Ancient and Modern

Bernadette had had a terrible day. She had been walking through the special collections stacks at her university’s library when she had suddenly felt faint, and after she thought the wave of nausea had passed, she had blacked out. Instead of hitting the floor, however, she awoke in a half frozen river, the cold water shocking her awake rather quickly. She broke through the thin layer of ice at the surface of the water, left over from the last cold night of spring before the temperatures warmed up. She swam quickly to shore, coughing water from her lungs as she laid in the mud, trying to orient herself. When the cold finally seeped into her bones she stood, quickly heading toward a small farmhouse nearby.

She was incredibly grateful for the kind farmer and his wife who let her into their home, as well as the warm bowl of soup and blanket that they gave her to help her warm up. While she was asking the wife where she was, she didn’t notice the husband slip out, unaware that he’d gone to alert the equivalent of the local police, more focused on the dismissive answers the wife was giving.

She was seated at the small kitchen table when the Royal Guard arrived, accompanied by the Prince, who had been alerted that a possible spy from Vidour had been found. She was still reasonably soaked and muddy, the white nightgown type dress she was wearing ruined, although she was incredibly grateful for the warm wool blanket that had been wrapped around her shoulders by the farmer's wife.

She frowned as she looked across the table toward the door as the men came in, setting her spoon down in the bowl as she studied their strange outfits. Either there was some sort of Medieval Times gathering going on nearby, and the local cops had all been in attendance, or something was terribly off. "Good morning, gentlemen... Could you tell me where I am?" She asked finally, her eyes settling on the leader of the group, although if she had had any idea she was speaking to a prince, she probably would have been more polite.

---

Prince Theodore had been meeting with the head Cleric of the church, discussing the arrangements for an upcoming festivities now that winter was ending and summer was approaching. However, the meeting had been interrupted by a very distressed priest, claiming that a girl, a foreigner, had appeared out of nowhere just outside of the huge cathedral, scarring the people that had been leaving the morning mass. While he had initially wanted to simply dismiss the girl as a beggar who had wandered out of the alleyways where they usually stayed, the fact that it appeared that she was from Starden, and her sudden appearance so close to the cathedral while preparations were being made for the festivities around the holy days had him concerned.

With a sigh he collected two of his guards before apologizing to the Cleric for the interruption of their meeting, promising to return as soon as he could to finish making the necessary preparations, before he hurried from his office though the church toward the main entrance where the girl had last been spotted. As he passed the statue of the Goddess that dominated the church he crossed himself out of habit, silently praying that this mystery girl were simply a beggar and nothing more. The last thing he needed to be dealing with was Starden spies, especially so close to the end of winter. With both kingdom's on the brink of war, if it turned out that she was a foreigner, he doubted he'd be able to prevent a mob from calling for her execution, whether she was a spy or not.

He came to a standstill at the top of the steps leading down from the church into the courtyard, ordering his guards to find the girl and bring him to her, his eyes scanning the crowd for the girl in question.

@ katahdin

The clashing of swords could be heard in the courtyard as Roland swung his towards his opponent. His friend, and most trusted guard, stood before him with a sword of his own and stood in a defensive stance. They swung, striking against each others swords in quick succession. Both of them stepped back, sweating and looks of severe concentration on their faces. Suddenly, Roland relaxed and smiled. "Good spar, my friend," he said to the man before him who also relaxed and smiled in return. He pulled off his helmet and returned his sword to it's sheath.

As he wandered to a barrel of water to drink and wash his face, a messenger arrived and was stopped by his guards. Roland waved them aside, allowing for the messenger to approach. The messenger looked nervous and excited, eager to share his news as he gave a quick bow before Roland. He detailed that a farmer had arrived with news of a strange, foreign woman arriving at his house out of nowhere. It was suspected that she was possible of the Vidour Kingdom and that immediately put the prince on edge. The Starden and Vidour Kingdoms had very tense relations right now and a war was looking almost inevitable. If Vidour were sending spies or even possibly assassins, that could be a tipping point that finally started war.

Prince Roland soon found himself, and several guards, at a small farmhouse near a river. The farmer knelt, granting Roland and two of his guards entrance and immediately his eyes fell upon the girl, looking over her dirtied clothes and a wool blanket draped over her shoulders. Under the wet hair and muddy appearance though, something about her seemed so familiar to Roland and he was having trouble placing where he might have seen her before. After a moment of silence as he looked her over, she finally spoke and his eyes narrowed in suspicion as she asked where she was. She either didn't realize she was in the presence of a prince or she was purposefully showing disrespect by ignoring his title.

