Piece Of Mind

Chapter 6

Rosella used extra force shoving the gate open, barging through. It would have been great if the town was calm as it looked from a distance, but she saw a crowd of at least twenty gathering and all pointing to their foreheads as voices loudly drowned out each other. Rosella cringed to see that they were pointing to blue green lights dancing without a care. Even Eli and Sybil were passively aggressively carrying a large cooking pot together.

Rosella had a feeling Dad had many moments of taking breaths from a safe distance, mentally preparing himself to deal with the horrors of crowds. Running away? That wasn't an option. She chose to check up on the town, and right now it looked like they needed a ruler to calmly explain the lack of death on this fine evening. All they had was Rosella.

"Settle down!" She called out to them, launching from the gate. "I can explain the lights!"

All eyes instantly snapped to her at once, perfect nightmare scenario. Well, Eli's gaze was temporarily removed when the cooking pot slipped from a distracted Sybil's grasp. Rosella didn't know if she was channeling Graham when she thought this was horrific, but she had to connect to something for help.

No matter what he said earlier, she had done such a terrible job managing just two because she could never see herself having to be the highest authority in the room.

Rosella hoped her chest wasn't rising and falling too obviously when she stepped into not just the lantern light.

In all of that hesitation, Sybil rushed to the front of the crowd to meet her halfway. "King Graham, I've already begged them not to bother you at home for nothing!"

"As if you're not to blame for bothering him and his family, Sybil!" Eli couldn't help but shout. "I say because he's married, and you like married-"

"This is why I never married!" Trish shouted back, less scolding and more relieved.

Sybil looked behind her, hands trembling before they were hidden by her over-sized frilled sleeves falling back down. She whipped her head back to Rosella, wide eyes begging her not to address that.

Rosella wasn't the only person struggling... All of these other people were just as lost and confused, but doing the best they could just like her... And when she thought these things, regardless of truth, she managed to slap a polite smile on for the sake of everyone. And she did feel calm, even if it was worn like a different skin.

"I'm here by choice." Rosella told them, able to address the entire twenty since all eyes snapped back hearing the composed and dignified voice she forced previously. "You've been caught in the path of a rogue spell."

Pause to let them process.

"Now, I'm not the best source of magical knowledge by any means. But... My son told me it's not harmful; it can be reversed, but it's ranked as powerful, and a lot of steps have to be taken to stop the effects. These effects being..."

Another pause because drama.

"You'll wake up tomorrow in another body. You need to be aware of that before anything awkward can happen- Please spread the word if you see anyone else with a light on their forehead; they'll appreciate it in hindsight more than you know."

"My boy can break the spell!" Trish's voice boomed.

Rosella could feel her smile waver. The bookshop owner had never been her favorite person, usually scaring her off with her ability to speed spin a broom and create gales putting storms to shame. All of that drama just because she'd usually play in front of the shop. And Rosella did break a window once on a rainy day, ruining the books on display beneath it. Was it worth holding a grudge?

Trish shoved Sybil aside, dragging her increasingly nervous son by waist-length hair. "Zeke has magical ability! That's why I wanted him to give the prince his book order personally – he deserves to finally make a friend through shared interest!"

Rosella hated making eye contact with Zeke just then, at least before this thirty-something year old man babbled and tried to wrap himself in tangling locks timidly. Trish seemed oblivious to all that, nose in the air and hands on her hips as she happily listed off how he had used magic to do chores... In his childhood.

"Thank you for offering, Trish, but we don't want the people of Daventry to worry or otherwise spend their time poorly with a very manageable situation." A new voice cut in, fitting of a dignified prince.

But Vee trapped in Alexander's body? That would have to do.

Rosella felt her shoulders relax seeing Mom slide through the gap in the gate. But the crowd's reaction was barely audible gasps here or there, followed by anticipated murmuring. They might as well have rolled out a carpet right then because everyone was uniting to have hope in that person regardless of soul.

Vee stepped up to Rosella, arms folded behind her back with forced poise as if having truly just discovered royal heritage. "You agree, don't you Father? It's unfortunate the spell reached them, but even if Zeke helps with the spell... If he so much as draws magic to a rune in a different body not accustomed, and he hasn't used magic in years, it will be painful and tiring."

Rosella swallowed hopefully not so audibly; relieved Mom understood not to give her identity away but also dreading the conversation about how this happened after.

Zeke brightened up, much to his mother's shock. He never looked livelier, releasing his hair. "Thank you, King Graham! Prince Alexander! I'm gone! I'm not touching this problem!"

"Boy, don't you even think-"

Zeke threw out his hand that snapped to a few different directions and positions until his form faded. Neither Rosella nor Vee could say if that was teleportation or invisibility. Trish instant scowl suggested she was not pleased either way.

