Chapter Text
December 18, 1334 - Norwich, England
In the snow covered lands of Norwich, England, Sir Edward Munson and his best friend, Gareth Emerson walk out onto the grounds of the castle where other knights and squires wait with their horses. Townspeople are scattered around, conversing as they eagerly await the beginning of the competition.
The annual hawking takes place around the same time each year, and always happens at King Edward III's castle. Each year, the most skilled knights and squires gather to show off their tracking skills and see who can catch the hawk first. Sir Edward has been taking part in this competition since he was knighted six years prior. After winning the prize one year, he's been doing the competitions mostly for fun. If he wins, he wins. If not, he gets to go out on his horse and explore the lands.
The announcement of the start of the competition rings out by way of the royal announcer. Each young man mounts their horse and are introduced to the audience before the hawk is set free and they take off, eight sets of hooves clomping across the snow laden ground.
Sir Edward and Gareth convene as the others ride off, setting a plan to go in different directions to try and see who can catch the hawk first. Gareth rides towards the west, while Sir Edward rides towards the east. As he rides, the area becomes less recognizable. It doesn't help that everything is covered in powdery blankets of snow either. He realizes after a while that he must be lost and silently curses his navigation skills. The snap of a stick has Sir Edward on high alert and he surveys the area for any possible dangers. However, the only person around is an old crone who steps out from behind a tree.
Dismounting his horse, Sir Edward moves towards her to see if she's in need of any help.
"You are a handsome young knight. Pray you help someone as beauteous as myself," she says with a charming smile.
"How can I assist you?" Sir Edward asks. According to the knight's code, helping others takes precedence over helping one's self.
"I can only use your assistance if you prove yourself to be a true knight. To do that, you will need to fulfill the ultimate quest. This quest which you have searched for long and hard these many years, begins this day. You shall travel to faraway lands, see things unheard of - flying steel dragons and horses and magic boxes that make merry."
Sir Edward listens with interest. "Is that so? Where exactly would this quest lead me?"
"It will lead you to your destiny. To a place where you can fulfill your dream. Only then can you become a true knight."
She hands him a large, round medallion which he puts on, the metal clanging against his armor.
"If you fail to fulfill your quest by midnight on Christmas Eve, you shall never become a true knight," she warns. With that, the medallion begins glowing blue and soon Sir Edward is surrounded by a thick cloud of blue smoke.
Once the smoke clears, Sir Edward wakes up in an unfamiliar place. He looks around and sees lots of people wearing odd clothing and notices structures he's never seen in his life. People that are passing by are giving him strange looks, but he figures it's from continuing to sit on the hard cobblestone ground. He gets to his feet, hand steady on the hilt of his sword in case any danger crosses his path.
He starts walking, wary of everyone in case they're carrying weapons, when he's ambushed by a group of young girls. They walk up to him giggling, one girl holding up a weird contraption as she asks if she can take something called a 'selfie'. Sir Edward is so caught off guard that he just stands there as the girl presses a button and then thanks him as she and her friends walk away. He tilts his head in confusion before walking off to explore the rest of this strange place.
December 18, 2022 - Hawkins, Indiana
Chrissy sits on the edge of her desk as she hands over a midterm paper to the student sitting across from her.
"I was surprised at the quality of your paper, Angela. Usually you dive deep into the literature you're writing about, but this paper felt a little lackluster. I know you're capable of much better writing than this."
Angela sniffles slightly, her head down. "I'm sorry, Ms. Cunningham. My boyfriend just broke up with me, so I've been having a bit of a hard time."
Chrissy sympathizes with her as she's had some devastating break-ups throughout her own life. "Aw, I'm sorry, sweetie. I know that can be rough sometimes."
"I thought Patrick was my prince charming."
"But he turned out to be a frog?" Chrissy surmises. The question makes Angela crack a tiny smile, tears still sliding down her face.
"I guess so," the teen agrees, wiping tears with the back of her hand.
Chrissy smiles. "Every girl has dreamt about being a princess and falling in love with a knight in shining armor and living happily ever after, but that's not real life. Sometimes you find your knight and sometimes you don't. That's just the way love works."
Angela listens intently, taking in everything Chrissy is saying to her. "So, what should I do?"
"I know it's going to hurt for a while, but I think you need to focus on your goals right now. You're young and have your whole future ahead of you. Don't let some guy ruin it."
