Heart & Muscle.
The tower's bathing chamber was small, the tub designed for a child rather than a growing princess. Yvette poured the last bucket of hot water, steam rising to fog the single window as Alexandrie struggled to fit her expanding frame into the confined space.
"This gets more ridiculous by the day," Alexandrie said, her knees drawn up nearly to her chest. Three months ago, she'd fit comfortably in this same tub, with room to spare.
Yvette knelt beside the bath, sleeves rolled to her elbows. "Turn slightly. Let me help with your back."
As Alexandrie shifted, water sloshed over the rim. Yvette's hands paused mid-air, struck by the transformation before her. Where once delicate shoulder blades had protruded like bird's wings, powerful muscles now flowed beneath smooth skin, creating valleys and rises that caught the lamplight. The princess's arms, once compared to willow branches, now displayed definition that tensed and relaxed with each movement.
"Is something wrong?" Alexandrie asked, glancing over her shoulder.
"No," Yvette whispered, resuming her task. "It's just... remarkable." Her fingers traced the firm curve where Alexandrie's neck met her shoulder, feeling strength that hadn't existed months before.
Alexandrie met her gaze, and Yvette realized they were nearly eye-to-eye now. The tiny princess who once had to look up to meet her handmaid's gaze now held it evenly.
"Do I... frighten you?" Alexandrie asked, vulnerability flickering across features that had grown more defined, though no less beautiful.
Yvette's hand stilled against Alexandrie's shoulder. "No. Not even for a moment."
"I hardly recognize myself sometimes," Alexandrie admitted, examining her own hand, the fingers longer and stronger than before. "I look in mirrors and wonder who's staring back."
"I see you," Yvette said simply. "Whatever changes on the outside, I still see you."
Something unspoken passed between them, a current stronger than the transformation itself. Alexandrie's hand rose from the water to cover
Yvette's, water dripping down both their arms. Despite the growing strength evident in that touch, it remained gentle—controlled and careful.
"You're the only one who does," Alexandrie whispered.
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