Chapter 10

A little later, Joseph returns with some water and food. I realize he thinks that I am asleep when he creeps in quietly and sits by my Dad.

"You need to eat and save your strength. I heard that they are bringing a new device in. It is said that it will make even the strongest of men break. I don't know any details on what it is and for that I am sorry."

"It's okay Joseph.” I can hear him lightly pat Joseph. “Do you know if they plan to use it on my daughter?"

"I believe that it is just for you, sir.” I open my eyes, and twist to look at my dad. Joseph smiles at me sadly. Instead of returning it, I glare at him. I don’t care that he’s being nice to my dad. “Milady, you need to eat. You don't look very well.” He pleads, though I notice his wince as he meets my eyes.

He turns back to my Dad and continues. “My King has sent his apologies and is working on a Battle Plan to come help you. He has always known that his Priest was up to something. He just had no proof or no idea of what it was. That is why he sent me here to work for the priest. I am to spy on the him and, now that you are here, I am to help you. However, I cannot interfere with something that might reveal who I am. Please forgive me, both of you.”

He glances at me again. I haven’t dropped my glare. Surely, his King has plans for us as well; the witch and the wizard. “I will tell you more but, right now, I have to go before they catch me."

"Thank you, sir." my Dad says as he leaves.

Joseph gives me a quick hug, and a kiss on my cheek, before he leaves. Even though this is something that has already happened, I feel every emotion as if it is really happening at this moment. I’m sitting here stunned. Feeling like an intruder, inside of my own mind, my current self is angry.

How can he just leave us in here? He keeps calling me Milady, but I don't even live in this time. Why would the King want us safe? Of course, I can’t voice any of these and that makes me even more frustrated.

My Dad doesn’t look too healthy. His blond hair is falling out, his eyes are red with black and blue bruises all around them, his lips are cracked and busted, and he’s so skinny that you can see his bones sticking out of his skin. There are cuts all over him, some deep and some barely across the skin.

He notices me looking at him and he gives me a smile. It’s weak and his breathing is very shallow. Something inside of my current self feels as if it’s breaking. I’m feeling dread and a horrible sadness as he looks at me.

"I think that Joseph likes you. He may be our only hope. I can't convince them that I’m not a wizard. I can't let them do what they did you before, again, but I don’t have the strength to stop them. I don't think that I can do this anymore.” He leans against the wall. “I hurt all over and I feel weak. Promise me that you will return home, even if I am not with you."

I start crying. I do not want to leave him so I shake my head no. Leaving without my dad is not an option to me.

"You must. I can't live with the idea that you might die here. If I hadn't followed you here, and gotten caught, you would probably be learning everything that you wanted. For that, I am so sorry.” Guilt floods me, both my current self and my past self.

“You know, I think that, when you escape, Joseph will take care of you if you cannot return home. I trust him.” When I give him an incredulous stare, he shrugs and continues.

“When you're sleeping, he sneaks in to look at you. If he thinks that I am sleeping, he will come and fix your sheet or roll you into a better position. He's the one that leaves the glasses of water by your bed.” He looks over at something, before he looks back at me. “Come over and eat some of this with me." He pleads.

I scoot closer to him but I don’t grab the food. Instead I lay my head on his shoulder and cry. He eats the food while stroking my hair. I can hear the hard time he’s having swallowing and I silently pray for his strength to return.

"It will be okay honey. I gave instructions to my colleagues to come and get us but I didn't expect this. If they followed my letter, they should already be here, somewhere.” I feel a shutter rip through him. “I don't know what will happen to them. I hope that they have better luck than we did."

I nod my head in agreement even as my body shutters. I don’t like to think that his friends will come here. If they do, there is a chance to be rescued.

I don’t have any hope in that, so all I can think is that it will be better if they don’t come. With a feeling of helplessness, I just sit and cry. There’s no hope and the mice, that are sitting at my Dad's side eating his dropped food, is proof of that.

My current self can not wake up. There is something wrong and I can feel it. I need to see Derek, but I can tell that something is terribly wrong with my body. I feel like I’m dying and all I can do is watch this scene continue and feel trapped in my own body. I’m unable to give myself courage or comfort.

A little while later, a noise startles me awake. Joseph has come back for the dishes. My Dad shifts himself a little to lay my head comfortably down. I’m so exhausted that I can’t even lift my eyes. They both assume that I’m asleep.

