there was a great musician. His name- or rather the name he went by- was Orion. He played the harp, which was the main instrument of his time, and sang. When he performed, whether by magic or some strange and wonderful occult powers in the music, all kinds of strange and wonderful things happened. People compared him to Orpheus- a comparison which Orion never rejected, as he was not a man burdened with false modesty. He was also a great man for the ladies. Women of all ages, types and conditions threw themselves into his arms, and then his bed- they always said it was due to the power of the music.

Orion had an apprentice, called- as is the way of these things- Jack. Jack was a handsome and talented lad. He was also quite monumentally fed up with his master, who treated him like a servant, expected him to do all the hard work connected with their tours, put him on to play when the audience was especially difficult or low status and failed to pay his wages (since Orion generally had more pleasurable things to spend his money on than Jack’s pay). To be fair, Orion had taught him a great deal in terms of music and Jack had been a good pupil. Indeed, Jack felt that he was now every bit as good as his master. He also thought that he’d be as good with the women if he had a chance, but nobody ever noticed the apprentice when the great musician was playing.

It came about late one autumn that Orion got an invitation to play at the king’s court. It was years since he’d been there- problems with a pregnant maidservant the last time he played there had discouraged the king from booking him. But the king’s only daughter begged to hear the greatest musician of the day and in the end the king could refuse his daughter nothing. She was a sweet and charming girl, just seventeen and beautiful, with long fair hair, a perfect figure, big blue eyes- in fact everything a princess ought to be. She was also desperate for a man. Diplomatic negotiations to marry her off had stalled for the umpteenth time and she was getting frantic- and anyway none of the princes on offer looked up to much. She’d been reading all the kinds of literature which moralists say young women shouldn’t read and she had drawn all the wrong messages from them. She wanted a man in her bed and she wanted one NOW.

Of course the performance went wonderfully. Orion was on his very best form- and whatever might be said about him, on top form he was a wonder to hear. He looked at the princess, who had put on her very best and sexiest frock, the one which showed so much cleavage that even her mother murmured a little about whether it was quite suitable for this sort of banquet. She looked at him. Their eyes met.

Orion began playing some very special music. This seemed to freeze time for everyone except the musician and the person ha was directing it at. Orion and the princess looked directly at each other

“You are looking at me, Sir Musician” the princess said, her voice soft and sweet.

“Indeed I am, my lady. Who would not look in wonder at such beauty?”

She giggled slightly. “You have my favour. Please come to my quarters tonight.” She went on to give the precise directions and the special knock he should use when he reached her door. The directions were needed as the musicians (being really a superior grade of servant) were quartered in a different tower from than inhabited by the royal family. And Orion changed the tune and time began to flow again.

There was however another witness to this exchange. Jack was (as usual) busy assisting his master in his performance and (as usual) people overlooked him. He had however heard every word that passed, because he could recognise the special music which froze time and knew how to stop it affecting him- this was one of the skills he had learned from his master. He thought the princess was the loveliest girl he had ever seen. It irked him no end that his master should have an assignation with her- he was old enough to be her father. And he would boast about this endlessly, all the winter long. And he still hadn’t given Jack his pay for last month. A desperate thought formed in Jack’s mind. He had been meaning to run away from Orion soon anyway- he’d bring his plans forward a bit. And he would replace his master at the rendez-vous. He knew it was a massive risk- he’d probably be hanged if things went wrong. But the princess was worth it- and he could probably be hanged for breaking his indentures (which still had a couple of years to run) anyway.

After the performance Orion was at his most insufferable. He demanded that Jack give him a thorough shave and hair cut and then air and press his best clothes (“Why?” Jack muttered to himself as he wielded the iron “You surely aren’t planning to keep the clothes on for any length of time”). Finally he announced that he would take a little nap and ordered Jack to waken him when the candle by his bed burned down.

Jack, of course, had other plans. Once Orion’s first snores became audible, he took up his harp and began to sing another special song, one designed to send Orion into a sleep from which only the singer could waken him. He then borrowed some of Orion’s scent and his cloak and tiptoed out of the room.

It proved easier that he had expected to get through the castle without attracting suspicion. Of course it was very late at night and most people had retired to bed but there were still a few servants up and about doing the things which need to be done all through the night for a castle to run properly when the royals are in residence. They were all too busy to notice a cloaked figure moving purposefully through the corridors and courtyards. Despite the pounding of his heart, Jack was amused to see several other people moving about in a more or less furtive manner- clearly he wasn’t the only resident with business in someone else’s bed chamber.

Despite his best efforts, Jack was still in a state of blind terror when he reached the right door (“third door to the right on the upper passageway after you come out of the spiral staircase”). Surely the princess would notice something was amiss? Just how much light was there going to be in her chamber? He nearly turned and fled. Then he thought of her again. He made the agreed pattern of knocks on the door.

“It’s not locked”. An eager but nervous sounding voice came from within the room. Jack thought “Maybe she’s as scared as I am”. This made him feel far better. He snuffed out his candle and opened the door.

