"BUT SINCE THERE is no quarry here, I suggest you stand down, maidens."

Maidens? Maybe I did have a concussion, because there needed to be an explanation as to why I was watching a real knight tend to a real prince. Maybe Jo and I stumbled into a Renaissance fair and the mushrooms were fake. The glow seemed so real, though. So startling, I couldn't help but look in their direction again.

It... It couldn't be.

I gulped in the air around me. It tasted as sweet as the eyes of the man — the prince — standing in front of me. Towering over me. I didn't realize he was so tall before Jo punched him. This was... real. As real as the men in front of us, the monster they killed laying a few feet away, the mushrooms glowing dull and constant in the shade of the undergrowth.

We were here, in a world I'd dreamed about since I was a child, had always wished I could truly visit —

"Is that a suggestion or a threat?" Jo demanded, bringing me back to present. Her menace didn't hold the same heat here as it did where we were from, even though she was trying. She was scared. I needed to do something, prove this place was okay, or that it would be.

The knight frowned at us, loose strands of dark hair framing his face and curling in the breeze. He looked between Jo and I, making a slow assessment of our clothes. Or maybe it wouldn't be. We definitely didn't look like anyone who lived in the world of Swords and Roses. The fishnets were a  dead giveaway.

I needed to say something. Now. If we were in Velein, I needed to keep us safe. Jo didn't know this place like I did. She didn't know the way these people spoke or how they expected us to act. We wouldn't get the chance to go back home if they imprisoned us, or worse.

"We're so sorry!" I blurted out. Curious glances from the knight and the Prince — an actual fairytale prince! — cut to me. "M — My friend didn't mean any harm."

"I believe His Highness's face might disagree with that," the knight said with a quirk of his mouth. I hoped it was because he thought it was funny, because he was right. There was already a bruise on the prince's face, and blood was smeared under his nose. How hard did Jo hit him?

"The monster was about to attack us," I explained, pulling diction from all the Jane Austen movies I watched and Lady Heathwood's lines I may or may not have secretly acted out in the shower. "We were petrified of being its next meal!"

The prince put his hand on the darker-clad man's shoulder. "It was an honest mistake." His voice was warm like his smile. He took a step closer to us, holding his hands up in surrender. "You were understandably frightened. If anything, this makes for quite the memorable first impression. Wouldn't you say, Sir Nico?"

"It certainly isn't anything I've ever seen before," he replied, giving us another quick once-over that made blood pound in my ears.

The prince took another step toward us. Unlike the darker haired man, the prince's light emerald eyes shone like gemstones, and his dark chainmail highlighted his paler skin. He was ridiculously attractive, just like all the storybooks would make a romantic hero seem. His matching smile made my heart race, even as I tried to temper it with the thought that he could be our enemy. Dodgy princes weren't uncommon in this world.

"I assure you we only meant to offer assistance, not cause further duress," the prince went on.

"It is immensely appreciated, Your — Your Highness." I dropped into a quick curtsey for extra flare, too.

His smile widened, going from handsome to radiant in the span of seconds. Heat crawled up my neck and into face. I looked away fast. The prince was far too good-looking, and I didn't need him to catch me gawking at him like the fangirl I was seconds away from spiraling into.

"Why was the monster after you?" the knight asked.

"Maybe because it was with you," Jo snapped. My heart actually jumped in my chest. Shit. "It seems awfully convenient you were so close behind it."

The knight chuckled, shaking his head. "It was not. Golems are magically inclined, and Larnwick—"

"Hasn't had a sorcerer or sorceress powerful enough to do that in years." No country had, except for Velein, when Lady Heathwood took the position of Royal Sorceress. Or the book's antagonist, who was confined to when Lady Heathwell cursed him to live as a barren rosebush for the rest of his life at the end of Swords and Roses.

The knight looked at me quizzically. "That's right."

I got his confusion. I basically rattled that off like a Jeopardy contestant. But I couldn't help it, not as all the information from Swords and Roses surged up to meet me. Larnwick. We were in a neighboring kingdom to Velien. Larnwick was the place Lady Heathwood wanted to go to learn about using the glowing mushrooms for healing tonics, since they were native to this country.

I elbowed Jo, narrowing my eyes in a please-be-quiet kind of way. My heart sunk when I practically felt the confusion and desperation for answers staring daggers back into me. "You have our sincerest apologies, Sir. We..." I had to come up with another lie, but I didn't know what to say next. Come on, Claire, say something! "We're lost."

In more ways than one.

"Perhaps formal introductions are in order," the prince suggested. His eyes cut to Jo, offering her a teasing smile that made my stomach flip. "Unless your fist protests."

But he held his hand out to me first, and I settled my palm on his larger one. His calloused thumb ran over my knuckles, followed by his soft lips. I could've died right there and been okay with it. A prince just kissed my hand!

"I am His Royal Highness, Prince Elric Von Stetten of Larnwick." He straightened up and gestured to the knight behind him. "And this is my personal guard, and Chief Monster Extinguisher, Sir Nicolo Metellus de Costa."

"I prefer Sir Monster Extinguisher," Sir Nicolo added with a dramatic bow. "Humbly at your service."

"And who might you be?" Prince Elric asked, his eyes raking over every inch of me, making my brain swim and my body uncomfortably warm. And I had to say something, again. What would Lady Heathwood do?

