Day 25

  T?ra Trazzie appeared in the park. She rode to the road and looked at the name. A police officer come over to her.

  “Miss you may not ride your horse here.” He said.

  T?ra looked at him.

  “Where is here?” she asked.

  “Duchess?” he asked.

  He had heard and seen many pictures of the missing duchess. She was dressed differently and had a smell of hay on her. But it was her face and her horse that she had last been seen with.

  “Yes, I am Duchess T?ra Trazzie. Please will you take me home.” T?ra requested.

  Officer Ben Jones took T?ra to the palace. The guards were surprised. But they opened the gates and let T?ra and the officer in. They were met in the driveway by the family. Tazzmin, T?ra’s mother started crying. She ran and hugged T?ra.

  “My girl, I have prayed for you every day.” She wept.

  Granny Joash embraced her next.

  “You had us very worried.” She stated.

  Followed by,

  “What are you wearing?”

  T?ra was wearing a green dress with gold and red. It had been very beautiful before her battle with the thorn bush. Now it was torn and not so beautiful. She wasn’t wearing her tiara or any crown on her head.

  Sherralee was taken by the stable boys.

  Otchulissa growled she was unhappy with all the new people.

  “Come let me tell you all what happened to me. The officer can take my statement as well. A cup of tea would also be very nice.” T?ra said.

  “What is that?” Tazzmin asked pointing at Otchulissa

  “Her mother was killed and I have been caring for her. I have named her Otchulissa. She is my pet. We might need a vet to look at her.” T?ra said.

  “Are you hurt?” Granny Joash asked.

  “Come let’s sit and have tea, we might need biscuits for this as well.” T?ra said.

  T?ra went dressed as she was to the tea garden. It was an indoor garden attached to the house. The roof and walls and doors were made of glass. A large table used for entertaining guests at tea parties stood in the middle.

  T?ra sat down. Otchulissa jumped onto her lap. Everyone looked at the leopard cub. Its different color eyes stood out.

  “Everything I am going to tell you will sound crazy. However, it is true and this officer might need a higher clearance.”

  T?ra began. She told them how she went to another world that spoke a language similar to the monk’s Latin. How a girl named Nikki helped her and fed her and kept her safe from the weather as they made their way to a castle. She told them that there was an evil queen named Tiffany who enjoyed the suffering of her people and how people thought she was this evil queen. She told them how there were others from earth there who helped her get back home.

  She did not tell them about people trying to kill her. How she was going to marry a dragon rider prince or how she led the world. Just that there were special crystals that allowed people to travel between worlds and that the friends she made there helped her get home and kept her safe.

  The officer looked at the royals and asked.

  “What should my statement be?”

  T?ra smiled

  “Tell them I was taken by accident, an identity confusion. I met people who helped me escape and brought me home. I am unharmed and there was no ransom as they didn’t know who I was. Those who helped me are named Nikki and Zazo.”

  Everyone looked at T?ra surprised at how quickly she spun the story.

  “Where did you get the cat?” Granny Joash asked.

  “In the jungle. A man named Chris killed its mother. It was while Nikki was helping me.” T?ra answered.

  Tea and biscuits had not been enough for this story.

  “Can we expect an invasion?” the officer asked.

  “No, earth is banned from the other worlds for warmongering. No one wants to come here. We have nothing they want, not even slave labor.” T?ra replied.

  Once all the basics were covered the officer left.

  T?ra turned to her granny.

  “I am ready to take my place in society and marry. Arrange a ball and I will pick someone to bond with.” She said.

  “Bond with?” Tazzmin asked.

  “I mean marry. I will pick someone to marry.”

  T?ra started walking towards her room. Then she turned and announced to everyone servants included.

  “My mother Tazzmin is a duchess. She shall be addressed as one, spoken to as one and she will be moved back into my father’s room. This is not a request.”

  Tazzmin looked at her daughter. Granny Joash was taken a back. She couldn’t believe how her grandchild just walked in and took over.

  T?ra went and bathed, she tended to the scratches on her body and enjoyed having shampoo and conditioner for her hair. She liked having a flushing toilet and hot water from a tap.

  T?ra dressed herself and found her clothes were looser than she remembered. She hadn’t thought she had lost weight but it seemed she had. It was not a lot, so she didn’t let it trouble her.

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  T?ra came down to eat with the family.

  The servants brought the food.

  “Thank you!” T?ra said.

  “Mother, have you settled into your room?” T?ra asked.

  Tazzmin said nothing.

  “Granny did you stop the servants from moving my mother into the room that is rightfully hers?” T?ra asked.

  “That is your father’s room. You mother has a room.” Granny Joash said.

  “You have just come home. The doctor will be here soon to examine you.”

  T?ra looked her granny straight in the face.

  “Am I or am I not the duchess?” she asked.

  “You are my dear. But…”

  T?ra raised to hand.

  “Then how is it right that the mother of the duchess is treated like an unwanted guest?” T?ra asked.

  The table was silent and the servants stepped back.

  “T?ra, where is this coming from?” Granny Joash asked.

