Rumors spread fast in the palace of Thorto, like an airborne disease. From whisper to whisper the tale of the servant Lexa and her attempt to assassinate the princess was carried throughout the grand place. By the time the sun rose upon the spirals of glass, crystal and stone, not a single ear had not heard the happenings of the night before.

The princess, of course, was much shaken up by the whole event. She was restless, injured and so plagued by anxiety that even the stone beneath her seemed to tremble. For the princess was no longer a princess. Instead, she was a traitor dragged to the dungeons in a body not of her own, caged both within the servant's body and the rusted bars that surrounded her.

But the servant girl, well, she was doing just fine. In fact, this might as well have been the best day of her entire life. Inside her head, it was a day for parties and celebration.

Outside of her head, however, not so much.

"It was so terrible, William." Lexa, now Adelaide, sniffled, dabbing a handkerchief to her eyes. "I don't believe that I have ever been so frightened in the entirety of my life."

Prince William was the same that he had been that day of the funeral. The same caramel hair, the same gentle eyes. This was not the first time that Lexa had seen him since them, for as a servant she had been a diligent spy of the inner workings of the palace, gathering the details she needed. But it was the first time they had spoken since that day.

Of course, he had no knowledge of the soul that inhabited the body of the princess. He simply saw the loving Adelaide he had always seen, since they were betrothed as children. A union to bring two kingdoms together, instead of driving them towards the growing tensions of war.

They walked the long corridors of the palace, the massive windows glowering over them with reflected sunlight.

"You're safe now, Adelaide. I know that it must have been frightening, but please do take assurance in that the occurrence was a fluke. A servant girl driven mad with hysteria that wished to lash out against the kingdom, so much so that she believes that she is you." The prince is as diplomatic as ever, but there's a certain lack to personality in his tone this time around. It only proved what Lexa had already knew. That the marriage to be between Adelaide and Prince William was one of formalities, and nothing more.

"I just..." Lexa forced her new found voice to break. She had always been gifted at the performance of acting. Especially when it came to pretending to be weak. She found it empowering to enforce a false perception of her, when truly a viper laid under that surface, ready to strike.

"I understand. I do. But everything will be perfectly fine. Your guards will be replaced and so will your maids, just out of formalities."

They arrived at the palace library, and the pair stands outside of the doors. "Well, here we are. I hope that you enjoy your linguistics classes as much as I enjoyed attending breakfast with you."

Lexa casted Adelaide's wide eyes up at the prince, purposefully filling them with gratitude. "Thank you, William. I truly do appreciate it. For everything"

"My pleasure, Princess."

The prince turns, fading from view down the corridor. Lexa watches warily as he goes, and then casts the library doors open.

She steps in, breathing in the scholarly atmosphere of the library. The room is shaded in a dome, filled to the brink with aging books bound in leather, floor upon floor of them. The only light comes from the glass ceiling, which reflects a soft light upon the entirety of the books. It was perhaps Lexa's favorite room in the palace, which was saying something, considering that the throne room was being taken into account. It was always quiet here, a place where Lexa could plan in peace.

A slow clap echoed through the Grand library.

"A wonderful performance as always, Lexa. Bravo."

With feet sprawled upon the Mahogany desk, a boy leisurely spoke. He was a lean boy, with willowy features, disheveled brown hair, and standard blue eyes. A mischievous grin grew on his face as he took Lexa in, the kind that could only mean trouble.

"By the way, have I told you how much I like your new look?" He chided. "Brilliant."

"Are you an idiot, Bennie?" Lexa harshly whispered, cutting him off. She hurried over to the doors, sealing them shut hastily. "Keep it down!"

Bennie Lancing. Not only the incredibly gifted apprentice to the palace Sorceress, but also the only person in the whole world that knew anything about Lexa's plans, or her true identity.

And, more importantly, a wielder of the outlawed dark magic. Lexa's secret tutor, pawn, and spy.

One needs more than herself if she wants to bring down the throne.

"Oh, come on Lexa-..."

"It's Adelaide."

"Adelaide." He corrected. "No one's here to hear us anyway. Perfectly safe."

