The brave little pigs left the "palace" through the front door to avoid a certain cat and angry youth. They
trotted down the high street towards the town square, careful to avoid any stray poodles or buxom wenches that
looked like they may be aligned with Morgana. If they were going to travel to see Madame Majique they'd need
protection from the wilderness. A simple house cat had nearly killed Dili so Connie dreaded to think what
would happen if they ran into a wild predator but she did know where she could find protection.
Rogan Greene was a sellsword and a rogue. He'd been caught stealing booze a week earlier by reaching behind
the bar and emptying the barrel into his glass while the barmaids back was turned. Not a particularly
impressive or bad crime but when the Kings men went to confront him it took all of his Knights as well as the
towns guards to bring him in. Of course those same guards were now after Connie and Dili albeit in drastically
altered forms so if Rogan were to escape there'd be no man there to stop him. Only busty wenches and their
poodles. This made Rogan the perfect choice for travelling companion, thought Connie. His devilishly good
looks and charming smile were just a bonus, she convinced herself!
Connie and Dili arrived in the almost empty square and found Rogan exactly where he'd been all week. His neck
and wrists were trapped by wooden stocks bending him over. A week without food or moving left him weak but he
still had the strength to stand. Connie drew close and looked up at his full bearded face. She remembered he
had looked much more handsome with just a bit of stubble and less muck on his face. So he was a bit of a fixer
upper, a comb through his hair and a trim of his beard and he'd be back to being charming in no time she
mused!
As Connie stared Rogan stared back quizically at the little piglet.
"What an amusing pig," his voice rasped, "such a wonderful little crown you have and is that a key in your
mouth?"
Connie did indeed have the key to Rogans binding stock. The former King had kept it in his bedside cabinet and
Maedel had been kind enough to get it for the pigs, or rather, Queeny had been kind enough to puppeteer
Maedel into the bedroom in a mocking simulation of walking and then had controlled Maedel as she opened the
drawer and retrieved the key.
Connie placed the key on the ground and said "I've come to free you and in return I need you to take me to
Madame Majique to change me back into a human."
"I must be delirious. This pig wearing a crown with a blond tuft of hair is talking to me. I've lost it
haven't I little pig?" smirked Rogan almost drunkenly.
"No I really am telling the truth... and I assure you that I'm actually a beautiful Princess who'd be MOST
grateful when you help change her back!" Connie said.
"Well, supposing I believed you. How do you intend to free me when your all the way down there, Princess
piggy?" Rogan asked skeptically.
"Umm... I'm not sure. Do you have any suggestions?" The embarrassed Princess asked.
"Well... I suppose you could ask one of the urchins to unlock me for you. I'm sure they'd do it for even a
scrap of food... or bacon." The sellsword grinned.
"Okay, just wait and I'll be back to free you and then you'll help, right?"
"Of course. I'm not going anywhere after all."
The piggies went back to the "palace" and once again asked a favour of the jesters sat munching one pancakes
and beans and bananas, a very strange arrangement of dishes. Borrowing some food and dragging it along with
them, as well as filling their bellies of some too, they went back out the cat flap they had arrived from. The
young boy that Connie had stolen an apple from was still in the yard making a nuisance of himself and chasing
COnnie's cat Mittens.
"Hey," Connie squealed, shocking the boy, "sorry I stole your apple. If you help me you can have these
bananas,"
"Gee whiz! a talkin' pig!" the boy exclaimed.
"Well, I'm not really a pig, actually... just eat your banana and follow me okay?"
"Only if I can show you to me mates afterwards. They'd never believe me if I told 'em I sawed a talkin' pig!"
Oh, yet another embarrassment, Connie thought. Being paraded in front of children like a circus act. She'd fit
in perfectly with all the jesters and clowns about lately... "Okay but you have to help me first." she
reluctantly agreed.
Soon they were back in the townsquare and the boy unlocked the Rogan's stocks. Connie, Dili and the boy had
also brought Rogan some food to help him regain his strength and he was soon sat down munching away while a
crowd of children marveled at Connie and Dili's ability to talk and tried to goad the piglets into performing
tricks for them. When Connie and Dili refused the kids got angry and tried to boss the scared little piggies
into doing their bidding but Rogan slapped them about the head and told them to run along in a less clean way.
"So. What happened to you two then, 'Princess'" asked Rogan with a snort of disbelief.
"We ran into Morgana the witch,"
"Oh Morgana?" he grinned in recognition, "How's the old crone doin'?"
"you know her?" Connie asked.
"Aye, carnally." His toothy grin widened further.
Well, I suppose even Morgana couldn't resist his good looks, Connie thought
"I think that'd make you more likely to be a transformed Prince than Princess, though and I don't really care
for favors from a Prince," Rogan said with an eyebrow raised, sizing up the little pig. "Perhaps if you told
me who exactly ya are then I'd be further inclined to believe ya?"
"Very well, if I must tell you," Connie said dejectedly, "I'm Princess Connie of Molossia. Morgana has taken
over the Kingdom and declared herself ruler of Molossia and West Kingdom."
"My, my. Princess Connie." Rogan answered, seeming completely nonchalant about Morgana's takeover, "Now that
is one fine piece o' meat. I'd certainly like to cash in a few of her favors, if ya know what I mean?"
Rogan stared into the sky as if in a daydream before gazing back at Connie. "I'm not sayin' I believe ya but
I'll help just in case ya are telling the truth. Least I could do for you freein' me, I guess and I wouldn't
want to miss out seein' ya transform back buck naked haha."
"And I'm supposed to be the one who is a pig..." Connie said.