During breakfast the next morning, Jess got on the speakerphone with her father.

"This is a serious accusation, Jess," her father said. "Besides, we already questioned Ms. Ransdotter."

"And you found nothing suspicious?"

"Nothing to convict her on."

"She's adamant it's her," Elizabeth added. "Says she gave her a 'certain feeling'."

Jess glanced over, wishing her sister hadn't said that to her father. "It's like déjà vu. I felt her stare. Her presence. It almost....didn't feel human."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "So what? You think she's an alien?"

Her father and sister exchanged a laugh, while Jess' head sunk deeper into her hands, racking her brain for anything to earn her families attention, but she may as well have searched for a unicorn.

"How about leaving the police work to me, Jess," her father said. "Enjoy the rest of your weekend. Look out for each other."

"Oh I will," Elizabeth answered. As soon as Jess ended the call, she gave her sister a smirk and said; "I told you so."

In a hurry to join her friends in gift shop, Elizabeth dumped her tray, leaving Jess eating alone in the cafeteria. She nibbled on her food while wondering how to make her family listen. Sigyn's uncanny stare still burned a hole in the back of her mind.

That's when she saw the front desk worker, Kark, pin a new paper to the bulletin board at the front of the room - a Help Wanted poster.

Jess dumped her food and ran up to the suite to grab a pen.

image [https://img.wattpad.com/0b93783a6dc48320fc8568177a57be03a6314b2d/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f5137693967366e71782d6a4c59673d3d2d313435373534323539312e313765333833386336323363616230323136333134313230353439312e706e67?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

When Jess returned to the front desk to hand her application in, Kark wasn't there. Not wanting to leave it sitting out in the open, she decided to hang onto it until she saw Kark again to hand it to him personally. She climbed back up the stairs to return to her room, when she heard voices from behind a door.

"Are you sure it's not pronounced g-mo?" asked Kark.

"Why would all the letters be capitalized, then?" replied Sigyn.

It was coming from a room across from the stairs. Jess guessed it was some kind of office or conference room. Curiosity getting the better of her, she pressed her ear against the wood to listen.

"You think this is what's making us sick?" Kark asked.

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"This and all the other crap they throw in their food. The sugar, the preservatives, and chemicals, no wonder it tastes weird. I'm just glad I'm not being paranoid."

"Weird, yes, but also...pretty good, I can't lie."

"Probably why the humans are eating this stuff in droves."

Humans? Jess wondered.

"Is anything safe to eat?"

"Fresh game," Sigyn answered. "Fresh sea food. Fruits and vegetables that don't come from the store or in a box. Nothing from cans or frozen."

"Aww," Kark whined like a five-year-old. "No more Grandiosa?"

"Not unless you enjoy hurling your guts out every other day." The office chair squeaked as Sigyn leaned back. "I'll try to get out more. Maybe we can get in touch with local farmers that can ship stuff to us."

Jess reached for her phone in her pocket and started recording in case a confession surfaced.

"Then its a good idea I already put up the applications!" Kark said. "More people to man the fort and eat the leftovers we can't."

Footsteps moved towards the door. Jess fumbled her phone, catching it at the last moment against her leg. She had no time to move away from the door, so she raised her fist as if about to knock as the door opened.

"Miss Mikkelson!" Kark jolted back in surprise.

"Sorry! I was looking for you. I wasn't sure where to turn this in."

Kark examined the application she handed him and smiled, turning to Sigyn. "What do you know? Our first applicant!"

At her desk, Sigyn gave off the energy of a queen in her throne, looking down upon all the peasants in her kingdom. Her iron gaze made Jess want to bow her head and make herself small in her presence to not provoke her wraith. She rose from her seat and strutted towards them with the unwavering confidence of centuries.

"The first applicant. I wouldn't think someone adamant I'm a criminal would be so excited to work for me."

Jess' gut twisted when she realized Sigyn knew more than what she would admit. She probably knew she was outside the door this whole time.

Her eyes briefly skimmed over the information on the page. "Whatever you're looking for, you won't find it here."

The air was sucked from Jess' lungs. She stood there, helpless, as the queen of the ski lodged dismissed herself and marched down the hall.

From someplace she did not know, a new found courage took over. Jess would be damned if she let herself by pushed around by wanna-be royalty.

"You're not even considering my application?"

Sigyn looked over her shoulder at her. "I don't see you as a good fit here."

"Why? Because you have something to hide?"

That made Sigyn stop, and Jess' bravery retracted a little. It wasn't the anticipation of anger, but the unpredictability of Sigyn that made her most uneasy.

"I have the power to hire and fire as I please."

Jess raised a brow. "Within the limits of workers rights. Without a reasonable excuse, you're breaking the law."

For the first time since meeting her, Jess spotted a nervous flinch in Sigyn's expression. Her eyes darted to Kark, and in a language Jess couldn't recognize, she whispered something.

Kark shrugged and threw his palm up in a I-dunno manner.

Sigyn pressed her lips together and moved towards Jess, who noticed she wasn't standing as tall as before. "Fine. We will consider your application, but do well to remember you are hear to work, and work only. Disobey an order from Kark and I will find a reason. Understood?"

Disobey an order? Jess wasn't aware they had been transported to the fourteenth century. Holding eye contact, she spread her arms and performed a dramatically low curtsy. "Right away, your Majesty." Without another word, she turned toward her room down the hall.

The sarcasm of her manners evaded Sigyn as she watched the odd girl leave.

Kark cleared his throat. "Forgive me, M'lady, but I'll probably have to hire her."

Sigyn patted his shoulder. "Whatever you must do to keep the peace. That being said-" she leaned closer, "she doesn't have to stay long, especially if she finds the work unbearable."

"Maybe she won't be so bad."

"She's a trouble-maker. I can see it in her eyes."

Kark bumped her shoulder. "Remind you of anyone?"

He meant it in a playful way, but Sigyn snapped her head towards him with a stern expression.

"Apologies."

He took a step away from her, but then she grabbed him and ruffled his hair. "I'm just messing with you! Let's get back to work."