MY ROOM LOOKED the exact same as Claire's: bright, ornate, and massive enough to swallow me whole.

Someone cleared their throat from behind me. I spun, forcing the older maid who had a name I couldn't pronounce let out a startled gasp. Was it Birchand? Brickton? "Apologies, My Lady," she curtsied low. My stomach roiled at her use of My Lady. "Allow me to show you to your bath."

I heard the distinct gurgle of running water, now that she mentioned it. It came from a half-closed door on the other side of the room. Did they have running water? Either way, a bath sounded nice. The stress of the ride and waking up in the woods in a different world probably made me stale. "Um, thanks."

The maid offered a nod in return when I didn't give much else. "I will lay out your dress for tonight as well. We have a few pieces, but I fear they are out of season. Would you like for me to bring you some choices?"

"Tonight?" I echoed, trailing five steps behind the conversation.

"For dinner," she clarified. "With His Highness, the Prince. I was told he extended an invitation to you and Lady Claire, yes?"

I wanted to tell her I wouldn't be accepting any invitations to anything. That I wanted to crawl under the covers of what looked like an Alaskan king-sized bed and hide until this nightmare was over. But Claire somehow had her own plans for... whatever we were doing. Hell, she managed to get us a safe place to stay within the span of an hour after waking up in this place. She was our only hope of getting out of this. "Right," I finally said, mustering up all the memories of Claire's favorite historical movies, clawing for what was proper etiquette. "I'll just wear whatever you think is best. This is mine and Lady Claire's first time in... Larynx?"

"Larnwick," the maid corrected gently.

Crap. "Yeah, that's what I meant. I don't know the fashion here so I'll trust your judgment. Sorry, again, we ran into a bit of trouble earlier so I'm uh... quite tired."

That seemed to have the right effect, as the maid's eyes blew wide. "Oh dear. What sort of trouble?"

"Oh, just a... run of the mill monster attack." Monster attacks were run of the mill around here, right? "The Prince's knight said it was a golem gone rogue."

"A golem!" she exclaimed. "I heard there was one stalking the outskirts of town, but I've never seen one before. What did it look like?"

I swallowed. "Um... large. I didn't know what it was at first. It was like an animal, but not really, and made up of tree branches and moss and mud. It smelled like old leaves. And I felt..."

Cold. Like the wind that would rush through the bare branches of the trees back home, steal my breath away, narrow my focus into pure instinct to run into my house or school to find shelter. Warmth. There hadn't been any of that when the monster hissed, bowed forward, and lunged.

"Helpless," I whispered.

"What was that, my Lady?" the maid asked.

"Horrible," I corrected myself. "It was horrible."

"Oh Lady Joan, I'm terribly sorry," the maid said. "I had no idea. I'll add some essential oils to the water so that you may relax."

She launched into motion, disappearing behind a door I hadn't even noticed, somehow hidden in the large room. I didn't want to sit or rest. I wanted to go home. I wanted to stop feeling so helpless.

I followed the maid into a huge bathroom. At its center was a tub built into the ground, big enough to fit four people and adorned with dark blue mosaic tile. Water poured steadily from a golden faucet. They had plumbing. I sighed in relief.

Steam rose up from the water and curled into the air. It smelled clean and sharp. Eucalyptus, just like the candles my mom hoarded, except much stronger. "This ought to help you relax," the maid said. "Just turn the knob to the right once the bath is filled to your liking. If you need nothing else, ma'am, I'll find you more suitable attire — for dinner, of course. Not that your traveling wears aren't suitable, I mean."

Of course medieval ladies would fumble over their words at the sight of miniskirts and combat boots. I waved her off, pulling off as much of an aristocratic air as I could manage. "That will be all, thank you."

Froth from soap and essential oils fanned out across the dark tile inlay, which I realized was supposed to be a vision of the night sky. Small white tiles symbolized stars, making up constellations I couldn't make out. I knew a little bit about stars because mine and Claire's favorite pass-time was analyzing horoscopes, and from the time I tried to name mine and Dustin's band (because no one else in it cared if we had a name or not). I couldn't even find Orion's Belt as I shut off the water.

It singed my skin as I dipped my first foot in, way too hot, and I winced the rest of my way in. I breathed in deep, letting the sharp eucalyptus fill my lungs and settle thickly in the back of my throat. I opened my eyes once I tilted my head back against the lip of the tub, greeted by a ceiling painted with the same motif as the bathtub, except the constellations were illustrated.

Monsters glared back at me with teeth bared, claws outstretched, and unrecognizable. There was also a man kneeling in front of another man with a rose in his hand, a dog sitting tall and proud, and two... eyes staring back at me. One iris was sky blue while the other was dark purple. Each pupil held a star.

Where the hell was I?

#

I didn't stop asking myself that question as the maid (Birkin? Biltmore?) put me in a maroon dress with a skirt too wide and sleeves too tight. Its boat neckline scooped across my neck and back, landing below my shoulders, pinning my arms close to my sides. I couldn't wait to see what sort of getup Claire had been forced into. I couldn't wait to see Claire, period. She would make things feel real again.

