Surgeon

I stared at the trio: the supremely unpleasant Lord Farsight, the mysterious white-clad woman, and most intimidating of all, the Grand Hunter of the Witch Hunters. Hoarsely I said to the latter “did you come to kill me?”

Without hesitation he replied in his gravelly monotone. “I will kill you. But this is not the time nor the setting. One does not perform surgery in the pigsty. I will wait to set the operating table before cutting out the cancer.”

If this were a show or a book, I’d be laughing at how cartoonishly evil they seemed; you just couldn’t take it seriously in a story. But in person, evil wasn’t funny. Not funny at all.

I curled my hands into fists to stop them from trembling as I desperately searched for a comeback. But what did you say when someone stated his intention to murder you so calmly to your face? Everyone else was taking it calmly enough, but I just couldn’t. More strongly than ever, I understood that this world wasn’t my home.

Arnya spoke firmly. “Lord Farsight, I must protest. The king has made his distaste of the Witch Hunters well known. To bring the leader of the local chapter here is an insult to the throne.”

“The king is behind the times, my dear,” Farsight said with a delighted tone. “The Council of Lords agrees that sorcery and alchemy hold us back and threaten our peaceful existence. Thus, opposing such a benevolent force as the Witch Hunters and appointing an official court alchemist were a pair of bold moves indeed.” He took another sip of wine. “And one shouldn’t be surprised when a tired old dog dies…suddenly.”

“My lord, that is…I…”

Whatever Arnya was going to say was cut off by the sudden appearance of Gwyn and Carina. “Ah, father,” he said to Farsight, nodding to me and Arnya. “There you are. I’m so glad we connected! How have you enjoyed the party?”

Lord Farsight turned to him with a scowl. “Well, if it isn’t my feckless son and his lowborn hussy,” he said, venom dripping from every word. “I hear you’ve returned from your mission abroad. Will you finally see the error of your ways and return to my household?”

Gwyn bowed, seemingly unperturbed by the insults. “Unfortunately, father, the king has just issued me new orders. My oaths and duties as a knight must take precedence.”

“And what, pray tell, are these new orders?”

“Starting tomorrow, I am to be stationed here at the castle as a bodyguard for the princess. However! Since we are both here and I am free of my duties tonight, why not spend the rest of the evening together? As a family should.”

Farsight scowled. “I could think of nothing less pleasant.” He turned to the Grand Hunter and the woman. “I’ve had enough of this party. Let’s go.” He tossed his half-full wineglass at a passing waiter and spun on his heal to stride away.

The Grand Hunter made eye contact, or at least he would have if it weren’t for his mask. “I look forward to the operating table, alchemist.” He turned to follow Farsight.

The white-clad woman was last to leave. She gave me and Arnya one last searching look from beneath her white cloth mask before leaving as well.

When the three had gone, Arnya suddenly sagged. She leaned into me as if to fall over. I caught her. “Are you all right?” I asked.

“That was taxing.” To my surprise, there were tears in her eyes. “I hate speaking to that man.”

“Lord Farsight?”

She nodded. “It was his fault that my father had to leave the kingdom. Farsight lured my him into a Witch Hunter trap where he was forced to swear sorcerously binding oaths to leave the kingdom. I can’t prove it, but his smug grin…”

Carina gave her a big hug from behind. “Hey. Just imagine having that man as a father-in-law.” She grimaced.

Arnya let out a little chuckle. “Yes, that would indeed be bad.” She wiped away the last of her tears and looked at Gwyn. “Are you really to be my new bodyguard?”

He winked. “I’m sure your father won’t deny such a request coming from you. Call it asking an old friend for a favor to save him from daily battle in the den of a lord-shaped monster.”

She chuckled. “Of course. It would be wonderful to have you around. And with things growing more dangerous, perhaps a bodyguard is actually in order.” Now wearing a happier expression, she said “Rei, now that that’s over, do you wish to—”

I was back inside the lab in my world. The machine was running but seemed to be having no effects. “No, no, no!” my mouth cursed, my fist banging the machine without directive. “All the calculations should be in place! Why will it not work?”

I heard my name called by a woman’s voice. I looked up to see my mother and father in the door of the lab, looking at me with concern. “Rei, please, listen. You’ve been obsessed with that thing for weeks now. Come home. You’re not well.”

I didn’t realize how much I missed my parents until I saw them again. I wanted to run into their arms. But my body still was not under my control.

Instead, my lips spoke against my will. “Mother, as I have explained before, this research is of the upmost import. I have little time for family frivolities.” My head turned back to the calculations on screen.

My mother stepped close to me. “Rei, please. Turn off that machine and just look at me!” She reached for the power button.

My voice cried “do not touch that, the calibrations are delicate—”

“Rei?”

My ears were assaulted again with the sound of music and talk from the ball. Right, I was in the kingdom. I sat up slowly to realize I had been lying on a few chairs pulled together. Arnya, Gwyn, and Carina were clustered around, anxious looks on their faces.

“You collapsed,” Carina said.

“I’m fine. Just a…side effect of an alchemical brew I’ve experimented with.” This was the second vision of this type so far, and if my suspicious were correct, my excuse wasn’t even untrue. “I’m fine now,” I insisted.

I stood. As the band began a new song—a slow piece like a ballad but with a slightly jarring rhythm—I remembered I needed to do one more thing this evening. I half-bowed to Arnya and extended my hand. “Princess Arnya, I do believe I owe you a dance.” A moment later I added “Um, but if you’re too mentally tired, it’s totally fine if we skip—”

She grabbed my hand, eyes suddenly shining. “Right now, nothing would give me more pleasure.”

“Ah. Well, um, let’s go!” I led her onto the dance floor. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Gwyn and Carina following arm in arm with massive smiles. Gwyn winked at me.

On the dance floor, I copied the position of the other men around, placing my right arm behind Arnya’s back and putting the left on her shoulder. She gently gripped my waist with both hands, putting our faces only a few inches apart.

At that moment, music playing and couples swirling, I realized one little problem. “Um, I, uh…I don’t know how to dance. Sorry.” I had never learned a dance in my world, let alone here!

Arnya smiled. “To tell the truth, I have never learned either. A few too many days spent on the training ground. Shall we try anyway?”

And so we danced into the night, laughing, talking, stepping on each other’s toes and the toes of those around us. I lost track of time in the whirling movements of this world’s dance, and when the night finally came to an end and I fell exhausted into bed, as sleep overcame me, I imagined I was there dancing with her still.