Five

It was official. I was short.

Several minutes after Ghaldor left the room, there was a knock at the door. Upon opening it, I was met with two women wearing the same pristine white robes that the first woman I saw was wearing. They each bowed to me before shuffling through the door carrying various bundles of clothing articles in their hands.

As they passed by me, I suddenly realized the harsh truth. Both of the women were several inches taller than I was! That meant that I was definitely short, and Ghandor wasn’t just freakishly large. One might even call me puny with the way things were going.

After shutting the door, I was dragged by the two to the front of the mirror and swiftly stripped of the only piece of clothing I was wearing. The nightdress went “SCHWING!” after one of them grabbed it by the hem and pulled it up and over my head with a speed that seemed inhuman. Huh. Maybe she had powers, too?

I stared blankly at the mirror as it reflected my nakedness, trying not to blush as the two ladies began filling my ears with compliments. They were prattling on about how my skin was so pretty, or how silky and beautiful my hair was, all the while shuffling through their pile of clothing and pulling out this garment and that. They soon found a pair of underwear that had passed some sort of muster in their heads and quickly clamped said articles onto my body with the same speed and efficiency that they had divested me of my nightdress with. They did the same with some black hosiery, a silk underskirt, a pair of brown leather boots, and… wait, is that a corset?

Thankfully, I was too thin for the corset to fit, so we had to do without. I wasn’t given much time to be relieved when the two quickly pulled something large and blue over me, stuffing my head and arms into some holes and tugging until they all just popped out the other side. In the mirror, I saw that the blue thing was actually a dress, one with poofy sleeves and a hem that went down past my knees.

“Oh, you look so darling in blue!” One of the ladies giggled as she did up the buttons on the back of the dress. The other one managed to pull out a large silver hairbrush from somewhere and began running the bristles through my long, white hair. After being satisfied with their work, as a finishing touch, the two tied a long black ribbon onto the top of my head.

“Well then, My Lady,” said one of the women as she pulled me in front of the mirror again. “What do you think?”

I stared at my reflection, not really sure what to say. I kind of looked like an albino Alice in Wonderland. I felt out of my depth. I’ve never worn clothes before, so having all these things on me was a new experience. The dress didn’t fit too well in some areas, but in the mirror, it looked okay so I guess it wasn’t noticeable. The boots were comfortable, although I was a bit concerned for a moment that I would topple over because of the two-inch heels. And was the bra supposed to be so tight and constricting around the chest?

“It looks… good?” I eventually managed to say.

The two women cheered, clapping their hands and looking pretty proud of themselves.

I wonder whose clothes these were? They didn’t just appear out of nowhere, and they looked pretty expensive. As I pondered the previous owner of my current garments, there was a sudden knock on the door.

I looked towards said door and waited for whoever it was on the other side to enter. They didn’t. Another series of knocks sounded. Then another. I turned worried eyes over to the two ladies who had dressed me only to find them looking expectantly at me.

“Oh!” I blushed, realizing that I was the one who was supposed to give them leave to enter. “Come in!”

Ghaldor opened the door, smiling as he saw me. “Ah! You look wonderful!”

I blushed again, looking down at the floor and feeling embarrassed for some reason.

“Now that you are ready, it’s time that you met His Majesty,” the wizard said. “He and the royal family are waiting for you in the throne room.”

“O-okay.” Crap. I was going to meet the king now? And the queen? I wasn’t ready! What were the rules for meeting royalty again? I’m pretty sure I read about it online somewhere.

“Come along,” Ghaldor said as he headed out the open door.

I moved to follow him but stopped right before exiting the room. Beyond the door was a long hallway, lit up by several small windows running along the right wall. On either side of the door stood four men; they were the armored soldiers I had seen earlier. The men were standing stiffly on either side of me and seemed to be guarding the entrance to the room. I couldn’t see their expressions because all of them wore full-face helmets, but I was sure they were waiting for me to leave.

But I couldn’t leave; something was holding me back. I was scared. No, terrified. I had never left my hospital room, not that I could remember anyway. Those four white walls had been my entire world for all of my life. The room I had been in was the same size as my old one, so it was basically the same place in my mind. The same world.

Now I was being told to step out of it. There was a bigger world outside, a world I didn’t know. I should have been happy and excited to see it. But all I could think about was going back inside and shutting the door. To stay in my small little world. It was familiar here. And safe.

