Brand New Her

'The river ran backwards on the day the Queen vanished.' And the King was found to be cold marble in their shared chambers. His eyes open but never see again. Their child, Princess Emilie, was now the temporary ruler. And she hated every second of it. As she felt she was much too young to do anything of value.

She is fourteen after all.

Her mother’s consorts wouldn’t even try to listen to her. They keep talking over her and telling her that she’s a child. That her mother would allow this. Even though Emilie knew that her mother would never allow this. So many times, she tried to get them to listen to her. To understand that she needed them to listen. Each time the young princess was shut down and told to be seen not heard. It was torture for her. Soon this proved to not be the wisest decision, and the biggest scheduled event was destroyed. A festival that was about a goddess they worshipped for as long as they absolutely knew. People were injured and one young child died. The princess was somehow blamed for it.

It was her last straw, and she came to find me. My name is Grainne. I’m not sure what I am anymore. But I know that I have magic. When the little princess came into my woods, I knew what was on her young mind. I disguised myself as another maiden dressed in plain clothes of her own subject. Keeping my face clean as they do and speaking as softly as them as well. When she spoke of her troubles to me, I stayed sympathetic. There was no reason to be cruel to a scared child that was in such a terrible situation. Letting her cry herself to sleep in my lap. When I was sure the princess wasn’t awake, I carefully picked her up. Pulling her form into my chest as I allowed myself to grow to my normal height.

I’m as tall as most of the houses in their town. My eyes are a milky corpse color, and my skin is soft as parchment paper. The dress that I wore was ragged now. And the previously corn silk colored hair that I had was gone. As I was naturally bald.

Quietly, I took the young child to her chambers. Having to find it through her young memories. It took a while to get her there without being seen. If I was, I wouldn’t be able to help this poor young princess anymore. When I got to her room, I laid her down on her bed and carefully slunk to the Queen and King’s chambers. Stealing several beautiful items from the Queen’s wardrobe before slinking back to the child’s chambers. Quietly cleaning my feet and every other part of me of the dirt of the forest. Forcing my skin to smell like how the princess remembered her mother smelling like before she disappeared.

I made my body into the sturdy and curved form of the Queen. Making my skin a healthier glow than the Queen had. Reshaping my face to the beautiful face of the child’s mother. My eyes were no longer corpse colored and a soft chocolate brown color. Making long dark brown hair appear on my head and pulled it into a braid. Slipping on the outfit that I had taken not that long ago. Using my powers to get them tied tight to my body. When I finished, I slid on the shoes and walked back to the young princess’s sleeping form. Gently touching her face as I roused her from her slumber. Soon as she saw me, her eyes lit up with joy and she hugged me so very tightly. Telling me how scared she’d been since I had been gone.

That she was grateful I had come back.

I would have felt bad if it weren’t for the fact that she needed this. Needed a loving mother to protect her and love her. Nuzzling her hair, I apologized for leaving and said that I would never leave her again. With this, we headed out to the throne room to tell everyone that the ‘Queen’ had finally come home.