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On the continent of Aerent, life was simple and uneventful to most - maybe not exactly safe, depending on where they lived, but simple all the same. Barely developed, most settlements kept to themselves, smaller villages littered throughout the continent of lush greenery, with only the occasional traveling peddler keeping villages informed of what was going on outside their limited scope. Every so often, a kingdom or empire would spring up somewhere far away, but by the time news reached the outer ranges of Aerent, they would have already collapsed - that was simply the nature of the place. Most people did not even know what the world beyond their own village looked like, and the most eventful thing that most people actually experienced was their neighbor being eaten by a wolf if they were drinking a bit too much the night before. And so, as news of yet another Kingdom forming reached a little village in the south-west, many did not pay it any heed. However, that did not mean that nobody paid attention to it at all... "And you're sure about that, Mike? They are actually coming over here?" A young man, no older than 19, looked at his merchant friend, the excitement written all over his face - it was as if there were actually sparkles in the young lad's eyes, and he just couldn't stop himself from jumping up and down just a little bit to let out some of his energy. "I'd reckon so. Calling themselves the Holy Order of the Goddess or something like that, they're coming from the south. Have been gradually expanding towards the east, north-east and north from what I'm hearing. Pal of mine said he saw their knights recruiting people to their order a few villages over, so they'll probably be here before long. Well, not that I'd expect them to find anybody they could use over here. Closest one would have been old Pete, but even if he wouldn't have been an actual grandpa right now, the guy just cracked open his head when he fell down that ditch a couple of months ago. They'll probably just say your village belongs to their kingdom or whatever now and then just move on." Mike simply shrugged and shook his head in exasperation. It probably wasn't what the young man wanted to hear, but it was the truth all the same - he wasn't suited to be a knight, he'd keep staying a farmer at best. "Hey, no fair! I know I could do it! I'll get them to recruit me and then get to be a super cool knight, just you watch!" His expression changed to a visible pout, which only made Mike laugh out loud - this wasn't the first time they had conversations like these. It wasn't even the first time one of these kingdoms had sprung up and came through the village, but nothing changed back then, and the same would probably be true again this time around. "Well, don't say I didn't warn you beforehand, Finn. Better not make a mess of yourself again like last time. Or maybe do, it might give the others something fun to watch again. Give your mother my regards, and tell your old man to finally pay his tab the next time I'm coming around, or he can start scraping together what he needs on his own. Take care!" With a carefree, almost dismissive wave of his hand, Mike turned his back to Finn, then moved towards the northern exit of the village, ready to cross the bordering forest to make his way to the next village. He wasn't exactly keen on encountering whatever order of knights was making their way to the village - he didn't mesh well with types like these. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if the place would still be the same the next time he'd visit the village - only time would tell. For Finn, none of the words of caution from his friend ever actually reached his mind. If anything, he was only ever more ecstatic to meet this order - maybe this would finally be his chance to escape the boredom of this remote village. Maybe he could finally be a hero - perhaps slay a dragon, or learn some cool spells as a mage knight, or maybe even rescue a princess! Not that anyone ever seemed to think that he was capable of it. So what if he completely blew it the last time somebody came to the village to recruit? That empire, whatever it was called, completely vanished a few weeks afterwards, so they just weren't amazing enough to actually see how good of a knight he would be, that had to be it! They probably thought they were in the right because he was just a farmer's kid, but what did they know? He knew how to use all the tools for the jobs, how different could a sword possibly be? But of course, his parents wanted to hear none of it. They wanted somebody to take over their work, and they wanted to be cared for when they weren't able to work anymore too. So he was just there as a future babysitter? Honestly, the thought was making him a little mad. However, there was no point in actually showing his anger about this - they'd just make even more fun of him. No, instead he'd all show them when the knights came, then they had to admit that they were wrong! Finn went to bed with a huge smirk on his face the following night - not even the constant nagging from his family was capable of putting a damper on his mood. Already, he was dreaming about his future fame, clad in armor and engaged in combat, earning glory and fame... ***** "Alright then, I would like all able-bodied men and women of this village to assemble at the center of the village. We will be holding a test to see who among you would be suitable to join our ranks!" If there was one thing the knight already accomplished, then it was to draw attention to herself. People weren't exactly giving Mike's stories much attention, but seeing the real thing in front of them, they couldn't help but to be impressed - the knight