《Knight of an Heiress》


 Good Morning Heiress

    I blinked as I awoke from an oddly dreamless sleep. Given everything I¡¯d been through recently, I thought there would have been something to disturb my sleep. The ceiling above me was still unfamiliar, one of many things to get used to. I¡¯d have time enough to study it later, I needed to give a good impression today.


    Opening my eyes fully, I saw a lock of ginger hair partially obscuring my vision. Brushing it out of my face, I felt how it was now tangled up with all the rest of my hair. Ignoring it for the moment, I sat up and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. The plush bed below me shifted with my lithe weight, reminding me how much more comfort I was going to be living in now.


    Looking around, I got some better bearings of my new room. It was much larger than I was used to, with the ceiling out of reach and a shuttered window. There was a dresser and a small wardrobe opposite the side of the room from the bed, and plenty of room to stand up. I could host a small party here if I wanted to.


    Getting up, I decided to first open the window. Instead of the usual morning sun to greet me though, I saw a red moon hanging in the sky. Was it like that when I got here? No, wait, that was a blue moon. Did that mean anything? I had so many questions, hopefully I could get at least one answer before the day, or night, was over.


    With the red light illuminating my room, I walked over to the wardrobe and found my old adventuring clothes hanging up. With nothing else to pick from, I went ahead and put them on. It was weird feeling them all over my much smaller form, not to mention how it felt like every touch against my skin was magnified thrice over.


    The clothes had been hemmed in quite a bit, but were still quite loose. Though I was no seamstress, I guess there was only so much one could do with hemming alone. My attention was drawn away from that though by the hair I flipped out of my tunic, still a tangled mess.


    Turning to the dresser, I checked the top drawer and found all sorts of beauty products. Ignoring most of them, I found the brush and brought it up to my hair. The pulling sensation was foreign to me, making me grimace when I reached a particularly tough knot in my hair. Why did it have to be so long?


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    Once I felt it was brushed over for the most part, I looked down to see just how long it was. Brushed over a shoulder, it still reached my navel in fiery red cascades made ever deeper by the reddening light. As it draped over my new curves, I found it difficult to remember just how different I had been not one day prior.


    Not sure what I should be doing at this moment, I sat back down on the bed, recounting the events of yesterday. I was meant to be the heiress now. Technically, I wasn¡¯t the princess, as I wasn¡¯t related to the queen by blood. But, I was going to be the next in line to a kingdom I knew shockingly little about. For what I had been assigned to do, I was given shockingly little information. Perhaps that was by design? Or perhaps my old allegiance didn¡¯t have any more information to give? My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door.


    ¡°Are you awake, dear? I¡¯ve come to assist you in getting ready,¡± the voice from the other side called. Stern and assured of themselves, but gentle and deferential.


    ¡°Yes, I did my best to get ready as well.¡± My voice shocked me, being the first time I had spoken with it. A dulcet alto that lilted musically of its own accord. ¡°You may come in,¡± I added when I realized the person on the other side was likely waiting for me to give permission.


    It seemed they had been, as the door opened gracefully the moment I gave permission. On the other side was a tall woman in what I could vaguely recall as a maid¡¯s uniform, not that I had much familiar with the standards of dress for servants. Her raven-colored hair was tied up in a tight bun, and kept her dark eyes free of any troublesome stray hairs. As she entered the room, she gave a small curtsy to me before scanning me over.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to teach you how to properly take care of yourself. It is clear your routine is lacking in several areas.¡± I was going to protest, but had to agree with her. I was wholly unfamiliar with how to take care of such a delicate body. ¡°For today, it will work. Anyone else will likely believe you to be a newcomer with clothes like that anyway. At least your hair looks smooth.¡±


    I nodded silently, letting her continue to rattle off what sounded like an agenda for the day for me. It must¡¯ve been clear my eyes were glazing over though when she cleared her throat. ¡°I can see you aren¡¯t accustomed to such details, so I shall refrain from going over everything once more. We¡¯ll begin with a visit to the queen in her throne room, as she is expecting you. After that, she has asked that you join me during my morning errand run to get you measured for a proper wardrobe.¡±


    ¡°Got it, meet the queen, go shopping for clothes.¡± The maid clearly didn¡¯t like how dismissive my summary sounded, but she didn¡¯t press the topic further.


    ¡°In that case, I would be glad to show you the way to the throne room.¡±


    ¡°That would be nice, thank you,¡± I agreed as I stood from the bed to follow her.

 A Proper Meeting

    I followed the maid through the winding halls of the castle, doing my best to remember the layout so I hopefully wouldn¡¯t need guidance the next time I needed to take this path. It wasn¡¯t that long before we reached the throne room antechamber.


    ¡°Here you are, head inside when you are ready. I will wait outside while you meet with her majesty.¡± The maid gave another small curtsy before taking a standing position against one of the walls in patient waiting. I was confused as to why she didn¡¯t take one of the several seats in the room, all of which were empty, but perhaps it was custom for servants to remain standing.


    Looking towards the large double doors, I took in their pattern once more. I hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it when I first entered through them, preoccupied as I was with my mission. It had a beautiful design depicting a landscape, I presumed local, bathed in the silver rays of the moonlight I was more familiar with. Careful not to touch the silver, I reached towards the handle, only to find it retreating away from me.


    The doors swung open to reveal the grand hall that made up the throne room, the servants who opened the doors taking a stance on either side. The quartet of Braziers were lit with a crimson flame that bathed the room in a deep red. Interspersed between the braziers was the queen¡¯s guards, dressed in gilded armor and resting ornate spears on the ground. It was a far more comforting sight than when they had ambushed me from behind the pillars that outlined a straight path up to the throne itself.


    Turning my eyes upwards, I was reminded of who I was meant to succeed. A stately woman, who sat regally and far more relaxed than last I had seen her. The throne she sat on was made of a red-stained wood, inlaid with golden filigree in a design that suggested there was a soft light emanating from her. Her sheer dress shifted as she turned to see me, a smile quickly enveloping her face as she recognized who her visitor was.


