I don’t know how long I sat in front of the vanity, examining what was now my face from every angle. My ears buzzed. The realization crept in slowly, grudgingly: I’m not myself anymore.
Definitely not the kind of news you want to wake up to, that’s for sure. But… as my good friend Christina always said, when life hands you a mess, there’s no point throwing it around.
If I somehow ended up here… Though, why “somehow”? Clearly, it’s through some kind of magic, like the two of them mentioned. Then I need to get back the same way. The main thing is that my body back home gets found quickly and hooked up to life support.
Christina’s supposed to swing by before class. If I don’t answer her call, she’ll raise the alarm. So, I don’t need to worry about that for now.
But figuring out how to return? That’s worth thinking about.
I’ve only ever seen magic in movies. All those fireballs and lightning bolts wizards throw from their hands. Or shoot from magic wands.
Finding myself in a place like this, I had no idea where to get a magic wand or a spellbook to get back home.
“Inhale, exhale,” I commanded myself, feeling the edge of panic creeping in again. “No time to fall apart.”
One thing working in my favor was that the princess had been paralyzed for a long time. Now I just needed to find out how bad it was for her—and how good that was for me. I needed to learn about this world around me. And I had to do it all without anyone realizing I wasn’t really her.
I didn’t even want to think about what the locals might do if word got out that the princess wasn’t actually the princess. That I was some kind of alien in her body.
I let out a nervous laugh at the word “alien” that popped into my head.
“And to them, that’s exactly what I am,” I muttered, massaging my temples with cold, slender fingers. “To them, I’m an alien.”
No doubt about it. A different world. God, this can’t be real!
After a few more deep breaths, I gathered my strength to call for Pifal.
The door opened, and the maid—Adele’s maid—burst into the room, fussing as she went. What a beautiful name this princess has!
“Milady! Why did you get up on your own? You could’ve fallen! You’re still so weak!”
“I’m fine,” I assured her, though I didn’t risk standing from the stool to prove it.
The weakness was still overwhelming. But if this body was paralyzed just yesterday, then my current state is definite progress.
“Could you call the doctor?” I asked, glancing at Pifal. “I’m ready.”
“Of course, milady,” she replied, bowing just as the man had a few minutes earlier.
I’m not exactly gifted with acting skills. How am I supposed to play the role of a princess? How do royals even react when people bow to them?
Lih appeared within minutes. Behind him trailed another crowd of gawkers. But this time, Pifal stood at the door and barked at them to get lost.
“They’ve come to stare, can you believe it!” the woman huffed, slamming the door in the face of a young man in a strangely tailored dark suit.
“Milady,” the doctor said, stopping near me and gesturing for me to face him.
Pifal immediately jumped to drape a heavy robe over my shoulders, fastening it at my chest.
Well, yeah… I’m sitting here in a nightgown. Though I’d call this outfit a perfectly decent dress. Sleeping in it feels like a crime!
“Look here, milady,” the man requested, pulling a long, slender object from the pocket of his green elongated jacket. It glowed with a soft yellow light. “Good. Now, breathe.”
He touched the object to the hollow at the base of my throat.
I had no idea what he was doing, but… I followed his instructions.
“Good. Now, try to stand,” Lih said, offering his hand to help me stay steady. “Take a step.”
I managed this request with much more confidence.
“Very good,” the doctor smiled. “You’re recovering quickly. Indovir works wonders. But you’ll need to keep taking the tinctures.”
“I’ll make sure of it,” Pifal chimed in eagerly.
“In that case, all that’s left for me is to write my report and send it to the lord,” the man said, bowing to me again. “I’ll visit you later, Your Grace. If you feel nauseous, let me know immediately.”
“Alright,” I replied weakly, somehow doubting things could get worse.
I felt pretty okay. Aside from the fatigue and weakness, which seemed to lessen with every passing second.
“Milady, are you hungry?” Pifal asked with concern after the doctor left. “Shall I have breakfast brought up?”
“No, thank you,” I lied.
No point sitting around sampling local cuisine. I needed to act before everyone figured out I wasn’t their precious princess.
“I’d like to take a look around this place,” I said firmly, realizing Pifal would fulfill any wish… any order.
“You’re still too weak,” she objected with doubt.
“But I feel much better than I did yesterday,” I assured her.
