Sunlight hits my eyes as I slowly regain consciousness. The pain has dulled to a persistent ache, though every small movement still sends twinges throughout my body. As my vision clears, I take in my surroundings properly for the first time. The room is grand, almost overwhelming, with high ceilings adorned with intricate carvings, walls lined with deep blue and gold tapestries, and a massive four-poster bed draped in luxurious silks. It looks like something out of a period drama.
The young maid from last night is still here, carefully wringing out a damp cloth at my bedside. An older man with silver-streaked hair and a trim beard stands nearby, studying me intently.
"Where... where am I?" My voice comes out raspy. "Who are you?"
The maid freezes, and her hazel eyes narrow in confusion. The older man's eyebrows shoot up, and they quickly exchange an alarmed glance.
"Your Highness..." The maid's voice wavers with uncertainty. "Don't you remember? It's me, Maria. I've been your personal maid for three years now." She reaches out as if to touch me, but then hesitates and abruptly pulls back.
The older man frowns as he steps forward, pressing cool fingers against my wrist to check my pulse. "I am the Court Physician, Jon, Your Highness. I treated you last night when Maria found you poisoned and near death. While I'm relieved to see you awake so soon, this memory loss is... most concerning."
Poisoned? Your Highness? Nothing makes sense. I try to sit up, but my arms shake with effort. Maria rushes to my side without hesitation, her hands gentle and already moving to support my back. She carefully adjusts the pillows, making sure that I'm comfortable before slowly easing me back against them.
"I don't understand," I say. "You keep calling me your highness. What do you mean?"
Maria's brow furrows, as her fingers twist the hem of her maid uniform unconsciously. "You're Prince Lucas, the fourth prince of the Kingdom of Ravenia." Her voice softens as she watches my face. "Do you truly not remember anything?"
"What? But, I'm not—Wait... is this an elaborate prank or something?" I scan the room for any hidden cameras. "Did my roommate put you up to this? Where are the cameras?"
"Your Highness, please—" Maria starts, but I keep going.
"Please don't call me that. Where am I really? Some movie set?" My voice rises higher with each question as I take in the ornate room and their period costumes. it's all too perfect, too staged. "Or... is this a kidnapping? Because, um, my family isn't rich, if that's what you guys are after."
"No one has kidnapped you, Your Highness" the Court Physician, Jon, insists firmly. "You are Prince Lucas of Ravenia, and this is your bedchamber in the palace."
"I... what?" I try to push myself up further, ignoring the pain. "A prince? Of where? Ravenia? I've never even heard of that country before."
"You were poisoned last night," Jon explains patiently. "The toxin may have affected your memory—"
"Poisoned?" I let out a nervous laugh. "That... that can't be right. Look, I can prove I'm not—"
But the words die in my throat as I finally look down at my hands. These aren't my hands. My hands are broader, with a small scar across the right palm from a cooking accident. These hands are more slender, with long fingers and... is that a tiny crescent-shaped birthmark on the left wrist?
My heart pounding, I push up the left sleeve of my nightshirt. There are more unfamiliar marks, with a scatter of freckles I've never seen before, and a thin white scar near the elbow. With trembling fingers, I touch my face, feeling features that aren't quite right. The shape of my nose is different. My jaw feels wrong.
"A mirror," I croak. "Please, I need a mirror."
Maria hesitates, then hurries to fetch a small hand mirror from a nearby dresser. With trembling hands, I take it from her, before raising it to my face.
A young boy's face meets mine—sixteen, maybe, with traces of childhood still lingering. Fair skin, high cheekbones, and golden hair falling across my forehead. Blue eyes stare back at me, widening with dawning incomprehension. This face isn't mine. Not even close.
The mirror slips from my numb fingers, and falls onto my lap.
"This isn't possible," I whisper. "This isn't my body. This isn't..."
Jon leans forward, studying my face intently. "What do you mean, 'not your body'?"
"I..." I swallow hard. "I had different scars. Different marks. My face was... everything was different."
Maria and the Jon exchange another concerned look.
"Your Highness," Jon says carefully, "are you saying you remember having a different body?"
I nod slowly, still staring at these unfamiliar hands. "I was... I'm not..." The room seems to spin around me. "This can't be real. This has to be a fever dream or..."
Jon furrows his brow, clearly troubled. "The poison... well, I've seen cases where severe poisoning and high fevers can cause strange visions and dreams. Perhaps while you were unconscious..." He hesitates, choosing his words carefully. "Perhaps your mind created memories of being someone else to escape from the pain. And now, perhaps, those dream-memories feel even more real than your actual ones..."
Even as he says it, I can tell he doesn't fully believe his own explanation. But he seems desperate to find some rational reason for what's happening.
"Perhaps we should let His Highness rest for a bit," Maria suggests softly. "The poison is still working its way out of his system."
The doctor nods. "Yes, that would be for the best. Your Highness, try not to agitate yourself further. We'll sort this out once you've had some more time to recover."
But I barely hear them. I'm too busy with examining every visible inch of this foreign body that I'm somehow inhabiting. The longer I look, the more differences I find. Nothing about it is familiar.
And yet... it responds to my commands. When I flex these strange fingers, they move exactly as I intend. When I shift position, this body follows my will perfectly. It's not my body, but it responds to me like it is.
I close my eyes, trying to make sense of it all. This can't be happening...can it?
When I open my eyes again, Maria is watching me with a worried expression.
"This is really real, isn't it?" I ask quietly. "This isn't just a dream or..."
"Yes, Your Highness. This is real. This is your home and your life. Even if you don't remember anything right now."
I slowly sink back against the pillows, my thoughts drifting to what they told me earlier. Poisoned. Someone had poisoned the fourth prince. Someone deliberately tried to end Prince Lucas's life. It's basically my life now, apparently. But if they failed this time...
That means they might try again.
Author's Note:
I'll be posting one chapter a day, up to chapter 5 on here!
But if you can't wait to see what happens next…
You can read the entire book for FREE until April 22, 2025 on here: 👉 www.amazon.com/dp/B0F59XQ7DC