    ¡°There you are, my sweet. I was worried you might not awake from your slumber.¡± Her voice was cool and calming. A far cry from the frigid intimidation I thought to be her only register. ¡°Please, come take your place next to me, if only for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Th-thank you, your majesty,¡± I stammered out as I walked up the silken carpet towards a smaller throne of similar make, but inlaid instead with brass. It was angled in such a way that I would be able to comfortably talk with the queen and any guests in the throne room. Another responsibility I¡¯d likely be taking upon myself.


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    ¡°Please, no need for such formality around me dear,¡± her tone was calming as her silvery eyes lighted upon me gently. ¡°To my heiress, I am just Drusilla. Queen Drusilla, if you must be formal.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Queen Drusilla,¡± I shyly spoke out, copying the maid and taking a small curtsy in deference before taking my seat next to her. ¡°You wished to see me so soon?¡±


    ¡°Of course I did!¡± Her words lilted with a tone similar to my own, the happiness of seeing me writ plainly upon her face. ¡°You are now my heiress. And though there is much to teach you, not all of which am I best suited to teaching, I did want to see you on your first day as a proper woman.¡±


    I blushed at her comment, being reminded of who I was just yesterday. ¡°It¡¯s strange to be in a different body, Queen Drusilla,¡± I admitted plainly, ¡°but I cannot say I dislike it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear, my sweet. And I¡¯m hoping the other oddities you¡¯ve been dealing with aren¡¯t too troublesome.¡± I shook my head, which brought another smile to the queen¡¯s face. ¡°Lovely. And though I hate to keep our first proper meeting so short, I know Veronica is most certainly standing and waiting for you. She is a wonderful servant, sometimes to her own detriment.¡± I anxiously chuckled a little as she confirmed that the maid was as uptight as I had thought her to be.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re beginning to get comfortable in your new life. I¡¯m sure Veronica has all the details for your day planned out, but I would like to remind you that you will need to pick out a new name soon. I can¡¯t exactly announce my new heiress to the kingdom if I have no name to announce her by.¡± She gave a small laugh before reaching a hand to touch my own gently.


    I managed a smile back, trying not to blush from being so cordial with someone who I knew could be so ruthless when she needed to be. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to give it some thought, Queen Drusilla. When should I expect to see you again?¡±


    ¡°Sooner than you could wish, but later than I would like, my sweet.¡± She said it to me so kindly, like a mother would. I suppose, in a sense, she was my mother now.


    I took a stand once more, offering a curtsy in farewell before turning to leave the throne room. As the doors closed behind me, Veronica left the wall she hadn¡¯t moved from to offer me a curtsy of her own.


    ¡°I do hope your meeting was satisfactory, miss.¡±


    ¡°It was, thank you for helping me Veronica.¡± The maid seemed caught off guard slightly by me using her name. She was so dedicated, she hadn¡¯t even bothered to give me her own name.


    ¡°If it suits you, we should make our way into the city.¡±


    ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready, we can go,¡± I responded. It seemed my more casual attitude caught Veronica off guard, as she didn¡¯t have an immediate response to that. After a brief moment, though, she nodded her agreement and turned to leave the antechamber.

 Into the City

    The trip out of the castle was a much longer one, with multiple manned checkpoints. I really hadn¡¯t been a threat to them it seems, I should have been stopped long before reaching the queen last night. Perhaps she knew about me before I even ventured into her kingdom? I would have to ask her when I had the opportunity to be more casual with her.


    My train of thought was shifted though when the flickering light of torches gave way to the consistent lighting of the red moon hanging in the sky. It was nearing the apex of the sky it seemed, so I presumed it to be about an hour before noon, if such a concept existed here. Veronica took a moment to notify one of the guards of our departure before waiting for me to exit my befuddled state.


    ¡°Why is everything so red?¡± I asked her, unsure if she would even answer.


    ¡°Instead of a sun and moon, our realm has a red and blue moon.¡± She answered it smoothly, as though it had been said hundreds of times. ¡°If you need an equivalence, our kingdom primarily operates during the red moon. Your daytime if that pleases you miss.¡±


    I gave a nod, which seemed to satisfy the maid who turned around and made her way out of the castle. We walked through a gardened path before reaching another gate, all bathed in a uniform red glow from the moon above. It felt as though the moon itself was hesitant to create shadows. The flowers themselves still held all manner of colors even in the tinted light though, and were arranged in lovely blocks of colors from orange to maroon. I¡¯d have to see how it looked under the blue moon as well, to see if they changed colors with it.


    The guards at the final gate opened the way, letting us out into what appeared to be a noble district. There weren¡¯t many people in the streets here, and most seemed to have similar outfits to Veronica. The few people I saw not clearly in a uniform were wearing outfits that would pass as flirty at best, and salacious at worst. No one else was batting an eye at them though. Perhaps it was customary? Or perhaps another job I was unaware of. I had never been the most educated of soldiers.


    ¡°Clothing is very different here than in your realm,¡± the maid mentioned to me. ¡°Whereas you are familiar with people ashamed of their bodies¡¯ details and hiding it, we like to show off any detail we prefer. The kinder weather also allows lighter clothing, allowing the highlighting of those details further.¡± She turned to see my surprised face at the thought of it. The notion of not being ashamed of the body was a novel idea to me. ¡°Of course, the more details you show, the more refined you are expected to be. If you dress without shame, it would be unbecoming of one to bring shame upon themselves through action after all.¡±


    After catching some stares of my own for what now felt like the clothing of a nun, I realized just how out of place I was here. Those lessons couldn¡¯t come fast enough it would seem. ¡°Where is our first stop in the city?¡± I tried to steer the conversation away, hoping to not dwell on the stares I was getting for my seeming oddity.


    ¡°We will begin by going to the royal tailor. He designs all of the outfits that are worn by her majesty, and will be designing all of your outfits as well. When not needed by the kingdom, he also creates bespoke pieces for those who can afford his services.¡± She said it in the same, flat tone she had when going over the agenda for the day in my bedroom. I had to stop my eyes from glazing over once more.


    ¡°And after that?¡± The houses were beginning to shrink somewhat in size now. Still looking nice, but clearly no longer just for the nobility.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you some basics to fill out your wardrobe as well as cover you while the royal tailor and his apprentice create your proper attire. After that, I have a couple small errands to attend to before we return to the castle.¡± We took a turn to the side, veering towards what appeared to be a market district.


