“I am so excited!” Amy Westfield smiled at her best friend, Claudine Humphrey. “ I have two weeks off and a ten-day tour of castles in the UK.”
“Why do you want to see piles of crumbled stone?”
“They are so beautiful, and I love history.”
“You love historical romances and computer games.”
“Exactly. History.” Amy smiled. “So will you drop me off at the airport tomorrow. I have a redeye to Heathrow.”
“Sure. I hope your tour group is a group of geriatric Californians.”
“I don’t care. I just want to dream of England in the dark ages.”
“Finally.” Amy sighed internally as she left the terminal on a double-decker bus. It was as Claudine had predicted filled with single elderly Californians. Before she had time to get her bearings she was inundated with questions.
“How old are you?” “Where are you from?” “What made you choose this tour?”
Amy took a deep breath. “Hello, I’m Amy Westfield, 34 from Colorado. I chose this tour because I love castles, and this tour goes to some of my favorites.”
“I’m Hilda Giles, from SoCal. I’m 89. I want to see Dunnottar before I’m too old. What castles do you want to see most?”
“Dunnottar, Holyrood, Edinburgh, and Eilean Donon. I’ve learned to love them because of historical romances and my games.”
“Me too. I love my romances. You’re a girl after my own heart.” Hilda patted her shoulder and turned to the man across the aisle, “and you sir?”
Amy tuned them out as the group continued to introduce themselves and ask questions, they her dragged back into bus wide conversations repeatedly. She enjoyed herself as they left London and was surprised how quickly they arrived at their first stop, they were at Haver Castle, their first castle tour and a bed and breakfast.
Eight days later, after touring many other castles, they got to Edinburgh and Holyrood Palace.
“Amy are you still having fun?” Hilda asked.
“So much.” I love castles even more since seeing so many. The hike to Dunnottar was enchanting and the ruins even better. Eilean Donon was as breathtaking as I expected. Now we are touring Holyrood.” They started walking toward the palace, “This place has so much history and mythology surrounding it. I can’t wait to see it… Watch out!” Amy screamed as a car came barreling around the corner. She pushed Hilda out of the way and her world went black.
Amy felt like she was waking up after a long sleep, but she was in a gray space, a great nothing or an in-between. As she tried to see anything a screen was in front of her. “No,” she thought “it’s in my head just seems to be in front of me like a vr.”
She read the screen.
Do you want to enter The Northern Empire 1023
Yes No
“Yes,” she thought.
The screen changed.
Gender
Male female
“Female, I’m a girl.” she thought flippantly.
The screen changed again.
Race
Human
Fae
Beast
“Still human” she thought.
And again, the screen changed.
Class
Royal
Upper
Middle
Lower
“I may as well be royal.” she shrugged.
The screen changed again.
You are entering the Northern Empire 17 May 1023, as Princess Erameya age 16
Yes No
“Yes.” she silently selected.
Are you sure?
“Yes.” Amy was getting annoyed.
Suddenly she felt like she was being sucked through a high-pressure suction tube, flying so fast she was afraid she would fly to pieces. The sensations continued for what seemed like hours or seconds time was confusing when suddenly she opened her eyes.
“Gareth?”
“My princess?” The old man answered her back as she again lost consciousness.
Amy blinked as she opened her eyes and looked around. The walls were stone with thick tapestries like the ancient ones she had seen a few of the castles they had visited… except new? “Something strange,” she muttered, “ is going on”.
“What was that dear?”
“Gareth? What is going on, and how do I know your name? Is this a bad dream?”
“I summoned a sprit into the body of our dead princess. You must have just died in your former life.”
“I think I got hit by a car.”
“I have no idea what a car is. Could it kill you?”
“Definitely.”
“Now you are Princess Erameya of the Northern Empire. You should be able to access her memories somehow and that is how you instinctively know my name.”
Amy looked around the room seeing a flask on a table, a square seemed to hover around the flask, a hamburger menu in the corner she instinctively knew that it would have three options.
Identify
Uses
Create
She chose to identify:
Healing Potion number six 6
She selected uses:
Antiviral
Create:
Three ounces purified water, boiling.
One spoon each
Oregano
Sage
Basil
Fennel
Garlic
Peppermint
Rosemary
Echinacea
Sambucus
Licorice
Astragalus
Ginger
Ginseng
Dandelion
Let sit for 5 minutes stir with magic to completely incorporate all herbs into potion.
