A short, stout man dressed in a friar's robes emerged behind the voice. His eyes were blank, and staring above my head.

He shuffled towards me, reached out a hand, then smiled.

"So you really did find him. Donc, vous l'avez vraiment trouvé."

"Cela nous a pris un certain temps..... Ford!"

"You're the one who drove," growled Ford.

"That," snapped the little friar, " is far beside the point, boys. C'est loin de là, les garçons."

Then he turned to Stacey and whispered solemnly, "L'homosexualité est un péché, mon cher garçon. N'oubliez jamais cela, ou vous savez ce que j'aurai à faire."

The white-haired fairy nodded just as solemnly.

The friar re-adopted his cheerful air, turning to the extravagant throne.

We turned with him to see a woman sitting in the red sea of her ball gown.
A large, ornate crown was sitting on top of her head. She was oddly beautiful, with a thin white face and long blonde hair that spilled over the sides of her golden throne.

"Your Majesty," the friar called upwards to her. "I have brought the prisoner for whom you asked!"

"Prisoner?" Came a ditzy, distant voice from the top of the throne. The queen?

"What prisoner?"

"My queen, you asked to see Thorn Angel mere minutes ago. And I have brought him to you," the friar cried patiently.

"Thorn Angel?" The queen laughed, sliding off the throne. "A prisoner? Rubbish!"

As soon as this was said, she landed just in front of me, hand out as if for a shake.

"Thorn. It is a pleasure, my my. These twats may call me a queen, but to you, I shall be Amidala and Amidala only. May I call you Thorn?"

I merely nodded. She was mad!

"Oh, smashing! I can tell that we're to be mates! Now, mon cheré Anaheim, call forth le prévenant du sang et de la punition. There is one in this room who I just know would hit it off with him-"

"J'ai péché, mais je regrette pas ma dècision. Je l'aime. J'ai toujours, et je le ferai toujours," Stacey whispered, quiet enough so that only I could hear him.

"-tomorrow. Prepare his suite, and they shall meet at dawn."

Stacey let out a sigh of relief, but I couldn't help thinking they were referring to me.

"Yes, your Majesty."

"Wonderful, then!" The queen clapped her hands childishly. "Fairy people, return Master Thorn to his quarters."

The 'fairy people' did as told, Ford scooping me up again.

As we reached the cell, I was roughly tossed in.

Stacey lingered, and looked through the bars. "Thank you, mate. For not telling," he whispered, just quiet enough that I thought I hadn't really heard him.

Then he turned and called, "Ralentissez! Je ne me soucie pas de l'habitude que vous êtes devenu d'être une voiture, il y a encore d'autres fées dans ce château!"

I could hear Ford laughing down the empty hallway.

"Welcome back, Johnnie Angel."