What the hell? Am I really this pathetic?

“Amelia? What’s wrong?” Ghaldor had stopped halfway across the hallway, looking back at me while I stood stiffly at the door. He walked back towards me, his lips set in a frown.

I couldn’t explain it to him, how I was afraid. I couldn’t even explain it to myself. Why was I like this? What was wrong with me?

Ghaldor took note of my terrified expression, then let out a loud, frustrated sigh. I bit my lip hard.

“I’m sorry,” I said. Even my voice sounded pitiful.

After a tense moment of silence, Ghaldor shook off his annoyed expression. “No, no. It’s fine. It’s alright. Didn’t I tell you it was alright?” He looked down at me and soon the calm, understanding smile was back on his face. “You are safe here, Amelia. As long as you are on the palace grounds, nothing can get to you. You are under the King’s protection. Now, come. We mustn’t keep His Majesty waiting.” The old man reached out with his right hand, offering it to me. “Come along. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

I was still biting my lip even as I reached out to him. I grasped his hand with my left one, his fingers quickly wrapping around mine in a strong, tight grip. I took a deep breath as he gently pulled me forward, allowing me to finally step out of the room.

“Now that wasn’t so bad, was it?” The wizard said with a smile. He then began to move, pulling me along as he led me down the hallway towards some stairs. The four armored men who had been watching my room followed right behind us, the metal around their bodies clanking and shifting loudly.

I felt stupid, being led around like a child. I was nineteen years old, for God’s sake! But I guess this was my own fault for being so lame. Some Hero I turned out to be.

As we were making our way through the building, Ghaldor explained that we were currently in the Sick Rooms, sort of the hospital for the castle. It wasn’t a very big building and was located next to the soldiers’ barracks. We took the stairs to the ground floor, and I spotted more women in pristine white robes. They all stopped what they were doing as our group walked through, staring at me with looks of awe and reverence.

Once we stepped outside of the building, I almost tripped over my own feet. A gasp escaped my lips as I saw the world for the first time. I glanced around at the vast sky and open fields and distant hills. It was so big, so wide. And the sky, it went on forever. You could fall up and never stop falling.

It was all too much! I felt my breath start hitching, my heartbeat erratic. My palms and feet started to feel cold. I knew I was about to have a panic attack right then and there if I couldn’t calm myself down. I didn’t want to cause any more problems for Ghaldor, or the king. They’d already done so much for me, I didn’t want them to think of me as weak and pathetic. I wasn’t weak or pathetic, not anymore. I had a new body! A new life! Things would be different this time!

I forced myself to stop looking around, at the vast emptiness of the outside. Instead, I pulled my eyes down towards the ground. We were currently walking across a gravel path and I focused on watching all the small rocks pass by, focused on the crunching sound our boots made as we stepped on them. I clutched tightly at the hand I was holding, finding comfort in the old wizard’s strong grip. He was talking during all this, probably remarking about the other buildings and structures we were passing. I heard none of it, completely fixated on trying not to throw up. Eventually, my heart slowed and my breathing relaxed. That moment of trouble was over, and I had passed this small test. I was going to be fine.

I still didn’t look up though.

After what seemed like hours of walking, the gravel underneath us gave way to large stone blocks. Ghaldor led me up a series of steps and, judging by the general darkening of the area, I guessed that we had entered some sort of doorway and into a building. Once I felt comforting walls around me, I finally felt safe enough to draw my eyes upward. We were in a grand hall of stone and wood, the ceiling rising two stories high above us, with chandeliers hanging down connected to it by a series of long chains. Our four escorts left us at the entrance, moving towards some doors to the side.

Ghaldor and I walked down that long hall towards the end where a set of large wooden doors lay. Two knights in shining plate stood on either side of the door, each holding a shield and a long lance. As we approached, the knights slammed the blunt end of their lances onto the hard stone floor, then repeated the process two more times. The large doors began to part, being pulled open by servants on the other side dressed in fine black clothing.

Through the doors was another room, smaller than the hall but in no way less grand. Hundreds of candles provided the illumination, each set in golden candelabras spaced around the room. A gigantic chandelier made of metal and glass hung from the center of the ceiling. Fine drapes and embroidery decorated the walls, golden vases held exotic flowers each the color of a rainbow, and a long red carpet ran down the center leading the eye towards the two thrones placed upon a high platform at the far end.

