by K. Lyn Hill
“She is feeling better already. I think she may be up and about sooner than we realize.”
Just yesterday, she had exhausted herself to the point of her legs giving out. She was unable to stand, let alone walk, reopening her stitches as she collapsed in his arms. How was she healing faster than expected?
It was then he glanced down at Aerity’s sleeping form. Her chest rose and fell but something about it seemed different to him. A feeling he couldn’t shake.
He took in her face and body from the line of her jaw to the curve of her neck. Her clothes had been changed since he had seen her yesterday, the pattern more elaborate and revealing. “Who changed her?” He found himself asking.
The man stilled what he was doing but then responded. “Her chamber maid.”
There was something in his tone that made Damien question. “Which one?”
The man took a nervous breath. “I’m sorry your highness. I left the room for their privacy before introductions were made.” He would have to ask Aerity’s chamber maid about it later. Carly, he believed her name was. As far as he was aware, they had been seen together quite often around the castle. They knew each other intimately. Once Aerity had come to his office smothered in ink after having an ink war with her. At the time it seemed ridiculous. Now he wished to have that side of her return along with her health.
“Should I leave her to rest then?”
The healer’s shoulders relaxed. “I think that may be for the best. She is still asleep.”
Damien took one last look at Aerity and thought he noticed a slight smirk tugging on her lips. Her breathing didn’t seem as heavy as it was when he had walked in.
Almost as if she was awake.
“Ok, thank you, doctor.” Playing along, he jerked open the door but not before promising himself that he would figure out what was underfoot. Because something was most certainly not right.
Chapter Eight
Siel
He couldn’t avoid her anymore. He tried but he was too weak. After the other day when he had held her in his arms, he loathed to let go. Picturing her calming down the angry mob and arguing about speaking to them as an equal, he had no doubt his weakness would go on forever. He needed to hear the sound of her voice. To see the laughter in her eyes. Just a few minutes with her would get him through the day.
As he entered her room, he was surprised to see Damien wasn’t sitting in his normal seat by her bed. She was leaning up, speaking to the healer. How was that position not hurting her? As soon as she saw him by the door, she made a point to grab at her side and wince. Why did her grimace appear so fake?
Her nightgown had slid down her shoulder, revealing a full display of her milky skin. He couldn’t help but notice how smooth it looked. Her normal scars that previously peppered across her shoulders seemed to have never been there. They mysteriously disappeared.
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end.
“How are you feeling?” He croaked out, noticing that she was now looking at him. Something cold and dark shuddered under her watchful gaze.
“Much better now that you’re here.” Her smile was as sweet as candy, but it didn’t match the odd glint in her eye.
He stared at her suspiciously before smoothing out his expression. Something wasn’t right and he had to find out what. “Do you remember that time we went for a ride and got caught in the rain? They brought the carriage and everything, but you refused to get inside.”
Confusion marred her brow, but she quickly adjusted and covered it over. “Of course. It was a wonderful memory. What about it?”
It never happened, he thought to himself. She either got amnesia from her stab wound, or something else happened that was even worse. If his suspicions were right, this wasn’t his Aerity.
No, if he was correct, he was looking at the real princess.
But if the princess was here, then where was Aerity?
Chapter Nine
Aerity
Her mind was in a haze.
Floating like a boat caught in the eye of a storm. One minute there were moments of pure clarity and then they would pass. She’d lose the limited lucidity she possessed, yet again. She eyed her food through squinted eyes, barely able to tell its contents. Not that it made any kind of difference seeing as though it was the same every day. Brown slop that probably was used to feed the pigs.
Not that she cared though.
She knew if she could feel anything at all, it would be unbearable pain from the wound in her stomach but low and behold she felt nothing. Ignorance was not one of her many qualities, although she didn’t have full use of her brain currently, she came to realize her captors were drugging her. But it didn’t take a genius to figure that out.
The numbness in her body wasn’t natural. There would still be no other reason for the haziness surrounding her mind. Was it in the food? She recalled a rough hand force feeding a spoon through her lips. It felt as if someone was jack hammering the floor and then she understood that it was simply her body shaking. She couldn’t remember how long she had been in the cell, only that it had been multiple days.
There was a grinding gear on the wall across from her cell that clicked every time it hit the middle of the day. That click always broke through her fuzzy thoughts, keeping her grounded on the one reality she could hold on to.
Fighting the blur trying to grip her mind, she wished for movement in any of her limbs. It was no use. Every day she tried and every day she failed when her captor force fed her the poisoned food. Even her tongue lolled lifelessly inside her mouth. It was no wonder she didn’t choke when they shoved the food down her throat.
The noon time meal was signaled by the 6 clicks echoing from the wall. Her time of coherence was soon to end. She waited patiently for the clicks to bring her sleep, one more time.
