Chapter Five
"I fainted," Kyra was quick to explain. "I fainted and was about to hit the post of the canopy bed when Wills saved me."
William not knowing what else to do nodded. "He seems to be saving you quite often, my lady."
"I need it," Kyra joked.
"Your kingdom awaits," the man said, holding out her arm for her to take.
Kyra took it. And mouthed to William, "Meet you here lates."
The man paused before exiting the door. " Stableboy, Get down in front of the palace to do your duty. Or I'll have the queen release you."
"Or I'll have the queen release you," William muttered behind his back.
The man wondered why the princess was laughing.

William thought he had never worked so hard in his whole life. He must've made a hundred trips back and forth escorting ladies to the palace's front door. But now he could rest. That is until the evening was over and he was going to have to escort them back to their carriages. He looked off to the woods. No, he couldn't rest now. Not until he found a way to get back to his time.
He borrowed one of the royal horses. he figured if he brought it back before the party was over no one would notice. William rode on the great steed. The horse stomped his hooves as he led his rider outside the gates. William smiled. It seem as if the animal knew that he was a prince. Even though the rest of the time thought he was nothing but a servant.
He rode to the spot in the woods where he and Tina had landed that morning. He mounted off the horse. He felt around the place waiting for that tingling feeling he had felt when he passed through the mirror. It never came.
"What are you doing son of royal blood?"
He turned around. "Who said that?" He placed his hand on the dagger near his waist. Those palace guys gave him everything.
"Over here," A figure stepped out of the shadows.
His hand did not relax. "Did you just call me a prince?"
"Not those words but yes."
"How do you know that?'"
"I am a daughter of magic. We see things. Know things. I know that you are not from this time. I know that you are traveling with an impostor. And I know that the blood of a thousand kings run in your veins."
"You're a witch?"
"Sorceress." she corrected.
"I don't believe in magic." William told her. He watched her carefully as she circled him. Like a lioness to her prey
"Then answer the question how you came to be here,"
"I- we want to go back. To our time. Kyra and I want to go back to our time," William stated.
"You can't tonight. The boundaries of the realms are to solid. "
"When will they not be-solid." William shook his head. he couldnt believe he was talking to a witch. Then again he just traveled through time. Anything seemed possible.
"When the moon is full the boundaries are stretched thin. You will have a greater chance to return to your time then."
"When's that?"
"After the quarter moon cycle."
"In English!" William yelled.
"All right, a month!" the sorceress yelled back. And she dropped her accent.
William smiled in spite of himself. She was kind of pretty.
She smiled back. He was kind of cute. 'I'm Moon. I'll do my best to help you return to your kingdom, my prince."
"Just call me William. It's better than Stableboy," he told her.
"I have to make some potions, conjure up some spells. But you and your girlfriend have to be here at the proper time or it won't work. If you manage to stay you'll have to wait another month. If you go through the portal but all is not well you'll be lost in time"
Another month in tights? Go to another time where he would have to wear tights? No thanks! "We'll be here," William promised. It was close to midnight. It was time he headed back.
Moon looked out at him. He was so beautiful.

