Chapter 28

“A gift from a servant,” Iris said as she took her dress off again.
“Again?” King Evander chuckled.
“Must be the pregnancy hormones,” Iris said.
“Hey, what is that sad face for?” King Evander lifted her face with his finger under her chin.
“Pregnancy hormones,” Iris lied before wrapping her arms around him, “I love you so much.”
After they made love, King Evander fell asleep, exhausted from the day's lovemaking. The moonlight shined in onto the bed and Iris just looked at him for as long as she could. With tears running from her face, she kissed King Evander before whispering, “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
Iris pulled herself away trying not to sob too hard and put on a nightdress before walking over to the handheld mirror. Iris picked it up and looked at her reflection in the mirror and thought, ‘this is who I am now and soon I will be a mother. Will my parents forgive me?’ Iris wanted to drop the mirror so that it can break. She walked over to the window and there below she saw three figures.
“Mother, father,” she whispered and forgot all about being a queen. “I love you little one,” Iris said, talking to her belly that was not showing yet.
Instead of wishing to be a servant, Iris decided to wish to stay a princess, only she made a mistake and forgot that she is a queen now, “I wish to be a princess.”
As she made the wish, she realized her mistake and was about to wish again but found herself outside in the garden. Iris looked in the mirror and then up at the window, “no!”
Iris realized that she is wearing the very same dress that Marchelle was wearing earlier, “what has she done?”
Iris looked at the two figures walking away.
“Mother, father, wait it is me,” Iris called after them.
They look around and found at her. “Are you ok princess Marchelle? You asked us to wait with you until someone sees you from that window but now, we really need to get going.”
Iris just stood there, holding the mirror in her hands.
“I wish to be a queen!” Iris shouted into the mirror, but nothing happened.
With tears flowing down her face, she walked to the castle doors.
“Princess Marchelle are you ok?” the guards asked when they saw her tear-stained face.
Iris did not respond and continued to walk. Iris walked to the King’s bedroom, but the guards stopped her from entering, “Princess Marchelle, you know the king doesn’t want you in his room anymore.”
Iris turned away and walked over to the former room of the princess.
“Princess Marchelle?” Princess Cerena questioned, sitting up in the bed.
“Why are you sleeping in this room, you are supposed to be a servant, what if the king catches you here?” Iris asked.
“What are you doing with the mirror? Why are you crying?” Princess Cerena asked.
“She tricked us both,” Iris said.
“What do you mean? Did the plan not work? We will just think of something else,” Princess Cerena said.
“Serves you right, now you are stuck being a servant forever, enjoy my body,” Iris laughed and cried at the ironic situation.
“Iris?” Princess Cerena finally realized what was going on.
“Princess Marchelle now,” Iris said, before throwing the mirror on the bed.
Princess Cerena jumped up and looked for the other mirror, “I am going to kill her!”
“If you do that you will also kill your baby,” Iris said, thinking about the baby.
“I will make her birth the child and then torture her until she gives me my body back,” Princess Cerena vowed.
“Good luck,” Iris said without emotion and walked out of the room.
“Wait, you can help me,” Princess Cerena got out of bed.
“You are on your own,” Iris said.
Princess Cerena sat down on the bed, “urg!” She felt the tears build up in her eyes and fell into the pillows and screamed until she could scream no more.

THE NEXT MORNING

Marchelle woke up and was ready for some passionate, gentle lovemaking with King Evander but found his side empty.
She sat up and immediately had to find something to vomit into.
‘Oh, right, I am pregnant,’ she thought as she vomited.

King Evander was sitting in the throne room dealing with the day-to-day issues of the kingdom when he noticed that Marchelle is not around, “where is my sister?”
“I will go fetch her,” one of the guards said and hurried away.
“Also check on the queen,” King Evander said before signaling his next subject to come forward.

