Alex had a terminal Cancer diagnosis and thought she would die before she got to be the girl she always was inside. That all changes when she's in the wrong place at the right time and gets transported to another world and into the body of a girl. So what if she's not human, she's alive and a girl. Now if only she had her sister with her to navigate this new world and her new responsibilities. Wait, she's here too? The passage of their souls between worlds may have doomed the Earth to apocalypse, but Alex and Michelle won't be there to see it and they have enough problems on their hands.
 

 

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Author's Note: Here's chapter 3 of the rewrite of Alex in Wonderland. Thanks to my readers and to BCTS for giving their support of Transgendered authors and fiction. ~Amethyst.
 

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Chapter 3: There Be Drakans

I stared in awe at the silvery, iridescent Drakling as it stumbled toward me, speaking to me in my head using my sister's voice. ~Alex! I didn't know whether to believe her or not! You were dying and I couldn't do anything, and she told me about this place and how you'd switched places and then you died, and I wasn't going to come but I needed to know if you were still alive...~

She probably would have kept babbling in my head like that for quite some time if the tawny Zenin in red had not interrupted her by speaking to us both. “Come, I will take you both to your Warders.”

“C'mon, Michelle, we have a lot to talk about, I think, and a lot to do,” I said as I nodded. Then I followed the Zenin, with my sister stumbling alongside me.

~Where are we? What's going on? What's with all the people?~ Michelle asked as she looked around, craning her slightly serpentine neck to see.

“We're at a Drakan nest-breaking, people came here to see who gets paired with the newly hatched Drakans,” I replied quietly as we walked, “and hoping to get paired with a Drakan themselves.”

~Drakans? What are those? Were you hoping to get one of your own? Why are all those people looking at us? Is it because you're the princess?~ she continued yammering merrily in my mind.

"Her talking in my brain is going to get tiring after a while," I thought as I answered, “No, it's because I got paired with a Drakan. And I'm sure that you'll get to see a baby Drakan, as soon as we find you a mirror."

~What do you mean by me talking in your brain? You got one? Where is it? Babies of all kinds are adorable... wait, what?~ She stared at me and fell on her face, apparently unable to stare and walk at the same time.

I groaned as I helped her to her feet and told her quietly, “Congratulations, Sis, you just hatched, and now I get to be your mommy. Now, could you please try to calm down and follow the nice catboy in red? I swear that you have the attention span of a hummingbird on espresso right now.”

Michelle managed to get clumsily to her feet, and we followed our guide past the crowd and closer to the shore of the lake. ~I'm sorry, Alex. We're in a whole different world here. Everything is new and different. I feel like a kid again.~

I giggled at that as I replied, “I know, it's all pretty incredible. And news flash, Sis, you are a kid again, a newborn to be precise.” At that point, we had arrived in front of a very familiar Frost Drakan and his Chosen. “Runne? Patar?” I stammered as relief flooded through me. I did not need to explain this whole princess shit to someone else, and he had my Chrissy.

Patar was leaning against the white Drakan and grinning at me. He waited until the other Zenin was gone and he was sure we had some privacy before speaking. “Congratulations, Princess, you have been paired with a Radiant Drakan. She is a beauty, is she not? What did you name her?”

I was distracted for a moment by the bundle of white fur leaping from Patar's shoulder to wrap herself around my neck and start humming happily. I gave Chrissy an affectionate scratching as I replied to Patar, “Her name is Michelle.” Then I sighed and added uncertainly, “I know this is going to sound wacky, Patar, but in that other world I came from, Michelle was my twin sister. I think that she knows what happened to your real princess.”

Patar frowned at that revelation. “We will have to discuss this later, once we get somewhere more private. For now, since I managed to get myself and Runne assigned as your Warders, let us have Runne take Michelle to get something to eat. I need to get you prepared.”

Runne's gravelly voice spoke just loud enough to be heard by me and Michelle. “Come with me, little one, I will take you to eat, our Chosen will find us when they are ready or call us to them.”

It suddenly struck me that the Frost Drakan sounded an awful lot like Ron Perlman. I tried to shake off that intrusive thought as Michelle waddled and stumbled along in Runne's wake, and I tried not to giggle as I turned to Patar to ask, “Get me prepared for what?”