I could tell that this room usually held a lot of people, maybe enough to house the king’s entire court. But now only a handful of finely dressed individuals were present. These were probably the royal family as well as their most trusted advisors. The king and queen were obviously seated at the thrones, and the kids standing on the platform to the right of the queen were probably their children. I had no idea who the small group of men collected around the platform was. Looking at their expensive clothes, I’m guessing they were pretty important, too.

Ghaldor and I took a few paces into the throne room before the old man suddenly stood still. I stopped where he had, feeling incredibly nervous. It didn’t help when he let go of my hand, losing me the comfort that his strong grip had provided.

I glanced around nervously, and it felt like all the eyes in the room were completely focused on me. I guess that made sense since I was their newly summoned Hero. I really, really hope I don’t screw this up.

“Stay here, and wait for me to call upon you,” Ghaldor whispered to me.

He then strolled forwards, following the carpet towards the throne. Once he was a few paces away from the king and queen, the wizard gave them a quick bow.

“Your Majesties!” He stated, his voice emanating loudly throughout the room. Was he using magic to increase his volume? “I have the honor of presenting to you, the first Hero of the Kingdom of Duncan! Lady Amelia!” He used his hand and motioned for me to approach.

I swallowed the large lump in my throat. You can do this!

One step followed another as I did my best to walk confidently down the red carpet. I held my head up high and my shoulders back. Posture! I had to remember to maintain my posture!

As I approached the two thrones, I was able to get a closer view of the royal couple. I realized that they looked familiar and recognized them as the two other people I saw during the day of my summoning. The king looked the same, with his dark hair and beard. Instead of the furred cloak from before, he was now wearing a dark red velvet cape. The queen looked to be the same as well, though her fancy red gown had been exchanged for a more modest purple one.

My eyes caught sight of the two children standing next to her. They were a boy and a girl, and for a moment I saw the image of my own little brother and sister form in my mind. I quickly abandoned that thought, seeing as the two sets of children were nothing alike. First off, Josh and Molly had been twins; the prince looked a bit older than his sister, his age being in the 14-16 range while she looked to be about ten. Secondly, they looked at me differently. While Josh and Molly couldn’t even bear the sight of me, these two my gaze without worry. The boy looked like he was trying to affect a bored expression on his face, all the while his narrowed eyes trailed after me as if I were a cockroach scuttling across his floor. The girl, on the other hand, looked absolutely fascinated. Her big blue eyes watched my every move, seemingly in awe of my presence.

I stopped my approach when I reached Ghaldor’s side. I looked up at him and he gave me a small nod, as if granting me permission to continue. I turned my attention away from him, instead focusing on the king and queen.

Here goes nothing.

At first, I had wanted to introduce myself by performing a curtsy. It seemed like an appropriate thing to do in this situation, right? I quickly abandoned that idea since that maneuver was so easy to mess up. Instead, I performed a low bow, just as I did with Ghaldor when I first met him. Hopefully, I wouldn’t cry this time.

After rising from the bow I took a shaky breath, then began speaking. “G-greetings, Your Royal Majesties. I am honored that I am here. In your presence. Ses. Presences.”

I heard the prince snort and saw him roll his eyes. The queen looked towards him with an unamused frown.

“Nay, great Hero,” the king spoke, his voice deep and very commanding. “It is we who are honored. By appearing in our lands, you have blessed this very kingdom. With you beside us, Duncan’s reputation among the nations will rise. I am confident that you will bring forth a new era of wealth and prosperity for all of us.”

Wow. What was I supposed to say to that?

“Uh… thank you. I am, um, glad to be here.” I smiled, then thought better of it and stopped immediately.

There was a long period of awkward silence that followed. Um, was I supposed to say something else? Help! Thankfully, the king broke the silence before I could panic any further.

“Splendid. Splendid!” The king smiled stiffly as he nodded at me. “Now that we are done here, I am sure you are tired and famished. Please follow Griselda over there. She will take you to your room.”

From the left side of the throne room, a hidden doorway opened out from the wall. A girl in a black and white maid’s uniform stepped out. She bowed to me with a smile. “Please, My Lady. Come this way.”

“Yes. Of course.” I gave the king and queen another deep bow before moving to follow the retreating maid. I also waved goodbye to Ghaldor, but I don’t think he saw me.

