New Beginnings

Learning more than I should have

I walked into what looked like the dining room...

All eyes were on me. 

"Deep breaths... deep breaths." I had to keep telling myself this, otherwise I would have barfed... or worse, passed out.

"Hi." I said meekly, and waved.

"Please," said a booming voice. It belonged to the man at the head of the table. He then said, "Take a seat, and join us." He smiled a wry smile at me.

For some reason, I didn't feel very welcomed by that.

"Thank you." I said politely. I was slowly getting goose bumps as I walked to the table. All eyes were still on me. I got to the table and walked to the only empty seat. A girl came up to my chair. She smiled at me and then pulled my chair out. She gestured for me to sit down. I sat down hesitantly. There were at least 20 other people in the room and they just stared at me... Like a piece of meat. 

"Presenting," Yelled a voice in the back of the room. "Prince Erik!"

There was this dead silence, then the doors began to open, and in strode a boy. Well I mean, he wasn't exactly a boy... He looked familiar though. Like someone I had met recently. I kept looking at him, trying to figure out where I knew him from.

Those eyes. They were so green. That dark hair. Those gentle curls.

Where had I seen him before?

Then it all came rushing back. It was the crazy guy who kidnapped me! I would have been so much more angry if it weren't for his damn good looks. 

"Shit." I said under my breath.

"What was that?" Boomed the man from the end of the table. I was startled, and my eyes widened. How could he have heard that?

"I ju- just.... sai- said shoot." I was constantly saying that to my mom. It was a completely feasible lie now.  

"Ah. I understand." And he winked at me. Like we shared some kind of understanding with eachother.

I nervously chuckled and half smiled. What the hell am I doing here? I asked myself. Why would these complete strangers take me into their home because they kidnapped me?

I was completely dumbfounded. I wasn't particularly happy when that young man came and sat down beside me either.

"Hello there, stranger." he said, while smiling at me. 

"Hi." I replied. I didn't even look at him. I just stared at my plate.

"Ok... I understand why you wouldn't want to look at me. Or acknowledge me. I haven't been the most hospitible person in the world, and we didn't exactly get off on the right foot. I'm Princ-" 

"I know who you are, dumbass." I interjected. "I heard your introduction. Prince Erik!" I said, in a mock british accent. The servants began to bring around the first course. 

"I guess I deserve that too. I'm sorry for what you've been through." He apologized, then went on with his meal, like nothing had even happened.

Now he was ignoring me.

I saw him lift the silver dome off of his plate and he began eating something. Something not usually in a balanced meal. It looked like raw meat.

The man at the end of the table, then stood up. "Friends, Romans, Countrymen- Oh wait. Wrong era." The whole room burst with laughter, except me. 

"I have called on you all today to be witness. My son thinks he has found the... Um... What do you call her son?" He looked at the boy next to me. The boy so named "Erik"