A/n: Hi everybody! I hope you like this chapter; it explains a few
things, but most of the stuff will be explained in the next one. To answer
one of my reviews, I never said Neal and Joren hated each other. Joren was
confused because Neal was acting nicer than he usually does. They're still
not exactly best friends or anything, but there'll be more on that later.
I hope that clears it up for now, though.
Joren was speechless. This couldn't be happening to him. He didn't understand any of this. His head stared feeling dizzy.
"Joren are you okay?" Asked Neal.
Joren mutely shook his head.
"Come on, we better go see Father." Neal led him through the deserted streets. He had to push him along because Joren could barely walk. They walked through the marketplace and finally stopped at a small inn. Joren thought he recognized it, but he was so dizzy he didn't give it much thought. Neal knocked on the door, and a pretty blonde barmaid opened it.
She smiled widely when she saw them. "What are you two good-lookin' fellas doin' here tonight?" She gave Joren a flirty wink. Then Neal said something to her in a low voice. They pretty barmaid nodded and let them through. It was dark and hazy in the room. It wasn't too crowded, only a few people were in there.
They walked down a long corridor and stopped in front of a door. They entered into a fairly large room with about six beds. Neal's father, Duke Baird of Queenscove, was standing over one of them. Joren gratefully sat down on another bed while Neal explained things to Duke Baird. Instead of magically healing him, like Joren expected, Duke Baird gave him some kind of mixture to drink. It was bitter and disgusting. It also made Joren tired. He quickly fell asleep.
When he woke up Neal was gone. Duke Baird was still there, though. "Feeling better Joren?" He asked noticing Joren was awake. "The medicine doesn't work as well as medicine of course, but it should make you feel better."
Joren couldn't stand it anymore. He looked at Duke Baird. "What's going on?" His voice came out louder than he expected, and Duke Baird seemed taken aback. He blinked.
"What do you mean, Joren?"
Joren was getting impatient. "Everything is different!" He said, this time yelling.
Duke Baird put a hand on his shoulder, calming him down. "Explain to me what you mean."
Joren told him about Talia and his wish. "She did this, I have to find her so she can change everything back!"
Now Duke Baird looked really worried. "Neal told me you took a fall earlier, did you hit your head?"
Joren looked at him in disbelief. Duke Baird was acting like he thought he was nuts! Not that Joren could blame him, he probably didn't sound to normal right now. He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. "I didn't hit my head; I'm telling the truth!" He insisted.
Duke Baird stared at him for a moment. "I'll be right back," he promised. Then he left the room. He came back a few minutes later with two other men. One, Joren recognized as the Lioness's husband, Baron George of Pirate's Swoop. The other was Sir Myles of Olau.
"Now Joren, explain to George and Myles everything you just told me." Instructed Duke Baird gently.
Joren took a deep breath and explained his story again. When he was done, he saw the three men exchanging glances. "I'm not crazy." Joren insisted, not liking those looks.
George sighed. "If we had magic, we could tell if he's lying or not."
"I don't think he's insane, and I don't see any head injuries," added Duke Baird. "Maybe the hurrocks did something to him."
Enough with the hurrocks! Joren had a sick feeling in his stomach as he remembered Neal asking him why he wasn't dead.
"Wait a minute," Myles's voice broke out. He turned to Joren. "That orb you were talking about---what was it called?"
Joren thought for a minute. Then he shook his head. "I can't remember," he answered regretfully.
Myles's face looked excited. "Just a minute," he said and quickly left the room.
When he was gone, George and Duke Baird talked to each other in low voices. Joren tried, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. About ten minutes later Myles came back. He was carrying a heavy book. He lowered it on the bed and flipped through the pages. The others watched in puzzled silence.
"Aha!" Myles cried. "I found it!" He turned the page so Joren could see it. On the page was a young woman with silver hair and eyes.
"That's her!" Joren said, placing his finger on the picture.
The caption on the page read 'The Orb of Desiderium.'
"Desiderium means 'wish,'" said Myles, reading from the book. "This orb is an ancient tool that grants wishes by creating other dimensions." "This Talia is its official guardian." "Unfortunately it doesn't mention how to take back your wish." "Hmm…this is interesting."
"What?" Asked Joren.
"It says it's linked somehow to the Chamber of Secrets."
Myles closed the book with a snap. George and Duke Baird were both staring at him in shock.
"I guess this means the lad is telling the truth," said George finally.
They all turned to Joren. Then they made Joren explain everything again. Joren was explaining what he had wished for when George interrupted. "Wait a minute---in your wish, were you talking about Queen Alanna?"
Joren's jaw dropped. "You mean Alanna is married to King Jonathan?" "Then what happened to Thayet?" "And why didn't she marry you, George?"
His questions were met with dead silence. "What?" Demanded Joren.
"Prince Jonathan died with his parents from the Sweating Sickness when he was only a lad, and King Roger inherited the throne." Duke Baird looked questioningly at Joren. "Is it different where you came from?"
Joren nodded. "King Jonathan and Queen Thayet rule Tortall, and Duke Roger is dead." "He tried to kill the royal family, but he failed."
Myles shook his head. "If only Prince Jonathan was alive."
George nodded his head in agreement, and then stopped as he remembered something. "Hey, what do you mean Alanna's supposed to be married to me???"
A/n: So what did ya think? Click the little box and tell me! Next chapter I'm planning on introducing characters like Daine, Owen, and Raoul into the story. Of course, they're not gonna be exactly like they are in TP's books….
