My Best Interests free porn video

MY BEST INTERESTS By Geneva A young man is captured intruding into the ancient Amazonian realm of Genoria. He is changed by a magic book and made into a slave girl to its queen. When the queen develops a mental illness the girl is caught up in intrigue and warfare. START The sun had set behind the low hills over to the west and the gloom was getting too much for me to see my way. Then, when I slipped into a cold stinking pool in the marsh, up to my knees in water and slime, I cried out and inwardly cursed my own impulsiveness and the fates that had led me to this mess. "I wish you'd stop squealing, Telos!" Marases growled. "You don't want to let them know where we are." "I don't like this. It 's getting too risky," I muttered to him, as he pulled me out of the clinging slime. "We're getting far too close to the Genoria territory. They don't like anybody coming into their lands. I've heard of people straying in here, and Genorian guards chasing them. Some who were caught were never seen again." "How could they tell you that, if they were never seen again?" he snapped. "The ones who managed to get away from the Genorians, of course, but their companions weren't so lucky!" I snapped back. He sighed, just as tired and irritated and tense as I was. "Well, it's either that or let ourselves be captured by those men chasing us and I don't think that's a good idea either. They're out for our blood. And, if I remember, all this was your idea!" He looked ahead. "If we can get just a little bit into Genoria and hide, then maybe they'll give up. I hope! Move yourself, let's catch up to Fernes! He's getting ahead." My legs were aching. "We need to find something soon. I'm getting pretty tired." "Oh, stop your complaining!" We were all getting tired and, with the threat from our pursuers, short tempered too. Marases, Fernes and I were friends from the territory just east of Genoria. It had many rival tribes and clans but none had been able to get supremacy and it resulted in continual minor skirmishes and fights and territorial disputes between villages and tribes. It was the result of one of these disputes that had us fleeing from pursuers. I had persuaded Marases and Fernes to go snooping around the village of a rival clan and we had been delighted when we came upon some of their pretty girls as they were bathing at a stream. We had spent some time in our hiding place admiring the changing views of their nubile figures, their dark pink nipples, their wide hips and the dark hair at their groins, but we had been careless and let ourselves be seen. The girls had screamed and squealed. Maybe they would have welcomed our attentions but their relatives in the nearby village had heard their cries had not been so welcoming and we only just managed to get away them. Our direct way home was blocked so we had decided to circle around our pursuers by first heading west into the Genoria territory. The trouble was that the area was very marshy and we had to pick our way carefully. At least it hindered our pursuers. The gathering dusk helped to hide us but it was also getting too dark to be wandering through any swamps. Then, ahead, against the last glow of the twilight in the looming clouds we saw some low wooded hills that marked the end of the marshes and in a few minutes we suddenly found ourselves on dry land and in a treed area. When we checked back there was no sign of our pursuers either. Marases looked round. "I think we've lost them. Trouble is, it's getting dark, unsafe in these woods. There might be wild animals too." "Ah, we're in luck." I pointed. "Look, over there! There's an uprooted tree by that stream. We can get some rest under that. There's even a big rock on one side." It was nicely sheltered, out of the wind, and we pulled out some dried meat and grain from our packs. With some water from the stream we were able to stifle the hunger pangs. We even got a small fire going against the growing chill. "I think we must be just into Genoria," I said. "You know anything about the place?" Marases scratched his head. "I heard it's a small realm. I don't know how it could be possible, but someone told me that it's organized so that women are in charge. There's a legend that they're descended from the Amazons so they have a queen, not a king." That sounded strange to me. "I can't see the men accepting that!" Fernes broke in. "Well, I heard that there are actually not so many men around. The women do most of the stuff, even make up most of their army." "Well, how does the whole society carry on? They have to have descendants to carry on and woman need men before they can have children." He gave a smirk. "I've heard that, in the past, yes, and they still do, if the Genorian women wanted children, they used to meet with men from neighboring tribes at a special temple set aside for that. They'd lie with men they selected then, when it was done, they'd go their separate ways. A woman would do that until she got pregnant. " I chuckled. "It sounds like fun for the men." "I don't know," said Fernes. "The ritualistic part turns me off. There's another thing though, I don't know if it's a rumor. It's hard to believe too but I heard that they even used to change men and woman back and forwards as they needed. Some magic spell." That was incredible. "Where did they get that? Surely the gods would have disapproved!" Fernes shrugged. "How would I know where they got it? Still, if the Greek gods and goddesses are supposed turn men and women into flowers and animals and what have you, why not? Mind you, I haven't heard of that recently either." We wrapped our cloaks round us and we were set for the night. If what he said was true, Genoria was a strange society. I could not conceive of living as a woman. I awoke with the first light the next morning, sat up and stretched. It looked like it was going to be a fine day for us getting back home and I even felt refreshed after the previous day's exhaustion. Marases and Fernes soon stirred too and we restarted the fire and after some more food and water and we were ready to go. "We should head just a bit further south," I suggested. "Maybe more dry land that way." I looked up suddenly. "Wait! Something's wrong." I pointed. "Look, there's birds wheeling about over there! Something's disturbed them." Marases looked past the rock and drew in his breath. "I just saw a figure in the trees. Look, time to get moving. It may be a Genorian patrol." We grabbed or supplies and ran out as a dozen figures poured out of the trees and headed towards us. There were too many to fight and we only had knives. I heard a hiss then a slight thud and Fernes cried out, staggered and fell to the ground, an arrow sticking out of his back. I hesitated but he was obviously mortally wounded and when another arrow hit the ground at my feet I left him, tearing after Marases through the trees until we were totally winded and had to stop. We listened. "I don't hear anything," Marases grunted between gasps for breath. "Do you think we've lost them?" I was bent over in pain. "I can't run any more." I took another gasp. "I need to stop here to catch my breath!" We heard nothing then there was a slight noise in the surrounding brush. I was about to reach for my sword when the figures just seemed to materialize. One minute there were only trees and brush around us. A few heartbeats later we were surrounded by a dozen figures, all in polished leather armor and bronze helmeted. Worse, half of them had short but efficient looking bows with arrows already nocked and pointing at us. The other half had spears. We did not even have time to get our knives out. "You will slowly remove your knives," I heard a command, a woman's voice. She hardly seemed out of breath. After what Marases said about women soldiers I should have expected it but it still came as a surprise. Genoria was a land ruled by women and even had women in its army. These women