Once upon a time...
Suppressing a smile so as not to confuse the guards that followed in their wake, it was tempting to pick up the tidbit and unwind whatever story that lay behind his response. Was it simply in jest, or did truth lay behind the glitter of mirth in his eyes?
Alas, his concerns were valid and Maea couldn't answer with too much certainty.
"I... think it's possible to linger in these books," she mused, letting her eyes rove over the surroundings. Reaching out as they passed an arch in the corridors, she found the stone to be cold and remarkably solid beneath her hand. More than illusion, if perhaps not as sturdy as their own reality. "How long does it take to read a story? It would depend on how much time you spend on it; I suppose it would be possible to linger over every detail for days or even weeks...But if we stick to the main points it shouldn't keep us more than a few hours. Or perhaps a day."
It was a careless estimation, because she had no way of telling time here, or compare it to that of their world. It felt like maybe an hour had passed - but how could they know for sure?
"In broad strokes, thr story goes that the princess is cursed, she and the whole castle falls asleep and roses grow to cover it all. A Knight sets out to find the sorcerer to break the spell, and after their epic battle the castle wakes and it's happy ever after. Though, I recall this story has different endings. In one, the Dark Fairy dies after being slain by the Knight. In the other, it turns out that the Fairy protected the kingdom from a great evil, and the Knight dies while defeating it. I don't know which version this is..."
Frowning, Maea thought back to the conversation in the throneroom, wondering if anything that had been said might serve as a clue.
Alas, his concerns were valid and Maea couldn't answer with too much certainty.
"I... think it's possible to linger in these books," she mused, letting her eyes rove over the surroundings. Reaching out as they passed an arch in the corridors, she found the stone to be cold and remarkably solid beneath her hand. More than illusion, if perhaps not as sturdy as their own reality. "How long does it take to read a story? It would depend on how much time you spend on it; I suppose it would be possible to linger over every detail for days or even weeks...But if we stick to the main points it shouldn't keep us more than a few hours. Or perhaps a day."
It was a careless estimation, because she had no way of telling time here, or compare it to that of their world. It felt like maybe an hour had passed - but how could they know for sure?
"In broad strokes, thr story goes that the princess is cursed, she and the whole castle falls asleep and roses grow to cover it all. A Knight sets out to find the sorcerer to break the spell, and after their epic battle the castle wakes and it's happy ever after. Though, I recall this story has different endings. In one, the Dark Fairy dies after being slain by the Knight. In the other, it turns out that the Fairy protected the kingdom from a great evil, and the Knight dies while defeating it. I don't know which version this is..."
Frowning, Maea thought back to the conversation in the throneroom, wondering if anything that had been said might serve as a clue.
The End
