Chapter Fourteen
"Is my lady certain that she does not wish a heavier cloak? It is a bit cool this afternoon. The sky looks like rain."
Gripping her many layers of skirts in both hands, Jade drew to a sudden and complete stop halfway down the staircase. She even managed to not smirk when Sarena faltered and nearly stumbled forward before quickly stepping back to be on the same step with the Lady Jadina of House Ruele. The first twelve hours of having a maidservant had been absolutely wonderful and Jade had basked in the attention she received from the other girl; nearly twenty-four hours later, she was very tired of the fawning and hovering and would have given her right arm to have the girl out of her hair for a even a few hours. Particularly when Sarena's presence greatly reduced her opportunities to talk with Adam and Megabyte; while her two friends had been locked in Lord Bial's study, Sarena had insisted that her lady receive a bath, a hair washing, and a pampering that could only have been completed at a spa. That hadn't been so bad, but over dinner Jade had been positively dying to speak to Adam, but surrounded as they had been by everyone else, it had not happened.
Breakfast had been no different, and immediately following the morning meal she had been swept off by Lady Margot to discuss the preparations for the prince's bride. Not that Jade had been allowed to contribute much to the conversation or decision making; mostly she had the privilege of nodding, smiling and agreeing with every word and decision that Lady Margot made.
Supper again left them surrounded by servants and listening ears that they could not expose themselves to. Jade was left looking glumly forward to another few hours of following around and mimicking every word that Lady Margot said until Adam saved her. It was Adam who had suggested an afternoon ride with "one of my more prettier cousins," and of course, not even the Lady Margot would argue with the High Prince of Stiborn.
Well, she didn't argue very strenuously.
Now, the only problem was getting Sarena out of her hair long enough for her to have some privacy with her friends.
"No, Sarena, I do not want a heavier cloak. I do not want a hooded cloak. I don't want thicker gloves, I don't want to change into heavier stockings, and I am absolutely positive that this *is* the riding dress that I want to wear."
Sarena blinked, and Jade winced inwardly. Clearly, *her* Lady Jadina did not speak so openly; obviously not, or Jade would not have spent most of the morning serving as Lady Margot's parrot. Sarena recovered quickly however, and nodded, her hands coming up to straighten Jade's cloak, "I'm sorry, Jade. It's just that having you away for so long - we haven't been separated that long since we were small girls. Not even your wedding trip lasted as long. I don't know what to do with myself if I'm not taking care of you."
Jade sighed, immediately regretting her harsh tone. As odd as it was, sometimes it was hard to remember that this was not her world, and this was only a role she was playing until she could find her way home again. She tried to put herself in Sarena's shoes, and wondered what she would do if their situations were reversed - if she had been raised to be a lady-in-waiting; and realized she would quite probably be driving the lady of the manor insane as well - only true noble bred ladies wouldn't find the attention overwhelming at all.
"I'm sorry, Sarena," Jade paused, only a heartbeat, and covered it by stepping forward. She didn't know if she *should* apologize, if that was ever done, and she didn't dare look at Sarena's face to confirm or deny. "I just hated being on a boat and I'm a little overexcited to see Prince Adam." There, neither of those were lies.
"I don't see why I couldn't come along," Sarena accepted the words without question, linking her arm gently around Jade's as the two descended the steps together. "Eris knows that you couldn't have had much fun with your husband - pardon me for speaking ill of him, Jade - for company."
The words raised Jade's curiosity, as much this time as they had the first. One thing that she had observed these past two weeks was that everyone seemed to give Lady Jadina some small measure of pity for being married to Lord Marmion. Even his parents went out of their way to shower her with kindness and attention, as though they didn't expect her to receive it from any other corner. Not that Jade would have expected any sort of affection from Megabyte; it did strike her as peculiar that obviously the relationship that Lady Jadina shared with Lord Marmion was no better than that Jade shared with her fellow Tomorrow Person. And judging from the comments, at least Jade was lucky enough to have Megabyte's friendship; Jadina had not even that.
Thinking about it, Jade felt a pang of sorrow for the girl whose life she had taken over. An incurable romantic, it was hard for Jade to imagine being thrown into a marriage that was not based on anything other than land and titles. A loveless marriage that was certainly a horrible thing to have to deal with, and Jade actually found herself truly grateful for Megabyte's friendship. Even if he did still see her as annoying kid, at least he had not brushed her off these past two weeks; he had actually made her safe and reminded her that she was not alone.
