‘You know why I’m here?’ He stood in the open doorway, lit by the moon, staring hard at her.
She screwed up her eyes, peering at the silhouette she had watched grow from child to man. It wasn’t like him to come to her. Unless he wanted something.
‘No.’ She pulled in her lips, opened them with a smack. ‘But I bet you’ve bought some gold with you.’
He frowned at her heavy sarcasm, smirked. ‘I thought you might make me a gift, old woman.’
‘And why would I do that?’ She bristled. Since when did she have a reputation for making gifts?
‘Because tomorrow I come into my inheritance at last.’ He took a heavy step into the room, rustling the straw she had freshly laid that morning. ‘Tomorrow I am king, and all in this kingdom–‘ he swept one arm out wide ‘–belongs to me.’
She refused to step back from his towering presence. From the corner of her eye she caught sight of the cat, perched on the settle among the cushions. Its eyes glowed yellow, directed at the soon-to-be-king.
She offered a tottering curtsy, held a gnarled hand to her scrawny chest. ‘As a loyal subject, Highness, please allow me in that case to offer you a gift.’ Her eyes flicked to the cat. His Highness took no notice of the gesture, his own eyes filled with greedy anticipation.
‘Your gift to me will be power over others.’ He puffed out his manly chest. ‘My subjects will regard me as a beneficent god whose attention they crave. My enemies will flee before me like mice before a cat.’ He flicked a finger towards the cat which blinked slowly. ‘Princesses from every kingdom will come at my call, eager to share my bed.’
He took another step, laid a velvet-gloved hand on her skinny shoulder. ‘And I will want for nothing, all comforts provided for me, no cost to myself.’ He squeezed her shoulder, gently enough. ‘Well, old witch, what do you say?’
She lifted her eyes to meet his cold gaze. ‘This I can do, Highness.’ She stepped out of his hold, raised her arms, murmuring. A veil of silver smoke shrouded the prince, set his blond hair gleaming, his skin shining. He lifted his arms as if to embrace the spell, the power.
And fell to the floor, claws scrabbling in the straw, tail flicking. The cat jumped down, and rubbed herself against her new golden-furred mate.
‘Come, puss.’ The old woman beckoned, a smile playing on her lips. ‘Here is all you have asked. Be happy. You’ve found your forever home.’
Follow the daily writing prompt on Facebook.
Find Cheryl’s flash fiction and short stories, including audio versions of some, here!
“You know why I’m here?” she asked perfunctorily.
Tom looked at her for a moment, his gaze taking in the long dark hair, pert nose, pretty face, small waist, shapely legs.
“No, but I bet you’ve brought some gold with you,” he replied with a cheeky grin.
“Now why would you say that,” she retorted. “Where could I possibly have got gold from?”
“Oh, I dunno, maybe you robbed a bank or something.”
“Don’t be silly,” she said, collapsing into an armchair and tossing her handbag onto the coffee table. “Anyway, I need to discuss something with you that is very serious.”
Tom had known Daphne most of his life but had never really noticed how pretty she had become.
The two had been friends right through school and then she had enrolled in a commerce/law course at Sydney University and for five years he had only seen her when she came home for holidays.
Tom couldn’t help but notice how she had grown into such a beautiful woman in that time – so much so he was wondering why he had never asked here on a date.
Perhaps the friendship side of their relationship had morphed into such a brother-sister thing that it had never previously occurred to him.
“So, what did you want to discuss?” he asked, pushing his amorous thoughts to one side.
“I’ve been offered a job with a local law firm that specialises in the subjects I majored in,” Daphne said. “However, I have also been offered a position with a bigger firm in Sydney which doesn’t really cover my area of expertise but might give me greater opportunities in the future.
“Trouble is, I’m not sure which one to accept.”
Tom looked again at his long-time friend and suddenly realised if she went to Sydney to live permanently how much he would miss her.
“Perhaps you should take the job with the local firm if it covers your specialty areas,” he suggested hopefully.
“Do you think?” she wondered. “But the Sydney firm will probably mean a lot more money and quicker promotion.”
“Up to you,” Tom said, his face falling.
Daphne couldn’t help but notice the change in expression and immediately guessed why.
“You’re going to miss me if I go to Sydney, aren’t you?”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are.” And with that, Daphne rose with a smile from her armchair and walked across the room to take Tom in a passionate embrace.
Aww, nice.
Ha!
Serve him bloody right!!!!