I was twenty-six when I met her. I wasn't too young or naïve anymore, and I had no intention of falling in love again. I was fed up with Mara and didn't trust women. 

It was my first vacation in four years. I wanted to have fun, I really needed it. So I decided to visit Therazenn, the world of pleasure and happiness, as they said.

I called myself a prince. My best friend Nick was an ambassador for the Coordinating Council at the time, and he told me to do it because of the local customs. You have to be a titled person to be respected in Therazenn. So I chose the name of Richard Plantagenet, no less. Why not? No one asked a stranger from the Tissue for identification.

"The Show of the Beautiful Swordswomen" was the biggest show of the season, and I decided to see it on my first night in Therazenn. Despite the full house, they found the ticket for foreign prince. The VIP box, all inclusive, etc. I got a soft arm-chair, all kinds of drinks and fruit, and a personal servant, a teenager named Lehhar. I gave him some coins and he became my best friend for the night. Lehhar told me all about the show. 

So there were twelve slave girls in the show. At the beginning they danced and had demonstration fights. Then the girls took a break while singers and circus performers entertained the audience. During the show, everyone could make a bid and try to win a prize. A very special prize. Whoever defeated a swordsman in a fight won the right to spend the night with her. But it was not easy. One could be injured or even killed. 

"Tell me, Lehhar," I asked the servant. "Has anyone ever defeated one of these girls?"

"Sure," he nodded. "The prize should be difficult to obtain, but not unattainable."

"That makes sense," I said. 

Then the show began, and it was incredible. I watched the expressive dance of half-naked beautiful girls. Their swords were weaving the fantastic lace in the air. When it was over, the showman named each of the girls and told of their virtues. I'm sure those weren't their real names, but who cares? 

The swordswomen were really great! I couldn't see their faces at such a distance, but their figures and hair were ideal. And their names fit them: something like Black Lightning, or Sunrise, Moonface, South Wind... I wondered if they were as beautiful as they were said to be. 

The last one was tiny and had long red curly hair that was like a flame. 

There was a little drumbeat, and the showman shouted, "Here she is, the invincible, indomitable wild cat from the mysterious land beyond the ocean! Everyone dreams of this woman, but no one has ever defeated her. Meet Lady the Golden Fire!"

She was greeted with applause and shouts from the audience.. She moved like a cat and played with her sword like a true master of the blade. I leaned forward and tried to see her face. 

"Is she really invincible?" I asked Lehhar. 

"No one has been able to defeat her before, I swear!" He replied. 

"It's a challenge," I muttered to myself. 

"Don't even think about it, Your Highness!" Lehhar said. "She is completely insane! She has killed three of her rivals last week."

I didn't answer him and turned my eyes to the arena. The show went on, the music played fadter and faster, and the swordswomen danced and sang. But all I saw was Lady the Golden Fire. Her movements seemed to be in slow motion. 

"How can I make a bid?" I asked Lehhar. 

"It costs fifty royal coins. Tell them the name of the girl you want to fight with."

I counted out the right amount and told him, "You'll get the same amount for yourself if I'm the first to the Golden Fire."

The kid seemed upset. "But, Your Highness! You're just throwing your money away." 

"That's none of your business," I snapped.. "Move on!"

He disappeared. The girls left the arena, and the circus performers started their show. 

Lehhar came back. He looked really sad. 

"What's wrong?" I asked him. 

"You're going to be the third," he reported. 

"Not bad," I nodded. "What do I do now?"

"Nothing for the moment. The girls will take turns fighting. First one round, then the second, and so on. The order of the fights is determined by the draw. When the second round is over, you have to go up there," he waved his hand to the left and down. "I'll take you there. Your fight will begin when they call your name."

After that, I waited and watched. 

In the first round, Lady the Golden Fire gave her rival no chance to win. She wounded his hip and left him bleeding on the sand. In the second round, she made a show of playing cat and mouse with her opponent, and disarmed him just as he was congratulating himself on his victory. 

