Dragged Into Another World By The Obsessive Villain

Elara's mind returned to her slowly through the groggy haze of sleep. She stretched, eyelids still coupled, and thought only of rolling over and getting a few more minutes of sleep. But in between little blinks, she caught sight of the room she was in and her eyes snapped open as she gazed around the unfamiliar surroundings.

It took a moment for the memories to cut through her groggy mind, but when they did, she sat straight up so fast her head whirled. The scent of polished wood and the unfamiliar warmth coming from the ornate hearth greeted her as she glanced around the opulent room, her mind in a tizzy.

Part of her had assumed she was dreaming and that, when she went to sleep and woke up, she would be back in her home, in her living room on her couch, fast asleep. But she was here in The Moonlit Stag located in a village within Chirondale's borders.

She was still inside of The Day of Eternal Night.

A knock sounded on her door and she threw the silken sheets and the velvety comforter back, making her way over. A young woman immediately entered, stepping past Elara with a handful of clothes and some other things contained in thick leather satchels. She was dressed in a simple gown with an apron tied around her waist and her hair was pulled back, though a few rebellious curls managed to escape, cascading over her face. She gave a bright smile, eyes kindled with unbridled curiosity as she sat everything on the bed. The only things not contained in the satchels were the dress, a gown made of deep blue, embroidered with delicate silver thread, paired with a heavy cloak, trimmed in thick furs.

The serving girl's voice was gentle and respectful as she explained, "The Grand Duke sent for these for you, my lady. He said he wishes for you to be dressed and to meet him and the others downstairs to break your fast when you're done."

"Ah, thank you."

The girl curtsied and hurried out of the room. Elara turned to stare at the dress and the cloak, running her hand along the fabric of them both. They were both of the highest quality even she could tell and she'd only worn fast fashion brands because they were typically all she could afford after he bills were paid. But the difference between those brands and these things Grand Duke Caspian had sent for were truly like night and day.

She opened up the satchel to see what was inside. A hairbrush with thick bristles and a wide-tooth comb to properly comb through the thick thatch of curls that cascaded down her shoulders. In a velvet box, there was an elegant bracelet made of some kind of blue gemstone that shimmered and rippled like tides of an ocean in Greece and a hairpin in the shape of a star.

She couldn't stand around marveling at these items forever--even though she very much wanted to--so she made her way to the attached room. She had briefly seen the bathroom last night after her conversation with Caspian when she'd gone to pee, but this was her first time truly seeing it. The room was paneled with verdant green walls that perfectly matched the dark, polished wood floors at her feet. A large stone tub that seemed as if they had built the inn around it sat in the center.

Elara sat on the edge of the tub and reached for the faucet and turned, surprised at how it filled with water at once. This world was mostly medieval, from the cobblestone streets to the way the people dressed, so seeing such a modern touch like running water surprised her. She'd nearly jumped out of her skin yesterday when the toilet had self-flushed.

She assumed things like this weren't the norm. She was willing to bet things this modern--like running water and flushing toilets--were only given to those who could afford its steep price.

As she washed and combed through her hair while it was wet and therefore could give her no difficulties, she wondered how many modern things existed in this world. Because nowhere in any part of the three book series she'd read, had the author ever said anything about running water and self-flushing toilets.

Was it part of the author's notes, maybe? 

When she was done, she drained out the water and quickly dressed in the clothes Caspian had sent. The dress ran down her body like a waterfall, the bodice clinging to her like a second skin. She looked so pleasant that when she looked in the mirror, she could hardly believe it was her.

Maybe clothes really do make the woman.

She had to wear the undergarments she'd been brought to this world in, but that was fine with her. Even though she knew Caspian probably hadn't directly picked out everything himself, it made her feel awkward to think of that maid coming in with underwear saying the Grand Duke wanted to see her for breakfast.

She'd buy some on her own time.

She pinned back her thick, dark curls as expertly as she was able with the star pin and decided to just leave the bracelet. It looked incredibly expensive and she didn't want it accidentally getting lost. She stuffed it back in the leather satchel with her comb and brush and left it and her cloak to head down for breakfast.

