My eyes open to Nat in my room. "Sorry to wake you, but you're wanted for dinner. Were you putting on makeup?" I shake my head, "No, just tired. I'm up and hungry." Nat points, "Your eyes look like you're wearing beautiful makeup." I chuckle, "That's just how my eyes look tired." As I get up, I keep Ash hidden under the covers.
Nat says, "I'm a little jealous then." I ignore it, worrying about Ash still asleep in bed. What if a chambermaid finds him there? I need to ask, "Nat, how often are linens changed?" She replies, "Weekly. Yesterday was linen day." I nod, "Thank you." We have nearly a week before Ash's hiding place gets risky. Wait, how long is a week here?
I ask, "How many days are in a week here?" Nat looks surprised. "Six. There are 360 days a year, ten months of 36 days, six days a week." I stare, "That's very different. Where I'm from, we had 365 days, 12 months, and something called a leap year. It's complicated—and I barely remember why it existed, honestly."
She looks intrigued. "I wouldn't mind learning about your world." I smile, "It was something." My thoughts depressively drift to my wife, Liz. I miss her laughter from across the house. Trying to refocus, I ask Nat, "Do you know what's for dinner?" Nat replies, "No, but it smelled great. You'll love it."
Soon, we arrive in the dining room—clearly royal, but intimate. Nat guides me to my seat past Prince Julio, who tries to touch her, making her pale and quickly rush away while clutching her chest. Everyone but the king is waiting. I bow, greet the family, and sit, waiting to be addressed. I hope I'm following proper etiquette here. I wait, unsure what the goddess wants me to do here. Before I can think further, the queen announces, "Dinner is ready. We're just waiting on my husband for formal introductions."
She stops talking and looks at me for a moment, "That earring in your ear wasn't there before. I do not see its pair. Would you be interested in looking at my collection to see what you like? So, you can have a full pair. Or something a little-" she motions with her hands elegantly kind of like the queen in The Princess Diaries with that royal grace, "more… It seems a little simple." I responded to the queen, "This earring was a gift from the goddess. To remind me a little of my home world. I had died wearing something similar. The goddess wanted to give me a piece of my home world, and I gladly accepted. Thank you, your highness, for the offer of earrings, but if I were to be honest, I never really liked flashy jewelry that much. When I was married, my wedding band was plain and black, and I thought it was perfect."
The Queen then laughs. "Plain and black! I would never place something like that on my hands, but to each their own, I guess. While we are waiting, why don't you tell us a little more about yourself, Zoe? I heard quite a fascinating tale from my chambermaid and got quite jealous we weren't able to hear it from you ourselves. She said many fascinating things. Can you tell us more about yourself and where you came from?" I shrug slightly. "Sure, your majesty. What exactly are you wanting to know? My likes/dislikes, what I did for a living, or maybe something else?" The queen giggles in a very sultry manner befitting her beautifully formidable appearance. "We can start there, I guess." I then say, "Well, I like to exercise my body, obviously." I say, looking at my body.
This new body feels strong, like my old self after years of training. No more aching knees from my army days. I continue, "I also love cute things." I wiggle happily, thinking of Ash. "As for dislikes, I'm not a fan of Brussels sprouts—or cruelty." The queen and princess both laugh, agreeing about Brussels sprouts. The queen adds, "But I like them. It's celery I can't stand." The princess chimes in, "Nut butter on celery is my favorite."
I wonder if 'nut butter' is like peanut butter. Curious, I ask, "Princess, how do you make it?" The princess looks to Nat, who answers, "The kitchen grinds various nuts with a bit of salt." I say, "That sounds delicious. May I try some?" The princess nods. "Tomorrow, I'll bring celery and nut butter to your chambers for snacks and tea," she says, winking.
I'm pretty sure the princess's wink was about our shared secret; she mainly wants to visit and see Ash. The princes groan, perhaps misunderstanding the wink. Queen Felicia says, "I would love to join this little tea party, but we will definitely need something else besides … celery." The princess looks shocked and disappointed, confirming her real aim was to come for Ash. We won't be able to give Ash attention with the queen present since she doesn't know about him.