Patar let out a long sigh as he looked around cautiously. “The shitstorm that is bound to be stirred up once the breaking is over, and people find out who you are. You have only been in the Greylands for four suns, but I swear that your Gift must be the ability to get into trouble.”

I tried to think of anything I might have done to cause trouble, but I came up empty. “What did I do? I was just staying with you until that Zenin grabbed me, and you said that it's rude not to consent.”

Patar nodded and agreed, “Aye, I did, Princess. You did nothing wrong, and it would have been worse had you refused to consent. Still, I was hoping to slip you by folks stealthily and present you to your parents privately. We kept it quiet that you were missing. Some people think Visanee's escape was just a drill, and that you are still safe inside the castle. Most people believe that your disappearance is just a rumor.”

“I thought that you said that the King and Queen meet all the new pairings, though, so it's not a big deal. I'll still get to meet with them, right?” I asked, a bit confused.

Patar groaned and leaned against a tree. “It is not their Majesties I am worried about. I try to sneak you in, without folks knowing you are outside the castle, and you get yourself a Drakan. I might have been able to manage to keep things quiet if it were just that, but you had to go and get yourself paired with a Radiant!”

I was getting more confused by the minute. “What does Michelle being a Radiant have to do with anything?”

“We told you that there were close to two hundred Drakans alive today, right?” Patar asked. I quickly nodded, and he sighed as he looked off in the direction that our Drakans had walked off in. “Out of all of those Drakans, only three are Radiants, including yours.”

“So, isn't that a good thing then?” I wondered aloud.

“Yes, it is. A Radiant will be seen as a good omen, and that means a lot of people are going to want to meet the new Radiant pair. This could be a problem, especially given everything else.” He didn't seem very happy about this.

“Okay, what the hell is the problem then if all this is good? And what do you mean by 'everything else'?”

He sat on the ground, still leaning his back against the tree, and motioned for me to sit with him as he told me, “At the last nest-breaking, about a tenth ago, the first pairing was a Human and a Shadow Drakan. Shadows are almost as rare as Radiants; there are currently five. Quite a few people saw it as a bad omen. I have met the pair; they are both good lads. Nobody thinks they are trouble, but the superstitious lot saw it as a sign that the Empire is going to find a way to get to us here.”

“But that's superstitious nonsense,” I argued.

“Aye, it is. Now you are the Princess, and you are still three suns before your Giftsun. Before today, for as long as we have been having nest-breakings, no member of the nobility has ever been Chosen. Nor has anyone ever been Chosen before their Giftsun.” He sighed as he watched me sit across from him. “Now, let us put all these unlikely events together. The Zenin Princess gets paired with a Radiant only a few suns before her Giftsun, while she is rumored to be missing. How will the superstitious see that, aye?”

As I sat down, I thought about that, and the fact that I had little or no knowledge about this world, this country, the people, or even my new self. “Oh, crap.”

Patar nodded grimly. “You, Princess, are about to get a lot of attention.”

Michelle followed the large white Drakan, marveling at just how huge he was and the fact that she was looking at a real-life dragon... Drakan. Her staring caused her to lose her footing once again. With a grumble, she got back to her feet and continued shuffling along. She watched Runne ahead of her once more, thinking of how incredible it was that she was looking at a Drakan and that she was one herself. "I wonder if I'll get that big? I wish I could talk to him."

After they had left their Chosen, Runne had explained that, like any baby, she wouldn't be able to talk, move well, or care for herself very well for a while. Honestly, she was probably lucky that she could walk… or waddle, especially with how strange and awkward her new body felt. For now, she would have to rely on Alex for a lot of things. Not because Alex would be the only one to care for her, but rather because until she could talk, she could only communicate her needs by mind-speech, and Drakans can only do that with their Chosen. Runne said that it is part of the imprinting process.

So, for now, she was stuck just following the elder Drakan as best she could and listening, though there were some interesting tidbits to listen to. For one thing, it seemed that Drakans have a racial memory. As they grow older, they instinctively know everything about the world and surviving in it that their ancestors knew. This included how to fly, and also how to use their natural abilities. In short, Drakans are born with mature minds; they just can't put much of that knowledge to use until their growing bodies catch up.