The princess’ chamber was reassuringly dim, apart from a nice warm fire on to one side. He could dimly make out a large bed on the far side of the room- and considerably less dimly make out a very inviting form standing in the middle. Naked.

“I’m here at your command” Jack said, trying as hard as possible to sound like his master as he closed the door behind him and entered the room. “Good” the princess replied. Then she took a couple of steps forward and threw her arms round him. He responded in kind, running his fingers over the silky skin of her back. He inclined his head slightly to meet her mouth with his. It opened warm and damp. Their tongues intertwined. A mischievous imp at the back of Jack’s mind said “You’re not going to have to worry much about sounding the part; she’s not interested in polite conversation”.

They disengaged briefly so that Jack could undress. The room was comfortably warm- and all the warmer with the princess wrapped round him. He felt her breasts against his body, nipples rigid. He also felt himself going rigid between the legs as he steered her gently but firmly towards the bed, smothering her face and body with kisses as he did so. And once on the bed with her warm firm body beneath him he slid his manhood firmly into the appointed spot between her legs. The princess moaned with pleasure. He thrust again and again, covering her mouth with his…..
Time seemed to stop, without any need for musical spells.

Eventually Jack became aware of his surroundings again. The princess lay in his arms, her golden hair mantling his shoulders. He had no real idea of the hour but a sense that it was time for him to be away. Gently he stroked the princess’ hair and said, not even bothering to disguise his voice “My darling, that was wonderful. But I have to go now”. She mumbled incoherently. “Sorry”. He added. “I do wish I could stay but I don’t think your father would like that”.

He slipped out of the bed, located his clothes, re-lit his candle from the fire-which had burned low- gave her a final kiss and slipped out of the room. As Jack headed back through the castle his mind was full of conflicting thoughts. The dominant one was that this business of sleeping with girls was every bit as good as it was cracked up to be- better, in fact. He realised with a pang of sorrow that, at least in social terms, his sex life was likely to be downhill from here on- how many young men, even from the nobility, could honestly say that they’d opened their sexual account with a real live princess? He was also still worried about the next steps- but in truth even if he was hanged now it would have been worth it.

The castle was still mostly asleep, though he noticed the first signs that dawn might not be so very far away. He quickened his pace. Back in their quarters Orion was still snoring deeply. Jack put the cloak back and set about rousing his master.

“Master! Master! MASTER!!!!!” Orion groaned into semi-wakefulness. “You’ve slept late. I’ve been trying to waken you this last hour. You know you shouldn’t have had that final flagon of wine”. Orion shook himself and sat up “What’s the hour?”

“I don’t really know master- but it’s well after you should have been gone”

“I’ll have to rush then- can’t keep a lady waiting”

And so he bounded from his bed, threw his clothes on in hurry, splashed cold water on his face and raced off without a further word. Jack smiled slightly and got down to his business- packing his belongings, wrapping his own harp and, most crucially, locating his master’s strong box to take the money the old skinflint owed him. Then he would go to the stables and ask the stable staff-whom he had taken care to be pleasant to when Orion was rude with them- if he could hide out in the hay loft until the castle gates opened and he could ride out.

Orion meanwhile scurried through the castle, his mind in a whirl. Why on earth had he slept so late, tonight of all nights? He knew he needed his sleep a bit more these days but this was ridiculous. He just hoped the princess would understand- but she would. Women always did. He was so preoccupied that he missed the signs that morning was not far away.

He reached the door and gave the agreed knock. He was not expecting the reply- a yelp of shock and alarm. He entered the room anyway.

The princess had been dozing, full of warmth and wrapped in pleasure. It had been a wonderful night, the best night of her life. A little bit of her mind was already worrying about how she’d get rid of certain physical evidence all too clearly visible on the sheets but that was not a major preoccupation just yet. The knock had rudely interrupted her reveries.

“What on earth have you come back for, my love?” she said, urgent and worried. “Have you left something?”

“What do you mean- come back for? I’ve only just got here- sorry, that damned apprentice failed to wake me on time”

“What do you mean- just got here? You only left less than an hour ago!”

Orion stood in the middle of the room, his mind in a whirl. What was the silly girl talking about? Was she trying to stand him up? He advanced on the bed.

The princess screamed. She was blessed with a fine set of lungs, and anyway a princess’ scream is somehow audible right through a castle when the screams of lesser mortals would not be. Things happen when a princess screams.

Orion, already totally confused and disoriented, did perhaps the worst thing he could have done- he ran from the room. He ran into the passageway outside- and ran straight into the arms of half a dozen royal guardsmen.

“Got ‘im. Sire” one shouted. The king, incongruous in his nightshirt but carrying a large sword, was just behind them. “What ‘ave we ‘ere?”. The guard held a torch close to Orion’s face. “It’s the musician, Sire. Orion. What’s ‘e doin’ ‘ere?”

