Majesty, I insist you awake!
That was the first thing Alexis heard after passing out. The man, shaking her, sounded sincerely alarmed.
"A-a-lrigh-alright, I'm u-up."
The man stiffened, squeezing her shoulder uncomfortably, then relaxed.
Majesty, I must say I'm surprised you speak aloud after discovering your ability to thought-speak.
Alexis jerked. She had forgotten where she was, and the telepathic message ‘insisting that she wake' had not registered as inside her mind instead of out.
"Y-y-eah, yeah, I-I also d-dis-disc-covered that thought-sp-spea-speaking hur-hurts."
The man sighed, probably the first outwardly audible thing she had heard the whole time they had been together.
She looked around. They were still in the strangely lit, smooth room.
"K-ka-kay, how d-do we get ou-out of her-ere?"
I thought you would never ask, the guy said, sounding releived. Majesty.
"Y-you need m-mah-my p-er-perrrr-mission to leave a p-pla-pla-place like ti-the-this?"
Of course, Majesty, you are the heir to the throne! no action can be taken without your consent.
Alexis rolled her eyes. Her head was starting to hurt again. "W-well, leff-li-let's g-go, then, I'm g-getting c-cl-clau-au–"
She was stopped short by the wall opposite her suddenly disappearing. All at once her mind was bombarded by mental cheering and whistling. Mental whistling? That didn't sound right. Either way, though, it was loud. And it hurt a little. The world outside was old-fashioned, almost medieval. The large building, presumably a castle or palace, stood on the far edge of a large open space filled with hundreds of thousands of what must be subjects of this land. the world, however bizarre, seemed very similar to that of Earth's, but she had a momentary sense of vertigo since the edges of the horizon dipped down sooner than she was used to. A smaller planet.
The man helped her up and offered his arm. Well, this was a little formal, considering she was still damp and needed a shower and a good long sleep. Regardless, she hesitantly hooked her arm through his and allowed him to lead her through the throngs of people...people? They had hair so black it didn't even shine and blue-ish purple skin! And wings!
As she made her way through, the crowd parted to make an aisle wide enough for them both to walk down in comfort with three feet to spare on both sides.
All at once, after they had paraded about ten feet, the crowd silenced their mind-sent applause. A ripple whispered through the onlookers, and the expressions on their faces changed. Some suddenly became indifferent, some confused, some even openly hostile and suspicious.
Alexis was with the confused people. What happened here? She hesitated, then stumbled. As the man at her side continued at the same pace. He was suddenly rough with her as he drag-jerked her back onto her feet and half-carried her farther down the gradually narrowing path.
She leaned over and quietly began to whisper, "W-why r-are–"
The sound of her voice, however quiet, created the reaction of a nuclear bomb among the crowd. The emotion itself of surprise and fear waved like a typhoon over her and her companion, causing them both to falter. The people watching them all backed up an extra five feet. She looked at the man for help, and he was glaring back at her with a frightening expression in his now hazel eyes. His face had become peaked, and color rose in his cheeks, creating a most disturbing clown effect. His well-defined face became even more defined as his jaw clenched, he sucked in his cheeks, and flared his nostrils in obvious fury. Then he dropped his arm and grasped her wrist in a death grip, then they continued on their way through the deathly silence.
It seemed to take an eternity to cross the town square.
What were you thinking, talking alout like that?!? The guy instantly bombarded Alexis's head as soon as they made inside the building on the other side of the clearing.
I wanted to know what was going on, and I didn't want to risk passing out again in front of everyone...stupid headache. Couldn't it leave her alone?
The people were wary and uncertain enough without seeing that you don't have wings! To know that you talk out loud, too...this is a nightmare!..Your Majesty....
So that's what they were looking at me for. I didn't have wings! Well, why not? If I am supposed to be one of these people, shouldn't I look the same, too?
Yes, of course. That's the whole mystery. You disappeared, then reappear fifteen years later without wings.
Is that the only difference, though?
Yes.
So I am definitely the princess.
I have told you before. There is no doubt that you are the sole heir to the Khleghan throne.
So that's what this wacko place is called? Cleeken?
Khleghan.
Whatever. And what are you called? And what makes you think you can talk to me this way? You were so respectful earlier! Pain, in the back of her neck. Spreading down her spine.
I am Yreahan, your younger brother and second in line to the throne if you die before your children come of age. A sort of regent person.
When do these people 'come of age?'
Fifteen is considered adulthood here.
I'll be fifteen in two months.
Yes.
Alexis suddenly sat down on the hard wood floor. Her head was spinning out of control. Not so much from thought-speaking this time.
You mean I will have to become queen and rule these people in two months?
Precisely.
What was this world coming to? She had no idea. She didn't know anything about this blasted world, Khleghan, much less what was happening in it. Heck, how was she supposed to know it even existed? Sure, she was the princess, of all people to end up as, but really!
Another question...
What?
If I look exactly the same as I should, why is it different than all of the others? And you? I thought it might be a sign of royal blood, but if you don't have white skin and nearly-white hair...?
You are an albino.