"You're right, Ms. Cunningham," Angela agrees. "Thank you for your help."
Chrissy stands up from the desk and opens her arms, giving Angela a comforting hug. When they break away, Angela smiles and gathers her things, waving goodbye and wishing her a Merry Christmas before exiting the classroom. Chrissy does a bit of tidying up, then grabs her bag and coat and closes the lights and door, readying herself for the holiday vacation.
As she's walking down the hall to leave the building, her cell phone rings.
"Hey, Heather. What's up?"
"Hey, Chris. I'm swamped at work and I promised Ella I'd take her to the Christmas Castle. Do you think you could bring her?"
"Of course. You know I love spending time with her."
"You're a lifesaver. Once I finish up I'll meet you guys there."
"Sounds good. See you soon!"
Chrissy has a smile on her face the entire walk to her car. There's so much excitement coursing through her veins that she feels like she could scream.
Ella's mom, Heather, has been Chrissy's best friend since elementary school. They've been through every milestone in life together, and when Heather had announced her pregnancy, Chrissy was with her every step of the way when her husband couldn't be. Heather had even bestowed the honor of godmother onto her, which Chrissy has taken in stride for her goddaughter's entire life.
Her excitement doesn't wane when she pulls up outside Hawkins Elementary a few minutes later. If possible, she's even more excited, especially when she sees Ella waiting on the sidewalk expecting her mother and grinning wildly when she sees her aunt instead.
Once she's settled in the back seat, Chrissy drives over to Main Street and parks in an empty space along the sidewalk. She takes Ella's hand and they walk into the Christmas Castle, which is already bustling with families and couples.
Every year, Hawkins decorates the central point of Main Street for a Christmas fair with a different theme each year. This year's theme is Christmas Castle, complete with a faux castle and festively dressed knights. Many of the buildings in the surrounding area have brick and stone exteriors, which add a touch of authenticity to the whole thing. Ella's whole face lights up in excitement as they walk through the crowds of people on their way to the hot chocolate stand.
Chrissy gets two hot chocolates that they drink as they explore the fair. There's a merry-go-round playing Christmas music as children ride around on festive reindeer, a faux stable to pet and feed horses, and various stands to buy festive trinkets or last minute Christmas presents. The most exciting thing is Santa sitting in the center of it all, greeting children and asking them what they'd like for Christmas.
Ella heads for the horses, handing Chrissy her drink as she gently pets the nose of a beautiful brown foal and feeds it a carrot offered to her by the handler. She giggles when the horse tickles her hand as it eats and Chrissy documents the entire thing on her phone to show Heather later. Ella makes sure she gives affection to every other horse before she rejoins Chrissy and they walk around to examine the items at the stands.
Finally, Ella leads Chrissy over to the line of kids waiting for Santa. While they're standing there, Chrissy looks at the huge Christmas tree behind the sleigh that Santa and Mrs. Claus are sitting in. It stands tall and proud, dressed with gold tinsel and white lights. The ornaments are also gold with additions of red and are in various shapes and sizes. At the top, a large star shines, shedding light on the people standing below and giving Santa and Mrs. Claus an almost ethereal glow.
Seeing someone familiar through her peripherals, she turns her attention back to the scene in front of her and realizes who's passing by. Jason, her ex. And his new girlfriend. Turning around so he doesn't see her catches Ella's attention.
"What's wrong?" she asks.
"Just someone I wish would've moved to the North Pole so I wouldn't have to see his face again."
"Jason?"
Chrissy nods, a mischievous grin on her face. "Maybe I should tell Santa to fill his stocking with coal this year."
Ella giggles, then takes her turn with Santa after the kid in front of her leaves.
"What would you like for Christmas, sweetheart?"
"A puppy, but not a stuffed animal this time. A real puppy that I can take on walks and play with in the backyard."
Santa smiles down at her, a jolly smile on his bearded face. "I think that can be arranged."
"Oh and one more thing. Can you bring my Aunt Chrissy a new boyfriend? Someone really nice who won't cheat on her."
The request shocks both Santa and Chrissy, the former laughing it off and handing her a candy cane before sending her on her way. "I'll see what I can do. Merry Christmas."
