TEN

The Emperor's question did not make sense to Una. How could he be asking about the year she came from? Did it make sense that he would ask her that?

How did he know she was not from this era? She could be a spy, for all he knows. Does he probably know something about what was going on with him? She knew that she did not have much of an option as she did not know how to live in this newly found place.

"How do you know that I am not of this era?" Una asked.

"The stars already predicted that we would have a strange visitor, and your clothes are not anything like we have seen recently. We have had envoys from various parts of the world visit us, but I haven't seen anyone wear such clothes," Asalan said.

"That is a pretty deep analysis," Una replied.

Yes, she was from 2022 and everything happening to her did not make sense. If one could truly travel through time, then why haven't the scientist discovered it yet? The technology in her era was top-notch. How could those in the fifteenth century have predicted her coming?

"What sealed the deal for me was the fact that this device was found on you," Asalan said, bringing out her smartphone from inside his overflowing dress.

She called it a dress because it was overflowing and looked like a dress. She collected the phone from his hand and looked him up and down. She could now admire the beautiful work done on his dress. She was tempted to compliment him but decided against it. He was a monarch after all.

"My smartphone. It's called a smartphone," she said, switching it on. It was less than thirty per cent, and even though she wanted to use it, she was sure there would be no cell service, that is, if she were truly in the fifteenth century Also, how was she to charge her phone if there was no electricity?

She looked at the service bar and it was empty. She could not call anybody. Her eyes caught the date and it was the 26th of May 1505. Her mind had started to accept the fact that she was actually in the fifteenth century.

Do random people time travel? Was he the first to embark on such a journey? Was it because she was close to death? All these questions ring through her mind.

"Thank you," she said, slipping it into her dress.

There was a brief silence as both parties just stared at each other without any visible emotions. 'What was she thinking?' the emperor thought. 'How could he influence her for his gain?

'Wasn't it about time that he told her the way back home? If he was expecting her, then it is possible that he knew the way home,' she thought too.

"So how do I get back to my era?" Una asked.

"I need you to do something for me first." 

It made sense that the Emperor would want her to do something for him. She was not from their world; she would be the best candidate to carry out a shady plan and never get caught for it. But something about the way he said it did not sit right with her.

"I need you to do something for me," Asalan said again when he got no response.

He was running out of time. He knew that any moment now the Empress could burst in there. She had visited him this early morning to tell him that it seemed like the princess was sick and her maid was hiding her.

"Wh...a...t is it?" Una stammered.

She did not like his tone and her guts rarely betrayed her. She followed her guts when she embarked on important missions and they never failed her before.

"The princess died yesterday," Asalan starts as he moves towards the bed to take his seat.

Una was well aware of a situation like this. Bad guys usually used situations like this to emotionally manipulate those they wanted to deal with. Was the Emperor the bad guy in this story?

"She died, and I am yet to confirm what killed her and how she died," he continued, his head falling.

Una did not know much about the timeline but she knew that monarchs such as this man sitting on the bed looking pitiful had to upload dignity even when no one was looking at them. She always thought it was a sore job, but seeing how heartbroken this man must be, it made sense.

The laws made sense. His regalia and posture did not go well and he needed to fix it. She kept quiet and waited for him to make his request known.

"Her maid suspects poisoning; even my right man suspects it too. She died just yesterday," he added.

Una wanted to tell him to cut to the chase. She needed to get back to her old body and life as soon as she could. She would do anything he asked as quickly as she could and follow the pathway he showed her out of there.

She had trained for years without making any friends or connections and she had finally realized her dreams. Once she gets out of there, she will live a better life than before and do what she is supposed to do when she is.

She would be a good and better daughter to Collins and live her life like her age mates. She would finally go back to finish her degree and maybe get into a relationship.

"The day she died you got here and to our surprise, you looked exactly like her," he said.

Una felt her heart sink. Something about his direction and the way she spoke made her know she might not be leaving after all.

"And what is it that you want from me?" she asked angry he was taking too much time to ask her. Her heart was sinking but she wanted to know what he wanted.

He saved her life. If a strange woman suddenly appeared outside in the streets where others could see her, she would have been dead by now. He did save her so she could return the favour.

"Act as the princess for a while," he said.

Her heart sank further. She expected it but hearing it made her wonder. Was she ever going to leave this place? Was she going to make it out alive?

"Just for a while. Until I find a solution out of this mess."