Chapter Two - Long Live Eddington

                A cold sensation exploded over every part of Savannah’s exposed skin. Immediately she pulled her face from Joey’s. “What in the--” She paused, taking in her suddenly different surroundings. She swore that before Joey had kissed her, they were in a closet, in his house, playing seven minutes of heaven, with her soon to be very angry and trusting boyfriend waiting for her return. She looked back over to Joey who seemed just as baffled as she was.

                They weren’t standing in the closet anymore, but in an open field lightly coated in patches of pristine white snow. She could make out a large rock in the center in the clearing. Tall, ominous trees surround them like tall prison walls, breaking only to the right of them allowing a small path winding into the darkness.

                “Where the hell are we Joey?!” she half-yelled cautious of anyone or anything lurking behind the barrier of trees. Her eyes searched for any visible threats but found nothing.

                After what felt like years, Joey finally spoke eyeing the trail. “I think we’re supposed to go that way.”

                “Like hell I’m going anywhere with you!”

                Joey turned towards her, puzzled and slightly hurt.

                “Take me back! I want to go home!” Savannah pointed her finger accusingly at him. “This is all your fault. First, you get Michael and I drunk! Second, you rig seven minutes in heaven so you’d get me all to yourself! Then you kissed me when you know damn well that I am with Michael who happens to be your best friend! I should’ve know when you started talking about all that destiny crap that you were setting me up for…” she faltered trying to describe the situation at hand, but sighed in defeat.

                Joey tried to step closer to soothe her, but retreated when he met her deathly gaze. “Look, I didn’t set you up for anything, okay? I don’t know where we are either. I’m just as confused as you.”

                Savannah wasn’t buying it. She slowly shook her head, praying that she could somehow pull a Dorthy. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home. There’s no place like home!

                “And I meant what I said, Savannah. There is something bigger going on here. I can feel it. Can you?”

                She wanted to yell, scream, punch him. All she was feeling was dizzy, angry, and completely confused. This had to be a joke.

                “We have to follow the path. That’s the only logical option. Otherwise we’re going to freeze to death. Can you at least agree to that?” his blue eyes were desperate, his wild brown curls slowly accumulating tiny flakes of snow.

                Savannah shivered against her will, staring blankly towards the daunting path.

                “I know it’s not ideal, but we have to work together in order to figure out what’s going on.”

                She sighed, “You’re right.” Taking a couple steps closer to Joey, and the path, Savannah spoke in a grave tone. “But once we get back, Michael is going to totally kick your a*s.” She tightened her arms around her body trying to keep whatever heat she could in her light cardigan. “That is, if I don’t beat him to it.”

                The darkness of the path caused Savannah to cling to Joey’s arm. She held it firmly while her eyes  cautiously searched around them for threats. She knew she probably was giving him mixed signals, but holy hell it had to be close to freezing temperatures. She couldn’t very well kill him if she died of hypothermia herself. So far, they’d traveled fifteen minutes and hadn’t made any progress. All that was in sight was more forest and colder temperatures. It was that point she was sure death was close. How did she get here? Was this a dream? Maybe she had passed out in the closet and was having some sort of spin off dream of the Chronicles of Narnia. She was about to verbalize this to Joey and maybe lighten their last couple moments before death when a worried voice echoed from ahead.

                “Miss Nelson!”

                “Miss Nelson!” It was a woman’s voice coming closer down the path. “Are you out here Miss Nelson?”

                Savannah slipped behind Joey. “Who is that?” she whispered, terrified of the possibilities. Though they didn’t sound exactly threatening, they were still in a world of unknown.

                Joey attempted the best defensive pose he could muster, puffing out his chest and shivering fists. He wouldn’t let anyone get to Savannah. They soon heard footfalls approaching quickly, crunching upon the leaves and snow. A small woman wearing a thick wool coat and old fashion snow boots appeared before them. Upon viewing them, her face seemed relieved and slightly confused.               

                “Miss Nelson!” she gestured towards Savannah before addressing Joey with an accusing tone, “Mr. Buckweed. What are you two doing out her in the snow wearing such…odd clothing? Don’t you understand you’re late for the ball? Madame Nelson is not happy! Not at all! Let’s get going before she does something drastic!” he hurried around us and pushed them forward along the path before returning to the lead.

