Chapter 100 - Under a Peculiar Spell

The maiden opened her eyes, wide awake, searching for air.

Then she blinked, startled.

She saw stars, and even the moon. But it wasn't the sky by the sea. Stars and moon embroidered on the bed canopy.

Her nuptial bed.

Her throat felt parched, and she had a bad taste in her mouth. The air didn't smell like the unbearable charcoal-saturated air, but delicious-smelling wood and a little benzoin and laurel.

"Alexander, I had a dream ...," whispering she turned, hoping to find the Sleeping Prince at her side. But she was alone in bed.

And there was this thing around her hip, a kind of rag or… a baby diaper?

With some effort, the maiden sat down. She soon realized that the room was not Alexander's room. The ceiling was different, and the walls lined with luxurious wood panels were unfamiliar. Only the bed was the same.

"Romeo?" she called, but she didn't see the ornate cage. But her voice ...

It wasn't her voice.

"Ro-meo?" cautiously she spoke, feeling her throat at the same time. There was definitely a subtle lump there. Then the maiden looked at her hands. They were beautiful hands, but they were not her hands. Her husband's ring was there, as it should be if it were him.

Her hands immediately went to her chest, and she didn't find the little twin mounds she called her 'female shames', because of their small size. In place, a flat chest, wider than hers.

'So this thing between my legs is not just the many folds of fabric ...' Lifting her nightgown, Alexa lowered her diaper to find ...

'Oh! Alexander!' It definitely took a smile from the maiden.

'So I'm in your body? How did this happen? Wasn't it a dream?! Did we really make it? ' and looking around, 'Ale, are you around? Can you hear me?'

There was no answer.

'I shouldn't be staring, should I? The owner is not around ... ' she pulled the nightgown down. The arms were longer, and a little heavier. Then she lifted the gown again, and took that cloth back from her hips.

"Well, I'm going to need to pee in a little while, I think I must deal with it eventually, and ..."

Hearing her own voice was scary. 'Is your voice like that? Why doesn't it sound like the voice I hear? Is it because I'm listening 'from the inside'?' Alexa ran her hand over her neck again, moving up to her chin. There she found some scary stubs.

'EEK!'

Alexa investigated Alexander's body thoroughly.

'I need to warn Magnus and find Alexander. Everything will be easier now that ... Wait. Where's my body? What happened to my body?'

She didn't have an answer for that.

When Alexa got out of bed, she stumbled after two steps towards the window. Managing that body wasn't simple. It looked like her legs were very long, despite not having a big difference between her previous line of sight and the current one.

'Alexander, you are short for a man!' But Alexa realized that she had to learn to move with his body. She was training around the bed, crouching and doing all kinds of experiments with Alexander's muscles and bones. Pick up objects and even hung up on the bed canopy.

'Ouch, it really is a new body,' the maiden concluded, not knowing whether she liked the new strength or hated the lack of intimacy with her soul's new instrument.

Only when the maiden felt it was enough and thought she wouldn't be tripping around, she went to the bedroom door.

Her hand reached for the doorknob, but Alexa hesitated for a moment.

'What should I do?'

An old feeling made her stiffen.

Bending down, she looked through the lock. She was sure someone outside was watching.

Alexa ran to the bed, throwing herself on the bed and covering herself almost at the same time that someone opened the locks on the door. It was difficult to see from the angle she was, because of the bed's ornaments. But she thought the person who came in was tall and determined.

'Balbo?' she wondered, trying to spy with a half-open eye, while standing still.

"Father Agnello, let me check first if it's safe. Stay at the door," she got agitated when she realized that yes, it was Balbo. And that Blue Eyes was there.

'What should I do now? Do I reveal myself to them? Do I reveal myself as Alexa?'

Balbo examined every corner of the room, then he got close to the bed. Alexa had her eyes closed, but realized that the warrior fixed his gaze on Alexander.

"YAWN ..." she turned to one side, stretching her arms lazily.

"Virgin Mary!" Father Agnello exclaimed, approaching. Before that, however, Alexa / Alexander turned to face Balbo, and moved her lips so he read,

'IT'S ME, ALEXA!'

He nodded quickly, moving away as Blue Eyes came closer,

"Your Highness!" the Florentine priest exclaimed.

"YAWN YAWN! It seems that I slept so much…!" again the Prince stretched, burying his face in the pillow. She was still unsure about her ability to pretend to be Alexander.

