Maybe if I find myself in a position to do it, I may try riding again. Other than my mission itself, there's something very pleasant about being out in the open air and riding through the trees.
It takes a surprisingly short amount of time for the rush of the approaching river to sound in my ears. I wait for a moment or two just to be sure we're where I think we are.
But it's wishful thinking on my part that we're not. Somewhere around here, Fatin is lurking and waiting for her chance to strike at poor Helena.
I turn my horse from the path with relative ease, and ride down until we find the bank. Nerves flutter in my stomach, and a queasiness emanates from them. I hope this is over quickly, I'm not sure how much of it I can take otherwise.
I don't know exactly where I need to drop the handkerchief, Fatin wasn't very explicit about that. She may have grand ideas, but her actual planning skills seem to leave a lot to be desired, especially if even I can see the holes in her plans.
A bridge up ahead catches my gaze. That's got to be where she's watching from. It's the only place that has the right vantage point.
I bring my horse to a standstill and dig the handkerchief out of my pocket. A grimace twists at my lips as I study the scrap of red fabric. This one tiny thing can cause a whole world of trouble. I hold it up and count to ten before letting it fall to the ground. The fabric flutters as the wind carries it.
I watch it for a moment, knowing I have to wait long enough for Fatin to look away before I move on to the next part of my plan. I'm not too sure what she'll do if she works it out, but I'm not willing to wait around and find out.
A small tap on the reins and the mare carries me back under the cover of the trees.
I take a deep breath, saying goodbye to my last moment of freedom.
One rub of the ring, summoning the genie within with a great puff of purple smoke.
"So, you've decided what your final wish is going to be?" he asks.
"Yes." I don't bother asking him how he knows that's what I'm doing. I'm sure he can work it out, he pays enough attention to what I'm up to.
"You realise what this will mean?"
"Yes." A hint of sadness creeps into my voice. I wish I could have freed him, even if he says it isn't possible. If I could have saved this wish for him just in case, then I would have done. But this is more important than that.
The genie nods, a hint of sadness on his own features. I won't be his Master after this, and I don't know what will happen to him. I wish I did.
"Genie, I wish for you to stop Lady Fatin from trapping Princess Helena, and transport Helena to her destination unharmed, and myself and Fatin back to the Headmistress' office at Grimm Academy." I get my request out so quickly that the words run into one another.
He raises an eyebrow. "Is that all?"
I nod. "Yes."
He clicks his fingers. Magic swirls around him, drifting out in tendrils. I feel one tighten around me. I hope the genie hasn't seen any loopholes in my wish that he wants to take advantage of, I didn't think it through as much as my others.
The magic overcomes everything and my world goes black.
Chapter Sixteen
My eyes snap open, revealing the Headmistress sat in front of me. I don't have to look down at my clothing to know I'm dressed in the same worn out clothing I had on when I met the genie. I knew this would happen the moment I made my wish, and I'm all right with it. The only person who matters in any of this already knows the truth, and he's not here anyway.
"Which one of you wants to explain?" the Headmistress asks, giving both Fatin and me a stern look.
I glance over at the other girl to find her dressed in the same style as Helena. Definitely not a good look. In all likelihood, the Headmistress will have had something to do with the way the princess was dressed before she left here, it would reflect badly on Grimm if she turned up not looking the part of a proper Princess.
"I'm not a Princess," I say instantly. It's better if I admit it outright rather than wait for Fatin to reveal it for me. "Fatin found out and blackmailed me into stealing the lamp from your office. It's on the desk in my room now if you'd like it back." I glance away, ashamed of what I'd done, even if it isn't the first time in my life I've stolen something.
"That's a lie," Fatin hisses. "She's pretending to be a Princess this entire time. She's been lying to everyone, and she's doing it more now."
"What use do I have of lying now?" I counter. "I've already lost everything."
"If you've..."
"Lady Fatin, please," the Headmistress schools her. "I'm already aware of Alyeesah's status. I've known since the beginning."
"Then why hasn't anything been done about it?" Fatin demands. "When my Father hears about this..."
"The reasons I didn't do anything about it are for me and Alyeesah to discuss. But that doesn't answer why you're here?"
"Fatin used my secret against me to try and switch places with one of the Princesses, Helena. I..." I trail off.
Can I admit that I used the genie of the ring to wish the situation away? I fiddle with the ring, slightly surprised to find it still there. But what do I know about how genies truly work. Perhaps I'll be able to contact the genie again once I'm alone, or maybe he's gone for good until I give the ring to someone else.
"Yes?" the Headmistress prompts.
"I used a genie. It's how I pretended to be a Princess," I admit. It's better to tell the whole truth rather than keeping track of lies.
Fatin sucks in a sharp breath. I take some kind of pleasure in the fact she doesn't realise I've had a genie this entire time. I know it's petty, but it's fun to think about how she must be feeling put in her place by that.
"And I used my final wish to stop Fatin's plan from coming true. It's how we got back here, and why I'm wearing this." I wave my hand down at the dirty and torn dress and headscarf that have both seen better days. I'd be embarrassed to be wearing them, except that they're a better reflection of me than the dress I wore earlier.
