Chapter 2 ~ Secrets, Nobles, and Trees...

Chapter Two ~ Secrets, Nobles, and Trees...

After we got to the palace Someone took Merric's and my horse and then he lead me down some halls until we got to an office or something of Raoul's. Merric went in and I had to wait outside. To waste time I decided to look at what I packed. People are forever telling me that I pack to much stuff and right now in this situation I'm glad I do. Since I was spending the weekend with Sarah I brought a bunch of stuff. I, of course, had all of Tamora Pierce books, I finally got them back from all of my different friends. I had another pair of jeans and my khakis, one pair tan the other green, my sandals, another pair of tennis shoes, dress shoes, 1 skirt, 2 t-shirts, another Old Navy sweatshirt, a sweater, 2 tank tops, 2 2-piece sweater sets, a flannel shirt, 3 extra sets of skivvies, and 3 sets of p.j.'s. Yeah so I did pack too many clothes for 3 days, You never know what can happen, case and point what was happening right now. I had a bunch of make-up because we were going to do complete make-overs. I had like 3 compacts, 1 liquid foundation, oil based conceler, eye shadows, blushes, you name it. I had 2 brushes, 3 or 4 hair ties, and some barrettes. I was basically set.

Then I looked in my backpack. I didn't have too much homework so I only had 1 books, Spanish. So I had room for more stuff. I had my pens and calculator normal school stuff, 2 notebooks, my normal make-up, a camera, 3 rolls of film, my portable CD player, a bunch of CD's, and enough extra batteries to run a small country for a month.

As I was zipping up my pack Merric left and as he passed he winked at me. Umm, ... no. I thought to myself. Then an announcer type guy told me he was ready to see me. "Hmm, finally get to meet Raoul." I said under my breath. I think the announcer guy heard me though because he smiled.

"Have a seat." a kind voice said from behind me.

I gasped a little because frankly he scared the crap out of me, "warn somebody god." Then I turned around to see what he looked like. A little different than what I expected, but not bad. He was bordering on cute for an old guy.

"Would you like a drink?" politeness, I like that in a guy. Major points Raoul.

"Nah," I said taking a seat by the desk.

"Tell me more about yourself," he said sitting down drink in hand.

"Well I'm 15, a Taurus, I have curly red hair, greenish/blue eyes, born on May 15th at 2:20 in the afternoon in Chicago."

"Where are you from? How did you get here-?"

"Hold on one question at a time please, thank you," I said cutting in.

"I'm from the good 'ol U.S. of A. where there's scandals, and the internet, and flush toilets, and to as how I got here I have no idea. I was walking and then I turned around slammed head first into a light post and now I wake up in a fantasy world of men in tights."

"This is no fantasy...I'm sorry, what's you're name again?"

Politeness x's 2 points-o-rama. I think I like this whole chilvalry thing. "Leah, Leah Marie Cassadine." Thank You General Hospital for suppling me a last name. I wasn't going to tell them my real name come on.

"Well, Leah this place is real."

"Okay is your name Raoul and are you a knight? Was that Merric of Hollyrose? Is Keledry Of Mindelan a page? Is Neal of Queenscove her sponsor?" I was going to go on but I think that was sufficient.

"Yes to all of those things. But this place is as real as your U.S....A."

"United States of America those are the initials." I only said that to waste time because I was thinking and I thought what the heck, why not play along.

"Anyway, I think I'll have to tell his majesty about you." he was half smiling when he said it. I didn't know if he was joking. "Jon might like to hear this. We've only heard of the USA from one other person. Her name is Sarah. Is she a friend of yours?"

Sarah, Nah, It couldn't be the Sarah I know. "What does she look like?" It couldn't be Sarah was at school, she couldn't have gotten here earlier than me.

"Well she has, ... excuse me," there was a knock at the door and when Raoul answered the man said something I couldn't hear. When he came back he said, "Timon will show you to your quarters. I have to leave. There was a report of a lone Tauros." And then he left.

Timon was nice enough. He did carry my bag though so I only had my backpack. "Milady-"

"Only miss. I am not a noble or anything." I hated being called milady. I just didn't fit.

"Well miss, what might you be packing, rocks?" he said with a joke in his voice.

"No, just clothes and make-up and stuff."

We walked in silence for a while then he got his keys out and showed me my room. "Here you go miss. I hope you have a nice stay here."

"Thank you Timon. Have a nice day."

"Just doing my job miss, good-bye."

"Bye," I called down to him and then shut the door to inspect my room. I was well enough. I could smell the bathroom as I walked towards it. It was covered with perfumes and at but it still smelled horrible! I hate latrines!

I was unpacking my stuff, as I figured I should. I thought I should have taken pictures of Raoul. darn it. Then I would have proof if I went back. Well I have to take pictures of Neal and Jonathan, and Numair for Sarah. She would kill me if I didn't take pictures.

