Princess Noire

“And up next…Princess Noire.” The auctioneer belted out these words with pride and more gusto than for any of the other collectables that evening.

Hushed murmurs of excitement swept across the small, but grand room festooned with chandeliers and lush plants. The men waited all night for this auspicious historic occasion. Princess Noire was the show stopper.

“David, you do know that she is mine, right?” exclaimed Justin to his rival. Justin was the youngest of the men gathered.

“Over my dead body, Justin! Princess Noire has my name written all over her,” said David, puffed with pride. His eyes signaled Justin to look into the palm of his hand. David turned his palm over to reveal a gleaming blue die with white trim.

Justin chuckled. “Do be careful what you wish for, David. You don’t want to end up like her last owner.” Justin flashed his shiny red die with black trim in David’s face. “This is my ticket to the woman of my dreams!”

“Ah hem. I think we all know who is going home with Princess Noire tonight,” said Jacob haughtily. “My die is a winner.” Jacob tossed his green die with white trim into the air like he was flipping a coin.

A mild voice broke into the mix. “Boys, boys, boys. What makes you think you can handle a woman so fine?” Anthony was the most dashing of them all. But his confidence fell short of his looks. “Fate has it that my beautiful die will attract the most beautiful woman in the world.” Anthony held his white die with black trim between his thumb and pointer finger up to the light.

All the usual suspects were present for this momentous event. Only four of the most notable men of Lenzen had a chance at owning Princess Noire. Since her last owner died, a unique opportunity beckoned these men to possess the most coveted woman in the world.

The lights dimmed. The verbal banter ceased. All you could hear were rubber wheels slowly inching across the hardwood floor. The lights gradually worked their way back to full illumination.

“Gentlemen, may your lineage help you obtain the rarest and most captivating woman on earth.” The auctioneer’s earlier prideful tone turned to one of mystery and seriousness. “She has driven men wild. Made grown men cry. And has added unprecedented wealth to only the worthiest of men, like yourselves. I present to you, Princess Noire.”

With a subtle nod from the auctioneer, the attendant pulled back the royal purple silk curtain to reveal the precious gem hidden behind it.

A collective “Whoa!!!” engulfed the room.

The men became like schoolboys all fighting to get the best view of the new girl and talk to her first.

Princess Noire was no longer the woman of legend. She was real and magnificent. Her jet black dress had intricate debossed floral designs. Seductive elastic straps hugged her in all the right places. And a gold belt bookmarked where her waist was amidst all the fancy fabric.

“Esteemed participants, please take out your die and approach the Wheel of Fortune.” The auctioneer motioned all four men to the wooden artifact used for millennia to determine who was worthy of one-of-a-kind treasures like Princess Noire.

The Wheel of Fortune was a treasure in and of itself. It was made of mahogany and polished so fine it shone like glass. There were four carved out pockets with only enough space for one die to fit. Three of the pockets were finished in pure silver. One pocket was finished in 24-karat gold.

“Gentlemen, you know the rules. The man whose die lands in the gold pocket wins.” The auctioneer gave the wheel a big push. All four men cast their die into the center of the wheel and let gravity determine their fortune.

David, Justin, Jacob and Anthony waited with bated breath to see if their die turned up gold. The wheel slowly started to grind to a halt after about 10 seconds. Each die made a “plunk” sound as it nestled into its pocket.

“Ha, ha!” exclaimed Anthony. The men never heard Anthony speak so loud. His usual reserved nature was bursting at the seams. “I told you like attracts like. Princess Noire is mine!”

“Gentlemen, this concludes our auction for the evening. Anthony, you may go claim Princess Noire. Congratulations.”

Anthony ran to the glass enclosure. The attendant carefully and slowly opened the front door with his gloved hands. Anthony gripped his bride with pride and wonder. Her frame was even sleeker than he surmised from looks alone. She was a slender 5.5 inches by 3.5 inches. Anthony opened her up. A note was written on the first weathered page. It read:

If true love is what you seek, then flip through my pages and have a peek.

The first gift that you’ll reap, is 20,000 dollars that’s yours to keep.

This small black notebook named Princess Noire was the woman of his dreams. She would lead him to a lifetime of great fortune. According to lore, as long as Anthony could learn to unravel her riddles and mysteries, each page would present him with a golden opportunity.