Confused by the past of the future

Chapter 1: *Taryn*

I was falling and there was nothing or nobody to hold on to. It was frightening.

Between my sisters and I, I was the last one who would ever get themselves in such a situation as this, whatever this situation was in the first place.

That made me remember my sisters. They would know what to do in this situation, but before I could even think of what they would have possibly done in this moment as I could feel my back hit a hard and flat surface, which when I paid attention to it seemed to be a ground covered with grass.

Either way pain quickly shot through me, pain that I had never had the luck of experiencing. The worst pain I always have had 'the pleasure' of feeling was that with my, not even monthly, bleeding. But having felt this I knew that my cramps weren't that bad. I always thought they were. Not being able to compare it with any other sort of pain, I just assumed.

I groaned and grabbed as I grabbed at my side hoping this feeling would soon disappear. But when I tried to turn around my mission quickly seemed to fail. I opened my eyes instead to try and find out where I was, hoping there was someone near to help me.

One of the first things I noticed was that I was still in Elfhame as I saw the scenery before me. I let out a sigh of relief with that knowledge, which I probably shouldn't have done as my ribs started to complain in discomfort.

When the pain was far enough gone for me to try and use my voice I did, calling out to the first person that came to my mind. "Jude!" Not receiving any answer I tried someone else. "Vivi!" Still no answer, I was getting desperate at this point. "Locke! anyone!" I didn't know when I started crying, but the tears were falling and I couldn't control them.

Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, looking up. I was happy to be able to look into the familiar eyes of my dear lover.

"Locke," he didn't say anything, just grabbed my hand as he helped me up. I hissed in pain when he grabbed me by the waist. "I am so sorry!" He quickly apologised as he heard the sound of my torment.

"No It's okay, probably just a bruise," I quickly told him, needing the comfort of his strong arms.

He supported me as we walked searching for others. We didn't even come far before I saw my father and sister together with two of the princes. It looked like they were also just coming back to their consciousness. "Vivi!" I called. All their gazes snapped to me and Locke as they heard me cry out my sisters' name.

I must look ridiculous, my dress was covered in mud and my face still full of an endless cascade of tears. The princes must think me for a mad woman at the sight of my appearance.

"Taryn!" Vivienne looked relieved and stood up as quickly as she could before walking over to us. She wrapped me up in a comforting hug. "Did you see anyone else?" she asked me when she pulled away far enough to see if I was hurt.

"No we didn't and I am fairly well, I probably just have a bruise on my back or side somewhere," I told her and she nodded.

"Does anyone know where we are?" Vivi asked the male part of our group.

"We are in the royal garden," Prince Dain stated matter of factly.

"We should search for father," Prince Balekin told his brother who agreed even if it didn't sound much like a question. They just started walking to the direction of the castle to which the rest of us decided to follow. Locke wrapped his arm protectively around my waist again guiding me, my father and sister next to us keeping a close eye on the princes.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw a glimpse of chestnut hair, I stopped to take a better look. "Taryn, what is it?" Locke asked from behind me.

I could only whisper one thing... "Jude." I cannot remember when I started moving, but I was. I could hear people calling my name, but there was only one stuck in my head. "Jude!" I called again. I was walking as fast as I could, trying to reach the woman who I hopefully thought to be my sister. I was shouting after her like a complete lunatic hoping she could hear me. And when she finally came into my view I stopped. She stood with her back to me and to the people who were catching up to me.

From what I could see she looked different. She wore a refined dress, something she would usually never think of putting on. She had her hair up in her usual look of two horns, as the rest of it laid in perfect waves over her shoulders and down the length of her back.

"Jude, is that you?" I could hear my sister ask from beside me. Our father and the princes moved silently forward with hands on their swords.

The thought of them doing anything to my sister scared me. Even if I was sometimes jealous of her and almost everything that she did infuriated me, it didn't mean I wanted her slaughtered like a pig.

But apparently Jude had heard Vivi and she turned around faster than I could muster all of my thoughts, swinging her sword against Madoc's neck.

"Daughter, what are you doing, put the sword down," she looked at him with disbelief in her eyes and when she looked at the people surrounding him her face turned into one of confusion and betrayal.

Whatever thought process went on in her head made her decide not to put her sword down, instead doing the complete opposite: attacking him.

I guess it surprised Madoc as much as it did me, because his reaction process was taking longer than it would have had in a normal fight. Neither did it take long before Jude had disarmed him and her blade had taken its place back at his throat.

All onlookers were surprised in one way or another. I, Vivi and Madoc knew she had never won a duel with him and now she had done it without any strain. And the princes who were standing next to Locke were probably as surprised as we were as she had beaten the grand general.

Nothing made sense anymore, the clothes Jude was wearing, the fact that she was in the royal garden through her own will and on top of that she had beaten our own father in a real duel.

And when I returned my attention upon Jude again I noticed that she was breathing harder than she probably would have after not using any of her energy in any duel. Not only that, but then her hand that wasn't still wielding her the sword went to her stomach cradling a belly, a pregnant belly.

This Jude ,whoever she was, was pregnant and without question at that. I gasped at the realisation and everyone's heads turned to me.

"She is pregnant," I finally whispered after a few moments of silence.