Thanx to all my reviewers, your comments really help!
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, except for the plot, Talia, and the Orb of Desiderium.
Joren was speechless. This couldn't be happening to him. He didn't understand any of this. His head stared feeling dizzy.
"Joren are you okay?" Asked Neal.
Joren mutely shook his head.
"Come on, we better go see Father." Neal led him through the deserted streets. He had to push him along because Joren could barely walk. They walked through the marketplace and finally stopped at a small inn. Joren thought he recognized it, but he was so dizzy he didn't give it much thought. Neal knocked on the door, and a pretty blonde barmaid opened it.
She smiled widely when she saw them. "What are you two good-lookin' fellas doin' here tonight?" She gave Joren a flirty wink. Then Neal said something to her in a low voice. They pretty barmaid nodded and let them through. It was dark and hazy in the room. It wasn't too crowded, only a few people were in there.
They walked down a long corridor and stopped in front of a door. They entered into a fairly large room with about six beds. Neal's father, Duke Baird of Queenscove, was standing over one of them. Joren gratefully sat down on another bed while Neal explained things to Duke Baird. Instead of magically healing him, like Joren expected, Duke Baird gave him some kind of mixture to drink. It was bitter and disgusting. It also made Joren tired. He quickly fell asleep.
When he woke up Neal was gone. Duke Baird was still there, though. "Feeling better Joren?" He asked noticing Joren was awake. "The medicine doesn't work as well as medicine of course, but it should make you feel better."
Joren couldn't stand it anymore. He looked at Duke Baird. "What's going on?" His voice came out louder than he expected, and Duke Baird seemed taken aback. He blinked.
"What do you mean, Joren?"
Joren was getting impatient. "Everything is different!" He said, this time yelling.
Duke Baird put a hand on his shoulder, calming him down. "Explain to me what you mean."
Joren told him about Talia and his wish. "She did this, I have to find her so she can change everything back!"
Now Duke Baird looked really worried. "Neal told me you took a fall earlier, did you hit your head?"
Joren looked at him in disbelief. Duke Baird was acting like he thought he was nuts! Not that Joren could blame him, he probably didn't sound to normal right now. He took a few deep breaths and tried to calm down. "I didn't hit my head; I'm telling the truth!" He insisted.
Duke Baird stared at him for a moment. "I'll be right back," he promised. Then he left the room. He came back a few minutes later with two other men. One, Joren recognized as the Lioness's husband, Baron George of Pirate's Swoop. The other was Sir Myles of Olau.
"Now Joren, explain to George and Myles everything you just told me." Instructed Duke Baird gently.
Joren took a deep breath and explained his story again. When he was done, he saw the three men exchanging glances. "I'm not crazy." Joren insisted, not liking those looks.
George sighed. "If we had magic, we could tell if he's lying or not."
"I don't think he's insane, and I don't see any head injuries," added Duke Baird. "Maybe the hurrocks did something to him."
Enough with the hurrocks! Joren had a sick feeling in his stomach as he remembered Neal asking him why he wasn't dead.
"Wait a minute," Myles's voice broke out. He turned to Joren. "That orb you were talking about---what was it called?"
Joren thought for a minute. Then he shook his head. "I can't remember," he answered regretfully.
Myles's face looked excited. "Just a minute," he said and quickly left the room.
When he was gone, George and Duke Baird talked to each other in low voices. Joren tried, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. About ten minutes later Myles came back. He was carrying a heavy book. He lowered it on the bed and flipped through the pages. The others watched in puzzled silence.
"Aha!" Myles cried. "I found it!" He turned the page so Joren could see it. On the page was a young woman with silver hair and eyes.
"That's her!" Joren said, placing his finger on the picture.
The caption on the page read 'The Orb of Desiderium.'
"Desiderium means 'wish,'" said Myles, reading from the book. "This orb is an ancient tool that grants wishes by creating other dimensions." "This Talia is its official guardian." "Unfortunately it doesn't mention how to take back your wish." "Hmm…this is interesting."
"What?" Asked Joren.
"It says it's linked somehow to the Chamber of Secrets."
Myles closed the book with a snap. George and Duke Baird were both staring at him in shock.
"I guess this means the lad is telling the truth," said George finally.
They all turned to Joren. Then they made Joren explain everything again. Joren was explaining what he had wished for when George interrupted. "Wait a minute---in your wish, were you talking about Queen Alanna?"
Joren's jaw dropped. "You mean Alanna is married to King Jonathan?" "Then what happened to Thayet?" "And why didn't she marry you, George?"
His questions were met with dead silence. "What?" Demanded Joren.
"Prince Jonathan died with his parents from the Sweating Sickness when he was only a lad, and King Roger inherited the throne." Duke Baird looked questioningly at Joren. "Is it different where you came from?"
Joren nodded. "King Jonathan and Queen Thayet rule Tortall, and Duke Roger is dead." "He tried to kill the royal family, but he failed."
Myles shook his head. "If only Prince Jonathan was alive."
George nodded his head in agreement, and then stopped as he remembered something. "Hey, what do you mean Alanna's supposed to be married to me???"
A/n: So what did ya think? Click the little box and tell me! Next chapter I'm planning on introducing characters like Daine, Owen, and Raoul into the story. Of course, they're not gonna be exactly like they are in TP's books….
Thanx to all my reviewers, your comments really help!
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine, except for the plot, Talia, and the Orb of Desiderium.