a pair of white puppy-sized stockings. The goons find Rosella and present her to Lolotte. Lolotte is instantly smitten. Rosella is re-christened "Princess" and given a place of pride as Lolotte's beloved pet, faithfully sitting at her side as she carries out her plans for world conquest. -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>Stealth Mode</h1> Rosella isn't sure why, but she picks up the empty vial. It has a surprising amount of weight, which shifts like it's full! Rosella gets an intriguing idea and, with the sound of footsteps growing louder, decides she has no choice but to try it out. She unstoppers the vial and raises it to her lips. Rosella feels liquid pouring down her throat. In short order she drinks the whole thing. Then she looks at her hand. It's fading out of existence! The princess smiles; this is exactly what she expected. She replaces the vial on the shelf, then inspects her progress. Rosella has turned 100% invisible, which is a strange thing. But then she notices something out of the side of her field of vision; Cupid's Bow! It's not affected by the invisibility potion! She reasons that this is because it is a magical artifact of power greater than the potion's, but, regardless of the reason, there'll be no sneaking out while Rosella's holding it. Without a moment to spare, she tosses the bow and arrow into the cauldron, then hides in the corner. A stampede of goons moves through the room, but Rosella keeps quiet. At last, they've all moved through to the armoury. She gets up and approaches the cauldron. It's too hot to put her hand in, and she REALLY doesn't want to dig around in there! She decides that, for now, she'll have to leave the bow and arrow behind. She leaves, proceeding down to the castle entrance... [[Continue->Decision Time]]

<h1>Boiled Ditz Soup</h1> In a panic, Rosella forgets every scrap of common sense she may once have had and dives into the cauldron. She instantly regrets her action. She struggles fruitlessly for a few seconds, then succumbs to the overwhelming heat. Her eyes roll back as she sinks beneath the water, leaving her blonde hair to swirl about at the surface. The following night, after the battle, the goons sit down and enjoy hearty bowls of what Lolotte has chosen to call Boiled Ditz Soup. As she enjoys her own bowl, the fairy queen delicately dabs her mouth with a white silk stocking. -The End [[Try Again?->In the library]]

<h1>Decision Time</h1> Rosella has made it to the castle entrance, and the doors are open! But now what? Lolotte has plans to turn this castle into some kind of juggernaut. Rosella can't just abandon the kingdom; not least because Lolotte mentioned her plans to move on to Daventry after Tamir! But how can she stop the coming atrocity? She notes a downward staircase with a hand-painted sign over it that reads "ENJIN RUM." If she wanted to sabotage the juggernaut, that would probably be the place to do it. Or she could cut the beast off at the head, seeking out Lolotte to do battle. But she lost Cupid's Bow! How could she possibly win such a fight? Or maybe she could fight the juggernaut from the outside? Surely the people of Tamir would join together to fight to save their kingdom! What will it be, Rosella? [[Leave and fight the castle from the outside->Outside the Castle]] [[Descend to the Engine Room->Engine Room]] [[Ascend to fight Lolotte->Upstairs]]

<h1>Engine Room</h1> After much thought, Rosella decides the best way to stop the castle is to gum up the works that make it go. With a gulp, she creeps down the staircase marked with the poorly-spelled sign. She emerges from the dark into a vast chamber, lit by a glow like dragon fire. The air is thick with smoke, and Rosella can barely hear herself think over the sound of clanking machinery. Lolotte must have had her goons hollow out half the castle to fit this monstrocity in here! Rosella stands atop an open staircase that descends down one wall of the room. A tube emerges from one wall glowing bright red, then connects with the bottom of a boiler. A pair of goons crank a rock grinder at the bottom of the boiler, which continuously spews out crumbled black rocks onto a conveyor belt. More pipes emerge from the top of the boiler; one large one continuously leaks droplets of water, while a series of small ones spew steam from joints. Rosella ponders the crazy machine. "I remember reading a book on steam engines," she muses, "That red pipe must be bringing lava in from who-knows-where and feeding it to the boiler. As the lava cools, the cooled rocks drift to the bottom and are broken up by the grinder, then presumably turned into cement. Meanwhile, water is fed into the top of the boiler, again, no idea where it comes from, but the lava heats it and turns it into steam, which powers the juggernaut." Rosella feels quite pleased at having figured this out all by herself. Her reverie is interrupted when the whole castle starts shaking. A large goon calls something out, and the worker goons reply, and suddenly everyone's moving faster. The juggernaut must be on the move! There are any number of ways Rosella could disrupt the machinery, but first she has to get close to it. She takes a look around and assesses her options. A set of ropes are tied to the wall near Rosella. She could untie one and swing over toward the boiler. Rosella also notes that there are a number of barrels at the bottom of the stairs, some of which are empty and turned over on their sides. She could sneak down and hide in one. Peering over the side of the stairs, Rosella spies another barrel just below where she stands right now, filled with what look like feathers (probably swept off the floor from the molting wings of the goons). She feels pretty confident she could hop off and land in the barrel... Probably. What should she do? [[Jump off the stairway->Tarred and Feathered]] [[Swing across on a rope->Statuesque]] [[Hide in a barrel->Under a Barrel]]

<h1>Upstairs</h1> Rosella decides to attack the problem directly: Lolotte. If Lolotte can be stopped, the kingdom will be safe. She heads back up the staircase, through a series of twisty passageways. The castle groans beneath her. She hasn't much time! The juggernaut has been activated. Soon the people of Tamir, including Genesta, will be crushed and any victory will be bittersweet. "I don't know exactly where I'm going," Rosella says to herself, "But I'll bet Lolotte is high up, so she can observe the destruction. The goons are probably operating this beast, so hopefully there won't be too many patrols." Rosella arrives at a familiar room. She recognizes one stairwell from her last visit; it leads up to Lolotte's bed chambers. The other path goes back the way she was earlier, past the library and up to the highest spire. Where should Rosella go? [[To Lolollote's bed chambers->Lolotte's Bed Chambers]] [[To the tallest spire->Unarmed]] [[Pause for a while and contemplate her options->Time Waits for No Princess]]

<h1>Tricksy Rosella</h1> The weak link in this dungeon, Rosella decides, is that guard. He looks to be not especially bright, and not especially large. Surely a well-educated princess like herself could outsmart a monkey! And if not, maybe she could overpower him. She contemplates her own less-than-impressive arms and decides that should maybe stay a "Plan B." Rosella stares at the goon guard, thinking. "I could probably get him in here if I pretended to be sick," she muses, "Then I could shove him out of the way and run. Maybe even lock him in the cage!" A tickle in her throat reminds her of a basic biological need. "Maybe I could ask him for some water..." Her tummy rumbles insistently, "Or food!" She glances downward and takes note of the various runs in her stockings. "I should ask for a new pair of hose!" she snorts, "That'd be something! Although..." Something about that idea feels intriguing, and hey, even if it doesn't work, she might get some fresh stockings! What'll it be, Rosella? [[Pretend to be sick->It Is Not In Your Nature To Be Violent]] [[Ask for food and water->Hardly a Royal Feast]] [[Ask for new stockings->Haute Couture]] [[This won't work! Look for another means of escape!->Escape Artist]] [[This won't work! Rest until something interesting happens!->Playing the Long Game]]

<h1>Escape Artist</h1> Rosella takes a look at her options for escape. The most obvious, and really, only, thing in her cell is the bed of straw. Rosella recalls that straw is pretty dry and flammable; perhaps she could set it ablaze and get out in the commotion? The princess takes a look at the wall in the back of the cell. A couple of things catch her eye. First, one of the stones seems to be slightly ajar, where the rest are flush to the wall. Perhaps it conceals a secret passageway out? Second, one of the stones has a small hole in it, something like a mouse hole. Maybe the princess could take a look and see if there's anything helpful in there? [[Try to set the bed on fire->Up In Smoke]] [[Try moving the loose stone->Too Scrawny]] [[Investigate the mouse hole->Furry Friend]] [[None of these look promising. Try to think of a way to trick the guard->Tricksy Rosella]] [[None of these look promising. Take a nap and rest up->Playing the Long Game]]

<h1>Playing the Long Game</h1> Rosella decides to wait out her captors. Rest will do her good, and if they wanted her dead they'd have killed her already... right? Surely the quick-witted princess can find a means of escape later. Rosella walks over to the corner and sits on the pile of hay. It's not at all comfortable. It doesn't take long for her to get quite bored. Is this REALLY the best course of action, Rosella? [[Yes! Use the opportunity to catch a quick cat nap->Rudely Awoken]] [[No! Try to think of a way to trick the guard!->Tricksy Rosella]] [[No! Try to find a way to escape!->Escape Artist]]

<h1>Rudely Awoken</h1> Rosella sleeps for what seems an eternity, but the sleep is fitful and restless. At last she is awoken by a sharp kick to her ribs. She looks up groggily and finds herself staring into the face of Lolotte. "Well, well, the viper awakens. On your feet, little tramp!" She prepares to give Rosella another kick with her pointy black heels, but the little princess scrambles up before she can connect. Lolotte grabs Rosella by the chin and examines her face, turning it left and right. She clucks her tongue. "No, not worthy at ALL of my young boy!" She sighs exaggeratedly, "But I can't let him down..." She turns around and paces away. Rosella thinks she has an opportunity to attack the evil fairy, but then notices three large goons waiting outside her cell. Any attempt to fight Lolotte now would be fruitless. "Your bumbling has served you well," Lolotte continues, "Edgar knows that we have captured you. That means, once again, you've made my life more complicated; now I can't have you killed without dear Edgar blaming me, even if your death would be in his best interest. But I think there's room to reach an... arrangement. You see, I've no desire to have an unworthy slattern like you as a daughter-in-law, and you've no desire to have me for a mother-in-law, even if it lands you a perfect prince like my dear Edgar. So I offer the following proposal: We either make you unpalatable to Edgar, so he no longer wishes you for his bride, or we make you palatable to me." She spins around to face Rosella, shooting her most withering glare. Her hand flies to her chest and begins rubbing as though massaging an old wound... the spot where Rosella shot her with Cupid's Arrow... "And yet I know what a treacherous snake you are, after I treated you with such kindness in my deal-making before, and you rewarded me with betrayal! So this time I will require some assurance." Her glare melts into a smile as she steps closer and strokes Rosella's cheek. "Now, my dear, poor, stupid Rosella. We can do this the easy way or the hard way. The easy way is we take you up to my potion distillery and find some concoction that will fix our current unfortunate impasse. I'll even let you choose the potion! The hard way, well," she chuckles, "If we do things the hard way, you won't have to worry about making any more choices. Ever." What should Rosella do? [[Choose the easy way->Potions, Potions, Everywhere!]] [[Choose the hard way->A Gilded Cage]]

<h1>It Is Not In Your Nature To Be Violent</h1> Rosella decides to pretend to be sick, then catch the goon by surprise and knock him out. She falls to her knees and begins to cough and make retching sounds. She does all that she can to channel her younger self, feigning illness to get out of lessons with the royal tutor. At last, the goon takes note of her acting. He waddles over, unlocks the cage, and looms over Rosella. "Not yet..." Rosella thinks to herself. She emotes even harder on her knees, beckoning the goon in closer. At last he stoops over, and, when the goon's face is close enough to smell his rancid breath- POW! Well, more like- Fp! Rosella balls her tiny fist and strikes the side of the goon's face with all her might. But all her might serves only to annoy and confuse the goon. It takes him a good fifteen seconds to realize this is even an escape attempt. When he does, though- POW! He returns the blow. Rosella's world spins as an angry red bumb arises on the top of her head. The delicate princess, unable to withstand even such a mild blow, finds herself drifting into oblivion. She trembles as she realizes she is now at the physical mercy of an angry ape more than twice her size. As she sinks below, words echo through her mind: "It is not in your nature to be violent, Rosella!" -The End [[Try Again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Hardly a Royal Feast</h1> Rosella decides asking for food and drink is the most likely way to get the jailor's attention. "Hey!" The jailor rouses from his slumber, glancing at Rosella. "Hey, I'm hungry! Thirsty!" The goon just stares quizically at Rosella. She thinks a moment. How to communicate with this... thing? She opens her mouth and points to it, then mimes putting things in her mouth and chewing, then rubs her belly while nodding her head. To communicate drinking, she rubs her throat while making coughing sounds, then raises her closed fist, thumb extended, cocking her head back as she points the thumb at her mouth and rotates it back and forth, making the (she hopes) universally recognized "drinky, drinky" motion. Her message seems to dawn on the dim jailor, who hops to his feet and walks over to a corner. He grabs a metal mug off a shelf then uses a ladel to fill it up with water from a bucket. Then he grabs a hunk of bread. He spins around and walks toward the cell door... then stops. He gently tosses the bread through the bars, then places the mug on the ground, shoving it with his foot so that it slides into the cell. Huh. You hadn't counted on THAT, had you, Rosella? The Goon looks at Rosella, his lips raised in a smile. He gestures toward the food and water. When the princess does not respond immediately, he begins miming eating and drinking himself, as though trying to explain the concept. You've just been condescended to by an ape, Rosella. As if the indignities couldn't get any worse! Rosella walks over and picks up the bread. It's clearly moldy, and she spots a few wriggling maggots. The water doesn't look much better; there's some kind of green algae growing on the surface, and the smell is ... off. The goon is still looking at you. What now, Rosella? [[Eat the "meal"->You Shouldn't Treat Your Tummy So Poorly!]] [[Pretend to eat->Still Hungry]]

<h1>Pret-a-Porter</h1> "He's not likely to have any hosiery here, so if he grants my request, he'll have to leave. Even if that doesn't get me out, not having him around will make escaping easier!" Rosella walks over to the bars of the cell. She whistles to get the goon's attention. He startles awake. "Hi. Would it be a terrible bother if I asked you to get me a new pair of stockings? These are just so run down..." Rosella emphasizes her point by moving her leg out of the slit in her dress and tilting it back and forth. That gets the goon's attention! In the blink of an eye, the goon has left his seat, unlocked the cage, and is now practically salivating over Rosella's legs. Rosella isn't sure she's making her point. She finds a run and pulls at it. "See? All worn out!" The goon cocks his head quizzically. Rosella mimes taking her stockings off, throwing them away, then rolling on a new pair. A light seems to go off inside the goon's mind. He nods his head vigorously, then exits the cell, gesturing for Rosella to follow! Clearly, he's forgotten about the jailor-prisoner relationship! Not willing to look a gift goon in the mouth, Rosella quickly follows. He leads Rosella into a twisty staircase, lit only by torches. He seems VERY excited and is moving quite quickly. Rosella ponders; maybe this is an opportunity to hang back and lose him... [[Let him go on ahead->Gave Him the Slip]] [[But if I do that, how will I get new stockings?->How Do You Even Manage to Clothe Yourself?]]