"A cool baby," I said respectfully. I realized that a fighting with this girl would not be a piece of cake even for me. 

"I've told you!" Lehhar sighed, "Come on. It's time."

Then I and nine other lucky guys waited for the results of the drawing. 

The performer put his hand into the drum and pulled out the first card. 

"Prince Richard Plantagenet of Terra versus Lady the Golden Fire!" he announced. 

I didn't listen to him anymore. My blood was pounding in my ears, and the joyful anticipation of the battle overwhelmed me. 

The draw was over, the drums began to roll. Someone called my name, the door opened, and I entered the arena. 

The Golden Fire Lady walked toward me. I saw her light gait, her lithe figure, her flaming hair. We came closer and closer, and I tried to see her face, but the uneven light of the torches wouldn't let me. 

We met in the middle of the arena and stopped a step away from each other. I bowed and she did the same. She raised her head and I looked into her large emerald eyes... At that moment I was lost.

"Are you ready to dance, Your Highness?" the girl asked with a smile. 

"As your wish, my lady," I replied. 

"What is Richard the Lionheart doing in our part of the Tissue?" She asked, taking a position. 

I was confused by her words and almost missed a blow aimed at my chest. I barely managed to block it. 

"Your name isn't real either, is it?" I smiled and continued to defend myself against her attacks. She was fast, really fast! And she kept changing her tactics to catch me. And she was laughing! I was defending myself and at the same time learning her style, her characteristics. 

The tried time  she tried a very insidious, but fortunately, very familiar trick, I blocked it and said, "You'd better come up with something new if you really want to win this fight."

"Do it yourself!" the girl replied, laughing again. She stepped back a little, forcing me to approach her. I did what was expected, but blocked her attack. 

"That's what you're doing!" She cried out, showering me with her blows. Wow! She had me spinn around to avoid being wounded. What an amazing fighter she was! 

"Hey, you're driving me crazy!" I told her with a smile. 

"Relax and have fun," she replied. 

Sure, that was fun! We continued and I forgot about time and limits.

Then I opened my chest, and just then she tried to get me. I dodged and let her get past me, seizing her wrist and twisting it. She dropped her sword. 

I let go of her hand and stepped aside. 

The people in the stands froze and then burst into screams. I didn't care about them. I watched the girl. She was shifting her gaze from her sword to my face and couldn't believe the truth. 

"Come on?" I said. 

Her emerald eyes sparkled with hate and suddenly she lunged at me.  I instinctively defended myself, raising my arm and blocking her blow. It felt a momentary scalding pain as she wounded me with a thin strip of sharpened metal. The handmade razor didn't make a deep cut, but I was furious. 

"Hey, beauty, you've broken the rules of your show!" I yelled, grabbing her hand and shoving her forward. "Come on! You've lost the game, so you should fulfill the terms of the contract."

She lifted her chin and looked at me defiantly. We walked away, and Lehhar handed me my coat. The performer blocked our path. 

 "Gey out of my way!" I shouted. 

"Your Highness," he said with a sweet smile, "I must remind you that Lady the Golden Fire is yours, but only until sunrise. You must return her in the morning."

"You have the prince's word," I replied. 

We walked out and someone brought my horse. I mounted the girl in front of me and murmured in her ear, "Just don't try to escape. You have wounded me and I am very angry. Do you understand ?"

She didn't answer. 

On the way to my hotel, she sat quietly, but I couldn't relax even for a moment. I knew what she was. We arrived at the hotel in a quarter of an hour. I took her hand and led her to my room. I locked the door with the key and let go of the girl's hand.

"Welcome, my lady," I said. "Be at home." 

The room was lit with candles and the bed was covered with rose petals.

She gave me a startled look but didn't move. She looked like a hurt child,  nothing like the furious warrior she had been before.

"Come in," I waved my hand. "Just eat, drink and relax. Don't be afraid of me. I will never hurt you, I swear."

It was easier to say it than to keep my promise. She was really driving me crazy. And it was not because of  her beautiful face or her ideal body. There was something more than just physical attraction. I wanted to take care of this woman. I had almost forgotten this feeling. 