certainly looked so much more noble than the last one that visited the half a decade ago. Sitting atop a horse far more fit and healthy than the one they had in their village, the knight was clad in white, ornate armor from foot to neck, only her helmet removed so that they were able to see her face. Surprise was one of the many reactions coming from the crowd, shock another. Neither of them were expecting a woman to be the leader of the knights, and even if they did, they never would have expected a woman as beautiful as her. Long, auburn hair and piercing blue eyes that looked like they were staring straight into a person's soul, complemented by a face that looked gentle, but could probably turn serious within the blink of an eye. Most of the villagers could only stare with their mouths wide open, but not so Finn - far from being overwhelmed by her presence, he instead giddily rushed to the village center, making sure to be the first there - first impressions mattered, after all! Minutes passed, and gradually, a few of the village's youths assembled next to him - three young men, childhood friends of his although they were slightly younger than him, as well as a girl - he never really talked to her, didn't even remember her name, but he did know that his mother had been egging him on to talk to her a few times before in hopes of it leading to grandchildren, or something, not that he had any interest in that. He couldn't help but smirk a little - among this little crowd, he was probably the one with the highest chance of success, right? As more minutes passed, the knight finally appeared in front of them, having left her horse in the care of the other knights that came with her, and took a graceful bow in front of the villagers. "Please allow me to introduce myself and the order I belong to once again. We are the Holy Order of the Goddess, originating from the Holy City of Tanar to the south, a lively place alongside the coast of the beautiful ocean. We started out as a small fishing village over a century ago, but grew thanks to the blessings of our goddess Rei, the patron saint of victory, achievement and beauty. Thanks to the prosperity we received from her, we wanted to fulfill the wish she left with us - to share her wealth and blessings with the rest of Aerent. We are tasked with finding youths with potential and offering them to join our ranks, then train them in service to our cause. Ah, but do not worry - even if nobody in this village ends up being suitable for our mission, it will receive her blessings all the same, and those found worthy to join us will find themselves wanting for nothing. I am the chief commander of the Holy Guard, the highest ranking division within the order, and am usually being tasked with safeguarding our princess, the one who is capable of hearing the voice of our goddess. You may call me Leonie - or for those of you who end up joining us, Commander. Any questions?" Finn sure hoped there weren't any questions, because that would mean he would get the chance to show off even a minute earlier, and so he looked at the other youths, hoping to see nothing from them. However, for just a moment, he scoffed - the girl had raised her hand, and there was nothing he could do about it. Oh well. One question wouldn't hurt. And the fact that Leonie talked about their leader being a princess had him excited - maybe once he became a knight, he could protect her first- hand! Turning around to Leonie again, she nodded towards the girl, indicating that it was okay for her to speak. "So, uhm... if you are normally tasked with protecting the princess, why is it that you are blessing our village? The most dangerous you will find here is maybe a pack of wolves - nothing any other knight couldn't handle. Is there a reason why the princess' protector... or should I call her 'her higness' instead? Anyways, is there a reason why her protector is out here instead of protecting her?" Boring. Boring technicalities. With a mild look of annoyance, Finn merely rolled his eyes. Leonie, however, seemed to be smiling wide in response - partially because the girl was already seeing the appeal of the princess if she was considering to call her 'her highness'! This one had potential... "Of course, this isn't a weird question at all! It was an oracle her highness received directly from our goddess, stating that somewhere in this region, there was somebody who would only be able to be noticed by me personally - somebody who would end up becoming a crucial part of our order. She told me I would notice them when the time was right, and I intend to return to her side again the moment I found whoever she told me about. The other knights will be able to handle the rest from that point onwards." "I-I see, thank you so much, Leonie!" A warm, maternal smile graced Leonie's face, and it made the girl blush ever so slightly - but Finn didn't notice much of this. Instead, he kept focusing on what she just said - there was a special somebody in this region! That just HAD to be him, right? There was no way this could be anyone but him, surely! Doing a little fistpump, his excitement was already on the rise again - he could do this! "Now then, seeing as there aren't any other questions left, time to explain what this will be all about. What I need to see from you is your aptitude - for one of two things. I will give you my sword - it is a weapon blessed directly by the goddess Rei herself, just as my armor, and it draws its power from faith. In the hands of a non-believer, it is but a regular sword - it can still be used to cut things or people, but you will find nothing to differentiate it from any other sword you could find out there, maybe with it being a little bit sharper due to me maintaining it