I was finished unpacking and had changed and brushed my hair which was a mess from school when a messenger came and told me the king wished to see me. Good thing I changed. I was wearing my tan khakis and a purple/butterfly sweater set. Nothing fancy, just normal clothes.

As we were walked down the halls I kept thinking about how I would get so lost without a guide. There were so many hallways. This was even worse than the high school and the Galeria put together the first time I went there. Confuuuusing! I guess the idea was written on my face because the guide said, "you'll figure it out eventually."

"Yeah sure."

We walked on a little more and we came to a double set of doors. Then the guide said, "Wait here while I announce you."

"Whose in there?" I wanted to know if it was just Jon or if Alanna or Numair were going to be there to.

"I frankly don't know. Let me announce you. His Majesty doesn't like to be kept waiting."

I stood outside for about a minute when the messenger guy, his name was Grimmus, you know like the purple guy from McDonalds. I wanted soo bad to tell him that, but I didn't. I guess I was to nervous about meeting Jon to tell him, told me to go inside and that they were waiting for me.

When I walked in I saw that whom I thought Alanna was there along with Numair and Jon. Let me tell you this, Jon was not cute, he was GORGEOUS. There are only a few men who I think are more gorgeous than Jon, but I can't think of any right now. I almost couldn't talk when he told me to take a seat.

There was a table which they were all sitting at. I sat down and tried to keep the look of shock at meeting these people and the giddiness from being in the same room as Jon off of my face.

"I took the liberty of ordering refreshments," Jon told ME. He has to talk to me god calm down, take a chill pill. Don't get so worked up.

"So where are you from ... Leah is it?" Numair told me. Funny he's nothing like I suspected. I guess you got to be around him more before you see the Immortals Side of him.

"It's Leah Cassadine and I'm from the United States of America or the U.S.A. as we refer to it. Mostly people just call it America though."

"We whose we?" Jon asked.

"All of the Americans."

"Who rules this America?" Darn all of his questions were boring.

"The President."

"Who is this President?" Numair asked.

God I was going to have to explain everything. "Well about a little over 200 years ago, America was a colony and then we were treated bad by the King of England who claimed he owned us and we had to follow his rules. Which were terrible for us and we fought and eventually with the help of some other countries we beat England and became our own separate country." Hey I actually learned something! Thank You Mr. Cox. Yeah, 6th hour rules! Jon didn't looked as shocked as I would have thought him to have been.

"It's about the same thing Sarah told us. Do you think they know each other?" Allanna was talking to Jon and acting like I wasn't even there which kinda pissed me off a little.

"Do you know Sarah Starr?" Numair asked me thinking I would automatically give him an answer, "Well?" "

Patience is a virtue," I said that while thinking. Alanna and Jon laughed. "No that doesn't ring a bell but, then again, there are a millions of people living in the US and I don't know all of the Sarah's."

"Where's Sarah Numair? I like her to meet Leah." Jon asked.

"Sorry, she's in Port Caynan and won't be back for 2 days or so." Then he sat thinking, "I could do a portall spell."

"No don't waste your gift, she can meet Sarah then, and it's not like it's urgent or anything." Jon said and then turned to me. "I've heard some other things about you too. Like that you knew some things. Are you a fortune teller?"

I grinned. Finally a use to use my Tamora Pierce knowledge! "Ask me anything that has happened that not many people know about."

"Like what?" Allanna was curious at least.

"Well when you first got Moonlight you told George that he could have your life if he wanted it, and Daine was attacked by a tauros when she was in the realms of the gods, didn't she Numair."

They all looked at Numair. "Yes, yes she did, but how could you know that? That was in the realms of the gods. Are you an Immortal?" he was almost speechless, but since it was Numair he could talk just fine.

"Umm, ... no."

"Then how did you know?" asked Numair.

"From Tamora Pierce's books. I know many things. Especially the embarrassing stuff."

"Like what," Jon said clearly puzzled.

"Well, you know like at the Bloody Hawk Tribe when you packed Allanna's bags for her...," George raised an eyebrow. "Or when Allanna told you she was a girl George," George turned slightly red. "Or perhaps I could tell everyone about when Daine found your locket Numair, and by the way where is Daine?"

"Daine's in Port Caynann with Sarah." Numair said still wondering how I knew about the locket.

"Numair you must be terribly lonely."

"Well I bet I know a few coutiers who could cheer him up." Alanna said devilishly. Numair glared at silently her.

"Would any of them be named Varice?" I spat out that word with hate.

Numair glanced at me and shock glazed his features for a moment before he said, "How, ... no, ... wait I don't want to know. If I hear another word out of either of you, I'll, I'll turn you into trees."