Caught in the Middle Ch. 04

However, staring at her reflection in the mirror, Maya dared to believe that she might be on par with the rest of the women in the kingdom in terms of appearance. She felt that she would actually be able to fit in.

"That should just about do it," the seamstress said, finishing the final touches on Maya's hair.

Maya stood up to face the woman, "thank you so much miss...I don't think I got your name."

"You can call me Mille, dearie."

"Thank you so much, Mille, I look great, really. And this dress is beautiful."

"I am more than honored that I could be of service to you."

Maya looked down at her hands, embarrassed at the comment. She was a normal girl, and having people going around treating her like she was more than that made her extremely uncomfortable.

"Well, I guess I should go look for Richard then," Maya turned to leave the room.

"Here," Mille held out a pair of shoes that resembled Mary-Janes. "You might want to put these on if you plan on running around the castle."

"Right," Maya sat back down and let Mille put the shoes on her feet.

"Do they fit alright?"

"Yes ma'am, they feel great."

"Good, good. One last thing," she walked over to the vanity and picked up a gold hair band.

"Oh, I couldn't, really. It looks like it must've been pretty expensive."

Mille smiled warmly at Maya's display of modesty, "It is nothing more than an old heirloom. And besides, we need you to look your best for the future King, right?"

Maya didn't know what to say as the kind woman placed the band on her head. "There. Now you are the epitome of beauty," she said as she admired her handiwork.

"I really don't know how to thank you Mille," Maya said, unable to take her eyes off of her reflection.

"As I said before, it's an honor to serve you. Now go on and show everyone what a good job I did," she joked. Maya nodded and ran out the door, eager to have Richard see her in her beautiful new dress.

Minutes later, finding herself back to wandering aimlessly around the halls, she realized that her excitement had gotten the better of her. She had absolutely no clue where to begin looking for him.

"First Aldred and now Richard," she angrily mumbled to herself. "Why the hell does everyone assume it's so easy to get around this place? The castle alone is probably the size of campus. Too bad google maps won't be around for another 500 years." As she continued voicing her irritation, Maya did her best to recall which corners they turned, which paintings they passed. She continued walking for a little bit, looking to the walls for any sort of décor that would strike her as familiar, when she felt something slap against her temple.

"What the...?" she looked forward to see a large hand in front of her face.

"You never learn, do you?" Cedric leaned down so that his face was level with hers.

"What do you think you're doing?" Maya demanded, embarrassed at their close proximity.

"I was just trying to keep you from running into me...again," he causally explained as he removed his hand and stood at his full height. "Although, really, I should be asking what you're doing here. I doubt anything on this side of the castle would be of too much interest to you."

"I was looking for Richard."

"Then you should probably be looking in the west wing, at the other end of the castle" he couldn't help but laugh at Maya's look of disbelief. "Would you like me to escort you?"

"I-I mean if you just give me directions and tell me where to go, I should be-," she paused when she noticed his own look of disbelief. "Yes please," she mumbled, upset that she still hadn't figured the place out, and that the fact was more than obvious. She waited for him to take the lead, giving him a look of confusion when she noticed that he just standing there and staring at her. "Something wrong?"

"You look even more beautiful than when I left you a few hours ago," he confessed.

The compliment made her blush. "T-thank you. It was Mille, she really-,"

"But your head."

"What?"

"You're no longer wearing the bandages, and it wasn't too long ago that you hurt your head, right? It's been a few days since I've looked at it. Not to mention that you might still be healing from other minor injuries."

"I'm fine. Really, I feel great."

"At least let me apply some ointment. As a doctor, it would be unforgivable if I let your wounds get infected. I promise it will only take a few minutes."

"Okay, yeah, if you insist," Maya said reluctantly.

"Great!" Cedric lightened up, "I was actually on my way to my room just now. Come this way," he grabbed her arm and led her through the halls the same way he had done earlier. As Maya did her best to keep up with his pace she laughed to herself, thinking about how stubborn he was.

It wasn't too long before they reach his room. "I have my own workspace within the castle," he explained, "but at the end of the day I like to bring my materials back here to study."

