4 comments/ 20465 views/ 21 favorites Caught in the Middle Ch. 01 By: thedreamer391 Just like every morning, Maya expected to be woken up by the obnoxious, annoying, blaring sound of her alarm clock. She would then proceed to stumble out of bed, fix her morning cup of coffee, wash up, get dressed, and head to her morning classes. This had become her regular routine over the past few months. It was mundane, and too repetitive for her liking, but she found it was the most effective way for her to get her butt to class on time without looking like a bum. It was mid-January, and she was just beginning the second semester of her freshman year of college. The bitter, unforgiving east coast winter made getting out the door, let alone getting out of bed, a daily struggle. Maya had lived in the same general area for most of her 19 years, but that never made the quickly changing, bipolar weather any easier to get used to, especially since she had to walk everywhere since becoming a college student. Lying on her side, Maya began to shiver, and somewhere in her sleep-depraved mind, made a mental note to beg her roommate, once again, to stop turning down the heat at night. She'd rather pay extra money for heat than catch a cold and miss her classes. As Maya reached for her blanket, hoping she still had a few minutes before her alarm went off, she eventually realized that she was just reaching for air. Her blanket was nowhere to be found. After forcing her eyes open and sitting up, she discovered that her whole room was apparently nowhere to be found, as well. In fact, the only thing she saw was a thick, never ending fog. But she was tired. Still somewhere between dream-land and reality, Maya brushed off her strange surroundings as her brain playing tricks on her, and laid back down to make the most of her remaining minutes of rest. Not knowing whether she'd passed out for a few minutes or a few hours, Maya's eyes gently fluttered open. After things came into focus, it seemed that, as opposed to being woken up by her alarm, a stray dog had taken it upon itself to give her face a tongue bath. "Get OFF!" she shrieked. Maya bolted up and shoved the animal off of her, wondering where it had come from, and who it belonged to. The dog began to bark and jump around uncontrollably, as though it had just found some fun, new toy to play with. "Stop, stop, stop! What's wrong with you?" She asked rhetorically, while looking around for the dog's owner, or someone who would know what to do with it. She got up and tried to get away, but the dog followed after her, refusing to let her out of its sight. Just then, both Maya and the dog immediately stopped when they heard a high pitched, nearly deafening whistle. In the distance, she heard what sounded like an elderly man calling, "Cass! Cass! Where'd you go girl? Cass!" Assuming the man was looking for the dog, Maya ran towards the voice, hoping that maybe he'd be able to tell her where she was. Since waking up and entertaining the idea that maybe she wasn't dreaming, Maya tried to determine where she'd ended up, or how she got there in the first place. She was outside, on a field of green grass. She ruled out being kidnapped, or passing out drunk at someone's house. She was used to cities and suburbs, not lush valleys and hilltops. So then, how many logical explanations were there? Sure, she could've still been dreaming, but this was unlike any dream she'd had before. There were too many details that she never would've experienced in a real dream. The grass was too soft, too green, and the air was too fresh, and too cool. There was still a dense fog, so she couldn't see much else around her, but it seemed like she ended up in the middle of nowhere. Once the old man came into view, the dog completely forgot about Maya, and ran towards its owner, still barking, jumping, and wagging its tail. "What have I told you about running off like that?" the man chastised, "next time, I'll-," he stopped mid-sentence once he caught sight the strange young woman standing in front of him. Normally, he would've been concerned about finding someone on the hillside so early in the morning, but her appearance left him confused and at a loss for words. She wore a large cotton shirt with bright, colorful letters that read "Aerosmith", and her legs were bare, rather than stocking-clad. "W-what're you, where'd you, w-who..." the old man stuttered. Maya slowly approached him. "Please sir, I have no idea where I am. I just woke up here. I'm lost, and I don't know how I got here." The man just stared at her as though she was crazy, so she continued, hoping she would say something that would get him to understand her situation. "I'm a student, my name is Maya, Maya Evans. I'm not from this area, so I would be extremely grateful if you could at least tell me what this place is called." He continued to stare, and seemed even more confused. He clearly spoke English, so it couldn't have been that he just didn't understand her. Maya let out a frustrated sigh, and tried to decide whether or not she should just leave the man alone and walk around until she found someone else who could help her out. "Esfalda." Maya was busy looking at how the man was dressed, which struck her as a little odd. But old people always dress strangely, right? She was so surprised when the man had actually said something to her that she hadn't heard what he'd said. "I'm sorry?" "Esfalda." He repeated, with some sort of accent. "The name of this great land." "Oh, I see." Maya tried to remain calm, but on the inside, she was freaking out. "Esfalda"? What the hell kind of name is that!? It can't be a country. Maybe it's a city? But surely not an American one, and from the looks of this place, I'm not even sure if I'm still in America. Maybe it's somewhere up north, like Wisconsin or Minnesota...but that still would explain how I got here. "Um, is there a police station nearby? Maybe an embassy, or something? Do you know who I could talk to about getting back home?" He looked at her suspiciously, but turned around and walked away. "Follow me," he ordered. "Thank you so much!" she exclaimed, hopeful that she would be able to figure out what happened, and be back in her own room by the next day. "Oh, by the way, I didn't get your name." The man only grunted in response. As she followed the stranger down the hill, she saw that, beneath the morning fog, there was a quaint little village, like something