Finding Shelter

If Whitney looks closely she will see white and red fish swimming among the lily pads. One of them jumps clear out of the water and catches a bug in midair before splashing back into the water. There are footsteps on the bridge that stop halfway across where Whitney is standing.



"Whit? Is that you?" a woman's voice with what sounds a little like an Irish accent asks.

The woman moves next to Whitney and peeks out from under her white parasol. She has short, black hair and looks about the same age as Whitney.

"By the Lake, it is you!" the woman drops her parasol and embraces Whitney.


(Imagine there are no mountains and the bridge is over a small pond, not a lake.)

Whit was taken aback by the sudden appearance of someone who seemed to know her. After the embrace, Whit ogled the woman for a few moments. She didn't know her from Eve.

"Sorry but um how do you know me?" Whit asked the Irish-accented woman.

"Whit, it's me, Lola," the woman pulled out of the embrace, a little taken aback. Lola chuckled a little then said, "It has been six years, hasn't it? I guess I look a little different from when you knew the 16-year-old me. I thought you were dead, we all did. Tray said.." Lola fell silent for a moment, "Listen, you must join me and my guests for the feast tonight. Where can I send the invitation?"

"Whitney?" It was Till.

"Oh, is this your friend?" Lola asked.

Whit wanted to say something along the lines of 'I don't think I am who you think I am' or 'Six years ago? I've never been here before, how could I have met you?' Her confusion probably showed on her face.

"Um," she stammered as Till walked up, "I'm staying at her brother's house."

(Ha ha. I really don't remember Lola...what did she do before?)

"You and your brother are invited to the feast as well. Who might I address the invitations to?"

"Tillian Minov and my brother Artellen Minov, Your Highness," Tillian had a shyness in her voice; she curtsied to Lola.

"I anxiously await your presence," Lola picked up her parasol and walked off towards the castle.

"We are going to a feast with Queen Lola!" Till's usual energy returned, "How did you manage that? Come on! We have to find Art and tell him. You can tell me while we look for him."

Till led the way out of the gardens.

Whit followed Till out of the gardens and back into the city. "That was the queen?" Whit said in surprise. Till had mentioned the name before but it hadn't really hit her until just then.

"She seemed like she knew me but I've never met her before. She knew my name and everything..." Whit trailed off.

"That's weird. Maybe you did and just don't remember. That happens to me all the time."

Till led Whitney up one street and down another. It was now noon and the streets were just a little more crowded. Smells coming from the different food vendors drifts through the streets. When they are passing through the square there is a puppet show going on. If Whitney looks closely she will see one puppet that looks like the queen and four others that look strangely familiar.

"Art!" Till runs over to Artellen on the other side of the square leaving Whitney standing by the puppet theater.

Whitney can either stay and watch the puppet play or follow Till.

How could I not remember meeting a queen? Whit said to herself.

Whit decides to let Till go. She wasn't quite as excited about the upcoming dinner. Curious yes but there was so much going on right now...

She lets her mind wander as she begins to watch the puppet show. She hovers near the back though as the puppets still make her kind of nervous.

"It was a dark time for Minst. The King and Queen had both been claimed by a mysterious illness leaving behind their 16-year old daughter, the Princess Lola," there is a man standing next to the stage, narrating the story.

Intricately carved marionettes occupy the stage. One that looks like the younger version of the queen is weeping.

"She is still young, her magic not yet matured. How is she to protect this country on her own? There were many who said that the kingdom should be given to someone with powers already matured. Eventually it was proposed that the princess be married to one strong enough to lead this country."

From the crowd came boos of disapproval. The narrator held up his hands in playful defense, "I know, it was a terrible thing."

The marionette princess was now standing before what looked like a council. The puppets were dressed in robes and had stern looks painted on their faces.

"The princess argued that she was strong enough to lead this country, but her advisers would not listen and began seeking out suitors. When they found who they thought would make a suitable king plans for the wedding was made. The Princess Lola was truly distressed, but it seemed like there was nothing she could do to stop the wedding."

The princess was on stage next to a marionette dressed in a white suit. There was more booing from the crowd.

"When there seemed to be no hope, that's when The Four arrived in our humble country."

There was a cheer from the crowd as four more marionettes made an appearance on the stage. If Whitney looks closely she will see that one of them has a striking resemblance to herself.

"So you've returned," a man next to Whitney says.



Before Whitney can respond she hears Till yelling her name. The man disappears into the crowd.

"There you are, I thought I lost you," Till said.

Whit listened to the narration. She was interested to learn more about Queen Lola before the dinner appointment tonight.

Whit jumped slightly when the man spoke. She hadn't been paying attention and she hadn't seen him approach. He, like Lola, seemed to know who she was. Again, she had no idea who he was. She was slightly frustrated that she didn't have a chance to question him before he ran off but also grateful. He scared her a little.

When Till came running up Whit said, "Sorry Till. I didn't mean to worry you. I was just watching the puppet show."

(Gosh you and Jess are night owls! It's way past my bedtime!)

(We should be asleep. SO HARD)

(Didn't we tell you? We never sleep.)