often. If you are a believer in the goddess however, or are seeing appeal in her strongly enough to consider believing in her, it will add power corresponding to your faith. I want each of you to strike me as hard as you can with that sword, for my armor is embedded with the blessing of protection. I am of the mind that my faith in the goddess is strong enough that this armor will protect me from any strike you will be able to muster. What I want of you now is this - prove your faith in her to me, for if I can tell that the blade is infused with her power when you strike me, you shall pass. Alternatively, prove your power and skill to me - a regular sword it may be to a non-believer, but it is a sword all the same. If you cannot draw power from the goddess, impress me with your natural gifts instead. Meet one of these two conditions, and you shall pass this test. Pass both, and you shall receive a recommendation to train directly under me once I return to the Holy City. Actually make a crack in my armor, and you will be able to become my second-in-command after going through your training. If everyone here understood this, I would like you to line up and take your turns!" So it was dependent on faith in the goddess? Finn was pretty sure he didn't have that, so he probably couldn't draw power from the blade. That only left him with the natural skills route to take, but he intended to take that route from the very beginning anyways - this was perfectly fine for him, just the conditions he had hoped for! He wouldn't be able to get those recommendations Leonie talked about, in all likelihood, but that just meant he had to climb the ranks the regular way instead, right? As he lined up as the last person to be tested (he wanted to save the best for last, after all), he watched the first two guys try, struggle and fail to even land a hit on her - Leonie swiftly evaded any attempt they made at striking her, and from the way she so effortlessly did this, it appeared as if she wasn't even trying - that she would have been even better in actual combat. The notion had Finn in awe, for if he trained with her knights, he was sure he could become just that strong. It was already within his grasp! After having failed the second guy, the girl was up next. Before even taking the sword that the previous guy dropped on the floor, she took a bow as well - out of respect, perhaps, but Finn couldn't care any less about it. "Thank you very much for giving me the chance to give this a try, Leonie. My name is Martha, and I hope I will be able to meet your expectations for this village!" Crouching for a moment, Martha picked up the blade, then carefully balanced it first in her right hand, then her left hand, before nodding to herself and putting both hands firmly onto the sword's hilt. Surprisingly enough, the blade felt light in her hands - from what it looked like from the previous two guys, she expected it to be much heavier. But no, if anything, she felt like even wielding it one-handed would be no problem at all - and she was sure that she could even see a faint glow coming from the very edge of the blade. Leonie herself couldn't help but to be a little bit impressed - Martha definitely showed the most potential out of any of them so far. Taking her time to focus, Martha trained the blade into the general direction of the knight, locking eyes with her for what felt like minutes, but was perhaps closer to ten seconds. The moment Leonie slightly moved her hand to get into a better position for guarding, Martha rushed forward. Instinctively, Leonie got her arm ready to guard, ready to brush the blade aside with it and then side-step the thrust she thought was coming - therefore falling for the feint the girl had set up, as she switched up her grip on the sword to go for a different move instead. It was something Martha didn't even do consciously - but before she knew it, she had already executed the move, and the tip of the blade was firmly pressing against the knight's chest. Without the armor, it might have even directly pierced the heart. Impressed whispers could be heard from the three guys that were watching alongside him, and even Finn couldn't help but to clap a little, even though he was disgruntled - what the girl did was certainly something worthy of praise and admiration, even he knew that much. It looked like he wasn't the only one who would pass then, at least he'd know somebody from before then once he started training. Right? Eventually, a loud shout could be heard from one of the alleys nearby - apparently, one of the knights had been watching the whole event. "Keep yourself together, Commander, that was totally something you could have dodged!" But Leonie was having none of it - holding her hand up in front of her for a moment, she signaled that she would turn her attention to the youths again right away, but then turned towards the knight, and with a wide smirk, she replied with the utmost confidence. