Another World

by D. C. Gomez

  My vision became cloudy. My heart rate tripled, and I was afraid my blood vessels would explode. The pounding became so loud, I couldn’t hear anything around me. Everyone knew I was a girl. I marched down the hall in a daze, holding on to Sir Bertrant’s arm.

  What will they do to me once they learn I’m not from this world?

  As soon as we arrived at the waiting room, Sir Bertrant ordered cold water. He washed my face and made me drink a few glasses of it. It seemed cold water was his way to get me out of shock. With the testimony of Lady Celina, our treatment had improved. We went from criminals waiting for the guillotine to respected guests. A couple of the staff brought us trays of food, and wine to go with the water. My stomach went on strike and refused to stay still. Even the sight of food made me nauseous. I was so nervous that it was my turn to pace the room.

  Sir Bertrant was summoned shortly after we arrived, leaving me alone with my raging thoughts. If he didn’t return soon, I was going to make a hole in the floor from all my pacing. When the chamber doors opened, my heart stopped. I waited for guards, knights, or even Sir Bertrant to come for me. Instead, Julien snuck inside.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked him.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” he demanded from the door.

  “Tell you what?” I replied, turning my back on him.

  “That you are a girl.” Julien waved his arms in the air.

  “Oh, that. When exactly should I have brought that up? Hi there, I’m Madison. I’m actually a girl. Please don’t laugh at me or send me to a dungeon.” I went back to pacing again.

  “If Sir Bertrant decided you were good enough to be a page, nobody would laugh at you,” Julien said in a soft voice.

  “Are you sure about that? Your dear knights are not very kind to Sir Bertrant. Do you think they won’t ridicule him more for having a girl as a page?” Hot tears rolled down my cheeks and I hated myself for it.

  What was I thinking? I had ruined Sir Bertrant’s life even more than it had already been. That was the only thing I was good at: ruining lives with my presence alone.

  “What did you do to her?” Sir Bertrant shouted, pulling me out of the pity party I’d been throwing myself in my head.

  “I didn’t do anything, Sir.” Julien backed away from Sir Bertrant, who, to my surprise, was charging at him with his sword.

  I jumped between the two men. “Hold it. What is going on?”

  “I leave you alone for just a bit and find you crying with this one.” Sir Bertrant used his sword to point to Julien.

  “Julien didn’t do a thing to me.” I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. “I’m just crying because I’m a hopeless little girl.”

  “Madison, you are the most fearless person I have ever met, and don’t you ever forget that.” A lump lodged in my throat, and I had a feeling I was about to bawl my eyes out in front of both of them.

  “Don’t you have places to go? My page and I have things to discuss,” Sir Bertrant told Julien, holding the door open for him. Julien gave me one quick glance and ran out the door.

  “You are one scary guy when you feel like being one,” I told Sir Bertrant, wiping my face again.

  “Don’t you ever let anyone in this kingdom make you feel like you don’t deserve to be here. Being a knight is more than wielding a sword. It’s being willing to sacrifice everything for the good of the kingdom. You have done that. You even believed in me when all I wanted to do was drink myself to death.” Sir Bertrant grabbed my hands, holding them tightly in front of his chest.

  “What is going on? You are laying it on pretty thick, so what’s the deal?” I asked Sir Bertrant cautiously.

  “Lady Celina told Lord Peru about your sacrifice.” Sir Bertrant went over to the food table and grabbed a pastry, but before he took a bite, he let out a huge sigh. “Madison, I went to the dragon to die. My plan was to fight the dragon while you escaped with the girls.”

  “That was your plan?” I screamed, waving my hands in the air.

  “I had nothing to lose,” Sir Bertrant mumbled, his mouth full of pastries.

  “That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard.” I marched over to him with my hands curled into fists, otherwise I might just strangle him.

  “I have been drunk for a while,” he admitted with a shrug. “Ouch.”

  I punched him in the arm knocking the pastry out of his hand.

