Chapter 5

It had taken less than a day for James to wish he wasn't King.

Much of that, for now, was the growing posse around him, the expanding "staff" designated to help. Seemingly at every rest of the column, Captain Putaski sent over yet another functionary he'd dug up from somewhere, some secretary or advisor from the palace to help King James deal with his duties. As there were no duties yet, all they did was add pressure to the teen. They were more adults he had to pretend he had authority over.

They were also all male. Couldn't he have an all female staff, or something?

There were more guards. A dozen unmounted soldiers, armed with pikes, marched before and after the Winged Hussars. The nearest war wagon, which he now knew was a Tabor, was emptied of civilians, archers taking their place inside the mobile fortification. All to protect him. All in reaction to the elves. To the discovery of Shanna.

Shanna was an interesting addition to all this. He wasn't sure if she helped prove the reality of the situation, or the opposite. Yes, of all the people his dream mind could have added to his story, she would not have been on the list. A point in favor of reality. On the other, her story made the entire world more magical. James wasn't sure he liked that.

At the moment, she was brooding as they rode. Understandable. James went in and out of that state himself. She looked out of place, dressed in dark blue sweatpants and light blue t-shirt with a large '99' on it. Her dark brown skin had made him realize how un-diverse the people around him were, in that regard. James had just never thought about it. Her largish breasts, under that large shirt, bounced nicely in a way he tried very hard not to visibly notice. The idea of an all female mounted guard again entered his thoughts.

Ola walked from what James was calling the Royal Wagon, moving quickly to catch up to the riders. The man designated as his secretary was definitely, in his mind, on the effeminate side. Not quite comically so, but close. Not that there was anything wrong with that.

"Your Grace." He managed to bow while walking, a nice trick. James nodded his head as the slender man matched his gait to that of the horses. "I've gone over the lists from all the wagons, and have some totals. Would Your Grace like them?"

"Yes." James resisted the urge to say that "his grace" would. He knew that joke would get annoying for all involved rather quickly, and so had to be saved, spread out over time. Ola bowed again.

"Your Grace. We have, at the moment, sixteen thousand, seven hundred and forty four non-soldiers traveling in this column."

"Damn!" That was more than James had expected.

"They were divided, last night, into eighty three wagon circles. There's a crossroads ahead where farmers have been slowly joining up with the column, so most likely there will be more tonight." He looked down at his notes. "Tabors make up less than a quarter of the wagons, although they do seem to be spread out somewhat evenly. Would you like to know the exact breakdown?"

"Make a master list, and have it ready for me when we make camp."

"Yes, Your Grace. Also, a runner just arrived. The first elements of the engineers have reached the Orlan, and are moving south to the crossing point. At this pace, the head of the column will reach there in another four days."

James looked around, eyes on the forest they now knew hid elven scouts.

"Four days..."

"I think," Ewa said, her voice soft, "your new friend likes Lieutenant Kosciuszko."

James chuckled, hand unashamedly holding hers as he walked beside her, other hand lightly grasping his mount's reins. Twelve hours on the road (or, ten, or eight, whatever the actual figure was) already seemed like forever, the teen beside him no longer a newly met stranger. He let his thumb caress her skin, enjoying the feel. Her eyes left Shanna, falling back on him. James found himself smiling even more.

"I will admit," he said, "I hadn't noticed."

Her eyes widened, then dropped, lips curling up in a smile. Her hand squeezed his.

"It does take a woman to notice these things."

Unable to help it, James turned, looking back at the woman in question. Shanna walked her black mare directly behind his, keeping pace easily. As he watched, she stumbled, foot catching on a hole in the road her horse easily avoided. Even as she recovered her footing, her eyes never left the blond Piotr walking on the other side of James' mount. The young man had removed his helmet, hanging it on his saddle. James was surprised neither he nor the others removed those wings as well. It couldn't be easy walking with them. Although, really, it probably wasn't much different then a backpack.

The girl obviously had a thing for Piotr. She, too, was getting looks from a number of the men. They were not as ... well, James was going to have to have a talk with the Captain. Not just Shanna, but no woman in this caravan was going to be subjected to what in his world would be called rape. He suspected soldiers assumed they had certain rights over women not claimed, or at least not well protected. He hoped he was wrong.

