Chapter 3
The Princess
Morena thought she knew exhaustion from what she now understood as her first double-orgasm she had three nights ago, but as she lay on her bed in the dying light she had a whole new appreciation for that word. Her muscles ached, her mind felt like mush and her magical energy was all but depleted. Even still, she knew she had to force herself on that broom to go see King Spruce in an hour.
Over the past few days she had spent every waking moment combing through her new spellbook and "practicing". She told herself it was so that she could impress with her quick-learning, but she also couldn't deny she enjoyed every minute of it.
She was still far from an expert of course. Body-morphing was as complex an area of magic as advertised, but she had some of the basics down. She could not only increase the pleasure from her own sexual areas, but also create smaller pleasure areas in other parts of her body, although they weren't nearly as strong yet.
Also, as much as she resented the invasion of privacy, the cock King Spruce had "given" her had actually helped significantly with her own attempts at conjuring one. Even with most of the last day being spent on just conjuring a penis, she still found it to be lacking from the original, but at least she knew by exactly how much.
Even so, she couldn't even begin to explore some of the more complicated spells, but the more she read the more she realized that was probably a good thing for now. Countless warnings were woven into the various spell instructions. She had scribbled down the most important for her purposes and nailed the paper to the wall.
- "
The most important rule is moderation. The heart can only handle so much at once before it gives out. See appendix F for a list of techniques and potions you can use to safely explore your limits."
- "The use of this magic on those lacking the gift of Magic is highly discouraged, as it can lead to volatile results."
- "Body-morphing illusions are not permanent. Always be aware of the termination time to avoid any uncomfortable or painful transformations."
- "Illusory body parts such as arms are only attached to you mentally, and may be physically removed through mental will, though beware that they will still retain their ability to feel, including pain."
- Physical change begets mental change. Beware that extensive physical modifications may alter your mind to more closely reflect changes to your body. This is especially prevalent when attempting to take the form of another. This mental change may linger longer than the physical. See appendix Q for exercises to restore one's original mental state."
The book hadn't only covered sexual stuff, and included any kind of body-related illusion. When she couldn't muster the energy for another sexual test, she had explored the alteration of taste. It worked wonders on her now caramel-flavored bread.
"Morena." A familiar deep voice filled the room, and would have caused Morena to jump if she had any energy left. She looked over to see a familiar stately image in her orb, and forced herself to get up.
"King Spruce? I thought we were to meet in the forest." She asked him.
Any sign of the timid mess of the king from the forest was gone, and he looked as regal as ever, "My daughter is out on a hunt, so I can safely contact you this way without fear of interruption. I figured I could save us both the trip. That is, assuming I don't need my spellbook back."
Secretly she was beyond relieved that she wouldn't have to make the trip, but she managed a calm response, "No sir, you don't. I accept."
His response matched hers in tone, "Excellent. Then tomorrow morning you will meet my steward, Pelon, on the Western Road at the start of the treeline. I recommend flying to the forest and navigating to the main road at night when few dwell, and travel the rest of the way on foot."
As he explained she forced herself to stop her from interrupting, shocked that he was already talking about starting. But she remembered his words the last time she interrupted him, and decided to wait. Unfortunately, her face betrayed her yet again.
"Now, my steward - Oh, I apologize, I should have asked if you were ready, though surely you understand I want to start this process as soon as possible. Are you not prepared?"
There wasn't any obvious condescension in his tone, but Morena still felt annoyed, "Yes Sir, I am. This is all just a lot to take in at once. Please, continue."
"Very well. Pelon will meet you there with a cart and horses. You will be masquerading as an exotic healer, though don't worry, you don't need to look the part. I have told him you hardly talk to strangers and that you prefer to look unassuming, like a commoner. From there, you will be taken to the castle. Any questions?"
Her pride took another hit from his assumption that she only had commoner's clothing, but hell, he was right. She considered everything he had explained, but there were still some obvious wrinkles in this whole plan, "Two. How am I supposed to earn your daughter's trust when you've presumably raised her to be a magic-hater?"
To that question, he snorted before replying, "Ha! Don't get fooled by the image in your head, Miss Morena. I gain support from the
people
by saying magic is evil, but my heir knows its usefulness, even if she doesn't know I possess it. You won't have any issue there, though I'm sure I don't need to explain to you how close you need to guard that secret otherwise. Next question."
Feeling silly yet again, she continued, "I'm sure you read that this magic is especially dangerous to non-mages, and I assume your daughter isn't one?"
"Sadly no. My Wife did not possess any magic, and it seems her genes dominated mine in this case. But I have researched the topic extensively, and the fact that my own mage blood flows through her should be protection enough. I have even performed some secret, very minor spells on her to test this with conclusively positive results." Explained King Spruce.
He really had thought this through, and the still-lingering thought of some elaborate trap continued to diminish in likelihood in Morena's mind. She also noted his use of "was" when referring to his wife, but this was in no way an appropriate time to bring that up. She couldn't think of any reason to delay, so there was only one thing left to say.
"Alright then, I will see you tomorrow." she said.
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The morning Sun's rays peeked through the treeline as Morena walked along the Western Road. It was mostly quiet, and the few she did pass barely glanced in her direction. The extra night of rest had helped, but her muscles still ached through the journey.
Luckily, it wasn't a long trip. Up ahead was a man standing next to a black carriage drawn by two white horses. He seemed to immediately recognize her, and waved her over.
He was an attractive man, not much older than herself. He had brown hair that gently waved down to his ear, a strong jaw, and a tall, well-muscled frame that was encased in a smart-looking red and white outfit. Morena was taken aback at the first up-close look she got, and she realized this was pretty much the first actually attractive man she had ever met in person. Or at least, the first one she could actually appreciate fully.
Unfortunately, the image was ruined almost immediately when he spoke, "Ah, Lady Morena, a pleasure!" He said with an exaggerated curtsey and tone to match. She nodded in response. If he was offended, he didn't show it.
"Now, we are in a hurry as I'm sure you know. Though not in too much of a hurry to present ourselves properly for the King!" He said in a cheery tone. His voice was as confidently pompous as Morena would have previously guessed any royalty sounded. Luckily she already knew King Spruce was different, and hoped his daughter was too.
He continued, "I understand your desire for secrecy, and I believe this carriage will suit your needs. I have taken the liberty of blocking all windows and installing a translucent panel at the top for light so you may feel comfortable changing into your new garments on the way. Now, any questions you have can wait. We must be off!"
He beckoned to the door as he climbed up to take the reins. Morena climbed in reluctantly, but was greeted with a sensory overload of welcoming sights and smells. Bottles of labeled perfumes and soaps lined one wall, while the opposite featured a beautiful black and white gown. Opposite her was a mirror that showed her reflection as it truly was, without the dull, dirty layer obscuring her like her own mirror.
She took the gown into her hands first. It was clearly meant to resemble that of a nurse, however extensive modifications had been made so that it was uniquely suited to a mage. She could tell it would allow for complete freedom of movement, though she did note that this was at the cost of some modesty. Fair enough, given her job. As she looked down it, 5 bags entered her line of sight. The same kind of bag she had recently received 2000 Crowns in.
"