The king arrives, and the queen stands. "Sorry, we didn't introduce ourselves earlier. I'm Felicia Von Trapp, Queen of Hedia."
It's all I can do not to completely lose it right here and now—my heart pounds, and I bite my tongue, tasting the sharp sting of suppressed laughter along with the shock. I WOULD DIE IF I LAUGHED.
She looks to her husband, "I am Juan Von Trapp. King of Hedia." I think 'Juan Von' has a nice flow to it, and I also think that both of their first names sound Latinx in origin, but their family name does not. I am just thinking that if the people of Earth knew their naming scheme, they would most probably laugh. This is a different world, so their geography is not the same, and maybe how I understand people's language changes in ways that make it easier for me to understand. Kind of like how I communicate with Ash. Though that is a thought train for another time, and the official introductions continue. The king nods to his sons.
The noble-looking one with brown hair says, "I am Juanito Von Trapp. Second Prince of Hedia." He then nods to his brother, who says, "I am Julio Von Trapp. First Prince of Hedia." So that is what this guy sounds like. He even sounds sleazy. I am so glad he is a man of few words because I am not sure if I could handle a conversation with him. He then nods to his sister, who introduces herself, "Riviera Von Trapp. Crown Princess of Hedia." She says with that spunk of hers as she gives a graceful wave of the hand. Juanito says in a patronizing way that siblings do, "You ruined your introduction with that tone of yours." The princess interjects, "Well, at least I'm not boring like you," she says as she sticks out her tongue in sibling angst.
I started laughing because the situation with their sibling dynamic is funny. They all look at me, and I stop laughing and say, while standing up briefly to bow, "It is a pleasure to officially make your acquaintances, your highnesses." The king claps his hands and then says loudly, "Great! Now that the introductions are finally out of the way, let us eat!" With that, servants came rolling in the dining room with the food. I was so hungry that I could eat a cow. Though I can talk to them now, I do not know how I feel about this. I haven't really stopped to think about it since getting these powers.
I am not going to think about my diet too much right now, and plus, there is the circle of life too, so I shouldn't feel bad about eating meat once or twice. I should just make sure to give my thanks. They bring out the first course, which is a light, refreshing soup. I am trying to hold back from slurping it down like a heathen because I am just so hungry, and so far, I am doing a good job. A tiny slurp escapes my lips, and I cover my mouth, "Excuse me." The princess then laughs, "Slurping is a way to show gratitude towards the chef in our culture, like a good belch at the end of the meal. It isn't something to ask for an excuse by any means."
I raise my eyebrows in interest, raising my glass of water up to my lips for a quick sip of water before saying, "That is quite interesting. We had many cultures back on Earth that thought belching was a form of flattery for the cook, but there were probably just as many, if not more, that thought it was ill-mannered. Slurping was usually hated by all where I came from. I hope to learn more about your country and its customs here. They sound truly fascinating, and I want to try to follow your country's customs while I am here, your highness."
Prince Juanito interjects, "Some people here hate it too. Like me personally, I really hate slurping." The Princess Riviera mutters, "baby" under her breath, and Juanito throws a napkin at her. The queen then gives both of them the death glare while the king clears his throat, "Alright, you two. That is enough bickering out of you. We will gladly teach you about our people, but we would like to know more about you. What did you do before coming here to our world?"
Oh, yeah, I never got to this earlier when we were talking before he arrived, so it turns out everything worked out, realizing I don't have to repeat myself or anything: "On Earth, I was a teacher." Queen Felicia responds like she is amused, "I would not have guessed that. What did you teach?" I sigh and think. I want to respond truthfully, knowing this might be a mistake. I say, "To be honest, I couldn't care less if they remembered anything I taught academically. What I hope they learned from me was how to question authority and think critically so they can make their own informed decisions. I do want to clarify that this world I came from is really different from this one. Where I am from, there was no monarchy."