looked very fit. Marases' fingers were hovering over his knife. Like me he was calculating how quickly he could reach it before he was stuck with arrows. "I repeat!" The voice was harsher. "You will not attempt to touch your knives. I will not tell you again." Your companion back there is dead. Do you wish to join him?" There was nothing I could do and I sat back on my heels. When he saw me do it the fight seemed to go out of Marases as well and his shoulders slumped. Two of the soldiers were at us immediately, their knives at our necks. I looked in surprise at the soldier in front of me. She may have been helmeted but it did not hide her pretty brown eyes and full lips. She too was a woman. I looked closer at the others. All of them were women. "That was wise of you! Now tie their arms," the leader ordered her soldiers. Our arms were roughly pulled behind our backs and tied. Coarse rope halters were looped around our necks. Our knives were untied and removed. "We patrol the Genoria borders and you've strayed into our lands. That is a crime!" the leader said. "Maybe you should not have set a fire last night. We saw its glow. Now move!" and we were jerked by the ropes on our necks. "Where are you taking us?" I cried. "Back to the capital. You will be taken before our queen and punished for your illegal entry." "We were only trying to escape from enemies!" I protested. "We didn't mean to enter Genoria. We got lost in the swamps. Let us go and we will not bother you again." "That is not for me to decide. My orders are to capture all intruders. You could be spies. And you'll be quiet or I'll gag you! Now move! " If the halter round my neck was not enough, the spear at my back was. We were given no time to rest. At a fast moving pace, always further west, we came upon a path that gradually climbed through woods, thinning out at some hills, until the land dipped again and before us we saw the sparkling sea. Tucked at the end of a large bay, the buildings and walls of a small city were gleaming a pale gold in the sunlight. "That's Genoria, where you're going for trial," one of our captors commented. "Better hope that the queen is in a good mood!" "What do you mean?" asked Marases, but he was not given an answer. Just after midday the path began to slope down into an area of fields with crops or grazing animals and with smaller settlements scattered around. The workers in the fields were all women, many of them of them bare-breasted in the heat. Some stopped their work to look at us. "Caught some more?" I heard a bronzed bare-breasted beauty cry to the soldiers. "I fancy that dark-haired one! I wonder if he's any use." She gave a ribald laugh while I flushed. Not too further on we stopped at a small guardhouse. I watched apprehensively as the group who captured us handed us over to another group. They gave us some water but no food. The leader of the ones who had captured us looked at us. "We're passing you on. These riders will take you to the palace where you will await trial before Queen Telara herself. I've written a report of your capture. Now my guards and I must go back to the frontier to guard against any more intruders like you!" Without another word she left us. The new group was also made up entirely of women and armored like the previous group but mounted on large white horses. Unfortunately we were still made to walk, the halters on our necks tied to their saddles. Finally, around dusk, we trudged into the city through a gate, again guarded by more armed women, although I noticed an occasional male soldier standing outside a large ornate building. "This is the palace," said one of the women. "You will be kept here until you are tried. It'll be Queen Telara herself that will pass judgment on you." We were taken in a small door, and along a corridor, pushed in a small dark room and our ankles fitted with chains and fixed to a ring in the floor. Our arms were still bound. I felt a guard, another female, check them and she gave a grunt of satisfaction. "How long will we be here?" I asked. She looked at me contemptuously. "Until the queen cares to see you!" The door was slammed. We were alone with our humiliation, that we two men had been captured by women and they could do what they wanted with us. I had no idea what penalty they would have in mind, but I remembered that trespassers into Genoria had never been seen again. I thought of Fernes. He had been a good friend. I hoped that the patrol would at least bury him. "I'm hungry," Marases complained. "Aren't you? We've had nothing to eat since this morning." "Yes, my stomach's cramping and my throat's dry. I'm not sure if I could eat anything, though." I was sick at the thought of Fernes' death and too worried about what would happen to us. We had been there an hour, alone with our fears, when the cell door opened and two female guards entered. One carried a torch that she put into a bracket on the wall. Following them were two young women, both carrying plates of food and flagons of water. My lost appetite immediately returned with the smell of the food. My eyes opened wide at the appearance of these two new women. The female soldiers and guards had been attractive enough even though they were partly hidden under their bronze helmets and thick leather armor, but these two were some of the prettiest women I had ever seen. Instead of military clothing, each was dressed in a simple gown, one in dark blue, the other in a pale gold. Snuggly tied white cords emphasized their slim waists, and pulled the fabric nicely over the swell of their breasts, hips and rears. Their dainty feet were fitted with gold sandals and their shining hair was piled ornately above their heads and set with ornaments. It showed off dangling ornate earrings, similarly patterned, hanging from their earlobes. The faces of each, their eyes especially, were decorated in the fashion of Egyptian women. They were exotic looking, a far cry from the women of my village, or the female guards. The appearance of both was graceful, almost regal, yet both had close fitting silver bands around their necks. They were slaves. "We were ordered to bring you this food," the one with the blue robe said. "It's by her majesty Queen Telara's orders. She does not want you to starve." "Then we'll need our hands untied!" She shook her head. "No, I will feed you. Now open your mouth!" I had not been fed that way since I was a small child but I was so hungry that I dutifully opened my mouth and allowed her to feed me with a wooden spoon, alternating with water from a flagon. As she moved in front of me I got whiffs of an exotic perfume and I saw the pretty bumps of female nipples shift in the fabric of her robe. "Who are you? Her servants?" She gave a wry look. "Yes, I should say, and a bit more. We're actually her slaves. Ladia and I are two of the queen's six serving maids. The other four are free women but we were enslaved and have to serve her, myself for another six months but Ladia has only three months to go. I'm called Nela." "Why were you enslaved?" "The soldiers told us about you and, like you, we were from other countries, but caught in the Genorian territory. Ladia, or the man who became Ladia, was washed ashore here after his boat foundered. I had been hunting from over the mountains to the south, from Ceradol, and I was captured after a bear injured me." "Dangerous for a woman to hunt!" I said, but I flinched at her next words. "I was not a woman at that time!" she snapped. I shuddered. Perhaps it was true, that these Genorians could make men into women. She was about to say more but, "Enough talking!" ordered one of the women soldiers. "You're lucky. The queen will see you tomorrow. Some intruders have rotted in here for a month" I lay that night thinking of the slave's words, a dull ache of worry in my stomach. She had said 'at that time', and there were her strange comments about Ladia. Was it really true that the Genorians could change