PRINCE Harold arranged for us to use a room close to the ballroom.
It seemed to be mainly used for welcoming palace guests. In the center of the large room was an expensive-looking rug, upon which sat a long, low table surrounded by sofas.
We sat down, Ed and I on one side and Harold and Daniel on the other.
Ed immediately began telling them what he’d discovered while examining “Elena.”
“So, to summarize, I’m certain that Miss Elena is currently under the influence of several kinds of magic. Furthermore, there’s a high possibility that she is not truly Miss Elena at all.”
Harold had been listening quietly to Ed’s story, but now he frowned and muttered, “Hmm” in a low voice. “So then, who is this ‘Miss Elena?’”
Ed looked at me.
My hypothesis—that Elena and Karina had switched places—was an extreme one. I understood Ed’s hesitance to voice it himself, in his position as a magician who’d only briefly examined the patient.
So, I spoke instead.
“It’s my belief that the ‘Miss Elena’ in that room upstairs is actually Princess Karina.”
“…What?” Harold’s jaw dropped. “That’s an insane notion! So then, who’s the woman who looks like Karina?!”
“I believe that’s the real Miss Elena.”
I answered as firmly as I could. Harold opened and closed his mouth a few times, seemingly at a loss for words. Beside him, Daniel, who’d kept quiet through all this, also frowned grimly.
The silence went on for what seemed like ages.
“It’s true that Karina hasn’t been herself at all these past few months. She’s been like a different person, in fact. But it’s all so out there! I can’t just jump on board with your outlandish theory so easily, Princess Annabel. Do you have any sort of proof?”
When Harold spoke again, he seemed to be choosing his words very carefully. It was almost like he was trying very hard to keep himself calm.
“Um, well…”
Now it was my turn to be tongue-tied.
Ed and my thoughts on all of this were based on the results of Ed’s examination of “Elena.”
I’d known Ed for years, so I was certain he’d never lie about something like this. But to Prince Harold, Ed was nothing more than a foreign magician. There was always the chance this was some elaborate ruse we were up to in an attempt to cause panic and uproar for the land of Nigren.
“In that case…”
Daniel finally stepped in and spoke for me when I could not.
“…In that case, I propose that I take Princess Karina away from the palace tomorrow for a whole day, on the pretext of seeing the sights of Nigren. You were just saying that you want me to seriously consider moving forward with Karina, Harold, so that should be fine with you, shouldn’t it? Then, while we’re away, Princess Annabel and Royal Magician Edoile can attempt to lift the spell cast upon “Elena,” in order to prove their hypothesis directly to you. What do you say to that?”
Now it was clear what Harold and Daniel had been so animatedly discussing back in the ballroom. Harold was trying to press Daniel into seriously considering an engagement to Karina, to marry her into the Sunruta Kingdom’s royal family. But Daniel was pushing back, claiming that he wanted to marry me instead…
Still, Daniel’s offer to keep Karina away from the palace was a godsend.
“Karina” would never let us close enough to “Elena” to properly examine her and hopefully lift the spells. And we were running out of time—I was due to return to Najir the day after tomorrow.
In other words, we’d only one day left. If Daniel could keep “Karina” busy for an entire day, that’d really help us out.
Prince Harold looked at Daniel solemnly for a moment before nodding.
“All right. Princess Annabel, can you lift these spells during that time?”
I glanced at Ed. He nodded silently.
“We’ll try. Tomorrow, our magician will pay another visit to ‘Elena.’”
Trying wasn’t going to be good enough. We needed to lift those spells tomorrow, or all would be lost.
Still, I nodded firmly, confident as ever in my Ed.