Chapter Six
He returned to Kyra's room via the window. Don't ask me how. I don't know. It just seems romantic.
"Where were you?" Kyra asked. She was already dressed in her night clothes and her hair was in a long braid. "Here," she handed him her toothpaste and her toothbrush. Thank goodness for her wacky mother who always insisted on her bringing little knickknacks in her purse.
"I'm not going to use your toothbrush," he objected.
"If you want to chew on branches or whatever they do to keep their teeth clean in this time or return to our time with cavities be my guest," Kyra snapped.
"Did you have a great time tonight?" William asked, brushing his teeth.
"Cinderella would be jealous of me." Kyra wiped a bit of foam that he missed by the side of hi mouth.
"What happened," he asked.
"Well, the duchess of something other said she loved my hair. And some Lady said she loved my dress."
"In royal terms it meant the duchess hated your dress and the Lady hated your hair," he translated.
"And there were dozens of guys who asked me to dance," she laughed. And they said I was so beautiful."
"That would mean: I only like you because you a princess," he said.
Kyra glared at him. He was not helping. "Some said I had a great personality and thought I was a pretty ordinary girl. Except I was popular, had money and a family background."
"That's a good one. What they really meant was I'll marry you only because you a princess and once I bleed you family of all its riches watch me run." He wiggled his eyebrows.
"Pretty cynical aren't we," she said snidely.
"I've been living with this for sixteen years. You had what? Less than twenty four hours?"
"Don't rain on my parade," Kyra told him. He might be used to people with title complimenting him but she wasn't. This was probably her one time and he had just ruined it.
"Anyway, I came here to tell you we can go home in a month. I met this sorceress -don't ask- and she said by the next full moon we can go to the time of electronics and nuclear wars."
Kyra went to the window. "Just a month?"
"What's the matter? Don't you want to go back?"
"I want to stay." she said.
"What! Don't you want to go back to a time where there's video games? Television? Internet?"
"I only spend my time reading books and they have books in this time."
"Good luck understanding them," he snorted.
"Well, I'm the princess and I say we're staying."
"Oh, please. Don't forget who the real royal is here," William reminded.
"I am!" Kyra stated. My goodness, her stomach felt like lurching. She ran to the bathroom. Finding nothing else appropriate she vomited in the tub. Maybe she should go back to the present. They had toilets in that time.
"Kyra, are you okay? What happened?"
"What do you care," Kyra managed to say before throwing up again.
"What exactly did you drink tonight?" he asked feeling her forehead.
"Some real vile tasting water. You think in this time they wouldn't have water pollution!"
"I don't think you drank water. I think you drank white wine."
Kyra looked into his eyes and the big dinner in her stomach settled somewhat. He looked concerned. Almost caring. She was used to yelling at him now she didn't know what to do. "I think you should leave." she managed to say softly.
"What?" he asked.
"Leave!" she shouted.
"Why-"
She turned away from him. How could she explain her actions?
"My lady I heard your screaming and-" the young and handsome man stopped at the sight of William. "You," he seethed. "I've heard about you. Keep away from her!" he moved to pin William to the wall.
William saw the move and ducked it. "I was just leaving. Your highness, I'll see you when you are in a better state." Once outside the room he wondered where he should go. Who would welcome a stableboy. More specifically a stableboy who seems to have disgraced their princess a great deal. "You're not a stableboy," he told himself. "You're the Prince of Wales. Don't forget that." Too bad he was the only one who believed that. No, there was another. He would go to Moon.

"You should never see him again," the youth said.
"Hes my friend," Kyra stated. Yes, William was that. He was the only one who knew her for what she was. The girl who wasn't a princess.
She cleaned her mouth and went to her room. The servants would clean up the mess.
"What kind or a friend is he?" Byron asked. (Any objections to the name?) "He has polluted your speech. Taught you to act below you title. And made you forget your promise to me." He her face to his and kissed her.
She slapped him. How dare he!
Byron touched the part of his cheek that had turned red. "Is that the way you treat your betrothed?"
"Betrothed?" Kyra echoed.
"He has made you forget. My dear has his promise of love and lies made you forget what we had?"
She didn't know what she was talking about but she was getting an idea.
She was going to play ignorant. He would have to say it straight out. "You and I are to be married."

Chapter Seven
"You're kidding," was all Kyra could say.
"Why should I be?"
"But I'm sixteen!" she exclaimed.
"And it's about time you got married." he said. "I would've married you when you were eleven but your mother refused."
"When is the date?"
"The day after tomorrow."
Kyra's head was spinning. She had this sudden urge to vomit again. "One question, was I drunk when I agreed to marry you?"
Byron laughed as he kissed her on the forehead. "My sweet princess always making jokes. I await the day to call you mine." And he left the room.
Kyra paced the room. Marriage? And we were also talking motherhood! She had to get out of there. She had to find William!