men to women? I wondered what they would do to Marases and me. That next morning two guards opened the cell door, unfastened our leg chains and at spear point pushed us upstairs and before a large ornate door. "Next item, your majesty, the two intruders!" I heard called on the other side of the door and we were pushed into a large chamber. It was almost filled with people, almost all women and there was a loud murmur as Marases and I stumbled in. I trembled, despite myself. A tall dark haired woman, dressed in ornate formal robes in a rich dark red in color, was standing to the side. She exuded an air of power and aloofness and was obviously the queen. Around her were some other women, all in formal robes too, although not as elaborate as the queen. I took them to be her advisors. There were only a few men and in obviously less important positions. Benches at the back were filled with ordinary citizens, all of them women. Five other young women stood behind her. All were dressed in different coloured gowns, much lighter and simpler in style than the queen and in fabrics that draped closely to their bodies. I recognized two of them as the slaves who had given us food. All of them also wore dangling earrings of the same pattern, to identify them as her personal attendants, I supposed. Also, marking them out as slaves, the two who had fed us the previous night wore silver collars fixed on their necks. The queen looked as if she was taking a break, sipping some yellow drink from a wide cup held to her by another of her attendants. The queen dabbed her red lips delicately on a cloth, looked round her audience and with an unhurried confident regal pace resumed her seat on the throne. Her attendants deftly arranged her robes about her. Some official called for quiet and we were pushed to our knees before her. A female scribe stepped forward and read from a scroll. "These two men came from the uncivilized lands to our east. They were caught yesterday morning in Genorian lands. They said they were evading pursuers but we have no way of knowing that. Another man was with them but he was killed by our border guards when they tried to avoid capture." I thought it would be better if I showed humility so I kept my head bowed. All I could see of the queen was her feet, fitted with fine, jewelled leather sandals. Her toenails were coloured deep red. "Look up at me!" she commanded and I raised my head. I was struck with awe. The queen was one of the most beautiful women I had ever seen. Her eyes were a penetrating dark brown. Her hair, coiled above her head and set with jewelled pins, was so dark that her olive skin looked almost pale by comparison. Her lips were coloured dark red. Her eyes were made up in gold, brown and dusky red colors in elaborate yet subtle shading. She wore earrings too, much the same pattern as her attendants', but her pair were more intricate and fashioned of gold and set with red stones. Her whole appearance exuded power and the suspicion and hostility in her face made me very nervous. "I am glad that our Genorian guards keep our borders well. Commend them from me," she said to the scribe. She looked at Marases and me. "Is this true?" "Yes," I said, apprehensive. "But we strayed into your lands by accident. We meant no harm and we were ready to leave." She tossed her head imperiously. "There are no excuses. I have no way of knowing that! You are guilty. You will be punished in accordance with Genorian Law." She turned to the woman at her side. "What do you think, Ceranthis?" Ceranthis was a serious looking middle-aged woman, with gray hair, dressed in dark blue robes edged with gold. "You are right, Majesty! Although....." "See, my chancellor agrees with me!" said Telara, interrupting. Ceranthis frowned, but said nothing more. This was happening too fast. "But can I speak?" I cried. "I......" I was shocked by her next action. She erupted with a shrill shriek. "Certainly not! Impertinence! You invaded my realm. You two.... How dare you! I will punish you!" As she continued her tirade her voice grew shriller and shriller. She was out of control. I was overwhelmed but not so much as to miss her courtiers' reactions. Some bit their lips while others grimaced. I gathered they were uncomfortable with her outburst. An older woman stood at the back, watching carefully, her face held rigidly. Ceranthis' face took a calculating expression. "You are guilty!" Telara screamed, then suddenly she sagged and her voice faltered. "Take them.... aw....ay!" she commanded, her voice suddenly weaker. "I will deal with ....them later," she muttered. We were hustled back out of the room and to our cell. We looked at each other apprehensively. "What did you think of that?" I asked. "The woman lost her temper completely. Even the Genorians were shocked. Let's hope she calms down before we have to see her again." Once again we were fed by the two same slave girls. I tried to get them to speak to us but they were tight lipped. We had just finished eating when the queen entered, with two guards. This time she was like a different person. Her manner was still severe, but there were no traces of her ill-temper. Her manner was almost apologetic, but the choices she gave us did not reassure us. "I found you guilty but as you came to our nation by accident I offer you two penalties. You can make your choice. The first is the same that I offered Nela and Ladia, these slaves. I have an ancient spell that if it is read to you both, will make you into women, beautiful ones. You look strong and healthy so you would be suitable. This realm can always use fresh blood, once it is trained, of course." She gave a slight smile at our shocked expressions. "So, you will be taken into my service as slaves and trained. After a year, if your service has been satisfactory, I will free you and you both will be allowed to become citizens of Genoria with all its rights and privileges, yes, and responsibilities." So it was true, that she could make men into women. We looked at her in horror. I had no wish to become a woman and I thought about protesting but the thought of her earlier outburst kept me quiet. Marases must have had more courage. "I am not going to be a female slave!" he protested. The queen looked at him in disdain. "Well, there is the second choice. You will simply be sold as male slaves along the coast." That sounded even worse. Male slaves were worked hard and their lives were short. "That is no better," protested Marases. I tensed for another outburst but the queen only shook her head. "Well, if you don't want either of these, I suppose there is a third option. I offer you a quick death, beheading. Most intruders into my realm have chosen the first. A new body, slavery for a year, then you can live here. I'll give you an hour to decide. In case you want more information, you can ask my slave Ladia here. It happened to her. Listen to what she says. Ladia! tell them all about it. Be honest! Omit nothing! I leave you to it." She swept out with the other slave running after her. Ladia was the one who had fed Marases. She licked her lips nervously and looked at us, as if unsure of the queen's orders. " I was given the same choices and chose to be changed. There was not much choice, I suppose." I looked at the woman. Like the other slave, like the queen, like all the women I had seen here, she was beautiful. So the spell made beautiful women. "What happens? How is that done?" asked Marases. "If you accept, a spell from a certain ancient magic book will be read to you. It will make you fall deeply asleep and then you will waken in a woman's body. You will have become a woman, a beautiful one, but I warn you, the first days and weeks will not be easy, when you find that everything that made you a man will be gone and you have anew life. Instead, you will have gained breasts and the nether parts of women. You will have lost height, some weight and you will be weaker. Your body will