Part One: A Son is Born:

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far away and long ago, a couple lived together on the outskirts of their small village. They loved each other dearly and lived comfortably, but modestly. They had all they needed for a happy life except for their dearest wish...a child of their own. They had lived in their home ever since inheriting it upon the loss of the wife's sister and brother-in-law who died of broken hearts when they lost their only child, a daughter, at birth after years of trying to conceive. No one knew what had happened to the baby but there were rumors that she had been spirited away by an evil sorceress.

The couple prayed that they too would have a child, but without such a dire outcome. The years passed and finally fate was kind and the wife announced she was pregnant. They were jubilant. The wife began to suffer from enormous cravings on a regular basis and one day her eye caught sight of a patch of beautiful bright-red berries on a vine in their neighbor's yard. They did not know who their neighbor was and had not seen hide nor hair of the occupant from the first day they moved in. The wife nagged at her husband nightly, begging for a taste of the succulent berries. Finally, for the love of his mate (and simply to appease her) he decided there would be no harm in climbing the short wall and gathering a basket of the ripe fruit before it withered away.

That night, the husband did just that and procurred a basket full of the enticing fruit. His wife washed them and plopped each berry into her mouth until she had had her fill. The wife was happy and so was her husband. He believed he would hear no more about the berries now that she was sated. However, several nights later the basket was empty and the wife begged for more. Her husband hesitated, but then decided that since there was still no sign of the presence of the owner and no good reason to let the berries rot on the vine, he would climb the wall once more.

The husband repeated his previous nocturnal quest, but this time he had barely placed a few berries in the basket when he heard a sound behind him. He whirled around and found himself face to face with a creature, the likes of which he had never seen before. She was both beautiful and frightening at the same time. The husband immediately recalled stories of a sorceress who was known to have lived near the village at one time, although no one had the courage to talk about her very often. He instinctively knew that this creature with almost transluscent skin, hair the color of midnight, and eyes even darker, was that same sorceress. The man felt a deep fear course through his veins.

In a voice that sent shivers through him, the woman spoke. "By what authority do you enter my garden under cover of darkness and steal from me?" she demanded to know.

"I...I...I did not know it was your garden. I thought it to be abandoned, Madam," he stammered out.

"As you can plainly see, it is not," she stated with an icy tone. "But you are not the first to think they have the right to take from me without my permission, although it has dearly cost others who tried."

"Please, please don't be angry with me. I will be happy to pay any price you request for the berries. My wife is with child after many years of being barren and has developed a craving for your sweet fruit. She has declared that she will wither away and die without them."

The sorceress seemed to be deliberating on the man's words for several minutes as he stood there quacking, unable to will his legs to flee back over the wall and to safety. Suddenly she smiled. It was not the smile of an angel and struck fear in the man's heart.

"I can understand your dilemma, my friend. I too have longed for a child. I once had one but she left me. I will be happy to let you have all the berries your wife can eat. All you must pay me for them, and those you have already taken, is your first-born child. You have my vow that I will give the child a good life."

The man was taken aback. How could she ask such a thing from him, or from his wife? Before he could speak and give her an answer, she spoke first.

"Do not answer me yet. Fill your basket and go home to your wife. Ask her if she is willing to pay my fee in exchange for countless berries. I will meet you in the garden in three days and you can give me your answer then." With that, she turned away from the man and seemed to vanish into thin air.

The husband quickly did as he was told and went about the business of filling his basket to the brim. He climbed back over the wall and returned to his home and wife. As she began to consume the fruit, he told her the tale of his meeting with the owner of the garden. At first she seemed horrified by what he was saying, but the more berries she ate the less she was disturbed. It was as if the fruit was enchanted. The more she ate, the more she needed.

Finally, just as they were about to retire for the night, she whispered to her husband, "When you go back to the garden, you must tell her that we will pay her price."

Her husband was about to protest, but she continued, "We will find a way to keep our child, even if it means leaving our home in the middle of the night and going far away. But I must have more of those berries. I tell you that I will die if I do not have them and then we will lose the baby anyway."

