Okay, back with another chapter!

Thank you Superfan44, Crystal-Wolf-Guardain-967 and Isolde Auckley for the reviews! Ya'll are the best and I really appreciate it a lot!

Also, thank you Pip'in Tapeworm for favoriting, I'm glad you like it so far!

Thanks for reading and once more, please review! Thank you!

-Shire from CollieandShire

Chapter Three

Taking Her Place

"I can't believe yer makin' me do this."

Merida giggled and held her hands up to her mouth. "Oh, it's perfect!" realizing she sounded just like her mother, she grimaced and quickly added, "I mean, ye look like me own image!"

Marissa groaned and looked down at the pale and stained blue dress. "This ain't going to fly, Merida. I can't believe I'm doin' this, I'm dreamin' for goodness sake! I should be makin' me own choices and not lettin' you tell me what to do!"

Merida rolled her eyes. "I've told ye a thousand times, yer not dreamin' Marissa. I'm as real as ye are. I don't understand why yer so bent on believin' this isn't real."

Marissa shook her head. She refused to believe she'd traveled nine hundred years earlier in time, it was impossible. It was insane. Not to mention if that was the case the German she'd met up with was real, too.

Merida figured Marissa had just hit her head really hard and couldn't remember anything, which Marissa decided was alright for her to think. After all, if she really had traveled back in time, how was she to explain to Merida everything about the war and cars and everything else where she came from?

"Now, have ye ever ridden a horse before?" Merida asked as she brought Angus over to Marissa. Marissa petted the blazed face of the Clydesdale and he snorted, causing her to smile.

"No, actually, I haven't. Is it hard?"

Merida glanced at Angus and curled her finger around a wisp of hair in thought. "Well…it depends on how Angus is actin'. But never mind, I'm sure he'll be fine for ye. Since ye have no reins just hang onto his mane and he'll take ye back to the palace."

"Wait a second, ya expect me to ride that animal without any tack!?" Marissa exclaimed, her eyes widening and shaking her head.

"It'll be easy, remember, this is only a dream." Merida snickered, grinning at her own cleverness.

Marissa couldn't argue with that, otherwise she'd be admitting Merida was right. She rolled her eyes and sighed, then stroked the stallion's neck. "Promise me he won't kill me."

"He won't." Merida promised. The Scottish princess was sporting Marissa's school uniform, down to the knee socks and buckled shoes. "Shortest kilt I've ever seen." She commented, glancing over the blue skirt that came down to her knees. "And women aren't supposed to wear kilts. How did ye ever convince yer mother to let ye wear one?"

"Uhh…" Marissa racked her brain for an answer and Merida waved it off.

"Never mind, Mum is no doubt wonderin' where I am and ye need to get goin' to the castle."

Before Marissa could protest Merida grabbed her ankle and hoisted her onto the back of Angus. Marissa was shocked at how strong the princess was but didn't have time to think about it as she grabbed onto the horse's mane. Merida grabbed the rifle on the ground and shoved it into one of Marissa's hands as she gave some last minute instructions. "Now remember, ye address the queen and king as Mum and Dad, and yer brothers are Hamish, Harish and Hubert. No one can tell them apart except me parents so don't worry about mistakin' their names and all."

"Wait, how will I-" began Marissa, but Merida cut her off.

"Now don't let the maid boss ye around and make sure ye feed Angus, otherwise he'll be angry with ye. Also, when Mum gets started on yer music lessons make sure to hit the C cord a lot on the lyre and she'll just show ye which one yer supposed to pluck."

"Merida, I really-"Marissa started again, but only got half way through her sentence before Merida once more interrupted.

"And make sure above all else not to make the lords angry or else we'll go to war. Understand?"

"Merida-"

"Good, then yer set!" Before Marissa could protest any further Merida slapped Angus on the rump, causing the horse to leap forward and race through the woods. "Good luck to ye, Marissa!" Merida called.

"Merrrridddaaa!" Marissa shrieked, before her voice was lost in the thick of the forest as she and Angus disappeared into the woods.

Merida grinned to herself and giggled, smoothing the short kilt or, as Marissa called it, skirt. She noted that one of the pockets was heavy and pulled out another strange fire-bow weapon. Glancing it over, she shrugged and put it back in her pocket, figuring it was too late for Marissa to get it back now. Besides, might be fun to learn how to use it.

"Where shall I go?" Merida pondered, rubbing her hands together giddily as she thought of the possibilities. I'm FREE! I'm FREE! Free to make her own choices, have her own say and do whatever she wanted. What should I do? She could go anywhere she wanted and she resolved she never wanted to return home again. This would be fun! And no one would ever miss her, because Marissa was there!

A rustling in the leaves caught Merida's attention and she turned to face the noise. I hope that's not a bear. She thought, glancing down at the quiver full of arrows at her side. The bow she'd brought with her from the castle lay three feet away from her and she leapt towards it and grabbed it. Slapping an arrow onto the cord she aimed the bow towards the noise and waited.

