Free 3 Dead Princes: An Anarchist Fairy Tale by Danbert Nobacon Page B

children are simply less scary versions of the tales adults tell each other. It’s easy to forget that our ancestors fought monsters. And some lived to tell the tale.
     
    Admittedly the strangest creature we have actually seen thus far in Stormy’s waking world is a donkey. But that is about to change. For there in the distance, in the alive world, just below the dawn horizon, where the ice sheet stretches out forever, there comes a black speck. Impossible to tell at this distance what it is, but the very fact we can see it at all means it is bigger than anything we have previously known.
     
    Back in the dream, the Giggle Monkeys still talked among themselves.
     
    “Time she met the Bird,” the whole said as one.
     
    “That’s you, Miss Princess,” chimed Goandermi. “Now don’t forget.”
     
    Which bird? Forget what? mouthed Stormy, as she slid from Sortofington into a deeper untroubled sleep …
     

Chapter 14
     
    THE BLACK BIRD
     
    “ W hat’s that?” said The Fool, rubbing his eyes and pulling himself up on the couch bed.
     
    “I said, it really is time she met the Bird,” said an exasperated Witch in the Ditch. “I just coaxed a message bird down, see? Comes from Bald Mountain, but it tells news from King Jude in Rockport.”
     
    “What news?” said The Fool, shaking himself awake.
     
    “The Oosarians! They have an army of boats up the north coast sailing beyond Rockport. They will soon be sailing up the mouth of the Lumbiana, he says. Powered by slaves, he says. Wance they reach River Bald Falls they ”
     
    “Boats. Boats. What boats?” gasped The Fool.
     
    “They’re like floating cities, says Jude. Five hundred fighting men on each of ’em. Quare creatures makes up many of their number. He says there’s ten ships. No one’s ever dreamed it. Gwynmerelda says … it’s all addressed to Walterbald of course. She says he has to get his ass back there as fast as he can fart.”
     
    The Fool was wide awake now. Glamour came into the room, rubbing her eyes. “What’s all the ruckus? It’s barely past sun up.”
     
    “Mergnecy in Morainia,” howled her mother. “Go wake the girl.”
     
    Stormy was asleep, but not for long.
     
    “You mean the Oosarians are about to invade Morainia? But, but how? Why?” clamored Stormy, clutching her mug of tea. “It’s all my fault isn’t it?” she burst out. “For killing that stupid Prince! And I didn’t mean to!” she wailed.
     
    But then she stopped. The thought came to her: It was his fault. I might not like it but I can’t undo what I’ve done. From which it will be seen that Stormy was indeed changing.
     
    “Well, there be another prince or two on them warships, no doubt,” quipped The Witch.
     
    “Mother!” Glamour said, looking at Stormy. She sat beside the Princess, put a comforting arm around her, and gave The Witch a disparaging look.
     
    “No, it’s okay, thanks,” Stormy said grimly to her friend. But she squeezed her hand as she said it.
     
    The Fool stood up and began pacing. “This has nothing to do with you, other than the fact that you are Morainian. The why is simple. Since as long as we can remember, Oosarian rulers have eyed Morainia’s metal reserves jealously.”
     
    “Hah!” interrupted The Witch. “They be jealous, is why! Never met an Oosarian who could stand to see someone else having a good time. That Mercurio was bad enough. But them other two, his brothers, Toromos and Braggardio, are war wolves to be sure.” Her eyes narrowed.
     
    “Nukeander and Mercurio, and the courtship deal was a ploy,” spat The Fool. It was all a diversion, while the war fleet sailed north.” He laughed, but there was a proud look in his eye. “Didn’t know they’d get you , though, did they, Alexandra Stormybald Wilson?”
     
    Stormy frowned. “We have to find my dad!”
     
    “I sent out word already,” squawked The Witch. As if on cue, a bird flew into the half-open front door, clattering across