Chapter Eight

The servants attempted to dress Gwyneth in a manner befitting a woman and queen, but she protested the moment they brought out the dress.

“Absolutely not,” Gwyneth said, prompting Kiran to chuckle, while the servants wore confused expressions.

They sought guidance from Kiran.

“Let her dress in what she wants. Bring more options.”

They did as instructed, and Gwyneth chose the attire she wanted to wear before moving behind a small room divider.

The servants ended up dressing Gwyneth in dark leather pants, a well-fitting shirt, and a brown jacket. She laced up her own boots before emerging from behind the room divider. The king, on the other hand, was attired in far more elegant clothing than that of the previous day, with dark pants like hers, but his shirt and jacket boasted golden trimmings and were clearly made from fine materials.

“Interesting,” he remarked as they gazed at each other.

“What?” Gwyneth inquired, feeling confused.

“I never thought I would adore a woman in pants.”

“Well, better get used to it. I don’t wear dresses.”

“Why not? I’m certain you would look lovely.”

“And how would I chase someone down the street if I looked “lovely”?” she retorted, making air quotes.

“Why would you be chasing anyone down the street?”

“It could be a thief I was trying to stop.”

“I don’t believe the queen should be chasing after thieves.”

“I meant in my own world.”

“Oh.”

“But I can still stop thieves here,” she added with a faint smile.

“No, I prefer my queen to be safe and sound.”

“I haven’t accepted being your queen. You haven’t even asked me!”

“Right, I forget that you don’t feel the same way as I do, or at least not as quickly. But I would be delighted to ask.”

Kiran moved closer, taking Gwyneth by surprise as he stepped in front of her. The servants left the room to attend to their other duties. He placed his hands on her hips and drew her closer, a mischievous smile playing on his lips. “Will you be my queen?”

“No,” she replied promptly.

Kiran chuckled, obviously not taking the rejection seriously, even though Gwyneth remained earnest.

“That will change,” he assured her.

“Are you trying to wear me down?”

“You will get to know me, and you will get to know this land. What’s not to fall in love with?”

“I have my own land to return to.”

“And how will you do that?”

Gwyneth fell silent, and Kiran gave a small shrug, as if to say, “I told you so.” They walked out of the room, with Gwyneth following along, uncertain of what else to do. Soon, they found themselves back in the dining hall, where they took their seats for breakfast. This time, Gwyneth made sure to pull out her chair and sit down before Kiran could make a move. He noticed her quick movements as he settled into his seat.

“Don’t want to sit on my lap?” he teased.

“Nope.”

He chuckled, but soon, others joined them at the table. Gwyneth was by the men she had met the previous day, all of them glancing at her with varying degrees of interest.

“Have you uncovered more answers?” one of his trusted men inquired.

“I’ve learned more about this mysterious world of hers,” Kiran replied, but his gaze remained fixed on Gwyneth as he spoke.

“Oh?”

“It seems quite intriguing, but their kind isn’t very clever.”

“Excuse me?” Gwyneth interjected.

“You destroyed your own home. How is that considered clever?”

“We created a time traveling machine! And, apparently, one capable of moving a person between realms!” she defended. “How is that not a testament to our intelligence?”

“Well, firstly, why did you feel the need to create it?”

Gwyneth was left speechless, once again receiving the “I told you so” look.

“And secondly, your mission was a failure.”

“Well, the only reason it failed was because someone interfered. Otherwise, I would have been in sunny Rome, trying to blend in with the people!” Gwyneth snapped.

“Now you’re here.”

“Yes, and it is very hard to blend in with people who can turn into wolves!” she retorted, making the rest chuckle a little. “Am I amusing?”

“You are when you get worked up,” Kiran explained.

This surprised Gwyneth. Her assertive demeanor often demanded people’s attention, and they typically opted to behave themselves afterward. After all, she was a leading Protector and had dealt with her fair share of troublemakers. However, these men showed no signs of being intimidated by her.

“But you do seem quite knowledgeable, as you claim,” Kiran noted, extending an olive branch.

“We are. But I suppose that knowledge came too late to clean up the mess we had made.” She sighed, poking at the porridge in front of her. She didn’t have much of an appetite. The realization that she might never return and could never save her world weighed heavily on her.

“Don’t dwell on it,” Kiran advised. “What happened has happened. Let’s hope someone can fix it, even if it isn’t you.”

“I’m not sure if anyone can, though. There are individuals who have become wealthy from the demise of our world. They may not want to give up their newfound wealth.”

“But for now, there’s little you can do about it. So why dwell?”

“Do we believe the story now?” one of his men asked skeptically.

Kiran watched each man around the table, scrutinizing their expressions one by one. “We do,” he stated firmly. “How else can we explain everything?”

He seemed to be making a point, and Gwyneth noticed the others had to acknowledge the plausibility of her story. The conversation quieted down after that, yet it surprised her when Kiran suddenly reached for an apple, sliced it in half, and offered her one of the halves. A smile graced her lips as she regarded it. The gesture was a kind one, and she recognized its significance as she reached out to accept it, conveying her gratitude through her eyes.