“No way, you have magic!” Amy looked at Gareth.
A square shimmered around him and she decided to identify.
Basics
Name
Gareth
Title
Master Healer
56
Class
Upper
Race
Human
Gender
Male
Loyalty
The Northern Empire
Attributes
Strength
45
Agility
50
Dexterity
80
Wisdom
85
Intelligence
90
Perception
65
Available Points
0
Statistics
Health
29
Stamina
298
Mana
395
Skills
Potion making
Healing
Accuracy
Survival
Spell Casting
Dancing
Diplomacy
“You have mana!”
“My dear, what is mana.”
“The accumulation of magic. Like a pool of magic, you can use.”
“So, my magic reservoir is a mana pool to you?”
“Does everyone here have magic?”
“Magic. No just a few that I know of.”
“Does everyone here have a screen so they can identify things?”
“What is a screen?”
“A visual representation of a person in numerical value.”
“I don’t have a clue what you are talking about, but I believe it is a coping mechanism of your brain going from one reality to another. Is this screen something from your previous life?”
“Yes.”
“Keep the fact you are a traveler to yourself and all advantages it gives you. I know of some but not all. I do, however; know you are a traveler so if you need to talk come to me.”
“I will and thanks for summoning me, I guess. My stepfather will be happy I’m alive. Now let me see my options.”
Character sheet
Name
Erameya
Title
Princess
Class
Royal
Race
Human
Gender
Female
Loyalty
The Northern Empire
Attributes
Strength
15
Agility
15
Dexterity
15
Wisdom
15
Intelligence
15
Perception
15
Available Points
90
“Perception will help me the most right now, so I’ll add 17 Points. I don’t think I’ll need too much strength, so 10 points. That leaves 16 each for agility, dexterity, and wisdom with 15 for intelligence. I’ll have to add to intelligence as soon as I have more points.”
Statistics
Health
50/100
Stamina
50/100
Mana
50/100
Skills
Languages
Identify
Survival
Choices
Crafting: Absolutely.
Potion Making: That could be useful.
Healing: of course, healing is important for every vocation.
Sword craft: I guess, could help me survive.
Warrior: No, I don’t want to be forced into a war I don’t believe in.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Tapestry weaving: What kind of a joke is this I hate sewing.
Chatelaine: Why not just say housewife? NO.
Archery: sounds fun, and so far, no courtly traits.
Sewing: again? No!
Spell casting: Yes.
Horticulture: sure, Plants are useful.
Agriculture: could be useful, and I like animals.
Cooking: No way. I hate cooking.
Flirting: oh, hell no.
Fan skills: fans can be used in self-defense, yes.
Dancing: I guess.
Weeping: Not going to happen.
Swooning: again, no.
Dressing: fashion can be important, yes.
Hair Dressing: I guess.
Leadership: yes, very necessary.
Charm: useful.
Diplomacy: necessary.
Deception: why? Am I to be an assassin? No.
Stabbing? I guess. This must end.
The screen disappeared.
“Master Gareth, I have mana, could you teach me magic and the healing arts.”
“Sure. Let’s see if you can get out of bed. You’ve been sick for weeks. I haven’t sent for your parents or sibling yet, so you are the only member of the royal family here. That should help you acclimatize before your parents get back next month.”
“I am grateful. I have been my own person for so long I don’t know how I will take to obeying. How does this summoning work? I had choices.”
“You should have. Tell me about your experience and I will try to explain what I know from that.”
“I was in the parking lot, about to tour Holyrood palace, when a car came around the corner too fast. I pushed my friend Hilda out of the way, and everything went black. I woke up in a gray in-between and there was a screen that asked if I wanted to enter the Northern Empire circa 1023. After answering yes, I was given the choice of gender, class, and race. Race was the most confusing, it had three options, human, fae, or beast.”
“That’s easy, human are humans, fae are the fairies, brownies, nymphs, dryads, pixies, elves, gnomes, gremlins, sprites, and all the rest of faery kind. Beasts are dragons, merfolk, selkies, lycanthrope, satyr, centaur, minotaur, and other beast folk.”
“Okay, so you are saying I could have chosen dragon. Likely, but there either had to be one that died or will die this year, otherwise: you wouldn’t have been given the option, unless the year and possibly location had changed. Because I summoned you, entering my timeline first will be automatic. You just made all the choices that brought you into the princess’s body.”