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. You better watch how you talk to our newest trainee Martha from now on. Once she's completed her training, she's going to outrank you, you know. She's already earned the right to train under me, I wouldn't even be surprised if she ends up in the Holy Guard afterwards. Now get back to watching the horses, at least one of them needs to carry a second person since she needs to be guided back to Tanar!" A bit flustered, the knight haphazardly saluted in a hurry, then scurried away to where they had left the horses as Leonie shook her head for a moment. New recruits these days... Turning back to Martha, she extended her hand, which Martha took after a moment of surprised silence. "As you may have heard just now, you passed both of the conditions, so we would be honored to have you joining our order if you are so inclined. For now, you have my congratulations, Martha, and I hope we will receive a favorable response from you. For now, go back and watch over the remainder of the test. Take some time to think about it. I will get back to you as soon as I am able to." With a nod, Martha walked towards the nearest house and leaned against its wall, observing the remaining candidates from there. Every so often, she looked at her hands in confusion, not quite certain what had just transpired in the test - she knew that she wasn't capable of the feats she had been showing just moments ago, and yet, she somehow did. Was that related to the blessings of the goddess? It's not like she was against joining them, anyways - Leonie seemed nice enough, so what would be the harm in joining? As she focused her attention on the test again, she saw the last candidate, the boy named Finn, grasp the sword. The one directly after her had failed the test as well, apparently. And if she was being honest, she didn't expect Finn to pass either - she still remembered how he embarrassed himself the last time he tried, too. She didn't exactly like him all that much, since his ego was a bit too much for the skills he actually had, but if he didn't pass, wouldn't that mean she'd be the only one from home that'd join the order? Contemplating that, she was jolted from her thoughts by a loud scream, and as she looked up, she could see Finn, one of his arms limply hanging from his shoulder and... was his butt cut and bleeding? Howling laughter could be heard from the boys who had previously failed the test, and even Leonie apparently couldn't help but chuckle a little, even if she tried to not let it show on her face too much. "W-what happened? I didn't watch for a moment there!" One of the boys tried speaking up, but every time he started forming a sentence, he immediately had to stop himself - he wasn't able to breathe properly with all the laughing he did. Eventually, Leonie put a hand on Martha's shoulder, and started explaining. "This one here... ended up inflicting damage on himself more than anything else. A clumsy swing that ended up wide... wide enough to go all the way around and cut himself from the back. He even got a dislocated arm for his troubles from the look of things." Indeed, after a look down, she could see a little bit of blood on the blade - that had to hurt, didn't it? So he wasn't passing the test either. "Anyways... step aside, I'm going to heal him. He fails too, but without us, he would have never taken the test in the first place, so the least I can do is patch him up properly. Boy, this will most likely hurt just a little, but hang in there, okay? Sit... or well, no, don't sit down. Lay down on the ground for a moment. It doesn't matter how, but you probably don't want to be on your back given the... unique location of your wound." With a groan, Finn simply did as ordered, internally chastising himself over this humiliating affair - he completely blew his chance, even worse than last time, and right now all he wanted to do was to vanish somewhere, a place where people wouldn't be able to see him. The entire village would probably laugh at him for a while... As he carefully laid down on the side of his unscathed arm, he waited for what was about to come next, trying to tune out the laughter of the others to the best of his ability. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and winced from the pain of the touch, but then quickly felt soothed - surprisingly so. Wasn't this supposed to be a painful process? "If it hurts or is in any other way uncomfortable, tell me right away, okay?" But no. He didn't feel even the slightest bit of pain, on the contrary. And he wasn't the only one taken off-guard by this, for as soon as he looked up at the knight for a moment, he could see a look of utter surprise on her face. A look as if she had been utterly taken off guard. "I-is something the matter? D-did I do something wrong? It's not hurting at all..." Again, the look of surprise on her face grew wider. This time, Leonie seemed to have noticed her own look of bewilderment, and put a hand in front of her mouth, muttering into it, quietly enough for Finn to not understand a single word of it. Eventually, the hand withdrew again, and with a very serious and stern expression on her visage, she spoke up. "There is something I need to test here. Boy... no, I need your name." "I-it's Finn!" "Then Finn. I need your consent on this one. I want to cast another spell on you besides the healing spell I just used to confirm something. Neither me nor any of the knights I am with will force you to agree to this, but it is something of the utmost importance. No harm will befall you, for I won't cast a malevolent spell. So rest assured that-" "Go ahead, Do it. I don't mind." Once again, traces of surprise were visible on Leonie's face, as if she was about to ask if he was sure about this - but he looked as if he was resolved about this. Or as if he just wanted to get everything over with as soon as possible so that he could escape. Either way, the scene had fallen silent once more as the other youths watched with curiosity in their eyes, and Leonie started casting another spell - a simple one intended to leave a distinctive mark on the target's skin, then another one to remove said mark again. In an instant, it appeared on his forehead, and in another instant, it vanished again, leaving the knight's eyes wide open - and almost immediately, she grabbed Martha's hand, asking her to guide her to Finn's guardians. For Finn, nothing really mattered right now. He could feel his arm again, and it was unscathed. He could feel that his rear end had been healed up, even