The Headmistress nods. "I'm aware of this too."
My eyes widen. "How?"
"Did you really think you could leave the academy without being followed? Helena is subject to a prophecy, we were watching every part of her journey here with a keen eye to stop something like this happening."
"So, it was a test?" I ask as Fatin fumes beside me.
"Of sorts." The Headmistress smiles knowingly. "Unfortunately, trying to make another student's prophecy come true is against the academy policy. And you've done it twice over, Lady Fatin. Your Father is already on his way, and you'll be dealt with in due course."
"But your..." Fatin starts, but is cut off by the Headmistress holding up a hand to silence her.
"My word is final." She claps her hands, and two guards who must have been standing outside enter the room. "Please take Lady Fatin back to her rooms. She's to stay there under constant guard. No one is to enter except for a servant with meals, and myself."
"Yes, Your Ladyship," the two guards say in unison.
Tears pool in Fatin's eyes as they escort her from the room, but the Headmistress says nothing. I just stand there, clueless about what's going on and not knowing if I should say anything.
"Sit down, Alyeesah," she instructs, pointing to a chair.
I do, but that only increases the nerves fluttering in my stomach. What's she going to do to me? I'm sure Fatin's punishment is only so lenient because she's a noble. I'm nothing more than an orphan from the streets, I'm disposable.
"How much do you know about the prophecies?" she asks me.
Huh. That's not where I expected this conversation to go.
"Next to nothing," I admit. "I had no idea I was part of one until I stole the lamp for Fatin." Perhaps reminding her that I stole from her office isn't the best idea, but I'm trying to be honest.
She nods. "I expected as much. I've known who you are since the moment you arrived. I know you think you looked into the family trees and the academy enough,
but let me assure you that you did not. We have extensive records. But there were enough pointers that we could tie you to one specific prophecy, one we didn't know the subject of. I've been watching you since to see how far you'd go and if we needed to influence matters."
"I'm sorry, Headmistress," I whisper hoarsely. How had I been this stupid? Of course, they have better records than the ones I used.
To my surprise, the Headmistress chuckles. "The primary objective of Grimm Academy is to protect its students from the prophecies about them. That means we owe you a place here as much as we owed Helena one."
I whip my head up sharply. What is she suggesting? It can't be what I think it is, can it?
"While many people think we break the prophecies themselves, that's not true. We simply give our students the environment in which they can fight it themselves," she explains.
"Are you saying that everything happened on purpose?" That doesn't seem likely, but my tired and beaten mind is trying to make sense of everything she's saying and it's not going so well.
"Of course not. We try to keep our students away from corruption and blackmail. But let's just say that this isn't Lady Fatin's first infraction. She was expelled from her previous academy for blackmailing students."
Oh. That's unexpected. And not at the same time. She did seem rather polished at it.
"How did she even learn about my origins?" I ask. If I'm going to be punished for the things I've done wrong, then I should at least get some of the answers I'm wondering about.
"I suspect this is to blame." She pats the book of prophecies I read from. "I caught her in here a few weeks ago, I suspect that's when she got the idea for the lamp too."
"What's my punishment?" I ask softly. I'm almost scared to hear the answer, but I can't put it off any longer.
A knowing smirk passes over the Headmistress' lips, but that doesn't help me as I have no idea how to interpret it. "As I told you already, one of the main goals of Grimm Academy is to help students avoid their prophecies."
"But I've already ended mine, haven't I?" At least, I don't think I'm on track to have my palace stolen from me and being kept away from the love of my life. Though I suppose I am parted from the person I thought it could be.
"I believe so, yes. But that doesn't stop the fact that you were the subject of a prophecy. Your test scores are high, and we must take into account that you helped save another student from suffering through her own too." She nods to herself, but I'm still not completely following what she's getting at.
"I'm not sure I understand," I admit.
"If you wish to remain at Grimm Academy, then you may do so. You'll be offered a full scholarship, so you don't need to worry about the fees. We'll have to make it known that you're not a Princess, but you can choose to still go by Alyeesah if you'd rather that than your real name."
"My real name is Aly anyway," I respond, shock stopping me from focusing on the rest of what she's saying. And then it starts to sink in. "Are you serious?"
"Yes, Lady Alyeesah. You can stay at Grimm Academy."
Joy sores through my heart. It's not the same as being a princess, but this is a chance to have a better life than I'd have faced on the streets.
"Thank you," I whisper. "You don't know what this means to me."
"Believe me, Lady Alyeesah, I do."
I don't have a spare moment to consider what she's saying, all I can focus on is a chance at my future.
Chapter Seventeen
I lean back against my door, the wood at my back giving me something to ground myself with. A laugh escapes me. I'm free. I can stay at Grimm while everyone knows who I am.
There's no more stress about people finding out the truth about me. No more threat of being exposed.
It's almost too good to believe. Maybe I'll even get a chance to work things through with Enver. I don't think he'll be able to forgive me any time soon, but if I'm still here in a year, then maybe there's a chance...