  He stared sadly down at his fallen sweet. “Hey, stop that. I’m a knight here.”

  “You are going to be a dead knight after I’m done with you.”

  “Thank you, Madison,” Sir Bertrant told me.

  I froze. “What?” Shock had taken over, and that was the only thing I could think to say.

  “You showed me that there are still good people in this world worth fighting for. That there is still honor and loyalty in people. I would like to officially offer you the job of my page, if you will take it.” He walked over to me.

  “What does that mean?” My ears felt like they were full of cotton candy. I struggled to process the information.

  “You have to be registered in the kingdom, and then your status will be recognized,” Sir Bertrant said.

  “Do you really want a girl for a page?” I asked, rubbing my arms.

  “I don’t know anyone else who would put up with my cranky self,” Sir Bertrant said, extending his hand out towards me.

  A huge smile spread over my face and I shook his hand. Sir Bertrant needed to work on his handshake, but I appreciated the gesture.

  “This feels so awkward.” He smiled, and it looked so uncomfortable on his face that I laughed.

  “You need practice,” I told him as the door to the room opened again. This was a busy place.

  “Am I interrupting?” Lord Peru said from the doorway.

  “Lord, I think this is your house, so you couldn’t interrupt us even if you were,” I said with a nervous chuckle.

  “She is different,” Lord Peru told Sir Bertrant, entering the room with Sir William and Sir Jean behind him.

  “That is an understatement,” Sir Bertrant replied, nudging me with his shoulder.

  “I’m assuming you are taking the job then?” Lord Peru asked me. Off his throne, Lord Peru was over six feet of pure muscle.

  Was everyone in this kingdom a giant?

  “Yes, Lord,” I said, almost bouncing up and down.

  “Great, we need more energized knights in this kingdom.” Lord Peru grabbed a book from Sir William.

  “Knight? What knight?” I asked the small group.

  “Sir Bertrant has recommended you to be a knight once you fulfil all your obligations as a page. That’s the reason I need to approve the assignment.” Lord Peru watched Sir Bertrant as he spoke. Sir Bertrant beamed like a proud dad.

  “Is that allowed?” I asked all the men in the room.

  “It’s my kingdom,” Lord Peru said, “so I’m sure I can make things happen. We haven’t had a female knight in what?”

  “Over two hundred years, my Lord,” Sir Jean replied. “It is about time for one?”

  If this was a joke, I was going to hurt them.

  “Madison, this is your last chance,” Lord Peru said, taking a seat and opening his book. “Are you sure you are willing and able to join the Page Corp and the knighthood of this kingdom?”

  “This is huge. Okay, let’s do this.” My hands were shaking.

  “Yes!” Sir Bertrant shouted, a bright smile plastered on his face, while Lord Peru wrote something in his book.

  “Please sign here,” Lord Peru told me, and I signed next to his beautiful penmanship. “Now that we have made that official, Sir Bertrant is responsible for your training and getting you in proper shape.”

  “Of course, my Lord,” Sir Bertrant said, and I could see the mischief dancing in his eyes. I was in trouble.

  “I expect both of you back in ten days for the ball,” Lord Peru announced, handing the book back to Sir Jean.

  “What ball?” I asked.


  “I’m sure Bertrant can fill you in. Welcome to the family.” With that final statement, Lord Peru and the two other knights left the room.

  “What ball?” I asked, not liking the sound of it.

  “Lord Peru is throwing a feast to celebrate the return of Lady Celina and the new treaty with the dragon by the hands of his very own knights.” Sir Bertrant walked over to the table for more food.

  “I hate parties,” I told Sir Bertrant, dropping to one of the armchairs.

  “Too late, Madison. This is one of the horrible duties that come with being a page, and a knight,” Sir Bertrant told me, and he followed his words with choking sounds.

  “At least I’m not the only one who isn’t amused.”

  “They are horrible,” he said. “Well our mission here is done, so let’s go home.”

  “It’s about time.” I took a long breath and let it out. Maybe this madness was finally coming to an end.

