Although there is no evil magic, some spells have to be classified as 'forbidden'. They are just too powerful or their application can only bring harm. Spells that create widespread pestilence, raze cities, raise the stronger types of undead, or those that deal with harming and modifying souls are some examples. This doesn't mean no mage knows them. There is a good use for every tool. Erasing all knowledge of such spells is never complete and makes us vulnerable to future uses of these spells. Therefore I suggest that every archmage at this assembly should have a copy of these spells safeguarded with their most valued treasures. While I don't trust some of the esteemed archmages present not to misuse them, I trust this assembly to hunt down and enforce our rules.

Excerpt of Archmage Astromelicus speech at the magi assembly..

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"Does this color suits my fur?"

Sora asked about a colorful stone necklace laid over her neck, not a care in the world. At her side Princess Lumina, or better, the boy in the princess skin was fighting a migraine and struggling to keep standing up and looking dignified at the same time. Behind the two girls, Aidan's real body was carrying a lot of packages, bags, and parcels. Deb was beside Aidan, clearly making a mental note of everything to tell Pearl later. The royal entourage was also being escorted by a guard detachment of four.

It was Sora's idea to train Aidan in acting the part of a princess and handling both bodies by going on a shopping spree. Pearl was delighted with the idea of seeing Lumina buying peasant stuff and even gave them some pocket money. Just a few gold coins. Or it was just a bribe to get rid of them so she could spend some quality time with her heroes.

"Yes, Sora. But shouldn't we get the crystal one?"

"The crystal one is too good for this lowly me, your Highness." Sora could barely hide her mischievous smile.

"Your Highness, please browse my wares too. I have something here worthy of a princess!"

Having a foreign princess in the marketplace caused a ruckus. The peddlers were fighting among themselves for the bragging rights of telling others that Princess Lumina of Yutis shopped at their stall. 

Sora and Dawn had already spent almost all the money when some street urchins dressed in rags bumped into Aidan, knocking him down and causing all the packages to fall down. Aidan noticed his coin bag was gone. It had only coppers and was a decoy anyway.

Lumina screeched from the sudden sensory overflow and fell into Sora's arms. The guards were divided between running after the urchin or securing the area around the princess, but Sora decided for them.

"Protect the princess!" She ordered.

The guards surrounded them in a diamond pattern, spears ready and pointing outwards. The crowd knew very well the trouble of being around an attack to a royal and gave them a wide berth. Some more questionable members of the merchant community just hightailed away. But at the same time, the curiosity of some of them was overwhelming and the bystanders were on fire. Not literally.

Dawn recovered after a few moments.

"I'm fine, Sora. Did you get the scent of our little assailant? I'm interested in that person." Dawn asked and closed her eyes to try and make Aidan stand up on his own. She had seen something special on the urchin as he passed by her and Dawn wanted to confirm it.

"I think I can get them." She answered.

After Aidan was standing up and in a guarding stance, she reached out for the maid.

"Then go. Deb, help me up."

The squirrel-kin ran away as the maid helped the princess stand up. Her eyes were still closed but Aidan was using his own set to look around. He was wary of some merchants who were ready to throw stuff at him.

"What kind of servant are you to fail in protecting fair princess Lumina?"

"Go back to the stables, boy. You are worse than horse shit," And other assorted insults. The ones jeering at him were hiding in the crowd.

Aidan paid no mind to them. He reached out and offered his elbow to the princess. And then he picked up the elbow himself. One of the things he discovered is that with physical contact between the bodies he could tell their position and orientation of the limbs as well as a single person.

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'Time to try looking in the same direction', he thought. And Dawn opened her eyes. Confusion hit him as every feature in front of him became sharper, with more depth. He could tell the motion of every person in his field of view with great precision, but the migraine was coming back. Hard. It was like someone was poking dirks into the small of his eyes. All four of them.

It was then an idea hit him. He looked around at the wall of peddlers and found two that suited his needs. Dawn pretended to whisper something in his ear and discreetly pointed at the two merchants.

"You two. Hat merchant and fabric merchant. The princess demands your presence." Aidan shouted.

The merchants were confused. They didn't want to get involved, but Dawn tapped her feet and Aidan shouted again.

"You don't intend to make her Highness wait, do you?"

They promptly came forward. "What is her Highness' wish?"

"The sun is harsh on the princess' face. Get a hat for her. And she is afraid to get more dirt in her eyes. I demand a thick veil attached to the hat to cover her face. Hurry up."

They scrambled as their lives depended on it. And it kind of did, to refuse a royal's order was bad for commoner's health. Aidan felt bad at mistreating the merchants, but it was a kind of emergency.