Darn mosquitoes, she cursed as she swatted at the air. She wish she had some bug spray. If I ever make it to my century the first thing I'm going to do is go on a bug killing massacre! she vowed. "William," she screamed. Her throat aching. She had been screaming his name for hours as she searched the woods. She suspected he had gone back to the place were the guards found them. Was he deaf? "William!"
William was in Moon's hut. Rabbits were boiling in a pot. It was a little late for dinner but he was starving. He hadn't eaten anything except those tea cakes at the castle since he and Kyra arrived here. And those were pretty tiny tea cakes. He caught the rabbits himself. He silently thanked his father for teaching him his hunting skills. It also gave him a sense of usefulness. he hated to think of freeloading on moon's kindness. He ate the tough meat. He couldn't describe the taste. if anyone asked him he'd respond, 'It tastes like chicken.
Involuntarily his thoughts drifted to Kyra. And that guy who charged into her room. Were those the kinds of guys she hung out with at the party? She had strange taste in men. She needed someone... well, a lot more handsome, and who at least knew karate, the punch that guy had swung at him was weak, she needed- she needed. She needed him. He remembered the jab she gave him with her elbow. Who was he kidding. she didn't need anyone. And she hated him. Wait! why did he care!
"You're thinking about her, aren't you," Moon said softly, breaking into his thoughts.
"Why would I think of Kyra? She's annoying, obviously hates my guts and-" he caught the look Moon gave him, "I mean, uh, -Who am I suppose to be thinking of?" he asked innocently.
"You love her, don't you?"
What was it with women and the L-word? "I don't know what your talking about," he lied. He collapsed on his bed which Moon had prepared for him. it was nothing more than hay covered with a blanket. He was so exhausted. He closed his eyes.
Moon watched him sleep. And her heart ached. She remembered the way he looked in the Luna's light. His features accented. His lips were slightly parted as he breathed rhythmically. She wanted to kiss him. but she knew it was forbidden. She could never love a human. And this human loved another.
"William," a screech came from the doorway. "Open up I know that your in there." Actually, she didn't. But she had a pretty good bet. It was the only hut around for miles.
Moon opened the door and gestured with her forefinger to be quiet. "He's asleep," she whispered.
Kyra's mouth dropped. She leaves William alone for one minute and he goes off with the first pretty face he sees?! The nerve of men! "Well, wake him up!" she yelled, pushing herself passed the girl. "No, forget it. I'll do it. " She cupped her hands and yelled directly in his ear, "Yo, Windsor, wake up! we got an emergency."
"Ah!" William screamed jumping up three feet in the air as the unexpected blast of noise disturbed his slumber Kyra was there. and she was yelling something. (No, surprise there, she was always yelling at him). But for someone reason he couldn't hear. He had gone deaf for the moment. "Huh?" he asked.
Men, they never listen. "We have to go back to our time tonight. This minute. Now!"
"What happened to 'I'm the princess and we're staying?'" William asked.
"That was before I found out that this princess is suppose to get married to Byron!"
"Byron? That scrawny guy who tried to punch me?"
Kyra nodded.
William started laughing. And he continued laughing. And still kept laughing.
Kyra never saw anyone go without taking in air for so long.
"You- you-" he gasped. 'You have to marry Mr. Long-hair?" and he went off again. Sure he felt for her but he wanted to see her squirm for a while. And it was funny.
"I escape the palace trying to find you and this is what I get!" She turned to leave but William stopped her.
"You what?"
"I had to climb the palace walls and those mosquitoes, and-"
"No one knows youre here? "
"No one. I don't see why-"
William threw his hands up in the air in hopelessness. "Now it looks like we've kidnapped you!"
Kyra still couldn't understand. "I don't get it. I'm my own person. I can go wherever I want to."
Wills imitated the sound of a buzzer. "Wrong, Sherlock. You're a princess. If you disappear suddenly everyone suspects kidnapping. And the people you're found with are the suspected kidnappers."
"But I'm not a princess," Kyra screamed tired of the charade. "I'm not, I'm not!" she sobbed, she didn't know when but William's arms were around her. And she was crying against him wetting his shirt with her tears. 'I don't want to marry Byron" she wailed.
Moon stepped back. Was she the only one seeing the obvious here?
"Look. I have a way so you can get out of marrying Mr. Long hair and-" he lifted her head up "-and it will get people to stop calling me stableboy.'"
Kyra blew on her sleeve. "What?"
"Marry me."