"I — I'm Lady Claire... Canterwell," I finally answered. "Of the Canterwell family in Velein."

Lady Heathwood wouldn't steal the last name of a noble family, but to be fair, I didn't know any other passible names. My smile was tight as I looked back at Jo. She wouldn't recognize Canterwell, and there was no way we could be mistaken for sisters. I needed to pick a name she would know, something that sounded older and a little fancier than Anderson. "And this is my cousin, Lady Joan... Austin." Her stage name would have to do.

While Prince Elric bowed his head, Sir Nico tilted his to the side. "I thought you said Lady Joan was your friend."

I already couldn't keep my lies straight. "Why — Why can't she be both, Sir Nicolo? What is a cousin if not a friend by blood?"

"You need not defend your relationship to us," Prince Elric said, shooting a quick look at his knight. "Excuse my forwardness, but what are you doing out here? Am I mistaken in remembering the Canterwell family travels to Oscus Escil for the summer?"

I... didn't know. This wasn't covered in Swords and Roses!

"They — We do," Jo said. "But this year, we're celebrating our eighteen birthdays so we're traveling the world. As is the tradition, right Lady Claire?"

"Yes!" I exclaimed. Thank God for Jo. Thank God she actually remembered one small tidbit about Swords and Roses I thought she ignored in all my endless gushing about it. "We wished to find an inn for the night before that monster came out of nowhere."

"Well, allow your wish to be my command, My Lady," Prince Elric said. "I must insist you and Lady Austin stay in the castle tonight as the Von Stettens' esteemed guests." He looked proudly at Sir Nicolo, who was rubbing his temples. "The Canterwell family have been dear friends to mine for centuries. It would be incredibly rude of me to have you stay anywhere other than the castle."

"No way," Jo started, but I pulled her behind me, literally reigning her in.

Prince Elric's eyes found mine again and smiled. I almost forgot how to speak. "What Lady Joan means is, we — we couldn't impose."

"Ah, but as I said, I insist," he said. "We wouldn't want to create an incident between our families, would we?"

I looked back at Jo, helpless. We would have a safe place to sleep, but she looked at me like I was growing two heads. I didn't blame her. Staying in a castle under the scrutiny of the man in charge of it — under the guise of fake noble heritages, no less! — wasn't the best plan. "I... I suppose not, Your Highness," I finally replied.

I turned to the prince unclipping his cloak as he approached us. He wrapped the heavy wool around my shoulders, his warmth still clinging to the fabric. His finger brushed my chin, a move that could've been an accident or reason to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. "I am pleased to be at your service, My Lady."

The way he huskily whispered, "My Lady" stole the air from my lungs. He didn't make things easier for them when he held his elbow for me. "We shall escort you to the castle posthaste."

The prince led us past the bleeding monster. While it still oozed black liquid — its own version of blood — it appeared to have returned to the earth it was made from. Flowers bloomed where its eyes once were. Its legs already formed saplings. It was breathtaking and grotesque at the same time.

We kept walking until Sir Nicolo placed his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Two large shadows jumped out from behind trees, trotting over to us. They were two horses: a dark brown one with dapples splattered across its sides, and a gray one with black spots.

I hadn't been near horses since I rode one at a county fair as a child. And even if the stubborn pony took off with me, I'd been obsessed with horses since. And here I was, petting the soft, sheen coat of the brown one Prince Elric led me to. "Beautiful," I murmured.

"Her name is Viv," Prince Elric replied. "Are you ready?"

My eyes widened. "We get to ride her?"

"Of course. We still have a while back to Larnwick."

Without hesitation, I grabbed the saddle and allowed the prince to boost me onto it. This had to be a dream, but I didn't want to wake up from it. Prince Elric placed his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg up behind me, his body settling around me. He smelled like soap and the pine trees scattered around us. "Are you comfortable?"

"More than —"

"I'm not afraid of you," Jo's surly growl cut me off. She gestured at the gray horse. "It's that."

Sir Nicolo held the animal by the reins, brows furrowed. "But you had a horse. Before the monster scared it off."

"She barely rides!" I said quickly. "Even then, it had to be her horse. She's always been wary of them since the... accident."

"The accident?" I swore if Jo's mouth could drop open any further, it would be on the ground. "Claire... what in the actual fu –"

"Worry not, Lady Austin," Elric interrupted, as if he didn't hear her very improper-for-the-times curse. "Sir Nicolo is as good with horses as he is with a sword. His family is known for their animals and provided these very ones as a gift. You'll have no safer travel companion."

"Yes," Sir Nicolo smirked. "I will ensure you make it through this unscathed."

My heart pounded in my ears. "Please, Jo. The sooner we get to the castle, the sooner we can regroup." I turned back to Prince Elric. "We're indebted to you for your kindness, Your Highness."

"Don't thank me yet, Lady Claire," he smiled.

With a dissatisfied grunt, Jo scrambled on the horse. Of course, she had no idea how to do it, and I wanted to die at the confused looks the Prince and knight gave her. Once she was seated, she glared at me. "We better regroup fast," she shot back at me.

We needed to.

QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT!

We've gotten a lot of questions about how we're co-writing this story, so we thought it'd be a great idea to host a little Q&A! Want to learn about our creative process? How we divide the work evenly? What it means to write a story with another person? Ask in the inline comments here!