BLESSED-SANDS

 

The journey away from the market was swift and jarring. The same vehicle that had served as my cage some kind of two-wheeled cart pulled by powerful, reptilian-looking beasts was now just a cart, stripped of its bars. I was seated precariously on a padded bench, sandwiched between two of the ancient-armored soldiers. The lead soldier, the one who'd called me 'Princess' and introduced himself as Commander Joon, rode ahead on a similar beast, his imposing figure a constant reminder of the sheer impossibility of my situation.

My wrists still smarted from the ropes, and my muscles screamed from the prolonged confinement, but the physical discomfort was a dull ache compared to the mental whiplash I was experiencing. Princess. Me. Aida . It was utterly ludicrous.

"Are you comfortable, Your Highness?" the soldier to my left asked, his voice gruff but surprisingly solicitous. His name, I'd learned during the confusing departure from the market, was Kli. He had skin the color of rich soil and eyes like chips of obsidian.

I managed a weak, sarcastic laugh. "Oh, yes, perfectly comfortable. Nothing says luxury travel quite like being sprung from a slave cage and whisked away by heavily armed strangers who insist I'm royalty. Five stars."

Kli's face, framed by his helm, registered a flicker of confusion. "Forgive me, Your Highness. We understand the ordeal has been… traumatic. But you are safe now.."

"Yeah right." I muttered. My head was spinning. Traumatic didn't even begin to cover it. It was a full-blown reality collapse.

I focused on the landscape unfolding around us. As we left the immediate vicinity of the market town, the terrain became less wild, more managed. The bizarre, iridescent plants were still there, but they were interspersed with fields of cultivated crops that glowed with soft, internal light. Structures became more frequent not just crude dwellings, but actual buildings, built from stone and what looked like hardened, glowing resin. Roads, paved with smooth, dark material, snaked across the land, marked by tall, elegant markers carved with symbols. This wasn't just a wilderness; it was a realm.

The air grew cleaner, losing the market's stench, replaced by the fresh scent of rain on dry earth and something akin to ozone, like after a thunderstorm. The swirling purple and green sky was still there, but it felt less oppressive, somehow, now that I wasn't a captive gazing up through bars.

My thoughts were a tangled mess. The system had been a lifeline, giving me language, but it hadn't explained why these people thought I was their princess. System, I thought again, focusing inward. Can you tell me anything about the 'This desert kingdom? Or 'Princess Aida'? Is that even my name here?

[Query: Information on the desert kingdom of Ru'hun' initiated.] [Searching… Local historical and genealogical records insufficient for comprehensive analysis.] [Cross-referencing Subject's inherent signature with known Royal Line markers…] [Match Confidence: 98.7%] [Potential Explanation: Transdimensional Echo/Resonance or Soul Signature Overlap. Further data required.]

My internal snort was practically audible. Transdimensional Echo? Soul Signature Overlap? "Right," I muttered. "Of course. It's not just a case of mistaken identity, it's metaphysical identity theft."

 Kli looked at me, his head cocked. "Just talking to myself," I clarified, offering him a weak, probably unconvincing smile.

The journey continued for hours. We stopped only briefly to water the beasts and allow the soldiers to scan the surroundings with unnerving vigilance. They treated me with a strange mixture of deference and concern, offering me water from ornate canteens and hard biscuits that tasted vaguely of cinnamon and dirt. I ate and drank, my body grateful for the sustenance, even as my mind reeled.

As the twin suns began their descent, casting long, eerie shadows, the land ahead rose steeply, culminating in a truly colossal structure built into the side of a mountain. It wasn't just a castle; it was a citadel. Walls of living rock seemed to fuse with impossibly smooth, dark stone. Towers pierced the strange sky, topped with spires that glowed with soft light. Gateways the size of small buildings were carved into the mountainside, guarded by more soldiers in similar ancient armor.

"The Kingdom of Ru'hun," Joon announced, his voice filled with pride. "Our home. Your home, Your Highness."

My stomach clenched. My home was a two-bedroom apartment on the third floor, not a mountain fortress in an alien dimension. But as we approached the colossal gates, the feeling of surreality intensified. Citizens lined the road leading up to the entrance, cheering and waving as the detachment of soldiers, and the cart carrying their supposed princess, passed by. Their faces were a mix of the varied beings I'd seen in the market, all united by expressions of awe and palpable relief. Had this 'Lost Princess' been that important?