The king then asks inquisitively, "What did you have if you did not have royals?" I took a bite of food while he asked that, and I wiped my mouth before replying, "We had a collective of individuals in a checks and balances system who led our country. The leader of this collective we called the President, and they were always elected by the people and could only serve in 4-year terms and could only lead the country for at most 8 years before passing the role to someone else." Queen Felicia replies with that elegant grace of hers, "Wow. That seems so radical."
Princess Riviera chimes in, "What kind of place was it?" I reply after wiping my mouth, "It was a dystopia that normalized obesity. There was a literal epidemic in our country, and many people died from weight-related health problems because of it." The princess asks a follow-up question, "What caused this problem?" I sigh, thinking 'what didn't?' and respond, "There were many things that contributed to the dystopia that was my home country. Our country was very entertainment-based, so many people were just sedentary. Not to mention that healthier choices were always marked up in the stores while others were not, so healthy choices were more affordable to the masses. Food manufacturers also add weird chemicals to food, causing not only health problems but also weight issues, since the body can't process foreign substances. Due to their inability to process the foreign substances, they were turned into adipose tissue, otherwise known as fat. That and people tended to make poor choices when eating food and would often eat too much fried food or sweets."
The queen replies, "Didn't you all have mothers to tell you what is best to eat?" They probably used word of mouth from generation to generation to spread dietary information throughout the world. I try to explain how Earth was when I left, "You see, your highness, where I came from, it was so normalized in the culture that it was often the mothers who were feeding their children the unhealthy diets." Prince Juanito shivers, "Ewww. Does that mean most of the women were fat?"
I sigh, trying not to show my obvious disgust at his comment and behavior, "Women were more heavy-set, yes, but one can still be healthy even with weight. Like my wife was a very beautiful, plump, curvy woman, and was healthy. Healthy beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. As long as you are in good health, that is all that matters. Children and adults alike would eat a lot of fried foods and sweets, and not eat enough vegetables or exercise. Sweets are not bad, and neither is fried food, but in excess, like most things, they are bad for you. I can't imagine living without my chocolate. I had a little chocolate every day, and it was during my teatime."
The princess perked up, "You used to eat chocolate every day?! Chocolate is such a luxury. I thought you said you were not nobility?" Worlds really are different, aren't they? I say, "Well, where I am from, chocolate is mass-produced and is very affordable to the masses. It isn't a luxury item where I am from. I would buy chocolate chips and use them in all sorts of ways, and one of my favorites was making a certain treat. I would get pitted dates, fill them with caramel sauce, put a pecan half on top, then cover them with melted dark chocolate, and sprinkle sea salt on top before placing them in a cold place to harden. Those are pretty addictive, and I used to love eating like 10 of them with my daily tea." They might not have a refrigerator here. So being vague might be best here, so they understand.
The queen elegantly glides back into the conversation after a sip of wine, "First chocolate, then salt? Salt is more expensive than chocolate here." I look at her, really confused, "I find it hard to believe something so easily acquired as salt would be more expensive than chocolate. Whoever you buy it from is scamming you." The king, now very interested, jumps into the conversation, "What do you mean they are scamming me?" I responded while adjusting my gaze to look at him, "Well, your highness, all you need to acquire salt is ocean water. You just boil the water out of it, leaving you with salt. That is it. That is assuming your oceans are salt water here."
Everyone gasps, then slowly starts laughing, and the king then says, "Please send for an envoy to our ever so gracious coastal companions in the country of Pacifica. We need to have a chat as soon as possible." The king directs one of his retainers. He then turns his attention to me, "Thank you for that information. I had no idea salt was so easy to come by, and our neighbors have been exploiting our ignorance. Well, no more. Thank you again, you have saved us a lot of gold. If they do not want to negotiate after this, we will just make jobs so we can create salt ourselves. We have access to the ocean on one of our borders, which we can use to access ocean water for our own salt trade. We may not have anywhere near as much ocean access as Pacifica, but we can make do with what we have if we need to."