be proportioned differently with a narrower waist, and broader hips, yes, female hips. Your faces will have changed subtly to women's features. You'll have higher pitched voices, as women have, as I have. Your hands and feet will be smaller." She sighed. "And you will suddenly be aware of your vulnerability, weakness and loss of height, especially in the presence of men, not that there are too many here. It seemed like that for me at first. Sometimes I was in despair and I often thought of killing myself. "Then, for me, as the months have gone by, it did not seem so bad. If your experience is like mine, you will stop thinking as a man. Gradually you'll start to appreciate your new bodies. You'll start to think of yourself as women. The memory of being men will fade almost all away. You may even try to learn woman's behaviour, copying others, like the queen's attendants," she shrugged, "but it seems to happen anyway. You get to love your new body." She blushed prettily. "Maybe the change will be in your best interests. It has been for me." I shuddered. "Men could be attracted to you and...use you, and me." She did not seem worried by that. "Yes, probably. When we were first changed I was distraught with the idea that my body could attract men's attention, and that one could.....well... use me. Not that there are too many men in Genoria and the queen supervises us well. Now, actually, I welcome the fact that I could attract men, and it does not seem so bad. It almost seems like a gift." She gave a shy smile. "There is one thing though, I am a slave. The queen can be demanding. Uh," the girl weighed her words. "It is getting that she is even more so, with changing moods too. I hope I have been a dutiful slave." "So you were men once? Where from?" Marases asked. "I was a sailor from Thasos, on a ship trading along the coast but there was a violent storm and the ship began to founder. I was lucky to get washed onto cliffs in Genoria. A patrol of the Genorian guards spotted me and pulled me up from the rocks but, as I was in Genorian territory, they chained me and brought me here before the queen and I've told you the rest. "So, I chose to live. The same thing has happened with any men that are caught straying into Genoria, The only men allowed here are carefully vetted and watched. Be glad the queen didn't change you and then sell you away anyway. It's happened in the past." "What happens if I am not 'satisfactory' as a slave?" I asked. "Then, I warn you, you could be sold away from here or your slavery extended. Remember that Queen Telara has absolute power over you. To show that, you will be whipped soon after you recover from your change." She sucked in her breath as I gasped. "Yes, the whipping is not trivial. I still I remember the pain, the degradation and the feeling of helplessness. It's to show you that you have no rights as long as you are her slave. You will be expected to obey her every whim and order and without delay or question. Try very, very hard to please her. Our slavery here was not pleasant at the start. We had a lot to learn but we have become used to it and we will be freed eventually. They really make us earn our citizenship!" "Actually, I am almost due to be freed, less than three months. I'm looking forward to it," she said. "Could you then leave Genoria." She gave a slightly rueful smile. "That would be not a good idea. Women in Genoria hold the power, not elsewhere. If I left, even if I went back to Thasos, being a woman, I would have to marry to protect myself and then I could be the chattel of a man, maybe hidden away in the depths of his house. No, I will probably stay here. I would be freer. I look forward to getting my freedom so that I can live like other Genorian women. In fact I look forward to meeting men but on my own terms. I will visit the temple of Ishtar. Have you heard of that?" "Yes!" So what I had heard was true. The girl's eyes were shining. She obviously was looking forward to it. The spell that had changed her body had worked its effect on her mind too. She gave a small smile. "Yes, in the past, all Genorian women were expected, yes, required to visit a place called the Temple of Ishtar to meet and couple with men from nearby tribes and get pregnant. It was all strictly supervised by priestesses and all very sterile! Love hardly came into it and many women wanted a change. "So, nowadays some men do come into Genoria and marry Genorian women, but there are many women who still prefer to live on their own and so, use the temple. For me, I'm not sure. I accept that I should have children but to have a man share my house? The thought of lying with man excites me, but having a man by my side always, I 'm not so sure." She picked up the dishes and left us alone with our black thoughts. "What do you think?" I asked Marases. "I don't like either choice, but I don't want to die." "Me neither." "Hard to believe she was once a man, the other one too." In an hour the cell door opened again and the queen entered, again with Ladia and Nela, but also with another woman, gray haired and not so tall, dressed in a white robe edged with gold and black. "Well, have you decided?" the queen asked. I was cowed. "Yes, I have, I choose to be made into a woman," I said. "Really? With that sullen face? So then you will have to beg for that!" she commanded. She pointed to her sandaled foot, her meaning clear. As much as my chains allowed, I leaned over and placed my lips at her feet. I had not expected it but they smelled exotically fragrant. The queen must have bathed beforehand. Her scent was even more complex and rich than that on her slaves. "Your majesty, Queen Telara. I have committed a terrible crime against Genoria." My voice was hoarse. "For that I should be punished and I beg to be changed to a female slave to serve you." I hated myself for grovelling but it was that, an unpleasant alternative, or death. The queen looked very pleased. "Ah, once more you have an easy way with words." Then her eyes narrowed. "Wise, I will enjoy training you." Marases scowled. I thought he would follow me, but he shook his head. "No, I will not do that. I will not give up my body. You can sell me away." He glared at her. The queen's eyebrows lifted. "Such impertinence! Maybe I should change you before you are sent away. Then you would find what it is like to be a female slave. But, as you wish!" she called out and two guards entered. "Take this man to the cell at the docks," she ordered." Tell them to put him on the next trading ship." "Farewell, Telos," Marases said as they had unchained him. "Enjoy your new body!" I reddened at his words. "I'm sorry, Telos, that was unfair. It is a dilemma." He tried to embrace me but they pulled him away. When they had gone the queen pointed to the other woman. "This is my head priestess, Dorcis. She will read the spell to you. Do you still agree with the terms?" "Yes," I said miserably. These women had me totally in their power and were going to make me a woman too. My past male life would be wiped out. Dorcis was carrying a small book of what looked like parchment leaves sewn together in a yellowish hide cover. She opened it at one page. "You are ready?" I was not, but I could hardly protest and she began to read. A few of the words sounded Genorian or Greek, but the rest were incomprehensible. It only took her a minute or so. When she had finished she closed the book and placed it in a small cloth bag. "To let you know," said Dorcis, "the words are ancient, from the earliest days of Genoria or even before. The pages are covered with human skin, actually taken from a criminal we executed. They were found to be much more effective that way. The spell takes some minutes to start. You'll start to shiver first." The queen looked down at me. "Yes, as my personal slave, you will become one of my attendants. I think I'm a fair mistress, but I am firm. You will obey me or be punished. Another thing, to show my