  “Your advice got me through. My father got me through. Now I am ready to be the duchess I was being groomed to be. This means hearing your advice but doing what is right even when it upsets people I care about, even if it is you. My mother will be treated like a duchess and she will have my father’s room. I will marry and take my place as duchess. I will be the duchess of this palace. That means my decisions will be what goes. Please granny do not fight me on this. Do not be so hard hearted towards my mother.” T?ra said.

  Dr Rhodes took blood and examined T?ra. Her cuts and bruises where recorded. The doctor noticed that T?ra was not herself.

  The blood reviled enzymes that were never seen before. He took this news to Granny Joash.

  The doctor suspected it was the food she had been eating. There were not drugs in her system and she seemed healthy. However, he advised that she sees a counsellor.

  As the days passes Granny Joash found herself not knowing the grandchild that returned to her. She reached out to Tazzmin.

  “T?ra is different and I don’t recognize her.” Granny said to Tazzmin.

  “She has become what you trained her to be. It is sooner than I hoped but she is the leader you wanted.” Tazzmin answered.

  “I resented you for encouraging her to have fun and not pushing her to become the duchess of Pearl Peak Palace. Now she has become the duchess and I am forgotten, pushed aside.” Granny confided.

  “You get used to being on the outside.” Tazzmin replied.

  “I wish I had another choice. Speak to her.”

  Granny opened the door to leave.

  “She asked for a suiter ball, give her the best one any royal has ever had.” Tazzmin said.

  Granny Joash smiled and left.

  Tazzmin tried to talk to T?ra but she was set.

  T?ra didn’t want to talk about what had happened to her. How they tried to kill her and how she killed someone.

  * * *

  Zazo arrived in the park. He had been briefly prepared by Keimoni for what to expect. However, the prep was not good enough.

  Giant roaring beasts with people inside whizzed past. People were talking to themselves everywhere he looked and holding strange things in their hands.

  “Sir is that real?” a police officer asked Zazo.

  But Zazo didn’t understand.

  “T?ra Trazzie. Do you know T?ra Trazzie?” Zazo asked him.

  The officer realised that he didn’t understand him. So, he got Zazo to follow him to the station.

  “The only thing I can understand is T?ra Trazzie. He keeps saying her name.” the officer told his partner.

  Ben Jones was clocking out when he heard this fellow officer asking if anyone can understand him?

  “Name?” Ben asked Zazo.

  He touched his chest and said “Ben Jones”

  Pointed to Zazo and waited for an answered

  “Zazo, please may I see T?ra Trazzie.” Zazo said.

  Ben shook his head.

  “Maybe Frank will understand.” Ben suggested.

  Frank was an old man who was one week away from retiring. He was friendly but had odd habits. So, no one really become close friends with him.

  Zazo was led to Frank.

  Where they explained that they cannot understand him.

  “So, he’s wearing strange clothes, has a sword on his belt and no one has any idea what he is saying?” Frank asked.

  “Speak lad, is that a real sword?” Frank asked Zazo.

  Zazo repeated “T?ra Trazzie.”

  “He knows the name of our duchess.” Frank said.

  Frank asked in English

  “How do you know the name of our duchess?”

  “The queen speaks that.” Zazo responded.

  Frank narrowed his eyes in thought.

  “Where are you from? How do you know the duchess?” he asked Zazo.

  “Why can no one understand me?” Zazo moaned.

  “He is speaking the monk’s Latin. You must take him to the monastery.” Frank said, “Also take that sword away before someone gets hurt.”

  As they went to take the sword Zazo avoided them. He was not going to part with his sword.

  The police become aggressive. Zazo drew his very real sword.

  “Don’t shoot him!” Frank yelled.

  Ted tazzered him and brought him to the ground. Where they took his sword and cuffed him.

  Ben was almost home when he remembered that T?ra said a Nikki and a Zazo saved her, protected her and helped her get home. He rushed back to the station. To find the man cuffed and behind bars.

  “Duchess T?ra Trazzie said a Nikki and a Zazo help her get home. This may be that, Zazo. The royals speak more languages than us.” He said to his captain.

  Captain Philip went to the cells and looked at the angry man, dressed in strange clothes.

  “Take him and everything with him to the monastery. Do not give him a reason to be here. I do not want the friend of the duchess being held in my cell. Get his out of here and make him someone else’s problem.”

  They battled to get Zazo into the giant iron beast. Finally, they did. They took him to the monastery were they respectfully spoke to the man they found in the gardens. He was pruning roses. He came to the squad car.

  “Sir, I am Tam. Do you understand me?” he asked in the monks Latin.

  “Finally, someone who understands me. I am here to see the queen, T?ra Trazzie.” Zazo said.

  “Please uncuff him. We will take him and care for him. You did the right thing bringing him here.” Tam told them.

  Zazo was taken with all his things into a great hall. Where he was given some water and food.

  Zazo explained that he knew T?ra and even though she is not queen anymore he really needs to speak with her. Zazo told them everything, the full truth and all T?ra had done. He told them where he was from and the names of all the earth people who he met while in the castle with T?ra.