The queen then says as if she has a thing against lower-class individuals by repeating her sentiment, "Back to what you said earlier. You said chocolate was easily available to the masses? Chocolate made available to the masses sounds almost preposterous. Only the nobility has access to it here in Hedia." I sigh, feeling bummed out since I'm a whore for chocolate, "That really sucks, it sounds like I won't be able to have it as frequently as I would like, but there are other sweet things out there that aren't chocolate. I do not want to break your bank with something that is expensive." Queen Felicia replies, "Darling, we are the royal family. The wealthiest in all of Hedia. If it is chocolate you desire, then eat your fill. Especially after all the gold you saved us."
I reply to the Queen while waving my hands, nonverbally saying that it isn't necessary, "I do not need it every day, it is fine. How about I will eat it if you offer it during tea or dessert for everyone here to share?" She replies, wearing that same sultry face and voice as usual, "Sounds good to me, darling." Did she just start calling me darling…again? I heard it twice now, and I am pretty sure I am not imagining it. I politely smiled in response. The servants then removed our bowls from the first course and replaced them with the main course, an elegant-looking piece of poultry with a delectable-looking sauce, served with veggies on the side that looked pretty well seasoned.
Seeing the poultry, I put my hands together, close my eyes, and say a little quietly, "Thank you for the sustenance. I pray your next life is long." Open my eyes and dig in, and it is good. Prince Juanito asked, "What was that you said over your food there? Was that from your old world, too?" I giggle, "No, your highness. I guess you could say that is just a me thing. Felt the need to respect the life sacrificed so we could eat this meal."
I don't want to say more because I fear they may prod and get closer to my ability that Princess Riviera already knows about. She probably knows why, and that is why she bears a clever, spunky smirk on her face right now. It is actually really fucking cute to be honest. After our brief eye contact that basically acknowledged our secret, Prince Juanito says, "Why though? It was just some bird." The king and Prince Julio seem to agree with this sentiment.
I reply, "If it is not for you, then just don't do it. I am not trying to force ideals on anyone, your highness. We all believe and value different things in life. Some value power, some value wealth, some value sex, and some value family. The list goes on and is never-ending. Everyone values different things, and if we were to go around this table right now, there would be different answers, and that is perfectly ok, your highness. The goddess knows everyone is an individual, and she loves having her creations have free will to choose how to live and what to value in life. So, it is perfectly ok for you to think I am weird for thanking a dead bird. I even know it is weird, but I still feel I need to do it, regardless."
Prince Julio finally opened his mouth with a scoff, "Sure is weird, alright," and immediately stopped talking, and went back to spectating, soaking in and absorbing the conversation. I obviously knew he would feel that way since it is written all over his face. The queen says, "I think it is a very interesting and compassionate practice, though I do not think it is for me." Fair. I mean, I didn't even do this in my first life. They couldn't hear animals then like I can now. It is completely different for me now from what it was in my first life. With these abilities comes new feelings and values since my world has been turned upside down here.
I will probably end up cutting most of the meat out of my diet because of this ability. I guess I am terrified that I might end up eating a friend by accident. I will definitely miss that source of protein, but I can get it from other sources like beans, eggs, and dairy products like Greek yogurt. Though they wouldn't call it Greek here. I will most definitely miss meat, so I savor the bites I eat during this meal and will during my stay here, while I am unable to make many furry and feathery friends. I do not want to make requests and be picky when the food is that spectacular. When I leave here and make more animal friends, I will most definitely be cutting WAY back on meat, if not completely out of my diet. The king nods, "Yeah, that isn't my cup of tea." I do not know why they are just refusing what I said. I am not trying to force my ideals on them or anything.
The only one I know that would say something positive is Princess Riviera, but I do not need her to. I meant what I said when having different ideals and values is ok. Different ideals can align on certain topics, and it happens all the time. Similar to the philosophy of the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Having a common thread, even if they might be different. I think the princess is trying to figure out what to say without saying too much. I think I might just keep talking to save her.