                How did this lady know Savannah’s last name? And did she mention a Madame Nelson? Her mom? She’d never met her mother. It’d just been her, her father, and brother. She learned not to ask questions. She didn’t want her dad to get into one of his moods, especially after her brother died. He normally didn’t leave his bedroom unless completely necessary.

                It was Joey who came to the rescue with an excuse. “We were just taking a walk before the ball and got lost.” His voice was wavering and uncertain although the woman deemed this an acceptable answer.

                “Very well,” she looked towards Savannah. “Miss Nelson, we have to hurry! Your step mother is very upset about your disappearance and is adamant about your timely return. You are way overdue at the King’s ball and I fear you have much preparing to do before you’re presentable.” She looked worried and slightly frightened.

                Savannah assumed her stepmother wasn’t the nicest person. But still, she was completely lost.  Where was she supposed to be? A kings ball? Savannah craved understand. But for now, she would do anything just to be warm again. It was probably best to obey the woman’s demands until they could figure out what the hell is going on.

                “As for your Mr. Buckweed, I am sure Prince Michael would appreciate you by his side as well.”

                Prince Michael? Savannah and Joey share the same thought. Was Prince Michael the same Michael as Savannah’s? Maybe he would know what’s going on. Silently, they agreed that was the best option.

                “Very well, take me to him.”

--

                Savannah knew something was definitely not right when the small woman, who she learned to be Mrs. Crock, led her to a beautiful and extremely familiar white house. That’s when it all clicked. This was Joey’s house. The oak trees and all. Granted, they weren’t as busty and broad, but they were still in their prime branching way overhead. “Joey!” she hissed.

                He ignored her, probably making the same revelations in his head.

                “Thank you for escorting us, Mister Buckweed. I will prepare Miss Nelson and she will see you at the ball. You better get ready yourself. Prince Michael is waiting.” Her voice was stern, but she was still smiling. Something told Savannah that Mrs. Crock could be considered an ally and any ally was extremely valuable. As Joey began walking towards the house, Savannah begged him with her eyes not to leave her. As much as she hated them right now, he was the only one aware that she had no idea what was going on.

                “Miss Nelson,” he stepped forward grabbing her hand. “I shall be seeing you at the ball.” He bent down and kissed her knuckles whispering, “Just do what she says.”

                Way to play the party Joey. Savannah shot him a tight smile and reluctantly followed Mrs. Crock to a nearby horse drawn carriage. It was then that Savannah was forced to realize, she wasn’t in the 2000’s anymore…

--

                Joey felt ridiculous in the outfit his ‘assistant’ had so kindly given to him. He felt more feminine then he had in his entire life. He had black trousers matched with a deep purple tail coat, falling just before the back of his knees. His white bow tie was tied entirely too tight making him weary to eat or drink anything in fear he might choke.

                He dreaded to moment Savannah would lay eyes upon him. She was never going to let him hear the end of it. That is, if they ever reached the end of whatever was going on. Fear of being stuck in the past forever tore at Joey. Yet, for some odd reason he felt like this wasn’t going to be all negative.

                Joey was left in a foyer, next to a grand staircase while Madame Nelson was fetched. Apparently she wanted to speak with both of them before they made their grand entrance, as late as they were. Savannah was due any moment. He wished she’d hurry. He didn’t want to have to face Madame Nelson alone. Besides, it was imperative that both Savannah and Joey acquire as much information as possible. He’d seen Back to the Future before. If they made one mistake who knew what their present, or future would hold.

                A soft giggle drew his attention towards the top of the stairs. There stood Savannah, laughing at his appearance like he predicted. But at that moment, he didn’t care. He was too mesmerized by her.

                Savannah’s strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into tight ringlets pinned to her head. Her dress was a sheer pink that rested near the end of her shoulders, leaving the majority of her chest exposed. Her waist was dramatically drawn in making her curves flow into the long, ruffled train of her dress. She wore white gloves that reached nearly to her elbows and a small smile on her lips.

                “What are you looking at?” Her green eyes brushed with a light pink shade narrowed at Joey. “Haven’t you ever seen an evening gown before?”

                “Not with you in it…or from this decade.” He laughed.

