- Joined
- Nov 12, 2006
- Messages
- 163
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After what seemed like hours, Jan Miller-Jones stirred, and opened her eyes. Dazzling white light blinded her for a moment, and she struggled to sit up. How came she to be on a table? Jan felt cool metal beneath her, and realized she was in a strange white room. Was she in a hospital? If she was, where were the doctors and nurses? Where were her parents?
Jan heaved herself off the table. Though the room spun a little, she was able to stand. She went over to the wall, and realized at that moment there seemed to be no doors. No doors? Where was she? The walls seemed to be made out of some sort of white plastic material, and they seemed to glow from within. The ceiling and the floor were made of the same material as the walls.
"Am I dead?" murmured the startled girl as she felt along the walls, trying to find out how to open them. As she moved along the room, a small section of wall near the ceiling caught her attention. This seemed to be made of another material, with little round holes. A speaker, maybe? Jan tapped on the plastic-like surface.
"Hallo? Can anyone here me? Is anyone even out there? I seem to be trapped and would like to get out of whatever this room might be."
After a moment, a crackling noise was heard, then came a voice, a man's voice, deep and guttural, belonging to what sounded like an older man in his late 50s or maybe older.
"You are awake? Are you hurt at all?"
"Not that I can tell. Will you let me out?"
"Let me come inside. There's lots to say, and none too soon to begin. Wait there, I'm coming in and will not harm you."
The wall slid aside, and the man entered the room. He was of average build and height, with iron grey hair and inky blue eyes. Jan looked at him. She was certain she had never seen him before, yet why did he look so familiar? He was dressed in a military-style of uniform, made of a navy grey material, and his boots were rugged, but reliable. He looked very efficient.
"Mavourneen? Can it really be? After so many years! To begin at the beginning, my name is Ewald. I'm your.....your host. I believe you were struck in the back by lightning, though you seem to be in excellent condition. Hardly surprising, though, considering who you are."
"Who I am?" Jan stared at him in amazement. "I'm Jan Miller-Jones, if that's what you mean. I'm the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Miller-Jones, their only child. I attend high school at Oakbrook West High School, and I live in Ohio. Are you a doctor?"
Ewald shook his head. "None of that is true, I'm afraid. You say that you are Jan Miller-Jones and that you live in Ohio. I think this is the correct time to dispense with disguises and be up front with you. To start, your name is actually Janya, not Jan Miller-Jones. You were not originally from Ohio. The people whom you say are your parents, are really more like foster parents. Your real parents are not the people who raised you."
Jan stared at him. "How can you say that? I have proof! I have memories!"
Ewald gazed at the girl with sympathy in his eyes. It was for the best, he knew, even if it meant giving this poor girl a heartache. Thankfully it was himself who had determined to get to the girl, before.....the wrong person did.
"Mavourneen, I suppose you need to know who I really am. Your mother was Moira, the People's Lady. Quiet and meek, but very nice, too. She was my sister, and you are my niece. Your father is Bronwyn. He is the Emperor of Aragonia. He has two brothers, both younger. He has no idea I came to bring you home. Listen to me, Mavourneen. You say you have memories. Do you ever have dreams that keep returning, or even seem real?"
Jan stared at this man, her uncle. "Sometimes I have dreams. It's night, and I hear voices. They don't sound like happy voices. I think I see faces, then it all fades to black and I wake up. How did you know about them?"
"I know about them because I was there. Your mother, Moira, was weak and in despair. Your father, though Emperor, was devoted to a military career. He was going to be away again, and she couldn't take it. We found her on the floor in their bathroom, your father's sabre in her hand. By that time, you were already hidden somewhere else in the great palace. You were born there. You are a duchess, a person of great importance. I promise I'll explain the reasons for that in due time. But look, Mavourneen, I had to find you and tell you the truth, hard as it must be for you to know."
Jan nodded, and raised her chin in the familiar gesture that Ewald recognized so well. All would be well, this child was strong and reliable. The right things had been done, after all. Ewald let out a sigh, and mentally steeled himself to tell his niece the rest of the story.
Jan heaved herself off the table. Though the room spun a little, she was able to stand. She went over to the wall, and realized at that moment there seemed to be no doors. No doors? Where was she? The walls seemed to be made out of some sort of white plastic material, and they seemed to glow from within. The ceiling and the floor were made of the same material as the walls.
"Am I dead?" murmured the startled girl as she felt along the walls, trying to find out how to open them. As she moved along the room, a small section of wall near the ceiling caught her attention. This seemed to be made of another material, with little round holes. A speaker, maybe? Jan tapped on the plastic-like surface.
"Hallo? Can anyone here me? Is anyone even out there? I seem to be trapped and would like to get out of whatever this room might be."
After a moment, a crackling noise was heard, then came a voice, a man's voice, deep and guttural, belonging to what sounded like an older man in his late 50s or maybe older.
"You are awake? Are you hurt at all?"
"Not that I can tell. Will you let me out?"
"Let me come inside. There's lots to say, and none too soon to begin. Wait there, I'm coming in and will not harm you."
The wall slid aside, and the man entered the room. He was of average build and height, with iron grey hair and inky blue eyes. Jan looked at him. She was certain she had never seen him before, yet why did he look so familiar? He was dressed in a military-style of uniform, made of a navy grey material, and his boots were rugged, but reliable. He looked very efficient.
"Mavourneen? Can it really be? After so many years! To begin at the beginning, my name is Ewald. I'm your.....your host. I believe you were struck in the back by lightning, though you seem to be in excellent condition. Hardly surprising, though, considering who you are."
"Who I am?" Jan stared at him in amazement. "I'm Jan Miller-Jones, if that's what you mean. I'm the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. R. Miller-Jones, their only child. I attend high school at Oakbrook West High School, and I live in Ohio. Are you a doctor?"
Ewald shook his head. "None of that is true, I'm afraid. You say that you are Jan Miller-Jones and that you live in Ohio. I think this is the correct time to dispense with disguises and be up front with you. To start, your name is actually Janya, not Jan Miller-Jones. You were not originally from Ohio. The people whom you say are your parents, are really more like foster parents. Your real parents are not the people who raised you."
Jan stared at him. "How can you say that? I have proof! I have memories!"
Ewald gazed at the girl with sympathy in his eyes. It was for the best, he knew, even if it meant giving this poor girl a heartache. Thankfully it was himself who had determined to get to the girl, before.....the wrong person did.
"Mavourneen, I suppose you need to know who I really am. Your mother was Moira, the People's Lady. Quiet and meek, but very nice, too. She was my sister, and you are my niece. Your father is Bronwyn. He is the Emperor of Aragonia. He has two brothers, both younger. He has no idea I came to bring you home. Listen to me, Mavourneen. You say you have memories. Do you ever have dreams that keep returning, or even seem real?"
Jan stared at this man, her uncle. "Sometimes I have dreams. It's night, and I hear voices. They don't sound like happy voices. I think I see faces, then it all fades to black and I wake up. How did you know about them?"
"I know about them because I was there. Your mother, Moira, was weak and in despair. Your father, though Emperor, was devoted to a military career. He was going to be away again, and she couldn't take it. We found her on the floor in their bathroom, your father's sabre in her hand. By that time, you were already hidden somewhere else in the great palace. You were born there. You are a duchess, a person of great importance. I promise I'll explain the reasons for that in due time. But look, Mavourneen, I had to find you and tell you the truth, hard as it must be for you to know."
Jan nodded, and raised her chin in the familiar gesture that Ewald recognized so well. All would be well, this child was strong and reliable. The right things had been done, after all. Ewald let out a sigh, and mentally steeled himself to tell his niece the rest of the story.
