Chapter 31

Iris felt the contraction rip through her body and let out a painful scream, dropping the mirror.
Marchelle, back in her own body, also dropped the mirror she was holding and gave a few steps backward before meeting the wall, relieved that she was no longer in pain or giving birth. Marchelle took a few deep breaths and left the room.
“The midwives should go in now,” Marchelle said before walking off in a hurry, but then she stopped and looked around at the guard, “the queen no longer needs you as her guard, she will take my guards. You will be my guard again, like before.”
The guard looked puzzled but followed Princess Marchelle.
“Is the queen going to be, ok?” the guard asked.
“I hope not,” Marchelle said, pulling the guard into a room before kissing him.
“Marchelle?” the guard asked.
“Yes, I don’t know how it happened but one moment I was in pain, and the next I was back in my body,” Marchelle lied, not wanting to tell the guard that the mirrors have a continuous spell on them.
“I missed this body of yours so much,” the guard said before making love to her, pinning her to the wall.
They could hear the queen’s screams from the room, but paid no attention to it.
By the time they reached their climax, the queen’s screams also settled down.

Iris looked over at King Evander that was holding his newborn son like a proud trophy, but she found it hard to feel love for the king because of Marchelle’s words.
‘I thought he naturally fell in love with me again whilst in Princess Marchelle’s body, but it turned out I was nothing but a vessel to satisfy his needs,’ Iris thought while the servants busied themselves cleaning up.
Iris was helped to a chair so that they can clean the bed and she saw the two mirrors, ‘they didn’t even break.’
She pushed the mirrors with her feet under the bed.
“I should feed him now, give us some privacy,” Iris requested, getting back into bed.
“Don’t you want to bathe first? I will hold him while you bathe,” King Evander said, in love with his son.
“I will feed him first,” Iris demanded.
“She is right, put the baby to her breast. There is still a lot of bleeding to be done, so bathing can wait for later,” one midwife said, propping another pillow behind Iris.
“Your majesty?” the other midwife held out her hands to take the baby.
King Evander gave her his son and then pulled up a chair.
“Please, I would like a moment alone,” Iris requested again.
“Why?” King Evander asked, anger streaming over his face.
“It is good for them, your majesty,” the midwives agreed.
“Where is my sister?” King Evander asked as he left the room, in some need to let off some steam.
“Perhaps in her room, your majesty,” one servant that was standing outside the bedroom said.
Marchelle was on her way back to the queen’s room to see how the birth was going when a servant informed her that the king was looking for her.
“Brother?” Marchelle asked, walking into her room.
“Shut the door,” King Evander said, and rid himself of his clothes.
Marchelle did as he demanded and eagerly met him halfway.
“Why did you just call me brother? You have not called me that for months,” King Evander said in between hot kisses.
Marchelle ignored his question and unfastened her dress with his help. King Evander felt as if he was making love to a different woman than the past few months, ‘maybe it is just me.’
Every now and then King Evander was caught off guard by her moans and the way she moves, thinking she was different.
After making love to her, laying on his back, King Evander looked at her, “are you mad I didn’t make the announcement of my plans to make you my wife?”
“What makes you think that?” Marchelle asked, looking back at him.
“Your love-making was different. Like you back to your old self,” King Evander said, reaching out and stroking her hair.
“Just stressed about the birth of your child, you should get back there, you don’t want to miss it,” Marchelle said.
“It’s a boy, but the queen kicked me out,” King Evander said, the thought of a son putting a smile on his face.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” Marchelle asked, happy that he came to her bed even after the birth, ‘I will have to spend time with Iris to become more like her.’
“I didn’t know you don’t know,” King Evander said, sitting up and swinging his feet of the bed.
“I am happy for you b,-“ Marchelle almost said brother again but stopped herself in time.
“I will be in my office, I have some things to take care of and send news of the birth of my heir,” King Evander said, getting dressed.
“I am just glad there is another woman to birth your heirs,” Marchelle said, standing up and helping him get dressed.
“That is not how you felt a few nights ago,” King Evander said, frowning.
“Because a few nights ago I did not see an actual woman almost dying whilst giving birth,” Marchelle recovered.
King Evander cooped her face, “you are the strongest woman I know. The queen is weak, unlike you.” King Evander leaned in and kissed her before leaving.
‘What the hell did she do to him while she was in my body? Are they soulmates? How did he fall in love with her, -with me?’ Marchelle wondered, getting herself dressed.

