"You will stay here for the night, if that suits you." Bjorn said.
"Holy crap." I whispered. The bedchambers were massive, with a huge four-poster canopy bed situated against the far wall.
"This was one of the old royal chambers. I hope it is to your liking." Bjorn explained, slightly nervously as if the slightest misstep would make me run away. I had nowhere to run to, even if I wanted to.
"Are you kidding? This is amazing!" I glanced up at the massive crystal chandelier that hung from the ceiling, tinkling slightly in a small draft. "Are you sure that I should be in here, though? If it really is the royal chambers, I don't know if I'm worthy of staying in them."
"Nonsense. You are the most powerful and just creature to grace our realm with your presence. You deserve the best, if not better."
My face turned a shade of pink. I was not, by any means, used to being called anything like that or treated this way. "Um, thanks? I have one question, though. Where is Calder? I wish for him to be close."
"He is staying in the chamber down the hall." Bjorn's brow furrowed for a moment. "He will be close enough. Máni is also staying nearby, should you need anything." A voice called his name from down the massive hallway. "I must go and converse with my lieutenants. Will you be fine for the night?"
"Yes, thank you." I confirmed.
"I will send someone to collect you in the morning. Get your rest tonight. Tomorrow we begin to discuss the future of my people."
"Of course." I closed the door and turned to the massive room. I sank to the floor, back against the door, exhausted. The many, many miles of un-fueled running had caught up to me and I felt almost too tired to make it to the bed. When I finally sank into the soft mattress and pulled the covers up to my chin, I fell asleep at once.
.
Knock. Knock. Knock. My eyes opened immediately, and I sat up in bed.
"One moment!" I said, rolling out of the bed and standing in front of the mirror for a few seconds while I got my hair under control.
"My father wishes to present you to the people." Máni said when I opened the door. She glanced at my jacket, gloves, and boots, and shook her head ever so slightly. "You might want to consider a slight change of attire." She waved her hand and my clothes responded. My vision was obscured for a moment by fluffy grey stuff, then it cleared.
I turned around slightly, and the fabric that clung to my body and pooled around the floor moved with me. Whoa. I raised my arms slightly, inspecting the pale blue cloth that clung to them along with the pale white satin gloves that kept my fingers warm. The dress I was wearing was white, blue, and grey, much like everything else in this realm.
The fabric itself was unique- it sparkled and shimmered as if the dress itself was made of fine ice crystals, though it gave off no cold. The top was a pale blue, almost white color that was hung off my shoulders with a neckline that dipped to just above my chest. The bodice was laced with silvery-white gems that reflected any and all light and made me sparkle every time I moved.
The skirt flared out below the waist in a graceful slope, the pale blue under-layer covered partially by grey links of a lightweight graceful chain. My hair, when I glanced in the mirror, was decorated with tiny gems, and my feet were encased in a tiny pair of silver heels that added a helpful three inches to my height.
"I look like a princess." I whispered.
"Well, not exactly." Máni said, surveying me with a careful eye. "I don't really like dresses all that much, but even I can tell. You look like our queen."
And on that bombshell, she led me out into the palace to meet the Jotun populace.
.
"You look beautiful." Bjorn said to me after giving my attire a once-over. "The people will love you."
"Are you sure? I mean, I am a foreigner. I don't know if a human will be welcomed as a member of whatever this is." In truth, I was only voicing a small portion of the concerns I felt. I was beyond nervous about meeting everyone out there.
"Of course you will be. They know the prophecy, and of course they will welcome you as their queen."
Okay, second time today I've been called their queen. Where is all this titular stuff coming from? I'm nowhere near royalty, and I never will be. So why do they think I'm fine with stepping up to the plate and shouldering all this responsibility?
"With great power comes great responsibility." I whispered to myself. "Come on. You can do this. They need you. If the prophecy is true, then you're their only hope."
"Do you talk to yourself often?" Bjorn asked, amusement in his eyes.
"Only when I'm freaking out." I replied nervously. "I tend to act a little erratic when I'm not sure that's going on."
"Nothing important is happening, yet." He assured me. "We're presenting your formally to the people as a traditional introduction. Nobody is going to force you into anything."