"You are in the Starden Kingdom," Roland informed her, locking eyes. "What brings you here, foreigner? These are not times for a citizen of the Vidour Kingdom to wander into this land."

---

Sarah had been late to work, running down the sidewalk in a desperate attempt to beat the clock. She'd dismissed the feeling of nausea at first, chalking it up to the worry and the fact that she was pushing herself to make it to work on time. She hadn't realized something was terribly wrong until the ground was coming at her face and the world went black around her. When she opened her eyes again, she was standing in front of a grand cathedral, something that she was sure she'd never seen on her way to work before. Her first worry was that she had wandered off in a delirious state and was now for sure going to be late for work.

As she looked around, Sarah felt her worries of work turn to just plain confusion. She felt like she'd wandered onto a movie set, everyone around her was in period clothing and all the buildings had an air of a different time. As far as she could see, there wasn't a single high rise building in sight. Some people were staring at her, whispering to one other and soon a small crowd was growing around her. Sarah moved towards the two women closest to her. "Excuse me! Sorry, I think I'm lost, can you point me towards Abbey Street?" She asked but as she approached, the women seemed afraid and began to back away from her quickly. She paused, giving the two girls a look of disbelief before turning to a man that was also standing nearby watching. "Hi, sorry do you know where Abbey Street is?" She asked, but again the man backed away and Sarah let out an exasperated sigh.

"Stop right there, Miss," a deep voice behind her sounded and Sarah turned to see a man in armor with a sword strapped to his side. "Thank goodness, hi, I'm really lost and I need to get going, do you know where Abbey Street is from here?" She asked and stepped towards him. The man put a hand to his sword, preparing to draw it and Sarah stopped and took a step back. "Whoah, buddy, let's just calm down there," she said, raising her hands defensively. Would this guy really pull a sword on her? The crowd's whispering grew and Sarah looked around, wondering what was happening. Why wouldn't anyone help her when she so clearly didn't belong to whatever fantasy group this was? In her distraction though, Sarah missed the guard approaching her and she jumped as he grabbed her, binding her wrists behind her back. She tried to pull away, struggling to break the rope but the guard held firm and so did the rope.

The guard began to lead her towards the cathedral and Sarah began to protest the whole way there. The guard just ignored her, leading her up the steps to a regal looking man. "I found her, Your Highness," the guard informed the man, bowing but keeping a hold on her. She was beginning to think that whatever was happening was beyond her comprehension.

@ Lost Oceans

Bernadette frowned as she looked across the table at him, eyes narrowing a bit in confusion as she processed what he was saying. Starden and Vidour were ancient kingdoms, long gone in her time, and she happened to be studying the history of both countries as she worked on her PhD. “What..? I.. I don’t know where I am. I woke up in the river, and I walked here so I wouldn’t freeze.. I’m pretty sure my toes have frost bite.” She frowned, looking down at her bare and muddy feet, sticking them out slightly so he could see the cold, bluish purple toes, although the little rose shaped birthmark on her heel was clearly visible underneath the mud. "This can't possibly be Starden, that kingdom was destroyed thousands of years ago.."

She frowned even deeper as she sat back in her chair, looking around the small farmhouse before her eyes settled on him once more. "You're joking, right? This is all some joke, right? Because if it isn't, that probably means that you're Prince Roland. And if that's the case, and it's still April... You're supposed to be going hunting in the next few days, right? Y-You're going after a white boar.." She frowned, biting her lip as she sunk lower in her seat at the realization. Back at university she had spent enough time studying the manuscripts that had to do with both his family and the royal family of Vidour, and in doing so she had become very familiar with their histories. She knew a lot about Prince Roland, and how he was injured on a hunting expedition that had been chasing a white boar that had somehow crossed the border from Vidour, and he ended up losing a leg due to the accident.

---

Theodore nodded a little to the guard once he approached with her, gesturing for her to be brought into the church so that they could speak in private, the prince eyeing the growing crowd cautiously. The last thing he wanted was for a lot of attention to be brought to this girl, especially when he did not know who she was or where she had come from. Once they were comfortably inside and guards were stationed at the entrance to keep the crowd at bay, Theodore had her take a seat in one of the pews before looking her over, trying to decide how much of a threat she was. She didn't appear to be Vidourian, although she wasn't obviously Stardenian either, so it would be hard to justify just locking her up based on looks alone, not that he was one to do that.

"So, miss, what exactly are you doing here? Which kingdom do you owe allegiance to, Starden or Vidour?" He finally asked, keeping his voice level as he stared at her, trying to gauge her reaction to the question. He had always had a knack for being able to tell when someone was lying, and he was incredibly grateful for it. "You seem a bit lost, where is your home?"

