A/N: I am totally blown away by the reviews! I never expected anything like this...it is seriously humbling. Thanks, everyone! I hope you continue to enjoy it (especially as this chapter was rather rushed out between studying).
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Chapter 5
I smiled at Kris and held my hand out to him in greeting, but inside, my thoughts were whirling. What was going on?
He took my hand and raised it to his lips, imparting upon it a courtly kiss. "More than anyone here, I owe you a great debt for helping Elspeth come back."
Thanks are appreciated, but there comes a point when a girl just gets sick of them. I smiled politely and repeated my usual disclaimer. I tried to think of something intelligent to say in the ensuing pause, but "why are you alive?" was the only thing coming to mind, and I highly doubted such a question would be appropriate—or appreciated.
Thankfully, we were interrupted at that point by a nobleman who seemed intent on meeting me. As much as I disliked socializing with strangers, I was grateful for the distraction. Elspeth and Kris excused themselves, leaving me alone with the nobleman, one Lord Ehnley, who bowed deeply to me.
"'Tis said, my lady, that you will leave us in the morning," he said as he straightened.
I nodded, accepting a proffered goblet from a passing servant. "Yes," I replied. "As much as I would like to visit longer, I'm afraid I must be getting back."
"Of course," Ehnley said. "I understand. Ruling an entire world must take up much of your time."
"Ruling a . . . ?" I trailed off, frowning. "Forgive me, Lord Ehnley. I'm afraid I don't understand."
"You are the Empress of your world, are you not?" he asked.
I took a drink from the goblet and nearly choked. "Empress?" I echoed incredulously. "I think there's been some mistake, milord. I'm not an Empress."
"A Queen, then?" he replied. "Rumors do abound, and details often get confused."
Did they ever! I tried to keep from laughing. "No, Lord Ehnley, I'm afraid I'm not a queen, either. The rumors you heard must have been greatly exaggerated. I'm just a common person where I come from."
Lord Ehnley seemed visibly disappointed. "Indeed? I had been informed that you ruled your kingdom."
I frowned in thought, trying to think how such a rumor might have been started. A thought occurred to me, one that made me smile. "I think I understand the error. Where I come from, every citizen born in my country is eligible to become the leader of the country once they reach the age of thirty-five." I had explained the American political system to the Heralds who had stayed with me. They must have passed it on to their Companions, who passed it on, and on, and on, until the story ended up in Lord Ehnley's bizarre form.
"Truly?" he asked. I could see his eyes light up with envy and I hid a smile. If only he knew! "Who appoints them ruler?"
"Yes," I replied, "but it's not as simple as it sounds. And they're not appointed. They are elected by the people."
He frowned. "The common people choose their own ruler?"
I sighed quietly, realizing that there was no easy way out of this one. I then explained, as simply and quickly as I could, America's political origins and system of government.
"I see," Lord Ehnley said when I finished. "So, you are the potential ruler of your country?"
I saw in that moment that he was only interested in power, and how to align himself with it. "Yes," I answered, "I am, along with the other two hundred and ninety million citizens of my country."
Before he could reply to that, a shadow fell over us, and I turned to see Kris standing there. Lord Ehnley bowed to him. All I could do was stare, his presence reminding me of just how odd this whole thing was.
"Forgive the interruption, but I was wondering if you'd care to dance," he said to me.
"I'd love to," I replied. Anything to get away from Lord Ehnley's questions. And, perhaps, to get a chance to ask some of my own. I turned to Lord Ehnley. "It was a pleasure to meet you milord."
He smiled. "The pleasure was all mine, my lady, I assure you. Our conversation was quite informative." With a bow to both me and Kris, he turned and disappeared into the crowd.
"What were you discussing?" Kris asked as he led me across the room to the dancing.
"Politics," I replied.
"Ah. His favorite topic."
"I don't know how to dance," I told him, changing the subject. "We both might end up looking like fools."
He laughed. "Have a little faith! I think I can lead well enough to ward off the jeers."
Surprisingly, he was right. He made it seem quite easy, in fact.
Now, it was my turn to ask some questions.
"How long have you and Elspeth been married?" I inquired.
"Just a few years," he replied. "We're lifebonded—did she tell you what that is?"
Curiouser and curiouser. I shook my head, and he gave me a quick explanation of lifebonding. I tried to appear impressed or surprised—something that would make him think I'd never heard of it before. I tried to think of something to say, some question to ask whose answer might clue me in on why this Valdemar was so different from the one I knew of in the books.
"Your world is beautiful," I said, "and very different from mine. We don't have your magic where I come from."
Kris smiled as we parted for a moment in the dance, but soon took my hand again. "We've always had magic. In fact, Valdemar was founded on magic."
They've always had magic? But wasn't Vanyel the last Herald Mage until Elspeth? I was thoroughly confused, but I only made a polite comment in reply as the dance ended. Did it really matter anyway? I wondered as I made my way back to my seat at Selenay's table. I was going home in the morning, back to my normal life where horses didn't talk and where people understood the concept of democracy and television.
But my unrequited curiosity would be protesting all the way.