I laugh and say, "You guys remind me a lot of my 'meat-a-tarian' brothers in my first life. They would sarcastically say something like, 'Oh no, not the little chicken,' and then proceed to eat the chicken. I mean, I also would eat the chicken. We loved to eat meat, and you guys talking like this reminds me a bit of home and my brothers." Julio then pipes in again, "I thought you said you didn't like cruelty. Would that not be considered cruel, laughing at a life like that?" I responded, "For clarification, I was never laughing. In nature, there is a law of the survival of the fittest, and there is a natural order of things. You have herbivores that eat plants, carnivores that prey on herbivores, and omnivores like us humans who eat both plants and meat. Why would we be created to be able to consume both if we weren't meant to? It is a natural occurrence in nature for animals to eat one another, for that is the food chain."
Prince Julio was intrigued and asked in his creepy voice, "What is this food chain?" I then explain, "All creatures living in Gaos are a part of this food chain, including everyone at this table." Princess Riviera gasps, "Are we in danger?" I chuckle and shake my head, " Not presently, no. Let me explain, for instance, chickens eat plants and stuff while they are preyed upon by many different species, including us, and for the sake of this discussion, I will." Princess Riviera sighs in relief as I continue, "So, chickens eat plant life, we eat chickens, wolves eat us, stronger predators eat wolves, depending on your ecosystems here, that might be a tiger or a panther or maybe even a bear, and you even have animals that prey on the dead carcasses that are left behind. This is the food chain at its simplest. In actuality, it is very complex and interwoven. Every living, breathing thing must eat something for sustenance. Though since people can use magic here in this world, the food chain might be a little different than what I described in my simpler explanation."
I take a deep breath after that since it seemed like a lot to say. I feel like I am monologuing a lot here, and I hope that it doesn't put me in danger. The queen then says, like she remembered something, "Oh yes! That is right! Nat did say the world you came from did not have magic. How did you all survive without magic? I do not think I can think of life without my water magic." Prince Juanito then says, "Same, I cannot think of a life without my wind magic." Everyone else at the table nods in agreement, and I say, "We used technology and innovation. We had these really useful appliances, like a washing machine and dryer, to wash and dry laundry for us. All we had to do was put the laundry in, and the machines did the rest. I would often do laundry while I watch a show on my TV."
I already know what they are going to ask, and the princess then asks inquisitively, "What is a show? What is a TV? Is a show similar to a play we have here?" I then respond, "Well, think of it as like an immortalized play that can be played over and over again as much as a person wants to see it on a big rectangular screen that we call a TV. TV is short for television. It is a device that shows these shows, where you can even see a play if you would like, but it also offers movies and TV series for entertainment. Movies are like stories told by actors that make you feel like you are in the story, and the same goes for TV series, but they are told episodically to keep the populace entertained over time. We were very entertained on Earth. Though being so entertained came with its own problems."
Princess Riviera perks up, "I think I would love to watch a show that sounds quite lovely," she says, gracefully, yet with a hint of spunk in her expression, bringing her hand to her face, very noble-esque. Queen Felicia interjects, "Can you elaborate what you mean by what you meant by problems?" I dab my mouth with a napkin and respond, "Sure, remember when I said that there was a weight problem where I am from? People would sit around soaking in entertainment, eating food, and not exercising as they should, and it was slowly killing everyone. There was even a show on TV called 'My 600-pound life' which followed extremely obese people and their day-to-day life. People would just let themselves go to the point where they needed immediate intervention to save their lives because getting that big will kill you. I almost lost my tattoo artist like that."
As I say this, the servants are removing the main-course plates and bringing out the dessert. The queen then responds, "I almost forgot you said that. That is a strange world where the majority of people are overweight. Seems like it's a little make-believe, but it is too weird a detail to be fabricated, in my opinion. What is this tattoo artist you speak of?" I perk up in excitement, "They use needles filled with ink and stab you over and over again in what you guys might call a special ritual to draw and write on human flesh to make you a walking piece of artwork. It was a painful process since you get stabbed repeatedly with needles, but in my opinion, it was well worth it for the finished result."
