The splash of icy water on my face brought me out of unconsciousness. I gulped air with my mouth and shivered from the bone-piercing cold. My vision did not recover immediately and at first everything was blurred, but then I blinked and realized that I was in some dark, half-lit place, in which the water drops dripping from my clothes echoed. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

My head was buzzing, I must have hit my head badly when I fell. It’s like someone is knocking on it with a hammer. The pleasure is unpleasant.

- How do you like such hospitality? - Straining my eyes, I saw Terrence’s back in front of me. He didn’t look as presentable now as he had at dinner. His clothes were rumpled, his shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow, his brown wavy hair was carelessly tousled.

I was silent and just watched his actions. I was too scared at the moment and was not thinking clearly, not yet fully regaining clear consciousness.

Terrence came up to me with heavy steps and pushed the chair to which I was tied with his foot. The chair staggered and fell, knocking me over after it. I already had a premonition of what everything was threatening to turn out to be, and this fear permeated me. I was angry at myself and my stupidity, but there was nothing else I could do.

My brother’s eyes were burning with madness, he looked just like a madman, bending over me and running the blades of scissors along my cheek.

- I think this is a great way to get information out of you. – he said, examining the rusty scissors. - It would be too easy to wound you with a sharp blade, and these old tailor’s scissors would be perfect for our acquaintance. What do you think about it? Will we be able to find a common language with you?

- Why are you doing this? Don’t you understand that this will lead to a war between the two countries? – I tried to reason with him.

- Hmm. Do you think I care? - He hissed angrily. - Where is my sister?

- I... I don’t know. - a ringing slap landed on my cheek, sobering me.

- Wrong answer. You know, for a king’s advisor, you’re kind of too quiet and uncomplaining. Didn’t he take you with him to divert our eyes? – continued to extract information. – The secretive king of Abion, there are interesting rumors about him. About his hostility and bloodlust. He shuns everyone so much that it’s hard to believe these rumors. At dinner, he behaved like a God’s dandelion. So is it true?

I’ve been thinking carefully about my answer, but what should I say? I didn’t know Raphael at all, and my knowledge was also based on rumors. To say that it’s true and try to intimidate him or to say that it’s a lie and then he will feel his superiority and maybe even kill me. A difficult choice, since the brother’s madness could consider each option from a different angle.

- First impressions can be deceptive. But you are wrong to think that we are up to something. We just came by invitation. – another slap on the face and a sharp pain in the cheek, followed by a new pain from the wound left by blunt scissors on my thigh.

Fresh blood was oozing through the open wound, through the torn trousers. Gritting my teeth, I tried to stifle the screams escaping. I have to hold on. I can’t tell him the truth, I can’t give myself away. Otherwise, all this way that I have passed until today will be a waste of time and effort. One thing I was sure of, he wouldn’t kill me. Yes, he will cripple, yes he will disfigure, but he will not kill.

The moment I woke up in this basement, I realized that he was initially tuned in to me, not to Raphael. And he did it to intimidate King Abion. He was giving him a signal that he was ready to go to great lengths to get his sister back. But that didn’t make it any easier for me, I couldn’t tell him the truth, but I didn’t want to be mutilated either. A double-edged sword.

But why did he decide that Abion was to blame for my abduction? There were no witnesses. Or has he already reached the other guests and extracted information from them? There was only hope for Raphael, that he and his people would be able to find and save me. In the meantime, I will hold on as long as my strength allows. I won’t say anything.

The torture lasted long enough. I’ve already lost track of time from the hellish pain. The more I kept silent or gave the wrong answer that Terrence was waiting for, the more he punished me, cruelly and mercilessly. I didn’t even have the strength to scream and cry anymore, I was just exhausted and exhausted. Every breath was a nagging pain in my chest, my ribs must have been broken. I was lying on the cold floor in a pool of my own blood, but I didn’t feel the cold. Maybe I was wrong that he wouldn’t kill me?

I was about to close my eyes and accept what would happen when a stream of magic, hot as fire, flowed through my hands. Screaming and writhing, I tried to get rid of her, shake her off, although I understood that this was absolutely ridiculous and impossible. And again the cutting pain on the back of my hand, and then it was over. Abruptly and unexpectedly. I looked up at my brother looming over me and his gloating smile. It didn’t bode well.

And again loss of consciousness and again pitch darkness.

***

I stretched, feeling the softness of the bed and the freshness of the bed linen under me, and opened my eyes, slightly squinting them from the bright sunlight. A beautiful day and...

I sat up abruptly and looked at myself.

A terrible dream...

Nothing hurts anywhere. I felt my ribs and even twirled around, checking them for integrity. It was as if nothing had happened. Could it really be a dream? I rubbed my eyes with my hands, and then grabbed the blanket to finally get out of bed when something strange caught my attention.

It definitely wasn’t a dream. Although somewhere in my head I probably knew it.

There was a small V-shaped scar on the back of my hand. I hurriedly threw off the blanket and ran to the bathroom, took off my clothes, underwear and went to the mirror.

Oh, God, I wish I hadn’t done that.

My mind was filled with femininity, while my body was exclusively masculine. Hiding my eyes in my palms, I tried to hide the shame on my face. And why did I see it? Just a nightmare. Even thoughts of Terrence instantly left my brain, leaving only the image of a naked man there.

And this hanging thing is between my legs...

Lord, save and preserve my sinful soul.

I did not examine myself further for injuries, nor did I wash. No one has ever died from a couple of days without washing. Yeah, becoming a man wasn’t my best idea, to put it mildly.

I remembered about that magic potion that Raphael gave me before leaving, it must have worked wonderfully again. There was no other explanation. But then why did this scar on my arm remain?

Okay, I’ll try to figure it out later. But perhaps I won’t tell Raphael about what happened last night, otherwise it is fraught with catastrophic consequences. This mad king will definitely find in this one more reason to invade my native kingdom with a war.I won’t give him that opportunity.

I was waiting for the servant to come and call for breakfast, but instead Xana knocked on the door. She was dressed up like a doll and behaved very excitedly.

- My Lord, good morning. - she curtsied. – I took the liberty to come to you myself to invite you to breakfast in the garden, and then we can take a walk and I’ll show you around.

- Well, lead on, Your Grace. – I held out my elbow to her, which she quickly grabbed.

I had a hard time remembering how men usually behave with girls. Moreover, Xana showed excessive attention to me, which suggested that she might have been fascinated by this illusory picture. After all, she is not so different from her sister. All thoughts are only about a successful marriage. Although what aristocrat does not dream about it, especially if it is mutual. But such marriages are extremely rare. But the marriage that my father promised me with the Marquis is a fairly frequent and forced phenomenon in order to maintain the purity of the pedigree.