Tristan started to eat the dried meat she had given him, pleased at how good it tasted. "Well, there was a contest that was to be held in the town I was in at the time. The reward was 1000 gold to the man who could best all the challenges. Of course I signed right up for it, I could have used the money. I made it through the first two challanges which consisted of a horse race and a duel. The last part of the contest was to see who could use their wits to find the hidden 'princess' in the woods nearby. I was searching when I came across the tower you found me in. I could hear a beautiful voice singing from the top and thinking it was the missing 'princess' I started up the tower. When I got there, a beautiful woman with long golden hair was sitting at the spinning wheel making it turn. She stopped when I entered the tower and smiled at me. "Hello," she said. "You must be one of the contestants. You must answer a riddle before you may take me back. Here come closer." I went closer and before I knew it, my foot had slipped on something she had put in the floor. When I went to catch myself she pushed the spinning wheel towards me and my hand ended up on the needle, cutting my finger. She turned from a beautiful young woman to a wicked sorceress and she started to laugh as blackness came up for me. "Now you can be the prize everyone will seek but when they find you, who will want to kiss another man just to claim his prize? That will teach you to steal from me again." You see I had recognized her as soon as she had transformed. I had taken a silver swan that laid golden eggs from her domain years ago and she was punishing me now."

Tristan finished up his dried meat and looked over to the woman who was listening to his story. "I think the spell had gone on too long and had worn off by the time you came up the tower. I'm sorry if I ruined your quest." He had a look of remorse on his face. He couldn't help but notice just how beautiful she was in the afternoon light as he looked at her. Something in his face must have given away what he was thinking however.