"Is still alive?" asked by the red haired little girl while scrutinizing the bondaged parts of stricken body of the pinkish white smooth skin of the lying maiden
"Why does she have a lot of wounds? That looks really painful!" pointing to the bandaged arm of Niah
"Shhh.. you know Cora, you are too talkative you might wake her up" whispered by a long black braided hair girl named Luna, the chief nurse of their village
"You should get out now" pushing the little girl out of the tent to avoid the noise that can wake the patient
" Hmmp! Nurse Luna, just let me stay here! they are so busy outside and no one pays attention on me!" Cora said while contradicting Luna's command that made her tsk'ed out of frustration.
"Please! just let me stay here I will --ohh LOOK!" she pointed at Niah's movement and eventually opening her eyes.
She started to roam her eyes around, she saw the large tent's roof above and saw the two girls pushing each other near the entrance.
She tried rise from being lying but she felt the stinging pain from the some of her wounds
"Ahh!" Luna immediately ran and assist her so she can lean to the pillow so she can sit.
"Don't move to harshly you are not fully healed, you might be relapsed of you force yourself" she explained while putting her palm on Niah's forehead to check if she still have fever.
"W-where am I?"Niah asked while still wandering her eyes around the tent, another unfamilliar place along with unfamilliar faces.
"Do not worry, you are safe here in our village"
"S-safe?" then she started to recall what happened to her, from walking toward the glowing opened book up to white powder she last saw before she passed out. She tried to get up again but failed the second time.
" Hey! stop, listen you are still weak,now if you want to leave then I'll let you! but please let your strength back before being hard headed!" Luna irritably said to Niah that made her tears flowed again.
"I'll call General Alid" then she signaled to the red haired little girl to guard her for a moment but before standing, Niah grabbed Luna's arm
"What do you think you are doing?"
"Listen! Please.. help me get out from here! believe me I am not from here! I dont know what happened but as long as I remember after feeling a sucking magnetic force from that freak book I passed out then when I woke up I am already here! You the one who can help me so please!" hoping that she might believe her and she might know where is the portal to get of out that place.
"I understand you came from another place far from here" she tried to cool Niah down but Niah resisted and hold her tighter.
" No! its not just far from here! its completely in another world! the real world!"she hysterically explained while crying
" Okay, okay please calm down.." Luna tried to comfort her while caressing her back " I'll call General Alid, he might help you" she gently explained to the sobbing Niah
while signaling the little girl to get out and call for him
In a little while a tall well-built muscled man in an armor arrived as Luna bowed her head. Niah immediatley recognize him by his small mole near his lips that she saw before.
'He's the man ordered by the white wolf masked man to get me near to him!' she exclaimed on her mind while intently looking to him
"How are you?" she remained speechless after hearing his question that made the man sighed.
" They will arrive tommorow dawn, you can finally continue your journey" upon hearing what he said she instantly looked at him with her another confused look.
"W-what journey? and who will going to fcking arrive?! Who the hell are you?! Im so tired being confused on what is happening to me!"Niah irritatedly said while grinding her teeth out of annoyance that left them dumbfounded.
"Are you sure she does not suffer from any kind of amnesia?" General Alid whispered to Nurse Luna.
"I assured you verything was fine but she keep saying thoses weird things like she's from other world and not from here, I really don't know what should I say just to calm her down."
"Maybe she's suffering from a trauma after been chased by those payed killers" that made Luna nodded as sign of agreement.
"Please your highness, we'll talk about that with our Lord Theon, for now you should gain your strength to come back before your father's servants and men fetch you here tommorow dawn" and because of the tired hear hearing those words she decide to keep her mouth shut.
"Take a good rest and eat well so that your wounds will be fully healed" his words before immediately getting out from the tent after hearing someone called his name outside while the Chief Nurse followed him
Niah have no choice to just sit or lie still because of her state she noticed the young girl peaking at her from a far side of the tent.
"H-hi!" the little girl awkwardly greeted her when she noticed her looking at her direction.
" I am Cora, my father works as one of the best blacksmith of our handsome Lord, how about you?" she innocently questioned her.
"I-I am Niah.." she awkwardly introduced herself
" ohh.. one more thing! I saw a beautiful satin dress and some golden ornaments and jewelries that Nurse Luna took off before she started bandaging your wounds, your skin also looks so smooth and soft like you were bathing a milk"her long statement about what she had noticed.
"And so?" Niah replied.
" You look like a rich Lady from a very rich House or Clan, so my question is.. what clan do you belong? Is it from Higher Kingdoms or Lower one?" the cute little girl curiously asked waiting for Niah to answer as her eyes are eager finally hear her response.
Cora was so fond of meeting a princess because of her late mother's tale about her past experience serving a rich clan with a lot of charming princesses.
"I-I did not came from here .. My family is not here and Grandma might looking for me now" she sadly explained to Cora.
A moment of silence passed when Cora remembered something and ask her to wait for awhile before getting out of the tent.
Niah sighed hopelessly thinking about what is her Grandma and Yaya Doris doing and if they are already aware that she's not in her room anymore and that she was lost.
Her deep reflection was cut when Cora came back carrying a thick book
"W-what is that?" Cora did not answered and walk toward Niah's bed and shower her the book entitled the Battle of Fires and Roses
her eyes got big out of shock realizing its the same book that sucked her in that world
"Are you okay?" Cora worriedly asked her.
"Where and how did you get this?" she curiously said.
" This is the book that an old lady gave me when I saw her walking near the Blue Blood River when I followed the troop of General Alid while they are playing spy. I read this book when no one wants to play with me and look! the character really looks like you and you shared the same struggles! a princess that was chased by the goons and saved by masked men like General Alid and Lord Theon"she explained while Niah is scanning the book wondering where are the moving pictures inside its pages went looking at the unmoving images and the picture of a princess in the preceeding chapters that really looks like her as she was trying to figure out how can she use it to go back where she belongs to.
"Do you want this book? I can share it with you so you will not be bored here" Cora said while genuinely smiling.
Their talk was cut short when Arjane, the teen girl with an armor that looks like got home from training called Cora from the outside.
" Its time for me to go Lady Niah, my cousin is already fetching me so I have to go now! I'll bring the book later in the Village Dinner so you can read too! but first I will finish the chapter that I am reading about the power stone from the queen's crown"
"Power what? Heyyy Cora, wait! " Niah tried to stop her but shes too late because she already grabbed the book and ran immediately outside.
- - -
What is Niah's connection to the princess that looks like in the book?
What will Niah discovered after reading it later?