<h1>You Shouldn't Treat Your Tummy So Poorly!</h1> Not wishing to appear impolite, Rosella eats the moldy bread and quaffs the fetid water. It's all she can do to choke down the bread, and the water makes her feel so nauseated she misses the bread. Rosella instantly regrets her decision. A loud expulsion of gas from her mouth, followed by a similar explosion from her other end, signals the beginning of a violent revolution staged by her bowels against the rest of her body. The princess turns a bright shade of green and collapses to the floor, clutching her roiling tummy in agony. "What was I thinking?" the anguished princess moans. What follows is a slow, agonizing death as the jailor shakes his head, tutting in Goonish that it's not his fault the princess has no taste for fine Goonish cuisine. -The End [[Try Again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Still Hungry</h1> Rosella can't stomach the food and water placed before her, but after the show she put on she can't NOT eat it, either. As a compromise, she decides to fake it. She grabs the water and splashes it messily in her face, mouth closed, allowing it to dribble down her chin and splash on the cold stone floor. She then takes the bread and pretends to masticate ravenously, while actually tearing it into small pieces and allowing it to fall to the ground. Satisfied that Rosella's been satisfied, the goon returns to his nap. Rosella feels exhausted and defeated by the whole ordeal. She couldn't even out-wit a monkey! It suddenly dawns on her how long it's been since she got any rest. Shoulders slumped, she makes her way to the straw bed, lays down, and falls into a dreamless sleep. [[Continue->Rudely Awoken]]

<h1>Up In Smoke</h1> Rosella searches through the hay pile and finds a couple of sticks. She quickly sets about rubbing them together to create sparks. It takes forever and her hands are numb and red by the time she succeeds, but at last a thin wisp of smoke rises from the hay. Soon it catches ablaze, creating thick, black, choking smoke. "FIRE! FIRE!" shouts Rosella. The goon jailor looks at her, rolls his eyes, then returns to his nap. It occurs to Rosella that, with the stone floors and walls, there isn't much danger of anything burning in the cell except the hay and herself. The fire smoulders, flooding the poorly-ventilated dungeon with smoke. Rosella chokes, panic seizing her. This was REALLY a bad idea! As the smoke cuts off her air she grows light-headed, then faints. Her last thought as she fades away is regret at what a foolish decision she had made. The goon just tuts. Long hours in the engine room have helped him grow accustomed to smoke inhalation. Rosella, sadly, is not so lucky. -The End [[Try Again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Too Scrawny</h1> After double checking to make sure the goon is asleep, Rosella walks over to the loose stone. She spits in her hands, as she has seen her brother and father do before engaging in feats of strength, then grabs the stone and heaves. It doesn't budge. She sits down, bracing her feet against the wall on either side of the stone, then heaves again. Nothing. She takes a few deep breaths, closes her eyes, and with a great grunt HEAVES at the stone. Not even an inch. As she prepares for another heave, a dozen spiders, cockroaches, and other assorted bugs scatter from the crack. Rosella leaps across her cell to get away. She flails her arms while dancing in nervous revulsion. "Ew! Ew! Ew!" She whines. Rosella succeeds at amusing the guard, who wakes up and snorts at her pathetic display, but she's now decided that she's neither physically nor mentally prepared to move that stone. Exhausted by her failed attempt at physical prowess, the defeated princess walks over to the straw bed and collapses into a dreamless sleep. [[Continue->Rudely Awoken]]

<h1>Furry Friend</h1> Rosella peeks into the tiny hole. "Hello? Anyone in there?" To her surprise, she receives an answer! "Hi! What brings you here?" squeaks a tiny voice. Taken aback, Rosella needs a moment to compose herself. "Um, well you see, I've been thrown into this dungeon, and-" "I was kidding, I know why you're here, the same reason why everyone ends up here. You made Lolotte mad," The owner of the voice, a tiny grey mouse, emerges from the hole. "Yes! Can you help me escape?" "Sure can! But what'll you give me?" Rosella ponders, patting herself up and down. She doesn't really have anything except her clothes... "Let me answer that for you," interrupts the mouse, "Y'see, I used to live up in Lolotte's bedroom. I moved down here after she started putting out traps. I used to love running through her linen drawers, feeling the silk beneath my paws. I haven't been back in a while... How would you feel letting me run up and down those silky stockings of yours? Just for old time's sake?" Rosella grimaces involuntarily. A mouse! Running up and down her legs! The very thought sends a shiver up her back. But if it's the only way out... [[Allow the mouse access to your hosiery->Fast and Furryous]] [[No way!->No Deal]]

<h1>Fast and Furryous</h1> After a lot of thought and changing her mind several times, Rosella agrees, allowing the mouse to have his way with her hose. The rodent gleefully hops off the wall and runs up Rosella's right leg. It tickles as he runs up one leg and down the other, and Rosella begins convulsing and giggling. This catches the attention of the guard, who claps amusedly at the silly dance Rosella appears to be doing. Most prisoners aren't nearly this entertaining! He quickly loses interest, however. After what feels like hours, but is actually about five minutes, the mouse hops off and sets about his half of the bargain. He runs out of the cell, climbs the table, and grabs the jailor's key ring in his tiny jaw. He then carefully drags it to the edge of the table and, with more grace than Rosella imagined possible from a rodent, climbs down to the floor without causing the key ring to jingle once. He brings it to Rosella and, in less time than it takes to say "Pantyhose!" she has unlocked the cell and freed herself. Rosella and the mouse trade quiet thank-yous, then go their separate ways. The princess's heart is still pounding from the, frankly, terrifying feeling of having the mouse run up and down her behosed legs. She takes a moment to calm herself, then quietly creeps past the guard and up the winding, torch-lit stairway. [[Continue->Torture Chamber]]

<h1>No Deal</h1> "I... I just can't. I mean no offense, but it would just be too... I can't." The princess stutters. "Well, if you can't do a favor to me, I suppose I can't do a favor for you! Good luck finding your own way out of here!" The recalcitrant rodent then blows a raspberry at Rosella and, with a sniff, turns and returns to his cave. Rosella is overcome by the creeps. She trembles just thinking about that mouse on her legs. Too unsettled to think clearly, she decides it's time for a nap. She walks over to the bed of straw and lies down. But the thought of the mouse won't leave her mind. What if he comes back and ruffles her linens in her sleep? Rosella pulls her legs up close to her chest, gathering her skirts to try to keep herself as covered as possible. She then gradually drifts into a fitfull sleep. [[Continue->Rudely Awoken]]

<h1>Gave Him the Slip</h1> Rosella slows her pace as they travel the corridors, allowing the goon to put more distance between the two of them. Soon he's out of sight, and Rosella's alone. She darts into a side passage, then wanders a bit until she finds a staircase. She proceeds up the staircase, and finds herself in the next room... [[Continue->Torture Chamber]]

<h1>How Do You Even Manage to Clothe Yourself?</h1> Not wishing to miss out on the opportunity to get a fresh pair of stockings, Rosella follows closely behind the goon jailor. They soon arrive at Lolotte's boudoir. Rosella waits patiently as the jailor begins rummaging through Lolotte's underthings. "What on EARTH are you DOING here?" Rosella shrinks at the sound of Lolotte's voice. The jailor turns and tries to grunt an explanation. "IDIOT!" With a wave of her hand and a puff of smoke, the goon is transformed into a frightened chimpanzee. He screeches, then waddles out of the room, arms flailing above his head. "You're lucky this poor ditz of a princess is even stupider than you are!" Lolotte admonishes, "Tell me, Rosella, did you actually convince the jailor to let you free and give you ample opportunity to escape, then proceed to follow him here in search of fresh stockings?" Rosella can only look sheepishly at the ground, hands clasped behind her back, her stocking feet out of her shoes as she nervously shuffles them. She realizes in that moment what a stupid decision she made, and how she let down both the kingdom and the world by not thinking things through and succumbing to girlish vanity. "Y-Yes..." "My poor, stupid Rosella, how do you even manage to clothe yourself?" Lolotte rears back and gestures with both hands at Rosella. A puff of smoke engulfs the princess, and when it clears Rosella has been replaced by a perfect, full-body mannequin duplicate. "Fortunately, you won't have that responsibility any longer!" So begins Rosella's new life as Lolotte's personal plastic stocking model. -The End [[Try Again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Torture Chamber</h1> Rosella finds herself in a cavernous torture chamber. Chains line the walls and the middle of the room is filled with all manner of horrid devices. Rosella's never been in one of these dreadful places before; when he became king, her father removed the torture chamber from Castle Daventry and turned it into a well-lit library. There's a door on the other end of the room from where Rosella is standing, the only exit other than the one she came through. It makes sense, really, to have the torture chamber right next to the dungeon. Rosella gulps. Just minutes ago she was in that dungeon, and may well have wound up here. Then reality dawns on her: She may yet wind up here if she isn't careful! In the middle of the room is a rather large goon. He holds a whip in his hand and seems agitated. There's a large rack in the middle of the room on which another goon is being stretched. Rosella averts her eyes, unable to witness such suffering. No doubt this torture chamber is used for martial punisment of Lolotte's goon army. Against the near wall is a strange metal contraption. A pair of metal polls lead up to a bucket about ten feet in the air. Beneath the bucket is a lit brazier, and a pull cord dangles down from the bucket. What should Rosella do? [[Free the goon->That Was a Stretch]] [[Examine the bucket contraption->Boiling Wax]] [[Try sneaking past the goon torture master->I Know Why the Caged Rosella Sings]]

<h1>That Was a Stretch</h1> Unable to bear the thought of even a goon suffering, Rosella decides to try sneaking over to help the goon on the rack. Her direct frontal approach, however, puts her in plain sight of the tortured goon, and as she draws near the victim notices her and cries out excitedly. Rosella tries to shush him, but it's too late. She feels her hair abruptly yanked as the torture master grabs her by the braids and hoists her into the air! With his other hand, the goon deftly frees the victim. He then slams Rosella onto the rack and shackles her ankles into the cuffs. The freed goon points and snickers as the torturer grabs Rosella's braids and loops them around the stretching mechanism. Then he walks over to the crank and begins to turn. Rosella quakes with fear as the rack tightens and she feels an insistent pulling on her scalp. She realizes, too late, that a frontal approach to the racked goon was unwise. Now all the kingdom will suffer for her foolishness, and it means the end of her brief life. Eep! You've always wanted to be a little taller, Rosella, but this might be taking things a bit too far! -The End [[Try again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Boiling Wax</h1> Rosella creeps over to the contraption. She notices, as she approaches, the smell of melted wax, like a candle. They must use this to pour hot wax on torture victims. Rosella shudders at the thought. As she looks up at the bucket, and over at the goon torture master, Rosella gets a delightfully wicked idea. If she tilted the contraption over, the poles look like they would be just the right height that the wax would land right on the tourture master. She could then escape at her leisure. A pang of guilt then wracks her, though, just for thinking such thoughts. Geting hot wax poured all over you would NOT be pleasant! On the other hand, the goon IS a torturer. Doesn't he deserve it? [[Knock over the contraption->Rosella Be Nimble]] [[Sneak over to the goon on the rack->Poor Unfortunate Soul]] [[Sneak past the torture master->I Know Why the Caged Rosella Sings]]

<h1>I Know Why the Caged Rosella Sings</h1> Rosella tries to sneak past the torture master, only to discover he is MUCH more on the ball than the jailer! The slightest noise from her heel scraping the stone causes him to whirl about, and before Rosella can react she's been grabbed by the braid and is being dragged across the room! The goon hauls Rosella to what looks like a giant bird cage suspended in the air. He swings her up into the open gate, then locks it behind her. After righting herself and smoothing her skirts, Rosella takes stock of the situation. The cage is too small for her to stand up comfortably, but not really wide enough to sit in. She could dangle her legs between the bars... but to do that would require hiking her skirts up uncomfortably high, and she's not prepared to do that just yet. She leans back, her knees pushing uncomfortably against the bars. The realization dawns on Rosella that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Trapped, unable to fully move, in a cage in Lolotte's torture chamber, all because she couldn't sneak past the torture master. Maybe she isn't cut out for adventuring after all. "I suppose I'll just have to wait hear until someone gets me," she sighs with resignation, "After all, they'll have to let me out some time!" Some time later... Lolotte passes thorough the torture chamber on her way to the prison to check on her recent acquisitions from Castle Daventry. As she does, she notices a white skeleton with blonde braids on its bleached skull, wearing gossamer stockings on its boney legs. "Oh," she recalls, "That's where Rosella went." She walks over and yanks a stocking off, causing the leg it contained to fall to the floor and shatter into fragments. Lolotte smirks. "Well, I suppose now I'll have something to show those Daventry ninnies how serious I am." -The End [[Try again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Rosella Be Nimble</h1> "Torturers deserve what they get. Anyone who would dump hot wax on someone deserves to have hot wax dumped on themselves!" Moral quandary thereby dispatched, Rosella sets about tilting the device. She grabs both polls and gives them a solid yank. Nothing happens. She tries again. Still nothing, but she feels some faint jiggling in the bars. Just a little more effort, and it ought to come down... Rosella braces herself, summons all of her strength and pulls as hard as she can. She doesn't succeed in overturning the device, which is unsurprising since it's bolted to the stone floor. She does, however, manage to upset the delicate balance of the bucket of wax. It tilts over, then pours its molten contents right onto Rosella's head. The poor princess barely has a chance to scream before she's thoroughly coated. Her relatively-cool skin causes the wax to harden near-instantly, turning her in an instant from real-life princess to uncannily-realistic wax princess figure. Trapped in her wax prison, unable to move, Rosella can do nothing but contemplate the poor decisions that led her here and the terrible fate that awaits her. The next night, Lolotte is celebrating her victory in the banquet hall. The goons wheel out a giant layer cake and, with much pomp, pull off the sheet to reveal a very special cake topper: Princess Rosella, frozen in her moment of agony. Lolotte claps her hands in genuine delight. "Oh, darlings, you shouldn't have!" -The End [[Try again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Poor Unfortunate Soul</h1> Rosella decides she's now close enough to sneak up to the rack without being noticed by the torturer. She creeps up to the goon on the rack. He sees her as she circles around behind his rack and his eyes widen, but the princess shushes him to silence. He whispers something unintelligible to her. Rosella can't understand him, but figures she has the gist of it. Should she free this prisoner? He IS one of Lolotte's goons... but the fact that he's being tortured means that maybe he's not fully on Lolotte's side? The princess feels bad. How could she let a poor beast like this suffer, even if he does serve Lolotte? [[Free him->Rosella Swirls up a Donnybrook]] [[Leave him->That Wasn't Very Kind of You, Rosella!]]

<h1>Rosella Swirls Up a Donnybrook</h1> Rosella decides she can't leave the poor goon behind, no matter how evil he might be. She examines the manacles holding the goon and quickly discovers that a simple catch holds them in place. She opens the manacles and frees the goon. No sooner is the goon freed than it lunges across the chamber toward the torturer. Apparently there is a lot of bad blood between these two! Upon consideration, Rosella decides that's unsurprising. The tortured goon is definitely smaller and a bit scrawnier, but he has the element of surprise and is fueled by rage. Rosella stands transfixed by the brawl for a few moments, before realizing that she should be getting out of here. If the torturer wins, she'll be captured. If the other goon wins, she may still be captured! As quietly as she can, she sneaks across the room and out the exit. [[Continue->Long-Term Lockup]]

<h1>That Wasn't Very Kind of You, Rosella!</h1> Rosella feels bad, but she just can't risk trusting this goon. She sneaks past him, toward the exit. After a few seconds, the tortured goon realizes he's not getting rescued. He begins shrieking and hooting, attracting the attention of the torturer. At first the torture goon prepares to punish the squealer with another few notches of tension on the rack, but then he notices Rosella. He's much faster than the princess expected. Soon she's being dragged by her braid across the floor. Past the rack, past the hot wax, past a giant cage hanging from the ceiling. He stops at a peculiar device, a metal coffin shaped like a woman. As he launches Rosella inside, she notices the inside is lined with gleaming spikes. He slams the Iron Maiden shut. A few seconds later, blood begins to seep from the seams in the device. Sheesh! You try to be a nice person, and the one time you think of yourself, everyone flips their tops! Maybe try a little kindness next time, Rosella? -The End [[Try again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Long-Term Lockup</h1> Rosella finds herself in a long hallway with doors on either side, each door with a small, barred window at eye-level. A glance through the bars reveals a simple cell; a pile of hay and a small hole for waste. These must be the cells where Lolotte keeps her long-term prisoners. She glances through the windows as she walks down the hall. In one room she sees a unicorn. In another, a small dragon. In a third, a little man in a green outfit. They've been here so long they don't even glance up to look at her. Rosella carefully opens the door at the end of the hallway. Through the door is the grand entranceway to the castle. She's almost out! But the entranceway is packed to the gills with goons! She faintly hears a loud gutteral growl, punctured by occasional cheers, as though one goon is giving a speech to the others. Rosella CAN'T just walk out there; she'll be captured instantly. But then she gets an idea; freeing that one goon helped her out of a jam in the torture chamber; maybe freeing some more prisoners would get her through this situation. [[Free the dragon->Hot Couture]] [[Free the little man->(Bad)Luck of the Irish]] [[Free the unicorn->Unhappy Reunion]] [[Free everyone->Chaos Ensues]]

