Chapter 2: Good Morning, Sunshine
'"Princess" said the voice of her dearest friend.
She didn't answer, but looked up and smiled.
"Your father would like to see you."
The smile faded and she nodded her head resignedly, allowing the man to help her to her feet from the cold stone bench.
Suddenly, the earth beneath them trembled, and her friend caught her and held her steady.
"Princess, you must go! I-"
'-must protect my father. Hurry.'
With one glance back, the man headed towards the castle, unsheathing his sword, while the princess fled in the opposite direction, taking to the sky and leaving behind her home... '
When she woke up, it took her a few moments to realize she was in a strange place. The first thing she noticed before opening her eyes was a rythmic, high-pitched beep... beep and a low, mechanical buzz. She also noticed that she was... pleasantly warm, tucked in under a thick, soft blanket. When she cracked her eyes open, she was greeted with a blinding light that left her dazed and wincing in pain. As her eyes adjusted to the light from the lamp overhead, she sat up slowly and discovered that she was laying in a large, dark room. There were flickering lights and glowing screens, tables strewn with bottles, flasks, and papers, and bubbling liquids hooked up to monitors from wall to wall.
Suddenly, she was wide awake with the realization that she was no longer floating aimlessly in space. Throwing her legs over the side of the bed, she stood, scraping off several needles and tubes that were sticking out of her, and then fell down onto the hard, metallic floor. It hurt. Disoriented, she stood again, adjusting to this new experience. Why could she not take to the air...-? The castle!! She had to get back and find her friend!! Stumbling, her eyes wide in terror, she moved quickly to the door and pulled it open, lurching out of it and leaving the previously beeping machine to ring out in a loud, shrill bell. Using her hands, she was able to climb a flight of stairs into an upper level, where she found another heavy door and stumbled weakly against the switch that opened it. Unaware of her surroundings, she moved forward, bumping into objects and walls, until finally she collapsed upon the floor unable to go on. The world around her began to waver in and out from black spirals. The ringing was in her ears...
"Madeline!"
And then, she was being lifted by strong hands. Moments later, she was placed on a soft, comfortable surface, and her head was lifted to accomodate a fluffy pillow.
"Maddie? Can you hear me?"
She raised her eyes, searching for the voice, and found a moving blur in her vision.
'Maddie...? Who is Maddie...?' she thought dazedly, allowing her eyes to close slowly.
"Madeline!"
She was being shaken gently, and she opened her heavy eyes again.
'I am not Madeline...' she thought. 'My name is Aibfinnia...'
Slowly, her vision began to clear, and she found herself looking into a pair of worried, turqoise eyes.
"Oh, thank heaven...:" the man said, letting his head drop in relief. "I thought..."
She blinked. Who was this man kneeling before her? He looked familiar, and yet she did not know him.
He had silky, silver hair, which had partly come out of a tight ponytail and fallen over his face, pale skin, and a slender frame. Beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, she noticed, as he raised his head to look at her again, worry still written in his eyes.
"You need to rest in your bed-" he reached out and touched her shoulder-
She shook her head weakly and shrunk away from him. She didn't want to go back to the needles and tubes. She wanted to go home. She needed to find the knight and make sure that everything was alright.
The man sighed. "Your family is no doubt trying to find you. I haven't been able to get in touch with Daniel or Jack..."
She opened her mouth to ask him what on earth he meant, but no words came out. He could not hear her Voice.
"You cannot speak, I'm afraid to say," he said regretfully. "Whatever happened to you seems to have left you... mute. I am... so sorry, Maddie. There was nothing I could do." He hung his head again.
He cared for her very much, she could see- no, not her- Madeline. He thought she was Madeline.
She reached out for him weakly, laying her pale, trembling hand on his head.
'Thank you...' she wanted to say, but knew that she could not.