(OLD VERSION)The Swordswoman Marle - Chapter 3

THIS IS THE FIRST VERSION, a new improved one has been made. Changes are in the new one that are not in this one.

Chapter 3
The Queen Returns
Or
Lucca's Scientific Side-trip

The fair was actually much smaller than Marle had imagined. Walking with Crono revealed how over fantasized she had made it all after arriving. Not that it kept her from having a good time. Crono had once again tried to get past the two young men blocking the upper path, but it still was not ready yet. So back down they went.

After playing several games and earning 60 silver points, Crono rushed Marle over to the Tent of Horrors. Marle was hesitant at first, but agreed to go in after Crono gave her that wonderful smile.

For a place called the Tent of Horrors, it really was not all that frightening. The only "frightening" thing about it was the large floating head and hands. This Tent of Horrors should have been called Tent of Oddities, or Unusual Things. Not the best of titles, but it fit better than 'horror'.

The two had just enough money to play three rounds of what Marle decided to call, 'guess the triplet'. The first two times they guessed wrong, but guessed right on the third. The prize was a Poyozo Doll, A round furry creature with big eyes on it's beige face and pointed ears. She wondered if Crono would offer it to her, but the floating head offered to send it to Crono's home right away. So the two walked away without their prize in hand.

"You hear how Lucca and her dad made another crazy invention?" A young woman by the fountain said rather loudly to her friend.

Crono stopped suddenly to listen.

"I hope it doesn't blow up like all the others." The girl laughed. "It's probably ready now, you going to go see it?"

"Nah, don't want to risk it." The two laughed.

Having heard enough, Crono walked on with Marle behind him. She guessed that maybe Crono knew Lucca from the way he reacted. Marle had heard stories of a young woman and her father coming up with strange things that, more often than not, would go wrong. It was always something that intrigued her.

"Hey Crono, I'd like to see Lucca's new invention, it sounds like fun." Crono spun around to look at Marle, with a renewed light in his eyes.

He took her by the hand and just as he started forward, he stopped. Marle followed his gaze to a man selling all sorts of weapons. She quickly found herself interested as well.

"Let's look at this first." She suggested.

Crono nodded, already entranced by a certain sword. * The princess had seen all sorts used by the knights at the castle, but this one was unlike anything she had ever seen. The price was reasonable too, she thought. That is until she noticed Crono grimacing at it. Of course it would be too much for him.

With a defeated sigh and smile, Crono shrugged at Marle. "To Lucca?" He nodded.

"Excuse me, sir, ma'am." The merchant called. "Could I ask something of you?"

"Of course." Marle stepped forward and stopped. Did the man recognize her? She did not want to give the man another look and stepped back. Crono looked back to see what was wrong. "I'll wait here." She hoped that maybe Crono would be able to help the man before the man recognized her.

Her heart jumped into her throat when Crono looked back after talking to the man. He was asking about her! When Crono shook his head and walked back to Marle, she felt herself relax a little.

"What did he want?"

Crono pointed at her pendant sticking out from her blue scarf.

"My pendant!"

Crono nodded.

"He wanted to buy it!?"

He nodded again.

"Oh," Marle relaxed completely. She had not been discovered. "Come on! We should hurry before Lucca unveils her invention!"

Crono nodded again with his bright smile.

Lucca and her father were in the farthest part of the fair. Marle wondered if it was for safety reasons.

There was one last distraction before finally getting to Lucca's invention, a candy stall. She hoped that just maybe there would be ice cream, but settled for a small bag of sweets. With that finished, they hurried up the stairs where Lucca and her father awaited.

An older man stood between two large devices, each with a platform large enough for two people to stand comfortably on. A large box connected by wires with buttons and switches sat on the right side of each device. On the left device was a young woman with short purple hair covered by a leather helmet with an antenna on the right-hand side. Her clothes were similar to Crono's, an orange tunic, over a green long sleeve shirt, black shorts, brown boots and even a yellow-green scarf around her neck.

The tunic and scarf was certainly a common style in Guardia, which helped her fit in.

Marle's attention was brought back to the man when he said 'super dimension warp'.

"To use it, stand here." He pointed to the device where Lucca was working. The man then walked over to the other device, "and you'll be transported over here! It's the master work of my beautiful daughter Lucca!"

Lucca spun around, her large round glasses shone in the sun light along with her proud smile.

The crowd though was less than impressed.

"Lucca!" Crono called, catching the young woman's attention instantly.