<h1>The Hottest Fashions</h1> Rosella decides a dragon would prove an adequate distraction. Besides, she feels bad for the little guy. She opens the doorway, then beckons the baby out. "Come on, fella!" she coos, "I won't hurt you..." He looks scared, but then slowly begins creeping toward Rosella. He stretches his neck out, and Rosella carefully scratches him under the chin. Then he walks up and begins nuzzling her skirts. "Aw, what an adorable littl-" Suddenly, the dragon snorts and a tiny fireball shoots out of his nose, igniting Rosella's dress. "MOTHERFU-!" Rosella screams as she suddenly finds herself ablaze. The panicked princess begins running in a circle, having forgotten, in her alarm, the advice to stop, drop, and roll.In a few minutes, she's burnt herself into cinders. The baby dragon, amused, prances out of the dungeon to freedom. -The End [[Try again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>(Bad)Luck of the Irish</h1> Rosella decides to free the little man in green. He speaks to her in an unfamiliar language, but it has a musical lilt. She finds the little fellow charming. After the two fail to communicate for a few minutes, the tiny man pulls out a tiny fiddle. Rosella claps as he plays a joyful tune. Soon she finds herself spontaneously dancing along. As the music speeds up, Rosella's jig gets faster and faster. Suddenly panicked, Rosella realizes she can't stop. Soon she's whirling and stomping faster than the human eye can see. At last, unable to move another inch, she collapses backward, utterly exhausted, and expires on the spot. The impish Leprechaun has a hearty laugh at his liberator's expense, then prances off to freedom. -The End [[Try again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Unhappy Reunion</h1> The unicorn reminds Rosella of her last sojourn to Tamir, when she captured a unicorn for Lolotte as part of a quest to convince the fairy queen of her good intentions. As she swings the door open, Rosella idly wonders if this is the same unicorn she captured. When the unicorn, upon seeing her, promptly gores her in the chest with its horn, she realizes that it is, and that there are still some hard feelings. -The End [[Try again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Chaos Ensues</h1> "Why free just one? Why not all of them?" Rosella thinks to herself. She starts at the door closest to the grand hallway, freeing the dragon first. She then runs to the middle door and frees the little man. Finally, she runs to free the unicorn. All three prisoners emerge, a bit dazed, then quickly snap into action. The little man begins shouting gibberish instructions to the dragon and the unicorn. Then he hops onto the dragon, and the dragon hops onto the unicorn's back. "CHARGE!" the tiny man shouts. The unicorn dashes forward into the grand hallway. All the while, the dragon breaths plumes of flame to one side and the tiny man waves his hands, firing little blasts of magic to the other side. The goons scatter, then quickly regroup, chasing after the trio. Rosella creeps forward, discovering that the hallway is now clear and she is free to... [[Continue->Decision Time]]

<h1>Potions, Potions, everywhere!</h1> No sooner does Rosella agree to the easy path than Lolotte whips around and, with a hand gesture, commands the goons to escort Rosella behind her. After travelling through many twisty passages, all alike, the princess finds herself in Lolotte's potion room. A great cauldron sits in the center of the room, green liquid bubbling at the behest of a roaring fire beneath it. Against the wall is a large rack filled with beakers and vials, each one containing a differently colored potion. A work bench with potion-making equipment sits next to the door, along with an open tome. "Now then, my pretty little princess, pick any potion you like! They should all have a, hmmmm... satisfactory result." Rosella ventures to speak. "But... But what do they do?" "Well, isn't that the fun of the game? You don't know what's going to happen!" The fairy cackles with glee. Rosella gets a sinking feeling in her stomach. Even for a naive little princess, she senses that this is a game she cannot win. [[Pick the pink potion->Airhead]] [[Pick the green potion->It's Not Easy Being Green]] [[Pick the brown potion->Run, Run, Run, As Fast As You Can]] [[Grab the nearest potion and throw it into the cauldron->What a Mess!]]

<h1>A Gilded Cage</h1> Rosella is too scared to respond verbally, and is only able to fix her mouth into a resolved grimmace and shake her head "No." She didn't come this far to meekly surrender to Lolotte, and she won't give her the satisfaction of bowing down. Lolotte sighs, "Very well, I suppose we'll do this the hard way," she pulls a necklace with a large black diamond at its center from her sleeve, then places it around Rosella's neck, "Now, princess. Try as hard as you can to resist me. Raise your right hand." Rosella tries to do nothing, but finds her right hand raising of its own accord. "Now your left." Again, Rosella resists, but her arm moves on its own. "Quack like a duck." "QUACK!" "Do the can-can." Against her will, Rosella finds herself dancing, legs kicking and skirts flying. "That's enough! I hate having to put you in a long-term total geass, but you leave me no option. It's such a drain on my mental energy, particularly with a mind as dim as yours. From now on, you are but a passenger in your own body. You will do as I will you, no longer with any say in your own actions. You will, however, have a front-row seat to witness my path to world domination!" Lolotte spins around and walks out of the room, glancing over her shoulder to add, "Follow." Rosella follows, against her will. At first, her new existence is tortuous for the poor princess's caged brain. As each atrocity is commited through her unwilling body, she silently wails and laments the poor decisions that led her to this state. Soon the anger and sorrow turns to fear, as she anticipates what actions Lolotte will force her to commit next. But the princess soon grows accustomed to life as a puppet, with Lolotte pulling the strings. A prisoner in her own body, Rosella witnesses her nuptials to Edgar, the wedding night that follows, the conquest of Tamir, and then the destruction of Daventry. On each of those nights she discovers, then re-learns, that the only parts of her body she has control over are her tear ducts, and she witnesses each of those tragedies through moistened, shimmering eyes, unable to move a hand to wipe the tears away. Lolotte takes particulary delight in making Rosella order her imprisoned family to beg for their lives, then sentencing them to death anyway. Finally, after giving birth to a healthy young heir, Lolotte commands Rosella to mercifully end her life by plunging from the highest parapet. -The End [[Try Again?->To the dungeon!]]

<h1>Airhead</h1> Rosella selects a hot pink potion. Lolotte chuckles knowingly in response. Rosella senses that this is bad but, without any appreciably better options, she unstoppers the flask and brings it to her lips. It's deliciously sweet and tastes of strawberries and cream. In short order, Rosella has quaffed the entire thing. Rosella sets down the flask and looks at Lolotte nervously. Then- "Burp!" A petite burp escapes Rosella's now-hot pink lips. "ExCUSE me!" she says, her now much higher-pitched voice cracking on the second syllable. Surprised, she raises her hands to cover her mouth. Surprise turns to curiosity as she examines her fingernails, which are spontaneously growing and turning a glossy hot pink! "Oh, my! What's happening to me?!" Rosella squeaks as she feels a sudden pressure in her chest. The cleavage on her dress grows as her breasts expand from a perfectly reasonable size to something a little more... bouyant. PUFF! Rosella's hair puffs out, lengthening and shifting color to a platinum blonde. A pressure in her seat causes her to grab her rear end just in time to feel her bottom turn into twin perfectly round, firm bubbles. "Tee hee!" she giggles. Her mind feels all... fluffy, like it's full of cute pink clouds. Rosella finds it harder and harder to think, but then is struck by an amazing revelation: If she stops trying to think, she won't have to anymore! With that resolved, a placid smile spreads across her face. With a POP! Her dress splits in two, a top half and a bottom. The top half shrinks and shrinks until it becomes a stretchy pink strip that barely covers her ... she can't help but think of them as "boobs" now. Her skirt also shrinks until it, too, barely covers the parts it's meant to cover. With another POP! Her stockings change from sheer silk to fishnets. Rosella then feels like she's been goosed as her underpants make a similar transformation. With no thought for decorum, she bends over and lifts up the front of her skirt to inspect her... Well, her mother taught her to call them "unmentionables," and never to mention them, but for some reaon she feels it more natural now to call them "undies" and she feels no inhibitions about speaking about them casually. After all, if everyone can see them, it feels silly not to talk about them! Where once her panties were full-cut and frilly, she now wears a tiny hot pink g-string with the words "I 💛 Boys" written in gold foil on the front. Rosella giggles. "This is great!" she says, no longer possessing an inner monologue, "Because I DO heart boys, and now my undies let the world know!" Lolotte cackles. Rosella straightens up, staring quizzically. Then, not wanting to feel left out of the joke, giggles along. She's not exactly sure why Lolotte's laughing, but realizes that situations going over her head are likely to be a common occurence, so she may as well learn to play along. "I dare say, Rosella," Lolotte grins, placing one finger on her cheek as she surveys the ditzified princess, "you weren't much of a threat when you barely had two brain cells to rub together, and judging by the sound of wind whistling between your ears I can't imagine you have even that any longer!" "Thanks!" Rosella beams proudly as, with a POP!, her tasteful heels change into sparkly six-inch platforms. "Of course you realize, my dear Rosie, that you are no longer suitable marriage material for my dear Edgar. We can't have my boy married to a slattern, can we?" "Awwww!" Rosie frowns, "Bummer!" Rosie's not sure what a slattern is, but it sounds kinda like "slut." At first she wants to protest, but a tingly feeling between her thighs informs her, not in so many words, that it's probably wisest to concede the point. "But I think you'll make a fine little toy for him to practice on for when he does find a bride!" "Yayy!" Rosie claps her hands and bounces. The bouncing causes her breasts to jiggle, which proves very distracting. She continues bouncing, staring with mouth agape at her hypnotically undulating titties, until Lolotte puts a hand on her shoulder. "Now, why don't you go up to Edgar's room and let him unwrap his gift?" "Wheee! I love presents! And now I am one!" Rosie bounds out of the room, wiggling and squirming as she goes. At first, Edgar is a little disappointed at Rosella's change into Rosie. He gets over it, however, a short while into their first play session. Rosie quickly becomes Edgar's favorite toy. And she gets a LOT of play time! -The End [[Try Again?->To the dungeon!]] <<set $sluttyEnd to 1>>

<h1>It's Not Easy Being Green</h1> Rosella decides, entirely arbitrarily, upon the green potion. Lolotte seems amused, but also vaguely annoyed. The princess quaffs it all in one gulp. At first, nothing happens. Then Rosella feels a strnge tingling, starting in her belly, the moving to her legs. The tingle grows to a crescendo, and then- POP! Her legs change, from healthy, shapely human girl legs to skinny, spindly, slimy green ones. Her feet turn into giant two-toed flippers, too large for her shoes, which explode off of them. "Ewww!" Rosella can't resist a girlish cry of disgust, the gravity of her situation not yet fully dawning on her. The tingling moves to her arms, intensifies, then with another loud POP!, they also transform into similar gangly three-fingered appendages. Rosella looks at her fingers with horror. "What's happening to meeee?" she screams. "You're turning into a bogwump," Lolotte explains as another POP turns Rosella's body from a curvy human torso into a featureless, green cylinder, covered in a thin layer of viscous slime. "They're brainless creatures with no free will. Obedient slaves, but stupid and good only for simple tasks unless trained." "But.." Rosella stammers, "But I'm a PRINCESS! You can't do this to MEEEEEE!!!!!!" As Rosella whines, the tingle move to her head, grows, and then- POP! Rosella's head merges into her cylindrical torso. Her eyes turn into big, unblinking yellow ping pong balls, her nose into a long pointed snout. Her mouth disappears entirely, and her ears turn into tiny holes. "There, that shut you up. Permanently," Lolotte smirks, "Now, while I always love keeping a defeated foe around to revel in my victory and her demise, I'm afraid I haven't the time right now to adequately train you." With a FWOOSH, all the blonde hair on Rosella's head falls off in a wave, leaving her bald. Rosella's last human features are gone and she stands tranformed into a bogwump. She looks down mournfully at her beloved golden curls. "I suppose I could make a wig out of that," Lolotte muses absent-mindedly, "I always have wondered if blondes really do have more fun. I would ask you, but, well, I can guarantee that you'll have less fun as a bald bogwump slave than you did as a ditzy blonde princess. Though, fortunately, as a wump your brain will be too small to conceive of the concept of 'fun,' so you truly won't know what you're missing." Rosella begins to panic. She's a PRINCESS, not a BOGWUMP! Not a SLAVE! Would a slave dress in such finery? At that moment, Rosella's lack of shoulders and slimy, low-friction skin make themselves known as Rosella's dress slides right off her, dragging her now-empty bra down with it and snagging her stockings on the way. She now stands dressed only in her ruffled pink panties. A part of Rosella's brain tells her that she should be mortified and cover up, but another part of her brain tells her that she no longer has the relevant parts that require covering up, while an insistent and growing tingling inside her head warns her that there are more pressing matters to attend to. "You should feel a pain in the head right about now," Lolotte says, "It will only last for a few moments as your brain readjusts to its new proper size." Rosella does, indeed, feel a sharp pain in the head, like her brain is caught in a vice. "Mugwump brains are the size of walnuts. Fortunately since your brain wasn't that big to begin with, it shouldn't be too much of an adjustment." Rosella panics. There must be SOME way to reverse this transformation! She tries to run over to the shelves to try a potion, ANY potion, in hopes it may improve her situation. She trips over her fallen dress, causing Lolotte to bark a laugh. As she stumbles to her feet and waddles to the potion shelf the pain in her head only grows more and more powerful. Soon it's nearly impossible to concentrate. She grasps the sides of her head with her slimy flipper-fingered hand and does the only thing she's capable of anymore: whining to herself. "This can't be real! This can't be happening! This isn't fair! I'm a princess! I'm supposed to get a happy ending! I'm supposed to get a happily ever after! I'm the good guy! I'm supposed to WIN! This can't be my ending! I haven't even kissed a <<if $lesbian>>girl<<else>>boy<<endif>>! I'm a princess! I'm a princess! I'm-" With a loud, rude noise, resembling the passing of gas, there's a rush of light-grey smoke out Rosella's twin ear-holes as her brain shrinks to its proper size and jettisons the excess matter. "Wump." Rosella is now incapable even of whining. The now lizard-brained princess idly watches the last wisps of her intelligence waft away on the breeze. Looking up makes her dizzy, and her feet slide out from under her, causing her to plop down onto her pink panty-clad bottom. Lolotte inspects her newest slave. "Hmmm... Very good. Disgusting, mindless, toadying, worthless." "Wump. Worthless wump. Wump wump." thinks Rosella. "Finally your exterior matches your interior," cackles Lolotte, "But it needs a certain something to reach true heights of pathetic..." Lolotte ponders for a moment, scrunching her face, then snaps her fingers as an idea comes to her. She waves a hand and conjures a golden crown from midair. Then she places it regally on Rosella's utter lack of brow. Too small and slimy to hold it upright, the crown tilts off to the side. Lolotte laughs uproariously. "Now, sit there and contemplate your new, wumpy nature. Once you've accepted the meaninglessness of your existence, report to the shipping room. I've no time to waste on a worthless wump like you, so I'm sending you back where you came from." "Wump wump. Worthless wump," Rosella thinks as she commences her new favorite passtime: Staring mindlessly into space. <img src="http://amystories.net/TTHosting/SittingRosellaSlave.png"> Six to eight weeks later... In the throne room of castle Daventry, the royal family has gradually grown accustomed to their state of anguish and dread. Their dear Princess Rosella disappeared nearly two months ago and they've no idea where she might have gone to... or if she's still alive. Yet they still hold out hope that she may return. After all, she has been on adventures before. "Your highnesses!" shouts the seneschal as he strides into the room, "There's a large package for you from Tamir. "We don't know anyone in Tamir," shouts King Graham, "send it away!" "Calm down, my love," says Queen Valanice, "Perhaps they heard of our plight and have sent aid. Or perhaps it is merely a present to lift our spirits." "Very well," Graham grumbles. As usual, his queen is the voice of reason, "Wheel it in here and open it up." A large crate, about five feet tall, is brought in and set down upon the red carpet leading up to the throne. As a pair of workmen begin prying it open with crowbars, Valanice reads the attached note. <blockquote>You recently sent me this item, but I am afraid I must return it, for several reasons. First, I do not want it, nor, having worked with it intimately for a while, do I see why anyone would want it. This is because, second, it is defective, of inferior stock, and possessed of inherent vice. I have tinkered with it a bit, and I think its present state vastly improves upon the form you sent it to me in. While, owing to cranial defects, neither form was likely to adequately perform a task, in its present form it will at least try to obey, and entertains no thoughts of betraying its owner (and, indeed, no thoughts at all!). While my alterations may seem, at first, to be shocking, I think you'll soon come to agree that they are for the best for all parties involved (especially the overmatched and utterly under-equipped product itself. Best, -Lolotte P.S.: Keep the undies! 😘 Enclosure: One (1) Princess (Defective)</blockquote> As Valanice finishes reading the note, the front of the box is removed, revealing its contents: A bogwump, wearing a golden crown and a pair of white panties with pink lining, with a pair of yellow crowns and the words "Royal Brat" embroidered in gold script on the front. The interior of the crate has been stamped "RETURN TO SENDER, "DEFECTIVE," and "INFERIOR GOODS" <img src="http://amystories.net/TTHosting/StandingSlaveRosella.png"> "What in the world is-" King Graham starts as Valanice bursts into tears. The revelation of the true identity of the bogwump slowly dawns on Graham, forcing him to stifle tears of his own. "Now, now," Graham at last tries to console Valanice, "Perhaps the note isn't entirely wrong. Rosella was always too headstrong for her own good, as we can now plainly see..." He gestures to the wump. Rosella hears her name, but can't make out instructions. Thinking about words makes her head hurt, so she decides to take a break. She allows her feet to slide out from under her, landing on her butt with a soft plop. Valanice can't help a small laugh at the display. "Well," she says, wiping away tears, "we have been saying we wanted a new servant..." -The End [[Try again?->To the dungeon!]] Illustrations by <a href="https://nocomeupance.deviantart.com">Amy Ziegfeld</a>