That was a lie too. Yesterday, I was myself—Alina Nevska. Today, I’m forced to avoid slipping up on some tiny detail while frantically searching for a way to get back to my own body.
How bizarre it sounds—returning to my own body…
At this point, my brain had gone into defense mode. Everything around me, I perceived as a dream. Just a regular dream I needed to escape from.
The human body is an amazing thing, protecting itself from the brink of insanity like this.
“Then you’ll need to get dressed,” Pifal said. I tuned back into her words, deciding I’d have time to ponder the capabilities of the human body later—once this unreal nightmare was behind me. “Allow me to assist you.”
After I nodded, the maid got to work. She opened the wardrobe doors and pulled out a light dress made of thin blue fabric with silver embroidery on the bodice and skirt.
It reminded me of something I wore to my high school prom. I’d braced for the worst, but apparently, they dress pretty normally here.
The only thing I hadn’t anticipated was the complete lack of underwear as I knew it. They made me take off the nightgown and put on a thin, long-sleeved chemise under the “prom” dress.
At least I found a silver lining in not feeling like this body was mine—no hint of embarrassment.
But after the outer dress was layered over the undergarment, I felt uncomfortable. It was like they were trying to turn me into a cabbage. Only two layers so far, but already far from pleasant.
“You look wonderful, milady,” Pifal smiled, brushing my hair and tightening the corset of the dress.
The latter squeezed my ribs noticeably.
They picked out shoes for me too. And that started to worry me.
If the clothes and shoes fit Princess Adele so perfectly, maybe she hadn’t been sick for that long? What if this disaster struck her just a few weeks ago? If so, I had no chance of pulling off her role.
I bit my lip, unable to shake these thoughts while Pifal worked on my hair.
“There we are,” the woman smiled, placing the last pale curl over my shoulder.
Blonde… I’d always wanted to try this color. But my friends convinced me not to ruin my hair, saying my chestnut brown looked great as it was.
If the universe decided to grant my wish this way, then from now on, I’m done blowing out birthday candles.
“Can we go?” I asked hopefully.
“Are you sure?” she checked for the umpteenth time. “The doctor didn’t give permission to leave your rooms.”
“But he didn’t say I had to stay in bed all the time either,” I countered.
Besides, I’m not likely to find a mage willing to help me get home while lying in bed. I wonder what I could offer someone like that? A pile of gold? A princess surely isn’t the poorest person in the kingdom. She’d definitely be able to reward her savior.
Pifal sighed and agreed with me.
Beyond the princess’s room stretched a long corridor.
Large black tiles covered the floor, gray stone lined the walls, and real torches were mounted in metal rings.
“Where would you like to go, milady?” the maid asked, keeping close enough to catch me if a wave of weakness hit. “Perhaps the garden?”
“You promised to tell me everything,” I pointed out, eyeing the tapestries on the walls. I wanted to walk right up, touch them, confirm they were real. Examine the embroidery and the crests.
What a story this’ll be for my friends! Of course, they won’t believe me. But what an experience!
“And what would you like to know?” Pifal asked just as cautiously.
Darn it, I wanted to know how I got here and how to get back home. But I doubted this woman could tell me about such things.
“Where are we right now?” I decided to ask.
Even if Princess Adele came here while still healthy, memory could play tricks on her.
“Milady,” Pifal smiled as if answering a child, “you’re currently in the Duchy of Etienne. You arrived here a little less than a year ago. I came with you from the royal palace. And I became your lady’s maid.”
“Riiight,” I drawled, relieved she didn’t exclaim something like, “What?! Don’t you remember?!”
“Your mother assigned me to you when you were just ten,” she continued as we walked down the empty, long corridor.
Windows started to appear—simple semicircular openings in the walls. From my spot, I could only see a bright blue sky with thin white clouds. So, I turned and approached a wide stone windowsill. I leaned on it with my palms and barely held back a gasp of awe.
A palace! I’m in a real palace! At the height of a sixteenth floor.
A princess in a tower—how cliché.
Below, a vast park bloomed with green treetops, birds sang, and the sound of water murmured. And the smell… so sweet, like flowers. The park ended at a high fortress wall. Beyond it stretched a green meadow, reaching the base of enormous gray-blue mountains. The rocky ridge extended into the distance, its sharp peaks piercing the sky, disappearing into clouds and mist.
It took my breath away!
“Milady?” The woman stopped a little ways off, calling to me.