Griselda led me down a long series of hallways before ascending several flights of stairs. She then continued down another hallway, twisting this way and that at various intersections, before leading me up a final set of stairs that lead to yet another hallway with a non-descript door at its end. The maid opened that door and bade me to enter. I stepped inside, eyes darting around. I gasped in surprise at what I saw.

The room was massive! It was easily three times the size of my hospital room. It had a set of couches on one end and a gigantic four-poster bed on the other. Fur rugs covered parts of the floor, and there was even a large fireplace taking up one wall. There was a wardrobe next to the bed, and a long table with some chairs on the other side.

“I assume the room is to your satisfaction?” Griselda asked me from the doorway.

I almost jumped, her voice startling me. I had forgotten that she was still here.

“Oh, yes. It’s very nice.” I told her.

“Wonderful. Do you require a meal? It’s almost lunch.”

I did have a slight rumble in my tummy, which definitely meant that I was hungry.

“Yes, please!”

“What would you like?”

“Um, what do you have?”

The maid listed a few meals that could be served to me off the top of her head. I recognized most of the dishes, but there were some that were quite foreign and unfamiliar. What the heck was a troskill and why do you eat their toes?

I decided on a roast chicken with a baked potato and some rice. This was the first meal I would be having that wasn’t through a tube so I hoped that I chose wisely. While Griselda went off to get my food, I decided to pass the time by ruffling through the room. It was mine now, right? There’s no harm in looking around.

I looked under the couches, then the bed, then the table with the chairs. I opened the wardrobe and found a few sleeping gowns of various sizes, nothing else. I guess I’ll have to shop for clothes later. I peeked into the fireplace, but there weren’t any logs in it. It was only after I checked behind some drawn curtains that I made a great discovery.

Behind the drapes was a large window, one that overlooked a picturesque garden below. I managed to pull it open a bit and soon felt a light breeze flowing into the room. I looked up at the sky through the open window and found it strange that I wasn’t feeling sick right now. I guess as long as I didn’t go outside I would be fine.

I leaned against the windowsill, eyes still staring up at the sky. I saw nothing but blue up there, blue as far as the eye could see. I continued gazing into the blue nothingness. Then, before my mind could begin to wander, I noticed something.

Slowly, I began to see patterns in the sky. It was nothing that was visible to the eye, but the patterns stuck in my mind, like an afterimage. I kept on observing them, wondering what they were. The random shapes reminded me of the movement of water, the tides on a beach. That’s right, they looked like waves, except in the sky. I concentrated on the sight, trying to figure out what they were. I could almost feel their movement. Their direction. Their speed. It was almost as if I could-

The sudden knocking at the door startled me. I looked back up at the sky, and the patterns were gone. Weird.

I opened the door and Griselda entered with a large covered tray in her hands. She had me sit at the table before placing the tray in front of me. With a flourish, she lifted the lid, and soon the aroma of cooked meat hit my nostrils. My mouth watered at the smell and my eyes widened at the sight. There was a whole roasted chicken on my plate! Thankfully it was on the smaller side. A baked potato covered in butter, as well as a pile of steaming rice, filled up the side.

Griselda handed me a knife and a fork along with a cloth napkin. She also pulled out a mug and a small bottle of wine from one of the large pockets in her apron. After filling up the mug, she placed both it and the half-empty bottle next to my meal. The maid then gave me a quick bow before heading out the door.

I carefully picked up the knife and fork, holding them awkwardly in my hands. How did you use these things again? Eh, I’ll figure it out.

I stabbed the chicken with my fork, then sliced away at the body with my knife. After a few minutes of trial and error, I managed to detach a piece of meat from the main mass. I looked at the steaming morsel on my fork and grinned. It looked so good! After taking a deep breath to prepare myself, I stuck it in my mouth.

I sat there for what might have been a full twenty minutes just crying. Is this what I had missed all my life? How could something so simple be so wonderful?

All throughout the meal I had tears streaking down my face. I savored every new sensation that occurred when the food touched my tongue. I reveled in the juiciness of the chicken, the fluffiness of the rice, and the sweet taste of the wine. I quickly began to think of other foods to try out next time. Maybe some steak, or scrambled eggs. An apple. Or maybe a grape. Pork ribs, vanilla ice cream, mashed potatoes with gravy. So many things to try.

Thankfully, I had a lifetime to do it. I’ll make every second count.