Edward leaned over the railing of the balcony outside his chambers, looking out over the lush forests that surrounded Castle Thornhollow. He was his old self again, a rugged young man in the prime of life, wearing the armor and surcoat of a proud knight. The world was logical. It made sense. And yet somehow, in some way, he was still keenly aware that it wasn't real.
"That's my fault, I'm afraid," someone behind him said, "I can't have you forgetting everything I have to say when you wake up, after all."
Edward spun on his heels in shock to see an old woman sitting in a chair by the fire, sipping a cup of tea. She had changed. When Edward had first sought her out to claim her blessing, she had been so grandmotherly that he had half expected her to offer him a cookie. Now, she sat firmly erect and upright. She still wore black robes embroidered with silver, but the style was different, giving her a sterner bearing and a more aggressive, powerful appearance. Her hair, previously tied into a bun, had been allowed to sit loose and hang around her shoulders.
"Lady Ember," he said, quickly dropped to one knee, "I hadn't expected to..."
Lady Ember sighed and waved her free hand at him dismissively. "I thought I told you before that there was no need for formalities?"
"You did, of course, but..."
She set the teacup down. "Then again," she said, "I also told you not to panic, and look how that turned out. Can you do ANYTHING you're told, boy?"
It took a few seconds for Edward - who had been trying desperately to avoid thinking of what was going on in the real world - to follow that line of thought to its conclusion.
"Wait, you KNEW this was going to happen?"
"Of course I did," Lady Ember, "It was my spell, after all."
"You turned me into a woman!"
"I most certainly did not."
"An extremely womanly man, then!"
"Well, yes," Lady Ember said, "I did do that. Although not in the way you probably think."
"What in the world are you talking about now?" Edward asked. He was starting to get annoyed by this.
Lady Ember leaned back in the chair and steepled her fingers. "I think," she said, "that it's time that I tell you what I REALLY did to Princess Elizabeth."