Despite her worries, Clover was only able to stay awake for another few minutes before her exhaustion overtook her as well. Drooping her head, she felt her knees lock as her eyes drifted shut. Soon, the two mares slept side by side in their stalls.
Dmitri returned a while later after paying a young stablehand to bring his letter to the post office. His brothers would be receiving his update within the week rather than the usual month, thanks to some magically enhanced special delivery. He had put off telling the family about Jenny's condition, needing time to process the revelation.
The political maelstrom affecting the kingdom would only get worse if people discovered that the crown prince, now a princess and a mare, was pregnant. Would her foal be considered an heir or just an animal? It was making his head hurt just contemplating it.
Entering the stable, he studied his slumbering sister, petting her mane affectionately. She always had such lovely hair, and that had carried over into her coloration. Was this an effect of the curse or just coincidence?
Thinking of this reminded him of his next task, figuring out the nature of the curse and whether he could adjust Clover's breed to match Jenny's. Of course, this meant doing an initial checkup. So, he cast the first probing spell.
A few seconds of silence later, he came bolting back out the door. Gripping his scalp in agitation, he kicked himself for not giving Clover a checkup sooner. Jenny's condition had him so frazzled, he was not thinking clearly. Unlike Jenny's news, Clover's would need to be brought to the family's attention immediately.
Dmitri looked down the road where the stablehand had already ridden off towards the post office in the next town over. He needed to get that letter back!