Chapter 4

After Sofia shut the doors to her balcony, a gust of wind caused the lamp to topple off, and fall down onto the ground below, in the gardens of the palace. As it lay there, it began to grow warm, before clouds of violet-coloured smoke began pouring out. It formed into a nude girl, who sighed.

"Honestly, it's ALWAYS just as I'm getting comfortable," she said. "Alright, what to do you-" The genie looked around, and realised there was no-one around, and it appeared to be night time.

"I heard something!" She heard a voice shout. "I think it came from over here!" The genie turned to see two guards approaching, wielding swords. "There! You! How did you get in here!?"

"You two aren't my Mistress," The genie said.

"She's obviously insane," said the 2nd guard. "Why else would she break naked into the most heavily guarded places in the kingdom?"

"Oh it was quite unintentional, I assure you," the genie said.

"Right, come with us," the first guard said. "The Queen can deal with you tomorrow."

"Oh, I don't think so."

"Don't resist us, girl. We have permission to kill intruders if we need to."

"I'd love to see you try."

"As you wish..."

The two guards lunged at the genie with their swords, but she just grabbed hold of the blades effortlessly. She grinned, and held them up over her head, before throwing them up against the wall.

"What ... are you..." One of the guards said in his pain.

"Just a passing-through genie," she smiled. "No need to remember that."

The genie walked off, holding her lamp in her hand, and making sure to wipe their memories of the experience.

"Now then ... where are you, Mistress?" The genie looked around, trying to sense her Mistress' essence. Eventually she managed to detect her, and so she floated seamlessly through the walls, and up into Sofia's bedroom.

Sofia, meanwhile, was sat on her knees, saying her prayers. She was asking Mathulevius and Sorreliftia to forgive her for fornicating with her brother, and then for worshipping him as a God. She didn't know what had come over her, it was like she'd been possessed. Not that that was anyone's fault but her own, she added. She had given into her lust, and for that she was terribly sorry. She assumed this altered body must be her punishment from the Gods.

"Are you done?" Sofia turned to see the genie, reclined on one of her armchairs.

"Oh! Um ... who are you, may I ask?" Sofia said, standing up.

"Nyssha, your genie," she replied, setting the lamp down on the nearby table. "Now hurry up and make your wishes. I've got a bubble bath and the Fawlty Towers boxset waiting for me, so I'd appreciate if this didn't take long."

"Wishes? I'm sorry, I do not understand. But I would please ask you to knock in future before entering my bedchambers."

"Wow, you're posh," she said. "And this place is pretty swanky. What are you, a Queen?"

"I am Sofia, daughter of King Sargo of Farfalla, fifth of that name, and Queen Lascinda, third of that name."

"Princess then. Good. Royalty needs less stuff from me."

"Nyssha, I do not know who you are, but I do not appreciate your barging into my bedchambers unannounced, and I certainly do not appreciate your current state of undress."

"I'm comfy like this. Now please, make your wishes."

"I do not have the slightest idea about what you are speaking."

"I'm a genie. You're my Mistress. Now make your wishes please."

"I am sorry, what is a genie?"

" ... You're kidding, right?"

"I am afraid not."

"But everyone's heard of genies. Certainly every human has."

"I have not."

"We're magical beings who grant wishes for humans. Now again, make your wishes please."

"Magical?" Sofia backed away slightly. "You are a demon."

"Oh God not this again. No, I'm not a demon. I'm a genie. Genies are totally different things entirely. We're less horny, although at the same time, pretty damn horny."

"No, you are a demon," Sofia said, before getting down on her knees. "Oh Mathulevius and Sorreliftia, I beg of you to rid me of this unholy creature."

Nyssha eventually decided she'd have to play this girl's game.

"Well actually, I'm from the Gods," Nyssha said.

"You lie!"

"No, it's true! The Gods sent me to, um, reward you for your loyalty."

"Why would they do that? I have sinned. I lay with my brother, and I worshipped him as my God."

"Well, you know, you're normally great and all that, and they've seen you repent, so the Gods sent me to reward you."

" ... Really?"

"Yes. Wishes please."

"And the Gods will give me anything I desire?"

"Almost anything. Just tell me."

"I don't suppose you can bring my father back to life, can you?"

"The dead must remain dead."

"I thought so. But then, I would not want to tear him away from the glories of Heaven anyway."

"Sure, whatever."

"So then ... what do I desire..."

"I'm waiting..."

Sofia's first wish was interrupted by the door opening, with Harson parading in, Lexia not far behind.