power and your status, you will be stripped and whipped after the spell, ten strokes." "Yes, Ladia told me that." Almost immediately I felt a shiver. It only lasted a second or so then it was gone. I did not know what to think if it failed to work. I did not want to become a woman, but if the spell failed the queen might send me for sale as a male slave. "Just wait." All the women were watching me carefully, the queen haughtily, Dorcis with an expression of satisfaction, Nela and Ladia with some sympathy. Another shiver took me, stronger. It too faded away but a breath or two later another more violent shiver shook my body and my teeth chattered. Dorcis nodded. "You've just experienced an old Genorian tradition too. Genoria used that ancient spell a lot for male children so that they became girls. We have strayed a little from our past customs but we still require all infants to be female. We also use the spell for criminals like you." "I am not a criminal," I wanted to say but my body was seized by violent shaking and my teeth began chattering uncontrollably. I collapsed on the floor. I remembered no more. I have woken up a number of times from illnesses but this time was by far the worst. My head hurt and I ached all over. My throat was dry and parched, and every muscle ached as if from a lingering fever. Even though it stung I forced my eyes open. I was still lying in the cell and on my back. The remnants of my clothes had been removed and my naked body was fully exposed. On my chest were two unfamiliar flattish mounds, female breasts, but tipped with brownish nipples. I gasped as I tried to rise then realized that even my voice sounded different. I rolled over to my side, feeling as if the skin on my chest had slipped and there were weights on it. I looked down and the breasts had taken a different shape. The nipples now stuck out prominently. I remembered that a spell had been read to me to make me into a woman. The proof was in front of me, overwhelming. Now I had female breasts. Even worse, when I forced myself to fumble at my groin, my penis and the soft pouch below were entirely gone. Instead, there was only a pad of flesh with a vertical groove, opening to soft lips. The only thing left of my previous body was male hair, dark on my legs, arms and chest. I was overwhelmed at the loss of my manhood. The cell door opened and I was interrupted by the two slaves. They looked me over, with some sympathy. "I'm sorry you're crying, but if it's any consolation to you," Nela said. "You'll be really beautiful. You should be glad." "Yes, but I'm now a woman. And forever." She gave a quiet smile and kissed me. "You may find it not so bad, in time." I found that hard to believe. "What about this hair?" I croaked. "I've still got hair on my chest". "Don't worry. That will fall out in days or hours." She pulled at my chest hairs and they stripped off with barely a sting. "See! Don't worry, you'll soon get what women have." I was left alone the rest of that day, absolutely naked. I could not avoid seeing my changed body, the breasts and strangely shaped groin with its slight mound and vertical groove. When I moved I was aware of the breasts moving on my chest and changing shape. Early in the morning of the third day Ladia brought me a pan of water. "You are to clean yourself thoroughly. You should have recovered enough by now. This morning you'll be taken into the queen's service and she demands absolute cleanliness. "Now, a word of warning, you've seen that the queen easily flies into a temper. Don't do anything to annoy her. You must be absolutely compliant, for our sakes as well as your own!" I had only just finished washing when Nela came in, accompanied by two guards. "Let me check you over." She pulled few more male hairs from my arms and checked my face. "All right, time!" she said abruptly. I was still naked but they pulled me up and marched me out of the door and along a corridor. The queen was waiting in an open courtyard. In the middle was a stout wooden post, with a hook set high in it. With her were a scribe, all her attendants and several more guards. I was forced down to kneel at her feet. "Listen to me carefully," she said. "You have chosen to serve me as a slave for a year. I will supervise you rigorously. Any time you fail you will be whipped or worse. So that you know, the first thing will be a ritual whipping to emphasize that you owe me absolute obedience. "Bind her," she said and my hands were tied in front of me. "Now, whip her, ten strokes," commanded the queen, pointing to me. My hands were lifted to the hook so that my toes barely reached the ground. My naked breasts and thighs rubbed against the smooth wood. "Open your mouth!" a female soldier commanded. Stuck in her belt was the butt of a multi stranded leather whip. I did so and a small bundle of cloth was thrust in. "That's so you don't bite your tongue," she said. "Carry on," I heard the queen say. Then there was a short terrible silence then a brief rush of air and I felt a terrific blow on my back, the pain erupting almost immediately. I had hardly time to cry out when another blow hit me. I screamed but it made no difference. The soldier and the queen were implacable. One stroke after another hit me as I jerked futilely on the hook. I writhed against the rough wood but there was no escape. Tears flew from my eyes and at another blow I choked in the pain. I could not get enough air past the rags in my mouth and I began to cough and choke. The guard waited until I had caught my breath then the punishment began again. All in all I received ten strokes, from my thighs to my shoulders but I had slumped and barely felt the last blow, hanging half conscious from the hook until I was released. I collapsed to the ground but I was pulled back to the queen's feet. My back was on fire and I could hardly breathe. "Such fuss! But your back will not be marked and you will feel little pain tomorrow. Kiss my feet!" she ordered, and I did so. "Now, repeat after me! Queen Telara, I owe my life to you," she said. "I pledge my absolute and prompt obedience to you. I ask to be whipped if I do not give it." Through my tears and gasps of pain and misery I repeated her oath. Cruel woman, I thought. I wondered how she would take it if she was fastened naked to a pole and lashed. Nela and Ladia had been watching too. Both were pale and trembling, reminded of what they had endured when they were first taken into the queen's service, and what they would receive if they were negligent. "Now, stand up!" I stumbled and Nela and Ladia had to help me. The queen held out brownish red bundle for me. "This is a gown for you. This will be your color so that I can identify you. Put it on!" Gasping with the pain, I pulled it over my head and let it fall down over me. It was a simple garment, but obviously feminine by the way it draped about me. A white cord tie at the waist emphasized my new female waist and hips. My breasts with the little bumps of nipples pushed out the fabric. "Now next, kneel and lean forward!" I did so and I felt something circle my neck. It closed with a small click. "That is your collar of servitude. You will wear it as long as you are my slave. Next are your earrings. These will also identify you as my slave." I saw her nod and one of her guards took hold of my head, tilting it. Another took my earlobe and there was a sudden sharp pain. At the corner of my eye I saw a guard holding an ornate earring, like Nela and Ladia wore. I squealed when it was pushed into my ear with another sharp pain. My head was tilted and the procedure repeated on my other ear. I felt the heavy earrings dangling from my ears and brushing my neck. "There, you will not remove these either. Finally, there are these sandals. You can wear them in the streets, otherwise you will be barefoot. "Stand straight and look at me! And wipe those tears! Last, at least for the moment, you need a new name." She looked at