"Crono!" She jumped down from the platform. "Where have you been?! No one wants to use the telepod."

Crono chuckled and shrugged. The way they interacted showed long term familiarity. A friendship that may have started at childhood.

"You'll try it won't you?"

It sounded more like a statement than a request Marle thought.

"Will you? If it works, I'll try it next." Marle asked to give a little extra incentive. Though it didn't seem Crono needed any. She could see the trust in his eyes when he looked at his friend Lucca. Despite the crowd's determined outlook of failure, Crono foresaw success.

Once Crono stood on the left platform, the two inventors got to work. Lucca's father at the left while Lucca worked on the right. Both shouting words that Marle recognized, but could not understand.

Suddenly Crono was enveloped in light, shattered into fragments of light, and disappeared. Everyone's eyes widened in surprise and a bit of terror. Marle moved her gaze to the right telepod where the light had formed into Crono reappearing.

The applause was scattered as most were dumbfounded to see that it had worked at all without blowing up.

Crono stepped off the platform with a big smile and gave Lucca a high five. "I knew it'd work."

Lucca laughed. "Of course you did, I made it after all." Said Lucca showing a great air of confidence.

Marle hurried over to the two friends. "Wow Crono that was amazing! I'll try it next!"

"Huh? Hey Crono how did you manage to pick up a cutie like her?"

Crono gave Lucca an embarrassed smile, as she looked back over to Marle with a curious glance.

"You wait right there, I'll be right back!" Marle said standing in front of the telepod ready to go.

"Everyone watch in awe as this vision of loveliness steps aboard the machine!" Lucca's father called. He sounded far more confident now than before. "You sure you want to do this?" The confidence did not last long.

"Of course! I'm not afraid." There was a strange excitement building in her the moment she saw the machine work. Along with a growing need to try it out. She was not sure why, but it almost felt like it was calling to her.

Marle stood on the platform and waited. Lucca's father went to the controls, to start up the telepod. The machine started to hum loudly. Lucca dashed over to the right one and began working. The hum of the machine got louder as the right telepod started up.

A warmth grew at her chest. Marle looked down and saw her pendant glimmering. Was it just the sunlight? She pulled it out to see it shine brightly. The warmth from it grew, but not enough to burn.

"What? My pendant, what is it...?" Marle suddenly felt herself getting pulled in all directions as the light surrounded her. Her pendant shining so brightly that it was almost blinding.

Something was wrong and Marle knew it. She could hear confused chatter from both Lucca and her father. Marle took hold of the pendant and hesitated before letting it go. Marle felt herself slipping away as the light consumed her. The warmth of the pendant was gone. She immediately regretted her decision as a wave of pain surged through her, knocking her out.

Floating, or was she flying? No, she was falling.

She thought she was. Marle woke up not floating, flying, or falling, but face down on the ground. Not the most glorious position for a princess. But for a princess disguised as a commoner, it was still not that great. Thankfully no one was making any fuss over it.

Only, there should be a very large fuss over her and the machine. What happened?

Marle looked up to find her surroundings had completely changed. She had expected to wake up in a bed or cradled in Crono's arms. The latter was more hopeful thinking, but neither appeared to be true.

She was still outside but, any signs of the fair were gone. Not even the sounds of people nearby could be heard. The clearing she was in was surrounded by trees and bushes. One side was blocked off by a rock face. There was an opening that lead out and the sound of water close by.

Though her teachers had told her if she had ever gotten lost, she need to stay put and wait. Marle decided it was better to have a look around.

The princess wished more so than ever before that she had been allowed to explore her kingdom. The place she found herself in was not in the least bit familiar. Had Lucca's device send her out of Guardia? With any luck she was not far from a town. Marle wandered around for what felt like an hour, all the while careful not to disturb any wildlife so they would not attack her.

Just as she began to lose hope in finding anyone, the bridge came into view. It was a simple wood and rope bridge but sturdy enough to cross. But, most of all it was the first sign of civilization.

In her excitement she ran across the bridge and into two blue birds. The birds flew upwards and about before fleeing. Marle readied her sword for when the birds would return. A minute passed with no sign of the bird's return and Marle relaxed.

"Craw!" The bird called from above.

Marle looked up to see the two birds back with two blue imps in their claws. "What?!"

The birds dropped the two imps on either side of the princess. Soon as the blue imps hit the ground the birds took off. Before they were too far Marle yelled at them.

"That is not fair and you know it you stupid birds!"

