I have a feeling, these 'windows' in the air in front of me ... are going to be following me around for a while. I ... I'm worried now.
They just ... appeared ... in front of me, just three days past. The first one, a seeming sixteen centimeters wide by nine centimeters tall, which is at 'wide screen' format ... oh say half a meter from my eyes, up and to the right a small distance. It won't disrupt my line of sight, as even this window is semi opaque, enough to let me see what's behind. But it does stay at the same vector from the way my head is facing; I can only try to look at it by moving my eyes in its direction. But instead of 'game stats' or 'game inventory' ... it's a video type of window, like a webcam, showing some regal-looking dude sitting upon some ornate chair ... yeah, call it a throne if you want.
Or at least this is the first such video window; the second to appear is from the king's perspective, and is positioned to the left and above my line of sight at the same length and offset angles. I'd say, it's probably the view from a point on the king's face, right where the bridge of the nose translates up into the man's 'low brow, uni brow' look. But in the other cam view, I see nothing inferential of such a magical camera.
That is the damnedest thing a human on Earth will ever see; so ... what is my life, a game?!?!?!?!?!
At first, I looked right at these windows, when their volumes came across too noisy for comfort. The guy at the other end seemed to act suspicious, but began speaking to one side for a second; the volume from his side reduced, quite a bit, to a subtle volume not too unpleasant for me. Hmm, I guess he thought ― maybe I cannot see him, any more? I coached myself to not look right to it, but to just take in the general view of the royal chamber and the king's point of view, and guess at what's going on.
... I mean, I can't really tell anyone here what is going on, or who I am seeing ... or they'd think me gone crazy. Also it's a strange language, maybe in some 'fantasy world' ― nobody here on Earth should even know. So if I did somehow tell someone, and they for example asked me to repeat what was being said ― the jig would be up, and this guy on the other side would know I knew of him. It would be a different matter, if I could get some blackmail material on the viewer; but how likely is that to occur?
Not sure it wouldn't set off all kinds of alarm in the other world. Because I don't think I am supposed to be seeing anything, from such a world ― no window, no nothing different. So ... what's it all for?
I mean, say for example you had a system to monitor someone from a different world, so you suddenly started watching them, day and night. Gives me shivers, thinking of someone watching me sleep ― and I am a man! It'd be creepier if it were someone watching me if I were a woman! At least then I could call the regal guy a pervert!
... but anyway; this is the beginning of my third day of me seeing them; it's Sunday by the calendar.
Friday was one crazy day ― facing a late weekday morning part-time job; asking one girl I like out on a date but facing raw rejection; going home alone but ending up jerking something, in the bath- um. Never mind. But the 'window' showing up while I was first otherwise indisposed was an embarrassment ― probably on both sides. Though asking a girl out was partially ... well because I wanted to, for the chance. Also because if these people are going to see into my life, then for sure I wanted them to experience the whole range of 'Earth human normal' activities. I didn't know what kind of actions they were planning; but I could go down swinging and boldly claiming I'd at least done some things from my bucket list.
Friday ends in me calling my younger sister to express my issues; she told me to get over it with some other girl. Hell, she even offered to help play mind games on the girl who rejected me, to get her to reconsider giving me the cold shoulder. My sister Samantha was like that ― she got my back, in so many ways, and I had hers.
She's such a tomboy; she's not even gonna act effeminate at all? So (thankfully) she won't blame me for being the reason the girl won't date me. Or maybe I could say, my sister is the best brother a guy could have-
Saturday is all about lazing around. Maybe doing a little more housework, rearranging my classic figurine collection (honestly ― just a few dozen characters from key animations and such, nothing too massive). Plus doing various and sundry things ... 'for entertainment'. All the characters got posed in more interesting ways, this time. Then, more of my "frusturbation" ― then doing some impromptu shopping ― hey, I had to. I was out of tissues, for some reason!
