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"Pardon me, but are you all right in that tower? If not, would you like any assistance in getting out?" Daystar called up toward the narrow window in the ivory spire that had mysteriously appeared on the Enchanted Forest's northern fringe.
"Thank you, but no. The room is enchanted to take care of most things, I have a mirror to call my sister if I get bored, and I think I've made more progress on my novel in the past two days than in the previous two years," a young woman called down -- a princess, judging by the length of her flax-gold hair and the silver tiara she wore, though Daystar didn't think he'd ever met one who wanted to be a novelist before. He wondered what quest she had gotten tangled up in.
"You won't stay uninterrupted forever," he said. "Magical towers always attract princes and knights, and most of them won't believe you if you say you don't want a rescue."
"I suspect they'll change their minds if I toss enough ink out the window," the princess said. "Or I might be able to convince them I'm an oracle instead of a princess -- my parents are passionate believers in astrology and I can spout gibberish for hours. Actually, that reminds me..."
She reached up and unpinned the tiara from her hair. "Behold my cunning disguise!" she said, as she tossed the tiara over her shoulder into the depths of the tower. "I'll cut my hair, too. I know I saw a pair of scissors somewhere around here."
"That might work, but you'll still be spending hours on conversation instead of writing," Daystar pointed out. "Why not borrow a guest suite in the castle instead? Oh! By which I mean the royal castle of the Enchanted Forest. I'm Prince Daystar; my apologies for not introducing myself sooner."
The princess flapped her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it! I'm Crown Princess Meliora of Stowe-on-Moor, and I've had enough of castles to last another twenty years. I'm sure yours is very nice!" she added hastily. "But I like having a place all of my own without other people banging around upstairs, downstairs, and right next door. I can put up with a few knights in return for that."
Daystar doubted that she completely understood what she was letting herself in for; judging by his mother's stories, a few knights would rapidly become a flood. Still, it was her choice.
He left Meliora the gargoyle's mirror address and an invitation to call if she ever wanted to borrow some books.