Waking up after being hit by a bus was a pain. Jane's left rib burned, making her woozy. The pain caused her head to spin. Biting down on her lips, only delayed the inevitable. An animal like cry of pain, escaped Jane's lips.
"I must have broken my ribs." Jane thought.
Hot tears ran down her face, dripping down her chin.
"Why isn't anyone coming?" Jane questioned.
The pain was too intense for any real thought now. Somehow air had found its way in to her lungs. She screamed out of pain. Jane lay there on the brink off death. She lost track of time. Laying face to the ground, she waited for the pain to end. It wasn't a hope of death; she simply wanted the pain to leave her.
A voice broke the silence that had surrounded her, "By the Great Lion! Guardsman, some soul lays here on the door of death. With all speed fetch my father."
"Dear friend, can you speak? If so tell me your name."
"Ja-ja Jane" She was finally able to utter at a whisper.
"Lady Jane, it is such a pleasure to meet you. I am Prince Caspian XI Peterth son of the King."
If this were a normal situation, Jane would have her jaw on the ground at meeting someone this important. However, this was not a normal day by any standards. Jane was too preoccupied with her pain to even comprehend what the prince was saying.
"By the Great Lion's mane! What happened to this poor creature?" King Caspian X asked as he approached the scene.
"The culprit remands unknown, Father. The lady can hardy speak. All I know is that there are no healers here and she has little time left," the prince said
Then the king dismounted and produced a vial from his cloak. He approached Jane and turned her on her side. Unfortunately, Jane now lay on her broken ribs. The pain was too much to contain, and she uttered a scream. The king wasted no time. He uncorked the vial and poured a drop in to her mouth.
Suddenly Jane felt warm, as if she was lying in the sun. The pain vanished, even though she was not on traditional medication. Her bones reset and her bumps and cuts stopped bleeding.
Jane found herself staring up into the woods. The surroundings shocked her. She still thought she was outside her school. Beside her were two men. Both had the same brown skin and face. One was middle aged and had a head of dark curls. The other was younger. He had green eyes and was taller than his father.
"What the heck? Where in the world is this?" Jane questioned as she stood up to face her new companions.
"You are in Narnia, Lady Jane. The question is, where in the world did you come from?" The prince asked.
"I come from America. I was walking home from school, when a bus hit me. Then I woke up here," Jane replied.
"Father, is she one from the rulers of old?" asked the young prince, green eyes shining.
The king, who had remained silence for some time, smiled.
"Lady Jane, it is Aslan's wish that you are in Narnia. The day I became king, I was told that I would find people with impossible tales. However, they were true because of Aslan. I was told that Kings and Queens of Old would come to save their beloved homeland in times of great need. I would be a fool not believe your story. Come break bread with my court, stay until the Great Lion calls you elsewhere."
Upon hearing this, Jane paled. She knew that this was impossible. She figured that it was a dream. She was most likely laying in a hospital bed somewhere and would wake up soon enough.
"Lord… er… um… Sir King, that would be totally nice," she replied as she gave a deep bow, causing her to stumble.
"Wonderful. It is just a short ride to the place. You can rest and have a fresh gown." The king replied,
In all the excitement, Jane hadn't noticed her out fit was ruined. Her jeans were ripped and torn at the seams. Blood and dirt were the most noticeable on her attire.
A shiver went up Jane's spine once she realized they would be riding. After all, horses killed people and trampled them.
"Lady Jane, I offer you my mount?" The young prince offered.
"I've… um… never ridden a horse," Jane said, her hands trembling.
"Have no fear, he is a good lad. Never spooked a day in his life." The prince assured her.
"Yes of course I… um… will ride, don't know what I was thinking." Jane lied through her teeth.
On the ride back to the King's Castle, was lovely for the royals in the party. Jane clenched the reins, with her legs trembling. With every stride the horse took, Jane surprised a scream.
The palace looked like something out of a fairy tale. Once they entered the gates, she noticed the people on the ground. Two men with animal legs and armor stood and saluted the king. A bear picked apples from a tree and placed them in a woven basket. All of this was a sight to see for Jane.
When the party dismounted, one of the fauns took the horses away. A lady with long sliver hair that glowed glided forward to great the king with a kiss on the check.
Just seeing the way the lady walked, Jane stood up straighter.
"My love, who is this?" she asked in a shrill voice
"This is Lady Jane, from the other place," the king introduced, " Lady Jane, this is my wife, Queen Lillyana"
Understanding that this dainty lady was a queen: Jane gave a mixture of a bow and a curtsey.
To Queen Lillyana, Jane's bow looked more like a stumble. She turned up her nose at this. She was a Queen, deserving of respect, even form a drunken child.
"Such a joy to meet a lady from a different land." Queen Lillyana said voice laced with sarcasm.
Caspian X clenched his teeth, and held his breath. Anger rippled through his veins. The Queen of Narnia was mocking a guest in the royal palace.
"Peterth, take Jane to Nannie WillowSong, to be cared for." The king ordered rather softly for Jane was practically a sleep.
The walk was very short. It would have been longer if Peterth had to carry Jane. Instead, he supported her as they walked.
The Dryad lady was shocked seeing such a strange and tired lady in clothes covered in blood. She carried the Jane up to an empty bedroom and helped her into a nightgown. Jane was asleep before she shut the door to leave.
Thank you to my awesome beta reader for putting up with my craziness Maharani Radha!
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