Today, morning worship, then back to lazing around. It doesn't always feel like the best use of my 'greater intellect' in letting my brain cells drift away; but at least tomorrow I've got a job to do again. Hey, I wonder what the jobless rate is, in this other world ― not like I can just ask through this window thingy-
I'd seen maybe many people through this one-way view in the upper right. The kingly person, his wife (I think), a daughter and a son (both in their teens, so maybe five years younger than me), two courtly scholastic 'advisors' (a middle aged male who had a bent nose and a female who had a hint of wrinkles), and a ... aah, I think she's the king's mistress. Well what would you call it when the king excuses everyone else, but holds and kisses the flirty doglike girl bouncing on his lap? ― I probably pretexted the regal misdeed by my own misdeeds, once the king was sort of alone and acting bored. Hey even he did those things-
And also, from this window on the upper left, I'm seeing this king's views from his own view. I think maybe he tried having the connection to me activate but it may have misfired or something ― it connected him to me, instead of the other way first. But from what I'm sensing of his personality, he bullied his way through and tried a second time, and then he got a view of me, also. So, at least this is why I can assume I'm not supposed to see him.
I'm clearly getting a handle upon the interesting and varied personalities of these people though. The king, if this is what he is and not just some power-hungry madman, has got servants who come to him and bring messages from ... possibly many places. Makes sense, a king ― ego or not ― would want to be 'in the know' about matters; and from what I see, he's got a lot of servants across many races and cultures in the world. I don't understand a word of this ― yet ― but I think I can understand in context by the reports and the angry commands given, something is going on in some part of the kingdom, this man is not happy to hear.
His wife the queen (or is it consort, not sure ... seeing how he has a lazy eye that wanders whenever another female is present) seems bored, or not of use in the royal matters. Well I'm sure it's no fun for her, knowing her husband can and does have others to share intimate times with; but also in this I see a spark of intellect in her eyes. A trait, it also seems, which might be shared with his daughter, the elder of their two children.
The princess acts emotionally distant, in front of other people; but when it's the 'royal family' or even father and daughter, she's acting sweet and shy, like a typical "daddy's girl" would. But beyond this too, I'd think she also has some ulterior motives; something she might not be willing to express so openly. She's eighteen or so, and likely ready to be married off if this kingdom is what I think it is.
The prince ... well actually I'm not focused so much on him, as he seems to be in his middle teens ― just at fifteen or so ― and thus deep in his royal studies for his future regal profession. He seems sometimes very overwhelmed by it all and seems to protest the mage or sage or whoever coming to pull him back to his studies. Even if his sister asks (apparently, from context) for her father to ease off the training, the answer is a blunt 'no'. Or so I gather ― and so this young prince must constantly be studying.
Oh but for some reason early yesterday ― I'd learned the view can be temporarily handed over to someone else? Maybe the king just wanted to go about some other affair of his, and so to placate his daughter, he let her be the one to watch me for a few hours. She'd watched me for a while in general interest as her father was off somewhere ― doing something ― then he came back and resumed watching me. Aah I don't want the old pervert to be the one who sees me so much; how can I get her back? Is this like one of those strangely written web novels?
Author-san, please change the channel back-
But that's yesterday; today she again took another turn. Actually so did the queen first, but she did nothing but sit there stiffly and watch my movements ― I may have ... done some intimate things, in this time too-
Back to today, right now. The princess again takes a turn and looks at her mother like nothing's wrong when the queen spoke some warning. Aha, I just had a wicked thought ― and today I put some of it into action.
I had got my sister to come over, once the princess started her turn, so I could 'commiserate' about the girl not dating me ― and also learned something too. It seems the 'holder' of this view would also understand my speech, even though I could not understand theirs. Even so I can use this, and push through a few ideas or thoughts.
The princess ― who I think is called Nahama, judging from what her daddy said ― also had a book, maybe like a 'fantasy romance tale' of her world. Maybe she thought it might be 'boring' for part of it, and maybe she thought to catch up on something she was reading while passively listening ― I don't know if this works for girls. But she's in her private quarters, undressed from the more stiff attire she might not wish to be wearing so much. One simple dab of a perfume, then she stretches out on her bed under the covers, with the book in one hand, and the other ... slides under the covers.
Samantha showed up promptly, bringing over a few cans of something she probably should not own (I don't know how she got them if she doesn't have ID saying she's old enough). Still, we opened a couple of cans and I started talking about it: how I did like the girl and she seemed to get along with me, but then on my approach she just said something dismissive and ran off. The princess, through the view, seems sort of interested at first, then somehow must decide I'm 'mundane' or of no real interest. Back to reading her book, then, blushing in certain places.
I'm not so thin skinned that I'm incapable of processing rejection; heck it's happened often enough, even since I was Sam's age. But for this one time I'm trying to borrow Sam as a sounding board so I can work at a different sort of interaction with the princess ― indirectly.