"Shanna."

Her head snapped around to him. Anger and guilt warred on her face.

"What?"

"I'm still not seeing any strange plants like you saw. Can you point anything out?"

Her look said everything. She was walking on the inside of the double row of horses, with a wagon on her left. What could she possibly see from there, especially at her height? Still, she swung her gaze around.

"No," she said, tolerantly, "nothing. Maybe at camp there will be a patch of flowers or something. But I did see them."

"Oh, I believe you." James trusted he sounded like it. "I'd just like to get an idea what's out there myself. What's different about this world."

"Same here ... oh! There!" She pointed, bare arm outstretched. "Over behind that patch of blue flowers!"

James looked. Yes. That was ... different. An oak tree, or its double, rising in a vague cone shape like a pine tree. From the top ... what looked like a large flower.

He did NOT want to see the bee that pollinated that.

"Ah. Yes. That is different. Freaky, even."

"What?" Ewa asked. Letting go of her hand, James pointed.

"That tree with the flower. All the other trees around it are like those on our world, but that one isn't."

Ewa looked at for a moment, then shrugged.

"It doesn't look that strange."

"Make camp! Make camp! Make camp!"

The rider tore past James, riding back down the road towards the rear of the column. From ahead and behind, half-hearted cheers rose. James felt like cheering as well. The insides of his thighs were sore. Alternating riding with walking every hour had helped, but his body was not used to this. He just knew tomorrow he'd be starting in pain.

"Finally," Shanna said. Her horse pulled up along side him as the Hussars left the road. "I like riding, but this is ridiculous."

"It's less work than walking, but just as painful." He regarded her. "How are you holding up?"

"Who knows. This is all still stupid. I'm kind of hoping a good meal and some real sleep help me wrap my mind around all this."

"Good luck with that." James saw Ewa and Felek jump out the back of the royal wagon as it began to turn off the road. Felek gave a wave. James returned it with a smile. "I'm just going with the flow for now."

"Well, yeah, you're King. I want to get home."

"You think I don't?" James looked at her. Her dark eyes regarded him.

"No. I don't think you do."

"Hear me, oh people of Poland, servants of God Almighty! I bring you glad tidings in this moment of despair! God has sent us a King, heir to King Mieszko, heir to the great throne of Nowy Kiev! He has come to us from afar, from the lands of our ancestors! Yes, from Poland itself, Mother Land to us all! He travels with us, among his people, easing our suffering! It is he who has ordered a doubling of tonight's rations! It is he who has collected the names of your loved ones, so you may find family and friends! Blessed be the day, soon, when we may all stand before him in our new home, bowing our heads to our rightful sovereign!

"Until that day, His Grace asks that you stay with the wagons you are currently with. A river crossing is coming, and families may unite then if God permits.

"God bless King James the First!"

James stood awkwardly in the last of the sunset as the people cheered. Not just here on either side of the road where the crier sat on his horse, but up and down the road where countless more copies of the proclamation were read. Around him, soldiers, women, and children began to chant, "King James the First!" He bowed his head to them, turning to acknowledge the entire camp, bringing another cheer.

God, what was he doing here?

As it died down, the people turning towards the cooking fires, James walked over to his "throne". The folding seat from the previous evening had been replaced by an even higher one, with a cushioned seat. It sat before the entrance to his royal tent, a nearby fire providing more than enough light and heat. As he sat, Felek quickly moved to place a folding table before him. Little Ruta was there a moment later, placing a tray on it. She curtsied, smiling, no longer the nervous wreck she had been that morning.

"And what about me?"

He looked over at Shanna, standing a few feet away. The woman frowned as James laughed.

"No idea. Duda!"

"Yes, Your Grace?" The guard standing to his right looked down, bowing in acknowledgment.

"I need another chair and table for my friend Shanna. She's to get the same food I get, or reasonably close."

"Yes, Your Grace." The guard motioned another man over, passing on the request. James looked back to Shanna.

"I'm just letting them decide protocol for now. Not pushing too much."