"Yes, you slept too much indeed!" the priest's face seemed transformed, into genuine happiness.

But they heard heavy and hurried footsteps in the hall, and the Prince sat down quickly on the bed, looking at the door.

"Alexander!" Prince Gutard burst into the room, stopping immediately when he saw his son sitting on the bed, and with his eyes wide open.

Its smell of smoke and death was noticeable even from a distance, and the Prince raised the sleeve of his nightgown discreetly. Balbo went to the window, pulling the curtain and opening the window to relieve the pungent smell.

"What happened?" The young prince risked asking.

"You woke up! YOU WOKE UP, SON!"

'Duh, isn't it obvious?' the Prince mockingly thought, getting up carefully. The priest reached out to support him, but the 'Second Prince' refused. It was good to pretend some appreciation as a good son, wasn't it?

Keeping an enigmatic half-smile, the Second Prince went towards Gutard, who opened his arms with the most honest and beautiful smile that Alexa had ever seen that man give. Were Gutard's eyes watery?

There were only two steps left to reach Gutard's embrace, when Alexa felt her body soften. The last thing she saw was Gutard's scared face when he grabbed his son so Alexander wouldn't fall.

°°°

Feeling swallowed from this body and dragged quickly to somewhere else, Alexa opened her eyes once again. And this time the first thing she saw was the violet dawn sky ... and two bird's eyes very close to her nose.

The nightingale flew abruptly, scared. Alexa realized that she was lying on her cape, and could hear the sea sounds around her. Her body didn't hurt much, although she realized that the spot where she had been stabbed was stuck to the clothing on her back. The smell of the sea overwhelmed the smell of smoke and death from the clothes she wore. 'Will Death leave me alone for now? Won't she find me?'

She couldn't say for sure.

Seagulls squawked and the ocean waves came and went on the shore. The world didn't care about the events of the night before.

The Princess glanced aside, noticing someone. It was the First Prince, sitting by her side.

Did he ... Did he have tears on his face? She couldn't tell for sure, he seemed intent on staring at the horizon.

~ Alexa! ~ Alexander, the real Alexander, asked, incredulous and happy, returning to her.

"Alexa!" Magnus exclaimed shortly afterward, in a choked voice, leaning over her with an anxious smile.

"I'm fine," she leaned on Magnus and sat down.

"What happened?"

"I think... the ritual worked. I've been… visiting Alexander's body for a while. I think I left part of my life with him. Then I wake up here again!" in fact, it was great to be herself again.

"So the damn prophetess didn't lie at all," Magnus asked, helping her to her feet. Alexa felt a little pain between the ribs, but imagined that basic care would heal this wound. She already knew that she wouldn't die from that injury.

"What did your father do?"

"He wasn't sad because Sigrid killed himself. But he regretted that you died."

"Because I couldn't help finding the alchemist anymore, I guess."

Magnus stared at her for a moment, considering what to say, but sighed, "You idiot. Yes, probably. But the search for Alexander's cure is not over yet."

~ Did you die or didn't you? ~ Alexander asked, flying between them to get attention.

"Did I die? I don't know," however, her eyes never left Magnus's. If she had died… And resurrected, then ...

~ And are you feeling well? ~

"As if I had been spit on by a horse ... But that's a good thing. I feel alive," she confessed. Looking at the horizon, Alexa noticed the orange tones dyeing the sky. They're in the promontory near the lighthouse.

"Shouldn't we start our trip?"

Magnus sighed again, and said,

"Yes, let's reach Aunt Godiva and begin our journey. Are you sure you're fine?"

"I do," she replied, pulling her hood off as best she could and calling Romeo over her shoulder. Romeo, leaning on a driftwood log on the beach, had decided to sing, however. Loud as hell.

Whether it was the bird's instinct or Alexander's joy, humans couldn't guess, though.

"You have no option but ride my horse until we reach them," the First Prince said with a snicker, lowering his head as he took the horse's reins.

Alexa remembered the day they met, and got the reference, but said nothing.

They both got on the horse, and Magnus muttered, in her ear,

"You stink, Princess."

"I know," she replied under her breath.

"Come on, Singing Prince! Or do you want to stay behind?" Magnus called. Romeo reached them with a trill.

And so the journey began.

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IT'S NOT THE END.