"I trust Alexander." Rosella said, making Vee double take when she gripped her shoulder dedicated to the act. "But don't let that influence you. If you're unsure about what's happening, confused about why or maybe it's too soon for you to trust a sudden 'new' addition to my family. Those feelings are valid. I wish I could talk work with all of you one-on-one and explain why I have hope Alexander can fix this beyond the surface level magic knowledge, but I can't..." She didn't realize she was rambling until she happened to look to Mom, and she reached for and blatantly removed the hand in what everyone else might see as overbearing parent and self-conscious child dynamic.

Rosella wished there was a flood of support, but it was fair the prince who'd only appeared in public just to order books and rush through town to get out into nature. Vee knew this too, but that didn't stop her from taking just one step forward summoning just white sparkles on her fingertips and holding out her hand to give anyone willing to lean close and have a look just that.

There was no gasping or fainting at an admittedly bland display, but Vee made Alexander radiate dignity and confidence in his ability. So, it should have left an impression.

"Magic is evil by choice. Believe I have good intentions when I cast... Or not. But if any harm or misfortune come to the people of Daventry, I won't sit back and let it happen."

The silence from the crowd wasn't reassuring, but they did make murmurs of acknowledgment before Vee gave a regal nod honed from a life of experience that didn't need the optional gleam of a tiara to punctuate it. And soon as her head lifted, they realized their sign to carry on.

Only Eli and Sybil stayed behind, back to struggling with the pot. Vee took this chance to pull Rosella aside, having Alexander's eyes unnaturally wide as she grasped her shoulders.

"That rune is using too much power." Mom whispered. "We can't delay casting Absorb spell anymore if it's going to make Alexander too weak to stand and spread to people he hasn't cast the original on."

"But you're all okay?" Rosella blurted.

Mom loosened her grip and stepped back, radiating more calmness in spite of the crunch when the pot fell. "Honestly, the spell doesn't seem to be harmful. I'm worried about Alexander exhausting himself, but..."

"Then we're okay. And the people the spell dragged into this will be the same way." Rosella declared as if it were a fact.

Mom stepped back completely as Eli was clutching his injured foot, hopping as Sybil attempted sympathetic comments. If Alexander couldn't stand, how could he go to their scattered rune collection all night? Did they even have enough? Were they even in control of these powers? She couldn't speak of any of that here, which Rosella was content about.

"Everything's going to be fine." Rosella, again, firmly stated for encouragement. "The family is together, strong, and there really don't seem to be bad 'consequences' after all. I can't say anything bad could happen, because if we let doubt in that's when we fail."

Mom just stared for a moment, eyes soft. She looked like she wanted to smile, but either Alexander's face or her own hesitation thwarted that. "That almost sounds like what I tell myself if the wicked self-doubt arises."

Rosella felt her heart ache. That's why she wasn't powerful alone, only when her family were around so she could fade behind their own strengths. But Mom didn't receive that message, just had a proud gleam in her eye before turning to leave.

Rosella was prepared to go with her, but Eli shouted colorful language and badly aimed his spit meant for either Sybil or the cooking pot. She couldn't help but rush over seeing Sybil's arms tremble attempting to lift it back up alone.

Sybil's despair instantly lifted once Rosella used strength she was sure Graham always had but refused to reach its full potential given it didn't take the expected effort. She was sure there was nothing damning about Sybil's nervous gulps and tucking her sandy brown locks behind her ear, though she heard Vee snap both back to the task at hand with a gravelly throat clearing through no help of Alexander's voice.

"Please don't keep making exceptions for me..." Sybil breathed as if she'd been stabbed. "Prince Alexander needs your time, not me. I need to learn how to provide for myself again."

Rosella could feel ice on her back but managed to flash a warm smile. "It's good you want to improve yourself, but we can't get anywhere unless we let others in. Let me in, Sybil, if you'll give me the chance to support you as your king then I'll give you all I can."

Sybil instantly lost the ability to function, but Rosella was sure it wasn't her fault.

When the magical fog lifted that night, the guards had seen their queen limp in the arms of her children. It was not the appropriate hour for shenanigans, not so close to the end of the night shift. Alexander couldn't even attempt to make this look any less horrible in or out of context despite his father's quick and bubbly assurance this was actually a sibling team up to cast a spell to help their mother's insomnia. But while Vee nodded along to that, even manifesting sparks as evidence... Did she really like the staff genuinely thinking that vacation was so awful it took years off her life?

That same night, Graham planted himself on a chair at his bedside and refused to leave because it's not like he was discouraged from watching over his weakened son. That's the thing: Alexander hated being unable to move much, magic still heated and zapping up and down his arms... Unable to do much but roll away from Graham's worry with the covers over his head. He didn't hate that he'd cast this spell in the first place, not officially, but while he was previously easing into an open-minded state now he was reduced to this.