My sister too, she has a point where she straight out tells me I should be more forceful, how some women just need a guy to take the lead too, in a relationship. Nahama just about dropped the book, to hear this, and she mutters something more akin to a 'what the f-' or whatever they say there. One of her maids seems to perk up and ask if she needs something but is dismissed by the princess instead. Some kind of 'go away' job to keep the poor cat eared maid away for now.
I can only smile subtly, again trying to not glance directly at the princess in my way. I call Sam my sister princess, getting her to roll her eyes ― but for the real princess, she's glaring. Sam does further the joke with her clever statement of me being a better prince than she'd be a princess, and somehow I'm back to joking and laughing with her and drinking more of the ... whatever this is. Something generic, even I don't like the taste of it. Sam grins and said if we were royalty, we should be drinking better tasting stuff than this. Princess only huffs and returns to the book with a scowl; the last thing she mumbles may not have a translation, or it might actually mean something like "you do not deserve what royals get". I can only assume.
Er ... it's not so much of a book as it is a loosely bound sheaf of aged pages; not like a book I know of here on Earth but something from a previous century. No cover art except some drawn line art of a man holding a woman in a passionate embrace. The book itself, and the fact the princess is under the covers and has one hand hidden from view, too ... it all screams 'erotica' to me.
So, she's that kind of girl. Ecchi. Her breathing is becoming more labored, and she's clearly blushing deeply as she's reading some passage; and then she shakes and squeals softly-
Naughty, naughty ... so what makes a royal girl any better than a non royal or non noble girl? Apparently ... not a whole lot. She does the same things a 'commoner' girl would do.
Sam asked me, as I'd been silent for a mere minute, an open question.
"What's on your mind, bro? Deep in thought? Solving some inner mystery? Or the mysteries of the world?"
I chuckle, because how could I say something like watching a princess in another world do something so personal. Or actually, maybe I could use that, somehow.
"Ha, nothing so deep."
Honestly I feel like being a prankster, maybe I want to do something to tease the princess about this moment but don't know how ― or maybe my mind is starting to buzz-
"Hmm. Sam. Remember when we were kids and made up this story about an imaginary kingdom with a king and queen and stuff? And heroes and going on adventures?"
"Yeah, fun times but I don't think it's real, if what you're getting at is you would like those times again-"
"Well it might be nice for a while; but I know we can't have the past in the present. I'm wondering what you would say to ... I don't know ... what if another world would exist, and they could watch people from this world?"
The princess in the other window is stunned ― I'd pretty much admitted to knowing something was going on ― which also might admit I could see her, in reverse.
"It might be more fun if we were the ones seeing into the people of the kingdom, instead of from them to here, though."
"Yes it could be but, if that were true ― say I- say someone here saw something of a personal nature, something which might be embarrassing to the person who did it-"
"What, you going the pervert route, brother?"
"Not me. But, another person, is a pervert."
Aha. Now the princess is fairly well uttering a stream of things which might only be curse words. I chuckle, and my sister answers this thought before the princess can do something drastic.
"... ah well, I'd keep the secret, I suppose; at least as long as I can be guaranteed fair and honest treatment, for the bargain of keeping said private moment secret."
"I suppose that would work. Hmm. Yes. What should I ask for-"
Coming to an abrupt end of the curses, the princess is near breathless, desperate and she cannot wait for what I'm going to say next. She's pulling on her clothes again, or at least trying to without calling to the maid I suppose is nearby.
"The most you can get for it," Sam grins with her own sly smile. "Assuming of course it actually doesn't harm anyone in the keeping of the secret matter."
Nahama stops cold, pondering things. I as well, stretch this out into a thinking pose ― hard to do while my head might be not on straight. All I can do is go back to thoughts from certain other novels I have read.
"... I might want to learn things. Skills, abilities, things which can make life easier to bear, here in this world."
The princess is already exiting the room with an intent, and I see her heading to the- Yep. It's a library. The royal family's private library, a place the king was in earlier, while he was with his mistress too.
"... such as?" Samantha prompted, followed too by the princess uttering something similar.
"Well I know there's nothing like magic here, no mana or spells or all that," I start out. "But if there were, I'd like to think of an analysis ability or an inventory or storage space ability, or maybe-"
The princess is cursing again ― some of this stuff must be outside of her purview within the library. I sense the really good skills and abilities might be under lock and key, and she doesn't have access to all of those.