me. "I will call you Selmis." Actually, I was dismissed for the rest of that day. That night my back was painful and it took me a long time to get the least uncomfortable position to sleep in. My earrings were fixed in too and I had to be careful how I moved my head in case I caught them and tore the tender lobes. I had been assigned a bed in the same room as the other two slaves. It had taken me a while to get into a sleep and I was exhausted, but next morning, even before the sun rose, Nela and Ladia pulled me out of bed and pushed me in front of a large bowl of water. "Wash yourself, all over!" Still in some pain. I did so, aware of the unfamiliar movement of my breasts on my chest, my smaller hands and feet, my broad hips and tiny waist, and the terrible loss from between my legs. Ladia inspected my back and ears. "Yes, Selmis, your back is still red, but that will be gone in a day. The skin is not broken and I don't see any blisters." I winced as she tested my earrings. "Your ears are a little red but press this cloth on your earlobes whenever you can. It has salt water in it. It will sting a little but in a week you will not notice any pain. "Now sit down here," said Nela. "The queen demands that her attendants are made up too, just enough to reflect on her." She grinned, " but not so much we'd overshadow her. So I will do it for you. Tonight, if we've time, I'll teach you so you can do it for yourself." I fidgeted at the inordinate amount of time she took but she proceeded methodically, describing to me what she was doing to my lips and around my eyes. When she was done she held up a bronze mirror. Facing me was an entirely female face, my eyes ringed with dark pigment, and with coloured shadows on my upper eyelids. My lips were coated with a red pigment or dye. My dark hair was short, but it had been skilfully decorated with ornaments. The girl was beautiful, but I was not consoled. The beauty in front of me reminded me how my past life was gone. Nela had noticed my trembling. "That will do! Take a hold of yourself! Now, we'd better hurry. We'll have to get Telara up." The other attendants were waiting for us and the senior one pointed to Ladia. "Your turn today!" Ladia tiptoed into the queen's bedroom just as the sun came above the distant hills." Queen Telara," she spoke quietly, repeating until Telara stirred. When she rose we helped her wash, dress and then prepared her food. "Well, my new slave!" She looked over at me haughtily with just a faint nod of appraisal. "Did you have a comfortable night?" I bowed to her. "Your majesty, my back still hurts, but it reminds me the better to serve you." "Aha! You're clever with words, Selmis. Perhaps some day you can write speeches for me?" "Whatever you command, majesty," I said. "Maybe, when you are free. It would be in appropriate for a slave to do that! " She peered at my face. " I see your face is properly made up, as appropriate for one of my slaves. But you didn't do it, did you?" "No, Queen Telara, Nela did it for me. " Telara nodded her approval. "She's done well. Now make sure that you learn from her! Your appearance must reflect favourably on me at all times. I will not tolerate a slovenly appearance. "In case you have not been told about my agenda, later this morning I will hold my usual court and give judgements on disputes among my people. Your duties, and those of my other attendants, will be to help me into my red ceremonial clothes and get ready and attend me in all ways." Before she was even finished her meal her chancellor and a scribe presented themselves with her morning's agenda. That was a signal to us to have our own hurried brief meal while she studied the agenda, although we always had to be on call. Later, in her throne room, I watched with the others as she settled disputes, passed punishments, then later conferred with her officials. Once these were over we served her a light meal, and helped her refresh herself and change her robes. "Is that it?" I asked Nela. I was getting very tired and my back still hurt. "No, still a bit more of her duties yet. Usually her majesty is getting impatient by this time but after noon, for a couple of hours, she usually sits on a dais outside the palace. It shows her rank, but lets people know that she is accessible too. She does it quite often. It's less formal way compared to this morning's proceedings in the palace. She can be approached by any of her subjects who want to present petitions or claims. It also allows her to get useful information and a better feel of the mood of her subjects. "When that's over it's better for us. We all get to relax in her garden." I watched as the afternoon proceedings carried on. Some citizens had concerns that she thought serious enough to summon a scribe and record the details for later use. Some had only stupid petitions and she shook her head and dismissed them with a snap of her fingers. One time she completely lost her temper and screamed at some supplicant even after the woman retreated, white faced. Once again her attendants and the scribe looked embarrassed. As Nela said, the late afternoon was a time for us all to relax in the palace gardens among the flowers and trees although we still attended her and fetched her water or wine as she wanted. One of her free attendants, a girl called Astres, was called to sing to her and play on a flute. I found later that at times like these her attendants talked more casually and freely among themselves and with her. We slaves did not dare. The garden was on a hillside by the palace wall, sloping down to the north and we could see to the sea. It was summer but under the shade of the trees it was pleasantly cool. I was told that an ancient Queen of the Genorians, Myrine, had designed the gardens. Myrine had shown good taste and the many trees gave welcome shade in the summer sun I watched the queen lie in a couch and relax on cushions. She was almost asleep. Her attendants had been chattering to each other but their talk gradually ceased and they fall asleep. They all looked beautiful in sleep, with long lashes over their closed eyes, Nela and Ladia especially. It was difficult to believe they had once been men. They all looked vulnerable but some watchful guards paced in the background. I could not sleep as I was still too much on edge and my back still hurt. The queen stirred and stretched after about an hour's sleep and almost immediately Ladia and Nela had their eyes open too. Nela gestured for my help. "She likes a basin of water and a cloth when she wakes, then some fruit juice. Help me, Selmis. It's usually us slaves that have to do it. How's your back now?" "It's better, but still very sore." "Oh, you'll hardly notice it tomorrow." When the queen had finished washing she nodded and the four attendants who were not slaves each bowed to her and stepped away through the palace. "Where are they going?" I asked Nela. "Back to their own quarters and tables. Free women live in groups called tables. They are free, not like us. But someday...." After an evening meal she retired to her private room and in a few minutes a gray haired woman came in, glanced at us briefly and pushed her way into the queen's room. As Nela and Ladia bowed to her I did the same. I remembered seeing her when the queen had her outburst when she first screamed our guilt. "Who's that?" I asked. "It's the queen's mother, Medere, she's called, the former queen. She often comes over at this time to talk with her daughter." Nela took me further aside. "Her majesty seems in a better humour," she whispered, "so whatever you do, don't annoy her! Don't set her off." "Oh yes, when she's with her mother like this the queen demands privacy and we've got to simply wait outside her chamber." "I've wondered, what's the queen's situation? I mean, is there a man?" I asked. "How will she provide a successor?" "She did once marry a man, but that was before I became her slave. One of her earlier