"Lady Claire is almost ready," the maid assured me, as if she could read my thoughts. Or maybe noticed I kept looking at the door. "I can send for her once her hair is done. How would you like your hair styled? It's... rather short, but I can braid the back."

"Sure." I didn't care. I needed to talk to my best friend who, for some reason, needed to be "sent for." I hated this place and its weird stars, weird clothes, and weird people.

My excuse from the monster attack must have been enough of a reason for the maid not to say more. Her final request was for me to "sit there" on a stool in front of a vanity, where I watched her work in the mirror's reflection. She took a brush through my gnarled hair before braiding. The silence around us was unbearable. I had so many questions, and they could only be answered by Claire. Stress pounded against my head like an oncoming headache, and I had to break the quiet.

"Do you like working here?" I blurted out.

"I –" The maid's brows furrowed. It was probably a stupid question. "Well, yes. The Von Stetten family is a wonderful family. Generous. I've served in many other households, and..."

Her pause held the distinct note of holding back what she really wanted to say, and it struck me with an idea. All of the maids and servants in Claire's period movies knew everything about anything in the castles they worked at. "And?" I pressed, giving her a small conspiratorial smile. "How do they measure up?"

"Wonderful!" she squeaked out, repeating herself. "Better than wonderful. As were the other homes, My Lady."

"Right," I sighed. Maybe I couldn't rely completely on the movies.

The maid pulled my hair into two braids that met in a twist behind my head. Even with my feathery bangs spilling across my forehead, I barely recognized myself. Stubborn remnants of my eyeliner remained smudged along my water lines, but the hair and the dress's neckline made me look... softer. Demure.

I hated it.

Then Claire burst in, and I realized I had nothing to feel demure about. Not when she embodied the word itself. She was outfitted in a deep blue dress with gold stitching. Her long hair had been styled in braids like mine, but half-up, so most of the length trailed down her back. Her soft doe-like eyes were wide, remorseful, and any anger I felt toward her washed away in a second. Especially when another maid, the younger one, rushed into the room behind her. "Lady Claire –"

"Hey," I said to Claire.

After giving me a quick, appraising onceover, her shoulders sagged in relief. "Thank you, Miss Myrina, Miss Brictheld, that will be all," Claire said with an authority I'd never heard before. She had both women curtsying before hustling out of the room.

As soon as the door shut, I stood up. "Claire, what –"

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed. "I just thought it'd be safer than telling anyone who we really were. Even in a world full of magic, traveling worlds is a little far fetched."

"You could've given me more notice," I snapped.

"With what time? I had to act fast. It beats sleeping in the woods," Claire said. "At least we're somewhere safe, where we can get to the bottom of why we're here."

"And figure out how we can get back," I added.

"Exactly." Claire replied. Then she held out a book. Her book. "This is the world we're in, Jo. Swords and Roses. I used the name of a wealthy family from another country – minor characters in this story – so we should be safe."

Then she pushed the book out further. Closer to me. I frowned. "You... could probably do some research, though." Her voice held a cringe. "That way we can keep our stories straight."

"But Claire," I whined. "I hate reading!"

"This isn't some assignment you can copy me on," Claire said. My brows rose as she used that same, confident tone with the maids on me. "You need to know what's going on in this world so you can play along. God forbid you say anything is cool again –"

"You're right, you're right," I grumbled, snatching the book out of her hands. It felt like a brick in my palms. "How long is this thing –"

Knock, knock, knock.

We froze.

And then moved.

Claire surged for the door, while I sat back down on the stool in front of the vanity, hiding the book under my billowing skirts. "Yes?" Claire asked as she flung it open.

Only to find Sir Monster Extinguisher on the other side.

Thankfully, he also seemed to have taken a bath and changed, because he wasn't in his blood-stained clothes. Instead, he wore a white shirt cinched by a leather vest, knee-high riding boots, and tight leather-looking pants –

"Hello," he offered a quick bow at the waist, which revealed the sword hanging at his side. Claire returned his gesture with a respectful bob of her head. "I hope you are settling in well. The Prince sent me to ensure your comfort."

"We're well," Claire said. "Thank you."

His dark gaze cut to mine, making me tense, before turning back to Claire. "The Prince also sent me with a formal invitation to join him for dinner this evening. He fears his previous offer may have seemed... rushed."

"Rushed?" Claire echoed.

"His words, not mine," the man replied, rolling his eyes.

"It seemed perfectly fine to me," Claire mused with a small smile. That, paired with her outfit, made her look like an actual Disney princess. "But we'll accept. Again. Thank you, Sir Nicolo."

"Nico, please," he placed a hand on his chest. "I think slaying monsters puts us past such formalities."

Claire smiled. "Nico, then."

"His Highness anxiously awaits you this evening at seven o'clock," Nico said. He gave another quick bow. "Until then."

If you were curious about Jo and Claire's horoscopes, Jo is a Leo and Claire is a Pisces.

Let us know if you want the guys' horoscopes in the inline comments here!