Tennyson

The doctor…physician…Hugo…whatever, has come to check on me frequently. I don’t know how long I’ve been here for, but I’ve come to like it a little bit. The only thing I’m nervous about is meeting the King. I heard that he’s ruthless. I don’t want to have come all this way just to die. Unless I’m already dead…then he can’t kill me. Right? Let’s hope that’s true. I hear a knock on the door. 

“Sir, may I come in?” I hear the voice say. I can tell it’s Hugo. 

“Yes, come in.” I reply. The door opens and I see Hugo and another woman. 

“Sir,” Hugo starts. 

“Ty,” I interrupt. “You can call me Ty.” Hugo nods. 

“Ty,” he starts. “This is the maid that will be getting you ready to meet the King.” The maid bows. 

“Hey Hugo, do you think the King will respond well to me coming to him man to man?” I ask. 

I see the maid and Hugo look at each other. 

“Let’s worry about that later,” Hugo says, half smiling. “For now, I will take my leave.” 

The door closes behind Hugo as he leaves the room. 

“Let us go get you washed up.” The maid says.

____________________________________________________________

I’m now standing in front of two large doors dressed in what the maid called traditional clothing. It feels itchy. As the doors open, I am pushed to the center of the room. The only person I see is a woman sitting on a throne. She has large white horns, and a staff in her hand. This must be the Queen. 

“Your Majesty the Queen.” I say as I bow. 

The silence is loud. As I stand up, I see the woman’s face has a slight anger to it. 

“Who are you?” She asks. 

I feel a sinking feeling in my chest. “My name is Tennyson Bell.” I say nervously. 

“How did you get here?” She continues. 

I feel myself starting to get angry. “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?” I reply. 

I see the woman’s demeanor completely change. 

“Is this how you would talk to your president if he was asking you questions?” She asks. 

“If I was expecting the president and got the first lady, then this is exactly how I would speak.” I snap back. 

I feel her glare cut through me. 

“Your Majesty, I was expecting the King, yet I get the Queen,” I say as I shift. “Is there a reason for this?” The woman laughs. 

“Let me introduce you to the King.” She says as she stands. 

She looks to be about 5’0, 90 lbs as she walks towards me. As she approaches me she holds out her hand. 

“Hello,” She says as I take her hand. “My name is Helena Watkins. I’m the King.”

Helena

‘This is the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen’. At least that’s what I thought before he opened his mouth. I’m standing in front of Mr. Bell with his hand in mine. There's a look of shock on his face. This human is as arrogant as Oscar. I let go of his hand and walk back to my throne. 

“Now that the formalities are out of the way let's get back to the matter at hand.” I say, slightly grinning. “How did you get here?” 

I look at his face. It’s bright red. 

“Mr. Bell,” I start. “There is no need to feel embarrassed. I’ve been mistaken as the Queen by far more important people than you. This is not the first time and it certainly won’t be the last. Please answer my question.” 

I see him swallow hard and take a deep breath. 

“Your Majesty,” he starts “I truly do not know how I got here. I was in an abandoned warehouse getting beaten when I passed out, then all of a sudden I woke up here.” 

As he finishes, he takes a sigh of relief. 

“Thank you,” I say as I stand, “That will be all.” I motion for the guards to take Mr. Bell away. 

How can someone on the brink of death be transported here? It’s not possible. Not after Him. Not after The Gate was sealed. I need to investigate this. I stand up from my throne and walk out the back way to my room. As the doors shut behind me, I take of my ceremonial robes. This feels like deja vu. I half expect to hear a thumping noise. As I finish getting undressed, I sit on my bed. Maybe this is a good thing. I can use him to my advantage. Kill two birds with one stone.