She found out that Runne was a Frost Drakan, while she was a Radiant. Frost Drakans' abilities are centered around the element of ice, allowing them to freeze things. Their scales also insulate against the cold. As a Radiant Drakan, Michelle's abilities would be attuned to light. It didn't sound too impressive to her, but she supposed that she should be happy with what she got. Maybe she could find some way to use those abilities to protect Alex.

A delicious smell suddenly caught her attention, and she bumped into Runne's tail, not realizing he had stopped. “Here we are, Michelle. The butchers have prepared some portions for all you Draklings, without bones, so you do not choke.” He guided her to a large pile of raw, bloody meat, and she could see the butchers in a nearby tent, in their red-stained aprons, chopping up even more for the Draklings who had not yet arrived. For a moment, all she could do was stare at the pile in confusion, and then it hit her.

~Omigod! Alex! They expect me to eat raw meat!~ The panicked voice of my sister belted out in my mind as I was trying to focus on the instructions that Patar was giving me. They weren't terribly detailed instructions; basically, I just needed to keep quiet when possible and stick to the cover story that Patar was concocting. Still, I really didn't need the interruption.

~Sis, you are a newly hatched baby Drakan~ I tried to send back through my thoughts. I'd feel pretty silly talking to her out loud when I was supposed to be listening to Patar.

~So what? RAW MEAT, Alex! It hasn't been cooked at all! They just yanked it from whatever animal it came from,~ was her anguished reply.

~What did you think that baby Drakans eat? Somehow, I doubt they sell formula or baby food in convenient Drakan-sized portions. Or did you maybe think I'd be breastfeeding you?~ I sent back grouchily.

~But it's raw!~ she complained again.

~Is it currently moving or breathing?~ I asked, rubbing my temples as I tried to dislodge the headache that was starting to form.

~No.~ I could practically hear her pouting.

~Then it's just a rare steak. So, suck it up and eat your goddamn breakfast so I can find out how to be someone I'm not.~ With a sigh, I looked up at Patar, who had just finished explaining to me my cover story. Crap.

“So," Patar asked, “tell me what we are going to be telling anyone who asks why you are out of the castle?”

I swallowed hard, clearing my throat before speaking. “Uh… being the spoiled princess that I am, I snuck out of the castle because I just had to have some raw meat... I mean a kihr as a pet. So, I got some Thaumaturge in the city to take me to the Frozen Wastes. He was... uh… eaten by a kythir before we could come back. I got away, found my new pet, and you found me.” I sighed, shaking my head. “Nobody is going to believe that. Can't we just say that I have no idea how I got there because I hit my head and don't remember anything? Then from there, I can just tell what happened until you found me.”

Patar chuckled at my slip-up. “Having them in our heads takes a little getting used to.” Then he considered my idea and agreed, “Fine, we will go with that, it will explain any odd behavior and gaps in your knowledge. Maybe we can get a Healer in on this to 'confirm' that you hit your head and suffered memory loss.” His eyes glazed over, and I realized that he must be doing his telepathic thing.

~You know, this is actually pretty good,~ Michelle sent, interrupting my thoughts.

~I am so happy for you,~ I sent back with a groan.

Patar seemed to focus on his surroundings once again and grinned at me. “Do you remember the Cinole who was paired with the Earth Drakan before you and Michelle were paired?”

I thought back to the first pairing. “Yeah, I remember her, she had brown hair and green wings, right?”

He quickly nodded. “She is the daughter of a friend of mine, and she is also a Healer. She is still young, barely a pass older than you, but she has enough experience for people to believe her when she says that you bumped your head and may have some memory loss.” He spaced out for a few seconds again, nodding about something. “I was just told that the last pairing has just been made. We need to hurry if we are going to talk with her before their Majesties start making the rounds of the pairings. Her Drakling is still feeding, but she will meet us at the lakeside garden. I will have Runne bring Michelle to meet us there once she has finished her meal.”

I got to my feet and dusted myself off. “Let's go find her then.”

When Patar had said gardens, I thought he was referring to flowers. There were some big red ones and some pretty blue ones, but most of the garden seemed to be herbs. I assumed that their vegetables and other major produce were grown on some of the farms that we passed when we flew to the city. The Cinole was waiting for us, seated on a large rock. Once we were close, she jumped up into the air to dive-bomb Patar with some kind of kamikaze hug. “Unca Patar!”