out of a fairytale. On the outskirts of the village was a castle, situated on top of a steep hill, overlooking everything. It was gorgeous, unlike anything Maya had ever seen, but it was oddly intimidating. From the distance they were at, she could she it was made from grey stones, with large gargoyles looking out from the many balconies. There were thick, green vines wrapped around many of the tall towers, adding to its mysterious beauty. Maya was no expert, but to her it looked like gothic European architecture, like the kind of buildings they preserve in cities to attract tourists. She was fine just staring at it, but something in her gut told her she wouldn't want to go inside. Of course, once they actually got to the village, she was too busy looking around at all the activity going on around her- and trying to avoid everyone's stares-that she didn't think too much about the impressive building. She also noted that everyone was dressed in the same odd manner as the old man, which made her stick out like a sore thumb. While walking behind the man and his dog, past the bakeries, the flower shops, and the produce carts, Maya noticed that, rather than just staring at her, everyone she passed seemed to be glaring at her. She knew that she stood out, that she definitely wasn't in America, but had she done anything to deserve the contempt of people she didn't even know? The general vibe of the village didn't seem to match its fairytale image at all. Everything seemed to have somewhat of a grey hue (the fog still hadn't completely cleared), and its residents seemed tired and unhappy, as though they were just going through the motions of living without being alive. It was depressing. Maya had been so distracted by all of the oddities around her, that, before she knew it, she was standing at the front gate of the enormous castle while the old man whispered something in the guard's ear. The large, muscular man gave Maya a once-over look, making her feel incredibly self-conscious, more so than when all of the villagers stared at her. The guard shooed the man away, and nodded at Maya, indicating she should follow him inside. Turning around to take one last look at the old man and the dog, she followed the guard into the castle. With every step she took, the sense of dread she felt since laying her eyes upon it seemed to grow more and more. Maya broke out into a cold sweat as she walked into the massive fortress, and heard the doors loudly close behind her. The idea of being trapped inside, especially with the guard watching her, had Maya's stomach in knots. When her eyes adjusted, she saw that the inside wasn't too different from the outside. Everything was dark and grey. It was cold, and there wasn't anything to prove that there were people living there. There were no lights, no sources of heat, and no signs of movement or activity. She was beginning to wonder if the whole thing was just a show, if it was merely a monument to represent something, rather than a home to royalty and aristocracy. Then it dawned on her. If she was going to talk to anyone there, they would be royalty and aristocracy. That wouldn't have bothered Maya too much, except the way she was dressed was completely inappropriate, and she was worried that she would end up offending someone. To her, it was basically the equivalent of the cliché TV/movie nightmare where the protagonist finds themselves in front of an audience naked. Maya looked up at the guard, to see if he would give her some sense of direction, or find someone to talk to her about getting out of there and back home. The guard merely stood there, silent and looking straight ahead. Afraid of getting on his bad side, Maya chose to follow his lead and do the same thing. After standing in the same spot for a good five minutes, Maya got impatient. Was she supposed to go around by herself until she found someone, were they waiting for someone? The only one who had spoken to her was the old man, and even he had just muttered a few phrases. Clearly, these people aren't too big on communication, Maya thought, as she tapped her cold, bare foot on the stone floor. Just when she was about to speak up, a set a doors burst open, and a tall, well-dressed man quickly strode in to greet the pair. He glanced quickly at Maya, and exchanged more whispers with the guard. She had no idea what they were saying, but she felt herself blushing when they kept looking at her. "Thank you very much, Captain. I'll handle things from here," the tall man said. With that, the guard bowed to the man and returned to his post outside. After the doors closed again, this new man turned to Maya. He began fidgeting with his hands, and appeared to be very nervous and unsure of what to say. "H-hello. How do you do?" he asked very slowly, annunciating each syllable. Maya fought the urge to punch him, figuring it would be in her best interest to be as pleasant as possible. "Hello. I came here to see who I should speak to about getting back home. I don't know how I got here, but it's very important that I find a way to get back." The man appeared to be taken aback at how well she could speak, and became even more unsure of how he should approach her. "May I ask your name?" "Maya Evans." "You may call me Eli. I am the Steward of this estate, and will see to it that your needs are met during your stay here," He declared. Eli seemed to take is job very seriously, and didn't appear to be the type to take nonsense from anyone, just like the guard. He looked like he was around 6'2, and had a very slim build. His eyes matched the grey of the stones on the floor, and made Maya feel just as cold. "Excuse me!?!" Maya exclaimed. "No, I don't think you understand. I can't stay here. I have a home, in America, that I really need to get back to. I just need to see someone who can get me a passport or a plane ticket or something!" "First of all, Miss Maya, I can't say that I, or any of my colleagues, have heard of this place you speak of. Second, if you wish to attempt to find this place, your best option would be to use the maps found in the palace library. If you can locate it, we could arrange for a boat to take you back, but even then, the process of getting all that together would take quite some time, so it would be best for you to reside here for the time being." Maya's jaw dropped. She wasn't sure what to do. Hearing about maps and boats rather than computers and planes made her wonder