I look down at my blank arms in slight disappointment and sigh, "I really do miss my tattoos. I had many of them. Most women on Earth love to shop for shoes, but I would rather spend money on tattoos that last forever and are beautiful. Let me rephrase: CAN be beautiful. An unskilled idiot can pick up a tattoo needle and call himself an artist. I saw some bad tattoos in my day, and let me tell you. Once you get it, you are stuck with it." I say getting a slight pain in my chest, ignoring it as I laugh, thinking back to when I was a corrections officer.
There was an incarcerated guy who had a horrible Triforce (from the Legend of Zelda) tattoo shaded blue with no outline, and worst of all, it was crooked. I continue, "You can try to get it covered up, but you need to include the original image with the cover-up. You can't just draw on top of it like a new canvas. I actually had a few cover-up tattoo jobs done, and things with layers like flowers and bird feathers are great. I replaced an anchor tattoo with a rose and a dragon with a phoenix. Those tattoos I got when I was in a toxic relationship, so they had to go. Those coverups were some of my favorites, too." I say as I trail off, now looking down at my blank skin that is inkless.
Getting a pain in my chest in the process of reminiscing, and the more I think about my old tattoos, the more it hurts. The queen then says, "Body art, huh? That reminds me there are some cultures here in this world that have things like that, where they stab the skin over and over again, though we don't call it tattooing here, we just call it getting 'inked'." I laugh like a cackle, the laughing taking my pain away from my chest, "I am sorry, your highness, we also referred to it as getting inked, so I think it is funny that our informal way of saying it is how you guys refer to it. I figured I would use the formal terms for you all instead of what I would have called slang. Who knew that using slang there would be correct?" I rhetorically ask while laughing.
The princess then says, biting her lip briefly in a sexy way, "I think women with ink are hot." The queen then coughs, then sharply says, "Riviera not at the table." Then, under her breath, a little bit continues, "save it for the tea party." The princess nods in understanding, and now I know we are going to be talking about romance interests for sure at the tea party tomorrow.
Prince Juanito then says, "I do not know, I think a woman untouched by ink is perfect like you right now, Zoe. That new body of yours is just magnificent to behold." Eww, that was so fucking cringe. I respond in a habitual gratitude 'not wanting to die' sort of way, "Well, I appreciate the compliment, your highness, but as soon as I find one of those artists, I will get ink on this body. OOOH! I have a question." I make eye contact with the other members of the royal family and continue, "Since there is magic here, is there a way to get enchanted ink?" The princess is back in the discussion, "Actually, yes. That is actually the common practice to infuse ink with a spell. Though really good spells would cost a fortune for the ink job." I am 100 percent locked in this conversation, "What kind of spells, your highness?"
The princess starts listing a few examples, "Well, you can get a tattoo enchantment to keep your body temperature normal, so whether you travel to hot or cold regions, you will not feel the harsh weather. Also, other common ones are for base stat boosts, like for more speed, power, magic, etc. Some may be powerful enough to grant someone a special ability, like skin as strong as dragonkin scales. Some people get obsessed with these, though, and can become monsters in the pursuit of power." I am so excited, "I love tattoos so much. I will most definitely have to pick those spells with care. I do not want to become a monster, that is for sure. That temperature spell seems like the first one I will get because I get cold very easily." I laugh as I look down, suddenly getting a chill as if on cue, and continue, "Especially if the goddess wants me to wear this." I laugh a little harder and continue, "How big would a tattoo like that be?"
The Princess Riviera replies, "For common spells like that, they can be very small." She says as she touches her thumb to her middle finger. I then say in astonishment, "Wow, that really is small. I can get a bunch if they are that small. That temperature tattoo seems like the perfect one to have since I will be traveling the world. That is assuming I can even find an artist here." I trailed off again, a little disappointed. The king then decides to join in, "I have a proposition. Since you have saved our kingdom a lot with your knowledge of salt, I shall invite one of those artists here to the castle, and they can give you the temperature enchantment tattoo you would like. We wouldn't want you to catch a chill or anything. It will take a few days for them to get here, so I will summon you when it is time."