"It wasn't so bad," Jade spoke aloud without meaning to, and catching the startled wide-eyed look Sarena threw in her direction, she hurried on. "I mean, I think he's coming around to things, accepting them. I think we might even be friends someday."
Another not quite a lie and how quickly Jade was able to spit them out.
Sarena's very unladylike snort betrayed her feelings on that matter. "I love you like a sister, Jade, and you have always been good to me. That is why I will tell you this - do not hold your breath, or you will be holding it until the moon falls from the sky. Lord Marmion is a heartless, spoiled brat who doesn't come close to deserving you for a wife."
"Maybe not," Jade sighed, patting the hand at her elbow, "But I still have to try."
"I know," Sarena squeezed Jade's arm, "You are too sweet and wonderful to do any less."
The words warmed Jade, although as her hand brushed against Sarena's she had felt -- something -- a twisting, bitterness beyond the words. But it was gone as quickly as Jade sensed it and she could only attribute it to Sarena's clear and obvious dislike of Lord Marmion Ruele.
They continued on in silence, sweeping into the stables where Adam and Megabyte already waited for her arrival. Three horses had been brought forwarded and were saddled, and not a groomsman or stable hand was in sight. Half-hidden from sight, Adam fussed with the saddle on a sable colored horse, while Megabyte fussed with his riding gloves. Both of them seemed oblivious to her arrival, so Jade cleared her throat loudly.
"Hello."
It was enough. Adam smiled at her from beneath the horse, "Hello, Jadina. Will your lady being joining us?" Although the words were friendly, Jade caught the subtle undertones in Adam's voice and both on his face.
She quickly shook her head, but was spared answering by Sarena, who dipped quickly into a low curtsy, "No, Your Highness. I was just walking a bit with my lady. I trust that she is in good hands."
"I give you my full reassurance that she can not be in any better hands," Adam responded with a charming smile, his attention fully riveted on Sarena.
Jade had known girls like Sarena, girls who could turn boys into drooling, slobbering, inanely babbling morons with just a smile and the batting of eyelashes. Usually, she found a reason to dislike those girls; usually they were either so simple-minded or stuck on themselves that they were easy to dislike. Sarena however, was neither simple-minded nor egotistical, and Jade could only stare at the other girl with envy as she watched even Adam fall prey to Sarena's charms.
Most of which were apparently oozing out of her bodice.
Meow, Jade chided herself. She squared her shoulders, "You weren't waiting long were you?"
"Does it matter?" Megabyte asked sourly. Oddly enough, Jade noticed he was doing everything in his power to *not* look at Sarena.
Megabyte's response was enough to pull Adam's attention from Sarena and fix the other Tomorrow Person with a glare. Yet, somehow his words still remained warm and affectionate, directed at Jade. "No, you're right on time."
"I'll be going," Sarena's smile could have lit the entire stable, and probably very well did as she gave a respective curtsy again to Adam - this one not as deep this time, thank goodness - and turned to place an affectionate kiss on Jade's cheek. "Do be careful, and if rains, do you very best to keep try. We can't have you taking ill when His Highness' fiancée will be here any day now, can we?"
"Stop fretting," Jade ordered, but smiled anyway. It was hard to not smile.
Adam presented Jade with the reins of a chestnut mare when Sarena was out of earshot. "This one is yours, Lady Jadina. Her name is Quesella."
Jade smile at the creature, slowly stroking the thick mane. "She's beautiful. How did you find out which one was mine?"
"You just have to know what questions to ask and who to ask them of," Adam shrugged. "Trust me, it's becoming a lot easier to find out anything I've ever wanted to know about Stiborn without looking like I've lost my mind."
"Yeah, maybe that's because they already know that you've lost your mind," Megabyte sniggered.
"Whatever, Megabyte," Adam rolled his eyes in the direction of the redhead.
"So, Jade can you even ride a horse?" Megabyte asked.
Jade flinched at the sarcastic tone of his voice. Folding her arms across her chest, she glared at him, "Can you?"
He paled, and the look on his face was answer enough for her. She smiled smugly. "I used to take riding lessons when I was little. I think that I will manage well enough."
"And you think I won't?"
[Do you think the two of you can try not arguing until we're away from the Keep?] Adam's chastisement rang out in her head, [You two don't sound anything like a lord and lady. You sound like two kids.]
[News flash, Adam. We're not a lord and lady.]
[Until we get out of here, you better learn to be.] The words left no room for argument.
