A Road to Love

"Your size, what size clothing do you wear?" The woman reached out, touching the shoulder of Tawny's halter. "This is nice, but it's certainly not for everyday wear." She jerked back when Tawny reached for her sword hilt. "Whoa honey, I meant no offense. You shouldn't be carrying around something like that in the city, it could get you killed, or thrown in jail."

"I am sorry," Tawny managed to get out. "I am new to this world and do not know what its customs and beliefs are."

"Wait, new to this world? Where in the hell do you come from?"

Tawny looked into the woman's eyes. "I come from Daring Castle. It is far from here. I...didn't have a chance to pack much and need new clothing."

"Well, you've come to the right place. What kind of clothing are you looking for? Business? Everyday?"

"I like this," Tawny said, touching a rose colored satin blouse. She reached into the small pouch that was tied to her sword belt. Pulling out a gold coin, she handed it to the woman. "Will this pay for it?"

The clerk's eyes widened as she saw the gold. "I'm not sure we would know how to give you a fair rate for that, Miss. I can ask my boss. While I ask, would you like for me to start a fitting room for you?"

Tawny's brow furled and then she nodded, watching as the girl took her coin and then opened a door, stashing the pretty blouse inside. She followed the clerk slowly, staring with amazement at the rack after rack of beautiful clothes. She picked up a skirt, or at least she thought it was a skirt. It wasn't much bigger than Ryder's sword belt. She held it up and then spotted a mirror in the back.

She put it at her waist and starred in amazement at the crystal clear reflection in the glass. At home, while they had things that this world didn't, the novelties and luxuries found here had her spellbound. It didn't surprise her that her father had put a stop to travel through the portals. Many of the castle inhabitants would probably never come back once they tasted these freedoms.

She wandered through the racks, picking and choosing the different articles of clothing until her arms were full and she couldn't hold any more. She turned quickly when a hand touched her shoulder. "Here, let me help you with that."

Tawny gratefully surrendered the clothing. "And?"

"My manager is on the phone right now, making phone calls. She'll get back to me soon. But come on, let's get you started trying these on."

She was eager to try on the clothes, wanting to know the freedoms of this world. She would try on the tiny skirt first. A smile touched her lush lips and she was untying the top tie of her halter before the door was even closed behind her.

The clothing was a delight, the tiny skirts were a shock to her senses. She could imagine the fit her father would throw if he ever saw her wearing anything so immodest. She put on one of the tops, one that reminded her a bit of the outfits she wore at home. With a grin, she opened the fitting room door and stepped out, going to the big mirror. She spun and then hugged her arms around herself. This world was amazing and she was going to enjoy everything about it.

The clerk, who had told Tawny that her name was Gail, had brought everything that Tawny wanted to buy to the front register. Tawny carried her leather pants and halter up there as well. "Has your manager decided yet?"

Gail smiled. "Yes, she gave me an amount." She told Tawny what the coin would be worth and watched as the girl's face clouded and she looked confused.

"Is that enough to pay for this?"

"And then some. Are you putting me on? You really don't understand how much money that is?" Gail started pulling the security tags off and then scanning the price tags.

"I'm new here..."

"Well, that's okay sweetie. We'll get you taken care of and then we can call you a cab so you can get where you need to go." She scanned and folded the clothing, wrapping each item in a sheet of tissue before bagging it. When she was done, she cashed out the order and took the receipt, copying the amount down on another slip of paper, she opened a bank bag. The wad of cash that she took out would have made most people extremely happy and extremely nervous. But to Tawny, the money meant nothing.

The sales clerk counted out her change and handed it to her, handing over the two huge bags. Tawny took them both in one hand, carrying the strange paper the woman had given her in the other. She looked at the paper before turning back to Gail who was now talking to a strange black thing. "Uh, what am I suppose to do with this?"

"That's your change, sweetie. You should stash it away. It isn't smart to carry that amount of money like you are."

"Change? Money?" Both words were strange to Tawny and didn't help her at all. "What do these words mean?"

"Oh, now you're putting me on..." Gail chuckled and then hung up the phone. "What girl doesn't understand the concept of money?"

"Me." Tawny looked at the woman as she started to laugh again, only to stop and give her a funny look.

"You're serious? Where the hell do you come from that you don't know what money is?"

"Daring Castle." Tawny spoke slowly, enunciating the syllables as she repeated the name of her home for the second time.

"I know where you said you were from. They must have money there. How else do you pay for the things you need?"

"My father is Lord Damien. He pays for everything or else it is given to him as his due."

"Well, that won't work here, not in good ole New York City. Cash or plastic, that's all most folk take." She hurried to a rack and pulled down a leather purse that matched the blouse Tawny was wearing. "This is on me. My commission from your sale alone will pay my bills for the month. She took the money from Tawny and stuffed it inside the purse after removing the normal paper that held it to shape. "Now, don't let that cabbie take advantage of you and talk you into giving him too much of a tip. Do you know the address you want?"

"I want to find my Uncle. His name is Kaden Castle. I haven't seen him since I was a little girl. Can the...the cabbie find him?"