"Care to share what's so funny?" a familiar voice asks.
I whip my head around to find the genie lounging on my bed. He looks the same as he did before, though I suppose that makes sense. He won't change just because he's no longer trapped in loyalty to me.
"What are you doing here?" I ask. "Is it because I still have the ring?" I twist it reflexively, then pull it off. It isn't mine now, even if it's strange for my finger to be bare. I hold it out to him, not sure if he's even able to take it. Oh wait, he must be. He gave it to me in the market, which must mean he can keep it.
"No. You can keep that if you want." He sits up and shrugs.
"Don't you need it for your new master? I'm not sure how this works," I admit sheepishly. I should have done more research into genies when I acquired one.
"Not any longer. It appears you stumbled on to the way to free a genie."
My eyes widen. "I did? How?" I'm almost giddy with excitement. This is exactly what I wanted to happen, except that I planned to do it on purpose.
"Something about your final wish must have triggered something. Potentially because you used it for someone other than yourself and despite the fact you knew it could involve a great sacrifice for yourself."
"How could you possibly know that?"
"I don't for sure. But I do know that the moment you made your wish, I felt different. Once you returned to the academy, I just floated in the woods and wasn't called anywhere. It took a while for me to realise, and that's when I came here. I thought you'd want to know." He smiles at me. "But that's beside the point. I owe you a debt of gratitude." He dips his head in respect.
"You don't owe me anything. I used you and your powers," I point out. A part of me feels terrible that I did, especially after all the bad my lies caused.
"That's what I was created to provide," he points out.
"That doesn't make it right."
He chuckles. "We can sit here and debate about what should and shouldn't be all you like, but that doesn't change the fact that you freed me from my servitude from the ring, and for that I'm grateful."
"You're welcome. Please believe me when I say I wish I could have done it sooner."
A sad smile spreads across his face. "Of all my Masters, you're the one I believe the most."
"What are you going to do now?" I ask, rather than focus on the reference to his other Masters. He hasn't talked about them much, and from the way he acts when he does, I doubt he wants to give them much more thought.
"Right now, I'm going to restore your wardrobe." He waves his hand towards the closet. "You won't be able to add anything to it by magic, but this is more permanent, so it'll stick despite my lack of loyalty. Or maybe it will stay because I'm loyal in a different way?" He shrugs as if it doesn't matter. And to some extent, I suppose it doesn't.
"Thank you, you didn't have to do that."
"I know. Which is why I have. But now, I have places to go and people to see." He jumps up.
"Would you like this?" I hold out the ring again.
His distaste is written all over his expression. "I'd rather not. If you wouldn't mind keeping it safe for me? That way no one can trap me again."
"I'd be honoured." I slip it back onto my finger, secretly glad. I've worn it for so long that it would be weird not to wear it.
"It's been a pleasure knowing you, Aly." He bows his head to me.
I dip into a curtsy. "And you."
We stare at one another for a moment, neither of us sure what to say. Somewhere along the line, the two of us seem to have struck up a friendship of sorts, even if it's an unconventional one.
"I'll miss you," I admit. "And not for your magic."
"This isn't the last time we'll meet, Aly. I'll see you again."
"I hope not any time soon," I respond. "I'd rather you spend at least the next five years doing everything you want to do. And then the five after that doing it all over again."
He chuckles. "At least I have that choice now. But you're the first person who has ever been my friend,
and I will visit."
A smile spreads over my face. "I'm glad." I'd hate to never see the genie again.
"Goodbye, Aly."
"Safe travels," I whisper.
He waves and disappears. Not into the ring, though. It feels like the lamp did. Empty and devoid of the essence that made it what it is. But that doesn't mean I won't still wear it every day. It can be a reminder of what I faced, and who helped me on my journey. It's the most important ring I'll ever own because of what it means.
I stand there for a few moments, trying to come to terms with all that's happened today. It's almost too much to believe, though I know I have to.
I don't go over to the closet. I don't need to confirm what I know is true. He's refilled it with everything I had before. It won't be available at my beck and call like before, but that doesn't mean I won't make the most of it. I'll look the part while at Grimm, and I'll get to remember the genie every time I choose what to wear for a special occasion.
Out of habit, I twist the ring around my finger. It seems he'll be with me in this way, even when he isn't.
Chapter Eighteen
Whispers follow me around everywhere I go, but I ignore them. The Headmistress revealed almost everything to the rest of the student body, which means they know I saved Helena as well as the fact I lied. I suppose they balance each other out to some people, even if they don't for me.
I take the same seat I'd sat on with Fatin a few weeks ago and opened my book. Part of me wishes I'd stayed in my room after all, but I realise that the longer I take to go out and about in the academy again, the harder it's going to be.
And that means it'll take even longer for me to work out my new place here. I don't know how people are going to treat me now I'm not a Princess. Or now they know I'm not. Or if anyone will talk to me at all.
"May I sit here?" Enver asks.
I look up sharply, finding his earnest face in front of me. His is the last voice I expected to hear today.
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