With hesitant movements, Amanda reached out to take the crown, under Dexter’s close supervision, but instead grabbed Artemis by the wrist, leaned forward and fell to her knees in front of her, discarding the crutches as an unnecessary thing. 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Her forehead touched Artemis’s cold little hand, and she began to cry. So bitterly, so desperately, as if she had forbidden herself to cry all her life.

- No one can take off a wizard’s crown except himself. - Amanda said to Dexter, sniffing, and he took a puzzled half step back, still staring intently at the prisoner.

Artemis knelt at the same level with Amanda and reached out her other hand through the bars, touching the princess’s head, smoothing her soft obsidian-colored hair.

- I didn’t know how else to get through to all of you. - she whispered faintly. – I was waiting for you to come.

Amanda was sobbing excitedly and trying to mumble something to herself again, but it was more like a schizophrenic monologue.

"- If everything you told me earlier is true, then... -Dexter began.

- Then we are all in great danger. - Artemis finished for him.

- It’s already started. - Amanda muttered through her tears, and Artemis turned her attention back to the missing part of the princess’s leg. - Why isn’t Raf with you?

- We had a conflict of interest with him. - Temi replied, confused.

- What does this mean? - Amanda pulled back slightly, still holding Temi’s hand.

- I took over Teanna’s body without permission. He was furious. - Temi sighed sadly. - He should be in Riliya by now, he should be preparing the mages for war.

Amanda shot her gaze at Dexter.

- Are you going to keep her locked up like this? - Her tone was indignant. - Let her out of here right now!

Amanda couldn’t help but notice Dexter rolling his eyes like she was some obnoxious girl he had to mess with.

- You need to see a doctor. Your wounds are just terrible. - Amanda said, examining her sister and picking up the fallen crutches.

- My wounds are nothing compared to you. What happened? - Artemis tried to keep herself under control, but her voice broke anyway.

- It’s a long story. - The princess hesitated. - I was just unlucky enough to run into the wrong witches.

Her last words came out with a chuckle. Now it was necessary to divide the witches into "those" and "not those".

- My brother will go crazy when he finds out. - She imagined his reaction warily.

- We’ll find a way to calm him down. In the meantime, let me help you. - When Dexter opened the prison door, Artemis took Amanda’s hand to make it easier for her to walk, relying on support from both sides.

- You still have a lot to tell me.

- Apparently, now I just don’t have a way out. - She smiled softly.

- Where are my people, Dexter? - Her question pinned the Duke and he frowned, keeping silent about the fact that all of them, except Terrence, were subjected to interrogation and torture.

- You’ll meet them later. After the doctor examines you.

- Oh, he should be grateful to you. Thanks to you, he has a job. She didn’t fail to prick him, but deep down, she didn’t hold a grudge against him.

***

It’s been three days since Dexter released her from prison, and she still hasn’t met any of her friends. All this time, she was on strict bed rest, taking medication, and talking a lot with Amanda and Dexter.

The latter seemed to have decided to give her another interrogation, but she didn’t mind.

- From all this situation, I’m just surprised that you’re not a sorceress. - Amanda exclaimed, startled. – How did the parents not recognize this?

- Wizards and Elves have common roots going back to the distant, distant past, so this line between them is too blurred. I’ve lived my whole life with the idea that I’m a sorceress. That’s probably partly why Raphael is angry. Maybe he thinks I deliberately lied to him. He always wanted to have children, but what would have happened if he had known about it earlier? It would kill me... - Artemis said sadly.

- But in the end, you died anyway. - Amanda said.

- These are not equivalent things. I wouldn’t want to die at the hands of my own husband, of a broken heart.

- But you’re saying that now he loves Thea more than you... doesn’t that hurt you? - Amanda asked with cautious curiosity.

- At first it was so. - Temi nodded. – But then I rethought a lot and realized that I would not be able to compete with a living person. But more than that, I don’t want to see how the person most dear to me suffers, how he is torn between me and Thea, how he suffers from remorse, from a broken heart. I just want him to be happy. I’ve always wanted this.

There was a momentary pause as she caught her breath.

- I could take over Thea’s body forever, burying her consciousness in the depths of darkness, but I can’t do that to her or to Raphael. And it hurts, I admit. I want to feel the taste of life again without regard to time. But I’m just an empty shell that stole someone else’s place. And sooner or later I will have to give her back her rightful place.

- But why don’t you give her back her body right away?" Not that I’m rushing you... don’t think badly of me, I’m very glad to see you... - Amanda tried to smooth out the corners.

- I can’t... She doesn’t get in touch with me, she’s been silent since the moment I forcibly switched places with her. - Artemis lowered her gaze shyly. - Ivrim says that until Thea gets stronger, she won’t be able to get her body back, and that’s exactly what she needs she to get stronger. But she’s silent, so we can’t work with her as a team.

- She must be offended and offended. She can be understood. Just give her time. She can hear us, right?

Artemis nodded.

- Then she knows you’re not a bad person, and that you regret it. But we all make sacrifices sometimes for a better future. Give her time. Everything will be fine.

- I’m afraid we don’t have much time. - She swallowed hard.

- Your friends are almost cured, so once you recover, we can think about a strategy. - Amanda said.

- They are cured? - She tensed.

The corners of Amanda’s lips spread apart, exposing her teeth.

- Well, you know, Dex, he’s very short–tempered sometimes... We thought you were enemies in disguise....

- I want to see them. - Temi interrupted her. – All of them. Right now.

She got off the bed, jumping into her soft slippers and tying the white elongated shirt that the servants had changed her into tighter.

- Wait a minute. The doctor will be terribly angry that you don’t follow his instructions. - Amanda tried to stop her.

- Just lead the way so we can get back before the healer returns with his rounds. - Amanda’s futile attempts to reason with Artemis crashed against a wall of complete indifference to her words.