"Let me try some of my magic first, dearie." Gail typed the name into her computer and then whistled when the address came up. "Swanky digs. No wonder you have no concept of money." She wrote address on a slip of paper and slipped it into Tawny's purse as well. "You give that paper to the cabbie and you don't give him any more than this for a tip, okay?" She held out a piece of the paper "money", showing it to Tawny.

Tawny did as Gail told her, getting into the funny machine that picked her up. It was an exhilarating and almost scary ride to the huge building that the taxi stopped at. The man controlling the beast turned and looked back at her. "This here's the place you wanted, ain't it?"

Tawny stared at the building, jumping in surprise when a man wearing some kind of uniform pulled open the door. "I...I think so." She slid from the cab and gathered all her bags, turning to head toward the funny door of the building when the man shouted at her, jumping out of his machine and hurrying toward her.

"Listen lady, I don't do no charity gigs. You take the ride you pay the fare, got me?"

The man was shorter than her, his body round and doughy looking. He almost seemed to jump at her and she hated the fact that both her hands were full and her sword had been packed inside one of the bags. She dropped the bags to the ground and pushed him back, taking a step back herself. "I...I don't understand what you..."

"I want my money! Listen, bitch. Just because you live at some hoity toity high rise doesn't mean you can push us little people around." The driver was working himself up into a frenzy and was beginning to spit his words instead of saying them. He only backed down when a shadow fell over Tawny and a huge man that had come from the high rise was now standing over him. "Wha...wait, she owes me money!"

"How much?" The man's voice was rich, deep and smooth and Tawny blinked up at him. He smiled down at her even as the cabbie quoted a price and he pulled a wallet out of his suit coat, pulling money out and tossing it at the man.

"Where are you heading?"

Tawny blinked again, finally looking back at the building the cab had pulled up outside of. "Here."

"Do you know someone here, Miss..."

"I'm Tawny." She felt a bit spellbound and then gave herself a mental shake. "My uncle lives here."

"What floor?" He took her arm, transferring most of the bags out of her hands and into his.

"Floor?"

"Yes, what floor? I live here so maybe I know your uncle."

Tawny's brows furled and she stared up at the man as if he were crazy. "I suspect he has the same amount of floors as anyone would."

He looked at her for a moment then he laughed. "You're teasing." He stared at her face. "You aren't teasing. These buildings are made up of apartments, Tawny. Each apartment has one or two floors. Do you know what your uncle's apartment number is?"

"No...by the Gods, I never thought this would be so difficult."

"What did you say?" He began to laugh. "Now it makes more sense. You're Uncle Damien's daughter."

"Uncle Damien?"

"Oh yes. I didn't think that you might not remember me. You were pretty young the last time my father took me to your world. Jaxton Castle. My father is your Uncle Kaden."

She stared up at the tall, handsome man and felt a spurt of relief. She'd made it. She was here and Uncle Kaden and Aunt Adrianna would help her get around all these confusing and strange slang terms. "Thank the Gods," she breathed.

"I wish you'd let us know you were coming, Tawny. My parents have left town for two weeks. It's some kind of second honeymoon trip. I took them to the airport myself this morning."

Her face fell. "Oh no. I didn't think they wouldn't be home."

"Well, they'll be sorry they missed you."

"No, you don't understand." She stopped when he did after walking her through a huge room that had very little in the way of furniture. There was a wide circular marble table covered by an immense flower arrangement and not much else. "My parents don't know I'm here. If they did, my father would never have allowed me to make the trip. He doesn't think that a girl can take care of herself." Her eyes went wide when the wall in front of her seemed to slide open and a little room appeared. She followed Jaxton and jerked in surprise when the wall closed back up, trapping them inside the little room. There was a tiny vibration in the floor and then the room seemed to move, making her stomach feel as if it had gotten left behind. "What is this?" She spun, hearing a tiny beeping sound and searching for the cause.

Jaxton chuckled. "It's an elevator, Tawny. It's a sort of a box on the end of a huge cable and that cable raises and lowers it on command."

"M-magic?"

"More like the magic of a man's mind. Though what New York City would do without them, I don't know. So, you snuck away without Uncle Damien's approval?" He snickered. "I bet he isn't taking that very well at all."

"No, he probably isn't." She grabbed for the railing that ran around midway up the wall of the small room and then stared in wonder as the doors slid open again. The room with the big flower arrangement was gone, instead the doors opened into a beautiful room that was furnished with furniture that looked softer than any she'd seen before. Across the way, a huge fireplace sat, unlit. "Wow..."

Jaxton carried her packages and settled them down near one sofa. "So what am I to do with you now?"

"Must you do anything with me? Couldn't I just stay here for a while, a day or so? Please, Jaxton. You know my father. If I go back now, I'll never have this chance again. He'll force some inept boy on me or some overly mature warrior who can take care of me. I'll never have the chance for an adventure again. I promise, I won't get in your way. You won't know I'm here. Please? Please Jaxton?"