The imps paid no head to the birds that had seemingly abandoned them to Marle. The one behind her took advantage of her distraction and tossed a rock at her. The rock hit her squarely on the bottom.

"OW!" Marle's anger for the birds quickly redirected to the imps. Pulling out her sword she took two quick swipes at the imp's head and it fell. Marle turned to the other imp who despite seeing it's companion fall, had hurried forward to kick her shin. "Ow!" The imp was too close to swing at so she bashed it over the head with the hilt. It fell with a soft thud.

Marle took a moment to inspect the two creatures and found they were both unconscious. The one she had sliced had did not even have any cuts. Were the imp's skin that thick?

She examined her blade to find it was not as sharp as she thought it had been. Had the robot dulled the blade? Then again it really was not very sharp to begin with. It was a used blade that none of the knights seemed to miss. But it had done it's job on the large bugs and these imps well enough for her. She decided she would need to learn how to sharpen the blade.

"Do you really think she would be out this far?" A voice came from not far off.

The voice was not familiar but it was a voice! Not only that but, someone searching for someone. Even if it wasn't her they were looking for she was still about to be found!

"Who knows," Another voice spoke, "she's no where near town or-"

"Over here!" Marle called as she ran closer to the voices.

Heavy footsteps came rushing up the hill. Marle sheathed her sword as the two men came into view. The princess had never been so happy to see the knights in their old armor.

Except it wasn't old, it looked brand new and very well kept. Almost no signs of rust and a shine that she had never seen on it before. Either they were heavily punished by the captain of the royal guard, or they really like that old armor and spent weeks cleaning it up. The former seemed more plausible.

The two knights halted the moment they saw Marle.

"I am so glad to have found someone, I thought I was going to be lost all day, or longer."

"Y-your majesty?" One asked almost hesitantly.

They recognized her. Of course they did, the royal knights were always around the castle grounds and they were more familiar of her than she was of them. There were only a few she knew by name, and these she did not know. Her father was going to have a huge fit when she got back.

Marle sighed, "Yes. It's me. You'll be taking me back now?"

He nodded dumbfound. The other looked at her with a cold gaze, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"You alright there?"

Her words were enough to provoke him into pulling out his sword and point it towards her. The other soldier was further dumbstruck by his companion's actions.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

Marle was near ready to pull out her own sword but thought better of it. A show of hostility would do nothing to improve her situation. "Mar-Princess Nadia." She replied calmly.

"Princess? But, are you not the queen?" The knight finally had regained his voice.

"Queen?" Both she and the other knight asked incredulously.

"Does she really look like Queen Leene to you? Look at her hair, her clothes?" The knight turned back to Marle. "It is a poor mystic disguise!"

"Mystic?!" She exclaimed.

There had not been any mystics around Guardia for hundreds of years. Admittedly the imps she had encountered were a type of mystic. Though these were born in the wild and acted like dumb creatures compared to the intelligent ones she heard about before. She did recall mystics did have the ability to change form, but that magic had long been lost since the war with Magus 400 years ago.

"But, if she is a mystic then why call itself Princess Nadia?" The kind worried knight reasoned quietly. "I've heard of no such princess, and the disguise, her clothes, she could be a..."

"A what?!" The knight turned his gaze to his companion. "Why would her face resemble the queen so if she were not a mystic to trick us?"

"Because I am a lost and confused traveler." She answered. "Where I am from, I am a princess."

"And where are you from?" The knight demanded once more, his sword faltering slightly from the weight.

"Truce village, in Guardia."

Both knights looked at her like she was mad. "You are in Truce canyon, just outside Truce village."

It was her turn think them mad. "That's impossible. Leene's square was built in Truce canyon hundreds of years ago!" The more she said the more the two knights looked at her as though she had turned purple and grown two more heads.

The knight lowered his sword, because of it's weight or he believed she was not a threat anymore, Marle would not know. "You are clearly mad," He stated and the other nodded numbly once more. "But, I shall not risk your guise be it a poor mystic attempt or a strange likeness to her royal majesty."

"I am not a mystic and I do not mean any harm." She assured. But, that did little to convince him.

"We shall escort you to the castle, where you will be questioned and contained."

Everything had got all mixed up. This was not the Guardia she knew.

"Bind her." The other knight continued his dumbfounded gaze, she began to wonder if that was all he could do. He attempted a protest but his companion ordered him once more. The knight nodded and pulled a rope from his bag.

"If you would put your hands behind-" He started to ask politely.

"There is no need to ask!" The knight took the rope and bound Marle's hands behind her.

