I've been...drowning. Ever since I woke up from the attack to find an intruder in my body. What have you done?

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck. Of all the things in this blighted world that weren't supposed to happen, this was the most not supposed to happen.

Chetal steeled herself.

"I thought you were dead. A shaper, um, shaped me into your body. He said the Vijaynagara empire would collapse if you were found to be murdered. So I was supposed to be you."

Did your shaper kill my parents?

Ara's tone in Chetal's mind was flat as she asked this, but it was edged with boiling rage.

"No. At least, I don't think so. I don't know much about what happened last night. I'm just an orphan from the streets thrown into this mess."

Don't lie to me. You chose this.

Chetal sighed. "I chose not to die a homeless rat in the streets, yes. I didn't know you were still...in here."

Possibilities were hurtling through Chetal's head. Princess Ara likely wanted her body back. But was it even possible to separate them? And even if a shaper could do that, what would happen to Chetal afterwards? Would the separation kill her? Even if Chetal was returned to her old body somehow, without Ara's face, she was still just a penniless street thief.

"What do you want to do?" She asked Ara, fearing the answer.

Ara gave no reply.

"Hey, you still there?"

There's someone in the room.

Chetal went absolutely still.

A human-like figure detached from the wall and rushed towards her. Before Chetal could scream, she was staring at a card.

It showed a man lying on a carpeted floor in an unnatural posture. The word 'Petrify' was carved into the wood below the image.

Chetal went rigid. She couldn't move at all. The figure who'd detached from the wall was a woman. Her invisibility melted away, revealing a young face with grey hair, and tattoos that ran down from her neck to her arms.

A shaper.

She crossed her legs and sat down on the floor. And then she broke into a smile. "It's not a smart idea to talk to yourself, Your Majesty. The walls have ears."

Shit. This woman had heard everything.

Stay calm. If she wanted to kill us she'd have done so already.

"Let's talk. But understand that if you shout for help, I'll kill you. Slowly."

At once, Chetal could move her head. But the rest of her body still felt bound.

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"What do you want?" she asked the shaper.

"Why don't we introduce ourselves first, Your Majesty. I'm Taro. And you are?"

"Ara," Chetal said.

"Hey now, we both know that's not true. You're some gutter-girl a shaper shaped into Princess Ara's body. Let's start with your name, and then the name of the shaper who did that." Her sickly sweet smile stayed in place.

Do not tell her. It might be the only reason she's kept us alive.

Chetal stayed silent.

"It was a big surprise, you know?" Taro continued, as if she wasn't waiting for a reply, "We kill the Emperor, the Empress and the Princess, and suddenly the princess is alive again. And I'm getting blamed for it. So I've come here to fix that. How about this - I give you your body back, and whatever else it is that gutter-girls dream about, you give me what I asked for, and we both go our separate but very happy ways?"

Chetal forced her voice to stay even as she spoke. "How do I know you won't just kill me after you have what you need?"

"Oh this is not a negotiation, Your Majesty. This conversation only continues as long as I enjoy it. And I'll warn you, I do tend to get bored quickly."

Chetal pursed her lips, thinking through her options. Shouting was useless. The shaper could kill her faster than any help could arrive.

Make her an offer, Ara's voice spoke in her mind. Riches, political favor, she must want something.

No. That would be stupid. A shaper capable of assassinating the royal family would be as capable of getting whatever she wanted out of life. And this woman felt unhinged enough to kill Chetal if she said something that displeased her.

"Feeling shy? I have just the answer." Taro pulled a small purse out of the inside pocket of her coat.

"You know what I love about torture, Your Majesty?" she said as she opened the purse.

Gleaming steel instruments greeted Chetal's gaze. She swallowed.

"It's that every person is unique. A flower unlike any other. And you have to know which petals you can fold, and which ones you can pluck. The wrong choice, and the flower dies. It's a delicate balance. By the look on your face I can tell you're not an appreciator."

"Let me make you an offer," Chetal spoke, her heart hammering in her throat.

"Oh, gutter-girl has something for me? Is it money? Gold, diamonds, old treasures locked in Emperor's vault?" Taro said mockingly as she picked up a thin metal rod with a screw-like end.

Tell her whatever she wants! Ara's shrill, panicked voice invaded her thoughts. Please. At least it will be a peaceful death.

No, Ara. I'm not dying here today.

With great effort of will, Chetal matched the shaper's gaze. "I can be your agent in the palace. Through me, you'll get to control the entire Vijaynagara Empire, without any of the risks that come with being Princess Ara. If at any point I become an inconvenience, you could always kill me in the future. My name is Chetal. The shaper who shaped me into Princess Ara's body is named Jin. I don't know anything more about him, but if you let me, I could find out."

Taro cocked her head. For a terrifying moment that stretched into forever, she said nothing. But then she smiled. "Ah, this is intriguing. You have some smarts on you, gutter-girl. You have won the prize of staying alive."

Taro carefully placed the metal rod back into the purse. "Shame I won't get to use my tools. But if you are to be of use to me, you must have all your pieces with you. A princess with a hole through her finger would be an odd sight."

Chetal let herself relax the tiniest bit as the purse disappeared in Taro's coat.

"Offer accepted, Your Majesty. Your first task is to find out more about this shaper Jin. Next time we meet, I'll want answers. Who he truly is, what his plans are, and whether he enjoys being tortured. Actually, that last one I'll figure out myself."

"When will I see you next?" Chetal asked.

"In time. Until then, why don't I give you a little something to make sure you don't betray me?" Taro said as she pulled out a card.

It depicted a mountain-dwarfing giant in chains, with the word 'Thrall' engraved below.

Chetal fainted at the sight of it.