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Lumen had been aware of a falling feeling biting force of gravity- then, slamming into something. Both her hands were underneath her so she knew she no longer held onto Paul. She was overwhelmed by a bright light and it took her a moment to realize it was coming from her- unbridled and gleaming. She could hear muffled voices but her ears hadn't yet adjusted. There was something squishy under her too. "Riori?" she called out turning her face toward the sounds. The noises got louder. "Please- I'm trying to find my brother Riori..." She did her best to dim the light and the ringing in her ears started to ease up. She was overwhelmed with the conversation going on around her.

"Prince Riori? Her brother? He came from mine own loins and I swear I not birth another"- a male voice.

"She was floating in the air- like a spirit of angel of sort- with a heavenly glow" - A child's voice

"Just look at the mess-"

"Someone call the royal guards, do not kill her but be prepared- we know not what this creature is!"

Finally Lumen's vision started to come back and she realized that she'd been smashed into a table. Only, not just a table, a table covered in food. her knee was in the mashed potatoes. It was a very long table, with people seated on other side and a man, woman, and child at the head. She turned her head toward them trying to make sense.

"Prince Riori we know not who she is- it's bad luck to look upon it"

"Prince... Riori?" they had a thick accent not unlike her own which she'd forgotten to hide. The child sitting in between the man and woman wore a crown on top of his red curls. He'd be no older than 5 or 6. He looked nothing like her Riori. "Where am I?" she struggled to right herself when she suddenly felt strong hands on either side.

"So bright!"

She was lifted from the table and made to stand. "You stand in front of his royal prince Riori of Davenshale. The Queen Mother her grace Lila of Riverport, and The King Father his grace Peter of Davenshale." said one of the booming voices holding her up. Lumen stared at the little family confused and began to take in her surroundings.

She was standing in a great hall made of stone. There were hearths burning on either side of the room and the long table was covered with food. Many people sat around the table all dressed like they were out of a movie. Lumen struggled to get her wits back and make sense of it all. What had she just been doing? Oh God.. the candlestick man... er eyes scanned the room for Paul but she did not see him. She turned her face back to the royal family staring at her expectedly.

"Uh, your graces." she managed to get out while the realization of what was happening started to dawn on her.

"Who is she father- the glowing lady?" asked the little prince.

"Indeed." said the king. "Who are you woman? Be you friend or foe?" all eyes were turned on her and she could see that the men around her were ready to draw swords at a moments notice. She bit her lip, focused on her lights, took a deep breath in, and tried to imagine herself somewhere else. It seemed to work. The lights drastically lessened and the people around her responded with oohhs and awws.

"I apologize your graces." she started to say mustering as much courage as she could. She needed to come across strong, determined, and of her own authority. "I was searching for my brother, it seems I fell into some sort of trap and ended up on your table. I could not explain to you how- I do not know myself."

It was a strange enough response- but considering the fact that only moments ago she was suspended in mid air above their table and glowing the King and Queen remained silent. The little prince however...

"Your brother, named Riori- like me?" he asked excited. His mother put a hand on his shoulder to hush him.

"Yes your highness, like you." replied Lumen trying to keep her cool as all eyes were upon her. Her face was turned to the little prince but her eyes were darting about the room in case she needed to escape. She was sure if she put her lights on full blast it would blind them just long enough for her to slip away.

"By what magic do you shine?" Demanded the king.

"I... I cannot say your highness. I am special, and from a different time where many people have different..." she struggled for a word "Magic..." she said hopefully.

The King studied her, then clapped his hands. "Guards, fetch me the maester." he ordered. "Woman, you would do well to remain docile. Should you attack us with your lights or some other strange power I'll have you killed on the spot." yeah, Lumen guessed as much.

She sat in the master's chamber. It was a small room, but decorated with tapestries of all sorts. Lumen still couldn't figure out what time she had jumped to. She wasn't sure either on which part of the globe since aside from the mild Celtic accent these people could easily be mistaken for British.

The Maester has shown up quite quickly after the king summoned him. He appeared cold and uncaring as he and the guard escorted Lumen down the hall to his chambers. Every muscle in her body was screaming from the trauma of the time jump, and all she wanted to do was bolt from here and get her bearings. She was still alive though- which meant she must have at LEAST peeked their curiosity.

She'd been sitting now, on a stone chair next to a small wooden table while the maester poured over books for at least 20 minutes now. She was silent and remained unmoving- knowing a guard was positioned right outside the door. He seemed very intent on finding something in the book so she simply waited and observed him. He was a short man in stature, with bushy gray eyebrows and salt and pepper hair cropped close to his ears. He wore elegant robes of purple and green. Whenever he moved she heard a tinkling sound. The maester seemed to be in his late 50's though his skin was well worn more like a sailors or a farmers.

"Ah, here we go. Belisama the goddess of light and fire." he said pointing his finger to an illustration and caption on the page. "this ought to sway his Majesty." he grinned looking accomplished. Lumen simply stared. He became aware of her suddenly and hopped a little. "oh my dear, let me explain. I am sorry for the lack of courtesy, we all must wear masks. Yes indeed..." an odd one... for sure. "But I, am like you. A... shall we say.. gifted person..." he began.