Her husband felt great trepidation, but he could not deny his wife anything. He loved her too deeply. He returned to the garden when told to and gave the sorceress their answer. As the months passed, the wife continued to eat the berries every day and they tasted sweeter each time. Finally her day came to give birth. A midwife was fetched immediately. After much suffering, the child was born. As the midwife held the tiny bundle up, the couple could see that they now had a son. He was cleaned and wrapped in swaddling clothes so that only his head was exposed. As they looked down on him in his mother's arms, they could see that he had the most beautiful pale hair like wisps of spun gold and eyes the color of the clearest blue skies. They were pleased. They now had everything they had ever wanted. They named their son Justice because it would only be fair if they kept him after waiting so long for him.

The very next day after the birth of the baby, his parents began planning how they could keep the sorceress from taking the child from them. It was all in vain. As the new mother was nursing her son, she suddenly felt the familiar craving for more of the berries. Her husband could not bear to see his wife suffer after she had worked so hard to give him his son so he gathered his basket again and made one more trip to the garden. It was light out, which had never been the case before when he stepped over the wall. He hurriedly began to gather the enticing fruit and soon had a full basket. He turned towards the wall to make his escape but found himself face to face with the sorceress again. Once again he was rooted to the spot and could not make his legs move forward.

"I see that you have come for more of my berries, and I presume you are also here to announce the birth of your son to me. It is time to pay up for what I have so generously bestowed upon your wife all these months."

The husband's blood ran cold. He wanted to protest but no words would come forth. No matter how hard he tried, he could not move a muscle. The sorceress gently pried his fingers from the handle of the basket and took the berry-laden object from the man. She gave him another smile that once again struck fear in his heart, but he could do nothing to stop her. She turned towards the house on the other side of the wall and disappeared just as she had in the dark of night, although the sun now shone brightly.

A moment later, the wife heard a knock on her cottage door. She walked to the door carrying her small baby son with her. As she opened the door, she saw first the sorceress whom she had never met before, and next the berry-laden basket. Suddenly her craving for the berries became overwhelming and she almost dropped her newborn son in her haste to reach out for the basket. The sorceress pulled the basket back and spoke to the wife.

"Let me hold your son while I give you your berries and you taste them to see if they are ripe enough."

The wife did not hesitate. She handed her son over to the sorceress and fell upon the basket with ravenous hunger. As she shoveled them one after another into her mouth, she watched helplessly as the sorceress turned and seemed to glide away with her son in her arms. The last thing she heard was her baby's plaintive cry.

Part Two: Justice's Early Years:

The years melted away as the beautiful baby boy, with golden-blond hair grew lovlier to look at every day. The sorceress, who had taught the boy early on to call her 'Mother' Craigley, kept a watchful eye on the child. Her possessiveness knew no boundaries. When she saw others eyeing the boy and seeking to engage him in conversations or play, her jealousy would overtake her. Once the child began to show signs of interest in others besides his devoted 'parent', she had determined it was time to sequester the inquisitive boy where he could not be influenced by anyone else but herself.

One day the sorceress came home to the cottage she shared with Justice and instructed the youth, who was but an age of no more than twelve years, to pack up all his belongings and prepare to move to his new home. Justice, who was naturally curious about everything, looked forward to the move and hurriedly did as he was told. He envisioned a home closer to the village where he could meet more than the very few he had up until now. He had images of attending a school like the ones he had heard rumors of. He loved learning new things and dreamed of being able to draw exciting new people and places with the paints that he had been using ever since 'Mother' Craigley discovered his talent for transferring the images he saw onto a canvas when he was still quite young.

By the end of the day, the two souls traveled the road in darkness to their new destination. The wagon was laden with all the things that Justice cared about, in particular his artist's supplies. In his eagerness for this new adventure, he never noticed that his 'parent' had added nothing of her own to the cart. The horses slowly clip-clopped through the night, soon falling away from the main roadway and going deeper and deeper into the forest. Justice, who had been exhausted from all the excitement, fell into a deep sleep and did not awaken when the horses finally drew up to a stop in front of a large, round, brick building that reached high into the sky.

The sorceress stepped down from the cart and looked upwards. The building was nothing like a cottage. It was completely round with no doorway at the bottom. The only opening to the inside was a large window near the very top. If Justice had been awake, he would have been puzzled by how they should be able to enter the building, but he was not. It was well and good, for he would surely have been frightened by what happened next. As the sorceress stood there, she began chanting and waving her hand in the air. First she aimed at the cart and one by one, the valises and boxes of items that Justice had packed rose in the air and danced their way up to the tower window. They floated gently into the room and settled on the flooring inside, where a small bed, table, chairs, and other household items had already been installed.

