Amazing Grace ~ Part 4

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Claire and the Princess walked into, what Claire thought must be a throne room.

"Oh. You." a woman groaned.

The woman and a man were sitting on the throne at the front of the room.

"Well, are you going to say 'hello'?" the woman, the queen asked.

"Yes," the king added, "We've paid for enough manners lessons for you to at least know it's polite to greet you Aunt and Uncle."

They both waited expectantly.

"Um, good day, Aunt. Good day Uncle." Lanie mumbled.

"Much better," the Queen nodded, "It wasn't that hard, was it?"

"No, Auntie." Lanie answered.

"By the way, what are you wearing?" her aunt asked.

Lanie's face darkened and she replied, "One of my cousin's hand-me-downs."

"Oh right," her Uncle sighed, "You have no idea what you're wearing, and how terrible it looks."

"It is such a bore to talk to un-fashionable people." The queen complained.

"Such a drag." the king agreed.

A very long discussion about fashion followed, during which Lanie and Claire slipped out of the room.

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Lanie seemed upset and out of sorts after they left the throne room. Claire decided she and The Princess needed to do some thing fun.

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The kitchen maid quickly prepared a tea tray for the queen.

The kettle boiled and the maid turned to get it.

She poured the water into the tea pot, and turned back to the tray.

She jumped.

The tea cup was gone.

She searched all over the kitchen, but she couldn't find the cup.

In the end she went and got a new one.

She quickly measured out a serving of sour dough starter so it could warm, then she hurried to take the tea tray to the queen.

When the maid came back, her bread starter was gone, and the cup was turned upside down.

"Odd," She thought, "I was sure I measured out that starter... Oh well."

She measured out a new batch, and let it warm.

The maid then turned to get her dough paddle.

When she turned again, not only was the starter gone, but so was the cup!

She looked around the kitchen.

"Where in tarnation did it go?" she exclaimed, "I guess I'll just get some more in a different cup."

This time all the cups had disappeared.

"Um, that's really really weird." The maid mumble.

Now all the starter was completely gone.

  

"Now that is weird. I'm certain there was more starter than that." She whispered.

"BOO!"

The maid shrieked and ran from the room.

Claire chuckled as she crawled out from under the table.

"That was awesome!"

"Yes," Lanie agreed, "That was fun."

"We definitely need to do it again!" Claire exclaimed.

"It's a good thing," Lanie added, "That we have all the time in the world." 

"Wait a sec," Claire thought, "Time...time..."

"Time Machine."
In that moment Claire realized she didn't know where the time machine was. It hadn't been in that little room she woke up in, so....Where was it?

"Claire," Lanie laid her hand on Claire's shoulder, "are you alright?"
Claire didn't answer.

"Claire? Did you hear me?" Lanie asked, with rising alarm.

"Um, yeah... I'm fine. I just really need to tell you something." Claire answered, "Let's go to your room."

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Lanie settled on the bed.
"Alright, what did you want to tell me?"

"Here goes nothing."
"Well, um... this is kinda hard to say.... but, um, I'm not from here." Claire stuttered. 

Lanie giggled, "I know that. you already told me."
"No, no." Claire said, "Like, I'm really not from here."

"Oh boy. Here it comes." Lanie thought.

"I'm from the future... I've always wanted to say that." Claire mumbled.

"Yes," Lanie replied, "I know."

"Well that's good because I was thinking...." Claire did a double take, "You knew?!"

The princess sighed, "I was coming home from the market, on a back road when you... appeared. I...saw that you looked different and I knew the guards from the village would find you... I knew they would kill you. So I dragged you into an old house and left a palace maids outfit, hoping that you would put it on when you woke up. I then told my Aunt and Uncle I needed a companion of similar age to myself. And what do you know... you just happened to  come." Lanie smiled sadly.

"I knew that you were... different. Just like me. I was hoping that we would be friends." She smiled again.

"You gave me these clothes? That actually explains a lot." Claire thought for a moment, "If all that is true... do you know where the, um big box I got here in is?"

"Well of course." the princess answered, "It's going to be burned, at the arena today."
"What?! Why?!" Claire cried.
"Everyone in town thinks it's a witch's box or something like that." Lanie replied.

"Do you know where they have it?" Claire pressed.
"Well, vaguely. It would be a lot of back roads to avoid the guards." Lanie mused, "The second I leave this palace, the king and queen will have an excuse to get rid of me. They'll...make up some reason why I should be burned at the stake..." Lanie said, "Or something like that." she quickly amended.
"I don't care. I have to get home to my sisters." Claire said, determinedly. 

"Alright, then." Lanie grabbed Curtis, her monkey, "We need to hurry."
"We?" Claire asked.

"Well, you aren't going to leave me here, are you?" Lanie replied.

 "Lanie, this is serious. Make sure you mean it." Claire warned.
"There's nothing for me here, I want to come with you." The princess answered, solemnly.
"Let's hit it, then!" Claire rushed out of the room.

"Wait, Claire, I need to tell you something important!" Claire didn't answer.
"Oh boy." Lanie sighed, "I feel like this will be difficult as it is. How can I tell her?" Then she followed Claire out of the room.

The End of Part 4