Ella waves to Santa and Mrs. Claus, the slides out of the sleigh to where Chrissy is standing. As they begin to walk away, Chrissy bumps into someone solid, spilling whatever is left of her hot cocoa all over them.
"I'm so sorry," she exclaims, immediately using napkins to wipe up the spill. She notices the stranger is wearing armor and assumes he's one of the cosplay knights from the castle who may be on break. The knight touches his armor, then brings his finger up to his lips to taste the liquid.
"What is this delicious mead?" he asks, a curious lilt to his voice. Chrissy notices he has an English accent, which is odd for a town like Hawkins.
"It's hot chocolate," she answers, continuing to clean the metal of his breastplate. "I'm really so sorry."
She looks up at him for a brief moment and their eyes meet. They remind her of the warm hot chocolate she just spilled all over him.
"It's - no harm done," he reassures, voice going soft.
Chrissy smiles slightly at him as she finishes cleaning the armor. "That's some impressive armor. Looks really authentic."
"Mom's here!" Ella interrupts before running over to where her mother is to give her a hug and recount all the fun she's been having.
Chrissy discards the napkins into a nearby garbage can and finally takes a proper look at the knight. He's quite tall with long, dark curly hair that brushes the tops of his shoulders and a very handsome face. Chrissy feels her cheeks heating up and hopes he thinks it's because of the cold. In the event of this whole situation becoming too awkward, Chrissy starts to make a move to leave.
“Well uh…Merry Christmas.”
“Indeed,” the knight replies with a smile. Said smile is accompanied by adorable dimples that make Chrissy feel tingly. She waves shyly before turning around and walking towards where Heather and Ella are standing.
Heather greets her with a smile, pulling her in for a hug. “Ella was telling me about all the fun things you guys were doing.”
“She had a really great time. And I did too.”
“You definitely looked like you had fun cleaning hot chocolate off that armored hottie you were talking to. Who was he?” Heather teases.
“I don’t know. He must be one of the performers here,” Chrissy giggles.
As Heather and Ella begin to walk to their car, something compels Chrissy to look behind her. When she does, she sees her mystery knight looking around skeptically before walking away. She pulls her eyes away when he disappears into a crowd of people.
As Sir Edward wanders around, the taste of the delicious mead still lingers on his tongue. And the eyes of the fair maiden from before still linger in his brain. Although he had only briefly looked at her, he thought she had a beauty unlike any he’s ever seen before.
He continues trekking around the area, when he sees a woman who looks vaguely like the Old Crone. Doing a double take, he notices that she must disappear into the air because she’s gone all of a sudden. He furrows his brows in confusion, then walks in another direction. Snow falls lightly as he walks around, seeing that the fair is slowly emptying out and the stalls and buildings are closing their lights. He follows a group of people out of the town square just as the snow begins to pick up its pace.
The flakes fall fast, pooling on his shoulders and sticking to his curls. It becomes a curtain of white that makes it hard to see two feet in front of him. Despite the hindrance to his sight, he keeps walking. He tries to squint through the precipitation, his feet still carrying him forward. Suddenly, there’s a light coming towards him and something heavy slams into him. “Egads!” he yells when he’s knocked backwards, thankfully landing in the soft blanket of snow that’s been gathering on the ground.
Chrissy can hardly see through the windshield as she drives slowly down the street. The snowstorm is probably one of the worst in the past few years and Chrissy can’t wait to get home and cuddle up under some blankets. It’s like driving through an avalanche, she thinks as the wind blows and flakes cover the windshield and windows in a blanket of fluffy white that constantly gets pushed aside by the wipers only to come back again full force.
The weather is so horrible that Chrissy doesn’t even notice someone crossing the road until she hears an exclamation of surprise. Through the glow of the headlights, she sees the same knight from before lying in the snow and puts the car in park before rushing out to check on him.
“I’m so sorry. I could hardly see anything through the snow. Are you hurt?”
To her surprise, the knight gets up and just brushes himself off like he didn’t just get hit by a car. Chrissy is thankful he’s okay, but also thankful that she probably won’t have to file an insurance claim.
“Fear not, fair maiden. I’ve been thrown much further by much faster horses than your steel steed,” he informs her. He has this weird chipper attitude about the whole situation, which Chrissy thinks may just be because he’s happy to be alive. Or maybe he has a kink where he enjoys getting hit by cars in full armor. Either way, Chrissy is just relieved that he’s not yelling at her and blaming her for this whole thing.