The horses neighed in nervousness and pawed at the ground, but Justice continued to sleep until the cart was totally empty. Without hesitation, she next waved her hand at Justice himself and began a new chant. Suddenly the boy began to rise from where he had been laying on the seat of the cart. It was as if he was as light as a feather. He floated upwards, his legs and arms dangling down, until he too reached the window. He continued to float over to where the bed lay and was gently deposited there. All went quiet. Not even a night owl dared to make a sound. A moment later, the sorceress appeared in the window and stepped through to the flooring. She moved noiselessly over to Justice and bent over to lay a soft kiss with her ice-cold lips on his golden head.

"Now, no one shall come around and corrupt you, my dear 'son'. You shall remain pure and untouched by the evils of this world and remain with me forever. You will be able to continue to draw your beautiful paintings from the pictures in your books and I will keep them safe with me forever. Sleep well. I will return every fortnight with supplies so that you shall never go hungry or thirsty."

With that, she turned and left. And thus it went as she promised. When Justice awoke, it was to a whole new world and life. He found himself entrapped in the tower with no safe way to get down. A jump to the ground would kill him. He had all the comforts of home, but no knowledge as to how he had gotten here or why his 'parent' had disappeared. However, fourteen days later he heard the clip-clop of horses' hooves as the cart and horses came into view from the dense forest that surrounded his new home.

Justice cried out to his 'parent' and she suddenly appeared at his window. She stepped through and descended to the floor. She moved away from the window and waved her hand, chanting all the while. One by one, sacks of food and barrels of water and wine appeared at the window. They were followed by more paints and canvases. When the last item had come to a rest in its assigned spot, she turned to Justice. He stood rooted to the spot with a look of shock on his face. She took him by the hand and drew him to the nearby table. She sat him down and patiently explained what was now the young lad's life.

Justice felt bewilderment, but he had been raised to never argue or complain. He had never seen 'Mother' Craigley angry at him, but he had seen her anger when it was directed at others. It was a fearsome sight and he had grown up afraid of causing it to be focused in his direction. He kept his hurt at how his life had changed to himself and determined that he would make the best of his new life until the day that she changed her mind again, something he was certain would happen someday.

The years passed...slowly. Justice grew lonelier each year, and he longed for...what, he did not know. He only knew that something important was missing...something momentous that would bring joy into his life. His paintings grew every increasingly dark as the years dragged on. But each fortnight, his 'parent' would return and each time he would ask to be freed so that he could see the world around him. Each visit ended with her telling him how much happier he will be where he is and the promise that maybe that would change someday.

Justice grew more beautiful each day until six years had passed. He was now a strapping young man of eighteen years with cornflower-blue eyes and silken-blond hair that hung down to his shoulders. Only one thing marred his beauty...the sadness that resided in his eyes every waking moment.

Part Three: The Prince

One day, a Prince from the neighboring realm found himself wandering around, lost in the forest. He had been traveling to the castle of his neighbor's kingdom as a good will ambassador, but had lost his way after completing his mission. He was very tired and stopped at a small creek to take a drink of the cooling water. Suddenly he heard a most melodious sound in the air. It was a tune he had never heard before and its melancholy pulled at his heartstrings. He quickly jumped back on his horse and followed the sound.

Eventually, after some time passed, he came out of the trees into a large clearing. Before him stood a large, round building made entirely of brick and reaching high into the sky. The sound had stopped, but he sensed it had come from this place. He circled the tower but found no entrance to it. He had noticed a large window near the very top, so he stopped in front of it. He called out.

"Hello! Is there anybody there?"

Suddenly he saw a figure appear at the window.

" Hello? Are you truly there?" a pleasant voice asked him. It had the same tone as the singing voice he had heard in the forest.

"Yes, I am. I go by the name of Prince Britin. And who may I ask are you?"

"I am called Justice," the voice answered back.

"That is an interesting name, Justice, but it is really difficult to have a conversation with my head tilted back so far. Is there any way you can come down here or I can come to you? I would like very much to meet you in person. You have a most enchanting voice."

"I know of no way," the voice answered back sadly.

Suddenly the Prince had an idea.