  Those were the best words I had heard all day. I could pester Sir Bertrant on details of this new training stuff during the ride back. I had no idea what any of it meant, but I didn’t care. At least it would make the days go by faster.

  It thrilled me to see the house again, and in my excitement, I jumped off Lightning before we reached the stable. The horses had spent the whole trip asking questions about our visit and filling us in on all the gossip they heard. It appeared the stables were the place where all the help, servants, and even some of the novelty went to conduct clandestine operations. I wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse, but every horse in the kingdom did not communicate with humans. That made humans feel safe having indiscreet conversations in front of the horses.

  Thunder and Lightning enjoyed their stay a little too much. They learned the secrets of everyone in the castle. If they ever decided to go into the blackmailing business, they would be filthy rich. Sir Bertrant listened, and every once in a while chastised the two of them for their indiscretions. Unfortunately, he never ordered them not to do it again, so the two of them were planning who they were going to torture on their next trip. I really hoped more trips to the castle were not in our near future.

  I unpacked all the supplies, fed the horses, and organized the stable before dinner. My body ached all over by the time I was done. I even debated taking some of Sageri’s health potion, but decided against it since I didn’t want to spend the rest of the week passed out. Sir Bertrant had business to conduct in the local village and I wanted to wash up. I was sticky, dirty, and smelly, a combination that would make anyone sick to their stomach. On the ride back, I had whined to Sir Bertrant that we needed a shower. Somehow, he had failed to mention that he had a large bathtub located in a room that could only be entered from the outside of the house.

  After my chores were done, I went in search of the mysterious room. To my surprise, I found it on the far side of the house, hiding by some bushes. Unless I had known there was a door there, I would’ve never found it because it blended with the house. Plus, it didn’t seem like anything special. Maybe Sir Bertrant should put a sign on it.

  When I opened the door and stepped inside, I’d expected a regular-sized tub. Instead, my eyes landed on a tub the size of a small Jacuzzi.

  The room itself had the feel of a mini spa, minus all the spider webs everywhere, which made me think Sir Bertrant didn’t use it often. By the size of the tub, it probably took two or three hundred gallons of water. Filling that monster was out of the question. The tub had a drain that emptied toward the back of the property. It made sense that it was outside because the water needed to drain somewhere. Sir Bertrant had a large tank of water in the back of the room, and to my surprise it was filled.

  This was the best day ever.

  After a quick dusting, the bathroom was ready. I grabbed my PJs from my room and rushed back to shower. Who would have thought taking an actual shower would become an indulgence? With the horses clean, fed, and happy, I could take all the time in the world cleaning myself.

  By the time I left the shower, I had one goal: to crash in bed. I was ready for an uninterrupted night of sleep that wasn’t induced by potions. When I entered my room, it seemed fate had a different plan for me. My bed was already occupied.

  “Sageri, what are you doing here?” Normally I would have been ecstatic to see the little witch, but right now, all I wanted was sleep.

  “You did it!” she said in a high-pitched voice.

  “I’m exhausted. Can we celebrate in the morning?” I made my way towards the dresser to put away all my toiletries.

  “You can’t,” Sageri said, jumping off the bed.

  “Why not?” Had Sageri lost her mind?

  “We need to get you a dress for the ball.” She clapped her hands and twirled. Deep down, Sageri remained a lady.

  “Why do I need a dress?” I crossed my arms over my chest, tapping my foot.

  “Well, now that everyone knows you are a girl, you can’t go to a ball in pants,” Sageri clarified, pointing at my clothes.

  “Is it truly necessary?” I whined, and I didn’t care.

  “Unfortunately, Sageri is right. You need a dress,” Sir Bertrant said from the door.

  “Great.” I dropped in my chair, hoping it would swallow me and put me out of my misery. I’d always had a horrible time at school dances, and I had a feeling this ball would be ten times worse than those.

  “I also recommend going today. The ball is in ten days and everyone is off tomorrow.” I hated when Sir Bertrant destroyed my pouting with facts.

