Chapter 6: Making The Thief Believe Her
1594 Words
-Jonah-
The princess—or the so-called princess—sat across from me in the tavern. She was devouring her food with a fervor I had never seen from someone of royal standing. I watched in disbelief as her meal disappeared, followed by a hefty swig of ale. I had never witnessed a princess behave like this.
“So… you are the princess?” I asked, trying to piece together the story she had told me.
She nodded, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. I leaned in slightly, scrutinizing her. Our eyes met, and I couldn’t help but notice the peculiarity of them. One of her pupils had an unusual drop-like distortion, which struck me as both strange and unsettling.
“I don’t believe you,” I said, leaning back.
“I don’t need you to believe me,” she replied. “I just need you to get me into the castle so I can convince my brother.”
“The same brother you said threw you out after you tried to convince him you were his sister in the middle of an audience?”
“I… I just need to speak to him one-on-one. Once he sees me up close, he’ll recognize me,” she assured me, pushing her plate toward me with what I assumed was meant to be a pleading look.
“What are you doing?” I asked, bewildered.
She sighed and leaned forward, meeting my eyes. “I had forgotten I don’t look like myself right now. Usually, I can get whatever I want just by batting my eyelashes at someone,” she said with a hint of frustration. “But I don’t have the same beauty anymore.”
“Are you asking for more food?”
She nodded, offering me a small, innocent smile. “I’m very hungry.”
“I can see that,” I replied, crossing my arms. “But you still haven’t convinced me that you’re really the princess. No convincing, no food.”
She crossed her arms as well, and we engaged in a silent staring contest. I won without much effort, and a victorious smile spread across my face as she finally relented.
“Fine!” she exclaimed, exasperated. “Just… let me think.”
I waited patiently for her to provide a reason to believe her claim of being the princess who had swapped bodies with a pagan girl. She tapped her fingers against the table and fidgeted with her hair. Then, suddenly, a look of realization crossed her face, and a smile appeared on her lips.
“I know you were arrested last night!” she declared.
“So? I’m sure all the servants at the castle know about that,” I replied.
“Yes, but I don’t work at the castle,” she said, lifting one of her wrists to show me the tattoos.
“No, but people talk. Maybe you’re friends with someone from the castle.”
She sighed, biting her lower lip. Then she seemed to recall something or come up with another idea.
“You stole a necklace,” she pointed out.
“I’ve stolen many necklaces, especially those with diamonds,” I replied.
“Yes, but this one had a black stone with white dots. The princess—I mean, I— came to your cell to retrieve it.”
I leaned back, tapping my finger against my arm as I considered her words. Still, I couldn’t say I was convinced, so I shook my head slowly.
“Again, I’m sure it’s already common knowledge what I stole and what I didn’t. People talk,” I said.
She groaned in frustration, placing her elbows on the table and burying her face in her hands. After a few moments, she slowly lifted her head. Her green-blue eyes were wide with realization.
“You steal for the ones you love,” she whispered.
“What?” I asked.
“You steal for the ones you love! You told the princess that, and she released you… I mean, I released you.”
I sat there, frozen, as she repeated the very words I had spoken to the princess the night before. No… it couldn’t be. I leaned forward, staring into her eyes, trying to find any sign of the princess behind them. But I couldn’t see anything definitive, and yet, it was her, wasn’t it?
“Princess?”
“Yes! It’s me! I told you!” she exclaimed.
I was speechless. I wasn’t sure if I truly believed her, but how else could she know exactly what I had said that night?
“It’s that very necklace I believe is why we changed bodies!” she exclaimed. “She wore it today—or I did, or she wore it on my body.”
I struggled to wrap my head around this, sitting there in stunned silence. Her concern was evident as she waved a hand in front of my face.
“Hey! Jonah!”
I shook my head to clear my thoughts and coughed a little. “Yes, I was just… thinking.”
“You don’t believe me?” she inquired, her voice tinged with fear.
“No, no… I think I do. I just need to understand it better. I’ve never seen magic do this before.”
“You’ve seen a lot of magic?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I’ve seen some.”
“And do you think I can be changed back? I want my body back!”
“I understand, but I don’t have an answer for that. She is the one who changed you, so maybe it’s not your brother you need to reach out to,” I said.
She pondered my words before leaning back in her chair. “You think I need to get to Elisa?”
“That’s her name?”
She nodded.
“Well, then yes, you need to find this pagan woman who now has your body and get her to switch you back,” I pointed out.
“But how?”
“I don’t know! I don’t practice red magic.”
She groaned, leaning her head back. I couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for her. Her body had been taken by some pagan woman, and she seemed utterly clueless about why.
“Do you know where to find this Elisa?” I questioned.
“No! I had never met her before that day at the market,” she said.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
“Yes!”
“I just find it a bit strange that she would suddenly steal your body without any provocation,” I told her.
“Well, maybe she wants to hurt my family. That’s why I wanted to warn my brother… Someone once tried to hurt him,” she said, her voice faltering toward the end.
I had heard about Sebastian, the traitor who had been a friend to King Cole. Maybe he had also been a friend to the princess? I watched her as she played with her empty cup. Despite my reluctance to get involved, I felt compelled to offer some comfort.
“I’ll get you some more food,” I told her.
She remained quiet as I went to get more food, and even quieter when I returned and placed the plate in front of her.
“Want more to drink as well?” I inquired.
She nodded, and I poured more ale into her cup. But she didn’t drink any. Instead, she stared at it, and then, suddenly, she began to sniffle, tears welling up in her eyes. I wasn’t good with crying people, especially women.
“Come now, you’ll get your body back,” I said, trying to offer reassurance.
She wiped her nose with her sleeve and gave a painful laugh.
“How?” she asked. “She’s the one who did the changing, and I have no idea why! Maybe she’s trying to hurt my family, or maybe she wants to hurt me! I don’t know… and I feel so lost. No one believed me. My own brother, who knows me better than anyone, just threw me out. But you… you believe me.”
“I didn’t at first,” I admitted.
“But at least you listened to me.”
“Well,” I began, “consider it from his perspective. You claimed to be his sister while she was right there.”
She nodded and wiped her tears away.
“A stranger claims to be his sister while his actual sister stands beside him. Would you believe him if the roles were reversed?”
She was silent for a moment, clearly struggling with the question.
“I… I would have listened,” she finally said.
I gave her a small smile, then reached over and took her hand.
“You’ll figure it out. Good luck,” I retorted, and stood up.
“Wait! Aren’t you going to help me?”
“No, I have my own things to deal with,” I said, beginning to walk away.
“Hey!” Suddenly, a large man blocked my path. I had to tilt my head back to look up at him. Oh sh*t.
“Hello, Ralph,” I murmured, my voice trembling slightly.
“You owe me money,” the man growled, grabbing the collar of my jacket and pulling me closer. “Or better yet, maybe I should just take your hand! You little thief!”
He brandished a knife, and I knew I was in serious trouble. F*ck me.
- Writer