When Marchelle arrived at the queen’s room, the guards denied her access, “sorry princess but the queen said no one is to enter.”
Marchelle ignored them and attempted to enter but the guards stood their ground, “no one.”
“I am her sister-in-law, she might need me,” Marchelle protested.
“Let her pass,” the guard who shares her bed said, coming around the corner.
The guards stepped aside, and one opened the door.
Iris was soaking in a bath while her son was sleeping and sat up when she heard the door open.
“What do you want?” Iris asked when she saw princess Marchelle walking in, “you are not getting this body back, the mirrors broke, and I had the servants throw the pieces out.”
“Good, I don’t want Cerena’s body back, you can keep it,” Marchelle said, kneeling at the bathtub and taking a sponge.
“What are you doing,” Iris asked, moving away from Marchelle when she tried to wash her.
“We just shared laboring and bring a child into this world; can’t we find some common ground?” Marchelle asked, trying to befriend Iris so that she can learn more about her.
“Common ground by bathing me? And you were too weak to labor the king’s son so don’t think for a moment we have anything in common,” Iris spat.
“We have sex with the same king,” Marchelle tried to crack a joke.
“You have sex, I make love,” Iris said furiously.
“Fine, we love the same man?” Marchelle tried to point out something they have in common.
“If you loved him, you won’t be screwing the guards,” Iris said, standing up out of the bathtub.
Marchelle held out a drying cloth to her and Iris grabbed it, “please just leave.”
Marchelle stood up and walked over to the baby crib, “I can’t believe I carried this little boy inside of me.”
“Get out,” Iris demanded when she saw Marchelle touching her baby.
“It is not really your baby, you know,” Marchelle stated.
“He is my son. I conceived him with the king out of love,” Iris said, walking over to pick the baby up.
“Or with a guard,” Marchelle stated.
“What are you talking about?” Iris asked.
“I had my favrote bed mate many nights in the king’s room while in that body while he had you in this one. I am sure the guard won’t mind sharing his pleasurable nights with the queen with the wrong ear,” Marchelle threatened.
“You had sex with the guard as the queen? Are you insane?” Iris exclaimed.
“When did the king say he will marry me?” Marchelle asked.
“What does it matter? It was just to get his needs met. Surely, he didn’t mean it,” Iris said, pulling the nightdress over her head.
“You will convince him to make me his second wife,” Marchelle said, turning to walk out of the room.
“I will do no such thing,” Iris said, picking up her son and sitting on the bed with him.
“You will if you don’t want your head to roll off a block,” Marchelle threatened before leaving.
Iris only realized that she was crying when a teardrop fell on her baby.
That evening King Evander visited his son after dinner and while holding him he broke the news to his queen.
“There is something I want to tell you,” he started hesitantly.
“You want to make your sister your second wife?” Iris took the words right out of his mouth.
“How did you know?” King Evander questioned.
“You have not slept in your room for months now. Every evening I went to bed alone and every morning I woke up alone,” Iris said, holding his gaze.
“Villagers and our subjects take second and third wives, so why not me?” King Evander questioned.
“Because she is your sister!” Iris yelled, making the baby startle.
“We don’t have the same blood and the people know this,” King Evander defended his decision.
“You are not the same woman I married or fell in love with,” King Evander said after a moment of silence.
“Actually I am. The pregnancy got the better of me but now that is all over and done I feel like my old self again,” Iris said, hoping it will change his mind in marrying Princess Marchelle.