The Princess Swap

3.

It didn’t take much to make me speechless. A good slap on the back from Xavier sneaking up on me usually did the trick. A surprise package from Ryker also made my vocal cords close. This – it made me more than speechless.

I had to be sleepwalking. I did that often as a child. When I opened my eyes, this out of body experience would have seized. I took in a deep breath and opened my eyes. I opened my eyes but I was still staring at myself.

“Princess Ariana! You must welcome your Prince at the doors!” A woman exclaimed, rushing to the garden. We both turned to her. Her eyes slid over me and settled on me? I swayed on my feet but not from hunger. No, my stomach was full. “Come now, Princess. Aren’t you eager to see your prince after a month apart?”

My prince!

I was not a Princess! Yet, the woman regarded me as one.

“She will be with the Prince shortly. Wait outside, Wilhelmina,” I spoke. No, that wasn’t me! That was Princess Ariana who somehow, was in my body. I swayed again. The woman, Wilhelmina, she rushed to me. She turned to me. Princess Ariana! Princess Ariana! She turned to Princess Ariana with a familiar sneer

“You are?” Her tone did not hide her disgust. Looking at myself from the Princess’ eyes, I tried to see what others saw.

Bones.

They were my first and most noticeable features. Long limbs, gaunt face, skeletal body. A too-tall, bony framework covered with weather-beaten, reddish-brown skin and a head of unkempt brown hair. Then more bones.

No wonder people did not see me. I was unpleasant to see, an eyesore. I looked away from myself, an unpleasant image of jutting bones and stretched skin covered in worn clothes.

“I am –“ The Princess trailed off, waiting for me to supply her name.

“I am – I mean, you are – She is Selene of Southern Moon and I am Princess Ariana?” The Princess looked about five seconds away from exploding into laughter. Wilhelmina's eyes slid over from her to me, paying no attention to the unimportant girl.

“Is anything the matter, Princess? You look unwell.”

“I – yeah – I mean, Yes, I will – Can you give um – Selene and I – Please give Selene and I a moment. I shall meet the – my prince at the gate.” It took longer than necessary to get out such a simple sentence and when I was done, the lady looked at me dubiously. I panicked some more for the second it took her to reply.

Did she see through me?

Good god, I always wished for things. I wished people would look at me and see me. This woman looked at me and I thought she saw me but really, she didn’t. She saw Princess Ariana behaving strangely.

“Very well but please be quick. You would not want to miss your love.” She hurried away after that. The Princess burst into laughter.

I watched as she laughed, my laugh. At least it was a pleasant sound. Seeing myself through another person’s eyes reemphasized the reason no one ever looked at me or thought of me. But hearing my laughter with another's ears, I was pleased to note I had at least one redeemable quality.

I started to apologize when she stopped laughing but she held a hand up and I shut my mouth. She was the Princess and I was Selene. When she indicated with her hand for me to stop, I had no option but to stop.

Even in my body, she still carried her power, her influence.

Goddess! We had to find a way out of this mess before anyone found out. If anyone found out, it would be my fault. The Princess Ariana was faultless, a fair-headed maiden with only kind words. No one would even think to blame her. In fact, I already blamed myself.

“I am so sorry, Princess Ariana! I never meant –“

“No need to apologize Selene or should I say Princess Ariana?” She winked, doing a mock bow. Her posture was perfect, her grace flawless. I blinked. I had never met a royal in my life. I could not do a proper bow! “I have reason to believe this is my fault. After all, I did wish for a second to have the simplicity of your life as you watered the garden just now.” She smiled. I had white teeth. Not perfect but not noticeably flawed.

“You did what? Why would you wish for my life!” I exclaimed, taking a step back. The Princess' voice came out cool and refined despite my shock. “I wished for your life. Mine is miserable.”

“Well, you have your wish now. We both do. The constraint of royal life only appeals to those who do not feel it. What a simple thing to water the garden, yet, I am forbidden from lifting a finger to perform even the smallest tasks. Now, I can experience freedom. You don’t know how happy that makes me.”

“Only a princess would bemoan the luxury of having no chores to do.” I cried in frustration.

“You are in my shoes now. Let’s see how you walk in them. Enjoy being royal and having no chores to do, Selene,” She said, a stiff smile pulling at her lips.

“I can’t. We have to swap back now! I did something dreadful today and I’m sure my alpha will kill me when I get back. We have to swap back before you die for nothing!” I said, panic lacing my words.

We had a lot of witches in the South where my pack migrated from. There wasn’t a lot of them in the Capital but there weren’t any in Aeris. A witch would not survive here. More than the fact that they didn’t have enough wealth for Aeris, they also could not stand to be surrounded by so many Alphas as they were timid folks.

