Record of the Chrono Trigger

Chapter Two: The Queen Returns

A river of blue and black energy, of white light, and of wind flowed on forever, with no beginning or end. It halted with no warning, depositing its guest in a dreary and unfamiliar forest. Light trickled between the branches of trees that reached out to claw at the visitor, but even the light was filtered through a heavy, foreboding mist. Strangers were unwelcome here.

Marle's head spun as she attempted to grasp everything at once. She didn't even pretend to know where she was. She could detect no trace of the Millennial Fair or her companion. Common sense told her something had gone terribly wrong, but she couldn't grasp just what. Picking herself up from the ground, she brushed the dirt and leaves from clothing gingerly, but she couldn't detect any injuries. At least that was a good sign.

Glancing about for some sign of life, Marle took careful steps, almost fearing waking some strange spirit within the earth. "Hello?" she called out warily. Her voice trembled. "Is anybody here?" No answer.

The trees reluctantly gave way to a rocky hilltop, and Marle could see she was atop a canyon, but the terrain didn't strike her as any more familiar. A rustling in the bushes called her attention, and she turned to face the distraction uneasily. An unattractive little creature with unnaturally blue skin and a tremendous head sprang unceremoniously from the bushes.

Startled, Marle shrieked and jumped backward several feet, nearly following over another Blue Imp. They were everywhere! Unwilling to test her fighting abilities against the swarm, she turned and tore down the rocky canyon as fast as she could.

It was half way down that she ran across the soldiers, who were apparently investigating the screaming they'd heard only moments before. "Highness!" one of them gasped. "Thank goodness you're alive!"

Marle looked uneasily in the direction she'd come from, but the imps had been unwilling to risk their lives in a fight with so many soldiers.

"Queen Leene!" said another. "We've been searching so long."

Queen Leene? Before Marle had a chance to respond, the entire group had gone to one knee, heads bowed in respect.

Marle couldn't deny to the castle guards that she was of royal blood, but her father's servants would have called her "Princess Nadia." Queen Leene was an ancestor of the royal family, dead for over 300 years, now. And she didn't recognize any of the soldiers before her, either. They didn't even look familiar.

"Who are…?"

"We are at your service, Your Highness. Please, allow us to escort you back to the castle. There are foul creatures about in these woods."

"But my name's not Leene!"

There was a stunned silence. "Highness… are you well?"

"I'm definitely fine, but I'm not -!"

"She must have been injured," an older soldier stated angrily. "Damn, those fiends. Highness, do you not remember me?"

"Of… of course… I'm sorry. I'm afraid I don't feel well."

"We should return you to your home at once, Highness. Please!"

Marle nodded, if unsteadily, and resisted the urge to protest as the soldiers encircled her for protection. The castle had to be better than here, and perhaps, she'd find someone recognizable. "Tell me… what happened?" At least, these men should be able to tell her why they were out looking for this "Leene."

"You've been missing for weeks, Highness. We feared the Magus had captured or murdered you. Pray tell us what happened."

"I was… assisted… by a red-haired warrior," Marle lied. Magus? The sorcerer from the Mystic Wars? "I can't seem to find him, now, unfortunately."

"I see. I pray he makes it to safety."

Marle nodded. "I do, too." Crono, where are you?

"I'm not Leene!" Marle attempted to explain to her would-be husband for the hundredth time. "I didn't lose a coral pin; I never had one. My name is Marle!" Exasperation had more than begun to creep into her voice, and she barely had control of her temper anymore.

"Dearest," King Guardia XXI began patronizingly, "you aren't well. Perhaps, you should rest."

Marle groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Alright, I will." Her voice was weary, resigned. She wasn't making any leeway in the castle; everyone still believed her to be Queen Leene. Somewhere along the way, they'd manage to dress her in one of those overly fussy gowns she loathed so much – instead of her "strange," yet very comfortable to Marle – clothing that she had been wearing – and her hair was held up in so many pins her head had to weigh twice what it normally did. Besides that, her nose itched constantly, and the white lace gloves the servants had forced upon her made it difficult to scratch. Perhaps, resting would be best.