if she should even try getting back home. First, she decided, it would be best to at least figure out what time period she was in. "Excuse me, Eli, but could I ask you one question?" "Of course." "Well, um, what year is it?" she asked shyly, afraid of what the answer would be. Eli gave her an odd look, but answered her question. "It's 1483." That was the breaking point for Maya. Everything went black as she fell to the floor, hearing Eli call out her name before she became completely unconscious. Caught in the Middle Ch. 02 Maya shifted around in a big, warm bed, enjoying the comfort of the mattress, and the softness of the blanket. That was one hell of a dream, she thought, remembering how real everything felt. She took a moment to appreciate her room, her clothes, the lack of weird accents around her...needless to say, she hoped to not have another dream like that for quite a while. "Are you awake, miss?" she heard next to her. Maya immediately sat up. "Ow! Shit!" She groaned in pain as her hand went straight to her head, where she felt a thick bandage. "Oh, please, please, don't be in a rush to get up now. That was a pretty nasty fall you had, miss. Hit your head pretty hard." "I'm sorry, but who..." "Oh! Please forgive me, miss. Name's Annis. I'm in charge of the food and the other cooks here." "My name's Maya. It's nice to meet you." Maya took an instant liking to Annis. She was short and a little chubby, and had warm brown eyes and a very kind, welcoming face, much like Maya's own mother. Annis made her feel very comfortable at ease. "Thought you might like something warm to eat when you woke up," Annis wheeled in a cart and placed it next to the bed. "Hope it's all to your liking. Just put the cart in the hall when you're done." "Thank you very much." Maya smiled brightly at the kind woman, hoping to effectively convey how truly grateful she was. Annis smiled back, curtsied, and left the room. Once she was alone, Maya slowly propped herself up to get a good look at what she guessed was going to be her new, temporary room. She let out a long, exhausted sigh. Even though she still wasn't sure if she was going to accept her situation as reality, or try to continue thinking of it as a dream, she would admit that she was curious. Getting to see a medieval village, castle, etc., first hand definitely wasn't something you could experience every day. So, real or not, she decided to make the most of it. For starters, she was lying on the most impressive thing in the room. It was a king sized four poster bed, with a red and black canopy draped over it. The rest of the room more or less match the canopy. The floor was made of cold, dark grey stone, like everything else, with a small leather bench and a red oriental rug placed at the foot of the bed. To the right of the bed was a nightstand, which held a candelabra with three large, lit candles, and a giant oak armoire. To the left was simply a small desk and a chair. Maya slipped out of the bed, and headed towards the armoire to see if she could find anything more appropriate to wear. When in Rome, she figured. When she opened the doors, it definitely hit her the she was no longer in the 21st century. There were so many different pieces of clothing. She had no idea what to wear, how to wear it, where to wear it. She decided to play it safe, and slipped on a simple chemise, a pair of stockings, and a petticoat. She had no idea if everything was on the right way, or in the right order, but she figured she looked better than if she'd tried to put on the corset and gown by herself. Once she was dressed, or close to it, she hopped back in the bed to take a look at what Annis had brought her. Maya had no idea what time it was, but she hadn't eaten since waking up in the strange country, and just about anything sounded good. Looking at the tray of food, Maya fought to keep from salivating over everything. There was a giant bowl of what looked and smelled like some sort of hot chowder, and a plate that held pieces of freshly baked baguette and various types of cheeses. Since she was all alone, Maya saw no problem with digging in and eating like a pig, as long as she didn't get the clothes dirty. She took food seriously. If you got anywhere near her while she was eating, there's a good chance you'd lose a finger. Maya began with dipping a piece of bread in the chowder, and shoving the whole thing in her mouth at once. As she happily chewed, enjoying the flavors and textures of the comfort food, she heard a knock at the door. "Uuufff ifff," she mumbled with a mouthful of food, thinking that Annis had returned to bring her more to eat. The door slowly creaked open, and when Maya saw that her guest wasn't Annis, she struggled to get her food down ASAP. The stranger crept in, and shut the door behind him. It was hard to make out specific features in the dim candle light, but just his presence had an immediate effect on her. He had a curiously handsome appearance, with neatly combed back, black wavy hair, a thin nose and ghostly pale skin. Maya couldn't get a good look at the color of his eyes, but they were very large, and demanded the attention of anyone who looked into them. Maya felt like those eye could see right through her, into her soul. She felt naked, and vulnerable, but at the same time, she was amazed that one person could have such a strong effect on her, especially without having to do anything. The stranger walked into the room and took a seat on the leather bench. "Hello there," he smiled. Maya was momentarily taken aback by the man's abnormally sharp canines, but quickly regained her composure. "H-hello," she muttered quietly. "Your name is Maya, correct?" "Yes." "Pleased to meet you. I am Prince Michael Edmund d'Auvay VI, but you may refer to me as 'Your Highness'," he told her, looking up at her through thick, dark lashes, gauging her reaction to his introduction. Ignoring the dull pain in her head, she got off the bed, and tried straightening her clothes to make sure she looked somewhat presentable. "I'm so sorry!" she cried out, standing before him. She had no idea how to act or make up for her rudeness, so she simply bowed. "Please, forgive me, your highness. I had no idea." Michael burst out laughing at her embarrassing display. Not only did she know nothing about properly bowing, or presenting herself to royalty, but her appearance was atrocious. Her hair was a mess, and the way she was dressed made her look like a harlot. But he fully understood that she had come to his palace under...unusual circumstances. "Please, don't apologize," he said, still trying to hold back his laughter. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I shouldn't have teased you like that. You can just call me Michael." Maya rose, but couldn't seem to look directly at him. "B-but you're a Prince, right? Wouldn't it be rude for me to be so casual?" she felt like she was walking on thin ice. All she wanted was to find a way to get home, and she was terrified that one wrong move would leave her stuck there. "Normally, yes. But I can make an exception for you, Maya. Not to mention that it seems I'm the one who's been embarrassingly rude. You were in the middle of enjoying your meal, right?" he asked, nodding towards the cart. "Oh, no! I, uh, I'm not that hungry. I was just picking at it," she lied. Maya was starving, but she wasn't the most graceful when it came to eating, and she didn't want to embarrass herself even more in front of a prince. "Do you not like the food? If you want, I could have Annis make you something else." "No, it's fine, really! Like I said, I'm just not hungry." "Maya, if you ever need anything here, or if something isn't to your liking, just let me know, alright?" He stood up and approached her. She could've sworn she felt her heart skip a beat when he said her name, especially with that accent. His voice was so deep and smooth, every time he spoke she felt like she was melting. "I want us to be good friends," he continued, bringing a hand to her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "I want for us to get to know each other." He let go of her and walked over to the bed, taking a seat and patting the spot next to him. Maya's legs trembled as she walked over and sat down. She felt like she was too close, but was worried that she would come off as too cold if she moved further away. She jumped a little when she felt his hand on her knee, and prayed that he didn't notice. At the same time, she was confused as hell. This incredibly attractive guy, with a mysterious aura, claiming to be a prince just walks into her room, says he wants to be friends, and starts putting the moves on her...a lot of things didn't add up. Actually, absolutely nothing added up. Maya wanted to put her guard up, but she was a stranger in a foreign land...a foreign time period! She couldn't afford to screw up, especially if this guy really was a prince. "Why don't you tell me about yourself? For starters, where are you from?" Michael asked. Maya was ecstatic. If he was interested in where she was from, maybe he'd be interested in helping her get back. "I'm from America. I lived in a city, er, a village called Richmond. I don't know where this country is, or how far it is from America, but I have a family, and friends that are going to be really worried about me, so it's important that I get back as soon as possible." There were a few moments of silence as Michael contemplated her words. During those few moments, Maya realized her mistake and felt like the biggest idiot in the world. "Actually, I guess you really wouldn't have any idea what I'm talking about. Eli told me it's 1483...the place I'm from won't really be habitable for several hundred more years." She began laughing, "actually, in about, what, 9 years or so, it's going to be discovered for the first time." "You seem very sure of this," Michael noted. "Well, yeah. They spent years drilling it into our brains at school...and there's even a holiday, and a little rhyme-'in fourteen-hundred-ninety-two Columbus sailed the ocean blue'...no one really remembers much after that." "You must be from a very young country." "Pretty much. But it's...influential, I guess you could say." "So," Michael inquired, looking at her large band shirt lying on the bed, "Is that what they wear where you're from?" "What? Oh, not really...sort of. I mean, yeah, a lot of people wear clothes like that, but they usually have pants on underneath. I was just wearing it as, uh, nightclothes." Maya struggled to make sure she didn't say anything that sounded too...futuristic. She was glad that Michael seemed to get the gist of what she meant. She didn't really get the impression that the way he, or everyone else, spoke was the way people were supposed to during the Middle Ages. And, medieval or not, she wasn't so sure a country called "Esfalda" had existed during any point in time-but she would look into that more later on. "In what year did it become appropriate for women to dress in such little clothing?" he asked, bringing Maya back to reality. "Well, women started wearing t-shirts and pants around the 60's and 70's...uh, the 1960's and 1970's, so it's been pretty normal for a while. I mean, considering the year I'm from is 2015." "I see," he seemed shocked, but not as shocked as Maya would've expected. "So what you've seen here must have been quite a surprise. And I heard that you just woke up outside the village?" "Yes!" Maya had faith that he would be the one to believe her story, and help her get home. "I swear, I'm not crazy or anything. I went to bed last night, and when I woke up, I somehow ended up this place, in this era. You have to believe me, please, I need your help, someone's help, to get home," she begged. "I believe you," he stated, succinctly. "Really? Then you'll-," He cut her off, "but have you ever thought that you ended up here for a reason?" His strange words piqued her interest enough to make her turn her head to look at him. They looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like ages. Normally Maya would have been too shy to maintain eye contact, but there was something about his gaze, and those damn eyes, the way they held onto hers, and made it impossible for her to look anywhere else. Everything about the situation was a little too, for lack of a better word, stimulating for Maya. Guys had never been a huge priority for her, and even in college, she still led a generally sheltered lifestyle. Being so close to someone like Michael, studying his features more in the dim candle light, feeling her heart beat get faster and faster-so many unfamiliar feelings welled up inside her. She was so mesmerized by him that she was taken completely by surprise when he leaned in and gently kissed her. It was a really nothing more than a quick, light peck. When their lips parted, he kept his face close to hers, so close that she could feel him smirking. After recovering from the shock, she shoved him away from her. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she demanded to know, more confused by his actions than furious about the fact that he had taken her first kiss. Without bothering to answer her question, Michael grabbed Maya's neck and pushed her back on the mattress. Before she could react, Michael went for another kiss, one that was the complete opposite of the first one. He was demanding, and took what he wanted despite Maya's struggles. The harder she fought, the harder his grip on her throat became. "M-Michael!" she coughed out, fearing that he wouldn't stop until she was dead. "Shh, shh. This doesn't have to be hard," he explained. "All you have to do is lay there." "What are you...talking about?" she felt tears streaming down her flushed cheeks as she clawed at the hand that was held against her. He continued to ignore her as he raised the petticoat and attempted to pull off her stockings. Maya used the opportunity to gather her strength and roll him off of her. Forgetting about the tight stockings that were now pulled halfway down her legs, she leapt off the bed, only to fall face first onto the cold stone floor. Michael was quickly on top of her, and flipped her onto her back to continue what he had started. "HELP! PLEASE! SOMEONE HELP ME!" she screamed, certain that someone, Eli, Annis, or anyone else in the castle, would come to her rescue. "Scream all you want, Maya," he dared, finally removing the stockings and tossing them aside. "No one's coming to help you. They all know what we're doing here, what we're going to do. No one's going to interrupt us because they know that their lives depend on me claiming you before he does." Maya refused to cease her protests. "Please! I don't know what you're talking about! I just want to go home...you have me confused with someone else. Please, let me go!" Sick and tired of having to fight her, Michael forced her legs apart while pinning her wrists down. Without warning, he shoved two fingers inside of her, and slowly pushed them deeper and deeper. "No! Stop! Oh God, Michael, it hurts," she cried. "Oh, Maya. You're so exotic, so beautiful. Your soft, ebony skin, your innocent eyes, even your scent...everything about you is absolutely intoxicating." To her shame, his praises had an effect on her. Maya bit her lip as she felt herself becoming increasingly wet. Michael chuckled and pressed his lips against her ear. "You're a virgin, aren't you, my dear? A pure, untouched maiden," he continued to finger fuck her, pushing against her tight walls. "Yes, yes, I'm a virgin. So please, stop this." She kept tossing her head back and forth, hurt and confused by the feelings Michael evoked in her. Her body felt hot, like she would burst into flames at any moment, but being taken like that, on a cold floor, by someone she hardly knew, wasn't something she could wrap her mind around. Michael seemed elated at her reactions to his touch. "I knew it, Maya! I knew you were the one. I can feel it..." "Ah! Ahh! Michael...I don't know...what you're...talking about. Ah!" Maya felt herself squeezing around his fingers, pulling them further inside of her. "Calm down, Maya. If you're going to react this way to just my fingers, it's going to a very, very long night for you, my dear." For a split second, Maya actually contemplated letting Michael do what he wanted. She had no power in that place, especially considering the time period she was in. She knew no one was going to help her, and that she was essentially alone in this. As a woman, she wouldn't have a choice in what Michael wanted to do to or with her. But when he removed his fingers and began fumbling to take off his pants, Maya knew that she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't make at least one last effort to get away. She tried to wriggle out of his grip, and get her hips away from his, but this only got him more excited. "Just give up already," he urged. "Soon I will claim you, and you'll be mine to take however and whenever I choose...which I can promise will be quite often." He grabbed his throbbing erection and began to slap it against her exposed clit. "Fuck! What-ngh-are you doing to me!?" Maya was quickly becoming lightheaded, and struggled to think rationally. "Just making sure you're ready," he teased. When she felt Michael position himself at her entrance, she was done, and ready to accept her fate. At the very last second, of course, a miracle occurred, and the door burst open. "What the-," was all Michael could get out before getting thrown off Maya. She closed her eyes and sobbed, relieved that someone had decided to save her after all. But who? Through the blur of two figures fighting, she couldn't make out the details of her savior. In fact, she gradually lost her ability to see until, for the second time that day, she lost consciousness. "Bastard!" Maya's hero yelled, as he threw punch after punch at Michael, before grabbing him by his shirt and brining their faces close together. "Did you really think I'd let you take her from me? Huh? You thought I wouldn't find out she was here? I've spent years preparing for this day. There's no way I'd ever let you take what we both know is mine." He then tossed Michael aside, as if to say that he wasn't worth his time. This new man walked over to Maya's trembling figure, picked her up, and causally walked out the room, without bothering to look back at his enemy. He briskly walked through the corridors, past his soldiers who were occupied keeping the castle's guards off his back. There was chaos everywhere, but everyone was too busy fighting the person in front of them to bother paying attention to the knightly man with the damsel in distress. Once he got to the previously discussed rendezvous point, he passed Maya off to one of his most trusted men. "You know what to do." He said before leaving the man and ordering the rest of his soldiers to retreat. Caught in the Middle Ch. 03 Maya's eyes fluttered open, revealing nothing more than a bright space full of blurry objects. She brought her fingertips to her cheeks, and felt a wet trail of tears. Even in her sleep, she was constantly aware of the fact that she'd been through quite the ordeal. She groaned as the details of her encounter with Michael came flooding back to her; the feeling of his lips and fingers invading her body, and the fear she