The fae princess stood behind him, a hazy expression in her eyes and a faint smile on her face. “You face troubles?”

“I can’t get in the springs like this. All the other princesses will see that I’m a ma—” Mouse clapped his hands to his mouth. What am I doing, blabbing on like this? This isn’t like me!

He narrowed his eyes at the fae. It’s a suggestion, isn’t it? Suggestion magic. Pushing me to reveal my secrets.

The fae smiled breezily and waved her hand. “Your wish is granted. When the hallowed hour passes, everything shall be as you wish.”

Mouse frowned. What wish? He started to open his mouth, then clapped his hands over it again. Can’t trust the fae. If I say anything else, that, too, might be interpreted as a wish!

What happened, anyways? He looked down at himself, but nothing had changed. Maybe it’s some kind of advanced illusion? Or… hallowed hour. Maybe it’ll happen later?

He looked at the fae princess, but rather than ask, shook his head and walked away. Whatever she did, the damage has been done. I’ll have to keep an eye out.

Brittany grinned as he returned to the table. “So?”

“That was an awful surprise. Never again,” Mouse replied.

“Aww, c’mon. I go to all this effort for you, and that’s what I get?” Brittany whined.

“I don’t even know what she did,” Mouse muttered.

A grin spread over Brittany’s face. “That’s the best part.”

“For you, maybe!” Mouse protested, shaking his head. This woman is out of control! “Who knows how fae magic is going to work? If I’m not lucky, she might just kill me because it’s the easiest way to make sure I’m not discov… I have no troubles in the future.”

“She’s not a dark fae. I wouldn’t worry about that. Look, she might be the only one who can help you out. It might not happen exactly the way you want, but wild magic can do things no other kind of magic can.”

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

“That’s what I’m worried about,” Mouse grumbled. Surreptitiously, he shuffled his legs, suddenly concerned for the future of what laid between them. What if the wild magic rips it off? He shuddered as horrible, bloody images passed before his mind’s eye. Moon goddess, please preserve my ability to make children one day, amen.

“What? What’s going on?” Clarita asked.

“Brittany did me a ‘favor,’” Mouse sighed.

“No need to say it like that. A favor. You’ll thank me at the hot springs,” Brittany assured him.

Mouse shook his head and stood. “Thank you, Brittany. Now then, I must be going.” Going to Dayander, to see if he knows anything about how to dispel wild magic before it somehow rids me of my manhood.

“Mouse, c’mon,” Brittany placated him.

Mouse shook his head and gestured for Cel to follow as he hurried out of the gardens.

They entered the palace. Cel jogged to Mouse’s side. “What was all that?”

“Brittany tricked me into requesting something from the fae princess. Got her in a wish-granting mood somehow and put me right in her range—even got her to use suggestion magic on me. Nothing I could do about it. Goddess only knows what’s going to happen now,” Mouse replied.

Cel’s brows furrowed. “Where to? Felix?”

Mouse shook his head. “I brought up the hot springs. The, ah, nature of the request is a bit… unpalatable to Felix, you understand.”

“Ohhhh.” Her brows furrowed. “Wait, I thought you weren’t going.”

“Change of plans. Sabelyn and Lilith are up to something. I have to go.”

“You really don’t. Let Felix handle the two of them. I’m sure he’ll do fine.”

Mouse fixed Cel with a look. “Sabelyn specifically has it out for me, and Lilith is running around blighting people—at Sabelyn’s command, it seems, or at least with her understanding. They hate me… or, in Lilith’s case, seem to have plans for me, but they know they need to keep Felix in the dark. They won’t act out where Felix can see them, but they might make a mistake around little old me. Or even try to blame me for something, in which case, I’ll know far more than Felix ever could.”

Cel sighed. “Alright, alright. Even if I tried to stop you, you’d still go, wouldn’t you?”

Mouse nodded. “I’ll just say I’m sick when everyone goes to the hot springs. Unless the wild magic does something, and then… who knows!” He threw his hands up and shook his head.

“Relax. She’s not a dark fae, like Brittany said. It won’t be anything cataclysmic.”

Mouse sighed. “I know, I know. I just… I can’t help but worry. The wish… I didn’t word it carefully because I didn’t know I was going to be shoved into that situation, and I have no idea how the wild magic is going to interpret it. Worst case… I’m rather attached to my anatomy, you know? Every… part.”

Cel patted him on the back. “Nothing’s happened yet, right? Maybe nothing’s going to happen. Wild magic can whiff.”

Mouse nodded. He sucked in a breath. “I hope so.”