The shade delivers

You're still inspecting yourself in the mirror when Akina wakes up. You don't even hear her move up behind you until you see her in the mirror. She eyes you curiously. "Is something wrong?"

Her question makes you realize that you're likely acting strangely from her perspective and staring at yourself in the mirror. Upon this realization, you stiffen and quickly turn, "Uh...n-no. nothing's wrong. Everything seems fine."

"Well, let's go eat breakfast then. Maybe you'll feel better." she watches you carefully.

"Yes, of course..." You turn and head to the door. However, before you leave, you take one last glance at yourself in a mirror and sigh. You expected some sort of magical revelation or something from your union with the shade. Unfortunately it seems as if you have been deceived and aren't going to get the help you were hoping for. It would seem that trusting such a creature was in the end a horrible idea.

As you ponder this, you suddenly feel a sharp and piercing pain in your abdomen. You groan and clutch at your stomach and stagger against the wall.

"Anna!" Akina gasps and catches you before you collapse completely. "What's wrong?"

"I...I don't...A-Aah!" You shout as the burning pain in your abdomen crawls up your spine. Your vision blurs and you vaguely hear Akina shouting for help. The seething agony continues its seemingly excruciatingly long journey until it reaches the base of your skull. For a brief moment your skull feels like it's going to explode. Then everything goes black.

You see a hazy silhouette in front of you. You cannot tell who it is, but you know it's your enemy. On its own accord, your hand raises. At least, you think it's your hand. Something about it looks off to you, but you cannot place what it is. You open your mouth to say something, but instead of shouting for help, your own voice cries out "lagoenatus ego sangui illud refrigit!"
The creature in front of you writhes and squirms in rage and clutches at its head.Before your very eyes it changes. The form of a young man becomes considerably more feminine. A great pair of horns sprout from its head and a long whipish tail from behind. A Succubus!
Once the transformation is complete the silhouette stares at you. It's a piercing gaze and you feel it in the inner depths of your heart and it sinks in fear. It pounces at you and you go crashing onto the ground, at least you think it's the ground. It's clutching hands grasp for your neck and your hands weakly try to pull it off you. You gasp a scream, but no sound arises from your lips and your vision goes blank.
You gasp and awake with a start. The room you are in isn't the one that you and Akina were staying in, but a nurse or cleric's room. The bed was longer an slightly raised and some strange medical devices were stored in the cabinet nearby. You were also in a long silvery gown instead of your dress.

It would seem as if your sudden awakening had a similar effect on Akina who was resting nearby as she is already standing with a hand on the hilt of her knife. After seeing that it's only you awakening she quickly moves to your side. "Princess Anna! Are you all right? How do you feel?"

You impulsively slide a hand against your abdomen and are relieved to find that it's still flat and the searing pain from earlier was gone. "I'm fine...I think. How long has it been?"

She thinks for a moment, her ear flicking idly, "Three moons since you collapsed. The clerics couldn't find anything wrong with you. Honestly, we weren't sure you were even going to wake up."

"Three Days..." Your mind attempts to adjust to the amount of time that has passed. "Akina...I think I might know how to defeat my mother."

"Really? How?" Her eyebrows raise curiously at you.

Considering your words carefully, you explain. "I...Had a dream, I think. I was standing somewhere. It was vague, but there was some person in front of me and I spoke some words and raised my hand and it changed into some kind of demon. A succubus..."

You decide to leave the bit about you getting strangled by the demon out.

Her look of disbelief speaks volumes. "Why would you think that such a dream would be the solution to our problem?"

Your mind races for an answer. Akina seems to be alone with you. It may be a good time to confide in her about your deal with the shade. However, she was also strongly against such a course and who knows what she may do if you tell her.