And albino what, exactly?
Vampire.
Alexis's head reeled.
Excuse me?
You are an albino vampire.
So what does that make you, a normal vampire?
No. I am royal, I look more human.
Well, that made sense. Sort of. He did have paler skin than most of the commoners, but still definitely purple.
And all the others, they are normal vampires, too, just common?
Precisely.
Alexis thought for a moment, wondering what she know about vampires.
Do you have sharp teeth?
Yes.
C-can I see?
He bared his teeth in a wolfish grin. What really scared her was not the fact that his eye teeth were sharp, it was the fact that all his teeth were black. Completely and utterly black, and shining with saliva.
Do I have those? Alexis aked, hoping she didn't.
Not at the moment.
Will I have to ...have black teeth at some point?
No. Being an albino makes all of you pale, including your teeth. Your teeth, however sharp and deadly, will always remain white.
Alexis sighed in relief. Then she had another thought.
What about wings? Will I get wings, too?
She thought about the wings she had seen on the backs of the townspeople she had walked past. The dark, midnight blue, translucent bat-like wings would be pretty cool to have. She didn't care what color they were.
Yreahan looked at her.
Yes, you will have wings.
It was all Alexis could do to refrain from pumping her fist in the air like Napolean Dynamite. She was gonna have wings!
And when will I get these teeth and wings.
When you truly believe you are one of us. I sense–and not from mind-reading, I promise–that you don't quite believe what I am telling you.
Why shouldn't I? If this were a dream, I would have woken up a long time ago.
Yet you are unsure.
Alexis paused.
Yes, I am unsure whether I want to rule a country. But as to the reality of this place, I am ninety-nine percent plus one sure.
Go jump off a cliff.
Excuse me?
If you truly believed, sister, then your faith would be enough to grow wings as you fall down the vertical face of a cliff and save you. If you are not ‘ninety nine percent plus one sure,' then you will die.
Do you think I am stupid? I'm not jumping off any cliff!
Then I am assuming that you do not fully believe. Come with me.
Alexis followed Yreahan in silence. Did she actually believe she was an albino vampire, princess of a world apart from her own, residence of others not at all like her? She really had no idea. She couldn't see any reason why she couldn't believe it, except for that this whole thing was way beyond anything she would ever have imagined. So, on the other hand, why should she believe anything this stranger, Yreahan says? Sheesh, how could he possibly be her brother? Her younger brother, besides! He was a man, a foot taller than her easily, and no boy younger than fourteen had a voice that deep. I mean, sure she had paler features than anyone here, her being, supposedly, an albino, but she should look more like her ‘brother' than she did. It was completely impossible.
Sister, you are lagging behind. Please try to keep up.
How can you be my brother?
We share the same parents.
How can you be my younger brother, though?
He turned on her. I am younger than you by a mere four minutes.
That stopped Alexis short. You mean you're my twin?
That sounds about right.
But you don't look anything like me!
No one does here.
What's that supposed to mean?
It means you are unique. Many say you are supernatural, not of our world. That our parents are not biological.
It would definitely make more sense...
Don't say that! I grew up with you! The people's remarks on your appearance and relation to the royal family are merely racism. Besides that, our mother would not have put you at the head of the royal line, after her, if you were adopted.
Who is my–our mother?
The Queen.
Duh. I mean, what's her name.
The Queen.
That's her name?
Yes.
Will that be my name in two months?
Presumably.
Is that required?
There is no other choice.
Why?
A foreign power forces the heir to the throne to forget her name when she comes of age. Any other who knew her name would also seem unable to recover her name. It is lost from the archives, and records containing her name mysteriously disappear. Nobody does anything about it, it is of no concern. It is simply one name converted to one's title. Hurry, sister, we must continue on our way.
Alexis had nearly forgotten she was following Yreahan somewhere.
Where are we going, exactly?
To get you some suitable clothing.
She recalled the attire of the people as she walked past them. Flowing dresses and tunics that fluttered at the slightest breeze–which was scary, since the women were wearing very, very little. She grimaced. The colors were kind of pretty, though.
They suddenly stopped at a light brown door that looked extremely heavy. Yreahan knocked, the door opened on contact. Three small, strongly built women looked up in surprise.
All at once, they started speaking. The voices were in her head, so there was no telling who was saying what. It was really confusing.
Yreahan, who is this you have brought? Most unusual is she... one said.
She has no wings, and her teeth are dull and flat! Poked in another.
The third came in finally with How dare you speak in such a way about Princess Xanxa!
This statement brought a heavy silence, broken by Yreahan.
Indeed, the Princess Xanxa has returned to us.
Xanxa? Who was Xanxa? Maybe they meant her? Of course, it all made sense. She had a different name.
Yreahan, am I Princess Xanxa?
Yes, Alexis–Xanxa.
Okay then. Don't call me that, though.
Yes, majesty. Now, I must leave you here. You are to be properly clothed by our best seamstresses.
But–
But Yreahan had vanished. She looked back at the seamstresses. One of them had tears of joy in her eyes, and the other two were beaming at her eagerly
