two stood outside the door listening. “There really is something in my eye.”
“Really, Achilles,” they heard Tallia say, “if you wanted to come see me that badly, why didn’t you just come without an excuse? In the last two weeks you’ve had every minor ailment you could think of and then some. I wouldn’t object to you coming just to see me.”
“I know, but there really truly is something in my eye and it kind of hurts,” Achilles replied.
Tallia laughed. “Rinse your eye out in the sink and try blinking. If that doesn’t help I’ll take a look at it.” There was silence for a moment. “Why do you keep coming to see me? And I want the truth.”
There was some stammering over the sound of water rushing. Kaelen and Lucian looked at each other, noses wrinkled, and walked into the room. “Tallia, I came for you to take the stitches out of my arm. Or at least to look and see if you can.”
Tallia looked up in surprise and blushed before saying, “Of course, come on over, Lucian. Kaelen, what brings you down here?”
“I just wanted to come and see how he’s doing,” Kaelen replied.
“Alright, don’t get in my way.”She unwrapped Lucian’s arm and peered at the remaining stitches. She gingerly touched around them. “I think they’re ready to come out. This might sting a little.”
Lucian nodded but didn’t say anything. Tallia worked quickly with a small pair of scissors. As she worked, Achilles slipped from the room. When she was finished she looked up at Lucian. “How’s your arm been feeling? Sore at all, any pain, stinging, achiness?”
“It feels unused,” Lucian said.
“Yes, well, it’s probably good that you’ll have a break from school soon. You’ll be able to gradually work your arm back to full use. Now, I still want you to be careful. There’s still the possibility of ripping those scars. They’re just barely healed; any overzealous behavior could land you right back here. I don’t want you fully participating yet. However, I think that you are well on your way to recovery. Come see me again tomorrow morning. I’ll take a look just to be sure,” Tallia said with a smile.
“Thanks, Tallia, for everything,” Lucian replied.
“It’s what I’m here for.” She smiled and then ushered them from the room saying, “Go on now, it’s about time for you to be heading to bed.”
As they walked Kaelen kept looking at himself oddly. “What’s the matter?” Lucian asked.
“I should be a boy again. She said you’re healed. You don’t have stitches anymore. Why haven’t I changed yet?”
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s one of those things where you wake up different.”
“Maybe,” Kaelen admitted. “Yeah, I bet that’s it. I’ll be a boy again by morning!”
But the next morning, Kaelen was not a boy. He was still the blue-eyed blonde he’d been the day before. He just didn’t understand it. There had to be a mistake. When Lucian healed, he was supposed to turn back into a boy. The witch had said so herself. What if there had been a mistake? What if he was doomed to be a girl forever? He didn’t think he could live with that. Anger, frustration and horror caused him to scream with all the lung power he had. “What on earth is going on in here?” Gelasia asked, bursting into the room.
Angry tears streaming down his face, Kaelen cried, “Look at me! I’m still a girl!”
“Now, dear, that’s nothing to scare the life out of me for,” Gelasia said, clutching her chest.
“Are you insane? Look at me! I can’t face Esmé and the other girls like this. What would I say? I’m sorry, dear, I lied to you. I do wear dresses because I’m a girl. Maybe they’ll take me with them because look I’m a girl,” he shouted.
“Now, don’t you get that tone of voice with me, young man. Let’s find Lucian and then go see Tallia. We’ll get this mess straightened out.” She took Kaelen’s arm and firmly led him down the hallway, still in his nightshift. Lucian was walking down the hallway away from them. “Lucian, dear, would you be good enough to wait for an old fairy.”
Lucian turned and smiled. “Certainly, Gelasia. Kaelen? I thought you’d be a boy by now.”
“There’s been a slight hiccup,” Gelasia said.
“Well, I’ll just escort you to the infirmary. I assume that’s where you’re headed,” Lucian replied.
“How very kind of you.” She released her hold on Kaelen’s arm and took Lucian’s outstretched elbow. “Come along, dear,” she directed towards Kaelen. “I’m sure this will all play out just fine. You may even come to laugh about it someday.”
“Yeah right,” Kaelen muttered under his breath.
“What was that, dear?”
“I’m sure you’re right.”
Gelasia laughed knowingly.