    As we neared the market district, I was struck by how empty it felt. I was used to the streets of even the classier markets being filled with people. Here, there were maybe a dozen or so people walking the streets. There were, however, far more buildings for stores than market stalls, each with a welcome sign emblazoned by the door. The smells of the usual market were gone too. Instead of the smell of fresh fruits and burning incense, there were perfumes that lingered in the air as we made our way down the lane.


    It wasn¡¯t long before we reached a building Veronica walked up to the door of. I looked around for some sort of signage, but there didn¡¯t appear to be any aside from the welcome sign next to the door. How did she know we were in the right place? Was there some subtle difference to the buildings I hadn¡¯t seen?


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    Veronica opened the door, gesturing for me to enter before her. On the inside, I noticed all manners of cloth bolts lining one wall. The back of the open plan store was occupied by an older gentleman and another, far less determinate of a person. With their back to the door, I could almost imagine them to be some manner of faceless spirit.


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up when he turned to see who had entered. ¡°Ah, Veronica, such a pleasure to see you! I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve had the pleasure since last winter.¡±


    The maid seemed to almost blush at the man¡¯s joviality, before recomposing herself and giving a slow nod. ¡°Her majesty hasn¡¯t been in need of a new piece in quite some time. She¡¯s quite fond of the turquoise piece you did for her last time as well.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I am so glad to hear that. I was unsure about the clasps, but it would seem I struck the perfect balance between elegance and function for her highness.¡± He clapped his hands together as he spotted me off slightly to the side. ¡°And who do we have here? Another fresh face if I had to guess?¡±


    Veronica offered another nod. ¡°The queen has chosen her heiress. I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll be keeping you quite busy getting her several outfits. Not least of which being her coronation regalia.¡±


    Regalia. That was a word I had never had used about anything I was going to wear. That was the sort of thing saved for royalty at their best. I had to remind myself that I was royalty now.


    ¡°Oh, lovely! A fresh canvas to put my work upon. Can I presume this fiery woman before us is the heiress to be?¡± The man jaunted up close towards me, causing me to lean back slightly from his suddenness. He began inspecting me while Veronica gave her response.


    ¡°I cannot say who the heiress is to be until the queen¡¯s official announcement, but she will be your next client. At the queen¡¯s request of course.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, you won¡¯t hear a peep out of me about it. After all, my reputation would be tarnished were I to even receive such secrets.¡± The tailor smiled at me knowingly. It was clear he had played this cat and mouse game of conversation before. Looking towards his apprentice, he clapped his hands twice, ¡°Taylor! I will need your assistance with measuring this lovely client of ours. Nothing but the most precise of measurements will do for royalty.¡±


    The person who had been stitching together a piece finally stood up and turned towards me. Were I not looking at them, I wouldn¡¯t be able to describe them. Their face was as nondescript as their body. A girlish face with boyish lips and medium-length hair atop a very neutral frame. After noting mine and Veronica¡¯s presence, they went over to one of the other tables and grabbed a measuring tape while the tailor himself directed me towards a small stand in the middle of the shop.


    ¡°Hmm, yes, a fresh face indeed. Off with your clothes then dear, we don¡¯t want these drab fabrics to get in the way of our measurements.¡± He clapped twice more as he said it, causing me to blush red as the moon. ¡°No need to be shy, we¡¯ve all seen a woman laid bare before. Though I can understand your hesitation if you¡¯re new to our kingdom.¡±


    I gave a shy nod before reaching for the bottom of my shirt. I very slowly and carefully slid it up and off my small frame, still surprised at just how big it was on me now. It felt almost right to let my upper body breathe like this, like it was begging to be freed from the ¡®drab¡¯ but practical clothing I had been wearing. And, after a small gesture of insistence from the tailor, I unclasped my pants as well to let them drop to the floor. Slipping out of my sandals as my last piece of clothing remaining, I cautiously took the stand.


    Sensing my hesitation, Veronica moved to the door to the shop, closing and locking it. ¡°It is unlikely anyone would enter at this time. But, for your comfort, miss.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes, that shyness is to be expected. But, any subject of our good queen knows that there is no need for shame around one¡¯s body. Confidence is the key to beauty after all. A wonderful outfit can only enhance that.¡± The man grabbed one end of the tape from Taylor, who spooled it out and reeled it in expertly as the two of them worked in tandem to take what felt like hundreds of measurements. Every nook and cranny of my body was explored by their light fingers, every curve measured in exactitude, and each inch noted upon a gilded scroll.


    When they finally appeared to be finished, Taylor helped me put my adventuring clothes back on while their master rolled up the gilded scroll. ¡°You will make such a lovely canvas. I see our queen was wise in her decision as always,¡± he motioned a kiss into the air before turning to Veronica. ¡°We should be able to get the first outfit out within a few days, should the heiress be making any official appearances before her announcement and coronation. The coronation regalia itself will take a fortnight to complete from its start.¡±


    ¡°She will not have any official appearances before her coronation, so you can begin immediately on that.¡± It felt odd that I didn¡¯t get a say on what the outfit would be. Though I also didn¡¯t really know what made sense for a coronation gown, let alone one in this kingdom with its vastly different culture around clothing.


    ¡°As you say. I¡¯ll send word to the castle when it is complete.¡± The man took a dramatic bow before gently grabbing my hand in his and kissing the top of it. ¡°I look forward to more requests from you. Should you ever have need of me, just ask for Sir Jenevelle. Your servants will know who you mean.¡± I blushed lightly as I nodded my acknowledgment.


    After letting go of my hands, Jenevelle clapped his hands excitedly once more before he and Taylor made their way back towards their sewing stations. ¡°Oh, to have a new client, and a royal one at that,¡± he said gently before beginning to peruse the racks of bolts to begin his work. Veronica, meanwhile, had made her way to the door, opening it and standing at the exit in wait for me.

 Errand Running

    After staring at the excitable tailor for what was probably a bit too long, I moved to exit the store. Veronica was just behind me, closing the door behind her before motioning farther down the lane. ¡°If you would follow me miss, we should get you some clothing to look presentable in while Jenevelle does his work.¡± I offered a nod and gestured for her to show the way, which she promptly began to do.