"Do you have something very strong with you up there that you could tie a rope to? If you do, I can try to throw my rope up to you and you can tie it off and throw it back down to me. I can then climb up it and we can visit."

Justice looked around the large circular room that he called home. There was a cast iron stove that he used for heat and cooking.

"Yes!" he shouted excitedly. "I have just the thing that we can use."

With that, Prince Britin removed the long thick, rope from his saddle and stood as tall in his stirrups as he could. Fate was with him and the rope sailed through the window on the first try. Justice gathered it up quickly and ran to the stove. He wrapped it carefully around the belly and threw the other end down. With a little straining, the Prince was able to reach the rope and begin his climb.

Prince Britin reached the ledge of the window and pulled himself through the opening. As he stood up and began to brush off his rich clothing, he looked up and his eyes made contact with the eyes of the occupant of the tower. The air in the Prince's lungs was caught in his throat. He could not breathe. He had never seen anything more beautiful in his life. Justice stared at him too and he felt his heart fluttering. Whoever this stranger was, he was magnificent. He had thick, wavy brown hair and hazel eyes that danced with life. He was tall, slender, and muscular. He wore the finest clothes of velvets, satins, and gold threads. But it was his voice that enchanted Justice the most. His voice was warm and inviting. Justice had never seen anything, even in all his books, that was more wonderful.

Long minutes passed before the silence was broken. Suddenly both men began to talk at once. They laughed and Justice bade the Prince to have a seat while he fetched him some wine. Prince Britin took the seat and waited. When they were both seated, the Prince asked Justice why he lived as he did. Justice told him his story. When he concluded it, the Prince could plainly hear the deep sadness in the young man's voice. Suddenly the young man could no longer hold back his tears. He had longed for contact with another human being for so long and now that he had met the Prince, he dreaded him leaving. He began to cry.

Prince Britin could not bear to see this gorgeous creature in so much pain. He rose up, pulling the young man to his feet. He wrapped his arms around Justice and held him tight. The tears flowed, wetting the Prince's shoulder. He did not mind. He waited until the tears subsided to hiccups. He then lifted Justice's chin and prepared to speak soothing words to him. The words caught in his throat. All he could see were those deep-blue eyes, damp with tears. The Prince could not help himself. He lowered his face and his lips came down gently upon Justice's lips. The gentleness of the touch eased all the sadness from Justice's heart.

Neither of the men could bear to part. Their lips lingered and slowly, but surely, the kiss deepened. Justice felt his lips parting and he opened his mouth to take a deep breath. Without preamble, Prince Britin let his tongue invade Justice's mouth. His tongue met up with the silken tongue of the young man. The Prince felt a stirring in his loins. At that same moment, young Justice felt the unfamiliar longing in his loins too. The Prince continued to capture Justice's mouth, playing a melody of love with each probe and kiss.

Suddenly, Justice felt weak at the knees. His head swam as his heartbeat doubled its rhythm. Prince Britin felt the young man swaying and bent down to grab the slender youth into his arms. He never let his lips part with Justice's until they reached the narrow bed nearby. The Prince laid Justice down gently on the bedding. Justice looked up at the handsome stranger who hovered over him and saw something he had never witnessed before. He saw love. He knew instinctually that this gorgeous man felt the same things for him that he himself was feeling.

Prince Britin knew at that same instant that he had to have this beautiful young man for himself. He had never wanted anything more in his entire life. He slowly removed his rich garments one by one until he stood before Justice as he had been born more than twenty years earlier. Justice's blue eyes grew larger as he witnessed more and more of the Prince's magnificent body being revealed to him. Once Prince Britin stood before him, fully revealed in all his glory, Justice sat up and reached out for the large manhood that rose proudly from the Prince's soft thatch of hair at his groin. Justice heard the Prince let out a groan. He pulled away, thinking he was hurting the man. The Prince reached down and took hold of Justice's hand. He quickly brought it back to his manhood.

"Don't stop," he begged. "Your hand feels warm and your touch is welcome. Let me show you what I am feeling," he said in a husky voice, dripping with longing.

