When the Time Traveler ended up on Mars and assisted John Carter and his allies in driving off the tripod riding Nomads, his machine had suffered a brakedown after sustaining damage in the battle.
Using the advanced 9th Ray technology of Barsoom, he and John had manage to not only repaired the machine, but to improve it's three-dimensional movement capabilities. It became the Space-Time machine and a precurser to the Wondervessel.
However, the two did not expect what came next. The changes made to the machine had some rather unusual effects. The ST machine could hop, for a short period of time, between the numerous other dimensions. It was practicaly no longer bound by the base four.
During the first test run, the machine took them to a unconventional pocket dimension. A universe of smallness, weird geomentry and unexplainable laws that bafled even the steadiest mind. The planets were no bigger the one story bungalows, resembling asteroids more the planets. Extraordinary warm glows seem to come from nowhere as there were no suns in the vecinity. It all felt very picturesque to the Traveler.
One a near by planet (if it can be even called that) sat, what looked like, a small doll-like boy with a scarf around his neck and bright yellow hair that seemed to move on it's own.
"Evening" said the boy with a smile.
The Traveler had to compose himself. Out of all the things he had see until now, not even the war of Mars surprised him as much as this small universe and it's seemingly soul resident.
"Evening" the Traveler replied after a pause, trying to sound friendly.
"Are you lost?" asked the doll-boy.
"Yes actualy. We are."
"How unfortunate" the boy's polite tone seemed unusualy regal, as the child was the ofspring of a high class citizain. Maybe even a monarch.
The machine however had started it's return sequence. It couldn't sustain a physical form anymore. Not aslong as they were in a dimention that wasn't their own. As the chrge builed up and the machine began to fade, the Traveler looked at the boy. As a last effort to understand the shortlived experience in that amazing yet somewhat frightning place, he asked the boy "Who... what are you?" as they departed.
The boy looked at them and, as if it's the most normal thing in the world, answered,
"I am a prince".