<h1>What a Mess!</h1> "This is a sucker game," Rosella thinks to herself, "And I'm no sucker!" She senses that Lolotte is off her guard, relishing her victory before she's won it. The princess picks a potion arbitrarily (it happens to be red), moves it to her lips, then abruptly throws it into the bubbling cauldron at the center of the room. It seems to cause a bad reaction, as the green contents of the cauldron immediately turn orange and begin foaming. "What have you done, you wicked little viper?!" Lolotte shouts as she frantically runs to the work bench, looking for ingredients to calm the now overflowing cauldron. Rosella might not be the cleverest princess in the kingdom, but she knows enough not to wait around and watch this situation resolve! She turns and dashes out of the potion room, past the goon guards, and finds herself in the grand entrance hallway. [[Continue->Decision Time]]

<h1>Genesta's Castle</h1> Rosella decides that Genesta can get her out of this jam. After a long, arduous swim, Rosella arrives at the shores of Genesta's island. She hears a great tumult from the mainland in the distance. When she turns, she sees smoke rising from the shores, and a swath of destruction left in the wake of the terrible juggernaut. Rosella can't help wondering if she shouldn't have warned the people of Tamir, but now it's too late. Rosella runs into the castle, where she's confronted by Jenna. "Jenna! Lolotte's castle! She turned it into-" "Yes, I can see that! The whole kingdom of Tamir can see that!" the fairy seems distinctly upset with Rosella, "What are you doing here? Why aren't you fighting that thing?" "I am!" insists Rosella, though a wave of guilt crashing over her makes it sound more petulant than she intended, "I thought Genesta might have some magic weapon to fight the juggernaut..." "We don't have a magic solution to your problems, Rosella!" Jenna seems genuinely angry, "If we could wave a wand and defeat Lolotte, we wouldn't have called you in the first place!" "Oh," the princess replies sheepishly, "that makes sense... Still, maybe there's... something?" Jenna sighs. "Come on, maybe something's buried in the armory." The fairy leads Rosella through the castle to the armory. It's... not what Rosella expected. Piles of junk are strewn everywhere, and most of it is ribbons and bows and cotton fluff. "Genesta's not exactly a warrior, in case you haven't noticed," remarks Jenna, "So she hasn't really developed a lot of weapons." Rosella takes a look around, turning over piles and frantically searching the armory. At last she moves a stray bolt of pink cloth and finds a mysterious box. A note on it reads "WARNING! EXPERIMENTAL NON-VIOLENT CONFLICT RESOLUTION WEAPON! DO NOT OPEN EXCEPT IN CASE OF EMERGENCY!" "What's this?" asks Rosella. "Oh! Ummm... I don't remember?" shrugs Jenna, "Something Genesta was working on, but she stopped years ago. I don't... THINK it worked... but maybe?" The conversation is interrupted by the sound of waves crashing into the castle. The juggernaut has reached the water! Only a little time remains! [[Take the mystery box->Mothballed]] [[Keep searching!->The Ultimate Weapon]]

<h1>Rally the Kingdom</h1> Rosella is a princess; that means it is in her blood to lead. She decides that the best way to fight this juggernaut is with the whole kingdom behind her back! Or at least, as much as will help. Rosella's mind races. Where to begin? What to do? She's momentarily paralyzed by indecision, all the plans that need to be laid and all the aid to be gathered. She takes a moment to look around; from where she stands, the closest inhabitants would be either the dwarves or the ogres. [[Head to the ogres'->Fight or Flight?]] [[Head to the Dwarves'->Sapper Squad]]

<h1>Lolotte's Bed Chambers</h1> "I need SOMETHING to fight Lolotte with," Rosella thinks, "And I'll bet she keeps some kind of protection close at hand in her bed chambers. Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown, after all..." Rosella makes her way to Lolotte's bed chambers, following a path with which she has become all too familiar. Once there, she begins frantically searching for something, anything, that might help her defeat the evil fairy queen. She toses about all the things on the floor and inspects every shelf. She even peruses the bookshelf. After making a frightful mess (which she must fight against her natural instinct to tidy up), she finds a magic wand and a book labelled "My First Spellbook." Probably something Edgar left while playing in here. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she sees it, a glinting of gold. Cupid's bow and arrow! It's here! Well, that solves the problem, doesn't it? All Rosella has to do is use that again, as she did before! What should Rosella take? [[The magic wand->The Sorceress's Apprentice]] [[The bow and arrow->All That Glitters]]

<h1>Unarmed</h1> "There's no time to lose!" Rosella thinks to herself, "I must confront Lolotte immediately! I'll figure something out on the way!" With renewed purpose, Rosella makes her way quickly up through the castle, down corridors and up stairways. At last, she ascends the final staircase and throws open the door. Standing there before her is Lolotte, replendant in black finery, looming over a curious control panel. Through the windows, Rosella can see the land of Tamir moving past and hear the shouts of its people trying desperately to defeat the juggernaut. "I've been expecting you," Lolotte remarks archly. She pauses. "Well? You obviously came here to kill me. Why don't you try it?" Rosella's not sure exactly what to do now. After a moment's contemplation, she raises her fists in the manner she's seen boxers do when fighting. Lolotte nearly collapses with laughter. "You came to kill me unarmed and unprotected?" she says between paroxysms, "But then, I suppose that you, dear Rosella, always go unarmed to a battle of wits. How precious!" A pit wells in Rosella's stomach as the bravery of a moment ago evaporates. She foolishly stormed into battle without thinking up a plan of attack, and now she's nothing but a helpless little girl, a sinner in the hands of an angry goddess, awaiting a punishment she is helpless to prevent. Wiping a tear from her eye, Lolotte straightens up and snaps her finger. With a pink POOF of smoke, Rosella disappears and is replaced with a tiny doll, about a foot tall. The doll is blonde-haired and blue-eyed, dressed in a perfect replica of Rosella's outfit. Lolotte walks over and picks up the former princess. "Perhaps I can sate Edgar's pining by giving you to him as a present," she muses, "You should really be thanking me, my dear. Royalty has to make so very many difficult decisions, and it's transparently clear you have no capacity for it. Think of this as a career change to a more suitable occupation." Lolotte gives the Rosella doll a squeeze, and the doll responds by speaking in a high-pitched, baby-like tone: "Ma ma!" Lolotte laughs again as she tosses Rosella aside, then turns her attention back to conquest. You came so far Rosella, and you decided to charge in against Lolotte without a weapon? Maybe your past victory really WAS all luck... -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>The Sorceress's Apprentice</h1> "Well, this is obvious," Rosella thinks as she walks toward the bow. But then a thought occurs and her pace slows, then stops, "A little TOO obvious." She regards the bow with suspicion. Perhaps she's being paranoid, but she decides to forego the bow and seek a different method of defeating Lolotte. That leaves magic. Rosella snags the magic primer and leafs through it, finding a chapter on pictogrammatic spells. Just wave the wand and think of the picture, and the spell will be cast. Seems simple enough! Four picto-spells are presented, which Rosella takes a moment to memorize: A mouse, a goat, a cluster of explosions, and a unicorn. As she closes the book and takes a deep breath, mentally preparing herself for battle, an idle thought creeps into her head. Shouldn't she look her best for this final confrontation? Her stockings are looking rather run-down and shabby; maybe she should borrow a pair from Lolotte? [[Rummage through Lolotte's drawers->Gobbled]] [[No time for that! To the spire!->Final Confrontation]]

<h1>All That Glitters...</h1> "Well, this is easy," says Rosella. She walks over and grasps the bow, only to find her hand frozen in place. Her fingers tingle as her hand grows numb. With dawning horror, she notes a shiny gold color bleeding off of the bow and up her fingers, her hand, her arms Panicking, Rosella tries to pry the bow out of her right hand using her left hand, but it only results in the other hand getting stuck. As her left hand begins transforming, the right arm has just about completed its metamorphosis. The gold continues to spread beneath her dress, unseen by Rosella but felt as her body turns tingly and numb, down her chest, past her loins, and into her legs. The wave of gold on her left arm, once it finishes with its appendage, goes in a different direction, toward Rosella's neck. "WHAT'S HAPPENING TO ME?!?!?" The frightened princess screams as the gold crashes in waves up over her forehead, then drains down to the tips of her flowing, now-golden hair. In less than a minute, it's over. Where once was a princess there now stands a golden statue, muscles tensed, gripping a golden bow, mouth wide in horror, still wearing the dress she wore in life. Hours later, after the hurly-burly's done, after the battle's lost and won, a victorious Lolotte returns to her bed chambers, where she is greeted by her new golden statue. She chuckles to herself as she walks over and whispers in Rosella's ear. "Did you really think I would be so stupid as to leave the one weapon that could destroy me in the first place you'd look? I suppose you can be forgiven, though, because I wagered that you would be stupid enough to come looking for it here and pick it up, despite its being an obvious trap. We each bet on the other being too stupid to live, my little golden viper, but only one of us was right!" The next day Lolotte unveils a new golden statue in the courtyard in front of her castle. It is of an anguished and straining Princess Rosella, frozen forever in the moment of dreadful realization at her impending demise, her dress and brassiere removed so that she stands, humiliatingly, in ruffled pink silk undershorts and lace-trimmed white stockings. Deep within the golden statue, what remains of Rosella's mind is left to contemplate the magnitude of her failure. If only she hadn't foolishly fallen into Lolotte's trap, she wouldn't be forced to stand here, stripped of her royal dignity, bearing eternal witness to the fairy queen's triumph. Your parents always said you were good as gold, Rosella, and if nothing else, you've proven them right! -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Gobbled</h1> "Mother always said that a lady should endeaver always to look her best," Rosella reminds herself. She walks over to a large wardrobe and throws it open, expecting to find dresses, lingerie, and assorted finery. What she sees instead is a gaping maw. Sharp fangs line the top and bottom of the wardrobe, and a large tongue wiggles in greeting. "EEP!" Rosella shrieks as the tongue whips out, encircles her waist, and draws her in. The wardrobe rumbles and shakes for a minute as loud masticating sounds emanate forth from it. At last a loud gulp is heard, followed by- BUUURP! The doors of the wardrobe briefly fly open, expelling a soggy and chewed-up pair of ruffled pink silk panties and a similarly half-digested pair of formerly-white lacy stockings. A few hours later Lolotte returns to her bed chambers and is amused to find the decrepit underwear on her floor. She walks over and scoops up the panties with a single finger, eyeing the many small holes in them disdainfully. "Well done, precious," she remarks to the purring wardrobe, "I'm so sorry to have sent such a cheap little tart who made you taste such tawdry undergarments. In the future I hope to attract a higher quality of nemesis." With a bark of laughter Lolotte tossses the tacky pink nothing over her shoulder. It, and its former occupant, are forgotten before it hits the floor. Lolotte retires to her bed and dreams pleasant dreams of world conquest. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Final Confrontation</h1> No time for niceties like fresh stockings! Rosella leaves the bed chambers and retraces her steps to the fork in the passageway, then walks up the winding staircases until at last she finds the top spire, and there... Lolotte! The fairy queen looms, dressed in resplendant onyx finery, over a confusing control panel. Behind her are wide open windows through which Rosella can see the land of Tamir screaming. "I've been expecting you, my dear. You're smarter than you look, not taking the cursed bow. But how, pray tell, do you hope to defeat me?" Rosella brandishes the wand. Lolotte laughs. "A child's wand wielded by a brainless princess, against me, the most powerful fairy in the land! I love it!" She grins and Rosella's heart sinks. "I'll even give you a sporting chance. Come, child, it's a wizard's duel. Pick your first spell and we'll begin." Better start strong! Rosella decides between... [[Explosions!->Ice Sculpture]] [[Unicorn!->Rosella's Problem Gets Bigger]] [[Nothing!->Use It Or Lose It]]

<h1>Ice Sculpture</h1> "There's nothing to be gained by holding back now!" Rosella tells herself, "I'll take the opening she's foolishly given me to blow this evil fairy to kingdom come!" Rosella pictures the explosive spell and, with a powerful flick, thrusts her wand at Lolotte. A colorful mote flies forth from the wand's tip, sparkling in the darkness. When it's halfway between Rosella and Lolotte, the mote explodes, forming a glittery red heart that gradually disolves into embers on the floor. Too late, Rosella realizes that this spell is a simple cantrip to generate fireworks, not the explosive weapon of immolation she had expected. "Sloppy execution, pedestrian subject matter," Lolotte smirks, "If it were Edgar, I would give him poor marks, but as I'm grading you on a curve, I'll say, 'you exceeded my wildest expectations of you.' Now it's my turn." With that, Lolotte pulls her own wand out of her voluminous black sleeve and points it at Rosella's feet. Instantly a deathly chill seizes Rosella's legs and rushes up her spine. The shock of the cold is so much that Rosella's hand's twitch involuntarily, dropping the wand. When she recovers and tries to bend over to pick it up, she finds her legs are completely immobile. Rosella frantically pushes aside her skirts to reveal the awful truth: Her stockings have been frozen solid! She desperately tries to move her legs, to melt them, to break them, ANYTHING to save herself, but it's no use. She looks up, fear in her eyes, to find that Lolotte has quietly crossed the room and now looms over her. "There there, sweet princess," Lolotte says, taking Rosella's jaw in her hand, "No need to struggle so. I'll put you out of your misery. After all, I'm not cold-hearted..." At those words, a biting chill emanates from Lolottes fingers into Rosella's pink cheeks. They quickly turn white, then icy blue. The chill rapidly spreads through Rosella's whole body, then she turns translucent as her body metamorphoses into an ice sculpture. "...Though I'm afraid you are!" Lolotte cackles as she returns to the business of conquering the kingdom. Poor Rosella, meanwhile, starts to melt, beginning with a pair of droplets dripping from the inner corners of her eyes... Silly Rosella! When you freeze your stockings to prevent runs, you're not supposed to be wearing them at the time! -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Rosella's Problem Gets Bigger</h1> Rosella recalls that Lolotte wanted to keep the unicorn imprisoned. Perhaps because... she feared it? If the purity of the love contained in Cupid's Bow could end her, what about the purity embodied in a unicorn's horn? Rosella waves the wand and, in a flash of light, transforms into a majestic blonde unicorn. Lolotte momentarily registers a look of fear, before calming down. "A shrewd idea, princess, but let's see you try to stab me when you can't reach me!" Lolotte materializes her own wand and, with a flick and a flash, creates a puff of smoke from which emerges... an enormous elephant! Rosella cautiously tries to approach, but each time she draws near the elephant swats her with its trunk. She rears back and attempts a charge, but the elephant swiftly wraps it's trunk around her midsection, hauls her into the air, then sends her crashing to the floor. Dazed, Rosella gets her legs again, shakes her horsey head, and backs off. This isn't going to work! What can she transform into now? [[A mouse->Cat-and-Mouse]] [[A goat->Squooshed]]

