Just before the door opened, I stepped into a throne room and faced the royal family. I collected myself, trying to remember where I was and what I was doing. Be nice, be polite—don’t anger the king and queen. I needed to get back to my brother and find out if we had been successful in saving my sister or mother.

Suddenly, a door swung open, and a slight breeze brushed across my face. A small pair of hands began to tug at the blindfold around my head.

“Good luck, and follow me,” Cassidy said, stepping forward into the throne room. The name suited the room perfectly. Not much was happening apart from the rows of soldiers lined up on either side, all dressed in pristine navy blue uniforms. They shuffled from side to side, trying to get a glance at either me or Cassidy.

A red carpet ran the length of the room, leading toward two people seated on magnificent golden thrones at the back. By the queen sat rows of women dressed like her, in light blue gowns—like mother, like daughter—but the queen and the other women wore veils over their faces. The king was enormous, as large as a small family car. His massive lower body and somewhat smaller upper body gave him the appearance of a snowman.

Tension rippled through me. I realized I could die here. The soldiers looked ready to kill without a second thought if ordered.

“Halt!” a soldier in silver armour pressed a hand against my chest. Only his eyes were visible.

After grunting for two long minutes, the king finally stood up. He stumbled to the top of the steps, resembling the marshmallow man from Ghostbusters. His round body was accentuated by a bottlecap nose, thinning brown hair, and thin lips etched with a burn scar on the left side. His robe was glorious: black with golden specks that scattered like stars, rippling as if a breeze were passing through. His legs looked heavy and strong, bulging out of his black shirt that strained against his belly. Resting atop his head was a crown identical to the one Harriet had shown me.

“Hello,” he said, his tone heavy. “I am King Jonah, and I have a question for you. Your answer will determine whether you leave here alive or die where you stand.” Hundreds of swords were drawn from their sheaths, and in an instant, I farted. I suddenly clutched up; I couldn't embarrass myself further. The noise of swords scraping against the floor, edging closer to me, made my heart pound furiously, filling my body with boiling tension. I felt like my knees might collapse beneath me. I had never been this scared before. In every previous situation, I had a chance to fight my way out, but I knew I would die here.

“Will you marry my daughter?”

BANG! The doors I had just entered through slammed shut, echoing thunderously, and I farted again.

This was my first out-of-body experience, and I wouldn’t recommend it. I had no idea what I was saying; all I could see was my mouth moving, sweat trickling down my face, and my body clenching tightly to avoid another embarrassing moment. A bald head hovered behind me, whispering to a woman with a single eyebrow.

“Is he serious?”

“He is going to die,” she whispered back.

“Do you not fear death?” the king asked, snapping me back to reality. I looked up at the red-faced king, who resembled a horror movie snowman. I needed him to see things my way and to make it seem like I was being considerate toward his daughter too.

“I believe it would be disrespectful to marry someone I do not love. It wouldn’t be fair to either myself or her.”

“I see. If that’s the case, I have an idea. Something you will surely appreciate, given your situation.” I glanced around; I was surrounded. There was no clear view of the door behind me, and every soldier had their weapons drawn. “My idea will help you learn to love and respect my daughter and the royal family.” The king snapped his fingers, and a man in full armour rushed to him and knelt. The king whispered something to him before turning back to his throne. “You are dismissed,” he announced loudly.

“You are lucky,” the armoured man said, “Put your blindfold back on.”

He didn’t need to tell me twice. I was eager to escape alive, though I couldn't help but wonder where I would be going next.