She heard footsteps. The guards didn’t disappoint. A few minutes later, she was once again floating on a blackened cloud spewing acid rain.
Chapter Ten
Siel
He stared at her as if the mere look could give him the answers he sought, but she simply stared right back at him as if daring him to question her. He decided to go for it anyway. “You’re looking pretty spectacular for someone who was just stabbed.” He hinted.
She leaned back into the bed sensually, her hair cascading down her shoulder like an invitation to sweep it away and take advantage of the bare skin she had yet to cover. This time she didn’t even pretend to grimace when she paused in a position that would have made anyone with a real stomach wound hunch over in pain. What game was she playing at? Why come back now after all this time? He juggled between wanting to question her, demanding she tell him where Aerity was and keeping his mouth shut. A little voice in the back of his mind told him to be cautious. Wait it out. Avoid being impulsive. There was a reason the princess was here right now instead of Aerity and he needed to find out why and what had happened to her in the few short hours since the riot.
It couldn’t be anything good.
“What can I say? I’m stubborn and have my standards. One must always be ready to receive visitors. We can’t have a princess looking like a pauper, now can we?” In just the first few words she spoke, Siel could tell the difference between the two girls. It just reiterated how much of a fool Damien had been this entire time. It was clear as day. If it were his Aerity lying there, she would make some quip about how he didn’t look all that wonderful either. There was nothing about the princess that drew him to her. He felt no connection, no irresistible pull that had been there a few days ago.
If he hadn’t been convinced before, his gut now screamed the truth. “That is true, but you need sleep for that. I will let you rest.” He turned toward the door, but she stopped him.
“Don’t I get a goodnight kiss?” She asked innocently but he gnashed his teeth. The concept of her trying to replace Aerity as if she had never been there made his jaw ache from clenching too hard. She didn’t want him questioning the change, but
why?
“I’m afraid we decided before that you now belonged to my brother.” He said and knew his Aerity would reply with something like, ‘I belong to no one.’
Instead of that, the princess answered with a pout. “It could be our dirty little secret.” Was she there to simply start issues between him and his brother? But that sounded absurd. There had to be more to it than that. What was the point of her running in the first place?
“I’m afraid this is just how it has to be.” He said, abruptly yanking open the door and closing it before she had a chance to reply. Whatever was going on, he needed to discover the truth. More importantly, he needed to find where his Aerity was.
∞∞∞
Damien
Damien paced outside Aerity’s room, waiting for Siel to exit. Something about his last encounter with the doctor still wasn’t sitting right with him. He needed to talk to Aerity about it and seeing how he could hear her voice through the door, meant she was awake. The words couldn’t be made out clearly through the wooden mass, but he thought he could hear an edge in Siel’s voice.
He had never spoken to Aerity like that before and it made him pause. What was going on in there? Why would his brother be mad at her?
The door jerked open, followed by his scowling brother as he quickly slammed it.
Damien jumped. “Why are you slamming her door?”
Siel’s eyes shot up and it was like a whip snapping against flesh. Exact and haunting. “If you go in there and can’t immediately tell the difference, then you will never deserve her.” He answered cryptically before shoving past him, bumping into his shoulder in the process. Damien stared at Siel’s retreating form with his lips parted and eyebrows drawn. What had gotten into him?
Shaking his head, he rested his hand on the doorknob and turned, letting himself into the room. As soon as he looked to the bed he froze. Aerity was sitting up with a book in her hand, her gorgeous red hair swimming down her body like a waterfall. Exposed, pale skin caught his eye as he trailed down her suggestive night gown. He had expected the change in her outfit but seeing it in the light of day knocked the wind out of him. Perfect green eyes rose slowly until they landed on his and a brilliant smile graced her face. But something felt different about it. It wasn’t her normal vibrant smile that Siel always had the privilege of being a recipient of. No, this seemed forced. Nothing with Aerity had ever been forced. She had been exactly who she was and felt no apologies. “If you go in there and can’t immediately tell the difference, then you will never deserve her.” What was Siel trying to tell him? Damien could tell the difference but why did things appear different?
“How are you feeling?”
She patted the bed beside her. “Better if you would come a little closer.”
He fought the sudden urge to glance around him as if someone were jesting with him. Siel had just left. Clearly, she was not that fickle in her affections. But he went beside her and took a seat anyway. She raised her hand and delicately caressed down his arm. Instead of feeling relieved at her attention, the hair on the back of his neck rose.
Something wasn’t right.
He had spent time with her. Fought with her. They had even developed some semblance of peace but never had any of their interactions felt like this. This didn’t feel right. After all this time, all he ever wanted was for them to have some form of relationship. Friendship. But this felt like something else.
It felt dirty.
Wrong.
“If you go in there and can’t immediately tell the difference, then you will never deserve her.”
“What are you doing?” He choked and a smile appeared on her perfect lips. But it was devious and manipulative, and he saw the blaring red flag from a mile away.