<h1>Cat-and-Mouse</h1> "Elephants aren't fans of mice," Rosella recalls. She pictures the pictogram of the mouse from the spell book and, with a poof! Transforms into a tiny blonde mouse. The gargantuan Lolotte looms over her, and for a second Rosella cringes. This just might have been a terrible, terrible idea... No sooner does the doubt cross her mind than it is vanquished. Upon seeing the transformed rodent-Rosella Lolotte is unable to control her newly-adopted elephant instincts and immediately rears up and backs off in terror. Rosella feels triumphant, before realizing that she still doesn't have a good way of defeating Lolotte as a mouse. As she ponders, Lolotte casts another spell. With a black flash, the elephant disappears and is replaced with a lithe lion. Lolotte roars and Rosella turns tail and scampers away to a safe distance. How can she win now? [[Turn into a goat->Goat to the Slaughter]] [[Use the explosion spell->Scaredy Cat]] [[Stay as a mouse->Bite-Sized]]

<h1>Squooshed</h1> "A goat!" Rosella thinks, without really thinking. With a POOF she transforms into a wooly yellow goat. She takes a few steps back, lowers her head, then charges at the elephantine Lolotte, aiming to ram her out the window. Lolotte rears up, then brings her foot down right on top of the charging Rosella, stamping her flat. She steps off to reveal a paper-thin goat, limbs splayed out in four directions, eyes dizzy and dazed. Lolotte raises her trunk and lets out a triumphant blast, which gradually changes into peals of laughter as Lolotte turns back into her natural fairy form. Rosella, meanwhile, her magical powers (and her life) expired, turns back into a princess. A very flat, very dead, princess. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Goat to the Slaughter</h1> Perhaps it's her tiny mouse brain, but the first thing Rosella thinks of is lions and lambs. "Lions lie down with lambs. Lambs are close to goats, perhaps if I turn into a goat I can lure her into a false sense of security..." With a poof, Rosella transforms into a blonde goat. Lolotte just licks her lips hungrily, then pounces. In a single bound she's across the room, sinking her teeth into Rosella's juicy neck. It's only then that Rosella's slightly-larger goat brain recalls that lions lying down with lambs was notable for being the exception to a rule that she is painfully re-learning. Hours later, with the battle finished, Goons comes up to the tower to check on Lolotte. There they discover the evil fairy looking fat and satified, rubbing her full, round tummy next to a pile of Rosella's bones. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Scaredy Cat</h1> "I seem to remember a story where a tiger was afraid of fire," the mousey Rosella recalls, "A lion isn't quite a tiger, and an explosion isn't quite a fire, but needs must..." Rosella thinks of the explosive pictogram. She feels herself shifting and, with a POOF! returns to her human form. She waves the wand and POW! BAM! CRASH! The air explodes with light and sound as an impressive fireworks display shoots from Rosella's wand. Lolotte, in obediance to her feline nature, leaps backwards through the air, scared out of her wits. She now stands at the edge of the tower, right in front of a gaping window. After a moment, Lolotte the lion shakes her head, then narrows her eyes to slits. Another puff of black smoke, and out of the haze rises a giant troll, green, warty, and eight feet tall. Rosella feels sure she knows what to do now. With a confident smirk, the princess rises to her full height, and... [[Transforms into a goat->A Gruff Ending]] [[Asks Lolotte politely for a fresh pair of stockings->The Stupidest Animal Lolotte Has Ever Eaten]] <<if $lesbian>>[[Submits herself to Lolotte, body, mind, and soul->A Nubile Slave]]<<endif>>

<h1>A Gruff Ending</h1> Recalling her fairy tales, Rosella turns into a shaggy blonde goat. Animal instinct then kicks in and, as goats are wont to do to trolls, Rosella charges Lolotte. "NOOOOOOOO! NOT AGAIN!!!" Lolotte screams as she's knocked out of the castle and plummets to her certain demise below. Rosella transforms back into herself. It takes a second for reality to hit her, but when it does she's overwhelmed with joy. She spins around, a smile on her face, only to find herself face to face with Edgar. He clearly saw what she did to his mother. His fists clench, his eyes water, and then... he turns and leaves. You did it, Rosella! You saved the kingdom... Mostly. Rosella finds the lever to shut the juggernaut off and, with the help of Jenna and some fairies, convinces the goons to go about their lives peacefully. A few houses were trampled, but that's a small price to pay for lasting peace. In the aftermath neither Edgar nor Lolotte's body can be found. Rosella hopes this means the end of them... but she can't be certain. Genesta revives and sends Rosella home. King Graham and Queen Valanice were worried sick! The wayward princess is grounded, but has plenty of adventures to reminisce about as she sits in her room daydreaming over the next few weeks. Congratulations! You reached a happy ending! [[Go back and try another path?->Decision Time]] [[Go back to the beginning of the chapter->Chapter IV]] [[Go back to the beginning of the game->Welcome!]]

The Stupidest Animal Lolotte Has Ever Eaten Poor Princess Rosella is suddenly seized by an overwhelming urge to do something profoundly stupid. "Before we continue," she asks, looking at the ground and removing one foot from her shoe to fidget nervously with the toes of her stocking feet, "Could I, perhaps, borrow a fresh pair of stockings? Pretty please?" Lolotte is momentarily stunned by the request. She recovers quickly, though. She stomps across the tower, snatches up Rosella, and eats her head-first. As she's going down, Rosella can't help contemplating how her girlish vanity caused her to seize defeat from the jaws of victory. Her mind is soon occupied by other matters, however, as she finds herself encased in a troll belly as the digestion process begins... Later, as Lolotte uses Rosella's silky white stocking to floss the chunks of the princess's flesh out from between her back teeth, the fairy queen muses that she's done humanity a service by removing this inferior, inbred stock from the breeding pool. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Tarred and Feathered</h1> "You can't ask for a softer landing than a barrel of feathers!" Rosella remarks to herself. She pauses, takes careful aim, then performs a perfect, graceful swan dive off the staircase toward the feather barrel. Between when she leaps and when she lands, though, a pair of goons walk over, grab the barrel, and walk off with it, just as another pair arrive and, sweating with exertion, drop another barrel in its place. This one is filled to the brim with a viscous black liquid. It is far, far too late for Rosella to change course. She only has time to momentarily experience the horror of realizing she has made a very, very big mistake. She plunges chest-first, arms outspread, into the black pitch. The sudden increase in volume causes the barrel to burst at its seams, leaving an utterly black, tar-coated Rosella, frozen in a swan dive, the only color visible her terrified, blinking blue eyes. Try as she might, the inverted princess can't move a muscle without it immediately springing back into place. The goons that were carrying the barrel of pitch are, at first, angered at being knocked off their feet by the explosion of the barrel. But when they look up and see the ridiculous tar figure in front of them they can't stop laughing. They call over the other pair of goons, who promptly dump their feathers on Rosella, completing her metamorphosis from princess into swan. Rosella's eyes narrow. "I try to be a good princess, and this mockery is my reward?" Hours later, at Lolotte's victory party, the swan Rosella is presented as a trophy to the conquering fairy queen. Rosella is placed in the courtyard in front of the castle. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Statuesque</h1> "Might as well make an entrance and take all these goons by surprise!" Rosella grins. She unties a rope and grabs on tight, then lifts her legs and swings out over the boiler room floor. Unfortunately, she remains at roughly the same height that she was, which is well above the floor, and misses the boiler. Her hands slip and she finds herself tumbling through the air, landing with a painful thud on the conveyor belt... The one conveying ground rocks into the cement mixer. "Oh, dear..." Rosella grumbles as she rubs her bottom, which bore the brunt of her fall. Then she looks up and sees that she's moving inexorably closer to the cement mixer. "Oh, dear!" she adds as she scrambles to her feet, realizing that without quick action she's doomed. "OH, DEAR!" she shouts as she finds her forward movement arrested by her right stocking. She frantically bends over to inspect it, only to find that the reinforced toe has snagged on the treads of the belt. Her eyes go wide with terror. In a panic, she tries to unsnag it, only to see that the end of the belt, and the start of the mixer, is mere inches away, and self-rescue is long past the point of being a possibility. As a wave of doom washes over her, she decides her last act will be a naughty one, as she says the worst swear she knows. "Oh, poop." With those last words, Rosella plunges into the mixer, where she quickly vanishes into the liquified rock. About ten minutes later, the mixer sputters and chokes on a strange blockage. With much heaving, it finally spits out a perfectly-formed statue of Princess Rosella, mouth open, hands clasped in fruitless prayer, one foot on the ground and the other raised with knee bent. After presenting her to Lolotte, the goons install Rosella in front of Genesta's Castle, which becomes Lolotte's home in Tamir after her juggernaut begins its world tour. Through mechanisms that need not be specified, the praying princess is turned into a fountain, water endlessly gushing from her mouth to provide safe haven for ducks and other gentle creatures to rest in her shadow. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Under a Barrel</h1> Rosella decides to play it safe. She sneaks down the staircase, then quietly crawls into a nearby empty barrel. Once inside, she carefully afixes a spare lid on top. It reminds her of playing hide-and-seek with her dad as a child. After a few minutes of quiet, Rosella suddenly feels a jolt. The barrel is moving! Her container is hoisted in the air, then jostled randomly back and forth as it's carried to its destination. Rosella is starting to get a little sea sick with all this unpredictable movement. Just as she is about to throw up, the barrel is set down. What should Rosella do? [[Get out of the barrel now->DANGER! BLASTING!]] [[Stay in the barrel until the nausea passes->Bang-Up Job, Rosella!]]

<h1>Bang-Up Job, Rosella!</h1> "I'm not going to do anything productive with an upset tummy!" Rosella reasons. Seconds later, though, she regrets her decision as clear liquid begins streaming into the barrel. It has a strange, noxious odor that makes Rosella nauseous as she sputters to breathe. Unable to take any more, Rosella awkwardly grabs the rim of the barrel, hoists herself up, and hops out. KABOOM! ...Only to explode upon contact with the ground. That's what happens when you get too raucous with nitroglycerine, Rosella! A bunch of confused goons look over at the explosion, but the only sign they see of the erstwhile interloper are a few scraps of white fabric and some ruffled pink silk. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>DANGER! BLASTING!</h1> Rosella quickly pops the top off the barrel and scurries out. And not a moment too soon! A goon walks by shortly and turns a nozel on a dispenser positioned directly above the barrel. A clear, sweet, alcoholic-smelling liquid pours into the barrel. Rosella decides she's glad she wasn't doused in that. Relieved at having narrowly dodged disaster, she takes a look around. Rosella seems to be in a part of the room where various explosives are stored. Sticks of TNT are piled up against the wall. "One of these in the right place could probably put an end to this infernal machine," Rosella muses as she grabs a stick of dynamite from the ground, "but where to use it?" As Rosella contemplates the dynamite, she hears a sudden panicked grunting from above her. A goon carrying a barrel of flints on a catwalk above her has tripped, sending the flints flying into the wall. As the flints strike the wall, they shower sparks downward. Rosella reacts quickly, covering her head and shrieking with fear. Sssssssssss! With a sinking feeling in her stomach, Rosella looks at her stick of dynamite, which now has a lit fuse burning rapidly. "Oh, dear." Quick, Rosella! What will you do with that dynamite? [[Run towards the machinery!->Which Way?]] [[Throw it away!->Blown to Kingdom Come]] [[Take a few moments to contemplate the best course of action->Steamed Buns]]

<h1>Which Way?</h1> Through a dense fog of panic, Rosella realizes that the only thing she can do is execute her plan, just on a more abbreviated schedule. She runs toward the machinery in a state of panic. By this point, every goon in the engine room has their eyes glued to her. The good news is, they're afraid of the dynamite and not attacking her. The bad news is that this protection will very shortly, and explosively, become unavailable to her. Doing her best to keep her wits about her, Rosella picks out three directions she could run: If she veers left, she'll be close to the water pipe. A right turn will take her to the lava intake pipe. Going straight on will send her right to the boiler. Which way, Rosella? [[Left!->Almost a Heroine]] [[Right!->Up in the Air]] [[Straight Ahead!->Too Hot to Handle]]

<h1>Blown to Kingdom Come</h1> All Rosella can think is that her one and only priority is getting the dynamite as far away from her as possible as quickly as possible. And she does so. She immediately tosses the dynamite as hard as she can straight in front of her. Her relief at being relieved of the volatile explosive is short-lived, however, as she realizes where she tossed the dynamite: Onto the giant pile of explosives she just retrieved the dynamite from. She has only a moment to contemplate her actions and let the sheer horror of her stupidity wash over her. "Eep." The dynamite explodes, setting off a chain reaction that leaves Lolotte's whole castle a smoldering heap. Rosella has saved the kingdom! ... Entirely by accident, and at the cost of her own life. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Steamed Buns</h1> In a moment of panic, Rosella freezes. She can't just throw the dynamite away, but she also can't hold onto it, so she just stares at it, dumbly freaking out. Her reverie is interrupted when a large, gruff goon approaches, snatches the dynamite, and snuffs it out with his fingers. Rosella laughs nervously as the goon glares at her, then tries to run. The goon, however, is too quick. He grabs her by the braids, drags her over to a large hook, and ties her hair around it. Then he hoists her into the air, positioning her directly over a large steam vent. Rosella looks down, biting her lip nervously. If only she had been able to make a decision, she wouldn't be in this predicament! She feels herself sinking and looks up in a panic; her loosely bow-tied braids are slackening on the hook they're tied to. They slip.... Slip... then come loose, dropping Rosella onto the steam vent below. "YEOWCH!" Rosella shouts as the vent pokes into her bottom. To her dismay, she quickly realizes that her skirts and underpants have snagged on the point of the vent, leaving her royal bottom positioned right over the vent hole. PFFFFFT! says the vent. "YEEEIIIPE!" says Rosella, as her buns get thoroughly steamed. She nearly tries to tear off the seat of her dress and panties, but quickly realizes she's so high up that she wouldn't survive the fall. And so Rosella is forced to remain up there, yelping periodically when steam is vented into her bum, growing accustomed to her new role as the goons' own human steam whistle. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Almost a Heroine</h1> "You can't make steam without water." Rosella runs left, toward the water intake pipe. She scans it for a weak point and soon sees a section that's sprung a few small leaks. Without a second thought, she gently rolls the dynamite over to the leaky pipe, then turns on her heels and bolts in the opposite direction. BOOM! The dynamite blows and the pipe bursts wide open, sending torrents of water forth. Goons panic and fly off to safety, but Rosella soon finds she can't quite outrun the flood. Soon the water is knee-high, then waist-deep, then up to her neck. Rosella tries to tread water, but soon feels an inexorable downward sucking force. The more she struggles against it, the more tired she gets. At last, desperate, she takes a deep breath and dives. Beneath the surface she discovers the source of the suction: A large drain pipe in the middle of the floor. She swims as fast as she can towards it. Luckily, the grating on it is wide enough that she can slip her slender frame through. Rosella gasps for air as she goes on a wild ride through the gushing drainage pipe. It's scary, but also weirdly fun. After long minutes, she shoots out of the pipe and into the ocean. Heart pounding, she sees Genesta's island on the horizon. With nowhere better to go, she swims in that direction. Fifteen minutes later, the soaked princess drags herself up onto the beach, where she collapses onto her back and passes out. She's awoken some time later by the cheers of fairies. "You did it!" shouts Jenna the fairy, whom Rosella learns was organizing the resistance outside, "You stopped the Juggernaut!" "Hooray..." Rosella smiles weakly. After her ordeal every muscle in her body aches. Still, she knows her mission isn't quite done. "And Lolotte?" "Well..." Jenna scratches her head, looking abashed, "We haven't exactly seen her... everyone's too scared to go into the castle... But I'm sure it's fine. We're sending you home!" Before Rosella can protest, she's whisked to her feet and lead to the throne room, where a swirling portal is generated to send her back home to Daventry. Rosella says her goodbyes as the fairies wish her well one final time. Her family isn't nearly as celebratory as the fairies were. For her disobedience, she is sentenced to one week's grounding in her room. After all the adventures she's had, Rosella is grateful for the opportunity to rest. One week later, a newly freed woman, Rosella skips into the throne room. There she discovers the mirror is delivering a frantic, terrified message from Tamir: breaking the water pipe stopped the juggernaut only temporarily, but obviously the water all drained out and it was just a matter of the goons fixing the equipment before it could begin its unstoppable journey once again. Rosella watches in horror as Tamir is conquered, then prepares herself to tell her father about the juggernaut's impending arrival in Daventry. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Up in the Air</h1> Rosella veers right, frantically looking for some way to get within throwing distance of the lava pipe. Her eyes are drawn to a long rope attached to a platform on the ground loaded with rocks. The rope extends up to the ceiling, where, after passing through some pullies, it suspends a cart high in the air. The rocks on the ground must be a counterweight. With no time to think about the smoothest way of raising the elevator, Rosella snags an axe off a nearby table, hops onto the rocks, wraps her legs and dynamite arm around the rope, then hacks it. Instantaneously, she finds herself rocketing upward. With not a moment to spare, the delicate princess tosses the dynamite at the red-hot lava pipe. BOOOM! The dynamite explodes just as it strikes the pipe, sending lava bursting forth into the chamber. Goons scatter, abandoning their post to flee the room as deadly lava seeps onto the floor. Rosella, meanwhile, is still flying upward. Time for a split-second decision! [[Let go!->Soft Landing]] [[Hold on!->Paper Princess]]