The morning buzz of the tavern greeted her as she descended the stairs. The smell of freshly baked bread, of herbs and spices, and roasted meat filled the air and her stomach responded in kind. She spotted Caspian almost immediately. He was sitting at the head of a large table, surrounded by his knights with Chancellor Kyran on his right side.

Caspian looked up as she approached the table tentatively. "Good morning, Elara," he greeted her, gesturing to the empty seat next to him.

"Good morning," she replied. She was pleased that her voice sounded calm even as her pulse was thrumming in her chest.

This was what every fangirl dreamed of. Sitting next to their favorite fictional man who somehow managed to be even more handsome than she'd imagined him to be.

When she was seated, Caspian reached for the tea pot which was sat on a warming pot that was inlaid with runes and poured her a cup of tea, something dark and fragrant. Then he reached over and gingerly slid a platter of fruit over to her.

This was why she'd agreed to help him rewrite the future. Because of the man he was. He was kind even without needing a reason to be.

Across from her, Chancellor Kyran nodded to her in greeting. He was polite enough but it felt as if he were sizing her up under his shrewd gaze. She might bristle if he were anyone else, but Chancellor Kyran was loyal to Caspian and had been protecting him from many of the plots the king and the female lead had put Caspian through. She didn't blame him for his shrewdness. Anyone would be suspicious of a person who was literally summoned from another world; a person with no ties and therefore no loyalties to this world or the liege he served.

He doesn't know I'm more passionate about Caspian than anyone who's ever existed. I read through his character profile ten times when the author posted it on her personal forum.

As she chewed on some kind of weird peach-shaped fruit the color of a sunset that tasted similar to an orange but not quite, Caspian said, "Today, we'll be going to my estate. It's a three-hour ride from here, more or less. You'll find it more comfortable and guarded on the main roads where we've already handled the bandits. Once we're there we'll talk more about what we discussed last night." His eyebrows came together as he watched her chew on a strawberry and he reached forward again, sliding a skillet of eggs, a wooden board with sausages and bacon, and a basket filled with bread in her direction. "We'll discuss what you already know and--" He glanced over at the knights at the end of the table who were too engrossed in their conversation to be paying attention to them. "--more. After you eat, of course."

She nodded and reached for the fork next to her, stabbing it into the biggest, thickest sausage she'd ever seen in her life. It was literally almost the size of her head. As she chowed down on sausage, bacon, eggs, and bread, she thought she saw Caspian's lips twist into a smile.

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After she'd gorged herself to the point of near bursting on fruit, sausage, and eggs, they began their preparations for the journey to the Grand Duke's estate. The knights, all clad in gleaming armor that caught the gaze of morning sunlight and reflected it tenfold, stood with relaxed, practiced patience. They did not speak to her much, apart from when they needed to, but she always caught them throwing curious looks at her. Outside, the horses whinnied and stamped, their breaths visible in the crisp morning air.

When Elara was safely within the magic carriage and the knights and Caspian had all mounted their horses, they set out without delay. They were currently in Valtren's Bounty, this world's version of fall and it was evident in the way sunlight filtered through canopies of red and gold trees, their branches--losing more and more of their leaves by the second--cast out shifting patterns along the dirt path worn with the wheels of dozens of carriages.

The deeper they rode, the more the air seemed charged. The ancient oaks watched them, as tall and as silent as the mythical guardians that were said to guard the forests in Ithatica, the kingdom to the northwest of Isyndor.

On the ride, Elara used the notebook Caspian had given to her after she'd asked him for it last night. It was thick, easily twice the size of her thighs, and bound in dark lacquered woodlike material. When she wasn't gazing out the window, she was writing down all the knowledge she remembered of all the many character profiles she'd read on the author's forums and all the knowledge of what happened in the books right down to the end.

She had promised to help Caspian last night and she meant it. She would do everything within her power to see to it that Caspian wouldn't be turned into the villain he ended up becoming. Sure, Caspian was known to be unrelenting and unforgiving of his enemies, but the snap that occurred that had turned him into the tyrant willing to storm the capital was due to the king and the female lead's schemes. 