When they got to the infirmary, Tallia opened the door. “Lucian, and Gelasia, what a pleasant surprise. Kaelen, also a surprise. Well, come on in. Let’s take a look at that arm.” She ushered Lucian to a table. “So, Gelasia, what brings you down here?”
“Kaelen is quite distraught over still being a girl. Would you say Lucian is well and whole?”
“Well,” Tallia began, examining Lucian’s arm, “there will definitely be scarring. There’s nothing I can do about that. But, as far as regaining full strength and usefulness, yes he’ll be just fine.”
“That’s wonderful news, but I really need you to say the words,” Gelasia replied.
“Which words?”
“Well and whole.”
“You want me to say that Lucian is well and whole?” Tallia asked, her eyebrow raised.
“Yes, dear,” Gelasia replied.
“Okay, Lucian’s well and whole,” Tallia said, looking confused.
The room filled with white light, temporarily blinding everyone. When the light dimmed, Kaelen looked in the room’s mirror. His boyish face looked back at him with his usual short hair. He felt his face and his hair just to make sure it was real. “I’m a boy again.”
“Indeed you are dear. Now, where did you put your pink dress?” Gelasia asked.
Kaelen blushed. “I, um, it’s, well, gone.”
“Oh dear. That’s a shame because now it would be your uniform as it was when you were first transformed. You’ll have to explain to your parents why you need it replaced,” Gelasia explained.
“I’m sure they know,” Kaelen said with disappointment in his voice.
“Yes, well, you’d best get back to your room and dressed for the day. It wouldn’t do to be in a girl’s nightgown when the ladies arrive now would it?” Gelasia asked with a smile.
“You too, Lucian, you’d best get dressed,” Tallia said.
As the boys were leaving, Lucian heard Gelasia ask, “I wonder, dear, if you have my potion ready for me? I’m beginning to run low.”
When the princesses arrived, it was business as usual. Lucian put on a cheerful expression as Moira walked toward him. “Hello, Moira. It’s good to see you again.”
She attempted to smile back. “Hello, Lucian.”
Lucian was sure this wasn’t going to be any better than their previous meeting, but valiantly vowed to make the best of it. At least he didn’t have Esmé. He could hear her shrill voice shredding Kaelen. “How could you allow such a rumor to start? Do you have any idea how humiliated I’ve been? Don’t interrupt me,” she snapped as Kaelen started to open his mouth. “It was cruel! A horrible, cruel joke at my expense and I shall never forgive you.”
“Really, Esmé, I have no idea who would have started such a silly rumor. As you can see, I’m not in a dress so would you just knock it off?” Kaelen retorted.
Lucian and several others stared as Esmé swelled and turned a vivid shade of red.
“Esmé,” Clarissa interrupted as Esmé began to shriek, “what a lovely gown. Where did you get it?”
Esmé’s normal color quickly overtook her anger as she turned. “My mother’s seamstress designed it. She only works for my mother and me. This one is quite beautiful isn’t it?”
A steady flow of chatter diff
used the situation. Lucian could see others talking and looked over at Moira who was fiddling anxiously with her skirt. It was a lovely shade of blue that matched her eyes perfectly. “You look nice today, Moira.”
She blushed and looked at him. “Do you really think so?”
“Yes, that dress really brings out the color in your eyes. It’s very pretty,” he replied.
“Oh.” Then returning to her normal self she said, “Well, thanks.”
The following pause was broken by Calista’s voice announcing breakfast. The tables had been arranged in long rows. Lucian, Adrian, George, and Jacobi along with their princesses quickly found spots at a table where they could sit together. Kaelen looked momentarily confused until Esmé started dragging him towards a different table. “Come along, I see Roseanne and Melinda.”
Watching him go, the other boys noticed the disappointment on Kaelen’s face. They looked at each other, but didn’t say anything as Calista stood and motioned for quiet. “For our younger princes I’m going to briefly explain how today will work. Following breakfast, we will have three hours of games and activities in the gym. We will have a staggered lunch schedule so that princes can meet with me in my office while Melantha meets with the princesses in Airlia Willowlimb’s office. At five o’clock we will have a great feast with your parents. After supper, years one through three will go home and we will see you again in January.”
Cheerful chatter took over the room as the tables were served. Moira, while not as sullen as the last time Lucian had seen her, did not speak to him except in one-word