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay.”
She sees him look around in confusion before his eyes land on her. “My lady, tell me. What village is this?”
Now Chrissy wears a similar look of confusion on her face. “Hawkins.”
“Where?”
“Indiana.”
“So, I’m not in England?”
Chrissy shakes her head. Now that he doesn’t seem to know where he is, Chrissy is starting to get a bit worried about his well-being. “Are you sure you’re alright? Maybe we should get you to the hospital.”
Before the knight gets a chance to answer, Chrissy hears the sound of a siren. Coming towards them is a police car, which stops across from where Chrissy is parked. Chief Jim Hopper exits the car and Chrissy sighs in relief.
“I was just about to call you. I think he hit his head.”
Chrissy notices that the knight is fascinated with the way the lights on top of the car are blinking red and blue and giggles to herself. “What happened?” Hopper asks.
“I couldn’t see through the snow and hit him,” Chrissy admits. “I feel awful because I think he might actually be hurt.”
“It’s not your fault,” Hopper assures her with a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll talk to him and see what’s up.”
He turns around to see the knight examining the car, his eyes wide in wonder as they follow the movement of the wipers. His head soon follows, mimicking the movement. Chrissy stifles a laugh behind her hand.
Hopper steps closer to him so as not to startle and introduces himself. “Hello there, I’m Chief Jim Hopper. What’s your name?”
The knight smiles before introducing himself. “I am Sir Edward Joseph Anthony Munson. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” He bows low, then looks around briefly. “Have you seen my horse, Wilbur by any chance?”
Hopper shakes his head, then gets an idea. “Why don’t you sit in the back of my…steel horse and I’ll help you find him.”
“That’s quite kind of you,” Sir Edward says before opening the door of the squad car and settling himself inside. Hopper turns back to Chrissy and sighs.
“I’m taking him to the hospital,” Hopper tells her.
“I’ll meet you there.”
He walks away and gets into the car, starting it up and driving away in the direction of the hospital. Chrissy turns to go back to her car when she notices something lying on the ground. She picks it up and upon inspection, sees that it’s some kind of amulet. Thinking that it must belong to the knight, she tucks it into the pocket of her coat so she can give it back to him later.
By the time Chrissy arrives and gets settled, Hopper is just coming out into the waiting room. Trailing a little bit behind him is Sir Edward being wheeled out by a nurse, his armor and sword stuffed into the bag in his lap. “I survived your tube of torture,” Chrissy hears him say as he gets wheeled closer.
“MRI machine. Apparently, Sir Edward believes he’s a 14th century knight,” Hopper whispers. “Doctor said that post-traumatic amnesia can occur after a mild head injury. Usually resolves itself without any treatment.”
“Thank god,” Chrissy says, finally feeling like she can relax.
Sir Edward gets up out of the wheelchair once he’s with Hopper and Chrissy, trying to juggle his bag as he stands there. Standing in front of him, Chrissy remembers the amulet and turns to remove it from her coat pocket.
“I found this in the snow. I think it belongs to you.” She holds it out to him and he immediately hands off his bag to Hopper, who struggles to hold it, while he reaches out to take the amulet.
“Thank you, my lady. It’s quite precious to me.”
“You’re welcome. I’m relieved you’re alright. I’m Chrissy, by the way.”
“Charmed,” he says, smiling once again. Chrissy decides she really likes his smile. It makes his whole face light up and gives her a chance to get a glimpse of those adorable dimples of his. While she’s lost in his smile, she doesn’t notice him getting down on bended knee and holding her hand. “Sir Edward Joseph Anthony Munson of Norwich. At your service, my Lady Chrissy.” Ever so softly, he kisses the back of her hand, which causes a fluttering to erupt in her chest.
Once Sir Edward is discharged from the hospital, he follows Chrissy and the Chief back outside. He listens to bits and pieces of their conversation as he tries to catch snowflakes on his tongue.
“I’ll take him down to the station so he can get some sleep tonight and then I’ll figure out where he can stay until he gets his memory back,” the chief says.
“You don’t have to do that. He can stay with me,” Chrissy counters.
“Chrissy,” Hopper sighs, “you don’t need to put yourself out. I can handle it.”
