John Claude, upon killing the dragon, was granted the hand of the King�s daughter. But- and this is the point of our story- there were five daughters, not just one. And a son. King Rufus III, sometimes called King Rufus the Nearsighted (because he was slightly myopic), proposed that Prince John Claude have a chance at winning each of his daughters, and he would marry one of them to receive the customary half of his kingdom. Prince Michael, King Rufus� son, was given the honor of introducing John Claude to each of his beautiful sisters.
The oldest sister was seventeen, one year younger than John Claude. It would not do for a potential wife to be older, as everyone knows. She had raven black hair down to her waist and fierce violet eyes. John Claude didn�t think to wonder who her mother was, because he assumed that the blond Queen and brown-haired King could have any type of children they desired. Sapphire, daughter to whom he was currently being introduced, strode forward when the prince came to her door, her hips swaying alluringly. She kneeled at his feet, which was obviously an excuse to display her rather generous proportions.
Prince John Claude was intrigued by the spectacle, but he heard Prince Michael clear his throat behind him. He came to his senses. �That isn�t necessary,� he told Princess Sapphire abashedly. �Anyway� How do you like to spend your time?�
She fluttered her eyelashes and clasped her hands together coyly. �I like to spend my time sewing. Would you like to see something I made?�
�Yes, that would be nice of you!� He waited, expecting her to produce a quilt or a pair of stockings.
Instead, she began to unlace the bodice of her dress with practiced ease.
�Wait! That�s all right; I don�t need to see it. I didn�t realize-�
�But the lace is absolutely-�
John Claude turned to hide his blushing. �It was nice meeting you, Princess Sapphire.� Michael led him out of the room, leaving the princess to deal with her lack of success.
�She can be a bit� ambitious,� he commented as they walked to the next princess� room. �I�m sorry if she intimidated you, my lord.�
John Claude sighed. �She is a beautiful young woman. But I would like to meet the others as well.�
Michael smiled. �Of course. You deserve any of my sisters, for the great deed that you performed. Our heroes have been balking at that dragon for years!�
They had reached the room of the second daughter, a girl named Joan. When they knocked on the door, there was no answer. �She must be at weapons practice. We can meet her there,� Michael suggested. John Claude raised an eyebrow, but followed anyway. The girl was out on the practice field, fencing with a man about twice her age. She was probably about as tall as John Claude, which was six and a half feet. Her curly brown hair was tied up in a bun.
When Michael called her name, she stopped fighting reluctantly and turned to meet her visitor. �Hello,� she said, offering her sweaty hand to shake. John Claude did so, albeit a bit hesitantly.
�I�m John Claude. Your father wishes me to meet all of his fine young daughters, so Michael is being kind enough to direct me to you. Your swordsmanship is rather impressive!�
She smiled briefly, her hazel eyes studying him. �Thanks. I heard you killed the dragon.�
�Yes, I did. A brave beast, but susceptible to a sharp sword in the gut, as they all are. He died in style.� He was prepared to continue the description, but the girl evidently did not see his intentions. Or maybe she did, and didn�t want to hear his tales of glory.
�I�m sure he did. I would have gone after the damn monster myself, but my father was concerned with losing me to the dragon. After all, having four daughters doesn�t have much of a ring to it, don�t you agree?�
John Claude laughed. She had character, at least. �No, I suppose not. But don�t you think-�
�You must pardon me, my lord, but I need to return to my weapons practice. Nice to meet you!�
��Yes, nice to meet you, too.� He would have bowed, had she not darted back to her place without giving him a second glance. Michael shrugged, saying that it was typical behavior on her part.
�She seems to be a nice girl. However, I�m not sure I would be able to deal with a wife who has equal skill in �princely� pursuits. It�s just not� womanly. She should not try to be something she�s not.�
�I can understand that,� Michael said amiably. �The next one is Josephine, who can usually be found in the library. Let�s go!�
This daughter had spectacles, like her father, and wore her dark brown hair completely unbound. She did not look up when they approached, so engrossed in her book as she was. When she started talking, they did not know if she was talking to them or to herself. �The Northern Spotted Deer has a population of 4,500 in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is common among this species to eat ferns and other vegetation as one might find in the vicinity of a body of water, although the alternative is to reside in dense forests. During the mating season, the female typically emits a scent that attracts the male with pheromones, and the male-�
The two princes looked at each other, and they quickly exited the library. �I don�t think that one would be a very sociable wife,� John Claude explained.