“It’s so beautiful here,” I whispered.
“Yes,” she agreed. “After all, this is the first time you’re seeing it.”
I fell silent, waiting for her to continue. And Pifal didn’t make me wait long.
“You’ve seen so little… It’s such a shame that misfortune struck you at such a young age. What can a five-year-old child see? And now you’re nearly nineteen. But you’ve overcome it. That wretched illness. After losing so much time.”
She grieved so openly. So honestly. I felt guilty for deceiving this woman. But I couldn’t tell her the truth either.
Still, despite that, I mentally cheered at my stroke of luck. Not for Adele, but for me. If the princess had been paralyzed for nearly fifteen years, she wouldn’t know much. My questions wouldn’t raise any suspicion.
“How’s my family doing now?” I asked carefully, stepping away from the window.
The view was stunning, but standing in one place wouldn’t get me far.
“His Majesty and Her Majesty are in good health,” Pifal nodded, walking beside me. “Lord and Lady Flemur—your brother and sister—are also doing well.”
Got it… Lord and Lady Flemur. So, “Flemur” isn’t just a surname; it’s also the name of the kingdom. That means I need to respond to Lady Adele and Lady Flemur.
My brain was starting to overheat. But I wasn’t about to relax, gathering information bit by bit.
“You said this misfortune happened to me at five,” I mumbled, trying to sound deeply concerned. “What exactly happened? I… I can’t remember anything.”
I hoped Pifal would forgive my lie. I truly felt uneasy about this situation with her.
“Your Highness, there were many rumors,” she replied thoughtfully. “Some say you were cursed by enemies. Others claim it was some disease. All that’s known is that you simply collapsed. And that was it.”
Just collapsed and ended up paralyzed at five? That doesn’t sound very convincing. Though who knows what kind of nastiness lurks around here. And my medical knowledge is at the level of “don’t mix up headache pills with nasal drops.”
The corridor ended at a staircase.
“Milady, perhaps we should turn back?” Pifal asked with concern.
But I’d already grabbed the railing and stepped onto the first stair. The weakness had almost completely faded. And I saw no reason to delay my search for a return ticket home.
The descent from the tower was long. And, most frustratingly, I didn’t learn anything new the whole way down. Pifal only sighed and fretted that I shouldn’t have left my rooms so soon.
Then a wave of noise hit my ears.
I’d just stepped off the last stair onto the ground floor, and it was like I’d returned to the land of the living. At the base of the stairs, two men in dark uniforms with spears in hand stood guard. They raised their eyebrows in surprise, then quickly bowed, seemingly recognizing Princess Adele. A gaggle of girls with basins in their hands rushed past. One of them froze, dropping a tin plate that clattered across the floor, and gasped, pressing her hands to her mouth.
“Milady has come to!” she cried, falling to her knees before me.
If not for Pifal, who didn’t even flinch, I would’ve rushed to help the stranger up from the floor.
“Milady?”
“Milady has come to!” The gossip spread like wildfire.
Soon, the entire castle was buzzing.
“Everyone was so worried,” Pifal encouraged me as I recoiled from the initial shock. She ushered me away from the stairs toward another stone corridor.
This time, though, the right wall was practically nonexistent. Instead, there was just a low stone barrier at the base and wide columns supporting the ceiling. All of it designed so people could enjoy the proximity to the park area.
Part of the view was obscured by large green bushes with thin leaves. Beyond them opened a vista of pebble-lined paths and trees with massive canopies.
“What wonderful news has reached my ears!” a voice called from the side. So close, it was clearly directed at us.
I turned first and locked eyes with a tall man.
Young. No older than twenty-five at first glance. Slightly curly black hair covered the tips of his ears, playful glints danced in his deep blue eyes, and his thin lips spread into a smile, not hiding the stranger’s joy.
“I wanted to confirm the rumors myself,” he added, bowing respectfully. “I’m glad you’ve recovered from that dreadful illness, Lady Etienne.”
Lady Etienne?
I furrowed my brows in confusion. How many titles does this princess have? Her name’s supposed to be Adele, surname Flemur. Right?
Taking advantage of my hesitation, the stranger caught my hand and kissed the back of it, throwing me off balance once again.
“Allow me to introduce myself, Lady Etienne. My name is Tamash. Tamash Monua. I’m a loyal friend and the first advisor to Duke Etienne. Your husband.”