“I can take shelter under a tree for the night,” Sir Edward chimes in. He doesn’t want to be an inconvenience to Chrissy. Plus, he’s very good at navigating forests and knows exactly what trees provide the best coverage.
“No. You are not sleeping under a tree when I have an empty guest house you can stay in,” Chrissy insists.
Sir Edward doesn’t protest, but Chief Hopper does. He repeatedly questions Chrissy on whether or not she thinks it’s a good idea, but she’s stubborn and sticks to her word. “I’ll feel a whole lot better knowing he’s safe and comfortable until his memory comes back,” Chrissy says, her lips pursed in a pout in an effort to convince Hopper that what she’s doing is a good idea. Finally, he relents with a sigh, and Chrissy smiles in victory.
Sir Edward smiles at her determination and the kindness she expresses towards him even though they’re practically strangers. “Thank you, my lady. Your hospice sounds like a delightful respite.”
The snow has let up quite a bit, so the ride to Chrissy’s house is much smoother. When she comes to a stop at a light, she turns to check on Sir Edward, noticing how intensely he’s examining everything in the car. She sees him touch the lever that opens the glove box and laughs when it pops open and startles him. He makes multiple attempts to close it, but eventually gives up and lets it hang. At the next stop, Chrissy leans over to close it.
Quiet fills the car for a while, with Chrissy continuing to drive and Sir Edward continuing to analyze everything. After a bit, he speaks, making a comment that Chrissy is sure he’s been formulating since they got in the car. “So, the wheel acts as the reins and the pedals at your feet control the steed’s speed.”
Chrissy nods and makes an affirmative noise as she keeps her eyes on the road.
“Do you wanna listen to some music?” she asks when the silence becomes unbearable. Turning the knob on the radio, she finds a station playing Christmas music and notices Sir Edward looking perplexed.
“Where are the minstrels that are playing that lyrical melody?”
“On the radio. Right here.” She gestures to it, then gives him free reign to test it out. He presses all the buttons, making the stations change quickly, a look of childlike wonder spread across his face. Taking the button pushing even further, he turns the overhead lights on and off, then finds the button that opens up the sun roof. A pile of snow falls into the car, landing on their heads and giving them a shock of cold.
When they finally arrive in Chrissy’s neighborhood, Sir Edward is surprised by the size of the homes. They’re tall, looming structures with ornately decorated doors and an abundance of windows. These homes are much larger than the one he lived in back in his time. In fact, he thinks maybe three of his humble abode could fit inside one of these massive homes. He wonders if the inside of Chrissy’s home is as large as the outside.
As they walk along the path, Chrissy slips on the ice. Sir Edward catches her before she can hit the ground and continues to hold onto her even after saving her from danger. He’s mesmerized by her eyes once again, noticing for the first time that there are flecks of gray mixed in with the ocean blue of her irises.
Chrissy taps his arm. “You can let me up now.”
He hoists her back to her feet, still keeping a hold on her to make sure she’s steady. “Steady now, my lady.”
Once he’s sure she won’t slip again, he removes his hands from her waist. “My lady is steady and good to go,” she replies, before continuing to lead the way.
She leads them behind the house, where another equally large house resides. Chrissy presents the house with a flourish, making Sir Edward smile. “This is quite a lovely manor,” he comments.
“Thanks. It was my parents’ manor.”
Following her up the stairs, Sir Edward is greeted by warmth as she opens the door and they step inside. He's used to homes made from brick with thatched roofs and very little furnishings, but Chrissy's home is the exact opposite. The rooms are full of furniture - most of which he's unfamiliar with - and the walls are painted with whites and beiges.
Sir Edward takes in his surroundings as they stand in the kitchen, taking note of everything in the room. One thing in particular tickles his fancy and he walks over to stand in front of it. Cautiously, he pulls at the handle of the large machine and it opens, blowing cold air into his face. He notices ice gathering at the edges of the container and reaches a finger out to touch it. This contraption is absolutely fascinating and once he gets his fill of frigid air, he closes the door.
"This contraption is amazing. It appears to bring the icy weather indoors."
Chrissy humors him, not wanting him to feel awkward. "Yeah, it's pretty cool. I like that it keeps my food cold."