"That's alright. Do you want to keep watching?"

In the background the narrator is continuing, "At the time no one knew who they were. That is, everyone except the one betrothed to the Princess Lola..."

Whit nodded and turned her attention back to the play. She listened to the story but her thoughts kept turning to the man who had spoken to her just moments before. Who was he?

"...the Four pleaded with the princess not to marry this man. But at the same time he accused them of bringing death to the King and Queen and that they were going to do the same to the princess. The Four pleaded their case, but with the intended king and the princess's advisers against them they were thrown into prison to wait for their execution."

The puppets of the Four struggled as puppet guards dragged them off the stage.

"The Princess Lola was truly concerned. She felt like she had no say in the matter and that her rightful place as ruler of Minst was being taken from her. So, in the depth of the night she crept into the dungeon and freed the Four," as the narrator spoke the puppets brought his words to life on the stage; the princess and the four girls sneaked past the guards.

"Was this a mistake? The princess was putting her life at stake. She did not know these girls and her own advisers had deemed them dangerous. When dawn broke the princess and the Four were nowhere to be found," puppets scurried around on the stage in a frantic search.

"Then, when the search seemed to be in vain, a servant discovered the princess in the topmost tower in the Spirit Chamber. The Princess Lola lay on the floor, unmoving, with the Four standing around her. Had Lola's betrothed been right about them"

The narrator paused for effect before continuing, "When the royal guard and her betrothed arrived Lola was rising to her feet. 'It is done,' she said. The princess Lola had fused her soul with the spirits that protect Minst, something that only fully matured magic users dare undertake, something that Lola's betrothed was intended for. Suddenly he drew his sword and went straight for the princess. The Four jumped to the defense of Lola. A fierce battle ensued. It was four against one, but he was skilled both in the sword and magic."

A battle broke out on the stage between the puppets. Special effects using light and smoke were used to portray the magic.

"In the end, the Four injured him and he fled. Using the newly-found power of the Spirits, Lola was able to drive him out of Minst. Thanks to the Four, Minst was saved from a terrible fate and was able to remain at peace. The Princess Lola was crowned Queen Lola, even without a King and protects Minst to this day. The Four have disappeared from Minst and Gnale, but it is said that they will return in our most dire time."

The crowd clapped at the close of the play. The narrator and puppeteers all bowed.

"How did you like it? Personally I like it as a play, or dance. My caravan put a dance on of this legend once and I got to be Lola," Till then asked, "Shall we go see if the invitations have arrived, or do you want to see more?"

Whit could tell that Till was excited about the invitations, "Why don't we head back to Artellen's house."

She'd seen enough for the time being but wanted to find out more about Queen Lola and the story she had just seen.

"So, the puppet show, who were the four girls that helped the queen?" she asked Till.

"Who were they?" Till sounded surprised, "I thought everyone in Gnale knew who the Four were. Well, I guess nobody really knows who they were or where they came from. Some say they were the beginning of chaos in Gnale, but in Minst they are regarded as heroes. Because of them we in Minst are able to enjoy peace, even with a war raging everywhere else."

When they reached Artellen's house there was a scroll nailed to the door. If Whitney decides to examine it she will see that the scroll reads:

Artellen Minov, Tillian Minov, and the Honored Whitney Hanks are cordially invited to attend the banquet in honor of the celebrations. A carriage will be sent to escort all to the castle.

At the bottom of the page was the queen's signature. Whitney will only be able to make out "Lola."

Till took the invitation off the door and looked at it like a kid would look at candy.

"I still can't believe we're going to eat with the queen! Say, it will be awhile until Art gets back and the banquet isn't until the evening. Want to get dressed up for tonight? I have a ton of new dresses that I've been dying to wear."

Whit looked over the invitation and wondered what to expect at dinner tonight. She didn't know what the proper etiquette was for a queen but Whit was hoping that she might get a chance to inquire further about whatever history the queen seemed to think they had.

Whit shrugged and replied, "Sure why not?"

Till took Whitney to where her caravan was and led Whitney into one of the ornately decorated wagons.


(Ignore the woman and the fox.)

Till shows Whitney a selection of dresses to choose from, explaining that some of them are hers and others are used for performances that her caravan puts on.

http://koi-hime89.deviantart.com/favourites/#/d1u2hk1
http://koi-hime89.deviantart.com/favourites/#/d8gp44
http://koi-hime89.deviantart.com/favourites/#/d3syrg
http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/036/3/0/Mauve_Gown_by_Stahlrose.jpg
http://www.roxx-online.com/roxxonline/images/productPhotos/ICE%20BLUE%20medieval%20gown%20641.JPG
http://rachelparks.com/images/portfolio/wedfront.jpg

After getting ready, and doing Whitney's hair if she doesn't protest, Till takes Whitney back to her brother's house to wait for him.

"So, where are you from? You seem pretty new to things here in Minst." Till asked as they were waiting.

Whit picks the blue dress grateful that she and Till are similar sizes. She also allows Till to do her hair, thinking how weird all this was. She would've looked at home at a renaissance fair.