"It's pretty cozy in here," Maya commented, observing how warm everything looked basked in the faint glow of the fireplace, and taking note of the lingering smell of incense. There were all sorts of diagrams, potted plants, and medical tools strewn about the room.

"It can get chilly at night. I like to keep things comfortable," he shrugged. He brought out a small chair for Maya to sit in, then walked over to a shelf that carried a wide variety of ointments, medicines, and herbs.

He picked out a dark red container and stood behind Maya. "Would you mind lowering your head a little?" She did as she was told.

"Ow!" she cried out, feeling his fingers pressing against her wound.

He grinned at her reaction. "What was that about you feeling fine? You might just be my most stubborn patient yet."

"You're one to talk! Dragging me over here like a ragdoll..."

"I am simply trying to ensure a quick recovery." He took some of the ointment, and went to apply it to her injury. Maya cringed, expecting to once again feel pain. To her surprise, however, his touch was gentler than before.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

"No, it doesn't."

"Good."

As he continued tending to her head, her thoughts began to drift, and she became conscious of their close proximity.

Being so close to Cedric was dizzying. His scent was intoxicating- a sort of musky, sweet citrus scent. She bit her lip, overcome with a sudden, uncharacteristic desire to know what he tasted like. Just a kiss, she thought, hoping it would be enough to satiate her craving. No, that wouldn't be enough. I'd want more. I'd want to see everything, taste everything.

Looking around the room once again, Maya attempted to rid herself of these thoughts. She knew that thinking this way was wrong, and wasn't entirely sure what had come over her. She was quite surprised at herself. Having never felt this way towards anyone she'd known back at home, these new feelings came on so suddenly that she didn't know what to do.

She felt him remove his hand from her head, only to feel his fingertips pressing lightly against the nape of her neck. The fingers moved in a circular motion, rubbing something into her skin.

"These bruises are healing nicely, but this should speed up the process a little bit, and help with any lingering pain," he told her.

Seconds later, Maya noticed a warm sensation spreading from the places that he had touched. This feeling, combined with the way Cedric was touching her, was a little more than she could handle. She felt something pulsating within her. There was a physical urge that needed to be satisfied. While she managed to refrain from moaning, her heavy breathing was loud enough to be heard by Cedric.

"The heat is temporary. It'll fade in a few moments," he said, indicating that he knew exactly what she was feeling. He was right though, the heat was gone from her skin, but the odd sensations she felt internally still remained.

"That should do it," she heard him say, feeling him remove his hand. "Now, I suppose it's time for me to return you to Richard." She stood, removing herself from the trance she was in, and followed him out of the room, careful to keep her distance. On the outside, her expression remained indifferent. On the inside, she was confused...disappointed and frustrated, even- though she'd never admit it, of course. Maya desperately craved relief from whatever she was feeling, but instead she chose to take a deep breath and continue on as she normally would.

She really did want to make things work with Richard, but being with Cedric was different. It was easier for her to let her guard down around him, but the more she dwelled on that idea, the less sure she was that it was a good thing. You'll just have to be a little more careful around him, she told herself. Treat him the same way you would treat anyone else around here.

"Thank you...for helping me out and everything. Sorry if I came off as ungrateful for your concern," she said quietly.

"I was just doing my job," he replied without looking back. "I believe that may be Richard, up ahead of us," he said, waving to the distant figure. Richard quickly strode over to meet up with them.

"I can't leave you by yourself, can I?" he said playfully, looking at Maya. "But I must say, you look incredible. At this rate, you will be the envy of every woman in Esfalda."

"I don't look that different."

"Well, at the very least, mother and father will be immensely pleased. Thank you for looking after her, Cedric."

"You should keep a closer eye on her. I found her wandering around in the east wing."

"Is that so? I apologize if she caused you any trouble." While observing the exchange between the two men, Maya couldn't help feeling like a small helpless child who'd gotten lost at the grocery store, and was being returned to her parent.

