“Uh, sure.” What else could she do? Apparently, she had been spirited away to a remote country and now had no choice in the matter. So, she got up and followed the queen out of the bedroom. As they walked down the richly-decorated halls of what she guessed was the royal palace of Zhobghadi, she felt underdressed in her pajamas.
After a few turns, they reached a large door covered in gold tiles. Deedee pushed the door open, and they entered a large, spacious living area with high ceilings that was even more luxurious than the room she had appeared in. She followed the queen to a bedroom off to the side and headed to a smaller room that looked to be a walk-in closet.
Deedee grabbed some clothes hanging from a rack. “These should fit. Bathroom’s over there. Come out to the living room when you’re done.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Please, just call me Deedee.”
As soon as the other woman left, she headed to the bathroom. Though she was tempted to take a long, hot shower, she didn’t want to keep Deedee waiting. So, after doing her business and a quick wash up, she donned the clothes—black leggings and a matching white tunic with beautiful red embroidery. There wasn’t much she could do with her hair, so she combed it with her fingers as best she could and then walked out into the living room. Deedee was already waiting by the couch, as was the king, who stretched his long legs out and had an arm around his wife. A tray of tea and a pile of delicious-smelling bread was on the low table in front of them.
“Have a seat, Sabrina,” Deedee instructed as she poured tea into cups, then pushed one toward her. “And help yourself to some bread.”
Unable to curb her hunger, she tore off a piece of the bread and dunked it in some golden-brown liquid she guessed was honey. “Hmmm … this is delicious,” she said as she swallowed and washed it down with some tea. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome,” Deedee said. “I hope you’re feeling better. And if you don’t mind, perhaps you could share with us what happened and how you met Cross?” she asked. “I hope you don’t mind if Karim listens as well. We’re both curious.”
She took one more bite and then cleared her throat. “Not at all.” Being her hosts, she supposed she owed them an explanation, especially since Cross had dumped her here without any warning. She took a deep breath, wondering where to begin. From the beginning, she supposed. “I met Cross at a coffee shop in New York. He bumped into me and spilled all my painting supplies.”
“Painting.” Deedee’s jaw dropped. “Wait … you’re an artist?”
“Yes.”
“Sabrina Strohen, as in S. Strohen?”
She nodded.
“Oh my.” Deedee’s face lit up. “She’s S. Strohen!”
The king spoke, his cerulean blue gaze setting its sight on her. “I tried to buy a painting of yours, Ms. Strohen.” His accent wasn’t as think as she’d expected, and there was even a hint of boarding school poshness in it. “But your agent was insistent that you wouldn’t sell it, not at any price.”
“I know,” she said sadly. “When she told me who you were and that you desperately wanted it as a present for your wife, I looked you up. And then months later, I saw her on the news.” She gave a small laugh. “I admired her for standing up to that man and putting him away, I almost called Barbara to tell her you could have it.”
Deedee looked up to her husband, a knowing smile on her face. The king, on the other hand, merely rolled his eyes. She nudged him with her elbow, then turned back to her. “Sorry, please continue.”
And so, she did, detailing everything that happened, from the time they discovered the ring’s abilities and how she took the forgetting potion but remembered him anyway, all the way until he came back and ended up here. Honestly, she felt exhausted after all of it, and she took a gulp of the now-cold tea.
“That’s some story,” Deedee said. “I’m so sorry for everything you’ve been through. But don’t worry, you’ll be safe here.”
The king put a hand over his wife’s and nodded. “You will be well protected here, Ms. Strohen. And welcome to stay as long as you like.”
“But I don’t want to stay here,” she said. “I mean … I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. But this wasn’t part of the plan. Cross brought me here without warning. I thought everything was fine. I should be safe from harm. Gunnar’s vision changed. The end isn’t written yet.” Gunnar. He told her something before he left. Sometimes the only way to change the future is to follow its path. It must have been important enough for him to mention it to her.
“Sabrina? Are you okay?”
Sometimes the only way to change the future is to follow its path.
… change the future …
… follow its path …
“Holy moly!” She shot to her feet. “I have to get back to New York.”
The queen got up and took her hands. “Sabrina, you’re obviously not safe there. Cross wouldn’t have brought you here otherwise.”
“I have this feeling … this intuition.” She took a few deep breaths. “I think I can save them. Save everyone.”
“Save everyone?” Deedee asked.
“Gunnar’s vision.” That was the answer. Her instincts were screaming at her. “I need to be there. Please,” she cried. “Deedee, if you want Cross and everyone to live, you need to send me back to New York. Something’s going to happen. I think Gunnar’s vision is going to come true, and I need to be there.”
“Do you think you can stop it?”
“No, I’m not going to stop it,” she said. “He said there’s no end. Or the end can be changed, but not by trying to stop it. We have to let it happen. Let fate take its course. We cannot stop it.”
Deedee looked confused and met