    The market street became busier as we went, and I was stunned by the sheer outfits and beautiful figures that were traipsing to and fro. If I was not underneath the red sky of the outdoors, I would think I was in the middle of a gala for the ages. Even those who would be considered marred or ugly by my former kingdom¡¯s standards were showcasing those imperfections like they were a badge of pride.


    People occasionally stopped to talk in the streets like they were all old friends. Perhaps they were, but I heard murmurs of people introducing themselves like they had never met before. Compliments on the other¡¯s choice of outfit and remarks on the parts of their body they chose to showcase mixed with the usual pleasantries and small talk one would expect in a marketplace.


    I bumped into Veronica, who I now realized was turning towards another store. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Veronica, I wasn¡¯t watching where I was going,¡± I quickly explained to myself.


    The maid just gave a curtsy after dusting her apron off lightly. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly alright, miss,¡± she said, completely unfazed by what had just happened. ¡°It is understandable you may be overwhelmed. You are not the first new citizen to be caught unawares by the cultural differences, and I doubt you will be the last.¡±


    I gave a timid nod, finally looking towards the storefront. The welcome sign on this one was a simple stone carving, but at least had the name of the store written upon it. ¡°Welcome to Madame Rosebush¡¯s Clothing Boutique.¡± Perhaps the places for more custom pieces weren¡¯t labeled. It felt like this was where the typical citizen would go to shop for their clothing.


    Noting my confusion once more, Veronica provided a simple answer. ¡°Rosebush is a fine seamstress, though she works more for efficiency of creating her pieces instead of sculpting each creation to its owner.¡± She opened the door and gestured for me to go inside. A gesture I was becoming quite familiar with being presented to me by now.


    The interior was filled with rows upon rows of clothing, all of which looked quite revealing and almost scandalous to me. The ladies of the king¡¯s court wouldn¡¯t dare be caught wearing any of these. Near the entrance was a counter, staffed by a lovely strawberry blonde, middle-aged woman wearing what almost appeared to be nothing at all. Upon closer inspection though, I could see the tinting of the fabrics providing additional shape to her womanly figure while still leaving nothing to even the wildest of imaginations. My blush at the sight of her was almost immediate.


    Veronica walked up behind me, and must have seen my blush. ¡°I should have mentioned she is also rather eccentric in her own choice of clothing.¡± It seemed even here, she was out of the norm. That was a relief at least. I¡¯m not sure I would be able to adjust to people leaving themselves bare to see in a public place.


    As Veronica spoke, the lady turned towards the pair of us, immediately noting my out of place clothing and her maid uniform. ¡°Ah, I see we have a new customer. And one of noble bearing at that.¡± She offered a small curtsy, likely out of professionalism before gesturing to the selection at large. ¡°Do take a look around and choose whatever is to your liking my dear. If you¡¯re looking for the more conservative options, you¡¯ll find them towards the back of the store.¡±


    Veronica could likely tell what I was going to want, as she quickly led me towards the back. ¡°Feel free to take a look around the dresses while I get some skirts and blouses for a foundation to your wardrobe. Anything listed as a small should be adjustable to fit you quite nicely. If you have any other questions, you may call for me, miss.¡± I gave a nod to her before starting to look at the selection of outfits available to me.


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    It was a staggering amount of options, a far cry from what I was used to. Before, I had only the option whether I wanted an outer layer or not. Now, there were all manners of colors, styles, and cuts. It was overwhelming. There seemed to be some manner of sorting system to the clothes as well, organized first by size and then I thought by the parts of the body it was meant to highlight. Being so unfamiliar with feminine clothing to begin with though, I couldn¡¯t be certain of it.


    I sifted through the many dresses waiting for one to catch my eye, unsure of what exactly was special about my body to highlight. Eventually, I managed to pick out a few dresses that I didn¡¯t think were too revealing to me. Coincidentally, it seemed I had managed to also pick out primarily darker colors, with multiple dresses being black with some other secondary color for highlights on it.


    Unsure where Veronica would be expecting me, I waited in the aisle for a couple more minutes. When she didn¡¯t come back, I began to go looking for her. Though the store was spacious, it was a simple process of eventually tracking down which row of immaculate clothing she was in. Walking up to her, she spotted me and had a small look of surprise upon her face.


    ¡°Ah, I hadn¡¯t expected you to be so quick in your selection. My apologies, miss, I¡¯m not quite done providing you with an ample selection of pieces.¡± I turned to see where she was keeping a stack of boxes almost as tall as her, presumably all filled with clothing for me.


    ¡°I think that you¡¯ve found quite a bit already, Veronica. I wouldn¡¯t want you to get too much so that we can¡¯t carry them out of here.¡± I tried my best to smile at her, though it was still a strange gesture for me to make.


    The maid seemed a little frustrated that she wasn¡¯t living up to the high standard she had set for herself, but relented after selecting what looked like two pieces of ribbon attached to each other and adding it to the topmost, open box. ¡°As you are complete with your own selection, miss, we shouldn¡¯t tarry any longer.¡± She placed a lid upon the top box and went to pick up the entire stack.


    ¡°Please, Veronica, let me take a couple of those boxes for you,¡± I quickly said while going to take the top three of the pile.


    ¡°No no, it wouldn¡¯t do to have someone of your standing seen carrying her own boxes of goods,¡± she remarked, attempting to shoo me off.


    I was tempted to tell her how no one was supposed to know who I was anyways, but decided it would be better to not incidentally humiliate her by implying she couldn¡¯t do the job she was so intent upon doing. ¡°If you insist then,¡± I relented, placing the boxes back upon the stack.


    After Veronica struggled a bit longer with the pile of boxes, we made our way to the counter, where Rosebush began tallying up the costs of all the outfits. ¡°Shall I hold this for your house dear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, please,¡± responded the maid, ¡°put it under the Blight name. They¡¯ll also have the payment for them.¡±


    The store owner nodded in understanding, scribbling what I presumed to be the amount upon a piece of paper and handing it to the maid. Taking it as well as the dresses I was holding, Veronica gave a bow of her head before turning to me. ¡°We¡¯ll need to get you some matching footwear, miss, after that we can return home.¡±


    ¡°If you have the items already in mind, I can ferry a request to the cobbler for you,¡± Rosebush chimed in, ¡°it seems like your charge is frazzled enough from being out and about.¡± I breathed a silent sigh of relief that the seamstress spoke what I was too nervous to state.