"Adelaide's Tutor? And the Librarian?" Already Lexa had analyzed her surroundings the second she stepped in the room, and found no other persons. Her meticulous studying already told her the conditions of her environment, but yet, it was the principle.

His mischievous demeanor only grew, a feat previously deemed impossible. "Came down with a fluke case of Telleman's flu, oddly enough. I wonder what could have ever caused them to catch it?"

A dash of werkta, a common sorcerer herb that tended to inflict illness, was commonly confused for Telleman's flu.

Lexa almost smiled.

"Good work." She admitted blandly. "But I need information. What's the status on Lexa?"

"Currently undergoing interrogations. Palace officials believe that Adelaide, or well, Lexa, was actually a rebel spy. I believe that they didn't tell you as much?"

"Not entirely." Wouldn't want to worry the poor princess with real facts. Who knows if her weak, womanly mind could handle it?

Lexa started to pace. As she does, Bennie watched her intently, with that look he has had for quite some time. That look that Lexa thought might disappear, once she shifted bodies. Or maybe if she ignored it. But apparently, it stayed.

But Lexa didn't mind all that much. A boy in love was a boy that she could use.

"And the interrogations? Are they using mind spells?"

If the wrong person used mind magic to look into the servant girl's head, this would all be over. They would know immediately who had infiltrated Adelaide's body, and Lexa's shot for the throne would be over.

"Gwyneth is letting me conduct them. For practice, of course. Though I've heard other methods will be used more frequently."

They both knew what Bennie alluded to. The kind of infliction of pain that could bring so many more secrets out, if done correctly.

Lexa could already see the princess in a servant's body cowering in the rotting mold and chilled stones of the dungeon. Screeching out the truth, that sounded only like insanity to any others ears. How would it feel, to fall to such depths? How does it feel to have everything, and then have nothing? Wasn't it just a night ago that the sweet, innocent princess was in Lexa' rightful spot?

"That's fine. But I need you to make sure that the body is completely destroyed. Suggest a fire. If the body survives, I can still be sent back to it. And we can't have that. Got it?"

"Yeah, Yeah, Lexa." Bennie waves his hand. "I got it. Anything else? Would you like me to get you a chai tea as well, my highness?"

"No. That's good." She walked over to the stacks of books, examining one on the history of dark magic. Not a light read, exactly, but one that could be useful. She turned the book around in her hands, analyzing the making of it.

Bennie waited, watching her.

She sighed. "You're free to go, Bennie. You're no longer needed."

A gust of wind blew strands of hair out of Lexa's braid, and when she looked up, he was gone.

Days later, the announcement was made. The execution of the rebel spy was to be taken place for the whole kingdom to see. To be made an example of.

It took place in the colosseum of Thorto, a spectacle comparable to the likes of the Thortan games. Citizens poor and wealthy alike filled the arena with restless chatter and an atmosphere of blistering excitement. They had heard that today there would be a fire. What a treat, the citizens thought. Lexa agreed.

Above all of it, in the grandest of the raised boxes for the nobles, the royal family watched as the prisoner was brought out in shackles. The king, The Prince, and his fiancée were all who inhabited the royal family, but it was enough to strike intimidation into the hearts of many.

When the king spoke, a hearty man with greying features, the arena quieted so much that the drop of a pin could be heard.

"Let this be a reminder to those who wish to see our great kingdom fall," his voice boomed throughout, "That they will fail. That anyone who shall dare to harm a member of my family, my son's fiancée included, will be found only with a harsh death. Let the traitor burn!"

The fire was set, and chants echoed through the arena.

Let her burn! Let her burn! Let her burn!

But on the dais, even though the shouts and boos of the crowd, Lexa connected eyes with the previous princess. Lexa could only imagine the chill that must have crawled like a spider up the true Adelaide's spine when Lexa set her eyes dead upon her, sending her the deadly look of the millennium. It was a special look, one that Lexa reserved for special people.

One that spoke; Have fun princess. I know I will.

A defiant glare was the only response she received. Lexa cared not though. She had won, hadn't she?

Not yet.

When the fire grew to consume Adelaide, Lexa didn't look away like most. Even as William squeezed her hand to offer some sort of comfort. No, she savored every second of it.

Farewell, former body of mine. I won't miss you much.

I have better toys to play with now.