"Could I get some ice cream, first?" Marle asked of one of the servants.

"Eyes cream?" The woman looked perplexed. "I… I could ask the chef." She turned and started away slowly, clearly puzzled.

Marle wanted to articulate her dismay at landing in a world without ice cream, but she could hear a commotion brewing downstairs. Curiosity took precedence over whining, particularly when in a strange place. And even more so when in a world that distorted a familiar place. Folding her hands in the most ladylike way she could imagine, the tomboy princess accepted the delicate demeanor she believed Queen Leene would possess and approached the doors at the front of the throne room.

"Just look at that hair!" she heard the rough voice of a man of about thirty exclaim as she smoothly opened the doors. "Do you think he's one of Magus's troops?"

"This one? Impossible! This kid would never make the cut!" A swarm of guards surrounded a very bewildered Crono.

"Is this anyway to treat your queen's savior?" Marle demanded indignantly.

"Highness!" The gasp rippled through the gathered men as they fell to their knees.

"This man is a friend of mine. Show him some respect!" Crono seemed even more baffled than before. He clearly couldn't decipher Marle's actions.

"But, Highness…" an older man began to protest.

"You dare disobey me?"

"No, Highness." The guard fell silent.

Marle couldn't suppress a girlish giggle as she turned to retreat back into the throne room. Crono had really come to rescue her. Somehow, it didn't surprise her, but the idea was still exhilarating. In a way, she had her own knight in shining armor.

She paused by the one of the servants as she made her way toward the stairs. "I'm going to rest, now, but I have an important visitor – my rescuer. If you would, send him to speak to me in my room." The servant nodded her head obediently, but there was a curious glint in her eyes.

Marle chuckled to herself as she climbed the steps to what would have been her room – if she were home. She was probably scandalizing the entire castle, inviting an attractive young man to her room, but the real Leene would have to turn up eventually, and then, the servants would likely recover from their shock. In the meantime, she had to amuse herself.

The queen's bedroom differed little from the princess's own, from an architectural standpoint. Apparently, four hundred years had called for relatively little remodeling. But the trappings of the room were entirely foreign to Marle's eye, the decoration more subdued and mature than she would have been able to tolerate. This was the bedroom of a married woman.

It dawned on Marle then how strange it was that a married couple would have separate rooms. Her own parents had shared a single bedroom in the opposite wing of the castle. It also dawned on her that she'd really rather return to her own home before her would-be husband decided to pay a visit to her private quarters.

Crono entrance rescued her from the disturbing images about to ensue. Ah, my savior, she thought, smiling at her red-haired knight. She turned to the sole servant in the room. "Leave us," she ordered.
The young woman threw a suspicious look in Marle's direction, but said, "Yes, Highness," and left the room without protest.

Marle waited until she heard the latch on the door click before she turned her attention back to Crono. "Come nearer, sir," she commanded.

Crono's baffled expression as he complied was more than Marle could handle. She erupted into giggles. "Fooled you, didn't I, Crono?" she laughed, her normal demeanor returning.

Crono cocked an eyebrow at her, but amusement and relief flashed in his deep green eyes. Marle found herself staring into the sea, swept away by the moment. "I knew you'd come for me," she whispered. "I don't know how, but I did. I've been so confused. Everyone here thinks I'm Leene. No matter how many times I tried to tell them otherwise, they just thought I'd hit my head or something. But, you're here, now…"

Marle stopped, her face paling. Bright lights flashed in her eyes, and her head spun. Her entire body ached, but at the same time, she felt numbed, as if floating in a frozen sea. Every particle of her being screamed in protest, then seemed to cease existing at all. "Crono," she gasped, "it… it feels like I'm being pulled apart!"