chapter 3

Mildly stunned, the two lay there in a heap for a moment. Alasdair came to his senses first.

“Lady Penelope!”

She looked over at him, with his slightly-rumpled clothing and his very, very red face. She looked down at herself and saw that her fall had moved her cloak aside, exposing the wide swath of fat flesh that her dress now left open to the air. She hastily pulled it back over herself.

“My Lord,” she said, choked with humiliation. “Thank you for the assistance. I had a,” she paused, searching for the words, “a slight accident. I’m going to resolve it now. I assure you, I won’t look like this for long.”

“No!” Alasdair exclaimed, then immediately shut his mouth, going – if it were even possible – even redder.

Penelope cocked an eyebrow. “No?”

“No, I mean – ah,” Alasdair sputtered. “I mean – earlier, Lady Penelope, when we met after the address, I wanted to tell you something.”

Penelope was silent. Why was he bringing this up now when there were clearly more pressing issues?

Alasdair paused, seemingly waiting for her to respond. When it was clear she wouldn’t, he went on. “I wanted to tell you that I find you – I find you very charming. You – you’re beautiful, and clever, and I always enjoy our conversations. I’ve been afraid to tell you this.”

He already thought she was beautiful? Was that why the potion backfired?

Alasdair continued, “I’ve wanted to ask for some time, but I’ve been unsure how to go about it – I started avoiding you to avoid the topic, but – I want to know, would you allow me to court you?”

Penelope’s eyes widened. “Alasdair,” she said quietly. Suddenly, his strange disposition toward her, his seeming disinterest all made sense – he was simply shy!

Filled with a new determination, she sat up straight. “My lord, I should like nothing better. I’ll work tirelessly to lift this curse from myself so that we can be together.”

Alasdair interjected. “No – I mean, if you really want to, of course I’ll aid you – my estate has access to a vast library on magical and non-magical subjects and I’m sure the effects of whatever spell or potion this is could be reversed, but – Penelope, I find you even more alluring now than I did before, if such a thing is possible.”

Penelope scrunched up her forehead, considering. She had to go back to normal – she’d be the laughingstock of the court otherwise.

She thought, though, of the pleasure she felt seeing herself in the mirror like this, and how much she liked this body. She thought too of Alasdair’s blushing face as he looked over her new shape, and her mind went to certain… impure places. Maybe the laughter of the other ladies-in-waiting was worth that – to live as she wanted to live, and to live as the ideal partner of the man she loved.

She realized with delight that the potion hadn’t failed at all.

She smiled at him, her round cheeks dimpling. “Perhaps then I should like to stay like this.” She looked down at herself. “I will need new dresses, though. I can’t exactly be seen like this.”

“If you wait here, I’ll see to it that a seamstress comes immediately to address that,” Alasdair said confidently.

“Thank you, my lord,” Penelope said, still smiling.

Alasdair stood, a stupid grin on his still blushing face. He bowed and began to walk away quickly, seemingly eager to go about his task. Penelope thought of something.

“My lord, wait!”

Alasdair turned. “Yes, Lady Penelope?”

She held out to him her embroidered handkerchief. “I’d like you to have this, as a token of my thanks. And my affection.”

Tentatively, Alasdair took the gift from her. He looked into her eyes, and in his Penelope saw a real joy and relief as the man realized that he had all that he’d desired in the months since he’d come to the castle – and more.

He bowed to her one more time and ran off to find the seamstress – and to begin a new chapter in both their lives.

End.

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-SJ