"-but failing that, how about being able to understand the language of the kingdom, for starters. What if they could understand you, but not the other way? And you wanted to say something, to ask questions back and forth?"
"Hmm, yeah that would be good. It would make communication easier, from one to another. But why would a person in one world be able to see into another but not get the ability to understand?"
"Yeah I know, I don't know why such a case would happen ― but let's say it did. How would a person get the point across of this all being a great big confusing situation?"
"Just ... tell them? Why not try the easiest way-"
"Avvaa beff lingos deska," the princess pronounced in serious tones, reading from one book open before her, while making an arcane gesture. Ouch; that's not fun, to feel an involuntary wave of energy pass through you ― cast from another world, no less-
"Easy works. Anyway, sis ― how's your school studies? Are you going to get into any college now?"
"Nope, and not trying to. Don't tell mom and dad, I think they'd blow up at me or something. I'd say I'm going through a messy relationship issue of my own; but, you know-"
"H, hello?" inserted the princess, trying to draw my attention. "Can you, can you hear me? Do you understand me?"
"... yeah."
This answers both my sister and the princess in the other world. Sam is calm and limber, stretched out on my sofa next to me, one leg across my lap; while Nahama sighs in exaggerated relief. This could work ― er might work, as a way to find out what's happening.
I can only sigh, and think for another second or two.
"... yeah. Well first I would like to know the purpose for why it would be happening."
"I don't know, I'd just shrug my shoulders, and give up-" Sam started drifting asleep, almost. Man, I didn't realize that drink could work on her so fast-
"Um ... yeah hello. I am Princess-"
"-excuse me, gotta go to the bathroom-"
I made a subtle attempt to leave the room, with Sam calling, "Yeah okay take a dump bro. Don't forget to wipe-" her voice trailed off into a groan of her own.
Once finally within the bathroom, I start talking more directly to the one in my view.
"Okay so ... it's safe to talk. For a little while."
The girl looking back at me ― now that I don't feel it's so worrisome to look directly to her and make eye contact ― begins again.
"I am Princess Nahama Taia Rondel, of the-"
"-your initials would be 'NTR' then?"
"-yes, of course. Why do you want to know?"
I try to hold back a sly grin. "Ah, no reason. It might mean something here; but never mind that."
Her eyes scrunched closed just a bit, as if considering it could mean something improper, by my looks.
"-anyway. It's the Holy Kingdom of Blessed Summoning. It means, through our ties to the Holy Goddess of Summoning, Mistress Valina, we call forth persons from other worlds, and bring them here, to our kingdom. You are to be the next one, so summoned."
"... but what if I refuse to go."
"... y, you can't. You mustn't. You need to be here!"
"Uh ... why ... ?"
She's blushing; so she probably also has some romanticized view too of what role a summoned one is to be, on her world. Maybe this was what the book she was reading, was really about? Some kind of 'hero from another world' romance literature? But by what she did under the covers, I could only think lately she'd gotten the idea of some intimacy from it, from my impending summoning.
"Before that ... who are you?"
"... what, you don't know? You or your father or mother have been watching me, this is the third day of it, but you don't know?"
She blushed furiously still, and stood looking defiant of my refusal. "I asked you a question! Tell me who you are!"
"Sorry but no. You cannot order me like that."
Momentary blue screen of death, there. Just a brief failure in her mental processor-
"... then please tell me who you are."
Even if she were being polite now, at least in words, she still speared me a look I don't want to see too often.
"I'd rather you tell all about why this summoning occurs in the first place."
"... it's just ... our habit. Tradition. Something Mistress Valina set up for us, ages ago."
"Nothing more?"
"Well ... like, in certain events ... like for the coming of age of a young royal child, or when someone of my station is in her peak-"
"Don't tell me I'm to be used as breeding livestock!"
"It's not like that!" she shouts, then in a second lowers her volume to normal, drifting even lower to a whisper at the end. "It's not; at least ... but it wasn't meant to be-"
"-which means, it is, though. I'm against it. And I thought a pretty young princess like you would be scheduled to be married off to some young-"
"... not like I have so many options-"
Huh? What she muttering now?
"-you don't? Why do I not believe this?"
"But. If it's not you, then it's gotta be first Marchioness Gryls' son Bearnard but he caught some disease in a cathouse; or old Count Vier. And, I don't want the count because he's wrinkly."