She was embarrassed at the fact that since her arrival in Esfalda, she really hadn't been able to do anything herself, and constantly relied on help from others. But worse than being embarrassing, it was dangerous. Aside from her own judgement, it was difficult to tell who she could and couldn't trust, and she was terrified of someone taking advantage of her vulnerability...again.

She wondered if things would always be that way, or if she would ever be able to regain her independence, stand alone, and fend for herself. She watched as Cedric bowed, then walked away, leaving her alone with Richard, who once again turned his attention to her.

"You must be starving by now. I had the servants bring some food to my study. I figured having a meal in the main dining hall would be a bit too much for you to handle at the moment."

Maya nodded. "I appreciate the thought," she said, following Richard.

When they reached Richard's study, Maya found it to be a very spacious room, with brick walls and large windows framed with ember colored tapestries. At the center was an enormous table, with an equally enormous map spread over it. There were open books all over the place, and miniature models of ships, soldiers and horses.

"This is my private study," he explained. "Please excuse the mess, no one else usually comes in here, besides Cedric and my uncle."

Maya walked around the table and studied the map. "Esfalda must be massive! There are so many kingdoms." Then a specific one caught her eye. "If Jursia is here," she said, pointing to it on the map, "then where are we?"

"You mean no one has told you?" Richard asked in awe. Maya shook her head.

"We are right here," he said, pointing to cursive letters that spelled out "Alsthior".

"Als-thee-or?" She annunciated, making sure she was pronouncing it correctly. He nodded. "They're so close," she pointed out. "But there's something up between these kingdoms, right?" Maya asked based on what she had observed. Richard once again responded with a simple nod.

"Do you guys have a bad history or something?"

"A very long time ago, Alsthior and Jursia were one united kingdom. The most powerful kingdom in Esfalda by a wide margin. There was a major conflict within the royal court, and it sparked a massive war- known to be the worst war in the history of Esfalda. It ended with the kingdom splitting, but Jursia ultimately suffered the greatest losses. It's been nearly a century and they still have yet to fully recover. There has been a great deal of tension between our countries ever since."

"This sort of thing happens all the time, where I'm from," Maya mentioned absentmindedly.

"How so?" Richard inquired, genuinely curious about the nature of political conflict in the distant future.

"There were many wars that went on way before I was born, but even recently there have been some really bad ones. Many begin with leaders who get power hungry, and so many people end up suffering. "

"I find it hard to believe that hundreds of years from now, the world still cannot be at peace," he said solemnly.

"Right now, during the year I'm from, things are actually pretty bad. So many political and religious groups are at war, and nobody can agree on how to end it. But thankfully none of the conflicts have personally impacted me or my family, and I had so many opportunities open to me in my education and future career..."

"And you want to go back to that," he said, finishing her thought.

"I really do," she looked down, feeling overcome with a strong sense of hopelessness. Richard's hand sought hers on the map, and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"I am so sorry, Maya. I know that so much has been taken from you, and that I cannot even begin to compensate for your losses. But maybe you can think of your future here as a new life. Maybe one day you will be able to forget about everything, and even begin to enjoy living here."

"That's asking for too much. I'm not going to give up on finding a way to get home."

"I just don't want to see you disappointed. If I could send you back to your home, I would in a second. But your arrival here is your destiny, and there is nothing you, I, or anyone else can do about it."

"I know, but I still...," her voice trailed off as she retreated to her own thoughts. Richard felt guilty at having brought up such a difficult topic for her, so he attempted to change the subject.

"Some good food might lift your spirits. We should eat before it gets cold."

They sat at a small table, next to the window. Maya closed her eyes and breathed deeply, taking comfort in the scent of the hot stew that was placed before her. Silence fell between them as she satiated her intense hunger. While she was up in her room, the only foods that had been sent to her were fruits, bread, and cheeses. She was beyond happy to get something warm and hearty into her system.

"Feeling better?" Richard asked.

Maya nodded before swallowing another mouthful, "I can never be upset when I'm eating," she innocently stated as a matter of fact. Before he could think to contain himself, Richard burst out laughing. He never thought that would, in his lifetime, hear such words from a lady's mouth. Anyone else would be too embarrassed to even utter such a phrase. It was nothing short of refreshing to have such a novel person brought into his life.