I smiled at him gratefully. "Thanks. I guess everything is finally catching up to me, being on an alien planet and the prophecy and all that."
"Naturally. Are you okay with meeting the public today? Or is it too soon? If it's really that much of a problem, we can settle for an official announcement."
"No, no, it's fine. I'm okay."
"Well, if you're sure, everyone's gathered in the courtyard outside. I'll do all the talking." There's no way... I thought disbelievingly, but it was true. I was lead out onto the balcony which was suspended a couple dozen feet above a large square which was jam-packed with people. Okay, so they are making me do that cliche princess scene in real life after all. Ah, smile and wave, I guess.
Bjorn stood beside me and the people all bowed their heads slightly in respect. I could only hope it was for him, and not me.
"You know why I have gathered you." Bjorn spoke simply, voice ringing loudly through the silent city. "The prophecy has been set in motion. Our savior has come. The restoration of our former glory awaits us!" He waited for the cheers to die down. "I wish to present to you the chosen bearer of the infinity crystal, Thea. She will lead us to success and prosperity! Odin thought we were down for the count. We will show him that we're alive and well!"
Bjorn's long-fingered hand grasped my smaller one and raised it above my head. He wasn't able to get my arm above his head without pulling me several feet into the air but we pulled it off anyways, I guess, because the resounding cheer from the Jotun was nearly deafening.
"Together, we will achieve new heights! Together, we will reclaim our land and restore this city to it's proper glory! Together," he paused for effect "we will be able to achieve success for all. No more death, no more poverty, no more famine. We have persevered for so long and now we will rise up once more and take back that which is ours. Our time has come once more!"
I did nothing but stare out at the crowd as they responded with cheers of their own, but deep down inside I wondered what the hell I had gotten myself into and whether or not this was what the guardians of the borders wanted me to do.
After a few moments, we were allowed to get off the balcony and back inside. A small group of Jotun were waiting for us there as well, and I assumed that they were probably high-ranking members of Bjorn's assembly.
I actually had no clue what the governing system was here. Democracy? Monarchy? Dictatorship? Hopefully not anarchy... I hoped it was something along the lines of democracy, because anything else was extremely foreign territory.
"You did well." He told me kindly, a smile on his face.
"I did nothing but stand there." I replied. "I hardly did anything."
"You've provided a face for the people to envision whenever things get rough for them. They now have someone to look up to. You're the face of our salvation now. I hope that counts as something."
"Of course it does." I replied hurriedly. "You know that." I sighed, resisting the urge to run a hand through my jewel-adorned hair. "I just wish I knew more about what I'm supposedly saving. I know nothing about Jotun culture or anything." I confessed.
"I can help with that, if you'd like." A familiar voice said and I turned with a smile to face Calder who had snuck in through a side door and was standing among the rest of the much-taller giants rather sheepishly.
"Would you?" Bjorn asked. Calder nodded. "You have my thanks."
"No problem." Calder replied casually. "If Thea needs my help, you know I'll be happy to give it to her." He leveled a even gaze at Bjorn, and although I don't know if it was a trick of the light or not, I could have sworn he was challenging him over something.
I shook my head a little to clear it, taking Calder's proffered hand. "Library?" I asked him.
"Already been there. I've grabbed a bunch of books and put them in your study."
"My what?"
"You know, your study. The room through the door beside the closet in your room?"
"What? There's more than just a bedroom in my place?"
"Obviously. It's one of the royal suites."
I stared at him with wide eyes. "Whoa."
"You seriously didn't notice that?"
"I was exhausted last night. Don't blame me."
"Fine. Anyways, I figured you'd prefer to learn about the history of our nation in relative comfort and privacy, not surrounded by a maze of dusty old shelves holding a dozen books on each and every subject conceivable."
"Yeah, that would be a bit intimidating." I followed his lead out of the room, realizing that I would have to memorize the way back to my room eventually or else I would get lost the first time I tried to find my way back to my room from the mess hall by myself.
"Okay, here's the study." Calder said, pushing open one of the doors I'd neglected to notice earlier. Three tall stacks of books were situated on the silver desk and I knew then that I was in for a long haul.