The king’s voice was grim. “Given his reputation, I think I can guess. Is the princess safe?” A guard entered her chamber “She’s fine Sire- bit shake up though”

Indeed the princess was sobbing desperately. Her mind was working frantically. She somehow realised that Orion hadn’t been the man in her bed earlier that night. She could hardly admit to her father that he was in her chamber by her invitation. She knew something horrible would probably happen to him- but needs must.

“That awful man” she sobbed “I woke up from a deep sleep- he was there- in my bed- he must have put a spell on me with his music- it was terrible…”

Something clicked in Orion’s mind. Jack…. The little bastard. After all I’ve done for you. “My apprentice. I missed him and suspected he might be up to no good and came over here to look for him”

“Don’t talk rot, man” the king was brusque. “Where is he then? Why did you come here? Surely he’d have been womanising in the servants’ quarters- if that was what he was up to. You men- you didn’t see anyone else?”

“No, Sire. This is the only man we saw. And I don’t see how ‘e could have got past us- and even if ‘e did the lads at the foot of the stairs would ‘ave got ‘im.”

“Very well. Send some men over to the lodgings. I assume the apprentice will be there”

Jack had just completed his packing- this had taken far longer than expected, not least because it had taken longer to sort out the money than he’d hoped- when a thunderous knock came at the door of the lodgings. “Open in the king’s name” a voice cried.

Trembling, Jack drew the bolts. Several large armed men in royal livery stood on the threshold.

“You’re Orion’s apprentice? Jack?” the leader asked in a not unkindly tone.

“Yes” Jack croaked.

“Do you know where he is?”

“Gone out, he said.” Jack invented furiously “I think he was off looking for a woman. That’s usually what he’s up to when he goes out in the night after a performance”

“When was that?”

Jack lied unblushingly “At least three hours ago- he overslept and I had to wake him.”

“And you haven’t been out of this chamber?”

“No. Where would I go? I don’t know the castle at all.”

“Not visiting ladies?”

“Chance would be a fine thing. Orion gets all the women”. Jack was amazed at how convincing the bitterness in his voice was. “In fact I’m so fed up with him that I was going to risk running away” he confided. “You won’t tell him?”

“I doubt if his views will matter much longer, lad. Come with us, though.”

Jack went down the stairs into the courtyard. A cold wintry dawn was breaking. Orion stood, hands bound, guarded by more armed men. The king, now clad in the casual clothes he wore for hunting stood beside the group. And the princess was there- pale and lovelier than ever in a large over-mantle. Jack looked at her. Their eyes met. She said nothing but her face took on a questioning expression. Jack gave the very faintest of nods. She smiled back warmly at him. She looked again at Orion. “What on earth did I ever see in him?” she asked herself. “He’s an old man, going grey and running to fat.”

The king spoke briefly to the guards “So this young man was asleep in his bed while his master went off on his nefarious business”

“Seems so, Sire. We’ve found witnesses that someone who looked like Orion was seen creeping about the castle during the night- heading for the royal tower, too, it seemed.”

“Don’t be crazy” Orion almost screamed “Any fool could wear my cloak”

“But you’re wearing it now. You couldn’t have gone after young Jack here wearing this cloak if he had it on. Your story doesn’t stand up.” the captain of the guard said flatly.

The king sighed. “Hang him. I don’t care what a good musician he is- hang him. Obviously we’ll have to say it was for something else- can’t spoil my daughter’s marriage chances with this sort of scandal. But hang him”. And if the king said that, the trial was over. Orion was hustled away, screaming obscenities.

The king turned to Jack. “I’m sorry you’ve had a disturbed night, young man- and that that villain tried to drop you in it for his misdeeds. Of course you can have his fee; I gather you may need it”

The princess spoke “Daddy, why do we always hire musicians? They’re always trouble, or so you say. Why have we never had our own court minstrel?”

The king mused a bit. The girl had a point. They’d decided in his father’s time that an in house minstrel was a bad idea when the incumbent was caught spying for a neighbouring prince but in truth hiring musicians for concerts wasn’t ideal. You always had trouble booking the very best ones for the major feasts when you needed them most and they always seemed to cause trouble- if they didn’t end up drunk and incapable on the floor of the servants’ hall they wrecked the quarters they were put up in. The most recent events just put the icing on the cake.

“You know, my dear, I think you may have a point. Have you anyone in mind?”

“Why not young Jack here?” she said. “He’s been taught by the very best musician in the land- whatever Orion’s other bad habits, he is-was- a great performer. After the upset he’s had here we probably owe him something. And I quite fancy learning the harp- I’m sure an extra accomplishment will help in the marriage negotiations. Please, Daddy?”

The king never could resist his daughter when she put on that tone of voice. And young Jack seemed a pleasant enough fellow, even if he looked as if he could do with a good feeding. He’d come cheap, too, not having any reputation to speak of.

“Very well. Young man, how say you to this idea?”

“ I am deeply honoured, your majesty- and deeply grateful to her highness for her kind words. I hope I can repay her confidence in me”.

And Jack’s eyes met those of the princess again. She flashed him a triumphant look; he smiled the warmest and deepest smile he had ever made in his life.