He needed to refer back to his notes- Journal entries- Spell book- There was so much he should have been doing, but instead just holding the blankets desperately so no one else but him knew of his embarrassment for being this messed up showed. In his childhood, his head had been filled with false compliments of his abilities and composure... He always heard the words he thought now, well, anyone would be glad to receive especially if they had nothing else to compare to. Now, he knew all of those words were carefully used and arranged and ultimately hollow.

"Alexander-"

"I don't know!"

Alexander didn't spit venom by choice,

"I mean..." He braced himself, hearing his mother's voice turn feeble. "Magic might have built up too much, or the rune was borrowing from everyone and using me as a-"

"When you recover, do you want to search for the vines and crystal?"

"You're still on that subject?!" Alexander was momentarily blinded by the blast of blue green light in his face from his palm.

"I promised myself I'd let bonding happen naturally once we returned, but if there's a way to speed the process I'll do anything within my power. " Graham replied promptly.

"You're desperate." Alexander told him blunt as possible.

"I am desperate." There was definitely some self-consciousness leaking into his father's tone there.

Isn't the first step admitting you have a problem?

Graham barely made the effort to brush down the severe bedhead the following morning, running but not tripping over the skirts he'd decided to commit to by this point at the sound of a knock at the door. Vee, no matter what form, was a welcome sight in the morning and he didn't mind looking madly obsessed whilst throwing the door open to begin their side mission-

The door flew open to the sight of one of the newest and youngest guards, age twenty though known as Forty for the spot he claimed, who normally kept his distinguishing long red hair neat and tied back but now let it be wild and free to match the vibrant rose bouquet he thrust in the opening. Vee was peeking from behind him, face a mix of irritation and regret.

Graham promptly rejected reality, shutting the door.

"Hey!" 'Forty' called, normally composed voice threatening to crack. "Princess! Roses are out of season and someone – hint – must have gone through it to find them for you – hint –..."

For the record: Graham had been informed they celebrated prematurely about having the spell at least under control. He had been robbed of chances to celebrate, forgive him if he wanted one. The body swap was a family problem for them to deal with, just another test of their growing bonds and it wasn't fair for anyone else to have an identity crisis.

"Rosella?" Alexander's borrowed voice's spoke up, dripping with mental exhaustion. "If I had to be woken up by Will throwing rocks through my window and launching into a love song last night-"

Graham allowed reality back in for her, throwing the door open with Rosella's weighty fake smile as he accepted the bouquet like it was set to ignite.

"Thank you... Will." The name stalled, but Graham managed not to gag on the rest of his words with mindless bouquet pocketing. "I just hope you understand me and my family are spontaneously busy right now; you can see for yourself, the rogue spell-"

"Prince Alexander told me all about that!" Will cut in with desperate hands flying around. "You two are going to search for a vine that might reverse the spell! I'm not the sweaty seventeen-year-old I was yesterday; I've got broad shoulders now... I think this body swap is a miracle in disguise; a chance for me to prove myself as a proper suitor!"

Behind said broad shoulders, Vee shook her head mournfully. I don't like it; I don't know him enough to form an opinion though Rosella claimed he was harmless if clingy... Call it a blessing in disguise for us; if he's around, we can't lose control and kiss.

There was no guarantee Graham and Vee alone would be able to find the vine. It should have been the whole family, but Alexander still didn't want to risk going outside though the bursts of magic were limited to his hands and only flashed maybe around ten to fifteen minutes apart. With some sleep, he'd concluded this was one of the "consequences" of the body not knowing what to do with all this power. It didn't help they left the runes active, which could have been increasing reach of the spell.

But having to travel all over the land to reactivate runes would have been more trouble than it was worth, Graham attempted to justify in an effort to escape the real world that was Will talking his head off about memories with Rosella which suggested he was a childhood... Graham wanted to think "pest" based off context that made it sound like she always had to save him from scary insects or the stern elderly couple at the flower shop his parents made him work for but the boy himself uttered a regretful "acquaintance" so he went with that.

Vee just listened to all of this with surprising interest, implying Rosella didn't think enough of the boy to even mention him in recaps of the day or she had to play the part of Alexander learning new things. Graham hated it because she might compare this one's desperation to a suitor of her own. Not calling anyone out as they approached a very familiar forest.

"...The crystal, unlike the vines, will need to be found at night because its magical potential is based off moonlight, and it'll shine obviously."

"Okay."

"...I won't give too much away, but our side mission will also depend on the state of the moon. You'd think a full moon would trigger full power, right? I was so surprised to learn the most successful for enchantments of this variety is half!"

"Yeah?"