"Hey, we all get there, some day-"
"... but it's not that time of life for me. I am young yet. Or if not Vier, then my uncle Duke Kakiss' wife's cousin, Gaius ― that idiot, the one who picks his nose and eats it. Ugh, I get the creepies just thinking- um. Now. I'm saying, I want to know who you are and more about you, so I can know ... if we're ... compatible."
"... and I'm saying, before I can tell you anything ... I'll want to know too, what happens here, if or when I am summoned?"
"I don't know. I don't think anyone knows, for sure. Maybe only our Holy Mistress who governs such things. But the summoning magic book my father read, seems to say your life would be rewritten out of existence there, something about it being like you never existed-"
"-crap." I muttered the mere word, then breathed hard. "I don't want to go if I don't know what's really gonna happen, for sure."
"But the summoning is already in motion, so you have to come," she pleaded. "Actually it's unstoppable; it started once father first got a view of you ― and by the way, how are you seeing here? That's not supposed to happen-"
Her face was again blushing red. She meant to ask ― how was I able to see her do those intimate things, and how detailed of a moment did I see?
"I didn't see anything under the covers, if this is what you meant," I extrapolated, holding up my arms and shaking them and my head in defense. "But anyway those things are all things even a common person does. No shame in taking a moment to-"
"I don't want to talk about that." She huffed, again talking 'at' me, instead of 'to' me. "What I do in my own time is my business. If I am to have a mate, I am wanting to know who I am to have a chance of companionship with. For as much as I am aware, this situation has never happened before, and will likely never happen again. Even father knows he screwed up somehow, but he hopes things will be fine once you finally arrive and assume your rightful place as my-"
"Your what? Slave? Consort? Husband? Master?"
She turned a whole new shade of red, burning anger red. "Hey now, I don't think you can make any assumptions in this-"
"Or what. I can just as easily tell your father what you did a few moments ago-"
Aha. Now, silence, and a chance to turn the tables on this situation.
"... like you said earlier. What would you want, to keep this embarrassing moment between us?"
"I really did mean it, I'd like some skills or something ... if you're sure the summoning cannot be called to a stop, or delayed, or interfered with for a while-"
Nahama sighed, without even giving this more consideration.
"-deities were involved, promises were given, something about a holy covenant tied to our bloodline; yeah I don't think our kingdom can so easily revoke it. Sorry but, one way or another, you're coming to me." She sighed. "I wish you'd just accept this-"
"... as a what, though. Slave, or free?"
She whispered something almost unheard. "Would it matter being a slave or not-"
"Hey this is my life!"
"-and my life too! Royal life isn't as easy as you may be thinking!"
A soft knock at the door. "Brother?"
Oh crap, forgot about someone possibly overhearing-
"... yeah Sam. Just about done in here."
I ran the bathroom sink, letting the water wash over my hands as if I needed it; then I shut it off, dried my hands, and opened the bathroom door to see Sam standing here.
"... who were you talking to?"
"N, nobody."
"I am not nobody!" the princess shouts at me. "I am a princess, for the Holy Mistress' sake!"
"But I did hear you talking, just a moment ago, bro. As I walked here, I heard you say, 'slave or free', I heard. Slave what? Free what? And then saying 'this is my life', like something is going to happen-"
"... just a plot of a story I remember-"
"Hey bro, you're never gonna get a girl if you keep going on about those animations you used to quote-"
"-once seeing, or something. What? Why would my past of watching an animated anything, be cause for me to not be ... er, 'get a girl' as you said?"
"... what's an animation," asked a stumped princess.
I exhale, then laugh. It's odd; really it is. For my fanaticism of animations to have kept me so alone, as to now be in line to be mated to a looney world's perhaps loonier princess, is ... the strangest thought.
"Listen. Samantha. You know what animation is, I've told you before but it's good to review. Our human mind can understand image changes for twenty four frames per second or higher, as almost a real scene. An animation is essentially no different than going to a play with living actors ― except an animation is drawn pages of such scenes being shown repeatedly, dozens of pages of something drawn or colored, per second. Multiply this times however many seconds of whatever an episode of animation lasts. That's something I have to respect ... the artwork of animation artists in this world being masters of their craft ... I don't think I'll find it anywhere else but in this world."
"... so you're still sticking with being a weirdo, bro?"
"That's not nice, Sam-"
"-yeah well move on out of the bathroom, I need it."
"What, can't hold your pee?"
"-now who's being crude? No, I think I gotta throw up-"
"-excuse me then."