We passed through the gates, the sheer scale of the architecture dwarfing everything I'd ever seen. Inside, the citadel wasn't just stone corridors; it was a city within a mountain. Courtyards open to the sky, buildings clinging to the rock face, pathways winding up impossibly steep inclines.

Glowing flora illuminated the passages, casting an ethereal light.

They took me through a labyrinth of polished stone halls, past stoic guards standing sentinel, their armor gleaming. The air here was cool and still, carrying the scent of aged stone and something floral. My bare feet felt strange on the smooth, cool floor.

Finally, we reached a set of immense double doors, carved with the same intricate patterns as the soldiers' armor. Two guards, even more elaborately armored, stood on either side. Joon stopped before them, and they swung the doors open with a resonant thump.

"The King awaits, Commander," one guard stated.

My heart hammered against my ribs. The Queen. My supposed mother? This was it. The meeting that would either confirm their delusion or, perhaps, shatter my own understanding of reality completely.

I was ushered into a vast chamber. The ceiling soared high above, a dome of shimmering material that mimicked the night sky, complete with the strange nebulae. The walls were adorned with tapestries depicting scenes of epic battles and figures radiating light. In the center of the chamber, on a raised platform, sat a throne carved from what looked like solidified starlight. Joon escorted me to the foot of the platform and bowed deeply. "Your Majesties," he announced, his voice filled with reverence, "I present the Princess."

 

Seated on the thrones were an aging good-looking couple who exuded an aura of undeniable power and grief. They shot up immediately when their eyes fall on me The Queen's amber gaze fixed on my face, intense and searching. Time seemed to stretch. Then, her expression crumpled, transforming from regal control to overwhelming emotion. Tears welled in her eyes, tracing paths down her noble nut-brown cheeks. Her sable brown, curly hair falls down her back, a curly river.

"Jiyoo," she whispered, her voice trembling, a sound that resonated with ages of pain and longing. She rose from the throne, descending the steps with surprising speed. The dread-locked, stern-looking man beside her put a hand on her arm, as if to steady her, but she shook him off gently.

She reached me and stopped, her amber eyes scanning every inch of my face. She raised a hand, tentatively reaching out, her fingers hovering just inches from my cheek. "My daughter," she murmured, her voice thick with unshed tears. "By the Sands, it is truly you."

I stood frozen, unable to move, unable to speak. This woman, radiating raw emotion and claiming to be my mother, I have never known the love and warmth of parents, but this girl, who this body belongs to did.

The stern-looking man cleared his throat. "Sabel, the ordeal may have altered her. Traumatic experiences can suppress memories."

The Queen didn't take her eyes off me. "Memories can return, Lorien., I'm glad she's alright. Oh blessesd sand." She finally touched my cheek, her hand surprisingly warm.

"Um," I managed, finding my voice, though it sounded shaky and uncertain. "Look, I think there's been a… a massive misunderstanding." I glanced at Joon and the other soldiers, then back at the Queen. "My name is Aida, yeah. But I'm not I'm not a princess. And you're not my mom." I tried to wiggle out of this, before they find out I'm not the real deal, and find myself in more trouble.

The Queen's brow furrowed slightly, her expression shifting from pure relief to a flicker of concern. "Not your mother? Jiyoo, what are you saying? Did those wretches harm your mind?"

"No, nobody harmed my mind," I said, maybe a little too defensively. "My mind is perfectly… well, as perfectly intact as it can be when you wake up in a slave cage in another dimension and people start calling you royalty." I risked a small, utterly inappropriate shrug. "Look, I appreciate the rescue, seriously. You guys were way more effective than, like, the enforcers back home. But I'm not your princess. I'm from somewhere else. Completely elsewhere."

The stern man, Lorien, spoke, his voice calm but firm. "Jiyoo, it is natural to be disoriented after such an ordeal, and after so many weeks away. Your memories of Ru'hun may be faded, but give it time daughter. You're home, you're safe." He closes the distance between us and pull me into a hug.

"Alright," I clamp my mouth shut, denying that I am not their daughter is getting me nowhere. Both wear the same expression of relief. My heart ached. These people were clearly desperate, clinging to the hope that I was someone they had lost. Their grief was palpable, their belief absolute. But it wasn't my grief, and their hope was built on a foundation of mistaken identity. It was tragic.

 "You need to rest, we will see you later." The Queen waves a hand, and two women I hadn't noticed before peeled away from the wall and lead me away. I glance back at the couple, the king has his arms around his Queen, both look like they can't believe this.