though he could tell that the cut in his pants was still there, leaving him exposed. But he didn't care. He just stayed there, laying on the ground, having his eyes closed. Even the energy to get up and walk away eluded him right now, and already he was mentally berating himself for his own stupidity. What was he even thinking? Now they were going to hold this over his head for years to come, and once Mike found out, tales of that would probably spread to other nearby villages as well... Opening his eyes for a few moments, he could see the clouds passing by in the blue sky, some darker ones among them. It looked like it would rain soon, so it would probably be for the best to get somewhere that would keep him dry. But he just didn't care. Or if he did, he couldn't bring himself to act on that feeling. The other youths who had attempted the test had already left, not even thinking that he was worthy of their attention anymore, either. "Ah, that's just great. I absolutely blew it." Finally, he managed to at least bring himself to sit instead of just laying on the ground, though without a purpose - he just vacantly stared at whatever was in front of him. The knight that was previously chastised by Leonie looked at him from a distance, and then promptly made an exaggerated motion as if he had just been struck into the butt, the intent behind it clear - but he couldn't even bring himself to get angry anymore. It was at this point that Leonie returned, Martha following directly behind her. Where did she even go to? How long had she been away? While he was wallowing in his own self-pity all alone, he completely lost track of the time. Had it been five minutes? Ten? An hour? Surprisingly enough, Leonie went on her knee before him, and extended a hand - did she want to help him get up? He quickly shook his head and got up on his own, because the last thing he needed right now was pity. Already he was considering to run away in a hurry to just get out of their sight, but he was stopped by her - Leonie had already gotten up again, and had now put a hand on his shoulder as well. "Don't worry, you aren't in any trouble. On the contrary. I had a talk with your parents, and I will be taking you along to the capital together with Martha. It is not how I expected things to develop, but as it turns out, the one the princess told me about was right in front of me, so you'll be joining the order alongside Martha, if you so desire. Though of course, I would very much prefer it if you were to come along - it would put our Kingdom at great ease." Leonie wasn't quite sure if a direct approach like that would work - she knew for a fact that if it had been her who had just been humiliated in front of an audience like that, she would have been very, very skeptical of a proposal like that. And yet, when she consulted Martha on the matter directly beforehand (she did know the boy for far longer than she did, after all), she insisted on going straight for it - that the boy couldn't resist attention like that. And indeed, while Finn raised his eyebrow for just a moment as if he was questioning what was just happening, once the realization of what was going on did sink in, life seemed to have returned to his face. Already, that self-pity he was consumed by left his head in its entirety as false bravado once again claimed a hold of him. So that's how it was! Even with his poor showing, she still saw the amazing potential he had within himself, that had to be it! Finally, somebody with a good and discerning eye! In a hurry to respond, he simply flashed a thumbs up - as if to signalize that he was taking her offer and ready to go at any time. He could finally be a knight, too! Little did he and Martha know that while certainly, Martha would be training for the position of knight, there was something completely different in store for Finn in his future. ***** On that very same day, farewells were spoken, promises were made to return one day, if possible. All of the village had been surprised, to say the least - neither the soft-spoken Martha nor the completely useless Finn, as folks tended to call them, were expected to even remotely pass the test. Some of the knights were questioning the results, but were silenced very quickly - especially after Leonie offered one of the knights to take the test against Martha, and her actually managing to crack his armor with a blow. Finn being chosen raised even more eyebrows, but Leonie shot anyone among the knights who considered protesting a serious glare - there was no budging on that decision either. And so, the knights ended up marching on, towards the forests to the north, ready to find even more people worth recruiting. The small group of Finn, Martha and Leonie, however, had been heading to the south, the two youths on the back of a horse, and the knight walking besides them. It was a rather uneventful trip, for anything that would have normally been deemed dangerous did not want to come even anywhere close enough to Leonie, and so neither wolves nor robbers seemed to bother them - instead, through every village they passed, people seemed to show their group the utmost respect, as everyone still had Leonie and her skills in recent memory. "You are back earlier than expected! Please take a rest at our humble establishment if your companions are exhausted, for you it is free of charge!" "Here, have some of our apples for your journey, they were just harvested this morning! Paying for it? Oh no, no, don't mention it! You've been doing good for us, those are free for you and your group!" "Hey, can you let me take the test again? I've polished my skills again, I'm sure I'll make it this time!" "Thank you so much again for getting rid of these bandits, we finally have some quiet