After they had all had their fill of food, conversation picked back up again. The first thing that came around to Izatha was someone asking what Earth is like.

Zina's face lit up at the subject. "Yes, please tell us about Earth. What's it like there? How do people live such short lives? Were you ever bored? Oh, I wish I could go there!" she squealed excitedly.

"They have many beautiful places that mankind has built, cities that shine with light on their tall towers of steel and glass. They have metal ships that can fly to the stars and ones that bring you above the clouds. Horses are much too slow, so they use boxes with wheels and chairs to zoom across the land. The people love many pleasures, juice in a box, candies that taste like peppermint, and devices that lets you capture a likeness of anything instantly."

They're eyes went wide with wonder as she told them these things. Others down the table had stopped talking to listen to her. They all seemed very interested in Earth for people who thought of humans as lesser beings.

"They have made tablets that allow you to see other people without being near them, to hear them when they are far away. There is corn that you put into a machine and it grows to three times its size, turning white and puffy. They make pools of water inside buildings, large enough to fit a whale, and with waterfalls you can ride on."

"It sounds amazing! How do they make all these things without magic?" Scarr asked.

A smile lit up her face. "They use a power called science," she said dramatically.

The crowd gasped at her. Murmurs rose up, then were silenced again as Theod declared loudly, "There is no such thing as science! That myth was quelled when I was a boy." People nodded their heads in agreement, all but Zina and Leon.

"Princess Nora, is there such a thing as science?" Zina asked.

Izatha took her sweet time answering. She didn't want o mess up a single word, for then it would seem less important.

"Yes, there is. Science is a very powerful force, something that runs rapid on Earth. It is unstoppable, if used properly. If not, it could destroy both worlds." Her face was deadly serious as she said this, hesitating as if it was a truth that should not be spoken.

"Eeeck!" a few women squealed. It was all she could do not to burst out laughing. This was too much fun! Her dramatic flair made the simplest of things sound like unbelievable mysteries. Their faces' shifted with every word they heard.

"There are thousands of humans that can use science. No, millions! It is the foundation of their very lives, short as they may be. They think of something that they want, then science makes it happen. Of course, it is troublesome to use science as such, but many have done it. They are only getting better at controlling it. Be glad that they do not know Hillared exists so close to them, or they may just take it for themselves."

"But, we Enages are far superior to any humans. A thousand humans cannot compare to our strength," Theod tried to rally them back up.

I'd like to see you try, she mused.

"You are mistaken, dear lord. They have grown strong through science, strong enough to kill you with one blow. I know, for I have seen them tear each other apart over the centuries, going savage to gain more power," she said shuddering, as if saying such was too terrible to thinking about.

"Tell us about things you did there, Princess!" someone called out. A chorus of agreement joined in.

For the next hour or so, she told of stories she had gathered. Some she herself had done, some creations from the imagination of mankind. Stories of a time traveler, a pair of monster hunters, and a detective. Stories of when she was young and would trick haughty men into thinking she was weak so she could humiliate them.

"There was a time when I disguised myself as a boy. I was the best soldier of the land, winning a great contest of strength without even trying. Of course, trouble only arose when I discovered the prize: the fair Lady Elizabeth's hand in marriage. She knew that I was a woman and told me so. We put on a grand show of my trying to kill her and her defeating me just to get me banished from the kingdom. She would still have married me as she saw me more of a man than any of those dogs, but I could not pull myself from adventure," she said grandly. An ache started to build in her chest as she thought of those lands she had seen.

Between the laughs Theodoar replied, "You have no fear of finding unable men here. Though they are not all as true as we have, they get the job done."

"Oh?" Izatha began, "I have not seen a single good man since I arrived here."

She saw Leonard smirk as the rest looked stunned.

"I suppose that depends on what you see as a good man," Zina remarked. "

Izatha was hoping she'd ask. The white haired earthling held up her chin and said, "A man has the strength to admit his faults, the wisdom to surrender the battle, and the courage to show compassion to his enemy."

There was silence all around as she went back to finishing her third serving.

"Show compassion to an enemy? Are you telling us to love a Re-Mon? That is the most absurd thing I ever heard. Those carrions don't even deserve to be named!" Scarr protested angrily.

The muscles in her arm tensed as she suppressed the urge to hurl the knife at his face and test if his reflexes are superior. Although she knew nothing of these Re-Mons, they were still people, ones who once worked with the Enage, if the paintings were true.