“Then I won’t return to your Pack.” Her eyes sparkled. “Until this – wish wears off, I would like to explore the world at least. A Princess' status restricts here from going off on her own.” She said, her eyes taking on a faraway look.

“You don’t understand. Being me is a curse. You should be out of your mind with panic what is –“

“Princess Ariana!” Wilhelmina returned.

“Enjoy your new life, Princess.” She said before taking off. What was all this madness and how was I to navigate it! I tried to go after the Princess as she ran but the big, round and heavy blue dress of the Princess almost tripped me.

“Princess Ariana! The Prince is at the gate! What are you waiting for!” Wilhelmina rushed to me, her eyes concerned.

The Prince! How could the Princess leave her Prince for someone else? How was I to – Oh god. I had never met Prince Zion but the thought of meeting him made my heart squeeze. I had seen everyone in the inn stop drinking and rise as he entered. I escaped in time but not before I felt the essence of his power suffocate me.

It was not just the Prince.

Wilhelmina led me to the castle and the guards did a small bow as we walked in. No one tried to stop me. No one knew I did not belong here.

We walked into the castle. No matter how many times Wilhelmina glared at my hands holding up my dress, I just could not move without gathering them up, exposing my ankles much to Wilhelmina’s disapproval. But she could not do anything. I was the princess and she was not.

We entered the castle and I stumbled. The king stood tall at the entrance. To his left, a dainty woman in a white dress and silver crown. Another woman stood to his right in an extravagant black dress that balled around her and spilt to the floor.

Her hard eyes were on me.

I rushed to her side as the Prince strode in, his guards rushing to keep up with his long stride. I chanced a glance around but didn’t glimpse Beta Callan.

Blood rushed to my head, roaring in my ears, darkening my vision. My heart picked up speed and for the hundredth time that day, I felt faint.

“My son!” The king’s booming voice made me jump. My feet grazed the woman’s beside me and she turned on me with a sharp glare that pushed me away from her.

“Father!” Prince Zion exclaimed in turn. The men clasped each other in a bone-crushing hug, squeezing their shoulders. For a second, the Prince’s eyes raised and caught mine.

I forgot how to breathe.

The posters did not do him justice. The posters could not do him justice.

The Prince exuded a dominance as an Alpha and a Prince, one of the most ruthless princes our country had ever seen. His tales were told far and wide, even in my small town in the South, but somehow, no one ever mentioned his beauty.

I had never been fortunate enough to be so close to him. I had been in his presence twice but never dared look at him, only felt his presence steal my breath and make my heart race. Even then, I felt like fleeing. The force of his mere presence choked me. No one else seemed to feel it. No one looked like they would pass out just from being in his presence.

“Do you need a reminder of what we discussed?” The woman beside me hissed, pinching my arm. The king cleared his throat and I spared him a glance. He looked at the woman in amusement before turning to his son.

“Your bride arrived yesterday. She seems eager to start the wedding preparations,” The king said, turning to me with a kind smile. I shivered in my high shoes. Even his kind eyes held power in them.

“Hmm. Is that so?” The Prince muttered, turning to me with a quirked brow and a bland smile.

“Welcome your Prince.” The woman almost shoved me towards him. I rushed forward and tripped on the big dress. I fell right into the arms of the prince. My skin was too dark to blush but not the Princess'. I felt heat sweep through my new body. I caught fire from embarrassment and something else and I knew my new body was red as a tomato.

“Welcome P – Prince Zion. I mean –“ What did I mean? He refused to let me go. I watched his dark, almost black eyes, feeling myself redden even more.

“Princess Ariana.” His voice sounded deep and cool. It took all my willpower not to wrench out of his arms and run out of the castle. My willpower and his tight grip. “I have missed you.” He said. No, he hadn’t. Nothing in his voice sounded like he had missed the Princess for even a second.

“You – you have?” I knew I had said the wrong thing when his brows shot up and someone gasped behind me. “I mean – yes! Of course, you have missed the princess. You – we are to be married after all,” I giggled then paused. If they were to be married then they had to be in love right? “I’ve missed you too!” I exclaimed. He almost dropped his hands around my waist at my loud tone.

“I see you haven’t improved in the month we were apart. Still a mess,” He sneered. “Would you fancy a walk through the gardens this evening, Princess?” He asked. The words were rehearsed and forced.

“No?” I whispered. Another gasp sounded from behind and I blabbered some more. “I’m sure you want to r –rest. It must have been a long journey.” I wished the ground would open and swallow me then.

“If I am not to have your company, perhaps a welcome back kiss for your dear Prince?” His eyes mocked me.

The ground did not open up to swallow me but as his face drew closer to mine, darkness welcomed me.