Prince Britin then began to remove Justice's few garments piece by piece until he lay on the bed as naked as the day of his birth too. His manhood stood as tall and proud as the Prince's did. The Prince then lay down on the bed beside Justice, who moved to give him more space. They faced each other and the Prince reached down to gather Justice's manhood in his hand. He began to stroke it, gently at first and then slowly increasing the pressure. Justice felt things he had never known existed. His heart beat so fast he thought it would burst from his chest. His breathing was shallow and rapid. Time passed and the pleasure he felt at the hands of this stranger only grew in intensity with each passing minute. He never wanted it to end. Suddenly, without warning, Justice went stiff and he tumbled over a precipice as his body let out a mighty release.

Prince Britin held Justice close to his body and whispered soothing words of comfort as the young man let tears of joy slip onto the bedding below them. He slowly, ever so slowly regained his reason. When the Prince saw that he was once again calm, he spoke to Justice.

"This is what I want you to do for me, if you do not mind such a task," he stated.

Justice did not have to be asked again. He longed to make the Prince feel all the wonderful things he had just experienced. He remembered all the things the Prince had done for him and he repeated them. After reaching his own climax, the Prince let out a deep sigh of contentment. They then lay side by side and soon fell into a deep sleep. When they awoke it was a new day.

When Prince Britin sat up on the bed he saw that he was alone. He looked over to the window and saw his new lover sitting on a stool looking out. He walked over to Justice and that was when he noticed the young man was crying. These were not the tears of joy he had shed earlier the night before. It tore at the Prince's heart. He squatted down in front of the young man and inquired as to what was bothering him.

"I woke before you and thought I would see if I could escape this prison the way that you arrived. If I could, then I would leave with you...that is, if you would allow me to accompany you."

The Prince interrupted. "I want you to not only accompany me, Justice, but I also want you to stay with me from this day forward. But why are you crying?"

"I cry because I could not do it. 'Mother' Craigley must have put a spell on me because I am unable to step through the window. I am doomed to spend the rest of my life in this tower and I know you will leave me to my fate."

The Prince pulled Justice up into his arms. "You say that the sorceress only left you two days ago. That means that we will have plenty of time to find a solution to our problem. Somehow we will free you and you will come with me to my kingdom where you will be safe. I will only leave you long enough to gather more food when we start to run out since she only provides you enough for one person on her visits."

Justice's heart became full with the love he felt for the Prince. For the next eleven days, the two men spent every waking hour talking about their dreams for each other and sharing food and wine. When they were not doing that, they made love for hours on end, eventually possessing each other's bodies completely. Each time they touched each other, their love grew more complete. The Prince reluctantly left only when it was necessary to gather more food and water. He always hurried back and climbed the rope to his beloved. By late on the eleventh day, they had still been unable to think of a way for Justice to make his escape.

That night, Justice put the finishing touches to a painting he had been drawing of Prince Britin. The love he felt for his subject was clearly visible and Justice made certain that he hid the painting far away from all the other drawings he had been working on. The lovers agreed that the Prince would leave at first light and hide in the forest nearby. He would observe the sorceress when she came for her visit and see if he could discover a weakness in her movements that would enable him to free Justice. That night they made love with all the intensity of men who feared being parted forever. The next morning, the Prince kissed Justice passionately and gathered up all the signs of his having been present before climbing back down the wall. He watched as Justice pulled the rope up, knowing he would hide it in the same place he had hidden the painting. He rode off to a vantage point where he could keep a watchful eye on the tower.

Part Four: The Sorceress' Revenge

Many hours passed before the clip-clop of the wagon belonging to the sorceress could be heard arriving. All went as it always had for six long years. The Prince watched as all the supplies she brought rose in the air at her command and flew up to the tower window. He watched in awe as they were followed by the sorceress herself. He settled down to wait.

 Meanwhile, Justice greeted 'Mother' Craigley as he always did...with a kiss on her cold cheek. The woman, who was countless years old though she looked to be no more than thirty, knew instantly that something was different. The large room had a different smell to it and there was something even more different about her young 'ward'. She looked around the room but saw nothing out of place. This did not deter her. She knew that there had been a breach of trust. She would discover what it was. She knew that for a certainty. She carefully began to question Justice.

As she put her questions to Justice, she began to walk about the room. She watched his face carefully for signs of distress. Just as she reached a wardrobe not far from the bed, she saw a flush appear on the young man's cheeks. She gazed into his eyes and saw fear. She stopped.

"I have not checked your clothing in some time, my dear boy. I think I should see if you have any mending that needs doing."

Justice stammered out, "No...no, all my clothing is in perfect order," but it was too late.

