I Own Nothing!

Characters Belong To Stephenie Meyer. No Copyright Infringement Intended

Chapter One- Unexpected

The pain in my head was terrible and my body felt like it was made of lead. I couldn't move my body and when I tried I winced with the amount of pain resonating through my skull. My eyelids fluttered as I came back to the world and again winced as the dim sunlight came into contact with my eyes. I could vaguely hear someone muttering something and moving around as my body came back and my senses recovered themselves. I could feel bed linen on my skin and a nightgown that seemed to go all the way down my plump body. I could hear a number of voices asking for wet cloths and I could see shapes swimming in and out of my vision. Blinking a few times I could see the world around me and gasped. A lady in a 16th century dress was leaning over me dabbing my forehead gently with a cloth soothing the headache that was suddenly making an appearance. The hangings from the bed I was in were a dark red and gold trimming running through it allowing little light to penetrate it. My gaze landed upon myself as I looked down at my body: it was covered in a thick cover that was also red but I could feel how soft the linen was and the shift I was wearing. I was not wearing that the last time I was awake. I let my eyes go back to the woman as her voice was coming through clearer and clearer.

"How are you feeling?" she asked softly.

I tried to answer but all I could do was moan in pain as the cloth came into contact with my sensitive head.

"I'm sorry, that must have been where you hit your head when you fell. You took a nasty tumble down those stairs it seems" she continued.

I finally found my voice as I said: "What happened?"

The lady looked at me curiously and answered in a suspicious voice.

"Well we were hoping you could tell us that"

"I don't even know where I am. Please tell me where I am"

I was frightened as the rest of my surroundings came into focus: her dress wasn't the only 16th century thing in the room. Everything was. I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as I realised that I was somewhere completely different with no one to help me. I shouldn't have wished upon that star my mind whispered to me. I was in a strange place and time and slowly pain came upon me in waves. I fell…I fell…

I woke with a gasp of shock and pain. My head felt better but the rest of my body ached and protested at the sudden movement of sitting up. I inhaled a sharp gust of air and slowing leant back into the pillows. My surroundings had not changed yet darkness surrounded them. The fear consuming me became more apparent as I struggled to come to terms with where and when I was. The lady had said I fell but that was all the information she had. Again I looked down at myself and was shocked to see someone sleeping with their head on my bed. I looked closer and noticed that it wasn't a lady this time but a man. I shook my head but that only caused a dull ache that resonated within my skull. My cry of pain must have awoken him as he sleepy looked at me and stared. I felt a blush come to my cheeks and I looked away from his startling green eyes that were illuminate by the fire and the moonlight.

"You're awake at last" he said.

"It seems so but I do not know where I am!"

I winced when I tried to move: my ribs were already aching with my breathing and moving to sit up straighter caused a sharp pain to stab through me. The man noticed and carefully put his hand on my shoulder to gently push me back upon the pillows.

"Thankyou sir" I stammered in reply: if it really was the 16th century then I needed to act like I belonged there.

"My name is Edward not sir. I detest that word" scorn shone through his answer and I looked away from him to stare at the tapestry on the wall. It depicted a wedding ceremony laced with bright colours and a sense of holinesss seemed to consume it. My thoughts on it were interrupted by his voice.

"Are you well? I did not mean to sound so harsh but everyone calls me sir or your highness. It does get boring"

"Your Highness?"I asked startled.

"Yes, I am the King! How did you not know that?" he asked with amusement in his voice.

I blushed again at my foolishness but brought my eyes to his face and could not suppress the gasp of horror and surprise at the face staring back.

Green eyes…bronze hair…a pale complexion…a strong, chiselled jaw line…a nose that looked somewhat crooked…and lips that were a light shade of red. King Edward VIII stared back at me as his face turned a dark red.

"You stare! Why? First you do not know your king and now you stare at me!"

I jumped where I lay and the cry of pain that escaped my mouth could not be repressed. My hand went directly across my ribs trying to hold them together as I struggled to breathe normally.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to scare you" Edward soothed as he placed his hand gingerly upon mine.

"You are a King, I am new here, I do not understand a lot of things at the moment, you can do as you please" I answered in a weak voice. My eyes closed as I exhaled.

"That does not excuse my behaviour. I will explain a few things for you. You were found at the bottom of a stair case near to my chambers and found by me. You seemed to only be clad in a cotton night gown. I brought you to my chambers immediately and called upon the doctors. One of the ladies in waiting attended to you when you first woke up. You have been asleep for two days and I have been at your bed all night when you began to stir. I could tell you were in pain so my physician Carlisle put bandages around your ribs. You will recover soon but I was hoping you could tell me how you came to be at the end of one of my stair cases."

I was shocked…the king of England found me in my nightgown at the bottom of the stairs and I don't know how I got to be there. My mind was going around in circles and the tears came to my eyes as I realised I was all alone.

"I do not know…I have no recollection…I am sorry I have been such an inconvenience but I truly cannot recall how I got here"

The tears were streaming down my cheeks as I once again turned my head to the tapestry. I was stuck in 16th England, broken and talking to a King. How?

"Do not cry, you will be given a position here at court and you will stay in my chamber until you have recovered." Edward said this gently with his hand still upon mine.

"No, I cannot sleep in your chambers a moment longer it is not fair for a king to not have a bed while…" I was cut off by his hand covering my mouth.

"You will stay here. You cannot be moved, your ribs are damaged" he said this with finality and I couldn't argue. All I could do was nod as my tears fell onto his hand.

"I have no wife or mistress so you will not be disturbed and I normally fall asleep in my chair by the fire reading. It is fine"

He gently wiped away the tears with the back of his hand and made to stand but not before he lightly pulled the cover down so it now was just covering my stomach.

"Could you pull your nightgown up just above your ribs?" he asked in a timid voice

I replied with actions and did as he said. I was embarrassed: I wasn't thin at all and part of stomach was uncovered. One of my hands went over it as the king inspected the bandage and slowly pulled my nightgown back down with me covering myself up when the cover of the bed was in the way. His hands upon my bandaged skin left me with tingles but I did not see his face as I had turned my head to the tapestry again embarrassed at my body.

"Its still tight. That's good" he whispered as I turned back. My head was aching again and as the right side of my head came in contact with the pillow I winced. The king noticed and smiled weakly.

"The pain will be gone soon and when it is I will make sure you have gowns to wear, a post at court and a chamber"

"Thank you" I answered, exhaustion seeping through my words.

"Sleep…" he did not know my name and looked at me expectantly.

"Elizabeth"

"Sleep Elizabeth"

His gentle words soothed me to sleep but before I lost all unconsciousness his hand squeezed mine in a gentle caress.