@ katahdin

Roland glanced down at her feet as she stuck them out and he noticed a small mark on her heel. He was about to question the mark, something about it seemed familiar, when she spoke again, saying that his kingdom had been destroyed long ago. He glanced back up at her and shook his head. "I assure you we are very much well and prosperous," he told her, a bit haughtily. The idea of his kingdom being destroyed was preposterous, even though things were unstable with the Vidour Kingdom. Though he didn't wish for war, he believed in Starden's strength to withstand it and come out victorious.

However his eyes shot to her suddenly when she spoke of his plans to go hunting. Very few knew of his plans in hunting the white boar in two days time. "How did you know that?" He asked sharply, instantly suspicious again. The girl wasn't making any sense, in one moment she was acting innocent and confused and the next she was detailing private information that only a very skilled spy could have obtained. Roland usually prided himself on being able to read people but this girl was completely throwing him for a loop.

---

Sarah let herself be led inside the church. She sat in the pew, hands still bound and looked at the prince and guards before her with a frustrated glare. The prince seemed to be looking her over and she kept her chin raised and eyes steady on him, refusing to seem weak in front of him. However she became confused when he asked her what Kingdom she aligned with. "Starden and Vidour? Aren't those the ancient kingdoms we learned about in highschool?" She asked, remembering back to a brief section in her history class that had detailed two kingdoms that had gone to war centuries before. She shook her head.

"I'm from Portland," she explained, hoping that someone would take pity on her and end this charade. "I was just trying to get to work, but I got really sick, I think maybe a little delirious because somehow I ended up here. And I don't even know where 'here' is. Where am I, by the way?" She said.

@ Lost Oceans

Bernadette frowned as he spoke so harshly to her, looking up at him nervously as she sank lower into her seat. She was a bit afraid of what he would do to her if he decided that she was guilty of something, knowing that in his later years he could be rather ruthless, although that was after his hunting accident and before his execution at the hands of the Rhalleans, who had come in at the last minute after war had broken out between Starden and Vidour to crush both empires when they were at their weakest, and had proceeded to execute the members of both royal families, including Prince Roland.

"Um... Maybe.. Maybe don't go hunting?" She suggested softly, looking up at him with a little shrug. "Oh, and I read about it in a book.. It doesn't matter." She shook her head with a little sigh, burying her face in her hands for a moment as she groaned, trying to wrap her head around everything that was happening.

---

Theodore frowned deeply as he looked at the young girl who wasn't making any sense. "'High school'? Women are not allowed to attend schools.." He was having enough trouble wrapping his head around everything that she was saying, even before she started talking about whatever strange place she was from.

He sighed deeply, pinching the bridge of his nose as he collected his thoughts before he looked down at her. "Ok, you're not making any sense. There is no Portland in Vidour or Starden." It was obvious she had some sort of illness, even before she confirmed it, and he decided it would be best to bring her back to the castle, where he could continue to interrogate her and lock her up if needed. He moved and carefully untied her restraints, before offering her his hand.

"None of what you are saying makes any sense, but I don't really want to continue this interrogation here, as it's disrespectful to the Goddess. Come, let's get moving." He helped her stand before turning to one of the guards, ordering a horse be brought for them to take back to the castle.

@ katahdin

Roland saw her shrink down and he felt a stab of guilt. Though she somehow knew about his hunting trip, she did seem genuinely confused and genuine in how she'd arrived in these lands. The farmer and his wife were still in the house, probably eavesdropping, and with the talk of his hunt, Roland didn't want to continue this conversation here. He sighed and stood. The farmer appeared from the other room, the wife standing behind him watching and Roland took out a small pouch of coins. "Please get this woman some shoes. May she keep the blanket?" The farmer's wife darted off to find some shoes and the farmer nodded graciously as Roland handed him the pouch.

"It is time to return to the castle and you are to join us," he told her, but his voice was more calm than before. He didn't think she was a serious threat and even if she was, the castle would be a better place to keep her and question her further. He motioned for the guards to prepare the horses outside as the farmer's wife brought the girl some shoes. At least her feet could get warm. He held a hand out to her to help her up and then led her outside. "What is your name?" He asked her quietly as his horse was brought forward. He wanted her to ride with him, where he could keep an eye on her.