The sorceress pulled the wardrobe doors open and hastily parted the clothing that hung there. She could not miss the sight of the coiled-up rope on the floorboard or the painting turned away, facing the back of the large chest. She pulled it out and turned it around. Her eyes fell upon the handsome man in the painting and she knew immediately what had been occurring right under her nose. This creature had surely defiled her innocent 'son'. The look in the man's eyes was a testament to this. Her anger grew to enormous proportions. She turned on the hapless youth who stood rooted to the ground before her.

"You will reveal to me who this stranger is in your painting and how you met him, Justice," she hissed.

Justice tried valiantly to hold back the words, but he found himself incapable of avoiding the words as they tumbled from his mouth. He recalled the day that Prince Britin arrived at the tower and everything that happened afterwards. As he began to relate how the two of them loved each other, the sorceress noticed the way the blue of Justice's eyes seemed to brighten, and he was unable to keep the smile from his lips. She waited patiently as Justice revealed how the Prince planned to return to try and spirit Justice away once she had left again. Justice knew it was a mistake to reveal all to the sorceress, but she had put a spell on him and he could hold nothing back, despite his valiant effort.

When Justice came to the end of his tale, the sorceress smiled at the young man. Justice felt his entire body turning as cold as a mid-winter night. Suddenly he felt more tired than he had ever felt in his life. He could no longer even stand as he was. He moved towards the bed and sank onto it. In seconds, his head lay on his pillow and he was sound asleep.

"You are a fool, my little one. I offered you everything. I offered you my love and protection. With me, you would have never known pain or disappointment. With me, you would have been safe from those who would use you and toss you aside once they were done with you. You are as weak as your young cousin, Rapunzel, so you must leave my protection now. When you awake, you will be far away from this creature who has defiled you. You will be utterly alone. It is your just punishment."

She bent down and placed her cold lips against his cheek. Even in sleep, the young man shivered. The sorceress waved her hands over the sleeping lad and began an incantation. The air was suddenly filled with a mist. It dropped down to cover the sleeping form on the bed. When it rose up, Justice was no longer visible. The mist floated out the window and disappeared from sight as the light from the sun struck it.

The sorceress waited until nightfall and then descended from the tower, but not before wrapping the rope around the iron stove as before and laying it near the window. She put a spell on the rope and left. Prince Britin waited until he could no longer hear the sounds of the horse's hooves from the cart the sorceress used. When he thought it was safe, he led his horse out of the forest and stood at the bottom of the tower again. He called out to his beloved to lower the rope for him. The rope unraveled as it fell from the window to the ground. The Prince grabbed hold of it and made his climb.

As Prince Britin stepped through the window, he was surprised at how dark it was inside. He had thought he saw a candle light from the window when he first arrived but now he could barely see a thing. He called out to Justice. There was no answer. He called out again, moving farther into the room. Still nothing. Fear began to grip his heart. He was about to call out again when he heard a sound behind him. He whirled around and saw a figure standing in the window. Suddenly the room was filled with light and he could see the sorceress as she stepped down into the room.

"I see you have returned to claim your prize, young Prince. Well, that which you seek is no longer here for you to take advantage of," she informed him, with menace in her voice.

"I am here to free Justice from your prison, Madam, and I love him. I would not take advantage of him at any time. Where is he and what have you done with him?"

"I will be happy to tell you...that you will never find him. He has been sent to an island far from here and you shall never see him again, even if by some miracle you should find him."

With that, she raised her hand and swept it in front of the Prince's face, chanting at the same time. All of a sudden, everything went dark again for the Prince...but this was not the dark of night. This was the dark of blindness. The Prince rubbed at his eyes, but he could see nothing but pitch black. Before he could protest, he felt hands on his back shoving him forward. He stumbled until he felt the ledge of the window hit his knees. He had no time to react. He hurtled out the window and fell to the ground. By some miracle his neck was not broken. He had fallen into thick bushes that surrounded the bottom of the tower.

The Prince rolled from the bushes and lay on the ground, completely disoriented. He heard a soft neighing sound and felt the warmth of his horse's breath on his face. He pulled his pain-filled body up and dragged himself up onto his saddle. He fell forward with his arms around his horse's neck. The horse stepped back into the forest and disappeared from sight. The sorceress stood at the window and laughed derisively. Again she had failed to possess a child that would be all hers and hers alone. Perhaps next time, she thought to herself as she gathered up the last of the paintings that her once devoted 'son' had created, and prepared to leave this place for the last time...again.