attendants told me there were even elaborate wedding ceremonies but the man left after some months. She did not become pregnant either, so she has no children and her succession is in doubt. Unless there is another union she should really visit the Temple of Ishtar and get pregnant, but any time it is suggested to her, even by her mother, she gets into a screaming temper. "Normally when the queen's designated successor, usually her oldest daughter, is eighteen or so, the queen steps aside. I don't know what will happen if Telara doesn't produce an heir. I don't know enough of Genorian history. Maybe it will have to be her younger sister Myrna who'll succeed, but she's only a young girl just now, fourteen." Nela sighed. "Unless Genoria can establish a succession, there may be trouble ahead. However, we gradually became aware that the voices were rising. Then there was a sudden outburst and I recognized the queen's voice, screaming. The former queen was speaking louder too, but in measured tones while the queen's voice rose to shriek. In a few minutes Medere strode out, tight lipped, her face red. She barely looked at us. Ladia drew in her breath. "Doesn't sound good and we're not done yet for the day. When we have to get her ready for bed we'd better be extra careful." We were disturbed by the sound of crashing noises from inside. Nela winced at each and shook her head. "Don't go in until she calls! She's having a temper tantrum. Again!" Finally we heard a faint command to enter. It was a tearful voice and Ladia rolled her eyes to warn me. We stepped inside the room and bowed deeply. The queen was sprawled on the floor, her robes in disarray. She would not even look us in the eye. Broken dishes, clothing, and ornaments littered the floor We gently eased her up. She was so limp and lethargic that it was awkward removing her day clothing and pulling her nightrobe over her. She barely gave us any acknowledgement as we gently washed her face and laid her on her bed and tiptoed out. The two others let out long sighs. "That was the worst I have heard her," Nela said. "I thought we'd get a whipping for sure. At least we've made it through another day." "But we did nothing wrong!" I exclaimed. "That wouldn't have mattered. She's got absolute power, remember." We made our way to our own quarters. I wanted to get some sleep but the two others began talking. "She's getting worse! This can't go on," Nela complained. Ladia shook her head. "Nothing we can do about it. We're her slaves. We've no power at all. All we can do is stick it out until we are freed. Even then she could add more time." "How long has she been like this?" I asked. Nela thought for a moment or two. "It started about two years ago, with just the occasional flare up of temper and sharp words. Maybe her husband had noticed earlier and that's what drove him away. She's so changeable!" Nela shook her head. " Sometimes she's full of energy. At first it was almost exhilarating, hearing all the excitement and ideas and then it got to be exhausting. Then other times, she's got so lethargic, as she is tonight. It's very unnerving. You never know what you're going to be faced with." The next day my back hurt much less but Nela still helped me dress, then had me wash and make my face up, commenting, criticizing and advising as necessary. At last she was satisfied. "That will do. A week more and it will be no problem. I must say, you look very beautiful." She gave me a light kiss on my cheek, but that hardly helped. She may have complimented me but I dreaded the next day in case I provoked the queen's anger but then, and for a week after, she appeared to have an even temper. She was firm with me, scolding me for any inattention or failing in my duties but that was all. These first days I was aware of some officials and citizens look me over more than bit casually. No doubt they knew all about my history but none gloated over me. A day or so later the queen was back to an even temperament. We all could hardly believe it, but my own relief was tempered by one wrenching event. I had been feeling heavy and sluggish then I discovered I was bleeding from between my legs like women do. It was too much. I was in tears. Nela and Ladia soon found out about it and gave me sympathetic looks and encouragement. "It's just the spell continuing its work," said Ladia." It happened to us too. You're now a young woman, and healthy, so it's to be expected. Yes, it's a bit uncomfortable but you'll get used to it, more or less. It means you could get pregnant!" She meant it as encouragement but it had the opposite effect. A week later, after the queen's morning session, there was a change in the routine. The queen's attendants, including Nela, Ladia and I had a visit from Ceranthis. "There's going to be a change this morning. Queen Telara is getting a visit from an envoy from Ceradol. You will attend the queen at the meeting." She looked us up and down. " It's a special occasion so make sure you are especially scrupulous in your appearance. That means your best robes and you will check each other's appearance. You will observe proper decorum too! She looked at Ladia, Nela,and me. "You three slaves, you will first go with the queen and help her get ready and into her most ceremonial robes. Then you will hurry back to your quarters to get yourselves ready. And be quick!" I did not like her officious manner, but as a slave I could not complain. "Ceradol? I wonder what that's all about?" I asked Nela. She grimaced. "There's peace just now but Genoria and Ceradol have been traditional enemies. There was some turmoil there some years back when Ceradol was conquered by Perad. It had been started by an evil woman called Niobe, a queen of Perad, but a former slave. She had dreams of empire and after Perad had conquered Ceradol and Genoria was next. The Genorians found out about this this so they abducted her, brought her here, tried and executed her. That was in the reign of Telara's mother, Medere. "I'm from Ceradol. It has been unsettled since. This man is a warlord of one of the factions that has the power, at least for the present." Telara was slightly nervous and fussed and fidgeted as we helped her with her ceremonial robes, her chain of office and set the golden crown on her head. "My face, is it properly made up?" she snapped. "I hope you make sure my robes are straight." "Yes, your majesty," we chorused. When the other attendants came we ran back to our own quarters and hurried through our own dressing, checked each other and ran back to the main hall, just as the queen entered. I noticed Ceranthis talking with the delegation as if they were discussing something. In the chamber the queen's officials were in their most elaborate clothes as well. When Telara sat herself on her throne we ranged ourselves by her side, and just behind her. I was furthest away, being the newest slave. We heard noises outside the chamber and Ceranthis entered, followed by three men. The leading one, by his bearing, I assumed was the envoy, and the others his attendants. I was taken aback when I saw them. For several months I had hardly seen a man, other than a few traders at the docks and our small troop of male soldiers. These men, striding in behind Ceranthis, looked tall, muscled and strong, confident of their power and strength. They were all tanned, as if used to an outdoor active life. Even the tallest and strongest of the Genorian female soldiers looked weak beside these. The envoy looked as if he was in his fifties. His hair was gray and cut short. He was dark bearded, but with a touch of gray. His tunic was dark red and over it he wore a gold coloured cloak. One of his two aides was younger and fair-haired, with a short blond beard. The other was darker and clean shaven. "Close your mouth," Nela whispered, "in case you drool." She nudged me. "Mmm. men like these, they make me wet between my legs, that blond-haired one especially." I was shocked