Chapter 02

                                    

                                          
A strong hug woke me, squeezing my chest hard, causing a slight asphyxia. It was from a regally-dressed girl in her early twenties. She was a quite a beauty to behold. It was definitely a nice change of pace, having a hug from such a babe. Was she my wife in this dream? That would be really nice, to say goodbye to my bachelorhood. A smile spread across my face.
"I am so worried about you, Sarabeth," she said.
Pushing her aside, I said, "Wh-what did you just call me? Who is Sarabeth?"
"Her Royal Highness is suffering from confusion," a silver-haired man in a blue robe commented, "a likely residual from the head injury. Your Majesty."
"Wait, wait, time out. What are you guys talking about? I am not suffering from confusion. My name is James, James Khoo. I am a doctor and I work in the Singapore General Hospital."
A finger touched my lips. "Shhh ..." The lady smiled. "You are home. Take your time and recover." She gave me another strong hug, leaving me utterly speechless.
When the entourage left, I was still unable to form words. Shock had overwhelmed my neurons. Who was I, really? Was this a dream or was all that I remembered a dream?
Moments passed while I sat on the bed, staring into the emptiness. Two maids remained in the room. They stood at the corner, motionless. "May I have a mirror, please?" The words croaked out from my quivering mouth. I realized with a chill that they were in a voice I did not recognize. One of the maids walked to the dressing table and brought back a mirror.
It was a terrible mistake. The reflection was not the one I'd expected. It was a face I failed to recognise. The image of a blonde teenager with long straight hair like corn silk would have been a pleasing sight before, but not right now. Not when it was my own reflection. I threw the mirror to the end of the bed and buried my face in the pillow. Tears of confusion and fear flowed uncontrollably; emotions overwhelmed me.
I stayed like that, sobbing in bed, for what seemed like ages, until the pressure in my bladder grew too great to be ignored. Then, at last, I ventured to look up where the maids had stood. Only one of them was still there-a mousy girl of about twenty.
"Um, hi," I said.
She curtsied.
"What's your name?" I asked.
"Cateline, Your Highness."
"Did I know you before, Cateline?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I'm afraid I really don't remember anything," I said. "Not even-look, where's the bathroom?"
"I can run a bath for you, Your Highness," Cateline said shyly. "Only, I'm not sure the Royal Physician would like it. He said you should stay in bed."
"I mean a toilet," I clarified. "A loo. A men's-I mean, a ladies' room."
Cateline only looked at me blankly.
"I have to pee," I said bluntly. "No? Urinate? Piss? Look, you know what happens when you drink a lot of liquid and have to expel it?"
I could see the light dawning on Cateline's face. "The chamber pot is under your bed, Your Highness. Let me assist you-"
"No," I said quickly. "No, that's all right. I'd like some privacy, actually."
"I don't wish you to be injured-"
"Out," I ordered firmly. "And close the door. Don't let anyone in until I call you back."
Chamber pot. I could see I was going to love this place.
I slid out of bed and carefully to the floor, unable to trust my legs. All I was wearing was a long shirt or short nightgown, white and embroidered with tiny flowers. A shift, some corner of my mind supplied. I vaguely remembered reading in a novel somewhere about old-fashioned women wearing shifts under their clothes, but had never expected to need the word.
The chamber pot was where Cateline had said. I pulled it out with some difficulty. I was weak from my illness, and Sarabeth's arms hadn't been particularly buff to begin with, although there was some definite hint of muscle beneath the soft flesh.
The chamber pot was heavy and for some reason also decorated in flowers. Some sort of potpourri sat at the bottom, but neither design nor perfume was going to make this thing smell like roses when I was done with it.
Struck with sudden horrific embarrassment, I positioned myself over the chamber pot and did what I needed to without looking.
I shoved the chamber pot back under the bed when I was done and hauled myself back into bed, wishing that if these people didn't believe in underwear, they'd at least believe in toilet paper.
Ugh.
Once back in bed, I opened my mouth and called Cateline back. I didn't envy her the job of emptying the chamber pot-but frankly, it was better than doing it myself.
Cateline came in, curtsied, and immediately retrieved the chamber pot from under the bed. I had to resist the urge to apologise.
Once she was out of the room again, another thought occurred to me. You see ... all right, I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed to be in this body, I was embarrassed to look ... but I was also curious.
I had breasts.
The moment I thought it, I bent over in bed, overcome with sudden giggles.
I could also giggle. That was ... new.
I was still sort of giggly and punch drunk when someone knocked on the door. Expecting it to be Cateline I arranged myself in bed and called, "Come in!"
It wasn't Cateline. It was a man about my own age-or the age I was in my real body; Princess Sarabeth was probably only sixteen or seventeen.
The man's hair was silvery despite his youth, and he wore a long blue robe. He looked familiar but I just couldn't place a name to the face. As was the case when I passed him in the hospital, this time he carried a bag at his side. "How are you feeling?" he asked.
"Ah," I said, "you're the Royal Physician, right? It's always nice to meet a fellow doctor."
The Royal Physician blinked at me. "You remember me?"
"No," I said. "What's your name?"
"Hamon," he said. "Now, why don't you tell me your symptoms?"
"Gladly," I said, and grinned brightly at him. To my astonishment, he blushed red and grinned back. It was the way I'd responded more than once when a pretty girl had smiled at me. I had to resist the urge to burst into giggles again.
This dream might be more fun than I'd expected.