felt as she was pinned under him, rendered helpless as he violated her. The last thing she recalled was that he was seconds away from taking her virginity, but was prevented from doing so. Despite passing out, which she really hoped wouldn't become a habit, Maya caught a brief glimpse of the person who had supposedly showed up to rescue her. She assumed the same person brought her to where ever she was now. Thinking back on it, the whole thing seemed so outrageous. Maintaining faith that she was still wrapped up in the longest, weirdest dream she'd ever had, she closed her eyes again, praying that when she decided to open them this time, she would finally find herself back in her bed, and could go about her day as usual. "I see you're finally awake," she heard from the bedside. She opened her eyes and slowly turned her head, and was greeted with a sympathetic look from the most beautiful man she'd ever seen. "You were asleep for so long, I was getting worried," he said, kneeling beside her and taking her hand. "You're safe now, Michael won't be bothering you again, so you have nothing to worry about." Maya looked into his pale, icy blue eyes, and furrowed her brow. "Are you the guy who rescued me?" Even though she knew that someone had shown up to save her, Maya had been, at the time, unable to see the person's face. The man smiled and nodded, "My name is Prince Richard Emery Levasseur III," he said with an air of dignity and pride. "Initially, I should've been there to greet you when you arrived, but things didn't quite go according to plan and..." Maya yanked her hand out from under his, and moved to jump off the bed. There was no way she was going to let herself be alone with him. She didn't care where she was or who she was with- she was determined to get out of there. She would risk being out on her own, if that meant she would no longer be vulnerable to sexual attacks. Unfortunately, her body had taken more damage than she thought, and she struggled to run to the door, let alone stay steady on her feet. As her legs gave out, she felt two strong arms wrap themselves around her and hold her body up. Despite Maya's struggles and demands to be put down, Richard picked her up princess-style and carried her back to the bed. The second he put her down, she grabbed a pillow and hit him as hard as she could. "Don't come near me!" she screamed. She brought her knees to her chest and buried her head. Richard noticed her back tremble as she cried. He was taken aback by her sudden outburst, but figured she was experiencing shock from what had happened. "It's okay, you're safe now. I'm not going to hurt you." He awkwardly placed a hand on her shoulder, doing his best to comfort her. His expression, however, went from concern to shock when she slapped his hand away and put as much distance as she could between them. "I said to get away from me!" she yelled again, throwing another pillow, "please, just let me go. I don't know what you want with me, but I can't..." she broke down, sobbing, before she could finish her sentence. After what had happened, just mere hours after she woke up in Esfalda, Maya was done trusting anyone. She didn't care if the man sitting in the same room with her had saved her. She had thought that Michael was her savior, that he was the one who would help her return, or, at the very least, help her find her way around the foreign country. She trusted him too easily, and the price she would've had to pay was too much for her to willingly trust anyone else. He sighed, and ran a hand through his wavy, golden locks. Maya looked up at him, almost in disbelief, as she witnessed his caring, sympathetic demeanor instantly change to one of impatience and annoyance. "I only wanted to help you, but since it seems as though you are not in any condition to cooperate, I'll leave you alone for the time being" he said haughtily as he walked away from her. Maya jumped as she heard the door slam shut. After a minute, when she was sure he'd be off somewhere else, she got off of the bed and eased her way towards the door, not wanting to end up flat on her face since there was no one to catch her this time. When she finally made it, she turned to door knob and pulled back excitedly, expecting it to swing open and grant her the freedom she so sorely desired. She felt her heart sink, however, when it wouldn't budge. "What the..." she tried again and again until she heard a deep chucking from outside. "You asshole!" she screamed, "open the door, goddammit! This isn't funny!" "I doubt you'll believe me, but this really is for your own good," he said without a hint of remorse. "When you're ready to discuss matters like a civilized young woman, then I'll let you out." Maya glared at the door through red, puffy eyes, hoping to somehow convey the hatred she felt at that moment to the man on the other side of it. When she heard the sound of footsteps growing distant, she began to bang on the door as hard as she could. "LET! ME! OUT!" she yelled. Eventually, her hands were so beaten, and her throat was so raw that she was forced to give up her protests. She slumped back down on the bed, and pulled the comforter over her head. Mentally and physically, she was exhausted, and the little back and forth she had with Richard only made her feel worse. She hesitated, still, to believe that he had actually saved her for the purpose of helping her. For all she knew, whatever he had in store for her could be just as bad, possibly worse, than what Michael had tried to do to her. Fresh tears formed in her eyes, creating wet spots on the pillow case. Maya didn't know how long she'd been there, she guessed two- maybe three- days, but everything was far too much for her to handle. Whether she tried to fend for herself or rely on the help of others, she couldn't win. There's no way I can give up. I can't let this place, or these people get to me, she tried to convince herself. However, there was a little nagging voice in the back of her head, telling her that any efforts she made would be fruitless and a waste of her time. Maya was torn between the two thoughts, not wanting to allow herself to be at the mercy suspicious strangers, but also acknowledging that she had absolutely no leads as to how to get home. +++++++++ Three days passed, all of which Maya spent cooped up in her room. Each morning, she found on her nightstand a pitcher of water and a plate of food, which she made last all