Yet the girl of my dream was silent and stood still against the wall. Her eyes looked through me.

"Okay, what do you want?" I asked her and sat down on the chair. In my imagination, the situation had seemed to me a little different. 

Her expression changed and she said, "Today you are my boss and your wishes are my wishes."

"Wow!" I chuckled. "When did you learn that?" 

She looked astonished, but again said what the local rules required, "Come to me, honey."

She even tried to strike a seductive pose, but I didn't believe her and didn't move. 

"Thank you, I have no desire to do so. What else have you hidden under your dress? Is it a garrote or a knife?"

I saw the fear flash in her eyes. So my guess wasn't far from the truth. At that moment I understood that she wouldn't obey me, she would fight. Yet I didn't want to take her by force. I would never do that to any girl, I'm not a rapist. 

So I opened the door and went aside.

"Go," I said to the girl. "You are free now."

She took a step toward the door and looked at me. Then she burst into tears and ran out of the room. 

"You deserve it, idiot," I said to myself. "You've been warned about her. You've just thrown the money away." 

I walked around the room, tool off my sword scabbard and unbuttoned my shirt. After a few minutes, I realized that I could still hear her crying. 

I left the room and saw her standing against the wall, shaking. I took her by the shoulders and led her back into the room. I put her in the chair and gave her a glass of wine. 

She drank it and wiped her eyes with a napkin.  Even with her eyes swollen with tears and her hair disheveled, she was beautiful. 

"What should I do with you?" I said thoughtfully. 

Lady the Golden Fire raised her head and looked at me. There was no fear in her eyes, only curiosity.

"You don't look like a native, Richard," she said. "No one talks like that to a hired courtesan"

"My real name is Arthur," I confessed. 

 "And the name of your sword is Excalibur?" she chuckled.

"No, I'm not that Arthur. But you know too much... for a courtesan. And I should point out that you are not a real courtesan. No more than I am a prince. What are you doing in a place like this?"

She shrugged. "Why do you ask me sich a question? All I know is this show."

"I don't believe you."

She snorted irritably and didn't answer. 

"Are you hungry?" I asked her, taking the lids off the plates. "Help yourself." 

She nodded approvingly and began to eat. She had impeccable manners, which confirmed my guess as to her origin. And then there was her accent. I was absolutely sure that she was not from Therazenn. 

When she finished eating, I asked her the next question, "What is your real name?"

"Which one do you want to hear?"

"The real one."

"I don't have a name," she suddenly confessed. "Maybe I've had it once,, but I can't remember."

"You are a mystery," I said. 

"I have lost my memory," she explained. "I remember nothing of my past."

"It's impossible." I said doubtfully.

"But it is the truth. I remember the ship, and those terrible people. My head was wounded," she ran her hand over the back of her head. "Then we got to the harbor and Bergen, the owner of the show, bought me. I think he was going to give me another job, but then he found out that I.was a good swordswoman. So now I'm here. No one has ever beaten me before," she said proudly. 

"Before tonight," I clarified. 

"It will never happen again," she declared.

I shook my head negatively. "You don't believe your own words. You have always won because everyone thought you were invincible. But now... Many of them will try to defeat you like I did, while you won't be as self-confident as you used to be. And the next lucky guy may be more persistent than I was." 

"Then he will lose his life," she promised darkly. 

I didn't doubt her words. But I knew that she wouldn't live long after that either.

It was then that I made a decision. It promised no gain, only trouble, but I couldn't act otherwise. 

"Come with me," I said to the girl putting on my sword scabbard and starting to pack. "I'll get you away from Therazenn!"

She shook her head. "That is impossible. They will come after me."

"Don't worry about them," I replied, holding her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "Listen to me, baby. I will take you away. To whatever world you choose. I promise to take care of you until you regain your memory and after." 

"Are you a noble knight?" she laughed, but I saw hope in her eyes. 

Then we left the hotel through the back door and disappeared. 

But that was only the beginning of our adventures.