---

Sarah sighed, seeing that she was frustrating this man, or rather, this prince. If she really was in one of the two ancient kingdoms, Starden or Vidour, she certainly wasn't going to get anywhere mentioning modern day things that didn't even exist yet. "I'm sorry," she apologized. "I'm not sure how I ended up here." Though she was concerned that she might get thrown in a dungeon when they got to the castle, Sarah was relieved and grateful when he undid her restraints. She rubbed her wrists where the rope had dug into the skin. She glanced down at her hands, the small star-shaped birthmark on her wrist peeking out from under her sleeve.

As they waited for the horse he ordered, Sarah bit her lip. She wracked her brain for any information she could remember from that history class. She'd been out of high school and in college for a few years now and the class felt like a distant memory. If she'd known she was going to end up in the middle of ancient history somehow, she probably would have done more research. "Thank you, for untying me," she said to him quietly. She wasn't exactly sure how she was supposed to act around a prince and she felt awkward. "Can I ask your name?" She asked, glancing at him curiously. She hoped that talking to him like this wouldn't end up getting her executed.

@ Lost Oceans

Bernadette gratefully slipped on the shoes once they were brought to her, although her feet were still cold and sore as she stood and followed Roland out of the little farm house to his horse, thanking the farmer and his wife for the stew and blanket. She frowned a little when they came to a stop in front of his horse, looking around at the guards mounting their own horses before looking up at Roland. "Do I have to walk?" She asked, assuming that if he wasn't offering her a horse, that she wouldn't be riding one. After walking about a mile from the river where she had woken up to the farmhouse barefoot in the cold, she wasn't overly enthusiastic about the idea of walking god knows how far to the castle.

She blinked when he asked her name, tugging the wool blanket around her a bit tighter at a particularly cold gust of wind, shivering as her lips turned purple. "I'm Bernadette St. Claire.. I already know who you are, so I don't need to ask your name, but I can if that's the polite thing to do." She murmured, unsure of the proper protocol when addressing a prince.

---

Theodore only saw it for a moment, but the little star shaped birth mark made his blood run cold. As prince, he was required to be familiar with all of the royal families in the various kingdoms surrounding Vidour, especially that of Starden, their enemy. Of course, being familiar with the families meant being familiar with the birthmarks that members were born with, and seeing the mark on her wrist worried him deeply. How could a Stardenian princess have gotten so far into Vidour without anyone knowing, and without knowing where she was?

He was pulled from his thoughts when she asked his name, mounting his waiting horse before leaning over to grab her and help seat her on the horse in front of him with the help of one of the guards, wrapping his arms around her to make sure she wouldn't fall off and to adjust the reigns. "My name is Theodore, Prince of Vidour." He said simply before urging his horse into a gallop, wanting to make it back to the castle as quickly as possible, now that he knew who this girl was.

@ katahdin

"No, you don't have to walk," he told her. He helped her up onto his horse, holding the reins so that she couldn't just take off with it if she wanted. He happened to glance at her foot while she was getting adjusted and noticed the mark on her heel again. He had a better view of it now, the heel of the slipper she was now wearing just low enough to not cover the mark. In a second he recognized it and felt his heart stop. This was a princess of Vidour? How did she not know where she was and how had she gotten here, falling into a river and ending up dirty and muddy at a farmhouse?

He swung up on the saddle behind her, troubled by this new information. It solidified his resolve to return to the castle with her, before anyone could begin gossip of the princess. He didn't know what was going on, but if the wrong rumors started, war could break out simply from her being here. He glanced at her as she murmured her name to him. "Not necessary if you already know who I am," he told her. He could feel how cold she was and despite himself, he leaned a little closer as they took off riding. "Keep your head low, it'll protect you better from the wind," he told her.

---

Sarah felt his arms around her, adjusting her and the reins and she tried not to think too hard about the unfamiliar touch. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Theordore. Or, um, Your Highness. Sorry," she said. She'd need to make sure she addressed him properly from now on. He seemed nice enough, he hadn't immediately executed her at least, but he was a prince and royalty in a time period such as this could be very testy about being shown proper respect of their titles. At least she knew for sure that she was in Vidour now, not that it was much help considering she was somehow in an ancient kingdom but it was still something concrete.

She bit her lip as they rode, their surroundings passing in somewhat of a blur as the horse galloped past people and houses. She could see a large castle in the distance, their apparent destination, and she wondered what would become of her there. She wondered a lot of things. Sarah was still deeply confused as to how she'd gotten here in the first place and why, but she didn't even know where to begin in searching for those answers. The best she could do right now was just to keep her head low and try to stay alive.

