Jenna sighed as she rested on her small bed. It had been less than a month since she had arrived at the castle, but Jenna was already incredibly bored.
Princess Cordelia was not the problem. Although she was ridiculously pampered, she was a very kind and loving owner. She doted on Jenna, spending long hours with her and going to great lengths to make her happy. It seemed like Cordelia really loved Jenna. She felt a little bit guilty for clawing the princess when they first met. It had left a nasty scar on her arm. But, despite the objects of her family, Cordelia never punished Jenna for hurting her.
Princess Cordelia's kind demeanor did not prevent Jenna from trying to get out of her predicament. When the black cloth was finally removed from her cage and she found herself in a large elegant bedroom, Jenna's first act was to try to communicate with the princess. Jenna desperately tried to tell the princess her story, explaining she was really a human from another world changed into a griffon through the magical machinations of a lonely mother griffon. She begged for the princess to help her become human again and return home, or at least let her go back to the griffon and try to reverse her transformation. But Cordelia did not heed Jenna's words and only stroked her head gently to calm her. Over time, Jenna gradually came to realize that although the words sounded like English to her ears, to Princess Cordelia and other humans it sounded like nothing more than a series of indecipherable screeches and caws.
After her failed attempts to communicate, Jenna moved on to plan B: she decided to just escape on her own. It was difficult at first. The princess kept a close eye on her, locking Jenna in her bedroom in the castle when she was not playing with her. But soon the perfect opportunity to escape presented itself. After spending a week cooped up in her bedroom, Princess Cordelia decided that Jenna needed to go outside for some fresh air. Cordelia had been working with the ranger to train Jenna, teaching her simple commands in exchange for delicious treats. Given Jenna's human nature, it was easy for her to master the commands, even if it was a bit humiliating. The ranger noted with some curiosity that he had never seen a griffon learn so quickly. He was still a little nervous about the princess taking her pet outside so early in her training, but the ranger was unable to deny a request from the princess.
Once outside, Jenna immediately flapped her wings and took to the sky. Jenna had not had a chance to fly since her transformation, so her first attempts were a bit awkward. But soon she was gliding like a pro, guided by her natural instincts. It felt so good to fly, with the wind rushing past her. A multitude of strange scents assaulted her. She could see further than she thought possible, even spotting small mice in the field below her. She was tempted to drop down and strike, grabbing a tasty snack.
Despite the temptation, Jenna resisted. She had more important things to do - like escape! But as she examined the horizon in the distance and the seemingly endless forest below her, Jenna realized it was useless to try to leave. She had no idea where the griffon's nest was located, much less how to get there. Jenna heard the princess yell the command to return on the ground below her. Sulking a little, Jenna had no choice but to obey and flew back down to her master. It was only later that Jenna learned just how useless her little escape attempt had been. The ranger had been watching her the whole time under the cover of the trees, a bow and a net ready to capture Jenna should she have been foolish enough to try to flee. Jenna was glad that she didn't. The punishment for griffons who defied their masters and attempted to fly away was to have their wings clipped, permanently denying them the chance to fly ever again.
So Jenna resigned herself to the calm, quiet life of a pet, at least until she could come up with some other plan to escape. Life in the castle wasn't so bad. She was well fed and had a nice place to sleep. Even though the servants treated her like an animal, they were respectful, almost fearful of hurting her or offending the princess.
Anna, the younger sister of the princess, was sweet, albeit a little annoying. She was always trying to hug and pet Jenna. Once, when Princess Cordelia was preoccupied with her royal training, Anna had squirreled Jenna away and forced her to attend a tea party with her dolls, even slipping one of her nice dresses on Jenna. Cordelia was quite cross when she found out.
But Anna was a peach compared to Cordelia's stepbrother, Prince John. Once he first saw Jenna, he immediately claimed her as his own, wanting to train her to be his steed. He imagined riding Jenna into battle, flying down and attacking the enemy without mercy. Cordelia protested, leading to a large fight that eventually required the King and Queen to interfere. After a long, tense discussion, it was finally decided that Jenna would remain the property of Cordelia, provided she did not tire of the animal and kept the beast under control, much to the dismay of the Queen. From the dirty look the Queen gave Cordelia, Jenna got the impression that she did not get along well with her stepdaughter. But the Queen and her son John abided by the will of the King and Jenna was returned to Cordelia's care. John occasionally watched Jenna, sometimes spying on her and Cordelia from a distance when they played or trained together, but he never bothered Jenna again. She was glad. Jenna had seen how cruelly he treated some of his other pets, 'training' them to be tough and mean with harsh discipline.
And so it went, the same thing day after day. Cordelia would spend most of her time training to eventually rule the kingdom, while Jenna slept or wandered around the castle. At night or in the early morning she would play with Jenna. Occasionally they would go outside and Jenna would practice flying. She was still young and small, about the size of a large cat. But eventually her body would mature and she would grow to the size of a horse. Cordelia eagerly awaited when she could ride her darling pet. But as days turning into weeks, Jenna grew bored of the same old routine. She moped in her bed, even when Cordelia came to spend time with her. Her depression did not go unnoticed.
"What is wrong, Jenna? Why are you so sad?" asked Cordelia as she stroked Jenna's head.
Jenna sighed. How could she explain the she was not really a griffon? That life as a pet was very boring for a human?
"If only you could speak. Or I could understand you," said Cordelia wistfully. Suddenly, she gasped and her eyes went wide. "I know! My stepmother is quite knowledgeable. Perhaps she has a solution. Come on!"
Cordelia stood up and motioned for Jenna to follow. Equally excited, Jenna jumped up and leapt after her. She felt more happy than she had been for months. A way to communicate? Perhaps she could finally explain her situation and get out of this strange world. Her hopes soared.
It was late and the castle was mostly deserted, the servants having retired to bed. Cordelia caught the Queen preparing for bed, a little annoyed at the late night intrusion. But she brightened when she heard Cordelia's request.
"So, you want to be able to understand Griffons, eh? I may be able to help you with that," said the Queen.
The Queen revealed a hidden panel in her room. Behind it lay an assortment of oddly shaped bottles filled with liquids in a variety of colors. The Queen ran her delicate hand across the bottles as she scanned them, finally stopping on one and pulling it from the shelf.
"Ah, this should do the trick, " said the Queen as she poured the liquid into a goblet. "Now, if I could just have your hand."
Cordelia reached her hand out and the Queen produced a dagger seemingly from thin air, quickly running it across her palm. Cordelia winced but the Queen grabbed her wrist before she could pull away, squeezing tightly and forcing drops of her blood into the goblet.
"Sorry, my dear. I did not want to hurt you. But there is a price to pay for all magic. Speaking of which," said the Queen as she turned and plucked a feather from Jenna's head. She dropped the feather into the goblet, watching it dissolve into the liquid.
Jenna squawked angrily at the Queen.
"My, my. She is a feisty one. Are you really sure you want to hear what she has to say? You might not like it, "said the Queen.
"Yes, " said Cordelia, holding her wounded hand protectively. "Jenna is my friend and I want to help her."
"Then drink," said the Queen, holding the goblet out to her. As Cordelia drank from the cup, the Queen tilted it back, forcing more of the liquid down her throat. "Yes, drink it all, my dear. Then your wish will granted. You will understand the language of the Griffons as if it were your own tongue."
Cordelia dropped the goblet. It clanged loudly as it clattered around the floor. She leaned against the wall and placed a hand against her forehead.
"I don't feel so good," said Cordelia.
Jenna felt a little odd, too. She watched in shock as ......