As his fit of laughter continued, he turned away from her in an effort to compose himself. When he had finally managed to calm down, he once again faced Maya, but was met with a confused stare.

"Are you okay?" she asked. She frequently joked about her eating habits, but had never gotten such a strong reaction before.

"Yes, yes. I apologize," he cleared his throat, attempting to downplay his outburst. Maya's eyes followed him as he rose from his seat and walked over to a nearby shelf. When he sat back down, she saw that he had fetched a glass container and two metal cups. She watched as he poured a deep red liquid into one of the cups, and handed it to her.

She eyed the cup suspiciously. "What is it?"

"It's wine."

"Like, fermented grape juice kind of wine?" she asked. She was still uncertain of whether or not she was still on planet Earth, regardless of the time period, and thus, she was also unsure of whether or not all basic food and drink was the same, as well.

"Yes. You've tried it before?"

"Well, yeah. It's sold everywhere back home. It's cool that you guys have it here, too."

Maya brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. "Oh my God. Richard, this is amazing!" she exclaimed. The deep, smooth flavor of the drink was completely different than any of the cheap stuff she had tried before. He looked at her, amused.

"Is that so? Perhaps we could spend one day going horseback riding through the vineyards. You could taste some of our best wines...they are one of the kingdom's most sought after exports, along with grains and seafood. A lot of our allies are actually quite dependent on trading with us. Of course, we get something out of it too, but the land of Alsthior provides all we need to function independently as a kingdom."

Maya chuckled, "quite the patriot, aren't you?"

"Pardon?"

"You must care a lot about this kingdom."

He looked confused. "Of course I do. It will become mine one day, and I wish to inherit a kingdom that I can take pride in. I would do anything for Alsthior."

Maya looked at him with admiration, thinking of how hard must be to know that he has the responsibility of looking after an entire kingdom and its' people. Then she remembered that, the way things were supposed to go, she would be the one standing by his side, supporting him as his wife and Queen. It still doesn't feel real, she thought, opting to continue on with idle conversation as they enjoyed their food and drink.

Right as they finished, there was a knock at the door. Richard left the table to answer it, briefly discussing something with whoever was out in the hall. A minute later, he turned to her. "Come," he said, motioning for her to leave the room with him. Maya stood up and followed without asking any questions.

"We should be off to meet with mother and father. There are many things that need to be discussed." He took her hand and brought them to the hall where they all previously met before.

There were more people this time around, all of which looked like high ranking officials. Upon their arrival, all eyes immediately went to Maya. The King, Queen, and Sir Aldred initially looked surprised, but their shock was followed by a much kinder, satisfied look.

"Maya, my dear. You look beautiful," noted the Queen. "I must say, our fashion suits you wonderfully, doesn't it, dear?" she asked, turning to the king.

He looked down at Maya and gave a silent nod of approval. "So, I trust you have put some thought into the matter we discussed earlier?"

Maya took a deep breath and looked around the room. Everyone nervously watched her, hoping that she would say what they wanted to hear. She couldn't figure out why they were all so on edge. It's not as though anyone had given her much of a choice.

The way she saw it, her options were A) to do as she was told without giving anyone any trouble, B) be forced to do as she was told, kicking and screaming, or C) run away and risk being found by someone who could take her back to Jursia. Choosing option A would just make everyone's lives easier, at her expense. Maya looked at Richard, who gave her a small nod. She then faced the King.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I have decided that I will marry Richard, and use whatever abilities I possess for the betterment of this kingdom."

The air of tension in the room immediately evaporated at her words, as everyone started to talk amongst themselves, overjoyed that the future prosperity of their kingdom was practically set in stone. Even the King smiled and laughed along happily with everyone else. Maya looked over at Richard and was greeted with a reassuring smile. She was glad that everyone seemed relieved, but as the king and other nobles in the room began planning and strategizing, she tuned out to what was being said.