Princess Amalia's life was in danger, but that was no surprise. She made many enemies over the years and lacked the intelligence and dignity to even care. Ever since she was a little girl, Amalia was a spoiled brat who regularly ruined high-class events and royal parties due to her incessant need to be the center of attention. When the media was bored with her philanthropic efforts, she settled for scandals instead. Rumors of her affairs with various celebrities made front-page news every few months. Nobody in the court wanted to see her on the throne, but at the same time, letting her be killed off was also unacceptable. A compromise was reached, one that would preserve both the reputation and lineage of the royal house, and it made use of an ancient body swapping ritual.
Dr. Rebecca Harken was revered in the academic world. She had made several contributions in archaeology, was well-versed in statecraft and diplomacy, spoke five languages, and had absolute loyalty to the royal house. Rebecca was the prime candidate to become the new Princess Amalia. Her original body would simply suffer an "accident" shortly after the ritual, allowing her to assume this new identity permanently. It took months of deliberating, but the king and queen finally accepted the deal. If it worked, the public would eventually downplay Amalia's actions and justify them as coming from the fires of youth. The notoriety of the royal house would slowly return.
Rebecca was directed to her room in the royal palace by her handler. She was grinning ear-to-ear. "Hey servant, fetch me some fresh champaign," she ordered. "This is a time to celebrate." Her handler stood in the doorway, horrified to see the same behavioral tendencies as the previous princess. After a moment, he quickly left the room. Rebecca laid down on her new bed and let her thoughts stream out loud. "Oh man, this is the life! I can't believe it. I'm young again, not to mention beautiful, rich, well-endowed, and I have royal blood. I can do anything I want. In fact, I think the public should get to see the new me." The next day, the king and queen were shocked to see that topless photos of their daughter's body had made the news.