                Reaching the last step, Joey offered his hand to Savannah. She was slowly becoming aggravated at his continuous attempt to be a gentleman of the 1800’s. She wasn’t sure if it was due to the seemingly endless torture she just endured putting this dress on, or the fact that she was becoming soft to his way. Regardless, she wasn’t having any of it. Instead, she pushed his hand away and finished the last step on her own; one step for Savannah, one giant leap for women empowerment.

                “Where have you two been?!” a sharp voice cut through the silence like a machete. A tall, troll of a woman wearing a scarlet dress lurked in the corner. She had an impatient scowl resting upon her lips and Savannah swore she could hear a quick tapping of her shoe against the hard wood floors. Her hair was a deep brown, twisted up in some sort of intricate up do. With her piercing brown eyes shooting daggers in their direction, she lived up to the reputation Savannah feared: a woman she didn’t want to cross.

                “We were walking in the woods and lost our way. My deepest apologies Madame.” Joey took a protective step forward, cutting between Savannah and the scary lady.

                “Madame?” she hissed back. “Since when did you get manners, Buckweed?”

                “Always in the presence of a lady,”

                Madame Nelson gave Joey a long hard look and Savannah thought right then and there they were discovered. Horrible scenes of beheading and public hangings filled her head. She had absolutely no idea what would happen if they did get discovered, or even how it could but in this moment, she was terrified.

                She sighed as if dismissing Joey like a peasant. “The King has been waiting on your arrival, Savannah. I don’t understand how you could make such a stupid mistake at such a trivial moment.” Her eyes shined with frustration, “Luckily, I’ve managed to hold him off, ensuring him that you wanted to be at your very best for tonight’s ball.”

                Savannah lowered her eyes mumbling a quick, “Sorry,”

                “And you,” she faced Joey now. “…tell him you fell in a hole and couldn’t get out for all I care! Now follow me, let’s not keep the king waiting any longer.” She spun on her heels and pushed open the double doors to their right.

                It took everything in Savannah to control her facial expressions as she walked into the ballroom. No joke, a ballroom. It was elegant and huge. Bigger than she’d ever imagined. Glossy gold and red patterns swirled all along the flooring. She felt as if she just stepped into Beauty and the Beast. There were dozens of round tables draped with sheer white table clothes circling a clearing in front of three golden thrones. Soft melodies drifted from each corner meeting up in the middle, blending into one of the most beautiful harmonies Savannah had ever heard.

                The tallest throne was occupied by a wrinkled, but gentle looking man. Savannah pictured the king to look stern and menacing, like all the rulers in her history book did. But this man seemed king, clutching a hefty can in his left hand. The woman to his right was tiny and frail. Her golden crown was, of course, encrusted with jewels and seemed to swallow her head completely. All Savannah really noticed was her glorious white smile beaming in her direction, accompanied by a wink that happened so fast Savannah thought she might have imagined it. To the kings’ left, sat Michael. Well, the prince-ified Michael. He was wearing the same kind of ridiculous outfit as Joey, just way more gold and elegant. His crown was an ant in comparison to his fathers, which was not only gold but paired with a red velvety top. He too was intensely staring in her direction. There was something in his gaze that unsettled Savannah.

                Michael rose at the sight of Savannah, nudging his father. A thunderously loud knock exploded from under the King’s cane. “Announcing the arrival of Miss Savannah Elizabeth Nelson and her Stepmother, Madame Edith Irene Solomon Nelson,” his voice was strong and echoed throughout the ballroom. Savannah definitely understood why people listened to him. His voice was deep and screamed authority.

                Great, Savannah thought. Now everyone was staring intently at her probably fabricating a nice piece of gossip as to her reasoning for being late. She glanced back to where Joey once stood only to find it empty. Where the hell did he go!? Savannah plastered a smile on her face, but scanned the nearby crowd. Nothing.

                She felt a hard jerk on her hand. Madame Nelson pulled her forward into the sea of tables and closer to the thrones. This was going to be just great. She had to face the king and figure out if Michael was her Michael or another version of himself all while keeping the proper demeanor of an 1800 lady! Her step mother gave her hand a squeeze as they slowed in the center of the clearing before the thrones. Shoulder to should they stood before their royalty.