The saddling up and ride from the stables was undertaken mostly in silence. Jade could tell that Megabyte was sulking - he clearly didn't like the way Adam had dressed him down with a few words - and he also clearly was about as uncomfortable on a horse as he would have been with wings attached to his back. Jade would have laughed at his shifting in the saddle and the way he clung to the saddle horn, if she had not been so busy getting her bearing back. Only Adam seemed relatively at ease, but Jade recalled that Adam had the pleasure of being land locked for the past two weeks.
"So, what do you think is going on, Adam?" Jade finally gained enough control to edge her horse up besides Adam's, the Keep far enough away from them for them to speak openly.
Adam laughed. Not a laugh of humor, but a sad, soft laugh of confusion. He shook his head, "I've been trying to figure that out since I got here, Jade. And unfortunately, I'm no closer to an answer now than I was then."
"Maybe it's magic," Megabyte volunteered thoughtfully.
Adam glanced back at the Tomorrow Person who lagged behind them. "Oh, yesterday you were treating me like I was a nutter and today you believe me?"
"Not one hundred percent, but," Megabyte shrugged, "If there is a such thing as magic, then maybe that's what brought us here."
Jade looked from one to the other, truly lamenting that she had not been privy to the conversation and reunion in Lord Bial's study. "What's this about magic?"
"Adam thinks that Merlin is here."
Adam ignored the comment and addressed Jade directly. "This world has magic, Jade. Real magic. And all of Megabyte's smart-ass comments aside, he might have a point. I know that thing I saw on the beach couldn't have been natural."
"But why us? And why here?" Jade asked.
"And where's Ami?"
Megabyte's question bathed Jade in an ocean of guilt and shame. She hadn't even thought about their missing friend since their first few days here; and, she had been so ecstatically happy to see Adam that she still had not really focused on Ami's absence. Here she was so worried about herself, and so wound up in her own world that she had forgotten all about Ami. What if Ami was here and she was totally and completely alone with none of them around? And she didn't have the pleasure of being royalty like Adam or at least "married" like Jade and Megabyte. What if she was a servant that wasn't appreciated, or she was a trapped in a horrible marriage to a man with seven wives --
"Jade," Adam's hand on her arm pulled her from her spiraling thoughts, a soft comforting smile on his lips, "It's all right. I'm sure that wherever Ami is, she's fine. She can handle herself pretty well. There's a good chance that she's not even here at all."
Jade paled. Had she been speaking aloud? It was a wonder that Megabyte wasn't teasing her mercilessly.
"No," Adam responded to her unspoken thoughts, "But you were broadcasting pretty loudly there."
"And can you really imagine Ami trapped in a horrible marriage or something? She'd probably have her husband running scared within twenty-four hours," Megabyte laughed.
"But she could be here, I mean, we don't know that she's not here --"
"I think, that for now, we need to operate on the premise that she isn't here," Adam cut her off before she could lose herself in a panic and guilt again. "Personally, it makes me feel a lot better to think that she's back on earth, trying to find a way to get us back."
"Yeah, because if she is here, and we can't sense her, then who knows what could be happening to her?" Megabyte added as he finally managed to exert some control over his horse and maneuver it on the other side of Jade's.
Adam glared at him across Jade's horse. "Thank you, Megabyte. Let's try not to be overwhelming with the comforting."
Despite his tone, Jade sensed the discomfort and worry that had already begun to gnaw at Adam. He always took so much on his shoulders, trying to be the strong one, and this time was no different. He was far more worried about Ami - or rather Ami's absence - than he wanted to let on to either of them.
Jade reached out and patted his hand, hoping to convey her own comfort. "She's okay."
Adam gave her a smile that didn't quite touch his eyes, "I know she is. Besides, wherever she is, at least she isn't married to Megabyte, right?"
"Oh, you're real funny, Adam. Like being married to Jade is a picnic?"
Jade stuck her tongue out at him.
The teasing banter lightened the mood - if only a small bit.
"I think the most important thing right now, is that we act as normal as possible," Adam said after a while. "We have to be who everyone thinks we are. And in the meantime, we need to find out anything we can about that portal that we saw. I can research at the Palace, there maybe something in a book somewhere, some kind of spell or something."
"And what should we do?" Megabyte asked.
"Ask around. Listen," Adam looked over at the two of them. "Servants talk and gossip, and sometimes they know a lot more than you think they do. They might be full of rumor and superstition, but even superstition comes from somewhere.
"The worse that can happen is that we're still stuck here in a month and a half and I end up married."
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