"How is she?"

"She's not doing so well. Why do you want to know?"

"They’ve changed the plans. We are moving everyone to a different castle. Zarius has figured out that the King knows something. If she falls behind, they will kill her or leave her to die from the animals. I won't be able to help; they're looking for the spy."

"I don't think that I can make it. Who is Zarius?"

"That’s the name of the Priest that’s holding you captive, forgive me for not explaining.” I hear him shift and keep my eyes closed tight, worried that he will know I’m awake. “You have to try. If you die, I don't know what they will do to her. They need you for something and they plan on getting it."

"I'm not a wizard, for the last time, we are from the future. I do not have the ability to give them what they want from me."

"I do not know what you mean by future but I do know that you are not from this Kingdom."

"We are from the year 2013. I made a device that can bring us to any year that we want. I can't make it, the device, here because you don't have the materials that I need. There are devices in my time that would seem like magic to you, but they are not, they’re scientific."

"So you can come from 2013? Are you to return when my King rescues you?" Joseph sounds edgy about it for some reason.

"No, like I said, I can not return. You do not have the proper materials and devices. We are stuck here with nowhere to go."

"Why did you come here?"

"My daughter did. She wanted to learn more about the past. I asked her to bring help, but she insisted that she would be fine.” My father’s voice cracks and sense of guilt feels me, in both past and present forms.

“In the middle of the argument, she left, so I came to get her back. When I arrived, it was in front of two of the Priest's guards. They knocked me out and carried me, wrapped up in this sheet, on the back of the horse.” Sighing, he places his hand on my back.

I almost gasp at the sadness that I can feel radiating from him. “I guess they broke the devices when they threw me up on the horse. Those would have taken us home. In any case, my daughter found me when they were letting their horses drink and they captured her while she tried to rescue me."

I can feel the sobs coming from him, as he sits beside me. But, I’m too exhausted to do anything about it. The tears just silently slide down my face.

"I am sorry for your unfortunate events. Do not blame your daughter, or yourself, for your daughter's capture. She was brave and honorable."

“I don't blame my daughter. Though, she blames herself. It's like a knife in my heart every time I look at her. The last thing that she said to me was that she was sorry.” I hear a solid sound, and a crack, and I hold my breath.

What just happened? “She left with good intentions. It’s my fault. I shouldn't have come here. Or, I should have stopped her no matter what she said."

"Please do not do that, sir. It is no one's fault."

"Why do you call me "sir"? I have not earned that name."

"My King plans to Knight you for your bravery in resisting the Priest's evil plans against our allies. He says that he needs more Knights like you and I. We have lost a lot of good Knights. They kept disappearing and it’s too many to be by accident. That is why my King has sent me to spy on Zarius."

"I'll be knighted? But I don't even live in this Kingdom. He may decide to kill me.” I can hear him chuckle now.

“I don't deserve it. I can't agree to do something that I’m not capable of doing. That is not bravery." He let’s out a dry laugh. “If I could of have, to stop them from hurting my daughter, I would have built it.”

"My King does not care that you are not from this Kingdom. You have shown great courage. You will train with me as soon as this is over." He said with conviction.

"I’m old and unsure that I will be able to hold a sword much less swing it."

"I saw what you did to the few men that...."

"I know. You don't have to say it."

"I'm sorry that I was not here. I was reporting everything to my King's adviser."

"How can you blame yourself? I can't blame you. You wouldn't have been able to do anything about it anyway."

"Uh, sir, may I ask you a question?"

"Sure." My dad says curiously.

"Do you think that your daughter would like to court me?"

"You want to court her?"

"Yes, with your blessing, of course. I would like the chance to make her my wife, if she wants. But, every time I touch her, she flinches. When she does that, it makes my chest hurt and my stomach flop. I know that she doesn't trust the guards. I do not blame her. But I will never do that to her. I will avenge her and take care of the monsters that did that to her."

It’s quiet for a while. Peaceful and still. So, when my dad utters his next sentence, shock fills me and my heart seizes.

"I will give you my blessing, if she agrees. But first, I need you to promise me that no matter what happens to me, you will take care of her."

"I promise, sir. I will guard her as I do my own heart."