I do a happy wiggle and do a basic white girl excited eeeeeeeee, "Thank you so much, your highness. I greatly appreciate your hospitality. I hope I can be of further assistance while I am here. I really do not want to become a burden." The king scoffs, "You can never be a burden now with what you have done for us. It may have been a simple conversation for you, but for us, you saved us A LOT of gold we can use for this country and its people. That is worth a lot more than silly ink."
I then reply, feeling a little more at ease with my situation here in this castle, "Well, when worded like that, how can I disagree, your highness. Again, thank you for your generosity." I say as I start eating my dessert, which is a small cake. The king does say, "I do think you will be a valuable asset to this kingdom. I want to make your stay here as comfortable as possible. So please let us know if you require anything, and we will try our best to accommodate you." The way he said that was almost like he was offering me a job, or maybe he was saying he didn't want me to leave. I might have to test that later… not now. Obviously, it is all about timing.
The princess chimes back in, "So, back to that tattoo, Zoe. What were you thinking of getting with the enchanted ink?" I think about it, and honestly, I don't know, since there are so many factors to consider. I respond, "It all depends on the kind of artwork the tattoo artist specializes in. Every artist has a style they like to draw in, and I ask them to keep that style. It is like having a piece of the artist's soul. Whether that is tribal design, realism, abstract, watercolors, etc." Princess Riviera replies, "A piece of the artist's soul. That is a very romantic thought." She says while looking at me with a lustful look in her eyes, continuing, "I don't know if I could go in not knowing what I want already. I would definitely get a flower of some sort, personally."
I start thinking of my past life in reminiscence while clutching my chest in longing to return to my wife's side and respond, "That is completely normal. I also would go in with a general idea in my previous life, but I don't know what all these artists can do, so I figured I could wait until they get here. To save myself from any possible unnecessary disappointment, princess." Satisfied with my answer, we continued eating for a few minutes, enjoying the food and drink, and I then asked, "Your highness, I have a question. Do you have a library?" I need to see if they have a book on acquiring light magic, but reading books about this world will also teach me about it and help pass the time while I am here.
The king replies, "Why, well of course we do, Zoe. You are more than welcome to roam the library as you see fit. I'll have someone to escort you after dinner, so you will know where it is. If you ever get bored in your quarters, you can just ask one of your guards outside your door, and they will escort you to the library whenever you desire. I will allow you access to everything outside of the forbidden collection. Only the royal family has access to the forbidden collection."
NOW THAT IS GOOD TO KNOW.
I replied while bowing slightly in my chair, "Thank you, your highness. That is very generous of you." He chuckles lightly, "You thank me as I gifted you the library itself. You have not asked for one material thing from us, and I think that is peculiar. Do you not desire material possessions?" I answer truthfully, "It depends on the material thing we are talking about. Generally speaking, I value my family and those closest to me more than any possessions I may have. Possessions can be lost or replaced; however, people cannot. Also, in this world, I have a mission that requires me to travel. I cannot do that if I am carrying a lot of things. So, I will have even less than I did on Earth due to constantly traveling and living a nomadic lifestyle." I say making it sound like I was a minimalist on Earth when I wasn't. In fact, I had many collections, including books, game systems, amiibos, movies, etc. The point is, I was by no means a minimalist, but here in Gaos I will be forced to be one.
UNLESS! I just had a thought. What if magic bags exist in this world that hold way more than space would originally allow? A bottomless bag concept would be pretty fucking awesome, and I wouldn't have to worry about being a minimalist. Though that seems special. I do not want to keep asking about things, because then they might think I am asking for them outright instead of just out of sheer curiosity. I will wait until a later time to ask whether the concept of a bottomless bag exists here in this world, or maybe an item space stored in a wristband, like in that one anime, Shangri-La Frontier. If only life were an anime. If I had an item like that, I could live comfortably on the road and carry a tent/hammock, cooking supplies, food, weapons, comfort items like tea and a tea kettle, fun snacks, the list goes on.
