To Hell And Back | Granevere | Edited

Chapter Ninety-One

"I figured the both of you would be here," Aurelius said, walking over the fountain. A cold breeze flows by and Guinevere frowns.

"Hello, Father," Roderick greeted, changing his childish demeanor to formal. "Mother and I were just feeding our swans while waiting for you to get back."

Guinevere gives the boy a look. A few minutes ago he was literally talking about how Granger would be a good stepfather...

"Is that so?" Aurelius gives the woman a knowing smirk. He takes a sit beside her. Guinevere stiffened. "Guinevere," it's odd for him to call her by her first name, but she's also oddly thankful it's not a pet name. "How are you holding up?"

She bravely turns to face him, smiling tightly. "Oh, I'm fine now."

"That's good to hear," Aurelius sounds so caring. Even though he was sitting way too close for her comfort, the rapid beating of her heart slowly comes low. He sparks up a small conversation for the three of them to converse lightheartedly, and as he was leading on the conversation, Guinevere couldn't help but to remember the whole scenario was painfully familiar. Of course, it would.

A male gardener passes by, bowing at each of the Royals deeply before going about his day.

"What did Aunt Silvanna say, Father?" Roderick chuckled coyly, not used to his father being diverting for the time being.

"She said she will be happy to see you in your birthday celebration next week, and she'll make sure to bring you an unforgettable gift."

"I can't wait," Roderick replied. His smile which almost reached his eyes falters as he pulls away from Guinevere's embrace and studies the both of them. "I hope your best friend comes, Mum."

She doesn't know if he said it as an attempt to turn Aurelius's gears but she managed to shake the thought of exhaling a scoff away.

But how would she know if the Granger in this world would come? She hasn't seen him since they left the Southern Mountains. Butterflies flutter in her stomach as she proceeds to think about him. She wasn't married to him here but surely their feelings for each other are still mutual, just subdued because of her marriage.

Hold on, she should've been confused sooner. Why did she marry Aurelius instead of Gusion? Without doubt and knowing her parents, they wouldn't hesitate to throw her into having an arranged marriage with him which have already been possibly agreed on since her birth, which of course the time paradox she did wouldn't take effect on...

Based on the sufficient knowledge she regained from a lesson about time travelling back in her Academy years, there's a possibility a time traveller new to the ability can get transported into another dimension they shouldn't be in.

"Ugh," all the thinking made Guinevere groan out loud. Both the son and the father look at her, concerned.

"What's wrong?" They said in unison. Guinevere looks back and forth at them, seeing themselves twinning as the whole fountain was beginning to swirl. With her last ounce of common sense, she feels her body falling back and submerging into shallow, cold water.

- - -

"We seem to be in a Moniyan village," Harith observed, furrowing his brows at the flocks of chicken running around the smelly mudding backyard of a cottage house. The two of them have just exited the dark forest heading west. Harith leads themselves to the front yard. As he knocks on the front door, he mumbles at Granger. "Let's hope they'll be able to accommodate you, let you borrow their bathroom and lend some clothes and all that."

"And what if they won't be accommodating themselves?"

"Y-You're not implying you're going to eat them, are you?"