"If they are so ignominious, why did our fathers allow them to live? In your eyes, the level we stand above them should allow us to take up their job easily. There is no reason not to wipe them from history completely."

Questioningly, she shot a glance at Leon. His words suggested genocide, but his sarcasm was evident. From the look on their faces, no one else caught it. Perhaps his looks weren't the only thing that separated him from the mass population.

Of course, Theod and his prided possy seemed to know all the answers. "Please, brother, do not speak nonsense. It would be as though me and you were told to go sweep the streets! No, the only time I shall serve anyone is for the ones who deserve it," he stated as he not-so-conspicuously poured Izatha another drink.

Oh, you have no idea how much I want to punch you right now! Wait, do complicated vocabulary words translate into synonyms that exist in their language, cause if they don't then I can casually insult them any time I want. Who can I try it out on? she wondered.

Her eyes shifted to Leonard as the others made mindless comments about their dominance over the Re-Mons. Grinning, she leaned over and put her hand up to cover her mouth when she spoke.

"It seems these ostentatious aristocrats are more indecorous than the feculence of a cesspool," she whispered to him.

The shock in his eyes as she pulled back almost made her burst out laughing. Whether it was because it had translated to words he knew or because he knew what the words meant, he looked horrified at the fact that she would say such a thing.

His eyes seemed to say 'If you had said that to anyone else, you would have been beheaded on the spot.' Aww, that meant it didn't work! It would've been fun if he had just heard the words in English and had no idea what she said. Omnidialect was more powerful than she thought.

I have been waiting to use that line for years. If only I could say it to their faces.

Turning back to the group, she asked, "Re-Mons have a specific job to do? What is it?"

"They care for the souls of the dead."

She nearly choked in shock. If that was so, they were truly demons from the afterlife. Her curiosity sent her mind flying.

Which of the many mythology's version of the land of the dead is the most accurate? Is there an afterlife or is it just existing? Are souls reincarnated? I should just go see for myself!

One glance at Zina shot her down. "Don't even think about it. It is forbidden to cross the barrier to their land without the High Court's permission. It is men's foolishness that allowed the Re-Mons to escape from their land time and time again."

Disappointing, but sensible. Many times she hated common sense.

Despite herself, she gazed at the people around her, no longer speaking to her as her new associates. The adventures and quests they'd go on together where they would slowly grow closer until they were as one body--

Stop it Izatha, your life is not a book! You are probably going to live a boring life in the castle with boringly mondane things and long-term problems and no excitement. You are going to get married and raise children and have your whole life be a page's worth of activity.

Wow no need to be so negative.

Then again, it was the same way back on Earth, only she lived a thousand lives as a thousand different people.

Earth. Earth, where her latest character had suddenly disappeared with the world watching. Those two bozos had destroyed everything in sight during her concert, which some had waited years to attend. People would be scared and freaked out. And she had just up and left, now sitting here, perfectly comfortable being called 'princess' and being waited on hand-and-foot.

She felt sick at the thought of being like them.

"Um.. excuse me for a few moments," she said quietly before standing to her feet to dash away.

Her escort right behind her, she dashed down the halls turning this way and that until the sounds of the Grand Hall were far behind them. The stokes of her heels made her ankles ache, threatening to snap from the strain. It was perhaps because of this that the escort was able to easily keep track of her.

"Station yourself there," she commanded when she went into a corridor. Urgh, she was sounding like a noble.

The hall was deep with one door and no decorations. Only in the dim light did she notice that she had gone into the servant's passageways in her attempt to get away.

She leaned against the wall, silently scorning herself for having become so attached to Earth and being so emotional. But from the looks of things, once you join the court, you never leave. Her adventures on Earth ended today.

It was quite sad. She would miss the endings of many shows, songs and books never learned, people she would never meet. She wished she had been smarter in that moment and had escaped before being whisked away to here, even if this land was already so new and amazing. She had played princess before, but now it was real and true and permanent.

But what if I just run away? I know earth better than they do, so I could easily find from them forever. Oh, but then they might start tearing things up looking for me. I need to find a way to keep them from ever being able to come to Earth! What if I find a was to close the border? A barrier keeping the world's separated would be perfect!

A shadow fell over her feet that she had been burrowing holes into with her gaze. She looked up, about ready to snap at whoever was bothering her scheming when she stopped.

She was greeted with a smile, a timid one of a nervous girl. Her eyes widely at this servant girl, dressed presentable but with messy hair as if she didn't care what she looked like.

Into the face of the girl who had placed a cloak on her shoulders hours earlier.