again!" Wherever they went, compliments, praises and similar were following them along - mostly directed at Leonie. The people seemed to love her, and neither Finn nor Martha was especially surprised, though for entirely different reasons. On their way, they talked about little things - what the Holy City of Tanar was like for somebody that never had been there before. What they would do once they actually started training. Leonie would answer some of these questions, but not all of them - instead, with a playful smirk, she just said that they should wait and find out for themselves. After a journey that lasted for a few weeks (the reach of this supposed kingdom was apparently rather wide), the group eventually reached a bustling city located at the coast of the ocean - right at the southern edge of the continent. The bustling market place with its many vendors surprised the youths just as much as the lively harbor, and by the time the group arrived at the large palace in the center of the city, the two of them had already seen so much more than they had ever hoped to experience in life. Eaten fruits at the market that they had never even heard of before, or heard languages from sailors at the port that they couldn't make any sense of either. Even with these new experiences, nothing prepared them for the sight that was in front of them, the almost pompous palace at the heart of the city. In fact, both of them were at a loss for words, and Finn's jaw in particular dropped - he heard stories about fancy places from Mike before, but none of them came even close to this in front of them - that princess of theirs had to be a really, really big deal. Seeing this, Leonie once again openly chuckled, then patted both of them on the back as if to reassure them. "I reacted the same when I just joined. It's so unlike where you grew up, isn't it? I originally came from a small fishing village to the west, so imagine my surprise when I first saw this here. Made me wonder just how long it took to build this place." Their reactions couldn't have been any more different - Martha hurriedly doing a salute on reflex before relaxing again, while Finn just shrugged - the place was impressive, but he wasn't exactly in any hurry to find out just how long it actually took to build or anything - it was already completed after all. "In any case, the two of you will receive different training, so I'll bring each of you to your new stations. Since Martha already brings some skills with her, I'd assume she'll be done with her training faster, and that the two of you probably won't see each other for quite a while since your training might not overlap at the same time. You better say goodbye to each other for now, though you'll be able to see each other again later if your schedule allows for it." Both of them nodded in response, and in return, Leonie walked the two of them inside of the palace. Along the seemingly endless corridors, she expertly guided them to a hall at the western edges of the palace - and as the three of them entered, they were able to recognize it as a training hall, as various recruits of different builds were sparring with each other. The moment Leonie walked through the doorsteps, the entire hall fell silent, as all eyes turned on her, and the recruits all took a bow in front of her. "Welcome back, Commander!" With a quick wave of her hand, the knight greeted them, before ultimately gesturing towards Martha to step forward. "This here will be your newest comrade in arms, Martha. For the bulk of her time here, she will be receiving training directly from me, however I want all of you to show her the ropes for the time being as she learns some of the basics. Instruct her well!" Murmuring could be heard throughout the room - somebody receiving direct training from the Commander herself? Not many people accomplished this, and of course, it raised immediate attention. However, that murmuring got even louder as they realized a second new recruit was standing behind her, especially because they knew about her mission to bring in somebody important - and given that Martha wasn't introduced as that important person, it had to be him, right? Finn could feel all eyes on him, and it sent a shiver down his spine, leaving him nervous - what if somebody wanted him to demonstrate his skills, and he'd make a fool of himself again? Now that he was in an unfamiliar environment, that'd hurt a lot more than at home, wouldn't it? But then, he remembered Leonie's earlier remark - the two of them would train separately. There wouldn't be anything he needed to do over here. He was in the clear for now! Martha of course could tell with a glance just what was going through his head - but she simply shrugged, for she was actually looking forward to the training, so there was no need to get her head occupied with thoughts about him. No, instead, she'd just try her hardest, and then let the results speak for themselves! "Okay then. I will be leaving her in your care for now. If there is anything requiring my immediate attention, notify my office of it. I will be observing your training when I'm able to at a later time. For now, I'll have to show our other newcomer their new place. You're dismissed!" Almost immediately in response, all of the recruits saluted her, with a deafening shout of "For the goddess!". It was loud enough to startle Martha and Finn, but before Martha could even gather her bearings, Leonie and Finn had already left the room again. Only time would tell where this new road in front of her would take her to now... ***** The long walk away from the training hall felt like an eternity to Finn, and was filled with an awkward silence, seeing how he couldn't bring himself to speak up towards Leonie for some