"Alright Sofia, I'm here to give you your nightly fuck," Harson said, a big grin on his face. He then saw Nyssha, and his grin grew even further. "My my, giving in to our lesbian urges, are we Sofia?"

"Harson, do not suggest such a thing in the presence of such an honoured being!" Sofia scolded him.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Harson asked.

"Well, I..." Sofia said, looking over at Nyssha, silently asking if she was allowed to tell him who she was.

"Well, aren't you a lovely specimen," Nyssha said, standing up to speak to Harson. "Oh ... interesting. Your mind is completely blocked to me." She then looked at Lexia. "Wow, another genie. Tell me, is yours as batshit crazy as mine?"

"Only a little bit," Lexia smiled.

"Will someone PLEASE tell me what is going on!?" Harson shouted.

"Well Master, I'm not quite sure how this has happened," Lexia said, putting on her best lying voice. It had taken her millennia to overcome her urge to tell the truth to her Master. "But it seems that your sister has somehow acquired a genie of her own."

"WHAT!?"

"Miss Nyssha, is this girl also a reward from the Gods?" Sofia asked.

"What's she talking about?" Lexia asked.

"I told her I was sent from the Gods," Nyssha replied. "She's some religious nutjob."

"Lexia, I don't want Sofia to have a genie," Harson said. "I wish for you to get rid of that girl."

"Master, I can't," she said, trying to sound disappointed. "It's against the rules."

"Obey me, slave!" Harson shouted, slapping her.

"Harson! Do not beat the servants!" Sofia said.

"Don't you dare tell me what to do! I am your God!"

"And do not blaspheme!"

"Master, those wishes will have been undone when Princess Sofia rubbed her genie's lamp," Lexia said.

"So what now!?"

"Well, I'm afraid this means Princess Sofia has her free will back. And you won't be able to make any more wishes involving her."

Harson groaned, and pushed his way out of the room in a huff.

"Harson!" Sofia shouted.

"I'd leave him, your highness," Lexia said. "He'll cool off. He's just a little annoyed that I gave you a lamp."

"Wait, you gave me to her?" Nyssha asked.

"Yes," Lexia nodded. "I thought having a second Master around here would help to keep Prince Harson in line."

"Oh, so it's your fault my snooze was interrupted!" Nyssha said, annoyed.

"Well yes, but I'd have thought by now you'd have gotten used to it. I'm Lexia, by the way."

"Nyssha. And I'd appreciate if we could get through this quickly so I could go back into my lamp."

"Could someone please explain to me exactly what is going on?" Sofia asked.

"Certainly, your highness," said Lexia, bowing respectfully. "You see, my sister Nyssha and I are not really from the Gods. We are genies."

"I do not understand. You do not come from the Gods, yet you have displayed magical abilities, so logically you must be demons."

"That is not true. We were not created by Mathulevius and Sorreliftia, we are creatures who were created to bring joy to the human race. By rubbing our lamps, you and your brother have acquired our services, from now until the moment of your deaths."

"But his cannot be. Such things would have been mentioned in our holy texts."

"Until recently, there were no genies on Janosia. Our lamps were brought to your planet by King Reylos, as one of the holy relics which your people so revere."

"Do you mean that King Reylos was not a messenger of the Gods?"

"No, and I'm sure he'd have freely admitted that if given the chance."

"I see ... and as genies, you are capable of granting any wish I desire?"

"Almost anything."

"And may I ask, for what has my brother wished so far?"

"Well..."

"This oughta be good," Nyssha smiled.

"He wished to have sex with me," Lexia replied. "And then he wished to have sex with you, your highness. And for you to worship him as a God."

"That ... is appalling."

"Yep, humans are dicks," Nyssha said. "Now are you going to make some wishes, or can I go curl up under my duvet again?"

"Nyssha, don't rush her," Lexia scolded her sister. "Your highness, Nyssha here will give you anything you desire. Is there nothing you wish for?"

"I wish only to serve the Gods."

"Sofia, your highness..." Lexia said, trying to get through to her. "We may not have come directly from the Gods, but ... they approve of us."

"You are just saying that to make me trust you," Sofia said. "The fact of the matter is that this past day has been an incredibly strange one. I have had my mind and body altered by forces unknown, and been forced to fornicate with and worship my own brother."

"What can we do to convince you all we want to do is make you happy?"

"Well actually, I just want to get back in bed, watch DVDs, drink wine and eat chocolate," Nyssha corrected her. "And actually, Lexia, you already have a Master. Stop trying to steal mine."

"I'm just trying to help her realise what a great thing she has."