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After a brief pause, Salmar appeared as well, having been telepathically contacted by Belboz. They explained that they'd found Hannah in a far off forest, tired and afraid but none worse for the wear (a memory that Belboz had manufactured and planted into the knight-turned-girl's mind). They both apologized profusely, and by the end the king and his daughters had showered "Hannah" with a multitude of hugs and kisses and forgiven Salmar almost completely.
"You're on thin ice, sorcerer," the king warned him. "But I will let this pass. You may go."
Salmar and Belboz exchanged glances and vanished.
After a very long family cuddle session, in which the king felt no shame in participating, the oldest sister still living at home, a sixteen-year-old named Giana, whisked Hannah away to her room to freshen up, most of the other girls trailing after. Hannah was laughing in delight all the way, glad to be back home.
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A week passed. The court wizard noticed some very subtle but decidedly odd symptoms in Hannah, and began to wonder about her.
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Two months passed. Hannah woke up screaming one morning with an agonizing headache, as perplexing memories of having been a grown man, a knight, suddenly rushed into her head.
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A year and a half passed. The threat having been eliminated by now, and his debt to Salmar paid, during the night Belboz removed Hannah from the castle to see if there was any way Sir Fred could be saved.
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Four years passed. At Hannah's tenth birthday party, a visiting mage took an interest in her debacle with Salmar, and began asking the king many questions about it.
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Eight years passed. One day, after the death of Belboz a few years before (of which the royal family did not know), the multiple spells on Sir Fred began to wear off.
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Belboz did die after several years, but a spell this thorough and complete would never wear off. Thus, the original Hannah was almost guaranteed to never return.
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Eleven years passed. Hannah became engaged. One morning, Belboz appeared in the throne room, the original Hannah at his side.
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