  The monks were amazed at his stories and they even check up to see how true it was. Was Rachael Ceronio missing? Was a doctor named Shane West missing? Once they had established the missing concurred with the earth records and times, they began to believe he was the real deal. But getting him to see T?ra was almost impossible. No one could visit without an invite. However, there was a ball being held in four days in which they might be able to sneak him in.

  * * *

  T?ra looked in the mirror. She looked like a portrait. Perfect hair, made up and flawless. Her tiara sat just right, her blue earing sparkled, her matching necklace finished the simple and elegant look.

  Like a portrait she had no genuine smile, only a fixed look. She hadn’t smiled or laughed in a while, and it was fine, her face was set like stone. Ready to take on the world and all the challenges it through her way.

  Her white dress was simple and beautiful. It’s one sleeve shoulder design suited her. She looked mature and serious. Her silver flat shoes where only visible when she walked.

  T?ra held her head high and walked down to her suiters ball.

  She descended the stairs and was met at the bottom by the first man who was to dance with her. Dukes, lords and even a prince was there to meet T?ra and possibly marry, creating an alliance and new blood to some of the royal lines. T?ra smiled and danced and mingled. She was the perfect picture of the Duchess of Pearl Peak Palace.

  As the night drew to an end T?ra was to make an announcement. She was to close the evening with a short speech and a final dance with the man she chooses. This dance would signal to her Granny Joash to speak with his family to make the arrangements.

  “Good evening all. Thank you for coming all this way and sampling our hospitality. Hopefully this will be the start of many blooming friendships and more.”

  T?ra then saw Zazo, he was dressed in a suit with a tie. He was walking towards her slowing making his way through the crowded room.

  “I would like us to end this lovely evening with a final dance. Thank you all!” she said not taking her eyes of Zazo.

  Her heart pounded in her chest. Was she hallucinating? How would Zazo even get there when they had closed the way back to earth.

  T?ra walked towards Zazo and then stood before him. Everyone was waiting for T?ra to choose someone to dance with so the final dance could begin.

  “Are you really here?” T?ra asked.

  “I came for you. I swear myself to you.” Zazo said “You are my queen.”

  “Dance with me.” T?ra said.

  Zazo hesitated.

  “Dance with me.” T?ra said again.

  Zazo and T?ra walked onto the dance floor. The music began and everyone else joined in. No one recognized Zazo, no one remembered dancing with him or chatting with him.

  Tazzmin watched them dance and so did Granny Joash.

  “Who is that man?” granny asked.

  “I do not recall seeing him.”

  The monks slipped away seeing that indeed T?ra and Zazo knew one another.

  T?ra looked into his face as if no one else was there.

  “How did you get here?” she asked.

  “Keimoni helped me. He convinced the Viden to open the sugs to earth just once more. So here I am.”

  “Where did you get the clothes?” T?ra asked.

  “The monks helped me. They are the only people in this place that understand me.”

  T?ra was grinning and her mother and granny could see that whoever this man was, she was happy to see him. They hadn’t seen her happy since she returned.

  Once everyone left T?ra introduced Zazo to her mother and granny. She was smiling the whole time and talked again as if she was herself.

  It had been an awful few weeks for Granny Joash. Her little girl was grown up and sad. She had reached the point where she just wanted T?ra to be happy again.

  Zazo only spoke the language of the monks. So, it was not easy to communicate. But T?ra managed just fine.

  “This is Zazo, he protected me and helped me get home alive. I want to marry him. He has crossed worlds to find me.” She grinned so happy he was there.

  She never asked him to go with her. But now that he was with her, it felt right.

  “He will need to learn two more languages, Tazman and English. But we will get him started tomorrow. The monks can teach him. Is he willing and does he understand what being your husband means?” Granny Joash asked.

  T?ra turned to Zazo.

  “Will you bond with me? It means you have to learn two more languages. There will be lost of responsibilities that you haven’t had before. But it will not be like a king or anything. The world is not our responsibility, it’s more smile, wave, kiss babies.” T?ra said.

  “I will do whatever I have to do to be with you. You are my queen.” He relied.

  Smiling T?ra said.

  “I am not a queen, just a duchess.”

  T?ra and her family began to reconnect. Zazo learnt quickly and his respectful manner won everyone over. They loved how straight and honest he was while maintaining a respectful approach. Royal and servant alike grew fond of him. T?ra even got in touch with Nikki who was invited to the wedding. Which took place five months after her ball.

  Nikki however did not meet granny’s standards. Her blond hair that had more colors than a parrot was not granny’s cup of tea. But granny was grateful to Nikki for helping T?ra. As they told the stories of Chayim to T?ra’s family granny could only find nice feelings in her heart towards Nikki and Zazo.

  However, granny did keep offering Nikki a free trip to her hair dresser and to have some pretty clothes made for her.

  T?ra began a new life as a new person in an old place. The palace that once trapped her now became her freedom. Her family that couldn’t communicate beyond expectations, learnt to enjoy life with her.

  T?ra Trazzie found herself married at the age of twenty. Her best friend was the bravest, craziest girl she knew, and she was happy. Her pets were happy and life was good.