Chapter Eight
"You insufferable creep!" Kyra screamed, shoving him in the shoulder as hard as she could. "Can't you be serious for once?"
He was serious. He seriously wanted people to stop calling him stableboy! "It's perfect. Who'd know in our time? And there must be an expiration date for marriage."
"I'll know. You'll know. They'll know," she pointed her hand upward. "And the only expiration date for marriage is till death do us part."
"I thought you said you were going to marry me," he recalled her first words to him.
"It won't work. You and me? Me and you? Either way one is royal and one is not. Or have you forgotten that?" Kyra reminded him. "Thanks, but no thanks. I would never marry a conceited bonehead like you."
"Fine, you'd just rather marry a guy with long hair and tights,'
"Uurgh" Kyra growled, and left.
William watched her retreating figure. After a moment he said. "I better go after her."
"You really care for her don't you?" Moon said.
"I just don't want to return to the present and have to explain to her mom how her daughter was eaten by a bear five centuries ago.'" he said getting his coat. Something told him he should bring the dagger too. Danger seemed to be in the air.

Ohhhhh! How she hated him, Kyra thought as the night wind brushed her face. How can Harry stand him as a brother?
A blade of a sword was placed on her neck. "Don't move," a voice ordered.
No problem. Kyra was frozen in fear. "Who are you?' she asked in a barely audible whisper.
"The same person who tried to kill you last time," was the answer as a blindfold was placed over her eyes.
They, for there was more than one, gagged her. Oh, why didn't she scream, Kyra scolded herself. She felt herself being dragged on foot. When they reached their destination she could feel them bounding her ankles and her wrists. She wondered why. The blindfold was taken from her eyes. Now she knew, they did it so she couldn't swim.
"Looks, peaceful doesn't it? the voice hissed in her ear. a hand gripping her neck. "Looks, shallow. But don't let appearances deceive you. It's deeper than it looks."
The water in the lake looked ominous as the pitch black water reflected the night's light.
"Princess Rose," So that's her name! "Look upon your death."
At that moment the knot in the gag untied, the cloth falling from her lips. Kyra screamed. A name. "William !"
Her cry pierced his soul but he did not make his move. He waited as precious seconds ticked by for the bandits to leave the scene of the crime, and still precious moments to take his coat and shoes off which he knew would weigh him down. Then he plunged into the freezing water after her.
I'm dying, Kyra realized as she fought for the surface. She had managed to untie the bonds of her wrists and ankles but her skirt was weighing her down. And the corset! Why did girls have to wear corsets at this time? She couldn't breathe. William, William, the name screamed in her head.
William looked frantically for her under the water. He had the necessary powerful strokes. He wasn't Eton's championship swimmer for nothing!
So this was death? Kyra wondered as a black haze took over her. Funny, she didn't seem to be weighed down so much anymore. And death had a strong warm embrace that made her feel safe.
William brought her to shore and laid her on the ground. It had been tricky cutting away her skirt and petticoats but he had managed. He only hoped he wasn't too late. "You're not going to die," he vowed. He got the dagger and cut away the strings of her corset. When all the necessary strings were cut he applied CPR. Two breaths; fifteen pumps. He looked up skyward and prayed every prayer he knew. To whatever gods may be, please he begged. She looked so beautiful. Why did the beautiful also have to die? She didn't deserve to die like this. She deserved to be in her time. With people who love her. Not like this. Not alone. "Fight for me. Fight for me," he chanted as he performed the life saving procedure. He didn't want blood on his hands. Not Kyra's blood.
The wind caressed his face. Mum? he called silently to a mother gone yet hadn't been born. Help me. I wasn't able to save you. Help me save her. He called to his guardian angel. He was about to give up but a force within him made him go on.

Time: Chapters 9-12