day. She had no clue as to who brought it to her room each day, and she didn't care to find out. She spent most of her time in bed, having fallen into a deep depression. It wasn't so much that Maya was moping around, defeated, as it was her being frustrated at herself for being so helpless. Occasionally, she felt content with just lying there until she died, but her sense of pride refused to this new world break her. She was stronger than that, smarter than that. But she couldn't help thinking that she really had come to a dead end, with no other option than to just give up. For days, these conflicting thoughts tormented her, rendering her able to do nothing more than eat and sleep. Every morning, the man who had saved her, who waited by her bedside until she woke up, paced the hall outside her door for hours, wondering how long he would have to wait until he could approach her again. A small part of him felt guilty, for allowing Michael to get to her before he could, and for not being able to offer her the aid she sought, but he knew that she would have to build up a much stronger resolve if she wanted any chance at creating a somewhat normal life in Esfalda. He didn't want to be too strict with her, but he couldn't afford to coddle her, either. He figured it was just his luck that he'd end up with someone like her. He had known about her his whole life- not her specifically, but that some woman would come to the country under similar circumstances- and now that the time had finally come, it was the complete opposite of what he was expecting. In his mind, ever since he was a small child, he had fantasized about stumbling upon beautiful, feminine woman, one who would be willing follow him. Someone obedient, and well mannered, who would easily perform her duties as instructed. The only characteristic Maya had that was relatively parallel to his fantasies was her beauty, although even that was quite different than what he had envisioned. Everything else couldn't have been more off. He recalled the way she struggled in his arms, despite the fact that she couldn't even stand up, and how she threw pillows at him and screamed at him to leave her alone. Reliving these events infuriated him. He felt like he was babysitting a rotten child. Never in his life would he have thought that anyone, let alone a woman whom he had rescued, would have the nerve to act so disrespectfully towards him. Had it been anyone else, the most lenient punishment would have involved something along the lines of a lifetime of hard labor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, finally deciding that if she was able to act so grateful for his services and hospitality, surely giving her this much time alone was enough to let her think things over and come to terms with her situation. He knocked on the door three times, to let her know that he'd be coming in. Once inside the room, Richard searched for her petite form amongst the comforters and cushions. He walked around to the side of the bed, where no more than the top part of her face, from the bridge of her nose up, was visible. He looked down at her, displeased. She appeared unnaturally pale, with dark, sunken circles underneath her eyes. She looked straight ahead, right through him, as though he wasn't even there. "I believe it's time for you to get out of bed. Why don't we get you cleaned up and have you eat a proper meal," he said, doing his best to sound as gentle as he could, but ultimately failing to mask his disdain towards her current state. Maya slowly raised her eyes and looked up at him. She distinctly remembered the face of the man who had stood at the same spot three days ago when she first woke up. She remembered how kind his expression had been. It was difficult for her to believe that the man from then and the man next to her now were the same person. The way he looked down at her with his brows knit together and his lips pursed gave her chills. "I swear, I want nothing more than to help you," he said, his words contradicting his expression. "You need to trust me." Maya shot him a glare, "I don't believe you." "If I truly wished to harm you, don't you think I would've done something by now? Do you think that I would've had your clothes changed and your wounds tended to?" he tried to reason. She refused to answer him, not wanting to admit that his reasoning was very logical. "You know, I find it odd that you've been here for four days, and I still don't know your name," he said, trying to change the subject to something that could lead to a more friendly conversation, without them attacking each other. "Maya Evans." "Maya...Evans," he repeated, looking as though saying her name left a bad taste in his mouth. Maya sat up, throwing the covers off of her. "Do you have a problem?" she asked accusingly. He looked at her, surprised. "Do you not like my name or something? Is it not pleasing to your highness?" He remained speechless, wondering where her sudden attitude came from. Her spontaneous display of antagonism towards him left him confused and angry. His patience with her was definitely thinning. "I was merely wondering where such a name had originated from. But now that I think about it, you're right. I don't find it particularly appealing. But then again, I do suppose such a deviant name is perfectly suited for someone such as yourself," he smirked. Deep down, Richard knew that acting this way was definitely beneath him and that, considering his relationship to Maya, he would most likely come to regret it later on. But he couldn't help it. There was something about her that made him want to fan the metaphorical fire between them. Maybe it was his sense of pride, not wanting to allow him to be talked down by her, or maybe it was something else. Either way, both parties remained unrelenting. "Anyway, Maya Evans," he continued before she had a chance to retort, "don't you think you've stayed in this room for long enough? I'm sure you must be a little confused as to why you've been brought here, so if you wouldn't mind sacrificing a brief moment of your time and coming along with me-," "A little confused?" she stood, placing her hands on her hips and narrowing her eyes. "Let's see, in less than 24 hours, I've found myself transported hundreds of years in the past, almost raped by some shady prince, and dragged, against my will, to yet another stranger's castle. So yeah, I guess you could say I'm just a little confused, but