Part Five: The Search for Justice

When Justice awoke, he was horribly confused. He could feel cool breezes on his face and found himself lying on a sandy beach. As he looked around he could see the deep-blue waters of an ocean not far from where he lay. He had no idea where he was or how he had arrived here. He was terribly frightened, but even worse was his fear for Prince Britin. He was alive and unhurt, although in a strange place, but what could she have done to his beloved? The thought of harm coming to the Prince caused the young man to cry bitter tears.

After a time he calmed enough to assess his situation. He now knew that all he could do was pray that his lover had escaped from the clutches of the evil sorceress and was now searching for him. It was the only thing that mattered to Justice. It would have to be the one thing that would sustain him until the day came that they could be reunited. No matter how long it took, he would survive because he knew that fate would not be so cruel as to keep them apart forever. With that thought firmly in mind, Justice set off to explore his new home.

Meanwhile, Prince Britin clung to his horse as it traveled through the woods. By the time it came out on the other side, the Prince had passed out in his saddle. His steed seemed to understand that his rider needed him and he rode on until they reached the outskirts of a nearby village. The Prince was recognized right away by villagers he had visited on his way to his original destination. They sent runners to the castle to inform his father, the King, about his son's condition. The old King sent his personal physician and guards to take care of the Prince and return him safely back to his home.

It took Prince Britin only two days to rest, recuperate, and get his bearings before he was telling his father about his beloved and how he had to find him. The old King did his best to dissuade his son, reminding him that he did not even know where to look, let alone having the ability to see the lad if he did find him, but it was all in vain.

"I will die if I do not touch his sweet face once more," the Prince declared.

The King could see that his son spoke the truth so he assigned his best men to accompany his son on his journeys and keep him safe as he went in search of his true love. He provided the Prince with all the money he needed to buy a strong ship and hire a crew so that they could search all the islands they could find. Prince Britin thanked his father and kissed him good-bye. By the end of that day, he was on his way to the largest village near the sea.

Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and soon a year had almost passed. Justice had learned to live off the fruits and berries of the small island he now called home. In some ways it was paradise compared to the tower. He found items in nature which he used to continue to draw all the beautiful birds and nature around him. He learned to fish from pools of water formed among the rocks when the tide was high. Justice could have been content except that he woke each morning longing for the touch of the one person he loved most dearly, the Prince. He thought of him all during the day and Prince Britin was the last thing he thought of every night as he lay down to sleep. Even his dreams were filled with his lover as they made love repeatedly throughout the night. As time went on, the only thing that kept Justice sane was the thought that he would someday be held in the Prince's arms again.

Time moved just as slow for the Prince. He had adjusted to the darkness all around him and become adept with all his other senses. But nothing could ease the ache in his heart. In his mind's eye, he could clearly see his beloved Justice's face in front of him. The beautiful lad was always smiling at him and beckoning him on to the next island, and the next. A year was almost up and they had visited every island that was on their ancient map. Many of his men wanted to return home, but the Prince could not abandon his search. He did not want a life without his beloved golden-haired beauty in it.

Early one day the Prince heard one of the sailors shout out a warning. It had been a foggy morning, although the Prince would not have known that. Apparently their vessel had sailed too close to the shore of a tiny island that did not appear on any map. The wind had been blowing them ever closer but they needed to turn quickly or they would run ashore. Just as the captain gave the order to turn about, the wind reversed course and with it came a most melodious sound dancing in the air.

The Prince came to a sudden halt as he was about to walk back to his cabin. He had heard that sound before. It was the sound of someone singing and although it was faint, the Prince knew who was making it at that very instant. He had been drawn to that sound once before...in fact, a year before. It was the same melancholy sound that had drawn him to it far too long ago. Tears welled up in his eyes and he shouted to the captain.

"Stop what you are doing, Captain, this very minute! We are going ashore," he ordered the man.

"But, Your Majesty, that is but a tiny dot of an island that has been deserted since time began. It is not even worthy of mention on a map. Why would you want to stop there?" the Captain inquired, puzzled by the excitement in the Prince's voice.