Patar easily caught her in his upper arms while his lower arms moved out to steady him. “Jezz,” he said with a grin, “you have grown. I saw you paired with that Earth Drakan, but you have gotten so big that I did not know it was you until your father told me. What brought you back to the capital? I assume that you have a good reason to stay now.”

“Da wanted me to get some trainin' from the Healers in the palace. They been lookin' for young 'uns wit a strong healin' Gift. Da thinks they might be wantin' proper trained Healers in case the Empire decides we may be wort' a long walk 'cross the Great Sands after all. There’s been talk 'bout trainin' a defense force too, what wit the rumors that the Princess is missin'. But ya, 'tween Grayle an’ proper Healer trainin', I got good reason t' be stayin'.” Her accent was a bit hard to follow, and I tried not to stare as I stood off to one side.

Patar chuckled. “Actually, speaking of the Princess, I need you to do something for me. I found the Princess, but there were some complications. I need you to tell anybody who asks you about it that you looked over the Princess, and she took a good blow to the head and might have some memory problems. Do not worry about their Majesties, we will be telling them the truth. Can you do that for us?”

“I'll do it for ya, Unca Patar, but how can I be sayin' I looked o'er the Princess if I dun know what she looks like?” the Cinole asked. “I heard she's a white Zenin wit black stripes, but I can't be givin' a better description than that if someun' asks.”

I lowered my hood and offered, “You could look me over, then you won't be lying when you say you looked over the Princess.”

She did look me over, in fact, she downright stared as she freed herself from Patar's arms and knelt on the ground. “Yer Highness.”

I groaned inwardly as Patar gave another of his grins, although his tone was serious. “For now, you will be the only Healer the Princess will trust, and you will be sticking with her. I might have to pull some strings to see if Runne and I can be Warders to both of you.”

“Warder fer both of us?” Jezz asked, a bit confused.

“I must be getting old, I forgot to introduce you both,” Patar said with a sigh. “Princess, this is Jezz, newly Chosen of Grayle. Jezz, I would like you to meet Princess Visanee, newly Chosen of Michelle.”

I could have sworn I heard her jaw hit the ground before she spoke. “Michelle? That's the name everyun's been talkin' 'bout. The Radiant. Folks been askin' if I knew who her Chosen was, she was wearin' a hood. Nobody saw her face, alls they knew was she was a white Zenin wit black stripes.”

Comfortably full, Michelle was once again following Runne. She was uncomfortably aware of the amount of attention that she was getting as she waddled along behind the massive white Drakan. She might not have been able to speak yet, but she could still understand what was being said. They were talking about her. They spoke about what a good omen a Radiant Drakan was. She heard other talk too.

Mostly, it was talk about her and her Chosen, whom she assumed was Alex. People were wondering who she was and why she was wearing a cloak and hood. Some people were also talking about Princess Visanee. There were rumors that she was missing, but those at the palace weren't saying anything about it. Michelle felt bad that her being a Radiant was taking attention from all the other new Drakans and their partners. She sighed and sent a thought to Alex as she walked. ~Alex, we're on our way to meet you. People are talking about us a lot.~

She quickly received a reply. ~I know, Sis. Jezz said that a lot of people were asking her if she knew who your Chosen is. I feel bad, it sounds like people are in such a buzz about us that hardly anyone has congratulated her about being Chosen herself. Patar says that we're going to be getting a lot of attention when people find out that the Princess is your Chosen.~

Michelle grumbled about that as she made sure to stay close to Runne. ~I feel bad for all the other new pairs, too. This shouldn't be about just us. What I don't get is how these people aren't putting two and two together and thinking that the mysterious white and black Zenin Chosen could be their missing princess?~

She could feel something like a mental shrug from Alex before she answered. ~Patar seems to think it's because they've never had a member of the nobility, or anyone under the age of eighteen, get Chosen before. It's so highly unlikely in their minds that they don't make the connection, since I'm the Princess and my eighteenth birthday isn't for another three days... err suns.~

The Radiant Drakling sighed. ~This is going to be the Greylands version of a media circus, isn't it, Alex?~

~Yeah, Sis, it is.~ The sadness and uncertainty in her sister's thoughts were palpable.