“And how do magic and Christianity co-exist?”
“Christianity. Oh! You mean the illegal religion in the Roman empire? What do they have to do with anything?”
“Sorry, I just realized a few major differences in timelines. In my timeline Cnut was a second generation Christian and England has been Christian for five hundred years by this point. Another dramatic difference is that everyone in your timeline is educated. There is also the fact that King Edward ruled until my father was twenty-seven and died of natural causes. And my father was sick when he asked my stepfather to kill him so none of his sons would have to inherit the throne. Oh, and Aunt Elfie married my Uncle Ed and not my father.”
“Wait, in your timeline why wasn’t everyone educated?”
“The priests and some of the aristocracies were the only people educated.”
“That sounds horrifying.”
“We call it the dark ages.”
“I cannot even imagine.”
“I cannot wrap my brain around it either. The time I grew up in, encouraged everyone to get the best education they could.”
Amy forced herself to stand. She was a bit wobbly but eventually got her footing. Gareth supported her as they wound down the stairs through the healer’s tower.
“Sorry to make you walk so many stairs. I just felt you would be better served to be in the upper tower due to your passing out in the great hall. I believe that the congenital illness that killed your uncle, father, and cousins is the same one that took you. I just hope the summoning somehow cured you of it.”
“I didn’t see any sickness warnings, so I’d guess yes.”
“Good the curse, as your father called it, is the reason your father didn’t want his boys to inherit the throne. After both of your young cousins died, your father decided to give the throne to Cnut if he ever became king and got sick with the curse.”
“You sound like you don’t believe in the curse.”
“Yes and no. Kings Egar and Edmond as well as most of their progeny dying of this illness it makes me wonder if it is only the “curse of kings” or if there was an underlying health factor that made your father and uncle more susceptible to being cursed.”
“So, you think that my grandfather and great grandfather died of the same disease but the curse the crone put on my uncle killed him and his sons and my father at a younger age because the degeneration happened more quickly.”
“Degeneration?”
“From my memories of the symptoms and signs both in myself and my father, I believe it is a congenital disease we call muscular dystrophy.”
“So, you believe I am right?”
“I do. One of the girls in my collage class had it and I learned how to help her . We shared a dorm for three years.”
“Good then you can help me if any of your siblings get it.”
“Let’s pray they don’t.”
They finally made it out of the tower and into the courtyard. Amy looked around in awe, the castle was beautiful. Even more stunning than the old castles she had been touring. The castle was alive. “Is the fact that I was killed in Edinburgh make it easier for me to come here? Even in my world Scotland is considered magical.”
“I believe that fact that the locations of summoned and summoner being similar made it, so I had to expend less magic, but I am not sure. Remember, we should not talk about this outside of my tower, and you should probably start thinking of yourself as Erameya.”
“Erameya!” An older woman was walking toward them from the main keep.
“Aunt Elfie!” Erameya let go of the healer and started to run. “I thought you were in London.” She smiled as she wrapped her arms around her aunt.
“Oh, Dearie, I was but, but I came as soon a Leon told me you passed out in the great hall while the two of you were having dinner. He carried you to the healer’s tower and feared you would not live. He said you were much like your father in his last days.”
“The healer somehow broke the curse in me. He is not sure how he did it or if he can do it again. We can only hope, if any of my siblings get it.
“Where is Alec?”
“Home with Leon and Gerda.
“Let’s get you inside, better or not you have been suffering for years.
“Master Gareth, if you would join us, we are going into the main keep.”
As they walked Erameya pulled up the information on her aunt:
Name
Elfie
Title
Dowager Queen
Dutchess of South England
Politian
159
Class
Royal
Race
Human
Gender
Female
Loyalty
The Northern Empire
Attributes
Strength
90
Agility
120
Dexterity
131
Wisdom
190
Intelligence
209
Perception
189
Available Points
Statistics
Health
395/458
Stamina
325/345
Mana
16/29
Skills
Dipolmacy
Dancing
Chatelaine
Minor Healing
Soothing
Sword Play
Archery
Stabbing
Martial Arts
“I want that, ”Erameya thought, “I didn’t know that the UK had a discipline like martial arts.”