Alexander peered over the book at Rosella sitting on the edge of the bed face glum as she only focused on his hand that previously had another magical burst. It was a valid concern, but how could he get his mind off his own weakness if she didn't stop pointing out even if accidentally? He swallowed offended comments not because he had the control over them, rather if he was timing it right another was sure to-

And there was the heated pulsing in his palm. It had been happening often enough overnight Alexander just dropped the enchantment book and gripped his hand to hope to squeeze the inevitable cramps afterward. He no longer had much reaction to the pain, wincing more from his vision going fully blue green.

And... Yeah, that was it. The cramps had his fingers twitching like a possession victim, but he just curled up and watched them slowly straighten back out with minimal misery. Not like Rosella suddenly leaning over, no regard for personal space as she grasped that same hand.

"Does it hurt?" Rosella asked with odd relief, like she'd been trying the entire unwanted magic lesson.

"It's annoying, it's an embarrassing display for someone with a life of magic experience... But it doesn't hurt now." Alexander tried to say gently but, again, venom directed more so at the idiot who cast the body swapping spell in the first place.

Rosella was entirely too close but didn't seem to notice as she held and pat her mother's hands. Perhaps that was something she'd always done to feel secure. If so, Alexander didn't want to take away a good comfort session but honestly wanted to get back to the book. He'd hoped to get her hyped about things she'd probably never heard of, find something they could both relate to.

Of course, no one in this family was truly going to "get" magic. It was part of their lives, but nothing they thought of let alone considered it was always within them if they unlocked that potential. It was all Alexander had known for keeping himself sane as much as it did hurt in the past coming from antagonistic sources. Magic was always going to be there, and there was so much to learn about and tweak or improve to completely alter another- He was getting carried away.

Sibling bonding just hadn't gone anywhere yet, and once again there was an interruption when a guard knocked at the half open door since locking stopped being an option.

"Queen Valanice, you have a visitor."

That was news to both of them, but Alexander tried not to look the most dumbfounded. He hadn't even tried to look over the work and schedules of a ruler for too many reasons, so of course he wouldn't know who was coming or going in this castle and. If that was a noble buddy from a distant land, he was going to lose it because he wasn't even sure if the etiquette he learned for family meals would be suitable for fancier dinner-

"The king of East Kolyma." The guard spoke dramatically, but it seemed more like he just remembered his introduction cue.

That meant absolutely nothing to Alexander.

Rosella was the one who leapt from the bed, throwing her hands to her head not unlike a panicked reaction their father might have. "King Cedric knows he can't travel so casually anymore; he lost half his leg and yet his age is what hurt his balance the most!"

Still meant nothing to him, which was bad because his lack of reaction was definitely making the guard raise his eyebrows... Alexander could sense it but at least made a show of tensing before Rosella ran over and blocked him from view.

"Is he with anyone? Guards, knights- Does he have-"

"Alone." The guard informed her with his monotone and Rosella's slamming her palm to her face suggesting this happened before.

If Alexander knew who this king was, perhaps he would have hurried to jump into the exchange but... Bad feeling, never mind. He was supposed to know this person in a sentimental way.

Rosella turned her back on the guard, face buried in her hand. "We can't send him away like this... We have no choice..." She slipped her hand down, catching Alexander's eyes almost apologetically.

"I'll rally the rest of the guards to stall the king." The guard spoke up, before walking back out. "He won't wait too long, Queen Valanice. We all know you aren't well at the moment, but I highly suggest one meeting with your father to make him settle down."

"The usual guest room." Rosella said without missing a beat, rubbing her temples. The guard nodded at his order and left them alone.

"Can't that just be some confused old man with the wrong address?!" Alexander burst the moment the footsteps drifted far away enough, shocking only himself with how much he was needlessly huffing.

Rosella pressed a finger to her lips, not comforting him at all. But Alexander did keep more annoyed and confused comments inside when she came back to his side and squeezed his shoulder this time.

"Grandpa's been aimless since Grandma passed away, denying his own mortality. Which... You'd think would be difficult when you've been so sick to the point of losing a leg, but if his mind is still sharp enough for royal duties then-"

"Why is he here now?" Alexander was sure his face fell as hers did, the question unanswered as it was simple.

Grandma didn't get to meet her grandson. Grandpa was going to make it up for both of them.

"Aren't you a little curious?" Rosella asked out of nowhere with a quirk of a smile.

"How can I pretend to be his child when I'm already out of ideas how to bond with my own parents?" Alexander didn't expect her to provide some quick tips.

He was curious, and he hated it so... Just a quick visit. If he was lucky, "Grandpa" might visit the healer after seeing his daughter unleash magic fireworks and life would carry on as normal. But he rolled at his eyes at this own hope. He just sent Graham and Vee out to gather one of the ingredients for their side mission hoping they had enough experience with the outdoors to tell apart a magic vine from the mundane, so hope was more of a suggestion rather than option now.

TBC