Crossing Borders

Separate Lives

Astrid stirs awake and slowly opens her eyes but hurriedly closed again when she felt the room spinning. When she was sure she was better, she slowly sat up, tried to focus her sight.

Where am I? she thought. This isn't home.

Then she tried to remember the events of the night before, I was in bed...

Her eyes widened realizing what had happened, I was kidnapped!

She looks down at her hands and realized she isn't tied down. In fact, she was really comfortable in a queen size bed, that was over flowing of pillows and she was snuggling underneath a thick warm comforter.

"I see you've woken up." Astrid turns toward the voice and sees a boy standing in the corner of the room.

He had a smile of a prankster, but his eyes were friendly. Astrid raised her comforter up to her chin to cover her. His voice was low and with heavy accent that Astrid had never heard before. "I'm sorry for startling you."

The boy walks toward the window and opened the curtains, filling the room with sunlight that Astrid had to cover her eyes.

"Time to get out of bed princess."

"Where am I?" Astrid asks, her voice a bit raspy and her throat painful due to dryness. The boy makes his way to her with a glass of water. "Thank you." she quickly drinks, not taking her eyes off the boy.

The boy snickered and stepped away. "You are in a Russian camp."

"Russia?" she asks surprise, quickly settling the glass back at the table.

"Grandfather told us a princess will come," he smiles, "I shouldn't have doubted him." Astrid felt a blush come and looked away. "My name is Dimitri."

Astrid lent out her hand for a shake, "I am-"

"Don't." Dimitri took her hand, but instead of shaking it, he kissed the back of her palm. "Princess suits you better." Astrid pulls her hand away.

"Thank you." she whispers, her cheeks growing hotter.

Dimitri chuckles, "Besides, you would probably be given an alias so you don't have to go throwing your name around, that's rule number one." Dimitri now stood a few meters away, but kept his eyes on her. "You have clothes in the closet and the maids had drawn you a hot bath as well."

"Thank you."

"Girl don't need to thank me so much." he said walking towards the door. "It is a pleasure to have met and be of service to you, princess." With that he gave her a wink and left.

Astrid sighs and looks around, "Well, at least the place looks ok." She reaches for her pendant and smiled, "Stay safe you guys."

She steps down the bed and walked toward the door leading to a balcony, she gasps surprised of what was out there. Her room was set in the highest tower of a castle, yes a castle overlooking the grounds covered with hundreds of girls and boys fighting.

"I probably should too."

After an hour of preparing herself mentally, Astrid left her room to look around her new home. Intrigued of every little thing but not touching any she accidentally bumps unto someone. The girl shouts something she didn't understand, so she just stood up and bowed.

"I'm sorry, I didn't-" then she moved aside, just in time seeing the girl was about to hit her. She looks up at her, upset, "I said I'm sorry."

"Ah, an American." the girl said, "A wuss."