I really don't care why I've been brought here. Unless you know how to get me home, I'm not going anywhere with you." Maya couldn't quite figure out why she constantly acted so harsh towards him. Some of it was due to the fact that she didn't want history repeating itself, but what he had said before was true. If he really was going to do something, surely he would've way before now. Even when they first spoke to each other, he didn't come off as hostile or rude. But there was something about him that Maya couldn't quite put her finger on. However, she was sure of the fact that his confidence and cockiness irritated her, and she found herself subconsciously wanting to push him away. "Look, I know that you've been through a lot, and I know that you really want to get home, but I can promise you that you'll be safe here. You could have a good life here. My family and I, we believe that we have an explanation for your arrival, and if we are correct, we've dealt with your type for generations," "You've 'dealt with my type'?" she repeated, "what the hell am I? Some wild animal?" "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. But it really is of the upmost importance that we explain what's going on and why you're here, whether you want to know or not." Maya stayed put where she was, but became conflicted as to what her next move should be. "It is possible that what you learn could lead you to finding a way back. That's the kind of information you're looking for, correct? You can come with me, and my family and I can do our best to answer any questions you have, or I could send you back to Michael, if you would prefer that. He could probably give you the same answers, but I cannot be certain that he would be as nice about it. It's up to you." Maya ran out of arguments. He was right, she would have to take every chance she got if she wanted to find a way back. Acting depressed and being stubborn wasn't going to get her anywhere. Besides, she was too tired to continue going back and forth with him. "Alright," she finally relented, "let's go." ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Going through the halls of this particular estate, Maya noticed that everything about it seemed to be the complete antithesis of Michael's, almost comically so. Even he and Richard appeared to be exact opposites. Everything was so bright and warm. Every wall was decked with portraits of people and country pastures, and everything was colored with gold, yellow, and peach hues, as opposed to the dark, depressing greys Maya had previously been exposed to. Now that they had momentarily quelled their arguing, Maya was making a more thorough observation of Richard's features, and concluded he was essentially the textbook definition of Prince Charming. When she was younger, and her mother read fairy tales to her before bed time, he was the kind of Prince she had always envisioned. Yet, she held on to her belief that something seemed a little off about him. He came off as either very reserved, or extremely stuck up, with no in-between. His blue eyes, which were very cold, and somewhat unrelenting, didn't help with her overall impression of him. Michael's eyes had pulled her in, and trapped her, whereas this man's eyes shut her out, and pushed her as far away as possible. Maya shook her head as they continued walking. She didn't want to think about Michael or his eyes. What she wanted was to forget everything that had happened with him, or better yet, to wake up in her bed and write off her experiences thus far as a very, very bad dream. While following Michael through the castle, Maya accidently caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection of a picture. To her immense relief, she didn't look nearly as bad as she thought she would. She noticed shortly after Richard left her alone that a simple cotton night gown had replaced the petticoat and chemise she previously wore. Someone, she assumed the same person who had changed her clothes, had put her hair in a neat bun -although stray hairs had come out over the course of the past few days- and changed the bandages around her head. The new clothes she sported also looked much more flattering than what she previously had on, even if they were just simple night clothes. The only thing that caught her attention in a bad way was her neck. There was a large, dark bruise to highlight where Michael's hand had been. "Is there something wrong?" Richard asked. "It's nothing," she said absentmindedly, gently tracing the mark. He shifted his eyes away from her, and for a brief moment, his handsome face adorned a look of guilt. "I will protect you and see to it that what he did will never happen again. Although, there is no excuse for it happening in the first place." He cleared his throat and straightened his back in an attempt to regain his cool composure. "Anyway, it's best not to dwell on past events. We have more pressing matters to attend to." Suddenly she felt like a nuisance. She didn't want to be someone who required protection, and she didn't want to be his responsibility. "Right," she quietly uttered, quickening her pace to catch up with him. Maya stayed a couple paces behind Richard, taking note of the way he walked, and how he carried himself. It briefly dawned on her that he very much resembled a doll, as opposed to a handsome fairy tale prince. He was breathtakingly beautiful, but, like a doll, he came off as unemotional and uncaring. She was so sure that everything he kept telling her, like how she was safe, how he wanted to help her and protect her, was out of some sort of obligation, rather than a genuine desire to comfort her. Eventually the pair arrived in front of a set of grand, ornately decorated doors. "There are a few things I should explain to you before we go in there," Richard began. "You will be meeting my family- my father, mother, and great uncle. My father and mother, of course, are king and queen of this kingdom, while my great uncle serves as an advisor. They will explain to you your role here, and what your duties shall be from this day forward. Listen carefully, and try to refrain from speaking out of line. Understood?" "Yes sir." Maya pretty much tuned out everything else after hearing "king and queen". The meeting was too sudden for her, and she briefly regretted pressing so hard for answers, but getting them had to remain her top priority. She took a deep breath and braced herself.