<h1>Too Hot to Handle</h1> Rosella decides to go straight for the belly of the beast. Without the boiler, this thing can't run. She pumps her legs as fasts as they'll go straight for the boiler, then tosses the dynamite. The TNT explodes, blowing a hole in the lower lava chamber of the boiler. Instantly the lava bursts out in a powerful stream... one aimed straight at the foolhardy princess. Before she even realies what's happening, Rosella is instantly vaporized by the molten rock. The burst boiler and the lava flow quickly lay waste to the juggernaut, putting an end to Lolotte's reign of terror. But by that point, Rosella is just a few wisps of vapor hovering several miles overhead, and in no state to savor her victory. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Soft Landing</h1> Rosella winces and lets go, certain that the situation will only get worse the higher up she goes. Her momentum rapidly shifts, from upward to downward, as she falls, falls, falls, then- PFOOF! Lands in the cart that had been suspended up in the air, and which she now learns is filled up with molted feathers from the goons' wings. Serendipitous! There's no time to catch her breath, though; the lava is pouring rapidly out of the pipe and spreading across the floor! It's already blocked the path between her and the stairway she came in through. Rosella frantically looks for an exit. There are a number of barrels, tables, and carts still not yet melted by the lava, that she could jump over like stepping stones to reach the staircase. In the other direction, there's a grate that would appear to cover a drain pipe; she could attempt to remove it and escape that way. [[Take the stepping stones->Game Over, Rosella!]] [[Take the drain pipe->A Happy Ending]]

<h1>Paper Princess</h1> In a moment of panic, Rosella finds herself delaying letting go of the rope just a little too long. She flies upward and slams into the ceiling, where she is promptly squooshed flat. After a long moment, she peels off the ceiling and drifts lazily downward, like a leaf on the wind, before landing in the pool of lava and instantly vaporizing. Tamir is saved, but Rosella is dead. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Game Over, Rosella!</h1> Rosella decides the best course of action is to hop over the various objects like stepping stones. Rosella attempts to hop from table to barrel to cart, slowly and carefully making her way toward the staircase out of here. Things go very well, until they don't. As she hops from object to object, she notes large bubbles forming in the lava and periodically bursting, releasing a rush of superheated air. A particularly large one vibrates right in the path between the barrel she's standing on and the cart she's trying to get to next. Panicked that her barrel foothold is about to sink beneath the lava, Rosella leaps. She crests over the bubble just as it explodes, blasting her with hot air and instantly transforming her from lovely young princess to a shapely pile of ash. The ash statue freezes in the air for a moment, blinks twice, exhales a puff of smoke, then collapses into the lava, leaving behind only a pair of ruffled pink silk panties, which slowly drift down to land on a cooled ignaceous rock. Decades later, a mother and her daughter stroll through a museum dedicated to the Battle of Tamir, where Lolotte and her juggernaut were defated by the brave Princess Rosella. They approach the centerpiece of the exhibit: A pair of ruffled silk panties, the sole surviving relic of the Hero of Tamir. "Why did her undies survive if she didn't?" the precocious child inquires. "I don't know," the exhausted mother replies, "Maybe they're magical." "They ought to make the whole princess out of what they make her undies out of," the child remarks as she skips away. Her mother is too tired to think of a witty reply. "When I grow up," the kid continues, "I'm gonna b a hero just like Rosella! But better, because there's gonna be more of me left than just my underpants. At this point, the child picks up speed and does a cartwheel, then a handstand. As she does, her skirt flips up, revealing that she's wearing a pair of white underpants with Princess Rosella's smiling face on the butt. You became a hero, Rosella! Too bad you didn't survive to see yourself become underpants-level famous. That's what happens when you try to add platformer elements to an adventure game! -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>A Happy Ending</h1> Rosella scrambles out of the cart and dashes to the grate but, of course, it's bolted shut. Try as she might, she can't prise it open, nor do there appear to be any tools she could use to effect her eggress. Time ticks as the pool of lava slowly expands toward the grate. Before she can try to squeeze herself through the bars... Her time is up! The lava reaches the grate and makes short work of it, melting the rusted metal. But there's no way for Rosella to hop in now! As Rosella resigns herself to her fate, she hears a creaking to her left. The lava pool has reached the metal girders holding up the water infill pipe. First one collapses, then the other. With a great creeeeeeeak, the pipe falls out of place, bursting open and sending down a torrential flood! Rosella is caught up in the flood of water crashing around the room. But water, as it is wont to do, heads to the lowest point and soon gushes into the open drain. It mixes with the lava, sending billowing clouds of steam pouring out of the drain. Rosella is buffeted, inexorably, toward the vent. All she can think as she closes her eyes is "that steam is going to be murder on my hair!" A few hours later.... Rosella awakens on the beaches of Tamir. She blinks, trying to figure out what's happened. The first thing she notices is Lolotte's castle, looming above her on two legs. But the castle is motionless, slumped over. It takes her a moment to realize what this means; she did it! The engine room has been destroyed, and the juggernaut has been halted! Lolotte's goons scatter to the four winds, Genesta and her fairies converge on the castle and swiftly capture Lolotte, who is trying to sneak away from the ruined castle. Lolotte is imprisoned in Genesta's castle, while Edgar is freed of his mother's evil influence. Rosella returns to Daventry a hero! ...A hero who is grounded for a week for disobeying her parents. Oh well! A little rest is welcome after all the frightening adventures she's just had! And, by the end of that week, Rosella is ready to venture forth once again! Congratulations! You've reached a good ending! [[Try another path?->Decision Time]] [[Go back to the beginning of the chapter->Chapter IV]] [[Go back to the beginning of the game->Welcome!]]

<h1>Fight or Flight?</h1> The ogres' brute strength will be vital in the battle ahead, Rosella decides, even if, in the past, they've taken a worrying interest in Rosella's tender flesh. The princess runs toward the Ogres' house. But as she approaches, she hears the sound of gargantuan footsteps. At first she thinks nothing of it. After all, heavy footsteps are commonplace around the ogres' house. But it quickly dawns on her... those footsteps are TOO heavy! She looks up and sees Lolotte's juggernaut looming in the near distance, walking right towards her! What does she do? [[Fight!->Princess Pancake]] [[Flee!->If Only You Had Ruby Slippers]]

<h1>Sapper Squad</h1> "The dwarves will help, they'll have some ideas how to stop this monstrocity!" Rosella runs to the dwarves' house, but finds they require scant convincing to join her cause. One of them pauses to explain to Rosella what's been going on. "We've known the goons have been up to something, drilling into the mountain, for months!" He shouts over his shoulder, "We've got some plans for how to stop it, but it may not be enough! Gather the others! Gather everyone!" He grabs a stick of dynamite and a shovel and sets off. Looks like your work here is done! Who should Rosella recruit next? [[The Fisherman and his wife->Twine]] [[The mummy->Dark Princess]]

<h1>Princess Pancake</h1> Rosella attempts to fight the juggernaut emptyhanded. She puts up her fists and faces the cyclopean foot, looming ahead of her. No, wait, above her. No, wait... On top of her. "Oh, dear," Rosella can be heard to remark as the giant foot stomps straight down on her head. After grinding her into the dirt, the foot rises again, revealing a perfectly round princess stuck to its sole. White skirt folds form a perfect circle, surrouding a ruffly pink panty interior interrupted by two squashed white stocking feet. After a moment, the pancake princess peels off and drifts to the ground, where the princesses flattened flace stares upward, blue eyes blinking. Looks like Rosella is down for the count! The winner, by flattening - The Juggernaut! -The End [[Try again?->Outside the Castle]]

<h1>If Only You Had Ruby Slippers</h1> There's no way she can win this fight. Rosella turns tail and runs, but not before whoever is piloting the juggernaut spots her. It bends over, reaches down, and pulls the ogres' cottage up from its foundation. Then it rears back and heaves the cottage through the air after the fleeing princess. Content that she has fled far enough, Rosella cautiously turns around to look back at the juggernaut. As she does, a passing cloud shades her. Grateful, she glances upward... only to discover that it's not a cloud, it's the ogres's house, flying straight toward her. "Eep!" Rosella squeaks. CRASH! The house lands on top of Rosella, crushing her. Other than the change in location and a jostling of its contents, the cottage is in surprisingly good shape. The same cannot be said, however, for the princess it landed on. Rosella's body has been utterly flattened beneath the cottage, the only sign of her are her stocking-clad legs and high-heeled feet sticking out from under the side of the house. On the plus side, Rosella's a shoe-in for the role of Wicked Witch of the East the next time the Daventry Players perform the Wizard of Oz! -The End [[Try again?->Outside the Castle]]

<h1>Twine</h1> "The fisherman and his wife!" Rosella exclaims, "Maybe they can help!" Rosella runs to the shore, then follows it until she finds the small wharf and shack where the fisherman and his wife live. She knocks on the door. "Who is it?" "It's Rosella, the princess you helped earlier. Tamir is under attack, we need everyone to help defend it." The door creaks upen and the fisherman peeks out. "I'm just an old man... I won't be much good in a fight." "You have to help! You may be the difference between us winning and Lolotte conquering the kingdom! Think of the lives you might save." "I... I just don't know..." "Who is it?" Rosella hears a shout from inside. "It's that Rosella, she wants-" "Are you trying to shirk your duty?" "Now, come on..." "No, you come on! You know this kingdom's been our home all our lives! If you won't stand up and defend it, then I will!" "Now, be reasonable..." "I'm going whether you come or not. So you can join me or wait here." The Fisherman turns and sheepishly addresses Rosella again. "I suppose we're in after all. I don't know how much help we can be... Rosella isn't entirely sure, either. Neither the fisherman nor his wife seem to be in fighting trim. He opens the door wider, allowing Rosella to see into the house. That's when she notices something that gives her an idea. "Is that fishing twine?" "Yep! Tool of the trade, you might say." "How much of it do you have?" "Oh, gosh, miles. Been stocking it for years. Never know when a schools gonna come in, and, I always say, better to have too much and not need it than too little and want it." Rosella grins. "Gather as much twine as you and your wife can carry and come to the woods as quickly as you can." The fisherman looks at Rosella curiously, then shrugs, grunts, and goes to work. Rosella runs to the forest and begins coordinating with the dwarves, the fairies, and the other assorted creaturs of Tamir. She thinks she has a pretty good battle plan cooked up... though since it's her first and only battle plan, she has a hard time judging. At last the fisherman and his wife arrive. "Great!" she exclaims, "Everyone grab a big length of twine. You fairies, run to the woods to the East. You dwarves, to the north. Run big lengths of twine between the trees, make sure you quadruple, pentuple the thickness on each line. We're going to set up trip wires for the juggernaut." Everyone seems to think this is a clever plan, and they rush right off to execute it. Rosella turns to the fisherman and his wife. "Thank you so much," she says, "your contribution may have won this battle. Now go home and stay safe." The Fisherman and his wife both look relieved not to be called to the front lines. They trundle back home while Rosella turns to consider the coming fight. The princess runs through a mental checklist. Has she gathered everyone? The dwarves, the forest creatures, even the witches and ogres seem to be helping... The fairies... Wait! The fairies! Rosella looks around. Where's Jenna? She hasn't been seen since Rosella entered Lolotte's castle. Rosella can hear the juggernaut rumbling in the distance. Should she give the signal to start the plan, or go search for Jenna? [[Begin the battle!->Surrender]] [[Try to find Jenna!->Magic Words]]

<h1>Dark Princess</h1> "It's a long shot," Rosella thinks, "but if anyone can stop that juggernaut, it's the mummy in the tomb! He may not be friendly, but he has more magic than all the fairies in Tamir put together!" Rosella runs in the direction of the mummy's tomb. As she approaches it, though, she hears a loud blast rock the countryside. It's followed by a whistling sound growing louder and louder until- KABOOM! An explosion right in front of her! But instead of leaving the blast area a smoldering crater, it's left it... dark. Where once was green grass, there now is brown crab grass. Where once were bushes, there now are thorny poison nettles. Where fluffy trees once stood, creepy, craggy Ents now lurk. Even a cute bunny, who was at the epicenter of the blast, is now a black-furred carnivorous demon hare. Rosella realizes these must be some sort of magic cannonballs, enchanted to blast with corrupting magic. No sooner does she reach that revelation than she hears another blast, and a whistle, this one louder than the last. She looks up, a sinking feeling knotting her stomach. KABOOM! The second cannon blast strikes Rosella directly, enveloping her in blackish-purple smoke. When it clears, Rosella stands transformed. Rosella's hair has turned pitch black. Her eyes are a deep purple. Her skin is as pale as a corpse's. Her dress is tattered, but what remains is a clingy, slinky black number with deep cleavage and a skirt with a slit that goes clear up her waist. Her pristine white stockings have been exchanged for black fishnets. A stray hole in the front of her skirt reveals lacy purple underwear with the words "Head Bitch In Charge" embroidered in black and a crown hanging from the B. A similar hole over her right butt cheek revelas, first that the underwear is a thong, and second, that she has a tattoo of a skull wearing a crown on her butt. The transformed Rosella hugs herself, shivering with sinful delight. If she'd known how good being bad feels, she'd have done it years ago! Once she's done revelling, she saunters off, with a new wriggle in her step, looking for some mischief to wreak on the soon-to-be-conquered kingdom. -The End [[Try again?->Outside the Castle]] <<set $evilEnd to 1>>