@ Lost Oceans

Bernadette opened her mouth to ask what she would be doing instead if she didn't have to walk, but didn't get a chance to ask before he lifted her up and onto the horse. She pouted and scowled a little, surprised that he would just pick her up like a sack of potatoes and place her where he wanted, although when she thought more about it it was a different time period, and he was a prince and she a woman, so it kind of made sense, even if she wasn't happy about it. Her frown only deepened when he moved to sit behind her, glancing back at him a bit nervously, unsure about whether she could trust him or not based on his earlier behavior. But when he leaned closer as they took off riding and told her to keep her head down she nodded gratefully, doing her best to hold onto the horse and also keep her blanket wrapped around her tightly, the cold wind only making her shivering worse.

By the time they arrived at the castle she had leaned back into his chest in the hopes of getting warm, her lips even bluer and her skin going a bit pale as she continued to shiver. She sniffled a little as they came to a stop, frowning as she looked around the courtyard that they had stopped in. "Can.. Can we go inside now?" She asked softly, having a feeling that if she stayed outside any longer she would get hypothermia, if she didn't have it already.

---

"You can call me Theodore." He murmured simply, glancing down at her for a moment before looking back at the road ahead. He'd never been as fussy about titles as some of the other princes and noblemen in his country, but he did insist upon it on certain occasions, although this was not one of them. Once they arrived at the castle he quickly dismounted his horse as a stable boy came to hold the reigns, helping Sarah down from the horse before leading her inside the castle.

"What is your name?" He finally asked once they were inside, briefly speaking with a servant about getting her some clean clothes and a meal, and informing them which room he would be taking her to. If she were in fact a princess, which he figured was likely, the cells in the dungeon were no place for her, so she would be staying in one of the guest rooms near his quarters so that he could keep an eye on her.

@ katahdin

Roland slowed his horse as they entered the castle courtyard and then brought it to a complete stop. He swung off the horse, helping Bernadette down after him. The poor girl looked frozen and she asked if they could go inside. "Of course," he told her gently and he waved for a servant to come forward. "Please prepare a hot bath for Lady Bernadette," he ordered the servant. He gave her instructions on where to prepare the bath and the servant bowed and rushed off to complete her task. Roland guided Bernadette inside the castle, a few guards trailing behind them but he waved them off. If Bernadette was a threat, he could handle her himself, but if she was the princess he suspected she was, he didn't feel she would do him harm. He guided her to one of the chambers near his private rooms, wanting to have her stay nearby until everything was sorted out.

"Please, go enjoy your bath and get warm," he told her. Once she'd gone into the room, the door closing behind her, Roland set off to find another servant. He ordered a clean dress to be brought to Bernadette and a hot meal prepared for her as well. He also ordered guards to stand watch, specifying to stay down the hall and not right at the door. He wanted to make up for the harsh way he had treated her earlier, though he was still suspicious of her and her knowledge of his hunt.

---

"A pleasure, Theodore," she repeated, a small smile on her lips. When they arrived, Sarah gazed up at the castle before her. It was beautiful, it had the air of history to it but mostly because her mind associated this style of building with history. The castle itself looked rather well kept and not at all like the crumbling remnants she'd seen in pictures of castles from this time. She gratefully accepted Theodore's help off the horse, since she was sure however she would have gotten down by herself wouldn't have been very graceful.

She shouldn't have been surprised to find a row of servants inside, ready to greet and serve the prince as he entered. It was strange to her but it would be perfectly normal to these people. He spoke to one of them briefly, ordering them to prepare her fresh clothes and food and she tried to object but the girls were already hurrying off to get to work. Not for the first time, Sarah wondered what she'd gotten herself into. "Sarah," she said, glancing up at him. "Sarah O'Dell." She followed as he led her through the castle. "Clothing and food aren't necessary," she said. "I don't want to impose."

@ Lost Oceans

Bernadette would have protested about him leading her around and telling her what to do, but she was too cold and a hot bath sounded lovely, so she would save her complaints for later. She gave Roland a little nod in thanks before the door to her room shut behind her. She immediately followed the waiting made to the tub that had been prepared, happily stripping out of her wet clothes and climbing in, letting out a soft sigh as she relaxed in the water. She took the time she was soaking in the bath to look around the room, admiring the intricate details that she had often seen in pictures of the few rooms like this that had somehow been preserved through the ages. She'd never thought she'd see one in person, let alone in the time period where it was actually used as a functioning part of the castle.

Once she was properly warmed up and clean she reluctantly accepted the maid's help getting dried off and dressed in the dress that had been brought for her, although she admired the intricate work that had been done, she felt that the dress was a little too fancy for her, considering she wasn't anyone special in this world. She might as well have stayed with the farmers that had found her, although she was pretty sure that she'd be happier here. Once she'd finished dressing and had eaten the warm meal that had been brought she waited until the maids had left before slowly opening the door and peering out into the hallway, curious to see what was happening outside.

