The Misadventures of a Terrestrial Anomaly

“My head,” Charlie sat up and rubbed her temples, “What day is it?”

Her head throbbed angrily. Her body felt like it was on fire. She pulled the blankets off of her and heard a plate crash to the ground next to her. A woman jumped to her feet next to her.

“Miss Charlotte! You’re awake!” She clapped, “Thank the gods!”

Charlie looked around the opulent room in bewilderment. Cream, silk curtains dangled from the massive open windows and drifted in the crisp wind as the sun peeked through. Beautifully carved redwood furniture with pale pink cushions sat throughout the room. The soft pink comforter on the overly large bed only weighed down the satin sheets against her linen shirt.

If Charlie didn’t know any better, she would think she woke up as a princess in a different universe.

“Where am I?” She laid back down.

“You are at the Everleigh Estate, my lady,” The woman stood, “In the western most wing, also known as the red wing. It’s Lord Wade’s wing of the manor.”

“How long have I been asleep?” She rubbed her eyes.

The older woman swiftly walked over and curtsied. She wore a plain grey dress that covered most of her skin. She quickly pulled a pitcher of water and a cup from the bedstand. After filling the cup with chilly water, she offered it. Charlie desperately gulped it down.

“About a month, milady.”

“A month?!” She spat out the water in her mouth.

“Yes, you’ve had all of us worried quite sick, I must say,” The older woman chuckled, “After the first week, the healers assured us you would awake when you regained enough energy. We’ve patiently waited since. It’s my third day assigned to your watch.”

“Where’s my bag?” She looked around the room.

“Your items are in the young lord’s room, at his request,” She bowed her head, “I should go let him know that you—”

She looked at her hand and saw the emerald ring again, “For fucks sake.”

“Excuse me?” The woman blinked, “I believe I misheard you, Miss Charlotte.”

“Please, just call me Charlie,” She threw the covers off of her, “And, who are you?”

“My name is Cynthia, my lady,” She curtsied again, “I apologize for not introducing myself sooner but—”

“Don’t worry about it,” She waved nonchalantly, “Can you bring my bag here?”

As she sat up, the older woman ran to her side and helped her out of the bed. Charlie reluctantly accepted her help.

“My duty as your assigned lady-in-waiting is to help you properly dress for the day,” She cleared her throat and nodded towards the other side of the room.

Just as Charlie feared, a large Victorian dress stood on its own. The delicate pink fabric bustled towards the bottom to show the pleated cream underneath.

“Get my bag.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m not wearing that.”

“My lady, it is what the young lord—”

“Cynthia, I will walk out of this room naked before I wear that dress.”

“I see,” The older woman closed her eyes and exhaled slowly, “I will retrieve your bag, Miss Charlotte.”

“Charlie!” She yelled as the woman exited the room, “Goddammit.”

She walked towards the windows and looked out over a bustling courtyard stories below. Large walls of greenery and flowers encapsulated it to feel more private compared to the brick road that led into the wilderness in one direction and towards distant, tightly compacted buildings in the other. With one door in the room, it would’ve felt a bit claustrophobic without the towering wall of windows.

She pulled at the shirt to cover herself more, then remembered the wound on her stomach. She opted to step away from the window and examine the wound in a large mirror nearby. Miraculously, the only disfiguration was the pink skin where it previously oozed from. She touched it to make sure her eyes didn’t trick her.

“Well, I’ll be damned. Good as new,” She chuckled until the next thing crossed her mind, “Who the hell put this underwear on me?”

It was less underwear and more skintight linen shorts that went from her navel to the top of her knees. She dropped the large shirt and crossed her arms. She walked over to the dress and swept her hand along the soft fabric. The corset on the thing looked worse than the heaviness of the dress. As she examined it closer, she noticed the intricate stitch work. Her grandmother would have fainted at the thought of wearing something this elegant.

Then, Charlie noticed a green bottle in a bucket of ice. Given she took another month-long nap, she felt she deserved a nice drink. She took out the bottle to see the dark red wine and sighed in relief. As she frantically searched for something to open the bottle, she bumped into the dress again. One of the hooks holding the shoulders up was the perfect tool to peel the wax seal from the bottle. With that out of the way, she pushed the cork through the narrow neck and let it float on the wine before she held the bottle up to her lips and drank.