"A mutant?" demanded Lumen a little harsher than she intended.

"Well, I suppose that would be an excellent choice of wording... I can see from your mind it's the one they use in your time." his eyes sparkled as he looked at her with a knowing glance. Realization spread across Lumen's face. "Yes, a mutant. I have the gift to read minds. I can know your entire life experience, your every thought and memory, from simply looking in your eyes. I know you come by your story genuinely... this is not the time you intended to be. Though I must admit... one with such ability to move through the very fabric of time... even I dare not dream of something..."

Lumen was silent a moment, processing this information. "What was that name you said earlier?" she asked, still unsure if this man was an ally.

"Belisama- she is the Goddess of light and fire. I'll be telling the king that you are a descendant of hers. He'll consider your life very valuable." He watched her face for a reaction.

"So that will satisfy the king as to why I appeared glowing on his table?"

"Perhaps..." began the Maester. "Perhaps not. But the king is smarter than he appears. He knew right away I was not an ordinary Maester. While he will not directly speak of my powers, he still indirectly utilizes them as well as my council frequently. He will see you as a powerful ally as soon as he understand you are like me."

Lumen thought about this for a moment. " Why should I be his ally?" she finally asked, feeling blocked into a corner and knowing the answer before the maester even spoke.

"my dear, I have seen your mind. You have no choice. You have no idea when the time boy will return for you, or when the effects of his power will wear off. You have no idea if your... friend... Paul... is here or somewhere else either. Part of you still wonders why you were drawn to this place with a boy prince with the same name as your missing brother."

She didnt like that the Maester knew so much so quickly. She was on guard, but some small part of Lumen did tell her she could trust him. She wondered if it was simply the fact he was also a mutant and she felt alone.

"We'll present you at breakfast to the royal family, and see where we can go from there. I'll have a chamber maid escort you to your evening lodgings, and we'll see about having the dress maker create something for you." his eyes drifted back down to his book and Lumen wondered what the heck she'd gotten herself into.

Breakfast had flown quickly as the little prince Riori spent the majority of the time asking Lumen to illuminate, asking her questions, and eventually coaxing a little of her light bending ability out of her. At first Lumen answered out of fear of losing her head- it was clear when the Maester had presented her that morning that the King didn't completely buy the story. But now that she was spending so much time entertaining the little prince she realized he reminded her quite a bit of her brother when they were young. She couldn't help the natural affection that seemed to come forth. It did not escape the Queen, who would smiley kindly every time their eyes met.

It turned out, Lumen was in England- quite obviously, medieval England. What she had mistaken for Celtic had actually been the Queen herself- an alliance being born between her marriage to the King. That explained Riori's hair for one thing, and his name. The King promised Lumen could stay, for the love he showed his Wife and her Gods and Godesses. He'd seemed tenuous upon the Queen's explanation of the Goddess of light and fire, but a few mutant tricks from Lumen and he seemed convinced enough.

The Maester sat on the opposite side of the king whispering in a deep conversation. Lumen knew he was trying to give the King every sort of clue that Lumen was like the Maester, so that the King may consider employing Lumen for her council. Lumen would have rather been a guard, but the Maester insisted that a woman with fighting capabilities would be far more frowned upon than a woman who could glow. Lumen also insisted on wanting to leave and find Paul and anyone else who might have been caught up in that time vortex- but the Maester also insisted since she didn't know when she'd be leaving it was better to invest this time in the King.

"We're going out to the people today." explained Riori. "I was sick you see... but I'm not anymore. The Maester healed me. Mother says the people will want to see their prince alive and well." Lumen nodded, thinking that made much sense.

"I appreciate the gown you had made for me, your grace." said Lumen addressing the Queen. The Queen bobbed her head in the Irish way and Lumen felt her heart warm. Though the Queen had not pointed out Lumen's accent, she could tell she was appreciative to hear a voice from home.

"The colours suit you well child. Though I suppose you're hardly a child, you're the same age as me." they'd already had this conversation once today- the fact that Lumen and the Queen were both 26 and the Queen already had a child and was, well, a queen. The prospect of not being married and already with several children at her ripe old age of 26 seemed appalling to most in the court- but the Queen remained polite.

"Where I come from, there is little illness or hunger your grace, 26 is still young as many will live til their 80s or 90s."

This completely fascinated the little prince who asked Lumen to tell him of ever person she knew over the age of 40 and explain every bit of memory she had about them. The people in the court were unsure of how to respond to Lumen, some eyed her with suspicion, but most stared on at the Queen and King repeating their reactions to her.

Finally, the King announced to ready the litter as they'd be leaving on the hour for their address of the city. Riori leapt up into Lumen's lap asking if he'd ride with her, but the Maester explained Lumen would walk with him behind the litter, with the King's Guard and Queen's Guard. Riori was not impressed.

Lumen took a deep breath and readied herself for what she'd see out there. So far she'd only seen the castle. The Marketplace was sure to be different- and perhaps she'd get more of an inkling exactly what time she was in. continued here