I looked at Patar and Jezz and tried not to let my feelings show as I told them, “Michelle says that she and Runne are on their way. She's been overhearing a lot of talk about us.” I turned my gaze directly onto Patar. “So, how much time do we have, and what's the plan?”

Patar shrugged, which looked weird on a guy with four arms. “They will want to gather all of you to break apart the nest once the Drakans have all been fed. Their Majesties will want to meet you all before that, so I imagine that they will be on their way here to meet Grayle and Jezz very soon, so we do not have long. We will go with your idea of having hit your head and not remembering anything before that. I found you and brought you back to the capital, and then, as we were looking for your parents, you were Chosen. Play shy and make like you don't know, or trust, much of anyone except me and Jezz.”

“And what bout Jezz?” I asked. “What does she do?”

He turned to the Cinole in question. “Jezz, I brought the Princess here to meet you because you are a Healer, another Chosen, and close to her age. You confirm that she banged her head hard, that you healed her, and that she has forgotten even some basic everyday things. Just go with that for now, we will tell you the whole story once we can be sure to have enough time alone.”

Jezz nodded to the Jiquar. “Ya, I think I got it Unca Patar. T' think I came here t' learn proper Healin', an’ now in one day I got Chosen an’ became the Princess's own Healer.” She grinned at me. “I can't wait t' hear whate'er ya did t' lead up t' this, Yer Highness.”

“You and me both,” I muttered to myself.

Grayle was, of course, the first of our partners to return from feeding. She may have lacked wings, but I could tell that she was going to make up for it with her sheer energy and enthusiasm. Even though she couldn't speak, she was extremely friendly, far more so than the Stone Drakan escorting her, and she seemed to adore her Chosen. The Stone Drakan was named Perrix, and he and his Chosen, Yurin, stepped aside for a brief talk with Patar while Jezz introduced me to Grayle, who gave me a lick on the cheek.

The talk was indeed brief, and soon they approached us again as Yurin conceded, “I have no problem with you and Runne taking over as their Warders, so long as Their Majesties approve of it. Perrix and I found a fine vein of silver, and I wouldn't mind the extra time to work on mining it.”

Patar gave him a friendly slap on the back. “Aye, I imagine you would. I will clear it with Their Majesties. I know it is unusual to want to ward two new pairs, but trust me, these are unusual circumstances, and I think it is for the best.”

Yurin nodded. “I'll leave them in your care then, for now. Let me know if you need anything, or if Their Majesties decide they want us to remain their Warders after all.” He gave us a friendly wave as he clambered up Perrix's back and the pair took off toward the city at a leisurely walk. It was then that Runne joined us with Michelle following at his heels. Michelle waddled her way over to me, and I gave her a big hug. ~Welcome back, Sis, did you eat well?~

I could feel her contentment bubbling in my mind, though it seemed tinged with worry too. ~Yeah, I'm full. Once I got over the fact that it was raw, it actually tasted pretty good.~

“Michelle,” I spoke aloud as I gestured to the green Drakling and the Cinole, “this is your sister, Grayle, and her Chosen, Jezz.” ~Sis, get to know your new sister and play for a bit. It'll probably help things if you and Grayle can get along well.~

~We can't communicate mind to mind; it seems we only have that link with our Chosen. Playing, I can do, though!~ She cheerfully made her way over to Grayle, and soon the pair started to roll about, pounce, swat at one another, and generally act like a pair of seven-foot-long kittens.

Jezz grinned at me. “Seems like Grayle likes her, though she's bein' a bit jealous 'bout how pretty Michelle is. I think they'll be good friends. Michelle is gorgeous, by the way.”

I returned the grin as I offered, “Grayle is really pretty too, just not as shiny.” I laughed a bit at that. “I hope that they are good friends since we'll likely be spending a lot of time together if Patar gets his way. I hope that we can be good friends too, Jezz.”

The Cinole's smile lit up her face. “Yer not what I was expectin', Yer Highness. I think we'll get 'long fine.” She paused as something caught her attention. “Best be lookin' behind ya, Yer Highness, we got comp'ny.”

