Knightmare Situation: Pt9-16 (Mini caption)

Knightmare Situation Pt9

Despite my protests, the knights guided me back to the cart, where they had managed to defeat the bandits and were now clearing the road so we could continue to Bayerin. One of the knights took my hand and helped me into the carriage like I was some helpless damsel.

I get it; to them I am the princess, and they’re merely doing what I trained them to do, and helping the princess inside like this was something I always did for the princess, so they’re likely just mimicking me.

They’re doing their jobs well, and I’m proud of them for that, but this whole thing is super embarrassing, not to mention a waste of my time. I need to get away from them, get a new set of armor that fits this body, a sharp sword, and set out to find the princess.

The carriage begins to move. Perhaps once we’re in Bayerin, I can find a way to do all that. I might even be able to get the assistance of Princess Mirya. She’s good friends with Gwyna, so even if I look like her, I don’t act like her, and surely her friend would notice that.

Knightmare Situation Pt10

After a long trip where I was worried the whole time about Princess Gwyna’s safety, we made it to Bayerin. The knights under my command alerted the captain of Princess Mirya’s guard about the situation.

They quickly rushed me inside while half of them doubled back in order to investigate and find what happened to me. The other half stayed near me, and the acting captain, Jiriko, was handling sending word back to our home kingdom.

I tried to speak to Princess Mirya, but the servants insisted I be bathed and clothed in clean clothes; that way I could relax after such a stressful situation. I’ll admit, I was embarrassed about that, but luckily they thought I was the princess.

So I didn’t have to do anything but sit in the water. After I got out, they tried to stick me in another dress. I tried to refuse, but the head handmaiden was quite strict and convincing, so I once again found myself in a dress, but at least I was off to see Princess Mirya.

Knightmare Situation Pt11

I finally got to sit down at a table in the courtyard with Princess Mirya, and before I could say anything, she started to bombard me with questions. Things like, Am I okay? What was the witch like? Am I scared she’ll try again?

I would have answered those questions, but she never stopped talking for a moment. She just kept speaking, even when I tried to interrupt her. Was this normally how she was around Gwyna? She’s a pretty quiet princess; maybe that’s why they’re great friends.

After a few more attempts, a servant comes and pours us some tea, and they ask me how I’d like my tea prepared. Princess Mirya finally stopped talking, so I was able to tell the servant how I liked my tea. Three scoops of sugar and a good amount of honey.

Knightmare Situation Pt12

Princess Mirya suddenly jumped up and pointed her finger at me. She loudly asked me who the hell I was. I stood up quickly in a panic. I had no idea what was going on. Princess Mirya then asked me again who I was, saying she knew I wasn’t Gwyna.

Knights came running in when Princess Mirya yelled, so I put my hands up and gulped. I told her she was right, that I wasn’t Princess Gwyna, but instead Reyrus, her protector. Princess Mirya laughed and called me a liar.

She then told me to prove it, so I thought for a minute and then smiled. I asked her if she remembered the day she wanted to go to the hundred-year oak in the Hexious forest. Princess Mirya’s face suddenly turned pale.

Knightmare Situation Pt13

She said she remembered it and asked why it was important. I then told the tale of a daring young princess who had to climb the tree, and suddenly she slipped and fell down. I acted quickly and caught her.

She said that everyone knew that story. I smiled and told her that not everyone knew` why she came home wearing my cloak. Princess Mirya turned bright red and started to wave her hands. She told me there was no reason to continue and that she believed me.

After convincing Princess Mirya that I was who I said I was, I then told her about what happened with the witch. She couldn’t believe it: the real princess was taken, and I was turned into a girl and had a spell cast on me to look like Princess Gwyna.

She then asked me what it was like to change into a woman. I turned red and only said it felt strange. She then asked if it felt strange in a good or bad way, and I didn’t have an answer to that. I know my body is different now, but it’s starting to feel natural.

Knightmare Situation Pt14

I tell her that I can’t focus on that now. Instead, I need to speak with her court wizard and see if he can track the remnant magic left behind by the witch when she cast these spells on me. Princess Mirya smiled and said that was a great idea.

She grabbed my hand and dragged me through the castle and right up to the wizard's tower. She then barged right in, which was typically quite disrespectful for Mage's lairs, but I guess being a princess means that doesn't apply to you.

I stood before the court wizard, who I had thought was a man named Parritson, but instead was a woman named Bolaga who was his former apprentice and now his replacement. She took one look at me and sighed.

She said I had quite the set of spells used on me. She walked over and began to inspect my body. She then said that I looked just like the Princess of Zonait, yet I had a completely different aura. Princess Mirya told her she was right and then began to retell my tale thus far.

Knightmare Situation Pt15

Bolaga understood the problem and got right to work using a spell to trace the magic. Luckily, magic like this can leave a nice trail that lasts some time, so we weren't too late. She was able to pinpoint where the witch had gone after our encounter.

It’s a town to the east that was said to be abandoned. A great place to make a hideout for an evil witch. Knowing that there were only two more things I needed Bolaga to do for me, and that was to turn me back into a man and rid me of this look-alike spell.

She looked at me, then at her spell book for a while. She then tried something but I was still a woman afterward, and Princess Mirya said I looked the same. Bolaga didn’t look surprised and gave me the bad news.

The spells the witch used on me weren't so easily reversed. If Bolaga had the witch's spell book, she could make a reverse spell quickly, but without it, it would take her months, if not years, and even then she still might not be able to do it.

Knightmare Situation Pt16

That news did make this more difficult, but that wouldn’t stop me. I’d do anything to get the princess back. So after leaving Bolaga’s lair, Princess Mirya brought me to the army so I could get some equipment, though she told me it was a bad idea to go.

She tried to beg me to let the knights handle it, and I had to remind her I was a knight, but not just any knight, the one tasked above all else to protect Princess Gwyna. It was my sworn duty to protect her, and I was currently failing at it.

Princess Mirya sighed and said she knew she couldn’t stop me, but asked me to think things over a bit. She then mentioned that everyone thinks I’m Gwyna and that she’s safe; if I leave, news of my disappearance will get out and my people back home will panic.

She wants me to stay and act as the princess to keep up appearances, while the knights work in secret to get Princess Gwyna back. I think she’s right, but at the same time I don’t trust anyone else with this task, and I don’t think I’d make a very good princess.