He smiles at the acknowledgement, then walks off into another room. This room has a brick fireplace decorated with stockings and tinsel and a large wreath at the top. In front of it are some comfortable looking chairs and small tables. So far, this is the only area in the home that reminds Sir Edward of his own. He's sure he'll be spending a lot of time sitting in front of the fire.
Across from the fireplace area there is a large reflective object attached to the wall with a much longer chair-like piece of furniture pointing towards it. He wonders what the thing does and why one would need to be facing it, but he doesn't have time to ponder that thought when Chrissy speaks again.
"I think we need to update your wardrobe by a few centuries. I'll see if I can find something that my ex-boyfriend left behind."
"Oh, please thank him for me."
"He's my ex, which means I don't see him anymore," she explains.
"I'm sorry," Sir Edward says with genuine sympathy.
"No, don't be. He turned out to be a real douche, as some of my high schoolers would say."
"I see. Well, while you fetch the douche's garments, might I inquire as to a tub and cauldron so that I can boil water for a bath?"
"How about I just show you to the bathroom?" Sir Edward nods and Chrissy starts leading him down the hall.
He's never seen a washroom such as this in all his years of life. There's this shiny white thing that looks like a chair, a glass paneled box off in the corner, and a similarly white shiny thing with two knobs on it that looks connected to the wall. Curiosity piquing, Sir Edward turns one of the knobs and sees a strong stream of water coming from the faucet. He wonders if the glass box works the same way.
Chrissy comes back into the room carrying a large box full of clothes. She didn't realize how much Jason actually left behind, but since he was so quick to leave once his infidelity came to light, she figured he never actually cared anyway. That works in her favor though, because now Sir Edward can wear his stuff (and will probably look better in it than Jason did).
She sifts through everything and picks out an outfit she thinks would look nice, then folds the garments and sets them on top of the other clothes. She'll leave the box out just in case Sir Edward doesn't like her choices and wants to make his own.
The bathroom door closes and Chrissy sees Sir Edward's shadow across the wall as he draws closer. The last thing she expects to see when he rounds the corner is a towel around his waist and beads of water sliding down his body. It's hard not to stare when the light in the room reflects off of the remaining wetness. Chrissy can't help but notice just how fit his body is, and she figures it's because of all the horseback riding. It's a little hard to tell, but Chrissy thinks he also has a few scars littering his skin, which she thinks may have come from sword-wielding duels.
When he stops in front of her, Chrissy clears her throat and grabs the box to hand to him. "I come bearing gifts."
"Whilst I have none for thee," he replies, sounding slightly disappointed. Maybe in his time it's customary to exchange gifts, Chrissy wonders.
"Don't worry about it." Besides, seeing someone as attractive as he is in such a state is gift enough for her. "I'll let you get dressed." He smiles, then picks up the box and carries it down the hall. Chrissy takes one last glance at him before he disappears into the bathroom, liking what she sees.
While Sir Edward is changing, Chrissy gets a call from Heather. They talk about Ella and the boutique for a while before Heather's voice gets a bit more serious. "Are you sure you want this guy staying in your house? What if he's like an escapee from prison or something?"
Chrissy rolls her eyes even though Heather can't see her. "He doesn't seem like the type."
"Maybe it's an act."
"Heather, I've been teaching long enough to know a good person when I see one. He's completely harmless, trust me."
Speaking of being 'harmless', Sir Edward happens to be setting a fire in the backyard that Chrissy can see through the window. She makes an excuse to get off the phone and rushes outside carrying a fire extinguisher. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a skunk scurrying away as fast as it can.
"What are you doing?"
"Trying to have supper," he replies like it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"You can't eat skunks or start fires on people's lawns," she reprimands as she puts out the flames.
He looks genuinely sorry, and Chrissy feels a little bad about getting him upset. "My apologies my lady Chrissy, I-"
"Just call me Chrissy."
"Chrissy, I did not mean to upset you. I'm just a fair bit famished."
"Well, we have a much easier solution that doesn't involve skunks and fire."
The place Chrissy takes him to is called a diner and it bears the name Benny's on the outside. Many patrons are seated at the tables eating and making conversation as they're lead to their table. Chrissy sits across from him and opens the shiny, thin book with pictures of food on it. She hands him one and says it's called a 'menu'. He peruses the options, reading them out slowly in order to get a feel for these foreign words. "Cheeseburger. Tater tots. Hot dog. And yet skunks are not okay to eat."