“Well, I thought we could start over. It’s just us now.” She bit her lip and her fingers flickered to his chest, then his abs.
He shuddered, removing her hand. “You were just stabbed.” It was the only thing he could think of to say.
“Yes, but your touch will help me feel better.”
He eyed her skeptically as he absentmindedly ran his hands over her fingers. Her skin felt different. Before, her hands had been rough and calloused from helping to build orphanages and fighting. But these were smooth, soft, lacking every hint of hard work.
Then something struck him and he finally understood Siel’s words.
Everything came together in the perfect explanation. From the strange doctor, to the clothing, down to the difference in her body and her words.
He knew the truth in every bone of his body.
The princess had returned.
Chapter Eleven
Siel
It was highly unnerving that the princess just popped back into the scene. Not to mention she was trying to hide it. Watching her pretending to still be the same girl made him beyond weary. He needed to avoid making any kind of rash move. She clearly had a plan and he needed to find out what it was.
He was overwhelmed by the strong desire to shake her, demanding she told him where Aerity was.
Every bone in his body screamed to do something, anything to get Aerity back, but the manipulation coating the princess’ every action, caused him to take a step back. The logic lasted only a few minutes and then his anger blazed full force.
Aerity was out there somewhere and he was squandering precious time.
The past few days, the princess had all but thrown herself at him, trying to tempt him in every which way she could. It was growing irksome and desperate. He was getting sick of her game. This was not the Aerity who had taken a knife wound to the gut for his brother and it was certainly not the girl who had all but stolen the remaining pieces of his heart. And he was no closer to finding her than he had been the few days prior.
Fluttering around the room, her lace trimmed, royal, purple dress skimmed the floor like it was kissing the surface. The light that normally poured out of her eyes outshining the brightest of stars had now turned cold and calculated. He had no doubt in his mind they sparkled with malice if one would look close enough.
Her elegant hands ran the length of his brother’s outer jacket. Siel’s eyes narrowed at the sight. Anyone else would have thought his expression was mere jealousy. Coveting what wasn’t his, which if this had been his Aerity, then yes, that would be the expression painted on his face. Knowing what he knew now, however, it was an entirely different story.
He hadn’t gotten Damien alone since she had been declared healed and able to move around. Just the vague sentence he had told his brother when leaving her room on that first day he discovered her treachery, which now he questioned if his brother even understood what he had been trying to tell him. At the time, he hadn’t been in the mood to argue with his blind, stubborn brother. After the princess asked for a kiss, he needed to go to the training room and clear his head.
Now, she watched them both like a hawk as if sensing his suspicion. Damien was clearly the easiest target and watching them together made Siel feel sick. His brother was so ignorant. How could he not see the difference?
Damien caught his cautious eyes and sent him a questioning look, probably assuming for himself that he was merely green with envy. Although Siel knew Aerity well, his brother no doubt would be ignoring any warning signs and soaking in her freely given attention. He wouldn’t even think twice if Siel didn’t warn him.
Pulling in a confident air that he felt anything but, he strode over to the love scene unfurling. “Hello Damien...Aerity, you are looking lovely tonight, like a thousand red roses wrapped in summer morning dew.” He said keeping his voice calm and collected. Her eyes glittered at the look on his face, no doubt thinking her deception was well played out.
“I must say that isn’t some of your best material Siel. You can surely do better than that.” The princess preened for attention. Damien had to be able to see that this wasn’t the same girl and yet, he was all but star struck looking at his intended bride, without a care in the world.
&
nbsp; He turned hard eyes to Siel like he was the enemy. “Hopefully, Siel saves his flattery for those who aren’t intended to be married, right brother?”
The pointed tone sent his eyes sliding over to meet Damien’s. “Of course. No matter how ravishing she is.”
Play the part. Make her think she’s winning.
Grabbing her hand to lay a kiss, he even noticed the difference in the way her hands felt. Hers were smooth. Silk laden from freedom of having to do labor and hard work. His Aerity had callouses that marked her as a hard worker and a warrior inside and out.
Releasing her hand, he brought his attention back to Damien’s practically glowing eyes. “Might I borrow my brother for a moment, dear sweet Aerity? I promise not to keep him long.”
She had the audacity to look put out as she looked at Damien with dreamy eyes. “If only for a moment. I will miss him otherwise.”
Damien’s answering grin was blinding.
Idiotic fool.
“I shall return soon, my love.”
She released a sigh. “Do you promise?” He laid a kiss to her forehead. “Of course.” She appeared distraught, meanwhile Siel resisted rolling his eyes as he dragged Damien away. Rounding the corner Siel stopped him short with an urgent hand to the chest, his back to the crowd. “Something is amiss with Aerity.” Damien’s eyes shifted up briefly and then landed back to Siel’s, crossing his arms in the most infuriating way.