Two Important Matters

"Before you go," Fred said, "there are a couple of important matters to be seen to first. First I ought to introduce you. Astra, as you've probably gathered, this is Wilkes, a page from the King's court. Wilkes, this is Princess Astra of Aqualaria. I met her during my quest. We have just become betrothed."

Wilkes looked startled, but he managed a creditable bow and to stammer his congratulations. "There's no need to bow, or even for you to call me 'princess'," Astra told him. "After all that I've experienced over the last three years, I don't feel all that royal any more. But I'm shocked that we've been away for that long. I thought that we were only on the island just over a year, [598] and the rest of our adventures should have accounted for no more than a month or so at the most."

"Yes, that is weird," Fred agreed. "Perhaps as well as being transported through space a couple of times, we have also been transported through time at some point? But let us leave that puzzle for later. The second thing to be attended to before you go, Wilkes, is that you must tell me whether my family are safe."

1. "Yes, they are all safe and well. Luckily they were away on a visit to Caemlyn when the attack occurred."
2. "Alas, Lord Fred. They were all killed when the castle was attacked."
3. "Alas, Lord Fred. Though some survived, some of them are dead."
4. "No-one knows whether they are alive or dead. All that is known for sure is that no bodies were found in the ruins of the castle, but the destruction was so great that they could have been reduced to ashes."

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