---

Theodore gave a little nod as she introduce herself, although alarm bells were going off in his head. Sarah O'Dell was the name of a Stardenian princess from a thousand years ago, one of the two princesses who had been murdered before the two kingdoms could be united. It had to be some sort of mistake, a coincidence, but he'd have to to speak with his father's historians and clerics to get to the bottom of this. He shook his head when she said that she didn't need any clothes or food, holding up a hand to politely silence her and show that he wouldn't hear it.

"You're a guest of me and my father, King Alexander VI of Vidour, you are not imposing." He offered her a small smile, opening the door to her room and leading her inside. "A bath can be drawn for you if you wish, and someone will be here shortly with food and a dress, although if you dislike either and would rather have something else, feel free to ask for it." He said simply, giving her a little bow before turning and heading down the hall to speak with his father, asking a guard to remain in the hall near her door to keep an eye on her.

@ katahdin

Roland went off to the library while Bernadette was in the bath. He searched for a book, one detailing the many different royal families. He hoped that maybe his memory of the birthmark was wrong but that wasn’t likely. He flipped through the pages, reaching the families of Vidour and sure enough, the tudor rose he’d seen on Bernadette was illustrated before him, a perfect match. He stared at it for a few moments, trying to make connections in his head. He flipped a few more pages, his fingers trailing the page as he looked for a specific name. And there it was, Bernadette St. Claire. She was the princess of Vidour that had been murdered hundreds of years ago. The one that, along with the Stardenian princess, was supposed to unite their lands and bring peace between the kingdoms.

He sat in the chair beside him, continuing to stare at the words on the page. Everything was too coincidental, but he couldn’t imagine how this had happened. How could a princess, dead a thousand years prior, have appeared just when the kingdoms were on the brink of war? She wasn’t a phantom, even if he did believe in such things, he’d touched her, felt her skin when they’d ridden together. She was real. He didn’t know how, but she was and he needed to find out answers.

---

Sarah let Theodore lead her to a beautiful room. “Thank you,” she said, giving him a curtsy in return to his bow. She wasn’t sure the proper etiquette of this time but it was probably better to try and be as respectful as possible. When he left, she turned to wander the room. It wasn’t even moments later that a few servants joined her in the room, one carrying a dress and the other carrying a serving tray for food. Sarah looked over the dress, feeling a little silly that she would be dressing in something that would have been a costume in her time. But here, she would look like she belonged and it would hopefully allow her to blend in a little easier.

The two maids began to help her undress and she again had to remind herself that it was part of the time she was in. Regardless, it was unnerving to her to be near naked in front of two complete strangers and she tried to keep herself covered while they helped her into the dress. As soon as she was clothed again, she thanked and dismissed the girls and ate her food while trying to remember everything she could about Vidour. Unfortunately, she couldn’t think of anything that would explain or help in her current situation. She knew that war had broken out at some point but she didn’t know how far or close she was to that time. She thought that Theodore was indeed prince at the time that war broke out, but that still left her with a large range of when the war would happen. It could be years or it could be mere days. She hoped for the latter. She needed time to figure out how to return home and she had a feeling that a war could severely disrupt her chances.

@ Lost Oceans

Bernadette was glad to see that there were no guards posted outside of her door, so there was no on to stop her when she slipped out of her room and began to wander through the halls, glad to have the opportunity to tour the halls of a functioning castle. She was mildly worried that Roland or the guards would be upset if they found her out of her room, but she couldn't pass up the opportunity to look around, at least a little. She poked her head in a few doors to see what was happening, and she was surprised to see Roland seated in the library, although her focus shifted from Roland to all of the books, her eyes widening in awe at the site. There was so much she could learn here, if given the chance, and she slowly slipped into the library to begin looking around at all of the books.

---

Theodore went and had a long talk with his father about Sarah, and what should be done. It was obvious she was from Starden, and had the birthmark of a royal, so they couldn't simply throw her into a dungeon, but her identity had to be verified, especially considering the fact that they were on the eve of war. If returning her to Starden would stop the war, then it had to be done, although having her here could be useful for leverage. His father agreed, and it was decided that word of Sarah's arrival would be sent to Starden, but until the whole thing was sorted out, Sarah would remain here.

Once their conversation was done, Theodore headed back to Sarah's room, knocking on the door and waiting for her to answer before heading inside.