I turned to look and saw a procession of people heading our way. At the front was a regal-looking white Zenin female with bright green eyes. She was in a very expensive-looking dark blue dress that made me think of Victorian England. Beside her was a grey Zenin with black stripes and amber eyes wearing an ornate dark red tunic and green hose. From the way that everyone seemed to be speaking with the woman, who I guessed must be Visanee's mother, it appeared that she was the one in charge.

Patar intercepted the procession and knelt before the royal couple well before they reached us. After he rose, he had a hushed conversation with them as he gestured toward us. A moment later, he was leading the pair toward us while their retinue waited behind. As they approached, I could hear the white Zenin saying, “...is very unusual, Patar, but you have served me well for many passes and I trust you. Now, why did you wait until now to bring our daughter to us? You told me that you found her before the breaking got underway. Could you not have brought her to us right away?”

Patar shook his head. “I had planned to, Your Majesty, but there was an unforeseen complication.”

“What sort of complication, Patar?” she inquired more insistently.

By this time, they were almost upon us. Patar gestured to the playing Drakans, “Your Majesties, those are Grayle the Earth and Michelle the Radiant. And these,” he added as he gestured to Jezz and me, “are their Chosen, Jezz and... your daughter.”

“Ummm.... hello,” I spoke softly, giving a nervous little wave. Both the Zenins' eyes went wide as the realization sank in.

It had been a long explanation. Patar and I explained who I really was, and with Michelle's help, I was able to tell them what Visanee had done and her fate in my former world. They were both understandably distraught at the news of her death. We gave them a bit of time to come to terms with that after Patar confirmed that he had read my mind and seen the truth.

The Queen spoke softly, her voice hoarse from crying, “We… tried to give her everything she wanted. The best of everything was made available for her. We spent all the time we could with her. In the end, we couldn't give her the one thing that she truly wanted.” She began to cry again, soft little sobs that made my heart ache in sympathy. I wondered if my mother on Earth had cried when Visanee died. Would she cry at Michelle's apparent death?

The King took over. “She wanted freedom. She wanted to see the world and have grand adventures like in the stories. We couldn't let her do that with all the dangers out there. The empire would like nothing more than to kill her or use her against us. More importantly, she was our only daughter; if something happened to her, then the royal bloodline would end. It would be a disaster.”

“What do you mean by a disaster? Couldn't someone from one of the other noble families be announced as a new heir?” I asked.

“No,” the King replied, shaking his head emphatically. “The land itself is tied by magic to the blood of the females of the royal line. This land used to be uninhabitable; covered in poisonous swamps, the mountains brimmed with fire and ash, and the very earth shook constantly. We Zenin, had been forced to flee our homeland. That was long ago, when the empire was just starting to expand. We fled across the Great Sands and came here; many of us died on the journey. We tried to make a home here, but it seemed impossible.”

“So, what happened to change that?” I wondered.

“The island in the center of the lake,” the Queen said, her voice strained from sobbing and her eyes damp and red. “Alina, the first Queen of Azure, discovered it, and the crystal fountain that sits at the center. The fountain is sacred. It is connected to Itari, the Goddess of the Earth. Itari spoke with Alina. She offered to make the land livable in exchange for the Vow that the daughters of Alina's line would protect the fountain and rule the land fairly. She was bound to the Vow by her blood, and her blood was tied to the land by magic. Should our line end, or the Vow be broken, the land will start to return to what it was before. Each eldest daughter of the line is announced as heir and bound to the Vow on their Giftsun.”

“Damn,” I cursed. “That's why Visanee was so desperate to make the exchange. She wanted freedom and not to have the responsibility of the Vow. She was running out of time, but she didn't want the land to fall into ruin, so she couldn't just leave; she needed a replacement. That's why Patar said that I'm the princess, no matter who I was in my mind.”

The Queen nodded slowly, sniffling a bit as her husband held her close. “I am sorry that she put you in this situation, Alex. If she had waited, she would have been given a little more freedom once she was named heir.” She looked at me, the weight of her loss and responsibility heavy in her tear-filled eyes as she told me, “I can bear no more children. You alone have the blood needed now. People cannot know that you are not the true heir. I ask not for me, but for my people, will you be our heir and princess?”