Then Till had to get on with the tricky question. Whit still wasn't sure how much she should or shouldn't disclose. A part of her still hoped that she'd wake up to find that all of this was just a dream...but the longer she spent here the more unhappily sure she was that this was a reality.

"I've actually never been to Minst before," Never even heard of it before today "I'm from Provo." she said deciding to risk the truth.

Before Till has a chance to respond, the door opens and Artellen walks in. He stops and stares at Whitney for a good ten seconds before he realizes it.

"You look beautiful," he stumbled over his words a little, then added, "you both do."

"Aw, thanks Art," Till dispersed the awkwardness that at least Artellen is feeling.

There is the sound of horses' hooves and wheels that stop just outside. A few seconds later there is a knock at the door. Artellen answers it and exchanges words with the man at the door.

"This way," he says to Till and Whitney.

Artellen helps both Till and Whitney into the carriage before climbing in himself. He seats himself across from the two girls.

When the carriage begins to move Artellen asks Whitney, "How did you enjoy the festival?"

Whit flushed at Artellen's comment. Awkward but cute.

She took a deep breath and climbed into the carriage with the other two.

In response to Artellen's question, Whit replies, "Oh it was fun. We went to see the gardens and caught a little bit of a puppet show in town."

"Good," he said, then fell silent.

(Assuming Whitney has nothing to say, but if she does FATE can rewind)

It didn't take long before they reached the castle. The carriage stops inside the inner wall of the castle. Artellen helps Whitney and Tillian out of the carriage. The walls and towers of the castle seem to reach up and touch the stars from this close. If Whitney is observant she'll notice a shadow in the window of the topmost tower.

A pair of guards escorts them into the castle and through the halls to a large, well lit room. There are already several people seated at long tables crowded with food both familiar and unfamiliar to Whitney. One table sits perpendicular to the others where Lola and a man dressed in a red and gold robe are sitting. There are three empty seats to the right of Lola. The guards lead them to where Lola is sitting.



"Whitney, I'm so glad that you came," Lola stood up upon their approach, "Please, you and your friends will sit by me tonight." -Lola motions to the man sitting next to her- "This is my fiance, Prince Tanira Khale of the Me'Lan Clan in Fehl. Tanira, this is Whitney Hanks, a friend to me and the people of Minst. Could you introduce me to your friends again?"

Artellen had a surprised look on his face; he hadn't known Whitney was a friend of the Queen.

Whit accepts Artellen's help from the carriage. It's dark and she is distracted by the palace and the guards so she doesn't notice the shadow in the window.

Whit smiled trying to be friendly when Lola introduced her, "Nice to meet you she replied."

I hope you're nicer that her last fiance. Whit thought remembering the puppet show.

She wasn't sure what the etiquette was here. Was she supposed to bow? She settled for a little bow of the head.

"This is Artellen and his sister Tillian." Whit realized that she didn't know their last name...she couldn't even remember if they had told her. If so she had forgotten.

Whit accepted the seat Lola offered her and tried not to look as uncomfortable as she was feeling inside.

"It is an honor to meet one of the Four, as well as her friends," Tanira bowed in return.

Before Whitney can respond Lola claps her hands and everyone in the room falls silent.

"I would like to commence this feast by thanking all that could come and wishing that those absent could be here. Now, this is not only in celebration of the festival or my engagement, but we are honored tonight with the presence of one of the Four, Whitney Hanks."

A whisper crawls across the room, then is stilled as the Queen proceeds, "Please, let us welcome her in these troubled times." -Lola turns her attention to Whitney- "Do you have any words you wish to say?"

Whit raised an eyebrow as Tanira addressed her as one of the Four. [i]The Four? Weren't they the ones from the puppet show?" Whit didn't like the sound of it.

Before Whitney can respond Lola claps her hands and everyone in the room falls silent.

"I would like to commence this feast by thanking all that could come and wishing that those absent could be here. Now, this is not only in celebration of the festival or my engagement, but we are honored tonight with the presence of one of the Four, Whitney Hanks."

A whisper crawls across the room, then is stilled as the Queen proceeds, "Please, let us welcome her in these troubled times." -Lola turns her attention to Whitney- "Do you have any words you wish to say?"

The problem with royalty is that people tend to listen to them when they speak. When Lola clapped her hands, all attention was focused on her and in a few short moment she had managed to shift all that attention to Whitney.

Whit was mortified. First of all, she didn't understand why they were grouping her with these "four". Second of all she hated being put on the spot...especially in front of all of these strangers.

She acted on instinct and shook her head. This had happened a lot on her mission too. Bishops needing a last minute speaker asking the missionaries to fill the role 5 minutes before the meeting began. At least then she'd had scriptures to pull from. Here she had nothing to say...and everyone was still staring at her. "Um, no thanks. Will you excuse me?"

She could feel herself blushing furiously. Heart pounding in her ears and those eyes still watching her, she stood back up and walked quickly back out the door. Once in the hall, she started running. She didn't care where she ended up she just wanted to be away from that room and she wanted to be alone. The events of the last day were catching up to her. She wanted to find some place quiet and unseen.

(If she finds such a place, she will go there and hide)