Just after I finish thinking this, Prince Juanito chimes in, "We have enchanted boxes and bags that can hold more than their original size. Though not all of them are created equal. The level of enchantment depends on how much more it can hold. The greater the enchantment, the more it holds. Obviously, the biggest capacity ones cost a lot of gold. So, you would not have to live the life of a minimalist on your journey at all." I answer in amazement, "That is so cool, your highness! That makes sense with the level of enchantment. You get what you pay for."
Princess Riviera giggles, "Now you are sounding like mother." She giggles as she covers her mouth. Prince Juanito starts giggling too, and Queen Felicia replies, closing her eyes in a graceful queen-like manner, "I do, and Zoe gets it." Giggling continues a bit longer before fading. We wrap up dessert, and then the queen continues after gracefully dabbing her mouth with a napkin, "That was quite a lovely dinner. We need to definitely try to get together and do this every day, don't you agree, honey?" She gently and very intimately squeezes his majesty's arm in a manner befitting her very sultry yet formidable beauty.
He replies, wearing a warm yet noble expression, "Yes, I quite agree." He says as he dabs his face with his napkin. Once he finished speaking, he took another sip of wine. The queen then continues looking in the direction of the beautifully thick chambermaid, "Since we are done, Natalie, go show Zoe where the library is so she can take a quick look around." Nat nods and then waves me to follow her. I turn to the royal family, "Thank you for allowing me the privilege of dining with you all. It was a pleasure and delight, your highnesses." I then turn to leave, following Nat, hearing the royal family begin to talk inaudibly again as I get out of earshot.
Once we arrive at the library, I look around in amazement with stars in my eyes. This library was magnificent. It was two stories and had many different sections and was quite large. I looked around in awe, looking at all the different kinds of books. Skimming titles, nope, nope, nope, "Economic History of Gaos" Ew boring, "World History of Gaos" Not so boring. I grab that book, even though it isn't what I came here for, but this will be valuable knowledge for me in this world if I am going to be living in it. I take the book over to a chair and start reading. The words are all in English, just like when Ash talks to me. I definitely think it is the ability I have to translate everything into something I understand. I highly doubt they use English in texts here, since different histories mean different languages and language evolution. Why would they know English when they do not share the same history as Earth?
After reading it for the first time and learning more about myself and my newfound ability, I started reading this book on the History of Gaos. It starts off with the ancient recurring conflict between humans and demons. The demons in this book look like they might be a mix of beast people and horned people. They just look like variations of humans from these pictures. In anime, they would probably call them 'demi-humans'. I prefer that to demons. Something tells me this history is only telling one side, and it probably is the side that did the oppressing.
Especially if humans here are as bad as they were on Earth. I continue reading, and it looks like these "demons" speak their own language and cannot communicate with the humans in a way they understand. I will definitely need to be a mediator between humans and the 'demons'. I am going to call them demi-humans from now on because I do not like calling them demons. It feels derogatory. It appears they live in the country next to us in the demi-human territory called Calla. Good to know where they are in relation to me, since I will definitely have to journey there. I need to get world history through their perspective. According to these books, they are to be feared, but obviously, people are going to fear what they do not understand.
Nat interrupts my train of thought, "Excuse me, Zoe. I fear it is getting quite late. Would you like me to take you to the baths?" I close the book, "A bath sounds amazing right now. Is it okay if I take this book back to my chambers? I would like to get to know more about the history of this world while I am here, and this book seems to be perfect for that." Nat replies, "I am sure it won't be a problem, though, to be on the safe side, let us keep the book here in the library for now until I can ask first." I replied, "Fair enough." As I stood up and took the book back to the shelf, I retrieved it from. Then I follow Nat to the baths.