@ katahdin

Roland was lost in his thoughts, trying to consider the troubles when he heard the quiet swishing of fabic. He looked up, expecting to see a maid or perhaps one of the historians but instead found Bernadette in a beautiful golden gown. He stood instantly, almost not recognizing her now that she was clean and dressed in proper clothing. It was habit for him to stand in the presence of a lady and it felt right considering she was possibly, very likely, a princess. "M'lady," he said, offering a small bow. He should probably be more upset for her wandering around but he hadn't expressly forbade her from leaving her room, plus the awed look in her eyes as she took in the library put him at ease. "Do you enjoy reading, Bernadette?" He asked her, following her gaze around the large room filled with books. If she was truly royalty, he expected she'd know how to read and write.

---

Sarah had finished eating and had paced around the room a bit waiting for something to happen. She didn't know if Theodore would come back, or if someone would fetch her, or if no one would come at all and she would just be forgotten. She needed to figure out how to make everything go back to normal but she didn't have a clue of where to start. Maybe she could return to the cathedral, if that was where she'd appeared then maybe it was connected somehow. But she'd caught a glimpse of the guards outside her door when the maids had left so she didn't dare try to leave the room right now. So she continued to pace, then sit, then fidget with her hair and using the mirror of a vanity in the room, pull her hair into a neat braid that she thought looked appropriate for the time period. Finally, a knock came at her door and she stood up and invited the person in. She smiled to see that it was Theodore, grateful for a familiar face though he still intimated her a little if she was honest. She gave him a curtsy, bowing her head.

@ Lost Oceans

Bernadette tensed when he so suddenly stood, half expecting him to yell at her for having wandered out of her room, but she was surprised when he bowed and referred to her as "M'lady," as while she was dressed like a noble lady of the time period, she did not feel good about attempting to pretend to be someone she wasn't. She nodded a little as he asked if she liked to read, turning her attention back to the bookcase she had been examining, gently running her fingers over the spines of the manuscripts kept there. "Yes.. I've always enjoyed reading, and the university I attend has so many manuscripts that I can't wait to read, but I imagine most of them came from here.." She murmured, reaching to carefully pull one of the books from the shelf. The last time she'd seen this book, it had been on a special cradle in the special collections of her library, where she'd had to wear gloves and treat it with the upmost care as she examined it as it was practically disintegrating, while now she held the same book in her arms, flipping through the pages in amazement as if it were any normal modern book, studying the images carefully.

---

Theodore waved his hand a little when she curtsied, offering her a faint smile. "There's no need for that, m'lady.. At least not here. If my father were here, or we were at court, it would be expected, but I'm not as strict as the noblemen who advise my father." He said simply as he walked into the room, taking a seat at the table by the window with a little sigh. "Is everything to your liking? Have you eaten and bathed? The servants can bring you anything you wish, if it would make you more comfortable." He explained, wanting to seem hospitable, before he told her about her father practically keeping her prisoner.

@ katahdin

Roland watched her carefully as she selected a book and held it in wonder. She flipped through the pages so delicately, as though she were holding something rather precious. It captured his attention far more than he wanted to admit. He listened as she spoke of her schooling, slightly confused as to what she meant exactly about the books coming from here. Possibly she just meant that they were copies, but while many of the books in his family’s collection were very old, only some would have been around at the same time that this mysterious thousand year dead princess had been.

He strolled closer to her, pulling another book from a nearby shelf and examining it. “If you like that one, you may enjoy this one as well,” he suggested, holding it out to her. After a bit, Roland sat again and watched as she explored the shelves a bit. “Bernadette, what do you know of the Kingdoms of Starden and Vidour?” He asked. He tried his best to keep his tone light, not wanting her to feel that he was interrogating her. Her confusion seemed genuine but she did seem to have a bit of knowledge about the two kingdoms, even if some of it was inaccurate. Like how she’d said his kingdom had been destroyed, though clearly it still stood.

---

Sarah stood, not really sure what to do with herself as he moved to sit at the table by the window. After a hesitation, she took the seat opposite of him. “Yes, thank you,” she said. “Really, this has been more than enough, thank you.” She was truly grateful for the clean clothes and warm meal, though she kept her wishes of being back in her regular clothes to herself. It wouldn’t do her any good to run around a medieval time period in denim jeans and a t-shirt. In fact, it had already gotten her tied up once.

She folded her hands on her lap, fidgeting slightly with the fabric of the gown. She wasn’t sure what to think of what was happening. If she was being fed and given fancy dresses, she didn’t think they would be throwing her in a dungeon anytime soon. Would she be kicked out once they realized she wasn’t a danger or anybody of importance? “What happens now?” She asked, looking up at Theodore to meet his gaze. She’d been too confused earlier to really examine his features but this close now, her first thought was He has such kind eyes.

