Two dresses are better than one- wait

Kelly approached slowly, looking over the gardener. It couldn’t hurt to test, right? Admittedly, the spell being negated by the bop on the head was just a theory, but theoretically that meant he could free anyone else made into a doll if it did work.

Nodding, Kelly stood directly in front of the gardener. “If you can hear me, sorry if this doesn’t work.”

Pushing back the billowing sleeve of his dress, Kelly reached out and solidly smacked the top of her head.

With a flash of light like a wisp and a pop, the gardener suddenly tumbled onto her back.

“S-sorry.” Kelly apologized immediately.

“Ohh…” the gardener groaned. She pushed herself back up, blinking as she looked up to Kelly. “I-I can move? I’ve been here since last winter. Tell me, fair lady, are you a witch come to defeat that foul wizard?”

Kelly blinked, noticing something strange about the girl and the way she spoke. She rose up to her feet, stretching her arms. “Ahh…that feels incredible! I’m free!”

Kelly held up his hand to the gardener. “Um, are you a boy by any chance?”

The gardener froze, swiftly looking down. “Oh gods, I’d forgotten!”

The gardener reached out at the apron, pulling at it and the skirt of the dress. “I’ve been Lucy so long, I almost forgot I’m not a girl!”

Kelly smiled, awkwardly. All the thoughts he’d had about Lucy being pretty, and he was another boy in the same situation he was!

“I’m not usually like this, my lady.” Lucy placed a finger on the tip of his chin. For someone who wasn’t, his mannerisms were certainly still like a girl’s.

Kelly felt his cheeks flush. “I’m…not a girl either.”

Lucy’s eyes grew huge. “…No way. But you’re so beautiful! I was going to thank you by marrying you!”

Kelly flinched. “You- what?!”

It was Lucy’s turn to blush. “Ah, wait! I wasn’t supposed to say that out loud-!”

Kelly lifted both his hands, shaking his head vigorously. “Stop, stop! Let’s start over. The wizard did this to you too, right? Who are you?”

Lucy sighed, putting a hand on his chest. “I’m-“

He stopped, suddenly silent. What happened? Had the spell been reapplied? Was it not permanent?

Kelly leaned forward. “You’re…?”

Lucy finally moved, taking his head in his hands. “I-I can’t remember my real name! Lady Amber has been the only person to talk to me in a year, and only called me Lucy!”

Kelly’s stomach sank. That could have been what happened to him. “Do you at least know who you were? I was a knight in training.”

Lucy took a deep breath, shifting to ponder with a knuckle under his chin. “Of-of course! The wizard visited my father’s shop and said something suspicious. I followed him through the woods back towards the castle… the next thing I remember is being unable to move and wearing a dress, after which Lady Amber named me Lucy. Then, she had me act out scene after scene until she decided on what my role in the book she was writing would be…”

Kelly reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. “That sounds like it was hard on you. I’m sorry, but now we can-“

Lucy suddenly sat up like a shot, his hands raised excitedly into fists. “Wait! I saw you last night! You’re her! The one Lady Amber’s been waiting on for her book! You’re Princess Valerie!”

Kelly flinched. “W-what are you talking about? My name is-!”

Lucy didn’t wait, seizing Kelly by the hands and pulling him into a spin. Kelly staggered, trying to keep his balance in his heels.

“Oh, we thought you’d never come! The prince has been waiting for you so long! We all have!” Lucy giggled, indistinguishable from the girl Kelly had taken him for a moment ago.

“W-what?” Kelly struggled to keep up. “Lucy, we need to get out of here. The wizard-!”

Lucy stopped suddenly, pulling their hands together, so close their eyelashes almost touched. “Why would we do that? Lady Amber will be so happy…and I’m your best friend who will be your maid of honor at your wedding to Prince Harken!”

Kelly was flabbergasted. Lucy had been here so long, it seemed he couldn’t distinguish between his old self and the story character he had been made to perform. Was everyone else sent here the same?