Sometime later, after the second sun had started to rise, she pulled back the curtains to look out of her window. The knights rode in a more relaxed formation now; so close to the Grand Duke's castle, there was no need to worry about bandits or any other unsavory folk attacking them.

She hadn't known what to expect of Caspian's estate. Again, the book never described such things as it was told from the female lead's perspective save for the side stories which were told in the king's. But the first glimpse of Caspian's castle stole her breath from her lungs. It was a beautifully formidable fortress, perched upon a rock promontory that overlooked rolling hills and glittering rivers winding far below. Its high stone walls were dressed decadently in creeping ivy, and the towers, topped with slate turrets, reached toward the sky as if to touch it. Banners of deep blue adorned with a silver wolf with its prey caught between its jaws, Caspian's crest, billowed freely in the autumn wind.

By leaps and bounds, this surpassed what she'd imagined his castle would look like. They passed through a drawbridge that creaked under their weight and entered the bailey. It bustled with life. Stable boys ran to and fro, tending to horses as carriages rumbled over cobblestone. Off in the distance, a statue made in the likeness of the goddess, Eldra, the Sunbearer and the goddess of Eldra's Crest--this world's version of summer--was in the center. Even from the carriage, Elara could see her eyes were set with some kind of bright yellow gemstone that glistened when it caught light. 

As they rode through the courtyard, which was perfectly trimmed with its trees and bushes cut in perfectly symmetrical shapes, Elara saw there were at least four dozen servants all waiting. They were all dressed in similar charcoal gray uniforms save for an older man who was dressed in a black uniform.

As Elara was escorted out of the carriage, she saw them all bowing to Caspian, low and respectful.

"Orland, have you prepared the west wing for our guest as I've asked?"

Orland, the man in the black with hair peppered with gray, stepped forward. Elara gawked at him. In the books, it was said Orland had served the previous king before he'd been taken by illness seven years prior. So, his decision to follow Caspian to the southern province--which was deemed useless--instead of serving the current king was all high society could talk about for years after it'd happened. Even to this day, people still whispered about it.

He was someone who had also died after falling into one of the female lead's traps.

In the present, though, he bowed deeply and said, "The chambers have been prepared, your Grace." And then he raised a gloved hand, prompting a pair of footmen that Elara hadn't noticed before to attend to everyone's luggage.

As the servants moved about, Caspian turned to Elara, "I have things I must do before we can talk about our next steps. Settle in here first and then I will send for you."

Elara cleared her throat and nodded. "Sure. Sounds like a plan."

Caspian turned back to Orland. "She is my important guest, see to it that she is treated with the utmost respect." He said it loud enough for the other servants to hear, as well.

Orland glanced at Elara--the curiosity evident--before he bowed. "Of course, your Grace. She shall be treated most kindly." Orland looked at the maids behind him, searching for something. "Crisseda, show our esteemed guest to her room so that she may relax from the journey."

Crisseda, a tall woman with blonde hair and freckles, stepped forward tentatively, waiting. Elara followed her into the castle, passing the knights who were all boisterously bragging about how good it was to be back and past Caspian and Chancellor Kyran who were speaking in hushed tones with Orland.

Crisseda led her through the large castle with ease. Elara couldn't help but gawk at everything with wide eyes, her lips parted in reverence. The entry hall soared up three stories, lit by an enormous chandelier crafted of wrought iron, blown glass, and crystals that reflected light and sent it scattering across the great hall in prismatic patterns. There was a large tapestry and on it was a retelling of the birth of Justicar, the god of justice and the vengeance that must be desired for justice to be achieved. She knew it was him because of his three arms and three heads. Each hand held an item--a sword, a lantern, and the Book of Laws the judges in this world used to make their judgments. His eyes were covered with a blindfold. 

In the books, the author had said, Justicar, the lord of justice and the revenge that is borne from the desire for that justice, wore his blindfold always as a symbol that those who follow his teachings, judges, must be blind when seeking to mete out justice. For justice should not care if you are rich or poor, sick or healthy, pretty or hideous. 

Elara couldn't help herself. She stayed there for a while, gazing at the intricate beauty of the tapestry before her.