Charlie took a moment to rethink wearing the dress. She was in a magical land, in some stuffy old mansion. As she drank wine and ran the fabric through her fingers, she wondered if she would feel like a princess wearing it. She realized that she was definitely too old to imagine herself being a princess in a fairytale.

Then, the door swung open.

“My lady!”

Her brow furrowed in confusion before the blur of a man picked her up. Wade spun her around with a laugh as she squealed and kicked at him. He gently sat her on her feet and held her tight. When she wriggled away, he stepped towards her again.

“It’s true,” He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her eyes, “You’re awake!”

“Yes, and—” She stepped back and tried to slide the ring off her finger, but it was stuck, “What the fuck?”

“It is enchanted to fit my bride,” He smirked, “Why else wouldn’t it?”

“Bullshit.”

“You’re right,” Wade laughed from his belly and gripped her shoulders, “It must just be the gods telling you to finally accept me.”

“Wade—”

“You’ve just woken up, my lady,” He brushed the hair from her face, “How are you? I’ve been worried sick.”

“I’m fine now, and I’ll be going as soon as I have—”

“Miss Charlotte, I—oh!” Cynthia paused in the open door, “Lord Everleigh, I did not expect you to arrive so quickly.”

“The moment my lady’s eyes opened, I felt my heart have reason to beat again,” He kissed her hand.

Before she could react, the servant rushed over to push him away from her.

“You still shouldn’t see her in such a state of dress! You aren’t married yet,” The woman scolded, “I haven’t even done her hair!”

“Cynthia, you saw how she couldn’t keep her hands off me,” Wade winked to her, “In fact, you may need to—”

Charlie glared at him, “What are you talking about?”

“Oh, my lady,” She laughed nervously, “When you arrived a month ago, some saw how you two were…”

She made incomprehensible hand gestures.

“I don’t even remember getting here,” Charlie rubbed her forehead, “Where’s my bag?”

“Stowed safely in our bedchambers, my lady. Where all of your belongs will be,” He gestured around the room, “Until our wedding, you can stay in this room in my wing of the house.”

Before Charlie could deny anything, the servant cut in.

“The countess will want to speak with Lady Charlotte now that she’s awake,” Cynthia cleared her throat, “I need to prepare her.”

“I insist she eats lunch with us.”

“Wade—”

“Please, my lady,” He pleaded with Charlie, “Just one meal.”

She took a deep breath, “I’m not wearing that dress.”

“Miss Charlotte, you must wear something in the house,” Cynthia frowned, “You’ve only worn Lord Wade’s clothes for the past month because we couldn’t find any of yours.”

She rolled her eyes, “If you find my bag, then I’d be able to change.”

“You heard her, go get her bag,” Wade grabbed the bottle of wine from her and smirked, “Knock before you enter again. I want time alone with her.”

“Yes, my lord!” She quickly left the room.

Charlie crossed her arms and looked at him, “What the hell is this?”

“I’ve been worried sick about you,” He laughed airlessly, “You’ve been asleep so long, I thought I lost you.”

“Okay, you can cut the lovey dovey shit.”

His face twitched in confusion, “Charlie…”

“You don’t have to act like this. You came back home. I’m sure your sister is rightfully pissed. I can leave now.”

Wade brushed the hair from her face. The motion felt so intimately familiar that she blushed.

“I’ve spent the last month basically standing vigil at your bedside. I worried I had lost you just as I found you,” He hesitated, “I don’t care about what my sister says. I’m just happy you’re alive, my lady.”

Charlie hated that her eyes watered at his words, “You don’t even know me.”

“Do you remember the last words you said to me before you fell asleep?” He waited for her to answer, “I promise not to leave you again.”

“I was sick,” She realized who she was actually speaking about, “I didn’t know what I was saying.”

He cupped her face again and placed his forehead against hers. The pale green eyes stared into her with more compassion than she had seen from someone outside of her friend back on earth. She closed her eyes to avoid falling into the very reasonable, extremely comfortable trap he set for her. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her attention solely on him.

“Just, give me a chance?” He whispered, “I beg you.”

“Wade, you literally know nothing about me,” She pressed her forehead against his, “Why are you doing this?”

“I know you’re special. I want to be a part of it. Just let me, Charlie.”