Several minutes later they arrived with a white fabric hat, magically dried flowers that still looked freshly picked tied with a ribbon around the crown of the hat. A thick veil almost opaque was hanging in front. Aidan took the hat and inspected it. He could see the stitches but the hands were skilled.

"Your Highness." Dawn lowered her head and Aidan put the hat on her head. Now he could keep her eyes closed and navigate using his own sight. He turned to the two merchants. "The princess is pleased. Please tell me, how much do we owe you?"

"O-of course nothing! The hat is merely a token of our esteem for the princess. It is an honor for us to have her Highness wear our wares." The hat merchant stuttered.

Dawn curtsied lightly and whispered something in Aidan's ear. Were Aidan a summoned hero he would get some kind of acting skill level up. But he was not.

"The princess gives her thanks. You have her permission to tell others she once wore your wares."

After some groveling, the merchants left. Aidan walked around with arms locked with Dawn under Deb's watchful gaze. He was stalling for time until Sora returned and practicing moving along in his dual state. They made the rounds around the market before Sora returned. She whistled and Aidan saw her in an alley. They went there to meet her. Sora had a sack slung over her shoulder, with something alive struggling inside.

"Lady Sora, is this the one?" Dawn asked.

"Yes, your Highness. I think we should go somewhere more private."

 They returned to the inn with their live catch.

"Deb, leave us."

"But your Highness, it is dangerous!"

It was getting harder and harder to do stuff without Deb snitching everything. She was going so far as to resist commands given by a Royal, something Aidan believed to be due to the conditioning of castle maids. Aidan assumed it meant she was getting scolded by Pearl since her commands had a higher priority than Dawn's. Poor girl.

"Fine, but stand by that wall and don't make a sound." The maid complied. Aidan closed the door and stood there guarding it. "Now, what did you get for me, Sora?"

Sora opened the sack and from it came the urchin that stole Aidan's coin bag. He was gagged and had a hood on but long strands of hair were coming out of the hood over the shoulders. Dawn sat on the ground and leveled her eyes with the urchin. She made sure to lean forward and support her breasts with an arm while she talked to the boy.

"Now, now. Don't struggle. We just want to talk to you and we won't hurt you. I am not angry that you robbed us, I am sure you had your reasons." Dawn spoke trying to make a sweet, maternal voice. Aidan figured out another perk of his dual existence. He could hear himself speak from afar and adjust the voice accordingly. It was surprisingly effective in getting the desired tone of voice.

The urchin glared daggers at Dawn. He mumbled something under the gag.

"I believe introductions are in order. I am Princess Lumina of Yutis. And you are?"

The urchin rolled his eyes and mumbled something else. But he was visibly more cautious.

"You won't tell me. Fine." Dawn played with the kid and then used a very low voice. So low he couldn't hear with Aidan's ears. "I know you have something special there. Your ears. I won't hurt you, but it would be very bad if you started to scream or going around breaking stuff and hurting people. Can you promise me you will stay still?"

The urchin nodded and Dawn untied the gag. He didn't speak.

"Now, please say your name."

"My name is... Dash." It was obvious he lied. Dawn paid no mind. She kept talking in a soft, maternal tone.

"Dash. Do you want me to do something to the thing on your neck? Like taking it off?"

Hope flashed on the kid's eyes. They became moist and the urchin nodded.

"How did you reach Elmhill, Dash? Especially wearing that. Slavery is forbidden in Gohar as far as I know."

"I escaped a slaver convoy, your Highness. But I had to make it so I was left behind because I was ordered not to escape. I just followed the road away from them and after a few crossings following the most recent tracks I reached here. Took a day."

Disobeying an order by the slavemaster would make the collar shrink and eventually kill the slave. But what were slavers doing this deep in Gohar's territory? A slave caravan passing less than a day away from Elmhill meant big trouble.

"Thank you, Dash. I'm glad you escaped."

"Me too, your Highness."

"Dash, Dash, Dash. Such a rambunctious name. Would you be known by any other name in a land far away, Dash? A greener one?"

"Yes, your Highness." The mention of Dash's greener homeland brought the urchin to tears.

"It is as I thought." She spoke normally before whispering again. "And Dash is an unfitting name. I believe it doesn't match the person I'm talking to, am I right?"

"What do you mean, your Highness?"

"I believe this Dash person I am talking to, is not..." She just moved her lips, the faintest voice coming out. 'A boy. Am I right?'

"What? Of course, I am a boy." Dash protested. His voice broke and rose an octave.

"You know, Dash. If you were a boy, you would have already glanced at my openly displayed cleavage once or twice. But your gaze didn't even drift below my eyes. You are a girl, right?"

'Dash' nodded.