    Veronica looked at me, ¡°I suppose that would suffice. May I borrow a paper and quill?¡±


    The store owner nodded and handed the requested items to Veronica, who began to quickly jot down a large list of items. I didn¡¯t think I would need that many shoes in my life, however long it was going to be now. But, I knew better than to question what the maid was doing at this point.


    Handing back the quill and now covered in writing paper to Rosebush, I was finally escorted out of the store and back onto the busy street where we turned directly back to the castle. The trip back was rather uneventful, but I did chirp up once the streets had cleared up and no one was likely to hear us. ¡°The Blight name? Is that some code or something?¡±


    ¡°It is the family name we use for royal affairs we do not wish to officially label as such. A step removed from directly mentioning the queen¡¯s interests, even if many of her older subjects have pieced together what it means. It will likely be changed after your coronation, as her majesty tends to for major events.¡±


    I nodded, deciding to keep my silence for the rest of the trip back to the palace.

 Femininity

    Upon arriving at the palace gates, the guards opened the gates for us. It seemed they were already aware of who was who and who didn¡¯t need confirmation to be let in. Veronica led her way through the gardens until once more I was surrounded by the brick and mortar of the palace proper.


    Once properly inside, the maid turned towards me. ¡°This is where I must leave you miss. I hope you enjoyed your first foray into her majesty¡¯s kingdom. I trust you remember the way to your room?¡± I nodded in confirmation. ¡°In that case, I shall take my leave. Your instructor should be by shortly after your arrival there to begin the first of your lessons.¡± With that, she turned around and left for her other duties.


    I made my way gradually through the castle, doing my best to follow the path back towards my room. At each guarded checkpoint, the way was opened for me without saying a word. I said my thanks at the first I passed through, but after receiving surprised gratitude for my acknowledgment I shifted to silently nodding my appreciation for their work at the later checkpoints.


    As I reached the inner portions of the castle, solid rays of moonlight became replaced by the flickering torchlight of the interior where windows were minimized for safety. Not too long afterwards, I passed by where I remembered the anteroom for the throne room was located. I debated stopping by, but decided against it. Queen Drusilla likely had many more matters to attend to than me, and I knew first-hand what her bad side looked like. I didn¡¯t want to risk getting back to that point now that I was her heiress.


    So I continued along the winding corridors until I reached the location of my room. The door had no special marking or heraldry writ upon it, leaving no way except memory to tell that it was my room. Not being completely certain it was mine, I gave a knock should someone else be there.


    ¡°Come in!¡± A gentle but deep voice almost cooed from the other side. Opening the door, I was delighted that I was correct that it was my room, and that the person I presumed to be my tutor had brought a stool up beside my bed to sit upon. As soon as she saw who was entering the room though, she stood and offered a deep curtsy. ¡°My apologies heiress, I was unsure of when your arrival would be, so prepared for your lesson as best I could.¡±


    The tutor was a mountain of a woman, with scars dotting her large muscles. Her clothing felt far more practical, even if it still left little to the imagination. Primarily exposed in her outfit was her toned midriff section, along with slits to showcase her powerful thighs. Her rusty brown hair was kept in a high pony-tail that barely reached to her neck, while her almond colored eyes were sharp as her teeth. She looked as powerful as she was intelligent, a fitting tutor for someone as out of place as I was.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I wouldn¡¯t want you stuck standing forever after all.¡± My response still caught her off guard, but she seemed a bit more expectant of such a casual response. She likely knew of my origins. One of the few now who did. It made me remember my past, and the people I had now left behind. Perhaps in time I could bring some of the ones I cared about into the fold. But many were now acquaintances long past. Several were likely to now be my enemy.


    ¡°I see we have much to work on. But, we cannot linger forever on what should be done, lest we never actually begin to do it.¡± Her voice was calm and assured, but held a quiet power behind it. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised to find out she was the one who drilled the royal knights.


    ¡°I¡¯ll admit, I¡¯m more out of touch than I ever thought I could be. Everything is so different, and not many people are willing to just talk with me.¡± I looked down towards the floor, not a moment later feeling one of the woman¡¯s powerful hands resting upon my light and fair shoulder.


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    ¡°You are in a new realm, a new form, a new culture, and being expected to lead as the next in line to the throne from the very start. The expectations could not be higher for you, but I expect you to rise to them given the right knowledge. They only seem out of reach because you were introduced to all of them at once.¡± When I looked up, I found her staring directly into my eyes. It took everything I had not to wither under her gaze.


    ¡°It is a lot,¡± I admitted, ¡°but I can¡¯t say I share the same confidence in my capability as you do.¡± I was still unsure just to why the queen had selected me to become her heiress. After all, I was but an adventurer the night prior. What right did I have to learning king-craft and politics. All I had known was how to keep myself alive despite even the worst of odds.


    ¡°Well, let us begin with some simpler lessons then. A way to ease you into your new life.¡± She removed her hand before gesturing to my bed. ¡°Take a seat, and we can begin.¡±


    I listened to her, and went to sit at the foot of my bed before looking towards her. ¡°I don¡¯t even know where the best place to start would be. It feels like there is nothing to be drawn from my life as an adventurer that would apply to the life of a princess.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s start by helping you feel less like an adventurer and more like a princess. After all, you¡¯re not even accustomed to being a woman, are you?¡± I shook my head, confirming what she already knew. ¡°Let¡¯s begin with a few lessons in femininity then. Hopefully with them, you¡¯ll begin to fit in more with your body.¡±


    I continued to silently give my affirmation, letting her begin with the lesson. The next few hours were her trying to help me learn a few feminine mannerisms like crossing my legs, sitting up straight, and discretely brushing my hair from my face. Though on the surface they were all simple things, they were still often a struggle for me to actually internalize, and kept catching myself reverting to my old habits when we would move on to the next thing. Eventually though, I found myself beginning to internalize her teachings. It would still be some time before they were second nature to me, but at least I was catching my own mistakes instead of her catching me messing up.