Marchelle arrived first, “my darling, the morning sickness got the better of me.”
“You have been spending way too much time with my sister, you are starting to speak just like her,” King Evander chuckled.
‘I will have to work on that,’ Marchelle thought as she took her place on the queen’s throne.
“Brother, you send for me,” Iris walked into the throne room with a morbid look on her face. She flashes Marchelle a hateful glance.
“Good morning sister-in-law,” Marchelle said, smiling sweetly.
King Evander looked over at his Queen, thinking she is acting strange, ‘must be the pregnancy.’
“Our queen is with child, and I expect you to be by her side all the time,” King Evander said, leaning over and taking her hand.
Iris curtsey and walked over to stand next to Marchelle.
‘That is new,’ King Evander thought at his sister curtseying.
Princess Cerena walked into the throne room and bowed low before the royals, “your majesties. My queen, I prepared a private ladies' tea for you and princess Marchelle.” Princess Cerna said, in the hope to get a word alone with Marchelle that has now stolen her body.
“I relieve you of your duties, you are free,” Marchelle said out of nowhere, wishing to be rid of the princess.
“I don’t want to be free of my duties,” Princess Cerena cried.
“Guards, remove her from the castle and if she sets foot near the kingdom, kill her,” Marchelle said, making Iris gasped.
“Are you sure? The pregnancy must be influencing your judgment,” King Evander asked, shocked at her behavior.
“I am sure,” Marchelle said, signaling a servant with a tray of fruit to stand closer.
“What are you doing?” Iris asked under her breath.
Marchelle stood up and took some fruit from the tray, “come, let’s go for a walk.”
Iris followed Marchelle and as soon as they were alone Marchelle spoke, “do you see any need for her to be around?”
“What is next? You going to get rid of me?” Iris spat.
“That sounds like a plan,” Marchelle said, walking towards the castle doors.
They stopped for a moment, watching the guards dragging a teary Princess Cerena as a servant past them.
“Please don’t. I love your brother and that baby you are carrying,” Iris pleaded.
“All the more reason to get rid of you,” Marchelle threatened.
“I won’t be any trouble, I promise,” Iris continued to plead.
“Fine but the moment you are trouble I am getting rid of you,” Marchelle said as she entered the gardens.
“Now leave me. My brother expects you to run the administration as I did; so I hope you are capable,” Marchelle send her away.
‘As long as I can be around him that should be enough, right?’ Iris thought as she walked back to the throne room.

A few months went by, and King Evander found himself in love with his sister. They work together like always but sometimes her actions reminded him of his Queen, his queen that appears to have had a personality change overnight. ‘Hopefully, she will be her old self after the child is born,’ he thought one day.
“Lunch, as requested,” two servants came into the king’s office with food trays.
“Thank you,” Iris said, taking one of the trays and putting it on a side table before arranging a plate for King Evander.
After the servants left Iris arranged her own plate and sat on the day bed.
King Evander stood up and sat next to her, “thank you for always being by my side, even after the horrible things I have done to you.”
“You are everything to me and I will stay by your side as long as you want me,” Iris said.
King Evander put his plate aside and touched her face. Iris looked up at him and placed her hand over his.
King Evander leaned in and kissed her unexpectantly.
Iris melted in his kiss. She longed for so long to be touched by him again. Her plate of food slips out of her hand, and it brings them both back to reality when it lands on the floor.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” King Evander said standing up.
Iris started to pick up the food from the floor.
“You have changed, one would swear you are also pregnant? Have you taken a bed slave or something?” King Evander wondered, watching his sister that would normally not lift a finger, picking up the food from the floor.
“Of course not,” Iris said, even though she found out soon after becoming Marchelle what she has been up to with one of the guards.
“I know I shouldn’t be jealous, but I can’t help it. Leave it, the servants can clean it up,” King Evander said, kneeling beside her and pulling her to her feet.
‘Why am I drawn to her again? I love Queen Cerena, don’t I?’ King Evander thought, fighting every part of him not to take Marchelle right there in his office.