I looked at the pair of them, obviously distraught. They just lost their daughter, even if I was standing here now in her body. How would they deal with losing a vow that obviously meant a lot to them as well, even if the part about the Goddess wasn't true? Given how I'd gotten here and what I'd seen so far, I couldn't eliminate the possibility that Itari was indeed real. I nodded grimly and reached out to hug them both. “I may not be your real daughter, but I will do as you ask and try to make it look like I am.”

It was then that we relayed what had happened since I had arrived in the Greylands, ending with the plan that we had come up with to explain my lack of knowledge. They both thought the plan was a good one and approved Patar's request to be Warder to both me and Jezz. The Cinole was also recruited to help Patar teach me the basics of life in the Greylands. All of this was decided quickly, as it was felt that the royals had spent too much time already talking with us without their retinue. Any longer, and the other nobles would become suspicious that there was more going on than just the Princess getting chosen.

The retinue in question, consisting largely of the nobility and some important officials, was quickly called over once the royals had composed themselves. That grief wasn’t going to go anywhere, but it seemed like they were both well-versed in putting on a brave face for their people during difficult times. So, it was explained to their retinue that Princess Visanee was the Chosen of the Radiant Drakan, whom everyone was so interested in. We also gave them my story about having hit my head and losing my memory. To sell the story, I was careful to act a bit shy and skittish if anyone other than my parents, Patar, or Jezz got too close.

When the procession left, we accompanied them to visit the other Chosen and their Drakans, but I was careful to stick close to those that I was 'comfortable' with. Finally, once all seven of the other pairs had been visited, we all gathered back at the nest. It was tradition for the Chosen to take all the branches and other flammable materials used to make the nest and move them to the center of where the nest had sat. Then, once it was all piled up, the Queen herself would set fire to it all with a torch. It was considered bad luck for any part of the nest but the earth to remain behind and possibly be used again.

Once the fire was set, animals were roasted on spits, and a feast was prepared to celebrate the new unions. Shards of the Drakan eggshells were tossed into the fire by couples as offerings to Kanae, the Goddess of Fertility, the Harvest, and Birth. As that was being done, a Priestess of Kanae performed a blessing on each Drakan and their Chosen. It was all so strange to Michelle and me, but exciting as well.

I was sitting alone with Michelle and absently petting Chrissy, who was now snuggling up in my lap. We were staring into the great bonfire that was still going strong when Jezz sat down beside me. Grayle curled up beside Michelle, her eyes, like Michelle's, getting droopy. I giggled as I looked at them. “I guess they're pretty tired. It was a big day for them, being born and then all of this. Big day for us too.” Was it really just this morning that Patar had found me? So much had happened in just this one day.

Jezz giggled back, but quickly turned serious, “Ya, big sun fer us all. I been flyin' 'bout, listenin' t’ the crowds. Folks are talkin' non-stop 'bout the 'Radiant Princess'. Yer right, people are talkin' like yer Itari Herself. Sayin' this is a sign. If it's not that, folks are talkin' 'bout how sad it is ya lost yer mem'ry.”

I nodded, taking a cautious look around. “I keep expecting to get swarmed by people any time now.”

Jezz shook her head. “Nah, Queen Nisa announced that yer t' be left alone while ya recover. Dun worry, ya got Unca Patar an’ me t' look out for ya, Yer Highness.”

“Thanks,” I said as I reached out to squeeze her hand. “I'm glad to have you both with me. One thing though, Jezz.”

The Cinole looked at me curiously and asked, “What's that, Yer Highness?”

She wasn't much older than me, and in the flickering firelight, I could see how very pretty she was. She looked so fragile and innocent at that moment, and I kind of wanted to hold her. She had a strength inside her, though, and I could sense that she cared a lot for people in general. I had a feeling that she would be a good friend through whatever came. I smiled at her and told her gently, “Friends don't call friends 'Your Highness'. When we're alone like this, call me Alex.”

She blushed a bit at that, I could see it even in the firelight. She nodded, though, as she answered quietly, “Okay then, 'Lex, I think I'd like that.” We sat there together for a long while, staring at the fire as I thought about all the weirdness that had happened since I had arrived in the Greylands. We were both dozing off along with our Drakans when Patar came to take us home.