    Before long, I felt a pang of hunger echoing through me. It wasn¡¯t the same feeling of hunger that I was used to though. Instead of a rumbling in my stomach reminding me to eat, it felt more like a pull throughout my whole body. My tutor seemed to pick up on my needs, and ended the lessons in femininity.


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing that you¡¯re feeling that pull?¡± She asked it so plainly, as though she had guided countless others through this experience. Given her position as a tutor, she probably had.


    ¡°How¡¯d you guess?¡±


    ¡°We all feel it eventually. You just get better at hiding that desire as you grow used to it. Let me get you a fresh bowl for you to drink from and then we can move on to the other lessons I wanted to start you on today.¡± I nodded once more, clutching lightly at my torso. The pulling sensation beginning to grow more and more intense.


    As she got up and left my room, I almost began to keel over. It was an intense want. No, not a want, it was a need. I had to have some. I needed it now, and not a moment later. It was unlike any form of hunger I had ever felt before. I had had my share of foodless nights while out on the road between jobs, but this couldn¡¯t hold a candle to those. Every fibre of my being was crying out for sustenance. Every hair upon my body was standing on edge as I desperately waited for my teacher¡¯s return.


    Though not a minute had passed, it felt like it had been over a day when she did return, quickly coming over to offer support and handing me a bowl filled with a dark, red liquid. I took it in my hands and began to greedily drink from it. At first, it just tasted like iron and salt. But, that quickly gave way to a much sweeter taste, a taste of energy, of power. After drinking half of the deep bowl in but a moment, I finally managed to slow myself down and even part the bowl from my now stained lips.


    ¡°The first craving is always the hardest to sate, but to many is also the sweetest. You¡¯re lucky you get to have your fill whenever you could want it. Though we¡¯ll need to work on your manners for that before you¡¯re in the public light. Wouldn¡¯t do to have the heiress with constantly blood-stained lips after all.¡±


    I smiled sheepishly as I went to take another drink from the bowl. This time I only kept going for a moment, though it was still a rather messy ordeal. ¡°So then, I¡¯m guessing your next lesson is about what I am now?¡± My inquisitive nature brought a small smile to the powerful woman¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes, it is. It is time for you to learn the proper details about vampires.¡±

 Vampires

    I drank from the bowl of blood some more, nodding in acknowledgment to the lesson¡¯s beginning. ¡°Give it to me straight, how much of the human realm¡¯s knowledge is false?¡±


    ¡°Less than you think, but we¡¯re getting ahead of ourselves. Firstly, a history lesson.¡± My teacher brought a book out I had failed to notice in my lust for blood and opened it up. It was primarily artistic depictions of events, though there was plenty of text in it as well. Given how much she began to talk though, the art was the reason she brought it.


    ¡°Originally, there was a singular vampire by the name of Dracula. How he came into his powers, we¡¯re unsure. All we know is that he was once human like all vampires after him. Whether it was a pursuit of immortality, or a cannibalistic nature awakening latent mana reserves within him is for the scholars to debate.¡± She turned the page, now showcasing what appeared to be an opulent manor.


    ¡°He founded his own residence, where he fed upon the mortals that would come by. And as he learned of his powers, he created three spawn. And though Dracula was never seen leaving his manor, his spawn were a bit more adventurous. Their cravings brought attention to the existence of vampires, and in time, suspicions upon Dracula¡¯s house.¡±


    The next page she turned to was an artistic interpretation of an angry mob surrounding the manor, brandishing torches and pitchforks. ¡°Dracula tried to recall the two spawn still abroad in an act of self-defense. But that call for aid was his undoing, as the villagers now had their fears confirmed. Knowing his life to be short, he allowed the spawn who had stayed to drink of his blood and take his name such that his legacy could continue on.¡±


    ¡°In doing so, he relinquished his claims over any he had turned, including the two who had heard his call, Drusilla and Alucard.¡± My eyes widened as she mentioned the name of the other two spawn. Drusilla was that ancient? How was she even alive? My tutor seemed to see the questions on my mind, and quickly made to answer it.


    ¡°True vampires are not at risk of age claiming them. Like a fine wine, we grow bolder and more flavorful, but never weaker. Spawn are somewhat limited, but their lives are still measured in the hundreds of seasons, rather than the thirty or so summers humans will see.¡±


    The page turned once more, now depicting a raised stone circle, the portal I had come through to this realm. ¡°Of course, the secret was out, and there wasn¡¯t any way to remain truly safe in the realm of humans. So those three sought out a new place to live. Drusilla, being versed in the ways of magic, was the one who discovered the possibility of creating a parallel world for them to inhabit,¡± she turned to the next page of a ritual circle spanning multiple kingdoms. ¡°It would be quite costly though.¡±


    ¡°To create this world, they had to encircle the territory they wished to reforge. And at every mile along that border, a true vampire was needed. As such, they began to expand their numbers, all three relinquishing their ability to create spawn in a display of solidarity to ensure the ritual¡¯s success. It took over a hundred years, and more than a thousand vampires, but the ritual was finally completed. Our realm was created.¡±


    The next page she turned to looked familiar, as though I had seen similar hundreds of times on my adventures as a knight. It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize it was a map of the vampire realm, which mirrored the human world I was accustomed to traveling. ¡°To allow vampires to roam freely at all times in this new realm, night and day was replaced with the red and blue moons. As we had no need for crops, the land was rendered arid to prevent rivers and other sources of running water from forming. And each of the three spawn were given the chance to claim territory. Being the one to lead the ritual, Drusilla was granted control of the portal, the one link back to the realm of humans. Dracula took after their master, taking only a small area for a manor and a couple more houses for maintaining a stock of humans. Alucard, meanwhile, was given the largest breadth of land, even if there was little in the way of natural resources for us to compete over, for he had created the majority of the vampires used in the ritual.¡±


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    ¡°Being true vampires, all those who helped in the ritual were given the ability to work underneath the three spawn of the true Dracula. Most went to Alucard, founding the Blue Blood Kingdom. Dracula¡¯s favorite concubines went to his manor, while those who still held some manner of attachment to the human realm gathered under Drusilla¡¯s crimson banner. Meanwhile, humans were befuddled by the sudden cessation of vampire activity after what had seemed to be a plague of them descending upon the populations of villages.¡±


    ¡°Those who were turned before the creation of the vampire realm were deemed to be old blood vampires, with Drusilla, Alucard, and Dracula taking up places as the rulers of their respective kingdoms. Of course, we still had to connect to the human realm. Having Access to the portal, Drusilla creates the occasional party to collect the blood of mortals. Over time, we learned to extract blood from willing mortals under the guise of their health. And though sometimes these places of business are found to be staffed with vampires, it is presumed that they are only common because of the regular presence of blood. Little do they know that the entire business is founded as a way for us to feed ourselves. A willing group of livestock, if you will.¡± She smiled almost cunningly as she turned the page to showcase the locations of all the bloodletting houses across the many fiefs of the human realm.


