After the witch instructed the drivers of their destination, the carriage left the estate.
Noticing the emotions of the people around her, the Princess decided to completely avoid discussing the curse with them, and said, lapidary «She is my lover; father knows» before going back inside the castle, with a bright smile and a clear sense of victory.
While the Princess ordered other servants to prepare new rooms for Verina, carefully chosen among the ones closer to hers that were available, the ones at the gate reported to the King the events. His expression only changed when the magic nature of the act was exposed; the rest was to be expected, at this point.
Before heading back to Tardeburgo, Verina briefly visited Lok, a blacksmith from her hometown that had moved to Grelona and she knew could help her with a special commission.
She explained the type of work that needed to be done, and the materials it required; some of those, she promised, would be brought from her home the next day. Accustomed to strange, magic-related requests from her and other magic users in the area, he didn't inquire about the nature of the amulet; he was sure to create that item, once he collected the missing ingredients in Grelona, while waiting for Verina's. She kindly thanked him, assuring him to bring his salutation to the family back at the village.
Back in the carriage, she exhaled, feeling finally allowed to rest for a while.
She wasn't able to. The following five hours that took her to get back home were filled with the fresh, blood-pumping memories of the Princess. She re-lived every moment of that absurd day over and over, like reading the same 8 chapters of a new book, trying to memorize it by heart, obsessed.
Every time she recalled those events she felt as if she was living them once again. Reading books for forty years probably would have this effect on many.
She groaned, incapable of controlling herself, moving around the carriage like a trapped bird. No matter how she looked at it, it felt like everything that happened was utterly inconceivable. She had killed dragons, she had lived among demons, she had spent decades lost in another dimension, and that was, in her opinion, the most impossible series of events of her life.
"This is not the first time you kiss a girl, Verina... please, contain yourself."
Spending her time reminiscing those wonderful kisses she just had, time passed faster than during her first trip. Once she noticed they were close to Tardeburgo, she warned the soldiers: «I have to speak with the Alderman. Bring me to him.»
Alderman Jill was the administrator of the village. He was its de facto ruler, despite his kind nature and wise decisions made him look friendlier in the eyes of the citizens. He lived at the end of Tardeburgo, in a modest mansion passed down for generations; Verina had known his father in that same house, many years prior.
Once reached her destination, she jumped down the carriage. It was already dark outside; since it was time for dinner, she was sure to find him there.
Hearing the sounds on the outside, the butler rushed to receive Her Excellency; she was escorted inside, as if she was the owner returning home.
Arriving at the table, where Jill, his wife and youngest son were eating without a care in the world, she took everyone by surprise.
«Ohhh, Lady Verina! It's a pleasure to have you here! Would you join us for dinner? I think we have more to share» said with open arms, a corpulent man in his fifties, with a long, grey beard and oddly reddened hands. He wasn't alarmed: Verina visiting him unexpectedly wasn't a rare occurrence.
She took her place at the table, in front of him, with the rest of the family at her sides. The other two, with a large smile, exchanged pleasantries.
Verina, receiving her share of food, put her hands on the table and looked at the alderman in the eyes «I will be concise: I am leaving Tardeburgo; I am going to live in Grelona.»
«B-but why? Lady Verina, you said you didn't want to live in the big city..!» was his response, worried both for her sudden decision and the fate of his village.
«Do you want the truth? Or an easier falsehood?» She bit off the chicken's meat from its bone, unmannerly. «The former.»
She paused, swallowing «I have to protect the Princess from now on. I cannot tell you more than this, but it is imperative that we stay close.»
Jill rubbed his big hands, nervously. «What about the people, here?»
«I'll come back once a week to help out with the things doctors and others can't fix» she reassured him, eating ferociously to dissipate her own jitters. «Do you have any news on Kelib? He could be the solution.»
«My son is still studying at the University. He's unsure of when he'll be ready to return.»
«Of course... learning magic takes many years, depending on the level he wants to reach...»
Everyone fell silent. While Jill's family continued to eat at a moderate pace, Verina had almost finished. She asked for some wine, and the butler provided it. As she drank, the alderman asked «Will you be fine?»
She stopped mid-glass, pausing for a moment before gulping the rest. «Jill, don't worry. I'll live in luxury with a beautiful princess, what's more to ask?»
The young boy at the table giggled; the mother apprehended him. Verina continued: «Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? I've known you since you were a little girl.»
He sighed; the witch was right. If she said so, there was no reason to worry.
Finally back home, she absconded the carriage with magic and let the soldiers sleep at the local inn at her expense. With the little energy still left in her body, she changed clothes with magic, and went on to search the materials for the amulet, putting them aside. She then dragged herself to bed, and collapsed.
She wished she would dream of the princess that night.