She could feel his breath on her lips but refused to open her eyes to acknowledge he was close enough to kiss her. She refused to give in to his extremely tempting offer. She wouldn’t be the woman that fell for a rich man because he promised whatever she wanted.

Charlie wouldn’t be kidnapped a third time by falling for a handsome, rich face.

“What if I don’t even like men?” She huffed.

Wade pulled back to grip his stomach and laughed. He sat back on the bed and shook his head.

“You do know how to ruin the mood, don’t you?” He took a deep breath, “I’m well aware you like men.”

“How would you know that?” She put her hands on her hips.

“When we arrive here, you were quite interactive with me,” He blushed and lowered his head from her gaze, “You also mumble some interesting things in your sleep.”

“Is that why you’re doing this? Because I get horny when I’m sick and have said some explicit things? She rolled her eyes, “Get a sex worker, then.”

“No! You wouldn’t have done those things if you weren’t—”

Charlie held up her hand to stop him, “My husband only took care of me when I was sick.”

“Your… husband?” The color drained from his face, “You’re married?”

“He only ever showed me any decency when I couldn’t wait on him hand and foot,” She clinched her fists, “So, when I’m extremely sick, I get awfully affectionate. It’s fucked up. I know it’s a problem. I am—was? —working on it in therapy.”

“You’re… married,” His sad eyes looked at her until he gripped his hair in his hands, “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Wade, I have told you so often that you know nothing about me!”

He furrowed his brow, “Why weren’t you wearing a wedding ring when we met?”

“What are you—?”

“I looked when we left the bar. You weren’t wearing a ring. There isn’t one anywhere in your things.”

“Because—”

“Were you trying to be unfaithful and that’s why you tried to save me?” He laughed, “Maybe Wanda was right. You just needed money for a healer and I took it too far.”

He stood and walked towards the door. Charlie felt the dramatic shift in atmosphere and reached out for him. He wouldn’t look at her, but she saw how crushed and heartbroken he seemed.

“Wade—”

“Let me know where to send a summons for your husband. I’m sorry I’ve overstepped,” He kept his eyes glued to the floor, “My apologies, Lady Charlotte. Perhaps it’s best if—”

She threw her arms up, “He’s dead!”

Wade stopped with his hand on the door handle. He looked over at her with a puzzled expression.

“What?”

“My husband, Roman? He’s dead. So, you’ll need a necromancer to bring him here,” She turned around, “He is dead.”

“I am so sorry.”

“Don’t be,” She shook her head, “There’s many things I’m coming to terms with, with his death. I’m sorry you thought it was—”

Charlie shook as she held back tears. Wade walked up behind her and hugged her. A few months of emotions burst through her. When she started sobbing, he turned her around and embraced her. She cried as he combed her hair with his hands and gently rubbed her back. When she hugged him back, he firmly pressed her against him. They slowly sunk to the floor when she couldn’t keep herself upright anymore. Charlie cried uncontrollably as all the pain she felt escaped.

“I’m sorry, my lady,” He whispered, “How can I help?”

“I want to go home,” She broke out between sobs, “I just want to go home.”

“I will take you home. Just tell me where—”

“Ha!” Her sobs turned into laughter, “Wade, I’m going to be honest. You seem like the only person who, no matter what fucked up shit I tell you, won’t stop being nice to me.”

“Of course, my lady. You can tell me anything.”

“Ugh!” She took a deep breath, “I don’t really have a choice. I need help.”

Charlie decided to take the unwise route of explaining everything to another person, despite Puddles’s advice to keep her origins quiet. She could use this man as he used her. She thought it was about time to throw her trust at someone else that seemed like an upstanding citizen.

“Tell me anything, my lady. Tell me how I can help,” He whispered, “I will try my best to make it better.”

“Don’t make me regret it,” She motioned towards the couch, “Let’s sit. This is going to take a while.”

“Of course.”

“While we talk,” She looked into his pale green eyes and whispered sheepishly, “Will you keep rubbing my back?”

He chuckled, “Of course.”

“Don’t judge me for bad breath and looking like this,” She pointed towards her bed head and general lack of clothes, “It’s technically your fault.”

Charlie waited for him to sit down. She put her legs over his lap and took a deep breath. Then, she told him everything about her adventures so far without holding back. It may have been because he was the first nearly normal person she met in a long time, or because he had the same eyes as Olivia.

“It all started when I woke up in a cage and met a Leonie for the first time.”