    ¡°Dracula brought with him several slave families, who he keeps enslaved as a source of food for him and his concubines. To this day, he strings them along with the hope that one day a daughter of theirs will join his harem. To this day, his harem still comprises itself entirely of old blood vampires. As for Alucard, he and his vampires began to kidnap many humans, penning them in to keep like men keep cattle. Even now, a veritable city of humans has been built within his borders, reigned in only by the vampires who regularly come to feed upon them.¡± She finally closed the book and placed it on top of my dresser before turning back towards me.


    ¡°You may be wondering why Drusilla needs an heiress if she is immortal. And the truth is, we aren¡¯t completely immortal. You knew this when you came in your failed attempt to kill her. And though you are hardly the first attempt on her life, she knows that eventually someone will succeed. Whether it be a seasoned vampire hunter catching her during a visit to one of her bloodletting houses, or an adventurer like you lucky enough to actually defeat her, her time will eventually end. As such, she wanted to enshrine her legacy by finding a worthy heir.¡±


    Finally, I took my opportunity to speak up. ¡°Why me then? One who had tried to kill her just moments before she nominated me as her successor.¡± Sure, I had confessed my desires when she asked me to. I was cornered, I had no reason to be ashamed of secrets I had been sure were soon to die with me.


    ¡°Drusilla doesn¡¯t just want another ruler to take her place. She wanted someone who held similar values to her own. You¡¯ve noticed we are not ashamed of much in this kingdom, that has been a culture she herself has done her best to foster over her entire reign here. Atop of that, she doesn¡¯t wish for someone who is disconnected from the lives of humans. She can teach a human to be a vampire, but she cannot teach a vampire to be humane. So, when you were upon death¡¯s door, admitted to your deepest, most shameful wish, and willingly surrendered yourself to your fate, she had found who she wanted.¡±


    ¡°The desire to be a woman, when all humans desired from you was strength and masculinity. It is a secret to even usher aloud would have brought shame upon you for the rest of your life. Yet even when you could have ensured that secret would die with you, you spoke it plain. Few have such a desire, fewer still can admit to themselves they have that desire. You may feel you have been given a weak and frail body, but with the courage you showed, we¡¯ll mold you into a strong leader and a worthy successor.¡±


    I gave a timid nodding towards her, now being overwhelmed by even more expectations piling on me. She seemed to read me as easily as she read her, my, our people¡¯s history to me, smiling before standing up. ¡°I think that will be enough lessons for today. Enjoy your evening, and do get some good rest.¡±


    ¡°What if those cravings return?¡± I looked down at the bowl I had been given, already lamenting how empty it looked. That pull had been so strong, I had been certain I wouldn¡¯t be able to resist it for much longer. That need to sink my new fangs into supple flesh, it was a compulsion I couldn¡¯t think to resist.


    ¡°I¡¯ll post a guard by your door, so that they can fetch you some if the cravings return before tomorrow. Otherwise, I will see you in the morning for more lessons.¡± The powerful woman took another curtsy before exiting the room. It was only after she had closed the door behind her that I realized I had forgotten to ask for her name.

 That Night

    Sleep came quickly, and the memory came even quicker. My armor clinked as I made my way through the castle. I was dubious as to how my bulky form had been missed in the blue twilight. I was not the first knight the king had sent against the vampire realm, but I was hopeful to be the last.


    I pushed my way farther in, keeping my sword low but unsheathed. If I were caught unawares I would only have a moment to act. My shield was protecting in my blind spots, ensuring I wouldn¡¯t be sucker punched. Even with these precautions in place, I moved carefully through the torch-lined halls. One wrong move and I could be food, or worse become one of them.


    As I made my way closer and closer to the throne room, I recalled my assignment. Go to the vampire realm and kill their monarch. Simply said, but regicide was never a simple task. There should have been more guards. They should have been alerted to my presence. Yet the gates had been left open and the places guards were normally stationed were left abandoned. They couldn¡¯t be incompetent, otherwise the knights before me wouldn¡¯t have failed. And the flickering torches told me it wasn¡¯t abandoned.


    I didn¡¯t have the time to finish all my thoughts, as I had come across a grand door. Inlaid with silver no doubt stolen from human fiefs, it looked almost gaudy. I pressed my hands against the doors firmly, exerting myself slightly to open them. They opened smoothly and without resistance, as if the doors themselves had been expecting my presence. And the scene that stood in front of me surprised me.


    At the other end of the long room, a single vampire sat on the throne, illuminated only by the strips of blue light filtering through the window slits. Her silvery hair was braided, flowing over one shoulder to make her dress appear it had nothing holding it up. In her hand was a glass of what looked like red wine that she swirled before taking a sip casually. Was she blind? Someone just intruded into her throne room and she sat there drinking wine. She started to smile at me.


    My head shook, almost involuntarily. I had to remind myself I wasn¡¯t here to admire a queen¡¯s beauty. I was here to kill them. I just wasn¡¯t expecting a matriarch to be sitting on the throne, that¡¯s all.


    ¡°You¡¯re trying to convince yourself you aren¡¯t enamored by my body, aren¡¯t you my dear little knight.¡± Her smile widened into a smirk as I steeled myself. I didn¡¯t want to deign her with a response, but it seems my body language was enough of a response for her anyways.


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    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d almost feel bad seeing the life drain from you. But, I can¡¯t tolerate those who wish to have my head now, can I?¡± She uncrossed her legs and stood from her throne before making an overly dramatic curtsy.


