Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters other than Elisa. The credit goes to the rightful owners.

CHAPTER 1

When you arrive at the hospital, they ask you to grade your pain out of ten. Elisa Olander would have rate it with a sparkling twenty if she could speak. She tried to scream, to cry but her mouth did not oblige. Imagine the worst pain you've ever experienced. Now multiply it with ten. That wasn't even close to what she felt at that moment. Her blood boiled in her veins, there was a throbbing pain in her head and it felt like every bone in her body had been crushed.

She wished for the sweet release of death, for the pain to end. No more, her mind pleaded. Please, I can't take it anymore. Please. She waited and waited. Hours turned into days and days turned into weeks but no one came to save the poor woman.

After what it felt like years, the pain started to subside and when she finally found the strength, she opened her eyes only to see a room full of people milling around.

Before she could stop herself, three words slipped through her lips, "Did it work?" All eyes turned to her. She sat up in her bed which was more comfortable than anything she had ever touched or layed on.

"Well." She insisted. "Did it work?" Only then she realized, she didn't recognize anybody and started to panic. "Where am I?" Elisa pushed herself and jumped out of the bed which sent shooting pains all over her body.

"Please. M'lady. Return to your bed. You are yet to heal." One of the men said in a soothing voice.

"You can't... keep me here." She hissed, trying to regain her balance. "Wherever the hell here is. People will notice that I'm gone and they will come after you."

Her gaze darted around her surroundings. She was in a squarish room with almost nothing in it. The walls were made of stone and decorated with various tapestries. It was almost as if she was in a museum. Men were all dressed strangely as well. They were wearing medieval clothes which didn't make sense at all. Where was she? Who were these people?

One of the men took a step forward. "You are not well." He said like it wasn't the most obvious thing in the world. "We are physicians and we are very good at what we do. You have no reason to worry."

He then turned to the others. "Inform the king about the condition of our guest." The rest nodded and left the room, leaving Elisa alone with a complete stranger. Once everyone was gone, the man turned his attention back to the woman

Elisa raised an eyebrow and stared at the 'physician'. "Don't bullshit me." The man's eyes widened at her choice of word. "This isn't a hospital. And what king? Is this a cult? Are you after my works? If you are, you might as well kill me now, 'cause I'll never talk."

The man stared at her like she was crazy. "You are confused which is understandable." He looked lost for words. "No one is after you, I promise. You are in Minas Tirith, my lady. The city of kings. Our patrols found you a few days ago and brought you here."

"I was at the lab five minutes ago." Or was it five years ago? Elisa shivered remembering the pain. What had happened? "Yes. Me and my co-workers were working on... Oh god."

Elisa froze. The world stopped spinning and collapsed around her. This isn't happening, she kept telling herself. This isn't happening!

While the young woman was busy having a break down, the said king had come and realised the physician of his duties for the day.

"M'lady?" Elisa snapped out of her trance and looked at the newly arrived man. He had brown hair that reached his shoulders and was wearing visibly better clothes than the others. Elisa could tell he was a man of importance.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn, the High King of the Reunited Kingdom." He bowed slightly and Elisa kept staring, trying to process everything that had happened.

"And I am... royally screwed."

...

Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. The upcoming ones will be longer I swear. This was meant to be like a prologue but in a chapter format. I don't even know if that made sense. Anyway, I know I'm not the best at this writing thing but hey, I gave a shot. Let me know what you think. Constructive criticism is always welcomed.