                Edith slowly began sinking, causing Savannah to cast a crazy stare in her direction. What the hell was she doing? A sharp cough somewhere from the crowd snapped Savannah back into reality. She was supposed to bow! Hoping that no one noticed her delay, she matched Madame Nelson’s movements and gracefully bowed to Michael and his parents.

                “Rise,” spoke the King, stopping a couple feet in front of them. “I am so glad to see you’ve finally arrived Miss Nelson. Were your actions meant to make dear Michael anxious?” he chuckled.

                At least the King had a sense of humor. He was addressing her so casually, she wasn’t sure how to respond. “I wouldn’t dream of it, sir.” She said lightly with a small smile.

                “Very well, my son has something he’d like to say to you.” He shot her another warm smile, his eyes twinkling with some sort of delight she didn’t understand. “Michael,” he motioned for him.

                The moment that their eyes met, Savannah felt a chill run through her body. Something about the way he looked at her didn’t settle right. He looked stunning, like her Michael. All she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and go back to their comfortable little life.

                “Savannah?” he reached for her hand. “I can’t help but think I’ve loved you since the first time I laid eyes upon you. With your long golden locks, emerald green eyes, and dazzling smile there’s no room for imperfection. Since everyone we love and cherish has gathered tonight, I think it’s the perfect time to consummate our love.” He looked over towards his parents who nodded, as if they knew exactly what was about to happen. Savannah, on the other hand, was absolutely mortified. What exactly did he mean by consummate?

                Slowly Michael descended down to one knee. “Miss Savannah Elizabeth Nelson,” he imitated his fathers’ booming voice from moments earlier, sounding almost as powerful. “Would you please do our kingdom, and myself the great honor of become my wife and future Queen?”

                Savannah’s mental freak out morphed to a complete melt down. Her…a queen? That was just absurd. Quickly realizing that hesitation might not be the best thing she attempted to make her voice just as powerful, “Yes.” Plastering on what she hoped to be a warm smile, the ballroom erupted in applause.

                As Michael stood and engulfed her in his arms he whispered, “What’s with the games tonight, Miss Nelson?” His voice wasn’t light and airy. His tone was stern and left Savannah feeling slightly on edge. Was this marriage arranged? Surely Michael didn’t truly love Savannah if he’d speak to her in such a demeaning tone. He pulled her a little too tightly beside him as the crowd knelt before them all.

                “Let us all celebrate the engagement of Prince Michael William Nottingham and Miss Savannah Elizabeth Nelson!”

                A short man wearing what Savannah could only assume to be servants clothes scurried towards the line of royalty. Each of them, including Savannah, was handed a slim glass filled with bubbly liquid. The King raised his, “Love live Eddington!”

Author's Note

What do you think?

Reviews

[Cheshire]

It seemed weird that the MC wasn't concerned with HOW they got to where they were, just that they were moved somewhere. A normal reaction wouldn't have been anger at being taken somewhere, but surprise and confusion at not being in the closet anymore. Also, the MC had enough alcohol to cause emergency room grade alcohol poisoning... yet didn't seem to show any side effects.

They both seemed to take the whole change of scenery very well, as if they were expecting it. Keep in mind that even though you may have knowledge of what is going on, you have to put yourself in their shoes. You've already set up your MC as a fairly normal high school girl, emotionally unstable, and withdrawn, yet some of the decisions and the way that she acts doesn't always reflect that. You also set up her relationship with Joey as one of distrust, and dislike, yet she doesn't reflect that in the way she acts either. The mixed signals tend to be more confusing than mysterious, if that's what you were going for.

Her noticing of the time skip seemed to be a bit off as well, if they had gone into a different time, then the MC should have realized that from different mannerisms in speech, accent, and the way they dressed. Again, as I'm reading, I'm noticing that they seem to take the change of setting very easily, as if its something they've done a lot before. Put yourself in the MCs shoes... if you stepped into a closet and appeared 200 years into the past, how would you feel?

The MC also took the profession of love from the unknown prince extremely blandly. Only one sentence remarked that she might have some aversion to it, and she easily agreed to it without hardly a thought to what she was doing. I would be too shocked to even speak if that happened to me.