Ask who the woman is
"Hello, um, Mrs. Cabot, wasn't it? Yes--um, thank you for being
so kind to me yesterday. But who is she?" You gesture toward the
statuesque woman.
"I am Ms. Stuart," the woman says. "I'm a teacher here
at Double-Edged Sword Academy--DESA for short."
"Then this is a school?" you ask.
"Yes, and you are one of our students," Ms. Stuart said.
"In fact..." She smiles. "I have been chosen to be your
mentor."
"Mentor? For what?" you ask.
"For your assignments, of course," Ms. Stuart says.
"Surely you remember...oh, no, I'm going too fast for you, aren't
I?"
"A little," you admit.
"Milady, perhaps if you had something to eat first, your energy
would return," Ms. Cabot says. "Here..." She helps you
to sit up and hands you a tray of what looks like French toast, orange
juice, and an egg. The sight of so much food reminds you you're
starving, but you remember Ms. Cabot's advice from before and only
taste the items on your plate first. Meanwhile, Ms. Stuart explains.
"Mary Margaret, you are the Lady of Lachlan--a tiny province in
between Ireland and Scotland whose existence has been debated for
years. Your parents were the former Lord and Lady of Lachlan, Niall
and Beatrice, but they were killed by marauders several weeks ago. By
all accounts, you ran from them and have been a fugitive."
Ah, you think. That explains the cold, the hunger, the ragged clothes,
and most importantly, the fear.
"Are...are they still after me?" you ask.
Ms. Stuart nods. "Unfortunately, yes--and not just common
marauders, but a grievous enemy you'll hear more of later. But you're
safe here. You see, just a few days ago, someone from the nearest
province came to us and said he had run into you. You asked him where
to find DESA, because your parents had told you that, if you needed
it, we were the place to go to find sanctuary."
"OK," you say. "So I have sanctuary--that's good--but
what about these assignments?"
"Well," Ms. Stuart says, "as soon as you're back on
your feet, you'll be one of our students. You'll be training for
service under our king, Eljeshanai, and that includes your assignment,
which you will receive later. The assignment will make use of your
gifts, and will tell us how you will best serve in Eljeshanai's
court."
"Yes, but...who is he?" you ask.
Mrs. Cabot bows her head in reverence. "The greatest king as we
ever had, milady. He's just, but merciful. Fearsome in wrath, but
gives unconditional love to those who ask."
"Yes," Ms. Stuart agrees. "In fact..." She hands
you a book. "These are some letters the king has written to his
subjects. When you feel strong enough, you may read them."
You begin reading them later that night, and the more you read about
this mysterious king, the more you realize you love him. In fact, you
are eager to accept your assignment.
You begin your studies at DESA and are amazed to find that they go
very well. But on the eve of the day you are due to be called to Ms.
Stuart's office to accept your assignment, you are perusing a book in
the school library when...
You decide that the rest of your questions can wait for later; this
woman is yet another stranger, and you want to have all the pieces of
your puzzle together before you start worrying about big things like
destiny. You blink, put your hand against your head, and say,