�Certainly not. I decided it would only be fair to give her a chance, though. Daisy will be far more eager for your attention. Here we are.�
She answered the door almost immediately. Her blond hair was in one loose braid, her blue eyes completing the image of a perfect fourteen-year-old princess. She grinned and introduced herself, almost forgetting to invite the princes inside. �So what interests you, my lady?� John Claude inquired politely. She giggled and bounced a little. Her proportions were generous for her age. He drew his eyes from her bosom and admired her round face. She was indeed more interested in meeting him than some of the others had been.
�I like to read,� she replied earnestly. He began to have misgivings, thinking she might be too much like Josephine for his taste. But that was not the case. She produced a book and showed him the cover: a partially clad woman, kissing a partially clad man.
�Ah� interesting,� he said, not being able to think of anything better to say to a girl enthralled by romance novels. �You know, we should really go meet your other sister before her bedtime. Nice to meet you!�
�Thanks for coming!� she squealed as the two princes left the room. Michael shook his head slowly as they walked to the next one. �She would probably try to live through what she reads in those silly stories. Probably not your best choice, although you may choose as you wish.�
�She�s pretty,� John Claude allowed.
They knocked on Princess Aurora�s door, and she opened it after a moment. She had long, straight auburn hair, pinned back enough to stay out of her way. She smiled shyly and invited them inside.
�I hope you don�t mind the mess,� she said sheepishly. He looked around; the room was perfectly in order, not even a single book or article of clothing astray.
�There�s no mess at all!� he insisted. She shrugged and asked him to sit down, and he did so. Michael followed suit. John Claude tried a slightly different tactic. �Do you have any aspirations for the future, Princess Aurora?�
�Well, yes�� she blushed charmingly. �I would love to be admitted to a convent. When I�m there, I will have more time to pray and write poetry. Do you think I have good plans, Prince John Claude?�
�Oh� Well� Yes, those are wonderful ideas! I wish I had the dedication for something like that.�
�I think it�s time for bed. Thanks for coming!� she said brightly.
After the door was closed, both princes breathed a sigh of relief and frustration. It was somehow a combination of the two, although they are rather conflicting emotions. In fairy tales, anything can happen, so don�t worry about the contradiction. Michael suggested retiring to his room to discuss the five princesses, and his companion agreed.
�Any preference?� he prompted. �I know they are a difficult lot, but surely one of them suits your fancy��
�They�re all very attractive,� John Claude said musingly. �But I don�t know� Somehow none of them seem to suit my needs. They might cause problems at home.�
�That is true. They are quite a handful here, to be sure.�
They looked at each other, both at loss for ideas. Michael could not say which sister would be best for the prince, and John Claude could not decide for himself. John Claude studied the deep brown eyes of his new friend, and the soft curls of his chestnut hair. Somehow they grew closer and closer to each other, and he didn�t know what was happening. It was going too fast! He scarcely realized what was going on until their lips were touching, first tentatively, and then with passion. Their arms were around each other, moving in sensuous arcs and exploring each other�s bodies. At some point, John Claude came to his senses and broke away.
�We- I mean- what- well-� He was tongue-tied.
�You don�t really want any of my sisters, do you?� Michael said in a low voice, his eyes full of fire. �Will you have me instead?�
�Y- yes! But your father��
�He will understand. I know he will.�
And so it was that Prince Michael and Prince John Claude were joined in holy matrimony. They ruled together over the land John Claude had received from King Rufus, and they added on the land of both kingdoms when it came time for their generation to rule. The five princesses were given their dreams: Sapphire opened a brothel, Joan became a renowned warrior, Josephine wrote enormous tomes, Daisy married a bard, and Aurora joined a convent. They all lived happily ever after, and all was good, and nobody ever starved or killed one another again (except for Joan, because she was a warrior, and maybe a few others).