"Ow! I would have done it." Maybe not right away or without complaint but she would have.

Marle was escorted down and out of the canyon with the kind yet dumb knight in front and the rude knight behind her. To keep an eye on both of them she guessed. They passed through the village with no interruptions but several confused stares by any who saw them. The village was like something out of her history book. Facts and images came rushing to mind as she pieced all she heard together. Queen Leene, mystics, and truce canyon. All of these were in her history book, during the war with Magus 400 years ago.

"Excuse me, but what year is it?" They already thought she was mad so she felt little harm in asking a ridiculous question.

The knight in front turned with a look of disbelief. "You are mad." She shrugged. "It's the year 600."

"600! Then the war with Magus and Queen Leene... she is..."

"Missing." The knight behind her said solemnly. "We have yet to find her. But, you may be able to provide information on her whereabouts, mystic."

"I am NOT a mystic!" That had gained the attention of a few more villagers who were doing their best to ignore them.

"That is enough, we will be at the castle soon."

Marle decided they had arrived too soon. She had not devised any plan on what to say or explain her appearance without making herself look even more crazy. The dungeon she was escorted to was up the stairs from the knights quarters, a good placement she thought. Any escape could be easily stopped if the knights were called upon. The tower dungeon was a good ways up, then a far ways down. She glanced out the windows and saw several more towers were being built.

They had just finished their trek to the dungeon  when a new knight had come hurrying down. "The king- wants to- see her- now."

Marle exchanged glances with the men who escorted her. Both with the same incredulous expression. They shrugged in defeat and escorted Marle back up and down the stairs once more.

The knights showed little sign of fatigue as they approached the throne room. Marle on the other hand was having trouble keeping her legs from shaking. After wandering the mountain, through town, then up and down the tower, she was more than ready to take a break. Which had to wait a little while more.

The wide double doors were opened allowing her the first look at the king. At first glace she may have mistaken him for her father. He wore the same garb and held the same staff. Even his slumped posture was so close to her father's, defeated and worried, her father would  be slouching like that before she walked into a room. The way he straightened up though was different, powerful and dignified. His face was not her father's, it was too young and brown hair framed it which her father never had.

His eyes widened in disbelief when his gaze fell on her. Marle did her best to be polite for the king as he approached. "Remarkable." Marle noticed her father's eyes and chin in the king. A chin she was glad not to have inherited. "You look younger than the day we met."

The princess blinked. "Younger than Queen Leene?" It was hard to believe how young woman were married off.

The king regained his composure at her question. "What is your name miss?"

"Princess Nadia, or Marle." She said without a second thought.

"A princess? Of what kingdom?" The king walked back to his throne, returning his intense gaze upon her. Marle found it difficult to lie with that gaze.

"Very far away." It was true, in a sense.

"She said she was from Truce village your Majesty." One of the knights declared, it was the rude one Marle noted.

"I'm afraid that is not very far Princess." There was a small smile forming. A bit of hope formed at that almost smile.

"That is, well, it is difficult to explain as I do not quite understand myself, your Majesty."

"Then please, explain what you can." He sat down on his throne, his posture far better than before.

"You'll think I'm mad." The king simply waved a hand for her to continue. Marle sighed, seeing little choice. She explained how she found herself on mountain, her wanderings, and to her discovery by the knights. "I am afraid I do not know how I got there, when I was in town before."

The king nodded. "There is still more you are not telling me," Marle flinched. "I also believe you mean us no harm." The rude knight flinched. "But there are still too many questions and my queen... is still missing." There was sorrow as he spoke. "Tell the knights the to continue the search." He told the other knight who nodded and took off.

"Your Majesty, if I may?" Marle stepped forward, much to the displeasure of the rude knight, who immediately started to pull out his sword. The king waved his hand and the rude knight sheathed it. "I believe the queen will be found soon."

The king allowed a grateful smile, "You are free to roam the castle and you may rest in the knight's quarters but, I would like you to stay for the time being."

"Thank you, your Majesty." Marle curtseyed.

The rude knight started to follow when the king ordered him to let her be. He obviously still did not trust her. Honestly, she did not blame him. So far she had done nothing to earn anyone's trust nor prove that she meant no harm. She would need to figure that out later. For now, Marle need to get some needed rest.

In the knights quarters was a long table with several knights in deep discussion with a knight in golden armor at the head. To the right were the beds. Marle chose the one farthest from the table. It was not as comfortable as her own but she found sleep very easy.