I woke to a stony-faced old woman who grumpily peered at my face and
grunted. 'She's up, can I go now?'
She left and I was left to look around at the old, cracked house that looked to be the inside of a hut. The room was made up of the hard mattress I was lying on, a few cheap rugs sprawled across the floor, a cupboard, a sink, a shelf of books, a table with a vase of flowers and a chair next to the bed.
The Prince was sitting there.
'Well, you're awake then,' he said, smiling.
I was dumbfounded.
I was in the Tammy world! I was in Tortall, something I'd always dreamed. Yet this was real! I won't bother pinching myself just in case I was dreaming.
'Yes,' I said, my throat feeling as crisp as dry bread.
'Are you feeling all right?' he asked. He was too gorgeous for my own sake. Just like I'd imagined Jon.
Jet black hair that you felt you needed to brush back, sparkling, sexy black eyes, tanned skin, strong chin, amazing thin lips and tall and muscular. Yu-my. I was holding myself back really; I mean I could feel that I wasn't wearing my clothes, but a nightgown of a 'lady's' clothes. They felt very uncomfortable.
Suddenly it struck me.
What would I do now? I was in Tortall, I knew only what Tammy had wrote, I didn't know where to go, what to do! Where would I live? I'd starve to death and would be sold into slavery—wait, no, there was no slavery in Tortall.
Okay, breathe Reem! Just breathe! One step at a time.
'I don't have a home.'
Good one Reem!
The Prince gave me a pitying look, which I found very irritating.
'Oh don't give me that look! I don't mean it that way. It's too complicated a story to tell and you'd never believe me anyway—'
'Let me guess,' he interrupted, 'you fell unconscious in a different, modern world and suddenly woke up in my world?'
Raising an eyebrow, I nodded. 'How'd you know?'
'You don't know how many cases we have of those! We've quite gotten used to them. It's been happening ever since my father took reign! But surprisingly, they're all young ladies about your age who wound up here. They're so chattery! They babble on about how their 'dreams have come true'. We've even got a unit set up for them near the palace, so they can live here without the fear they have of starving to death and ending up a slave,' he grinned as I blushed.
So there were a lot of Tammy die-hard fans out there like me! Amazing.
'So…I won't starve to death?' The Prince shook his head, his grin still there. 'And I won't be sold into slavery?' He shook his head again.
'Come with me,' he said, getting up.
I coughed and looked down at my 'nightgown'.
He blushed and left the room so I could change into whatever decent clothes they gave me.
The decent clothes turned out to be breeches, a shirt and a leather jerkin. I wasn't used to it and it felt quite itchy, as well as a trifle uncomfortable.
I found the Prince outside, waiting by the door.
The world of Tortall slapped me in the face like a morning wake-up call.
Carriages and horses roamed the streets, the sounds of hooves trotting over paved streets echoing throughout the streets. Chattering people in poor- looking clothes walked around with baskets full of bread and the like, as well as a thieve here and there stealing a purse. Nobles walked about with their soft-pitched laughs and irritatingly perfect features.
The sun felt hot against my skin, my clothes felt too thick. I wondered where my clothes were. Burned, maybe? Who knew?
I mean, I'd read fan fiction of girls being transported to Tortall worlds, but it wasn't like being there yourself! Nothing like that at all. As much as I'd love to jump on the Prince and proclaim my love to him as he carries me to the palace of my dreams—I don't think it's going to happen. I've got to be sensible here.
Or try to be.
Prince Roald smiled and nodded courteously at me, as he gestured towards a horse a few feet away from me. I get a horse? Great!
'What's its name?' I asked, petting its head as it nuzzled me.
I've always loved horses! Though I'd only ever ridden one once, and that hadn't been much of a good experience.
'It's a he. His name is Tether.' The Prince replied, mounting his horse flawlessly.
I gulped as I steadied my hand on the lump of the stirrup.
I fell at the first attempt, and it wasn't too pleasant to be laughed at by passer-bys, as well as the Prince, who unsuccessfully tried to stifle his laughter.
'Here, I'll help you,' he said, dismounting.
He knelt down beside me and while I tried to swing over the horse's back, he held my left foot in the palms of his smooth, tanned—ok, I'll stop now—hands.
The pain was bearable, but that didn't stop me from letting out an agonistic groan with my eyes squinted in pain. 'My God!'
Smiling, Prince Roald remounted his horse and took hold of my reigns, galloping away towards God knows where, to settle my place in this amazingly familiar—yet also infuriatingly alien world.