He sees Chrissy smile at him. "It's not actually dog. It's pork sausage."
Sir Edward shrugs his shoulders and looks at the menu once more. "What do you feel like having?" Chrissy asks him as she sets her own menu down.
Frankly, he's not interested in eating any of this food. He'd rather eat the food he's been accustomed to for his whole life - wild boar with a side of brown bread and berries - but the taste of that mead Chrissy accidentally spilled on him still faintly lingers on his tongue.
A woman comes by their table to ask what they want and before Sir Edward can ask if they have any of his favorite foods, Chrissy orders for them and hands her both of their menus.
Their food arrives after a while and Sir Edward just stares at his plate. There's some sort of meat patty encased between two pieces of odd looking bread. He pokes it as a means of trying to figure out what it could be, but the heat of the food causes him to almost burn his finger.
"That's a cheeseburger with a side of fries," he hears Chrissy point out. "The meat comes from a cow and the fries are made from potatoes." It looks quite delicious as it sits there on the plate and he hesitates slightly before picking up what Chrissy called a 'fry' and taking a small bite. A flavor like no other fills his mouth and he surprisingly enjoys the taste. Next, he tries the cheeseburger and once again his mouth is flooded with all different flavors. He never knew food could taste so good and now he doesn't think he'll be able to enjoy food from back home the way he used to.
Once his plate is clean, he takes the final sip of his drink and decides he wants more. Chrissy calls the waitress over and Sir Edward requests another round of his favorite mead.
As Sir Edward takes sips of his drink, Chrissy asks him some questions as she slowly finishes her meal. "So, do you have a wife and kids? Maybe a fair maiden who's waiting for you back at home?"
"I did, years ago. But alas, I could not marry the Lady Cassandra until my quest had been fulfilled."
"That sucks."
"I cared for her deeply, but I needed to do what was right. A knight's first and foremost duty is to honor his quest and king."
Lady Cassandra was a young woman who lived in the kingdom and worked in the castle as a lady-in-waiting. They would see each other occasionally and had been quite cordial in the beginning. However, she had soon fallen in love with him. That had worried him because he was devoted to the king and at his beck and call for whatever he needed. He didn't have time to concern himself with matters of the heart.
She was a lovely maiden and if Sir Edward hadn't been so dedicated to his service, he surely would have married her. But doing his knightly duties was what mattered most. Maybe one day he'll finally settle down with a lovely lady, but until then, his loyalty lies with the kingdom.
He notices Chrissy trying to hide and frowns. "Is something the matter?"
"My ex and his new girlfriend just walked in."
Sir Edward turns around to see the man holding hands with a woman and smiling as they walk to a booth across the restaurant. "Maybe I should thank him for the garments he provided for me." Before Sir Edward even has a chance to get up from the seat, Chrissy reaches across the table and grabs his arm.
"No, that's not necessary."
"Ah, you regard him still."
"Regard him as a big mistake, you mean. He cheated on me with the girl sitting across from him."
"Then perhaps he deserves something other than appreciation," he says as he begins to unsheathe his sword.
"No, sit down. You can't do that."
"I assure you, I can."
"I'm not knocking your ability, but that's not the way things are done nowadays. There are literally laws against it."
Sir Edward sneers at the couple when he glances back. "The rules of gallantry are much changed when a deserving scoundrel cannot be put in his place."
"That may be true, but it's probably best not to do it while you're wearing his Christmas sweater."
Once their meal is finished, Chrissy sets down some rectangular green papers and they leave again in the steel steed.
Back at the manor, Chrissy picks up a rectangular box thing with buttons on it and points it at the big mirror looking thing hanging on the wall. Suddenly, Sir Edward's senses are filled with lots of colors and people walking around inside of the mirror. Then he realizes what this mirror thing is - one of the things the crone foretold. "A magic box that makes merry. Just like the Old Crone foretold," he tells Chrissy, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Oh, that's good," Chrissy says with a smile. "Well, I'll let you get to bed. Goodnight."
"Goodnight," he calls as she leaves. Instead of going right to sleep, he decides to play around with the box that makes merry. Every time he presses a button, a different moving picture appears on the screen. The whole entire thing is fascinating and he watches with interest as a man and woman on screen profess their love for each other and engage in a loving embrace.