"Alright bear, I've got ye right where I want ye and ye better not charge me or I'm aimin' t'blow yer brains out!" Merida warned, her fingers twitching as she waited for the monster to emerge.

What stepped out was not what she expected. "Oh."

~oOo~

After gladly leaving Angus in the stall and hiding the rifle under a pile of straw, Marissa timidly made her way to the door Merida had instructed her to enter in. She had barely tiptoed into the kitchen quarters when another door burst open and a woman in a regal dress and with long brown hair ran towards her. "Merida!"

Guessing by the description Merida had given her, Marissa hesitantly said, "Mum?"

Before she could do anything, Queen Elinor took her by the shoulders and cried, "Oh Merida, I was so worried! I didn't know where you'd gone or when you'd be back-" glancing at Marissa's dress she gasped, "Oh, yer dress!"

Marissa looked down at the shredded blue dress and grinned sheepishly. "Oh, the hors-Angus, threw me. But I'm not hurt!"

"Well, yer safe now." Elinor sighed and smiled at Marissa, causing the girl to squirm under her gaze. "Merida, what's wrong?"

"I'm fine, Mum." Marissa searched for the right words to say, not quite sure what was expected of her. Elinor looked her over anxiously.

"Merida, are you alright?"

"I think so." Marissa mumbled as she imagined refusing to follow along with Merida's 'brilliant' idea. I should have told her no, her mother really does care about her!

"Are you sick, m'dear?" Elinor was genuinely concerned, making Marissa feel all the more bad.

"I might be, Mum. I don't know, I feel…bad."

"Goodness, let's get you to bed before you collapse! Of course, you had a long ride." Elinor rushed Marissa up the stairs and past a party of men who were singing some song about killing a bear. Oh yes, that beast Mor'du that Dad told me about. Marissa remembered.

As Elinor helped Marissa into a nightgown and into her bed, Marissa couldn't imagine why Merida thought her mother didn't love her. It certainly seemed like Elinor cared about her! Why on earth did Merida want to run away?

"Merida," Elinor hesitated before she walked out the door, and Marissa turned her attention to the beautiful woman.

"Yes, Mum?" she asked.

"Merida, I-I'm sorry for burnin' yer favorite bow." Elinor had tears in her eyes and Marissa realized there was more to the argument than Merida had told her. All Merida had said was that after the tournament she'd taken off, she hadn't mentioned anything about her favorite bow being burned. I'm going to make her pay for putting me in this mess. Marissa decided.

"It's alright Mum, I understand. I was wrong, completely wrong, and I shouldn't have done what I did." Marissa told her, a sense of satisfaction at getting back at Merida in this unknown way. From everything her Dad had ever told her about the Scottish princess, this was not the way she would have proceeded.

Elinor raised her eyebrows and stared at Merida. "Well, that is a change from earlier. I forgive you, Merida. I hope you see that everything I do for you, I do it out of love."

"Of course Mum, I know ya love me." Marissa agreed.

"Then it's all settled. In the mornin' you'll apologize to the lords and we'll settle this whole matter of the suitors." Elinor decided with a smile. "Then we can rearrange another tournament to determine who wins your hand."

"What!" Marissa bolted upright and nearly yelled.

"Merida, remember, a princess does not raise her voice!" Elinor chided.

"Yes Mum, but, ya still want me to get married?" Marissa gulped. I can't get married! I'm not Merida! This was NOT the way she'd intended this conversation to go!

"Of course Merida!" Elinor looked at her suspiciously. "You didn't apologize just to get me to change me mind, did you?"

Marissa shook her head violently. "No, no!" she hesitated, not sure what to say.

"We'll talk it over in the mornin'." Elinor told her.

"Yes Mum. Goodnight Mum." Marissa sighed as she lay down in the big bed. Elinor said goodnight and shut the door quietly behind the girl.

Thoughts raced around Marissa's head as she tried to grasp what was going on. They're going to marry me off. THEY'RE GOING TO MARRY ME OFF! This was bad, really bad. But she couldn't pull a fast one like Merida, she didn't know how to shoot a bow and she had no chance in winning a tournament! Besides, Merida had said the lords wouldn't stand for anything else, otherwise they'd end up at war with them. Yet she hadn't mentioned how to handle them! If I ever see her again I'm going to do something REALLY bad to her! Marissa growled as she drifted into a troubled sleep. The last thought that went through her head was, if this isn't a dream and they do marry me off, or if I cause the clans to go to war, what does that mean for the future DunBrochs like myself and me DAD?

~oOo~

Outside the door, Elinor paused and stared at her daughter's room. Something was not right, Merida was not acting like Merida. Her accent was off and she was just acting…funny. Elinor didn't know what was up but she would get to the bottom of it one way or another. Something was wrong, dead wrong, and she wouldn't rest until she knew what was going on with her precious daughter.

They say a mother can always tell. Elinor is no exception to this rule and she knows something is really off about Merida, err, Marissa. ;) And Marissa is beginning to wonder if this really isn't a dream. We'll see later what Merida discovered in the woods!

Please review! Thank you!

-Shire