She left and I was left to look around at the old, cracked house that looked to be the inside of a hut. The room was made up of the hard mattress I was lying on, a few cheap rugs sprawled across the floor, a cupboard, a sink, a shelf of books, a table with a vase of flowers and a chair next to the bed.
The Prince was sitting there.
'Well, you're awake then,' he said, smiling.
I was dumbfounded.
I was in the Tammy world! I was in Tortall, something I'd always dreamed. Yet this was real! I won't bother pinching myself just in case I was dreaming.
'Yes,' I said, my throat feeling as crisp as dry bread.
'Are you feeling all right?' he asked. He was too gorgeous for my own sake. Just like I'd imagined Jon.
Jet black hair that you felt you needed to brush back, sparkling, sexy black eyes, tanned skin, strong chin, amazing thin lips and tall and muscular. Yu-my. I was holding myself back really; I mean I could feel that I wasn't wearing my clothes, but a nightgown of a 'lady's' clothes. They felt very uncomfortable.
Suddenly it struck me.
What would I do now? I was in Tortall, I knew only what Tammy had wrote, I didn't know where to go, what to do! Where would I live? I'd starve to death and would be sold into slavery—wait, no, there was no slavery in Tortall.
Okay, breathe Reem! Just breathe! One step at a time.
'I don't have a home.'
Good one Reem!
The Prince gave me a pitying look, which I found very irritating.
'Oh don't give me that look! I don't mean it that way. It's too complicated a story to tell and you'd never believe me anyway—'
'Let me guess,' he interrupted, 'you fell unconscious in a different, modern world and suddenly woke up in my world?'
Raising an eyebrow, I nodded. 'How'd you know?'
'You don't know how many cases we have of those! We've quite gotten used to them. It's been happening ever since my father took reign! But surprisingly, they're all young ladies about your age who wound up here. They're so chattery! They babble on about how their 'dreams have come true'. We've even got a unit set up for them near the palace, so they can live here without the fear they have of starving to death and ending up a slave,' he grinned as I blushed.
So there were a lot of Tammy die-hard fans out there like me! Amazing.
'So…I won't starve to death?' The Prince shook his head, his grin still there. 'And I won't be sold into slavery?' He shook his head again.
'Come with me,' he said, getting up.
I coughed and looked down at my 'nightgown'.
He blushed and left the room so I could change into whatever decent clothes they gave me.
The decent clothes turned out to be breeches, a shirt and a leather jerkin. I wasn't used to it and it felt quite itchy, as well as a trifle uncomfortable.
I found the Prince outside, waiting by the door.
The world of Tortall slapped me in the face like a morning wake-up call.
Carriages and horses roamed the streets, the sounds of hooves trotting over paved streets echoing throughout the streets. Chattering people in poor- looking clothes walked around with baskets full of bread and the like, as well as a thieve here and there stealing a purse. Nobles walked about with their soft-pitched laughs and irritatingly perfect features.
The sun felt hot against my skin, my clothes felt too thick. I wondered where my clothes were. Burned, maybe? Who knew?
I mean, I'd read fan fiction of girls being transported to Tortall worlds, but it wasn't like being there yourself! Nothing like that at all. As much as I'd love to jump on the Prince and proclaim my love to him as he carries me to the palace of my dreams—I don't think it's going to happen. I've got to be sensible here.
Or try to be.
Prince Roald smiled and nodded courteously at me, as he gestured towards a horse a few feet away from me. I get a horse? Great!
'What's its name?' I asked, petting its head as it nuzzled me.
I've always loved horses! Though I'd only ever ridden one once, and that hadn't been much of a good experience.
'It's a he. His name is Tether.' The Prince replied, mounting his horse flawlessly.
I gulped as I steadied my hand on the lump of the stirrup.
I fell at the first attempt, and it wasn't too pleasant to be laughed at by passer-bys, as well as the Prince, who unsuccessfully tried to stifle his laughter.
'Here, I'll help you,' he said, dismounting.
He knelt down beside me and while I tried to swing over the horse's back, he held my left foot in the palms of his smooth, tanned—ok, I'll stop now—hands.
The pain was bearable, but that didn't stop me from letting out an agonistic groan with my eyes squinted in pain. 'My God!'
Smiling, Prince Roald remounted his horse and took hold of my reigns, galloping away towards God knows where, to settle my place in this amazingly familiar—yet also infuriatingly alien world.