@ Stars Eternal

Bernadette in the middle of carefully returning the book in her arms to the shelf when Roland moved over to the shelf as well, pulling down a book from one of the higher shelves and offering it to her. She nodded a little in thanks as she took it, flipping through the pages in amazement. "I've only seen bits and pieces of this book.. only a few pages survived, so to be able to see the whole thing..." It was breathtaking, and she was clearly in awe as she flipped through the pages, moving to sit down in the seat opposite Roland so she could properly look at the book.

She looked up form the pages when he asked about what she knew about his kingdom, sitting up a bit as she frowned. "Well..." She wasn't sure what she could say and couldn't, not wanting to reveal everything about the future, but at the same time, he didn't meet a happy end, and if she could somehow save him...

"In my time, Starden and Vidour are gone, destroyed by Rhaellia, who pitted them in a civil war against one another to weaken them before coming in and conquering both.. although Rhaellia only lasts a few hundred years more before it collapses..." She shook her head a little, getting away from the point. "That happens in the year 689, and I'm assuming it must be about then now, give or take a few years.. The war between your kingdoms starts in 683, though, so that might be where we are.. You also have your hunting accident in 683, when you go hunt the white boar. You end up losing a leg because your horse throws you and the boar stabs you with it's tusks, and then you have an affair with a servant named Helena, who gives birth to a child in 686.. But after the Rhaellians take over, they.. they publicly execute you, and they burn Helena and the baby alive..." She stared down at her lap as she spoke, having always hated how gruesome the story was, but to be sitting across from the man it happened to, telling him about his future.. It was almost overwhelming.

---

Theodore nodded as she thanked him for the food and the clean clothes, offering her a smile. "It's the least I could do, really." He said, although his smile faltered as she asked what would happen to her now. "Well.." he started, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. "My father is to send word to Starden to let them know that you are here, but you are to remain in the castle under my watch until my father allows you to return to your kingdom.. Because of the tension between the two kingdoms, we're hoping that perhaps your presence here can help us negotiate some form of peace."

@ katahdin

Roland listened to Bernadette talk about the futures of the kingdoms, a slight chill running down his spine, especially when she told him of what was to become of him and his supposed future lover and child. He stared at her, trying to catch a hint of deception but failed to see any. What she said was true, or at least she truly believed it to be. He wasn't sure what to think or feel at all this information. He knew of witchcraft, knew to be wary of it and avoid those who practiced it. But here, sitting across from this woman who he did truly believe to be a princess of Vidour, he found he believed her. He wasn't entirely sure why, if it was the honesty in her voice or the fact that she knew details that should be impossible, but he believed her.

"You said... 'in your time'. What time are you from?" He asked, wondering how far in the future she knew. He wasn't sure how he would explain this knowledge to his father. In that moment, he wasn't sure that he would even tell him. There wasn't even the smallest chance his father or the advisors would believe this tale. He probably shouldn't either. But for now, he knew this would need to remain a secret. The only information he would give is that he believed her to be a princess of Vidour.

---

Sarah felt anxiety flood through her. She didn't want to go to Starden. What she really wanted was to wake up from this strangely vivid nightmare. She wasn't affiliated with Starden and once that kingdom realized this king had a fake hostage, she was sure it wouldn't end well for her. "I don't belong to Starden," she urged. "Why would I be useful for negotiations?" She asked. She was vaguely aware that exposing her lack of usefulness to this kingdom could cost her the source of food, water, and shelter in this world, but that was something to deal with after she ensured she wouldn't be shipped off to even more foreign lands.

@ Stars Eternal

Bernadette remained silent when Roland didn't immediately respond after she shared what she knew. She knew that he probably didn't believe her, that he probably though that she was crazy, and that he'd throw her in a jail cell or execute her for being a witch, but she hoped desperately that he would believe her. She looked up in surprise though when he spoke again, asking her about the time she came from rather than calling her crazy or denouncing her as a witch.

"I.. I was born in the late 1900s, and came from the early 2000s, 1400 years in the future." She explained slowly, hoping that he wouldn't think that she was too crazy for saying it. "I know it sounds crazy and unbelievable, but it's the truth, I swear it."

---

Thomas frowned a bit at her unease, hesitating a moment before resting a reassuring hand on her arm. "My father and I believe you to be one of the lost princesses of legend.. And if you are here, then that likely means that the Vidourian princess will be in Starden, and because you two are supposed to bring peace and prosperity back to the kingdoms, we hope that you will be useful for negotiating peace between our two countries." He explained simply, hoping that she would understand.