by what she had said but the sight of the men disturbed me too. I had not been aware of my own reaction to them. The spell was working its effect on me too. "Your majesty, I present the envoy from Ceradol," announced Ceranthis. The envoy and the two aides all bowed and Telara acknowledged it with a bow of her own. "I welcome you to Genoria," said Telara. "What is your business?" "Your majesty, Queen Telara, I am Metles. I am a general of the ruler of Ceradol, King Balamon. He has sent me to give his best wishes to you, with a hope that relations will remain cordial between our nations. " He hesitated. "Relations between our nations have not been good in the past, and Ceradol has been in turmoil. King Balamon is working to unite his land and hopes for a prosperous future for both nations. We hope that peace can be strengthened between our nations and that we can establish some trade. It will benefit both our nations." His remarks should have been addressed to the queen, but he looked around at all of his audience and I briefly felt his gaze on me. He had started on some suggestions when the queen suddenly interrupted him. "Yes, I hope for all of these wonderful things too." I did not like the sarcastic edge that came into the queen's voice, and her voice became more strident. "And it had better be so. You three come in here, from your miserable land and talk of peace? Ceradol had threatened us enough in the past. But Genoria has defeated you dogs of Ceradolans in the past and will do so in the future." I was watching the audience and I saw Medere's eyes open wide in apprehension. The same with Ceranthis, but then it seemed to me that her face took on a calculating expression. The envoy recoiled visibly as to our horror, the queen went on a tirade, her voice going shriller and less and less controlled. The envoy's face grew redder then slowly paled in anger. I saw his knuckles clench. The two aides went rigid and stared at Telara. When the queen stopped for breath the envoy simply bowed and with a curt, "Excuse us, Queen Telara," he and his companions turned and left. Ceranthis running after them. The queen suddenly sagged and we attendants looked at each other in shock. Medere almost ran to us. "The queen's taken ill. Help her back to her room." The council chamber was filled with the buzzing of conversation as we gently guided Telara back to her room and sat her on a chair, where she just stared into space. A short time later Ceranthis and Medere visited the queen and all of us attendants were pushed outside. We heard crying and eventually Ceranthis and Medere came back out. Medere snapped at us. "Go and attend the queen! What are you all waiting for?" She looked at us all. "You will not speak of this to anyone! You hear?" There was little to do. The queen was limp and unresponsive and we simply put her to bed. Medere ordered Ladia to stay beside her that night, and Nela and I to remain outside the room and only go in if needed. Nela whispered, "It's a good thing that Genoria is strong, and Ceradol is weak, so far. But I doubt the Ceradolans will forget this insult. Worse, it lets them know that the queen is unstable. The Ceradolans may talk peace, but a weak Genoria could tempt them." Next morning it was as if nothing had happened. The queen was in an exuberant mood, laughing and bubbling with excitement. Still apprehensive of another change in her mood, we could not enjoy her good humour. Then suddenly, one morning, Xerede, the senior attendant who had been assigned to wake her, came back from her bedroom, her face white. "The queen, she's ill again. Better come and help me." We found Telara hunched on the floor, staring at the walls. We tried to rouse her but it was no use. Eventually Xerede went to fetch Ceranthis. We watched the queen as a tight lipped Ceranthis tried to rouse her but eventually she held up her hands and sighed. "Enough, put her back in bed and look after her. It would have been wiser to cancel her appearances today, but there are too many things to be attended to. I'll ask former queen Medere to act for her." It took a week for the queen to come to herself, and three more days before Medere allowed her to resume her duties. That next week Telara had periods of extreme energy broken by flashes of temper. Ladia had been serving a meal when Telara made a sudden sweeping movement and knocked the dish on herself. She started screaming at Ladia and called for the guards. "Clumsy fool! Ten strokes of the whip for her!" Ladia went white faced with shock but did not resist as she was led away, Nela and I fully expected the queen to order us to watch the whipping with her, but she made no attempt to move and, trembling in case I fumbled and would feel the whip next, I tidied her up and gave her a clean gown. I had barely finished when she sank into another morose fit. I am fairly sure she did not hear the whip crack outside nor the cries from outside. I winced at each scream. Some minutes after the whip had stopped guards brought Ladia back, crying and stumbling but when she saw the queen hunched up and muttering to herself she straightened up and wiped her face. She beckoned to me and we left Nela with the queen. "When Medere was told what had happened she countermanded the queen's order and told the soldier to only beat the whip on the wall, not on me. Don't you think my screams sounded real?" She may have grinned, but she had had a narrow escape. That night Ceranthis, and Medere summoned Nela and Ladia into a separate room, leaving me to attend to the queen. Not that I was not needed, she had sunk into a semiconscious state. The meeting took more than an hour. "What's happened?" I asked Nela when Cenanthis, and Medere had left. "They're very concerned about the queen's illness and asked us to record all that happens." "Did they decide anything?" She shook her head. "That's not for use to know. We're only slaves, after all, but I think they're all concerned that the queen soon may not be able to carry out her work at all. Her mother can do the administrative work here in Genoria, You know, I think Ceranthis would like to take more duties on too. The head general, that's Malia, can lead the army. She's trained well enough but if Genoria's enemies are aware of the queen's illness they may see an opportunity to invade. Ceradol to the west has been a traditional enemy, and they may be looking for revenge after their envoy was insulted" "Illness?" I asked. "Or madness, to be blunt. We're to take note of everything she does." Once again Telara's mood suddenly improved and a day or so after there was a happy event for Ladia. She had served as a slave for a year. One day, after her morning state meeting, in a more private ceremony, Telara commanded Ladia to kneel and again recite an oath of loyalty, but this time to both Genoria and to her personally. "Bow your head before me, Ladia," the queen commanded. She leaned over Ladia and with a small tool unlocked her collar then unhooked her earrings. "You have been an obedient slave. I free you!" Telara must have forgotten that she had ordered Ladia whipped not so long before. "Now remove your gown!" Ladia quickly removed her pale gold robe to expose her brief white undergarment. She blushed slightly and stood awkwardly. "Here, Ladia, a gift for you," the queen offered. It was a long plain dress in a dull red color but it was the dress of a Genorian free woman. Beaming, Ladia pulled it over her head and tied it at the waist. "Ladia," said the queen. "You are now a citizen of Genoria with all the rights, privileges and, responsibilities." Ladia was delighted and embraced Nela and me. "Only a few more months for you, Nela," she whispered and, bowing to the queen, she took her departure. I was pleased for her but that night Nela and I missed her company. It also meant that we were given more duties. I almost wished that the queen would get other slaves, but I pitied any man treated as I had been