Seven Devils and a Rose

Securely in Felix's arms and my head resting snugly against his chest, the man took me past a series of tents and then down to a site near the river where a large marquee resided. Beside it was a long, massive vehicle that looked very much like a commercial food truck with an open kitchen. The style of the automobile, however, was nothing modern like ours back home. It was akin to either the nineteen thirties or steampunk class, which was fascinating to say the least.

Through my blurry vision, I noted that there were stoves, ovens, pots, pans, and various cooking equipment just like what we had back home. And of course, inside the kitchen were cooks in their stylish yet functional uniforms. They were currently busy preparing the morning meal, which smelled divine.

This, I thought in awe, must be their kitchen where they cook meals for the soldiers.

As we came closer, I saw that in the marquee were long tables and chairs arranged like those in a cafeteria. This must be their dining area, and I was pleasantly surprised that the setting was much like ours.

Sitting and eating their morning meals were soldiers, both males and females, and I had to admit that I liked their smart dark-green regalia; I found the style similar to the World War I type. I also noted a few other females around who dressed in long, flowing garments and tunics, which were similar to that of the early medieval fashion in Europe. I presume they are not soldiers.

When we were a few feet away from the marquee, I tapped on Felix's shoulder to get his attention. I said, "Can you please put me down, Felix? I can walk just fine."

Either he didn't hear me, or he did but refused to grant me my request.

I tapped at him again and was about to ask when he said, "We're almost there."

I licked my lips, my cheeks hot with embarrassment because I could sense many pairs of eyes on us. And one of them was, of course, Caleb, which was dark and intense.

"People are watching," I said. "And I'm supposed to be a man, and a man shouldn't be carried like this."

Princess style!

He chuckled. "Ah, so you're embarrassed, eh?"

We were so close to the crowd now that I began to panic. I glared at the man and demanded, "Felix, please put me down, now."

"All right, darling Alfie," he said.

Oh Lord! The man was definitely teasing me. Darling Alfie, indeed.

Of course, I was gullible enough to believe that he'd honor his words and put me down. How stupid of me.

The man proceeded to walk right into the marquee, passing many shocked-looking soldiers who, at the sight of us, had forgotten about their delicious morning meal. Then, like it was the most natural thing in the world, with me in his arms, he strolled like a king, heading toward a long table residing at the front.

My cheeks hot with embarrassment, I noted Caleb and Aria, along with two other females and four other males, sitting at the head table, watching us. Naturally, they seemed in shocked disbelief, if one was to go by the expressions on their faces.

Felix finally put me down on the seat next to Aria, and then he himself took the seat beside me, which was opposite Caleb.

As the other four men, who I assumed were high-ranking officers, started talking to Felix and Caleb about some very technical and military stuff, Aria drew my attention to her and said sweetly, "Good morning, Alfie. Did you sleep well last night?"

Trying to look as casual as I could despite what had just happened a moment ago, I nodded my head in the positive.

I said, "Yes, but now I have a bad headache. Felix told me you can give me something to ease the pain."

I didn't miss the fact that Aria and the other two females suddenly gave me looks of astonishment. Why were they staring at me like I'd just said something wrong? Meanwhile, I could feel this dark vibe emitting from Caleb, which freaked me out a little. I believed he was pissed, and I hoped it wasn't with me. Then again, he had his gaze directed hotly at me. Basic instinct told me that I was the one who happened to cause his displeasure, which confused me because I hadn't a clue what I did wrong that pissed him off.

Ignoring Caleb, I continued and said to Aria, "Oh, and by the way, thank you for applying the balm on my feet last night."

Aria seemed to be the first to recover from her shocked expression and said, "No worries about the balm. And your headache must be my doing last night. Sorry about that, Alfie."

I shook my head to tell her that it was fine. After all, she needed to check my memories to ensure that I wasn't a member of those bandits. I was, in fact, glad that she had done so, because otherwise, I would have been tortured or killed by now, if I was still a suspect.

I said, "It's fine. You're just doing your job, no?"

Aria nodded in the affirmative. "I was going through your memories. I must say that your life seems very interesting, as well as your… kingdom."

I didn't miss the fact that she put quite a bit of emphasis on her words, the last one especially, and I paled immediately in response. Was she trying to imply that she had seen everything in my life so far? Such as who I was and where I came from?

I licked my lips and asked, "Really?" I scratched my head and chuckled nervously.

Damn, but I needed to take Aria to one side and talk to her privately. After all, I needed to know if entering this realm from another world was illegal. If so, then would I be put into jail or get a fine? Then again, if one were to enter another country illegally back on Earth, one would be shipped back to their home country immediately. I wondered if it'd be the same here. If this was so, then wouldn't it be easier for me to tell them that I was from another world? Then again, what if they didn't know anything about realm travel? Or that such a thing was possible here? Because physically and scientifically, it was certainly impossible back on Earth, too.

If I were to tell them that I was from another world, wouldn't they think that I was a lunatic and making things up? Then I'd be put into an asylum, wouldn't I? More importantly, what if I were the first and only person who had managed to cross over between two worlds?