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Aurora groaned as she felt the light hit her face.
"5 more min..." she mumbled, "Mm...Brad Pitt..." She didn't want to wake up from her dream. She suddenly became aware of someone lightly shaking her arm.
A strange voice whispered an even stranger language in her ear, which, oddly enough, she understood.
"Wake up, Aurora...Princess Aurora, wake up..."
"Wha...?" She kept her eyes closed. I must still be dreaming. The voice became louder.
"Aurora, WAKE up..."A very real hit on the face made her snap out of it. Whoever it was, they sounded impatient.
She opened her eyes and sat up, ready to give them a mouthful, but stopped short and almost fell out of bed at what she saw. She was in a beautiful white and silver room, in a silver bed with white silk covers. Out the huge window in front of the bed lay a breathtaking view of a lake and a forest which seemed alive with beauty. She turned her wide eyes onto the person who had woken her up, and was even more shocked. Before her stood a young, tall, slender woman with long, dark hair cascading down her back. The woman's amber eyes seemed to glow with the sunlight pouring in the window. The strangest thing about the woman, Aurora noticed, were her pointy ears. Her beauty was ruined, however, by the sour look she wore on her face.
"Where...what the hell..."Aurora asked, unable to grasp the right words for her situation.
"Aurora," The woman said, obviously annoyed, "Breakfast was hours ago. Must I remind you that this is the 5th time you've overslept since we've gotten here?"
"How...what...who are you? Where am I?" Aurora's mind was reeling.
The woman's face softened when she saw Aurora's puzzled expression.
"Princess, what is troubling you? I am your maid, Eiliya, and we are in Mirkwood, dear, don't you remember?"
"Mirkwood?" she replied, not familiar with the name, "Is that in California?"
The woman obviously had no idea what she was talking about.
"California...? What is this strange word you speak, Princess?"
"California...you know, the golden state? In America? Land of the free and home of the brave?" she continued, trying to find some clarity in this strange place.
"Maybe I should let you go back to sleep, Princess..." Eiliya replied, frightened at Aurora's mental state, "you are obviously delusional."
"Princess? Why do you keep calling me that?"
Eiliya stared back at her with a bewildered expression.
"Because you are Princess Aurora Raluck, daughter of King Raluck, and you are here to do business with the king of Mirkwood. Don't you remember?"
Obviously not, judging from the look on Aurora's face. Eiliya sighed. Aurora was always such a dreamer. The king should have sent someone else to handle his business matters. What was wrong with her now?
"Aurora,"she said softly, "I shall go now. You obviously need some time alone. But I shall come back in an hour to help you get ready for the dinner tonight."
"Dinner? What dinner?" Aurora was still in shock as to what was going on.
"You don't remember it?" Eiliya was getting annoyed again,"the dinner tonight with the king. The one you've been planning for since you got here?"
"Oh...THAT dinner," she replied. She still didn't have the slightest idea what was going on, but she figured she'd just go along with it until she figured out what was really going on. "Eiliya, could you do me one favor before you leave?"
"Anything, Princess Aurora."
"Could you...pinch me?" she wanted to make sure she wasn't still dreaming.
The woman was obviously puzzled by her request, but reached for Aurora's arm and gave a hard pinch.
"DAMN! That hurts..."Aurora yelled, rubbing the spot where she had just been hurt. "Um, thank you Eiliya. You may leave now." She waited as the woman opened the silver curtain for the doorway and left the room, then Aurora jumped out of the bed and looked around again. She was still in disbelief. Where in the hell am I? She couldn't explain it, but she felt...different. She felt wiser, and felt a weight tugging at the back of her head. She walked over to the mirror on the other side of the room and gasped as she looked upon herself.
Before her was her own face and body...but she looked... different. She noticed she had the same pointy ears as Eiliya, and as she turned around she noticed the weight at the back of her head was her long, caramel hair, now almost reaching to her knees. The tan she had gotten in the Bahamas a few weeks earlier may as well never existed, because now her skin radiated with an ivory glow. Her eyes also shone with secrets that Aurora would never know. A glimmer of color distracted Aurora from the mirror.
"Jackpot..." Aurora whispered as she saw the array of dresses layed out on the chest before her. Blues, purples, reds, silvers, pinks, greens...the dresses were alive with color. She picked out a shimmering silver-pink dress and tried it on, admiring her reflection in the mirror.
"I think it's time to explore," she grinned.
********
As beautiful as her room was, it was dull in comparison to what lay before her. She still had no idea where she was, but at the moment, it was so breathtaking she really didn't care. As she walked down the hallway, she looked in awe at the beautiful people passing her by. They didn't seem to notice her, they just talked among themselves, with soft voices that sounded like bells chiming. Outside, trees that had shimmering silver and green leaves shone in the late afternoon sunlight. The sound of running water could be heard somewhere ahead. Aurora stopped in front of a cascading silver waterfall and watched the water run over the rocks. No, she breathed, definitely nowhere near LA.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Aurora almost gasped in shock at the male voice next to her; she thought she had been alone.
"Yes...I've never seen anything so..." she lost her breath as she turned to see who she was talking to. The man, or elf, she guessed, next to her was more gorgeous as this strange place she was in. His long blonde hair accented his high cheekbones, and his eyes were a deep, endless blue.
"I come to this place when I want to think," he said, unaware of the effect he was having on her, "this is my favorite time of day here...it makes the water seem alive." He grinned a little, still looking at the water.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself," he said, turning to face her, "I am Legolas." He held out his hand in welcome, and she took it, still breathless.
"I-I-I am Princess Aurora...daughter of...er..." she couldn't believe she had forgotten the name.
"King Raluck? Yes, I had heard you had come to Mirkwood, but I had yet to have the pleasure of meeting you. I just got back today from a trip to Rivendell." He shook her hand and smiled. She had to hold herself back from swooning. He's having the same effect on me that NSync does on 12 year old girls. Rory, contain yourself, she thought.
"So, Aurora, what brings you out here at this time?" Legolas asked," I would think you'd be getting ready for the dinner tonight."
"Dinner? What din--" Aurora gasped when she remembered she had to be back to her room by now to meet Eiliya. She was dissapointed she'd have to cut her meeting with this beautiful elf called Legolas short. "Yes, I'm sorry, I have to go...I was supposed to be getting ready ages ago. Goodbye, Legolas."
"Goodbye, Aurora," he replied, smiling at her.
She grinned at him, and started to walk down the hallway, but then fear took her over as she realized she had no clue where her room was.
"Wait, Legolas..."she said, turning around, "I'm sorry...I'm not used to this castle, could you please tell me where my room is?"
He smiled at her expression. "Oh, the royal guest room? Down the hallway, to the left, it's the second door on the right."
"Thank you," she replied, and smiled a secret smile in her heart. This should be interesting.
Chapter two |