"Just do as I ask of you," Prince Britin answered. "I want a boat to take me ashore. If the island is as small as you say, we shan't be here for long."

The Captain could tell that an argument was futile. He ordered the small boat that they took to shore to be made ready, and several of the Prince's men were assigned the task of accompanying the Prince ashore. As soon as they had sailed closer to the island, they lowered the boat to the water with its passengers inside. Soon they arrived on shore and pulled the boat up to the beach. The Prince wandered off with his men following close behind, keeping a safe watch over him.

Prince Britin picked his way carefully through the foliage of this unfamiliar place. Many times he stopped and turned his head with his ear up, trying to hear that beautifully sad sound again. At first there was nothing and he soon began to lose hope. Perhaps, he thought to himself, he had only wished for the sound of his beloved's voice so much that he only imagined it. Just as he was about to give up his search, he heard the sound again. It wafted on the breeze that wound its way through the trees. This was not his imagination.

The Prince shouted at the top of his voice, "Justice! Justice, I'm here! Come to me...find me!"

The melody stopped as quickly as it began. The Prince's heart skipped a beat. Suddenly he could hear rustling in the nearby foliage and then a loud gasp. He turned in the direction of the sound.

"My love!" he heard clearly in his beloved's voice. "I knew you would find me!"

Suddenly, the Prince could feel himself being gathered into Justice's arms. He wrapped his arms around Justice and the two men clung to each other. He could not see his lover's face, but he knew it was Justice. He would know the feel of his body anywhere. The two men kissed passionately. Suddenly the Prince felt his eyes tingling as Justice's tears mingled with his on his face. He blinked several times and then closed his eyes as he kissed his beloved again, only this time with a gentleness borne of their tremendous gratitude over finding one another again. When he opened his eyes, he could see the beauty of Justice's face as he looked up at him with such joy.

The Prince turned to his men. "I can see again!" he declared happily. "You have served me well all this time and I thank you. Now you may go back to the boat and wait for us. We will join you soon and then we can all go back home to our families. "

The Prince's men were overjoyed. They had missed their own loved ones greatly as they performed their duty serving their sovereign. They hurried away, leaving the two men alone in the clearing. When the lovers were alone, they embraced again. Prince Britin looked upon the face of his beloved Justice and thanked all the powers that be for the gift of his restored sight. He could see that his memory of the man he loved had been fully accurate. If anything, Justice was more magnificent now than when they parted that terrible day so long ago. The Prince laid his hands lovingly on Justice's cheeks.

"You are more beautiful to gaze upon than I remembered. It was the need to hear your voice and feel your touch again that drove me onward until I could find you. I did not dare to dream that I would also be able to see your glorious face again too, but the evil spell that the sorceress cast upon us could never be as strong as our love for one another. She could not keep us apart forever and she will never come between us again. This I vow," he solemnly promised his lover.

"I believe you, my beloved. I knew that if I was patient, you would come for me someday. Now you have, and we shall never be parted again."

With that, they sank to the grass below them and lay together. They slowly removed the clothing that each wore until they were once again naked before one other. With the sound of birds singing happily in the trees above their heads, the Prince and his only love joined their bodies again with all the passion that they had stored up inside for only one another. When they had reached their greatest fulfillment, as they had done when they first fell in love, they lay against each other and felt their heartbeats in perfect rhythm together. When they arose and redressed in preparation to join their escorts to return to the ship, each man knew that this was another memory that they would carry with them for the rest of their lives.

Epilogue

The journey home for Prince Britin and his beloved Justice was filled with laughter, long talks, and plans for their future every day. Their nights were filled with repeated expressions of love that left them exhausted, but sated every time. Finally they reached the shores of their homeland where they took the journey to return to the castle of the King. The King was happy to see his only child returned safely to him and once he saw how much happiness the young Justice gave his son, he welcomed them both with open arms.

Eventually the old King passed and Prince Britin became King of his realm. Justice became his Prince Consort and they were loved by their people for their devotion and generosity to one and all. Not long after they had returned home, they heard the story of Sorceress Craigley's fate. The newest gossip recalled the tale of how the sorceress made the fatal error of challenging a sorcerer more powerful than herself and she was banished to a far away desert. Only the love of another could free her, as it had done for the Prince and his beloved.

She was never heard from again...and King Britin and his Prince Justice lived happily ever after.

The End