<h1>The Agony of Defeat</h1> Rosella shakes her head. "No time to search for one individual fairy," she thinks, hardening her heart, "A true leader puts the good of all of her people ahead of herself and her friends. If this is the best time to launch the couter-strike, then I have to do it now." The juggernaut approaches as everyone takes their places. First it steps into a trench built by the dwarves. This gives them an opportunity to catapult barrels of dynamite at the behemoth. The outer walls shake and great stones fall off and shatter on the ground. Smoke billows out, completely concealing the cyclopean giant... but eventually the juggernaut emerges from the dark, billowing clouds. It moves forward, slowly but inexorably... Then suddenly trips, falling on what would be it's face! Its arms flail about as it struggles to right itself, giving the fairies an opportunity to fly in from Genesta's island and bombard the upturned castle with blasts of explosive light. Eventually, though, the castle struggles its way to its feet. By now great chunks have been blown off and whole rooms are exposed to the daylight. But still it moves! Hope seems lost, when from all directions the various evil creatures of the kingdom assault the castle! Rosella didn't even have to recruit them; they came on their own, realizing how dreadful Lolotte's rule would be. The ogres pound at the castle with all their might, the zombies swarm the legs, impeding them as best they can, while the witches hurl hexes from their skull cave. The juggernaut continues to disintegrate. Now it's down to a single arm, with a third of the castle lying strewn across the countryside. Yet still it moves! Rosella sits, watching the carnage from a small foxhole dug for her by the dwarves. She observes each stage of the battle, taking occasional shrapnel and feeling the hot wind of explosive blasts. Her face is marred with soot, her royal dress in tatters. She has a great gash down her arm, and another in her side, yet still she moves! Now the castle looms over her, menacing. From the castle booms a familiar cackle. "I have you now, you little viper! Surrender and I may spare your pathetic little friends!" A pit wells in Rosella's stomach. She looks around, at the injured and dying creatures of Tamir, and remembers her earlier thoughts. A true leader puts the good of all of her people ahead of herself. She has no choice but to surrender. She peels her stockings off of her legs, knots them by the reinforced toes to a stick, and waves her make-shift white flag of surrender. The people of Tamir, including Rosella, are enslaved. She came so close and fought so bravely, only to surrender in ignominious defeat. Her stocking-flag is hung over the gates of Lolotte's castle as a trophy. -The End [[Try Again?->Outside the Castle]]

<h1>Magic Words</h1> Rosella runs through Tamir, frantically searching for her lost friend. "JENNA!" she calls, cupping her hands over her mouth, "JENNA!" "Rosella!" comes a return cry, "Over here!" Rosella follows the voice and finds Jenna at the reflecting pool. She runs forward and does her best to embrace the diminutive fairy, which in this case means a loving squeeze betwixt fingers. "Where have you been? I've been lost without you for a companion!" Jenna smiles sheepishly, "Lolotte's castle is no place for a good fairy, so I did my best out here. I've been talking to the fairies and we have a plan. We're going to pool our magic to create a magical barrier to impede the juggernaut. It won't last forever, but it should slow it down." "Fantastic!" Rosella smiles, "We'll need all the time we can get." A distant rumbling interrupts their reunion. "I'd better be getting off!" says Jenna, turning and flying away. After a few hunded feet she spins around and flies backwards, shouting something back at Rosella, but her voice isn't loud enough for Rosella to hear. "What?" shouts the princess. "If you're ever in trouble, there's one magic spell that can turn the tide of battle!" BOOM! The juggernaut is launching canons, making it even harder to hear the distant Jenna. "It's VERY important that you say the words EXACTLY. If all seems lost, just say: Klaatu Barada N-"BOOM! "What were the words again?" "KLAATU BARADA N-"BOOM! And with that, Jenna spins around and flies off. Rosella has scant time to contemplate what the misheard magic words might be, for already the sounds of battle fill her ears. She turns her attention to the war. [[Onward to victory!->What were those words?]]

<h1>What Were Those Words?</h1> The juggernaut approaches as everyone takes their places. First it steps into a trench built by the dwarves. This gives them an opportunity to catapult barrels of dynamite at the behemoth. The outer walls shake and great stones fall off and shatter on the ground. Smoke billows out, completely concealing the cyclopean giant... but eventually the juggernaut emerges from the dark, billowing clouds. It moves forward, slowly but inexorably... Then suddenly trips, falling on what would be it's face! Its arms flail about as it struggles to right itself, giving the fairies an opportunity to fly in from Genesta's island and bombard the upturned castle with blasts of explosive light. Eventually, though, the castle struggles its way to its feet. By now great chunks have been blown off and whole rooms are exposed to the daylight. But still it moves! Hope seems lost, when from all directions the various evil creatures of the kingdom assault the castle! Rosella didn't even have to recruit them; they came on their own, realizing how dreadful Lolotte's rule would be. The ogres pound at the castle with all their might, the zombies swarm the legs, impeding them as best they can, while the witches hurl hexes from their skull cave. The juggernaut continues to disintegrate. Now it's down to a single arm, with a third of the castle lying strewn across the countryside. Yet still it moves! Rosella sits, watching the carnage from a small foxhole dug for her by the dwarves. She observes each stage of the battle, taking occasional shrapnel and feeling the hot wind of explosive blasts. Her face is marred with soot, her royal dress in tatters. She has a great gash down her arm, and another in her side, yet still she moves! Now the castle looms over her, menacing. From the castle booms a familiar cackle. "I have you now, you little viper! Surrender and I may spare your pathetic little friends!" A pit wells in Rosella's stomach. But then she remembers... the words! Now, what were those words? [[Klaatu... Barada... Nickel!->Juggernaut Plus]] [[Klaatu... Barada... Nikto!->Victory!]] [[Klaatu... Barada... Necktie!->The Elder God]]

<h1>Juggernaut Plus</h1> Rosella speaks the words, "Klaato Barada Nickel!" and feels a powerful magical energy course through her. A blinding light emanates from her chest, penetrating the entire land of Tamir. For a brief moment, the combatants pause as pure magical power courses through the land. As the light subsides and the collective people of Tamir gradually regain their eyesite, it is clear that the balance of power hs fundamentally shifted: All the damage to the juggernaut has been repaired. And what's more, a new armor plating has been applied, and where once it had two arms, it now has four! Its awkward, gangly legs have been replaced with powerful, tree-crushing treads that, on top of everything else, are inflatable for marine assaults. Rosella begins to suspect that she said the wrong words. As Lolotte's cackle rings throughout the land, the juggernaut wheels about and charges Genesta's castle. The battle, if it can be called a battle, lasts less than a minute. The juggernaut steams out to sea, leaving only a smoldering hole in its wake. Before evening, Daventry has fallen and Lolotte is mere weeks away from conquering the entire known world. In retrospect, Rosella decides she probably should have known what the words were before speaking them. -The End [[Try again?->Outside the Castle]]

<h1>Victory!</h1> Rosella stands tall and says the magic words, "KLAATU... BARADA... NIKTO!" At first nothing happens, and she worries she hasn't said them right. Then a stone falls away from the juggernaut. Then another. Then an avalanche as the entire castle falls into all of its component pieces, forming a giant pile of rubble smack in the middle of Tamir. A great cheer goes up from the irregular army. A weary smile crosses Rosella's face. She did it. She defeated Lolotte. Rosella walk toward the rubble as her troops begin searching for the evil fairy. As Rosela approaches the wreckage, her eye is caught by a couple of artifacts lying near each other. One is an ornate silver mirror, the other a golden scimitar. She bends over and picks them both up, curious. Her inspection is interrupted when she hears a dwarf call out. "We found her!" Rosella turns to face a gathering crowd, in the midst of which stands Lolotte, tied up and spitting curses as she is pushed towards the princess. Rosella stands, once again, face-to-face with the evil fairy. But this time, for the first time, Rosella has the advantage! Lolotte is bound and Rosella is surrounded by... a quick glance confirms that the entire kingdom of Tamir is here. Even Genesta has risen from her sick bed and leans on a tree for support. The fairies, the ogres, the fisherman, his wife, the bard, all the dwarves, even the now-docile goons have gathered around to watch, a circle cleared in the center of the crowd where Rosella and Lolotte confront one another. Rosella cannot suppress a smirk. "Well, Lolotte? What do you have to say for yourself?" Lolotte sneers. "Only this!" With a sudden surge her muscles bulge and she rips apart the twine that binds her, then she stabs a finger at Rosella! "Humiliato Maximus!" she screeches. Rosella has only a split second to react! Dose she... [[Brandish the sword->Never Heard From Again]] [[Brandish the mirror->Happily Ever After]]

<h1>The Elder God</h1> Rosella stands up tall and speaks the magic words (or her best guess as to what the magic words are): "Klaatu Barada Necktie!" As she utters the final syllable the entire world goes dark. Then it is filled with a terrifying light. A vast portal, three miles in diameter, opens up, spewing forth a light that is simultaneously red, purple, green, black, and yet no color that has ever been seen by mortal eyes. Merely to gaze upon the portal is to be confronted with the unknowable, with the profound limits of the human imagination to conceive of the terror that it promises to unleash. From the portal a great clawed hand emerges, then another, then a third, then a fourth. The hands grip the solid-ethereal edges of the portal and flex, hoist, until from the center of the portal emerges a cyclopean head so horrifying as to drive any who see it to madness. Rosella sees it, and is driven insane. Which is just as well, because her life, and that of every other creature on the planet, is extinguished shortly thereafter. -Game REALLY Over [[Try again?->Outside the Castle]]

<h1>Laughingstock</h1> Rosella brandishes the sword... which proves utterly useless against Lolote's embarrassment spell! A blast of pink light strikes Rosella square in the chest, and she is instantly transformed. Rosella's mystical sword is changed into a wilted bouquet of flowers. Rosella's hair is pulled up into hot pink curlers, and her entire outfit is reconfigured, leaving Rosella standing before the kingdom in run-covered loose beige stockings, broken high heels, a pair of yellow smiley face pasties on her nipples, and a pair of hole-ridden, high-waisted, cheap white cotton panties, thin to the point of translucency, with the words "MOMMY 💛s YOU!" written on the seat in sparkly gold puffy paint. Most humiliating of all, the crotch is spotted with rust-brown stains whose provenance is unmistakable. The cold breeze on Rosella's bare skin causes her to look down, and the sight of her defiled body causes a bright red flush to rise to her cheeks. THen the flush spreads to her whole face, then down her body all the way to the tips of her toes. It can even be seen through the thin, cheap material of her period panties. Rosella tries to cover herself, but there is literally no part of her body that isn't embarrassing her right now. After a few moments moving her arms frantically to cover her breasts, her crotch, her butt, her thighs, her hair, she eventually screeches at the top of her lungs. "DON'T LOOK AT ME!!!" she screams at a frequency that could shatter stained glass. She then runs, sobbing, through the crowd, then off into the woods and beyond the horizon, tears streaming from her face, followed by Lolotte's cackling laughter. The kingdom is saved, but at the cost of every scrap of dignity the princess once had. Rosella vanishes in humiliation, never to be seen or heard from again. -The End [[Try again?->Outside the Castle]]

<h1>Happily Ever After</h1> Rosella holds the mirror up just as Lolotte's spell crashes into it... then bounces backwards, striking the evil fairy right in the face! With an audible POOF! the evil fairy is wreathed in smoke. After a few moments the smoke clears... revealing the ultimate evil in Tamir, clad only in fishnet stockings, a garter belt, and a tiny black thong with the words "Spank Me!" embroidered in hot pink on the front. Lolotte blushes as red as her green-tinged cheeks will allow as she struggles to cover herself. The entire kingdom laughs at her embarrassment as she is led off to be imprisoned in Genesta's dungeon, with a few of the kingdom's more puckish residents treating her to swats on the posterior as she goes! The kingdom is saved, Genesta is well, Lolotte is imprisoned, and Edgar is free of his mother's influence. All is right with the world as Rosella returns to Daventry a hero! ...Of course, she still gets grounded for a week for disobeying her parents, plus an extra two weeks for the injuries she sustained and the frightful state of her dress. But after the exhauston of the final battle, Rosella is ready to sleep for six months, so she barely notices at all! -Congratulations, you reached a good ending! [[Try some different decisions?->Outside the Castle]] [[Go back to the beginning of the chapter->Chapter IV]] [[Go back to the beginning of the game->Welcome!]]

<h1>Mothballed</h1> Rosella grabs the box and take it to the parapets. Once there, she finds that the entire kingdom of Tamir is gathered as refugees in front of Genesta's castle. With the entire kingdom's eyes upon her, she challenges Lolotte, threatening that she will use the ultimate weapon to put an end to her reign if she doesn't leave now. Lolotte appears in a vision in the air between the two castles: "Do your worst!" Rosella opens the box and... a horde of moths fly out. "Oh, yeah!" remarks Jenna, "The super-hungry moths! The idea was supposed to be that they'd eat the enemy's clothes and everyone would be too embarrassed to fight!" The moths hover in the air for a moment, then attack the nearest source of cloth... Rosella! "That's right!" says Jenna sheepishly, "Genesta gave up because she couldn't figure a way to direct where the moths went. She went through so many dresses during the testing!" The moths swarms around Rosella, forming a writhing mass about her body. All that can be seen is her nervous head above a horde of insects. After a few moments, the hord consolidates, covering her legs below the thighs, her breasts, and her loins and rump. The parts of Rosella they no longer cover are now bare skin, the dress having been wholely consumed. "Hee hee! That tickles!" the airheaded princess giggles as the moths squirm about her more private and ticklish areas. The smile is soon wiped off her face. After a few more moments, the moths depart... leaving Rosella standing, naked but for her high-heeled shoes, with all her glory and royal charms exposed to the entire kingdom. The sudden denuding reveals to the kingdom that, a week prior, in a fit of girlish playfullness in the bath, Rosella had shaved her royal pubic hair into a little blonde heart. Lollote laughs, and soon everyone else joins in, including Rosella's friends and the fairies. Embarrassed beyond belief, Rosella does her best to cover her shame, then darts out of the castle, swims into the ocean, and disappears, never to be seen or heard from again. -The End [[Try again?->Outside the Castle]]

<h1>The Ultimate Weapon</h1> "I can't use a weapon unless I'm sure it'll work!" says Rosella, continuing her search. Time grows short. The sound of waves crashing against the walls of the castle grows louder. At last, in the farthest back corner, Rosella finds a large, menacing pink tube with a glass sight on it. "Oh! Right! That!" Jenna bites her lip, "That's the Soul Bazooka. It... It could work," Jenna looks troubled, then nods her head definitively. "Yes. It'll work. Let's use it." Rosella is suspicious. "Is there something you're not telling me, Jenna?" Jenna shakes her head. "We have no choice. Come on, let's get to the top of the castle." Rosella follows Jenna up, up, up to the parapets. Following Jenna's instructions, she points the Soul Bazooka at the juggernaut, charges it, and then fires. A powerful pink blast shoots from the end of the bazooka, right into the center of the juggernaut. It penetrates through to the other side, then expands. The entire kingdom is engulfed in light. When it dissipates, the juggernaut is gone, but for a pair of smoldering feet. "Well," Jenna smiles ruefully, "we did it. Lolotte is defeated forever." "Is she..." "Nothing could have survived that," Jenna wipes a tear from her eye, "We won." "Whats wrong?" a creeping feeling of dread turns Rosella's stomach. "Genesta... She's... gone." "What?!" "That bazooka is tied to her life force. When you blasted it, you expended every last ounce of Genesta's being." "No!" Rosella rushes down the stairs to Genesta's room, where Jenna's horrible words are confirmed. Genesta is gone forever, her body literally vanished from existence. "We'll find you a ship back to Daventry," says Jenna, "Looks like the juggernaut destroyed just about everything before it got to the shore. And what's left... well... I'm sure we'll all be able to find a new land to settle..." Lolotte has been stopped, but at what cost, Rosella? Genesta is dead, Tamir lies in ruins. Run back home, princess, and play dress-up with your dolls; you're clearly not meant for adventuring. -You've reached a bittersweet ending. [[Try different choices?->Outside the Castle]] [[Go back to the beginning of the chapter->Chapter IV]] [[Go back to the beginning of the game->Welcome!]]