As they walked across the courtyard Erameya noticed how smooth the cobble stones were, and the many trees and flowers were potted around the area. There was a fountain in the center running with clear water. They were greeted by most of the people passing by if only by a wave. The children were laughing, the adults were smiling and everyone she could see was clean. Erameya was aware it was a small sampling of the people in her father’s empire, but she could only remember a few discontented people. She had not traveled much in the last few years, but she was glad that she was in an empire where the people were treated well.
She remembered history as depicting this time as a dark and dirty time, where people were rife with disease and life spans were short. It amazed her how different this world was to hers. The most significant difference she could see was the education of the people. Everyone in the northern kingdom was educated for at least the first few years of their lives. Magical studies and the inclusion of races were just a part of everyday life.
“Did you hear me child?” Aunt Elfie asked.
“No, Auntie, I was wool gathering.”
“I asked if you were tired.”
“I could sit down. A nice warm drink would be nice.”
“Delphy, get us some mulled cider.” Auntie Elfie waved over a serving girl. “Master Gareth, what would you like to drink?”
“Mulled wine.”
“Aunt Elfie, could you teach me hand to hand combat?”
“No, I’m not proficient enough. Master Bracken could teach you.”
“I’ll ask him. Thank you.”
“Why the mind change?” Aunt Elfie asked as they were served their drinks.
“Now that I’m not in pain, I have some holes in my education I’d like to sure up.”
“Does this mean you are finally going to take an interest in sewing and cooking?”
“No. I would like to focus on healing and magic. Self-defense and other martial skills are important too. I do not think I’d like cooking and sewing and even if I tried when would I make the time?”
“You are and always have been spoiled.” Her aunt smiled, “I had to learn to weave tapestries as part of my chatelaine training. You think your parents would have learned after Goda, but they never did. Do you remember the wild girl your sister was when she got married?”
“Goda only got married last year and Drogo has gotten used to her enough to have her large with child. I do remember how appalled he was when she came riding in on a dragon to meet him for the first time.”
“And when he asked her how she expected to be a good chatelaine she said, “I’ll just ask the brownies to help me. They keep house much better than I do.” Aunt Elfie said with a chuckle.
“And when she asked him if he’d like to have the dragon fly them to their home, I thought he would die of fear.” Master Gareth added.
“I think he was only shocked by her because she was a princess. Father never promised him a perfect lady, just his eldest daughter. Goda was never a lady.”
“Is Edward going to marry soon?”
“He and his dragon thunder were in Iceland last I knew. I believe he is going to marry a dragon shifter, but I always thought Goda would marry a faery or beast.
“She did have a thing for that elf prince in Denmark.”
“And the Lupine in Germany.” Erameya said.
“And the Dragon is Iceland.” Aunt Elfie reminded them.
“And the Selkie here.” Master Gareth said, “Callan was heartbroken when she got married.”
“ I don’t think we know how many men were heart-broken when she got married.” Erameya shrugged.
“Cnut did the right thing, Goda was wild but the ties with Vexin and the Mantes have expanded the empire further south and made Drogo the Viceroy of France.”
“Aunt Elfie, I know Leon is Viceroy of Southern England, but I worry Edmond ‘s territory is too large.”
“With your help he has been doing fine. Ireland has been your greatest struggle. I think that the fact the people genuinely love Cnut makes it easier for him to rule a large area. As for the areas Edmond is viceroy of, they are mostly filled with beast and fae. As they have their own hierarchy, he is more an ambassador than a ruler.”
“After what the minitours did in Spain last year, I am grateful Cnut made peace with the magical people.” Master Gareth said.
“King Ernesto has been good. He is much better than the Roman Empire.”
“Okay, Aunt Elfie, enough politics. How are your boys?”
“Alec is going to be fostered in Wales, Lionel is, as you know, is with your parents.”
“And Leon?”
“You saw him a few weeks ago. I think he is going to go mental when Alec leaves.”
“I think so too. I cannot believe how much Father missed Alfred when he was sent to foster. I Know Uncle Richard is good for him. I think Mother wishes that fostering was for girls too.”
“It can be, but your education system here is amazing. You have so many masters, it was right to keep you here. Now, my dear, you look tired, let’s take you to your room so you can rest up before dinner.”
“I think that would be good.” Master Gareth agreed.
As soon as Erameya was alone she again pulled up her system.
Basics
Name
Erameya
Title
Princess
Class
Royal
Race
Human
Gender
Female
Loyalty
The Northern Empire
Attributes
Strength
25
Agility
31
Dexterity
31
Wisdom
31
Intelligence
30
Perception
32
Available Points
0
Statistics
Health
51/100
Stamina
53/100
Mana
70/100
Skills
Languages
Automatically be able to translate and speak any language.