    I took my opportunity immediately, charging forward to close the gap before she had a chance to react. I had almost made it to her when I felt a sword pommel strike me from the side and send me toppling to the ground. In a flash, I found myself surrounded by guards in gilded armor, each holding a sword expertly positioned to penetrate a weak spot in my armor. I had let my guard down for only a moment, and that¡¯s all they needed.


    And yet, they didn¡¯t kill me immediately. The guard in front of me stepped aside, giving me a clear view of the queen once more. She stepped closer to me, her high heels clicking on the marbled floors. I tried to tighten the grip on my sword, hoping I could possibly get a sacrificial strike in against her. Her guards were wary though, and it was smacked out of my hand.


    ¡°Well, it seems your attempt is at an end, little knight,¡± her smile was almost a sneer at this point as she enunciated each word so clearly. That cold voice of hers penetrating deep into my soul. ¡°Any final words you wish to say? Perhaps something to clear your conscience before your death?¡± As she said it, I faltered mentally. Did she know my own thoughts? No, she had to just be giving a courtesy to me. There¡¯s no way she could know that. I had never told anyone. I could barely say it to myself without feeling like a fool. But, as I stared down one of the many blades poised to take my life, I realized it wasn¡¯t something I should¡¯ve kept hidden. It wasn¡¯t a thought I should suppress by trying to prove myself a man.


    It was difficult to even form the words. My mouth dried and I hung my head in defeat. ¡°I¡­ I wish I had lived a woman¡¯s life.¡± I bit my tongue as soon as the words had left my mouth. How could I be so careless. Here I was, at the mercy of a vampire queen, and my final words would be admitting to my most shameful secret. Yet it felt right to finally say the thought that had plagued me since I was a child.


    I didn¡¯t see her gesture to the guards, but I did see their lowering blades. I looked around me to see that they had all taken half a step back. They could still kill me in the blink of an eye, but they no longer commanded my attention. The queen did.


    ¡°Would you take the chance to live that life? Would you abandon your post to become that which you desire?¡± Her voice wasn¡¯t as sinister now, but there was still that cold undertone. I wanted to avert my gaze from her, but I couldn¡¯t help but stare up into her crimson eyes. They drew me in, and drew the truth almost unbidden from my lips.


    ¡°Yes, I would.¡±

 Transformation

    The queen lunged at me before I had the chance to react, her fangs immediately sinking into my neck. I let out a gasp as I felt a coldness spread throughout my body. I was expecting to be drained, suction guiding my lifeblood into her eagerly awaiting mouth. Instead I felt something being pushed into me. Power.


    Even after the cold had spread down my body, the vampire queen kept pushing that power into me. As she did, I started to writhe uncontrollably. Was she puppetting me into her own spawn? I couldn¡¯t form the words to ask the question aloud.


    My writhing slowed down and the queen detached herself. I was alive somehow, but everything still felt cold. I began to shiver in my armor as I looked up at the queen. ¡°What¡­ did you¡­ do to me?¡± My words were shaky, and my breath frosted slightly in the throne room.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you a chance to live the life you wished for,¡± was her only response as I hunched over from a sudden bout of pain.


    It felt like I was stabbed in the gut and bludgeoned over the head while having my limbs pulled apart, my strength beginning to wane. As I weakened, my armor weighed me down more and more. Not knowing when the pain would stop, I began to doff my armor. I had barely removed my chest-piece before another bout of pain hit me.


    This time it was more sustained, and felt like my arms and legs being pulled out of overly large gloves. I managed to turn my gaze towards my arms to see that the bulk of my muscle had dissolved and my now dainty arms slid easily out of my gauntlets. I could only imagine similar had happened to my legs.


    As the wave of pain subsided, I shivered from the lingering cold inside of me. But my new arms were hairless, and did little to insulate me. I looked towards the queen in disbelief, but she sat in her throne and watched with thinly veiled interest at my transformation instead of speaking.


    A third wave of pain hit me square in the face, and I felt it contorting as my hair itched at the back of my neck. Then it tickled my unarmored arms. I tried to brush it to my front and found it so long that it almost reached my thigh. Not only that, but my previously muddy brown hair had become fiery red locks. The hairs shimmered with well-kept beauty as I blinked in a daze.


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    Feeling even the sensation of blinking to be different, I gently touched at my face. Sure enough, it felt quite different. Though I had never been intimately familiar with my own face, I could tell my features were smaller and smoother. Additionally, I could feel my eyelashes fluttering as I continued to blink away my confusion.


    Noting that the pain had subsided for just a moment, I managed to step out of my greaves, inspecting my legs to find them in a similar condition to my arms. They were both hairless, with small feet free from blemishes. As I went to feel at my thighs, which hadn¡¯t shrunk nearly as much as the rest of my body, I doubled over as I felt my waist compressing in on itself.


    I remembered overhearing some noblewomen complaining about their corsets being too tight, and thought this was a similar sensation. My waist pulled in on itself and forced all of that weight to go elsewhere. I had never been a particularly large man, but as my muscle softened it seemed to grow out into a wider pair of hips and a burgeoning chest. I had to gingerly take my new features into my palms, unable to comprehend how they had come to be.


    They were soft, and surprisingly sensitive, not to mention a decent size. They were hidden under my now tented hemp shirt, but I could make out their shape to know undeniably what they were. Looking back up at the queen, she was now smiling kindly at me, the coldness from before having left her expression. I didn¡¯t keep eye contact for too long as I hunched over from one final wave of pain that felt like a pole being rammed up through my pelvis. I clutched for what I presumed to be a now very sore set of family jewels to find only flatness in its stead.


    My face changing from pain to shock, the queen finally spoke. ¡°That should be the last of the changes. Welcome to your new life as a woman and vampire. And, should you accept your new self, I would grant you a position as my heiress.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t bring myself to get up after she said that. I was now a vampire. An enemy I had sworn an oath to kill. On top of that, I was being offered a chance to become the vampire princess. I thought of the question she had asked before turning me. I had answered true, I never wished to be a knight, I wanted to help people and distance myself from the feminine nature I feared. But now, I had a chance to start over as the person I wished to be while being in a position that would still allow me to help others.


    ¡°If you would have me, your majesty,¡± I did my best to get into a kneeling position, though it was difficult with my discarded armor pieces around me. ¡°I would gladly take the position offered to me.¡±