<h1>The New Perils of Rosella</h1> Welcome to the final version of the New Perils of Rosella! This story was begun years ago by PerilsOfDawn, and was a major inspiration for me to get into writing, especially on peril themes. Now, in coordination with PerilsOfDawn, I've finished the story with a fourth chapter. The words and detailed planning on Chapter Four are my own, but based on general structure and story ideas from PerilsOfDawn. I take responsibility for any disjunctions in style or deficiencies in the writing you may find, and I assure you that all the best bits came from PerilsOfDawn. If you'd like a refresher, or you'd like to hop mid-stream into the original story, there are chapter links below. If you'd like to jump straight to the new parts, click on the link to Chapter Four. I wish to thank PerilsOfDawn for graciously allowing me to play in their sandbox, and for taking the time to give me notes, brainstorm ideas, and comment on the results. I wouldn't be writing today if it weren't for them. -NoComeupance [[Chapter One->The Story Begins... Again]] [[Chapter Two->Tamir]] [[Chapter Three->Chapter III: Lolotte's Castle]] [[Chapter Four->Chapter IV]]

<h1>Trophy Princess</h1> Rosella stands up, straight and proud. "I came here to talk Lolotte out of this madness, and that's exactly what I intend to do!" The blonde princess does her best to shove down the butterflies in her stomach and adopts her most stern, serious look, the one her mother taught her, as she stands in the center of the hallway and stares at the stairway Lolotte is ascending. As Lolotte turns the corner of the stairway the evil fairy pauses in surprise. She had been berating an ornately-dressed goon following her, but now she finds herself staring down a little blonde slip of a thing. And not just any blonde slip, but the traitorous wench who previously foiled her plans of conquest! Rosella allows a hint of a smile to play across her lips at Lolotte's surprised look. For once, she has the dark fairy at a disadvantage! Rosella gulps, considers her words briefly, then speaks in as calm and regal a tone as she can manage. "Lolotte," Rosella says, "I've come to talk some sense into you." "What?" Lolotte seems baffled. "What you are doing is wrong, these plans you have for world conquest, they're simply... not.. right." "Oh?" Lolotte's lip curls into a smile, "And why is that?" "Ummm..." Rosella wishes, in retrospect, that she'd had just a little more time to prepare this speech. Nonetheless, she forges ahead, "because... it is... the right of all free people... to be... free... and to take away that right... is bad. And being bad... is not good. And, in the end, we can say, that good will always triumph over evil, forever, and all time." Rosella bites her lip. She wishes she had tried just a bit harder in the extemporaneous speaking exercises her royal tutors had given her. To her shock, though, she sees Lolotte wipe away a single tear from her eye. "That..." says Lolotte, "was beautiful." "R-Really?" "In my most vivid dreams, I never imagined my victory to be more perfect. Here, the viper who caused me such trouble in the past, exposing herself so thoroughly as the blithering idiot that I always knew her to be! The greatest playwright in the world couldn't have composed a more fitting end to this story." "Um, that wasn't-" "Silence, dunce. Your part in this play is over." With a snap of Lolotte's fingers, Rosella finds herself unable to move even the tiniest muscle. "You there," Lolotte points at the goon following her, "Take our fair princess down to the taxidermist. Tell him to go wild, I want this to be his masterpiece." The goon gives a quick salute, then grabs the frozen princess by the waist and hauls her away. "Um," thinks the living statue, "That wasn't how that was supposed to go..." The next evening, as Lolotte gathers her armies in the feasting hall to toast her victory in the Battle of Tamir, the taxidermist unveils his latest creations. The first, intended for display in the throne room, is a plaque with the head of a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Princess Rosella, looking utterly bewildered, and wearing a pointy white cap with the word "DUNCE" on it. The plaque beneath reads, "Princess Rosella of Daventry, known as The Viper, The Dunce, and The Ditz, who talked her head right off of her body." The second, a somewhat more ribald creation intended for the feasting hall, was a long plaque holding a pair of white silk stocking-clad legs, arranged horizontally with legs bent to show off their fetching curves. This one was labeled, "Princess Rosella's legs and stockings, her most prized posession wrapped in a lady's second most prized posession. Now Queen Lolotte posesses this prize!" The third, most bawdy trophy, this one bound for the barracks, was the princess's perky posterior. For the sake of modesty, Rosella's royal rump has been clad in panties, though the tasteful, expensive, yet appropriately girlish undies she donned before setting out on this journey have been exchanged for something more... amusing. Rosella's rear now sports a pair of white panties with pink lace trim. On the undies is an embroidered gold crown, and beneath it, in pink script, the words "Royal Brat." The plaque reads "Teach bratty Princess Rosella a lesson by giving her a spanking!" The assembled goons are only too happy to comply. Lolotte is thrilled with the taxidermist's work and awards him a barony on the spot. The army of goons revels long into the night. Some claim that when the princess's bottom gets spanked (and it gets spanked often) they can see a slight twitch in her separated legs and hear a gasp of outrage from the frozen princess's gaping mouth. Others insist it's merely the product of too much beer and imagination. There is one fact upon which there is unanimous agreement: Princess Rosella makes far better ornaments than she ever did an adventuress! -The End [[Try again?->Chapter IV]]

<h1>Run, Run, Run, As Fast As You Can</h1> Rosella reluctantly decides to drink the brown potion. She takes the bottle in her hand and eyes it warily. Lolotte smirks. "I think you'll find you made a delicious choice!" The princess gulps nervously, then unstoppers the bottle. She takes a hesitant sniff. It actually smells quite good, like brown sugar and... she takes another sniff... Molasses? Nutmeg? And something else... With no other options, Rosella raises the bottle to her lips and drinks. The viscous liquid is actually surprisingly tasty. Sweet and rich and complex, with notes of bitterness and spice. Like... Like... "Gingerbread!" Rosella exclaims as she finishes quaffing the contents of the bottle. No sooner do the words escape her lips, than POOF! In a puff of savory-sweet smoke, the princess disappears, leaving her empty dress to float, momentarily, in midair, then lazily drift downward as Lolotte cackles. After a few moments, a tiny lump appears in the dress. It begins to move around, eratically, as though frantically trying to escape. Eventually it pops out of the dress's skirt: A tiny little Gingerbread Rosella! The baked homunculus has blue gumdrop eyes, a heart-shaped redhot belly button, blonde frosting hair, ribbony pink frosting underwear and white frosted stockings on her little ginger feet! <img src="http://amystories.net/TTHosting/RosellaGingerbread.png"> "My, my, Rosella! I had heard that you were sweet, but only now am I starting to see it! I daresay in this form you'll provide no untoward temptation for my dear, dear Edgar... Except the temptation to spoil his dinner!" The panicked pastry trembles at the suggestion of being eaten, holding its adorable stubby hands to its pink frosted mouth. "I really shouldn't have drunk that potion!" thinks the gingerbread Rosella, "now I'm just a tasty treat to be gobbled up!" The cookie princess tries to run away by hopping back and forth on its tiny white frosted stocking feet, but Lolotte bends over and scoops it right up! "Oh, Edgar!" Lolotte calls in a singsong voice, "Mommy has a special treat for you." When the situation is explained to him, Edgar becomes despondent. He cradles the Gingerbread Rosella and promises to keep it safe. He manages to go a whole five minutes before a rumbling tummy causes him to go back on his promise. -The End [[Try Again?->To the dungeon!]] Illustration by <a href="https://nocomeupance.deviantart.com">Amy Ziegfeld</a>

<h1>A Nubile Slave</h1> At this moment of triumph, Rosella elects not to cast any spell at all. She calmly walks over to the troll Lolotte, drops to her knees, bows her head, and raises her opened hands in a gesture of submission. "I submit myself fully to you, my mistress," Rosella says. "Huh?" The troll-Lolotte is startled. She shifts back to her fairy form and regards the princess with amused caution. "In my journeys here, perhaps in past lives, I have sampled the succulent fruit of evil. I have known the joys of a life of pure carnal pleasure. And my mind has been awoken to the ways of sensual womanhood. I see now that the greatest joy I can experience would be to submit myself, mind, body, and soul, to you. To subsume myself into your being. Lolotte smiles and pats Rosella on the head. "Finally, my dear little viper, you've managed to surprise me. Come. We have much training to do if we're to make you an adequate servant. Months later... King Graham, Queen Valanice, and Prince Alexander are dragged in chains to the throne room of the Juggernaut, where Queen Lolotte, conqueror of Tamir and, now, Daventry, sits upon her throne. A young woman sits in front of her on all fours, her back serving as a footstool for the evil fairy. The woman looks nearly naked, and Valanice, despite her dire cirumstances, can't help a moment's judgment. What kind of negligent mother allows her daughter to grow up into <i>that</i>? "You'll never get away with this!" shouts Graham as he struggles with his chain. "Oh, I think I already have," smirks Lolotte. She removes her feet from the servant girl's back. The girl promptly adopts a kneeling position, hands on her thighs, legs spread. Lolotte continues: "Wouldn't you agree... Rosella?" At first the prisoners are disbelieving. This slave bears no resemblance to their bold, free-willed princess. Her hair is pitch black, cut short on one side, shaved bald on the other. She wears a metal collar with a purple heart clasp on the front, attached to a chain that also connects to a pair of manacles on her wrists and a pair of clamps on her nipples. The only clothing she wears are a pair of black fishnet stockings and a purple thong with the words "Mommy's Little Slave." But as they study her face, her shining blue eyes and royal physiognomy, they realize that Lolotte speaks truly. "I think only a fool disobeys Mommy," Rosella replies silkily. She leans in and nuzzles Lolotte's leg, "I used to be a naughty, disobedient brat, but now I'm a good little slave who always does what mommy says." "Please, Rosella!" Valanice wails, "Listen to your mother! Free us!" "I have a new mommy now," Rosella stands up, leans forward, and kisses Lolotte on the lips. The two proceed to explore each others mouths at uncomfortable length. After a long minute, Rosella breaks the kiss off and regards her former family cooly. "Well, Rosella," Lolotte purrs, "What shall we do with them? Shall we free them?" A cruel smile spreads over Rosella's lips. "I think you should execute them." "NOOO!!!" wails Valanice, "What have you done to my daughter???" Lolotte looks at Rosella hungrily. "God, it makes me wet when you're a cruel bitch," the evil fairy says, "Service me, slave!" "Yes, mommy!" Rosella drops instantly to her knees and buries her face in Lolotte's crotch. "Mmm, your pussy's so <i>juicy</i>!" The last Daventry's royal family sees of their wayward daughter as they are led away in chains is her enthusiastically bobbing ass as she vigorously worships Lolotte's cunt. -The (Secret) End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Sapphic Inclinations</h1> Unable to resist the tempting purple potion, Rosella grabs it, unstoppers the bottle, and quaffs. It tastes vaguely of grape, but much sweeter. Rosella awaits a change, but none comes. Something in her head feels... different, but it's too subtle to articulate what it is. The sound of goons outside, however, snaps her from her reverie. She needs to figure out some way out of here now and worry about that potion later! [[Hide in the bubbling cauldron->Boiled Ditz Soup]] [[Grab the green potion->What a World!]] [[Grab the brown potion->Puppy Power]] [[Grab the empty flask->Stealth Mode]] <<set $lesbian to 1>>

<h1>Time Waits for No Princess</h1> Rosella is paralyzed with indecision. She thinks she needs a weapon... probably. But time is running short! If she doesn't confront Lolotte now, it may be too late! The ambivalent princess squirms and dithers, looking back and forth between the two passages, unable to make a decision. Eventually, the decision is made for her. A patrol of goons stomps up the stairwell, spots her, and, before she can react, seizes her. Rosella is dragged off to the dungeons. As she descends once again into the bowels of the castle, she hears a great grinding and feels tremors as the castle begins to move. Rosella realizes that any escape she could manage now would be too late; the kingdom has been doomed by her inability to rub two brain cells together and make a decision. Overwhelmed by her failure, the poor princess glumly marches down to meet her fate. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Use It Or Lose It</h1> Rosella pauses to think. Which would be the best spell? Thinking clearly proves difficult, however, with Lolotte standing there, looming. Lolotte is a powerful sorceress, a fairy queen, posessed of mountains of magical power, both innate and honed through several mortal lifetimes of practice! Rosella, on the other hand, is a scared princess with a borrowed wand and a head filled with four picture-spells from a children's magic book. How could she possibly win this fight? Rosella dithers nervously, thinking as hard as she can. She fidgets, rubbing her hands on her wand and removing her right foot from her shoe, playing her stocking-clad toe nervously on the cold stone floor. Lolotte grinds her teeth, tapping her toe impatiently. At last she throws up her hands. "Fine, let's just end this. I was being generous, but a game of cat and mouse is only fun if the mouse isn't too adle-brained to even lead a good chase. Thinking's obviously not your strong suit, so let's relieve you of the burden." With a flourish, Lolotte conjures a wand from thin air, then points it at Rosella. A zap of magical energy crackles through the air, striking the princess square between the eyes. Rosella suddenly feels the worst headache of her life. It feels like her poor brain has been trapped in a vise. She clutches her head with both hands, clenching her eyes shut, and falls to her knees, shaking violently back and forth as though trying to physically dislodge the pain from her head. "If only I had been more decisive!" she thinks through the pain, "I might have made a bad decision, but it certainly couldn't have turned out worse than no decision at all!" After agonizing seconds there's a loud POP! and the pain is gone... along with all other feelings, emotions, and conscious thought. Pink smoke billows forth from Rosella's ears. He arms fall limp to her sides. Her eyelids droop to half-mast, staring sightlessly at nothing. Her jaw hangs slack, a thin trail of drool dribbling from the corner of her mouth and dripping off her chin. "There!" says Lolotte, looking quite satisfied with her work, "You didn't have two braincells to rub together, now you don't even have one. I've always thought you were all beauty and no brains, it's gratifying to be shown I'm right." An annoyed sneer spreads over Lolotte's face as she contemplates the silent, wobbling princess. "Oh, quit standing on ceremony!" she spits. With a snap of her fingers there's a tiny POOT! and a pair of little pink clouds shoot from Rosella's ears, the final vestiges of her intellect evaporating into the ether. Rosella collapses, like a marionette that's had its strings cut. She pitches forward, her face slamming into the floor, bottom raised high in the air. Rosella soon finds a new occupation, more suited to her diminished mental capacity. While keeping her face-down, butt-up pose, Lolotte has her dress removed and replaced with a generous coating of clear shellac. Thenceforth the ex-princess makes a fine footstool for Lolotte's throne room, her pink silk panty-clad rear making an excellent footrest for Lolotte's stilleto heel-booted feet. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

<h1>Bite-Sized</h1> Rosella panics. She can't decide what she should turn into, so she stays as a mouse and scrambles away in the hopes of buying herself more time to decide on her next move. This is precisely the wrong thing to do. As she turns and flees Lolotte reacts instantly, pouncing across the room toward the scared yellow mouse. As the shadow of Lion-Lolotte looms over her, time seems to slow down for Rosella. How did she get here? She was a happy princess, living a carefree life in her castle in Daventry! Now, thanks to a mixture of her need for adventure and her foolish inability to reach a decision, she finds herself about to make a tasty bite-sized snack for an evil fairy in the guise of a lion. And then it's over. Lolotte lands on Rosella and, in a single motion, scoops her up by the tail and drops her into her waiting jaw. She clamps her mouth shut, swallows, then burps, a contented smile crossing her face, like the cat that ate the princess. In short order they both transform back to their original shapes, though Rosella is considerably worse for wear. Lolotte, on the other hand, now has a big round belly, filled with a foolish princess. Her stomach gurgles as she waddles slowly to the window to survey the battlefield. "I'm not looking forward to the visit to the privy that will see you flushed out of my life forever," she remarks, patting her belly. -The End [[Try again?->Decision Time]]

Chapters 1-3: <a href="http://perilsofdawn.deviantart.com/">PerilsOfDawn</a> Chapter 4: <a href="http://nocomeupance.deviantart.com/">Amy "NoComeupance" Ziegfeld</a>