Identify
Identify any object or person.
Survival
Acclimatize in your new environment, retrieve memories, and integrate host body skills.
Crafting
Level 1
Create things.
Potion making
Level 1
Create and understand potion making.
Healing
Level 1
Heal both magically and mundane.
Sword craft
Level 1
Swing a sword.
Archery
Level 1
Shoot a Bow and Arrow.
Spell casting
Level 1
Cast a Basic spell.
Horticulture
Level 1
Know your plants.
Agriculture
Level 1
Animals love you too.
Fan skills
Level 1
Fans can be weapons.
Dancing
Level 1
Don't fall on your face.
Dressing
Level 1
Know how to dress for each occasion.
Hair Dressing
Level 1
Comb your hair properly for each occasion.
Leadership
Level 1
Example or fear, it’s your choice.
Charm
Level 1
Everybody loves you.
Diplomacy
Level 1
Be very loyal but bendable
Stabbing
Level 1
Poke with a sharp knife
“Amazing,” Erameya said aloud. “I didn’t see the level and descriptions. Let’s see what else we have. Wait a minute. Gareth has survival. Does this mean he is a traveler? I’ll have to ask him.”
Demographics (extended)
Name
Erameya
Title
Princess
Class
Royal
Race
Human
Gender
Female
Loyalty
The Northern Empire
Height
5' 6"
Weight
97 lbs.
Eye color
Green
Hair color
Dark Brown
Attributes
Strength
25
Agility
31
Dexterity
31
Wisdom
31
Intelligence
30
Perception
32
Statistics
Health
51/100
Stamina
53/100
Mana
70/100
Skills
Languages
Automatically be able to translate and speak any language.
Identify
Identify any object or person.
Survival
Acclimatize in your new environment, retrieve memories, and integrate host body skills.
Crafting
Level 1
Create things.
Potion making
Level 1
Create and understand potion making.
Healing
Level 1
Heal both magically and mundane.
Sword craft
Level 1
Swing a sword.
Archery
Level 1
Shoot a Bow and Arrow.
Spell casting
Level 1
Cast a Basic spell.
Horticulture
Level 1
Know your plants.
Agriculture
Level 1
Animals love you too.
Fan skills
Level 1
Fans can be weapons.
Dancing
Level 1
Don't fall on your face.
Dressing
Level 1
Know how to dress for each occasion.
Hair Dressing
Level 1
Comb your hair properly for each occasion.
Leadership
Level 1
Example or fear, it’s your choice.
Charm
Level 1
Everybody loves you.
Diplomacy
Level 1
Be very loyal but bendable.
Stabbing
Level 1
Jab with sharp object.
Choices
Martial Arts
Level 1
Acrobatic weaponless self-defense.
Meditation
Level 1
Achieve a state of clarity of mind.
Warrior
Level 1
Kill on command.
Tapestry weaving
Level 1
Weave beautiful tapestries.
Chatelaine
Level 1
Castle Management.
Sewing
Level 1
Attach two pieces of fabric.
Cooking
Level 1
Don't burn water.
Flirting
Level 1
Get another's attention with your actions.
Weeping
Level 1
Cry on a moment’s notice.
Swooning
Level 1
Faint over anything.
Deception
Level 1
Lie, cheat, sneak, and any other devious actions.
“Really, I already rejected most of these. Probably due to the extended lists. I do want martial arts and meditation, and I guess I will learn basic sewing for my healing as much as anything, and basic cooking could help with potion making.”
Erameya got up and looked in the mirror. She was a beautiful, if too thin sixteen-year-old girl. Her eyes were a large almond shaped emerald green, her hair was a wavey dark brown, she was about average height. She marveled at the buoyancy of her breasts and the beautiful roundness of her hips and butt. All in all, she was happy to be in such a beautiful body.
She put her night gown back on and sat down to meditate. She sat on the floor with her legs crossed and her hands on her knees. She remembered from her previous life how she meditated before she did yoga every morning and started her normal routine. As she meditated, she found a new feeling inside of her and passed it through her body. The more she circulated the strange current, the more the current grew. Suddenly there was a cracking like sensation in several points of her body and the energy flowed so fast it filled her. She continued to pass the foreign current through every cell until she found it flowed freely through her body.