  “Fine, if we are going, I need to change. Everyone out.” I closed the door behind them and took deep breaths. This was not something I looked forward to.

  Not sure why, but I dressed faster than I intended just to head to the market. Due to Sageri’s determination, we made it to the market in record time. Once there, we moved like mercenaries on quests. Sageri laser focused, paying no attention to the vendors, but I noticed a few shoppers and plenty of vendors moving out of our way. None of them had the happy smiles they previously gave us. Today, they stared at me like I had grown another head. The tailor was flustered because he hadn’t discovered my real gender the first time I went. After many negotiations, he agreed to try to make me a dress but couldn’t promise anything.

  The walk back to the house took us a lot longer, since neither of us had the same level of energy. Sageri promised to develop a plan and help me find a gown. She headed to her place, determined to figure this out. I went home to sleep. I was not that concerned about this ball. Maybe if I couldn’t find a dress, I wouldn’t have to attend. A girl could always dream.

  It had been nine full days since we returned to the cottage. We had been super busy with new training sessions. Sir Jean had sent the list of the lesson plans for each page and, according to his list, I was desperately behind. Sir Bertrant developed a strategy to get me properly trained without killing me. I doubted he put too much effort into the second part. Every night I ended up bruised, aching, and could pass for a used Mexican Piñata.

  To make those days even longer, three of those nights I spent with Mister P making iced tea. Somehow, he was fascinated with that memory and wanted to experiment. The old fashion way of making tea was not something he could grasp. After two long nights of trying, he cheated and used magic. When it came to recreating food, his skills were astronomical. The tea was perfect, though, and we moved on to making fried chicken and even chocolate pie. It seemed Mister P had an obsession for exotic meals, and my memories of food were as exotic as it got in this place.

  I sat on the fence outside the cottage watching the sunset and listening to June bugs in the distance. At least that’s what I thought they were. The orange and red colors across the sky were vibrant. The soft light reflected through the clouds creating castles in the skies. The clouds morphed from structure to animal forms. I was going to miss this when I went back to New York.

  My thoughts quickly changed to the impending doom taking place tomorrow evening.
That stupid ball was less than a day away now, and I still didn’t have a dress or any hopes of getting one. Maybe if Lightning hit me in the leg, I could stay home and nurse my injuries.

  “Why are you pouting?” a voice said next to me.

  “AHHHH” I screamed, and I fell over the fence.

  “Caught you.” Mister P heaved me up by my shirt.

  “Are you trying to kill me?” I asked him with a hand over my heart. I hoped to injure myself, not die.

  “Have I told you how dramatic you are?” Mister P said, shaking his head.

  “Everyone else has, but I’m not being dramatic, just honest. Why are you here scaring the hell out of me anyways?” I tried to settle back on the fence without falling again.

  “I have seen your idea of hell and I don’t know how I could scare that out of anyone.” It was a pain when he took me literally.

  “It’s just a saying. Never mind, why are you?” That was another one of those discussions with no ending.

  “You were pouting, and I wondered why?” Mister P said, leaning against the fence next to me.

  “You can read my thoughts?” I wanted to scream at the invasion of privacy.

  “Relax, you overdramatic child, and remember you are wearing my ring. It sends me signals when your moods change.” Mister P pointed at the ring.

  I looked down at my hand. “You got me a mood ring? Does it change colors, too?”

  “Why would it do that?” Mister P was no fun at times.

  “Ignore that,” I said, and I realized then that I used that saying a lot around him. It was easier than explaining all my random thoughts. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself.

  “You are doing it again. Your emotions are all over the place. Why?” He did not give up.

  “That stupid ball is tomorrow.” I kicked my legs on the fence.

  “I thought every human girl loved balls,” Mister P said.

  “Not every girl.” I raised my hand. “I have to go, and I don’t have a dress.”

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but a requirement of every Ball is to wear fancy clothes, right?” Mister P did a twirl and stretched his arms out to his sides, highlighting his fancy outfit.