reason. So was there a second training hall somewhere else in this palace? Or did she have something else entirely in mind for him to start out with? Quietly wondering about it, he failed to notice that Leonie had come to a halt, and almost crashed into her from behind as he kept walking - a fate only avoided his new commander decided to speak up just in time. "For you, there will be a different training course than what Martha is going through. However, because you are a bit of a special case, I still need to go and get the person actually instructing you - therefore, I want you to go into this room on the right and sit down until I come back with your teacher. Don't wander off - there is nothing wrong with exploring, but while you aren't familiar with the palace yet, it would be easy for you to get lost on your own. And we wouldn't want that, right?" So he was being taught by somebody different than Leonie after all. In a way, it made sense, since he did not pass the test in the same way that Martha did, and yet he couldn't help but to hope for it all the same. Opening the door to the room he was pointed towards, he saw that it looked more like the kind of classroom he had back at the school of his old village - only fancier as befitting of a palace, of course. The tables made out of some high quality wood that he didn't even recognize, despite being friends with the local woodcutter back at home, a large blackboard at the back end of the room, and plenty of room to spread out, or alternatively seat many a student in it. And yet, he seemed to be the only one who would be learning in this room, for nobody else was in it - after all, Leonie only mentioned fetching the teacher, not other students. Following her instructions, he entered the room and sat down at a table in the middle of the room. As he was waiting, he couldn't help but to look around the room some more - there weren't any windows, and only two doors, but the walls were lined up with portraits, all of them women. A lot of them were clad in fancy dresses, so one of them had to be the princess - or maybe all of them were at some point, and those paintings were depicting the entire family line? But no, there were too many of these portraits for that to be the case. Other noble ladies, perhaps? Two of them wore a tiara, so he assumed that those were princesses at some point, so maybe the others were their court? Towards the end of the long line of portraits, some knights could be seen as well - but once again, all female, with even a portrait of his future commander Leonie among them. She had to be a really big deal in this kingdom, even if he had already figured out that much. Still, all of them women. Was this a particular quirk of this kingdom? Maybe because one of the things their goddess ruled over was beauty? Tapping his finger softly against his forehead, Finn tried to think about this a little - the idea struck him as strange, but the world out there was big. So maybe this was actually not too unusual? But what would that mean for him, who was supposed to play an important role in this kingdom? Would that mean he'd be the first important guy in it? The idea had an obvious appeal to him, of course. That wouldn't be too bad at all. Princesses and noble ladies might end up fawning over him, there could be worse fates than that. After what felt like half an hour, the door at the back of the room, next to the blackboard, finally opened, and Leonie stepped in, followed by a woman that to him, looked like the embodiment of 'snobby teacher' - black hair done up in a bun, tacky glasses, and clad in a tight yet tasteful dress. But considering this was a palace he was currently in, well, this type of person didn't really strike him out of place. What he did realize from this however was that whatever would come next, it definitely wasn't combat training. Seeing the defeated look on Finn's face as the realization dawned on him, Leonie couldn't help but to crack a wry smile, before speaking up. "I realize that this is not the training you were expecting, however you are currently very much lacking in the fundamentals that you need for your future role. You will be somebody to represent the Holy Order, and yet, you cannot live up to that just yet. But well - she will sort that out. This is going to be your teacher for a time - you may call her miss Adele. You are to listen to her lessons just like you would listen to lessons from me. Once you've made sufficient progress, you will move on to lessons that shall probably prove to be more enjoyable for you. Now then..." Turning towards the woman she introduced as Adele, Leonie took a respectful bow once more. "I shall leave this one in your care. There is work for me to be done that has piled up in my absence. If there is any trouble, you know how you can reach me. If you may excuse me now..." Without even giving Finn as much as another look, she left the room and closed the door behind her - it was just him and the teacher in it now, and Finn clearly didn't know how to respond to this - he didn't even know the teacher, after all! She, however, didn't waste any time and immediately took the pointer stick resting against one of the walls, tapping it against the blackboard to demand attention. "As the Holy Guard Commander has already informed you, I am going to be your teacher from now on. Your circumstances have already been relayed to me, so you do not need to introduce yourself to me - I know who you are. Now then, I expect you to keep what I teach you in mind, for you shall be tested on it in future lessons. However, since you have just started today, a basic lesson shall be enough as a starting point." Adjusting her glasses for a moment, she looked straight towards Finn - she looked strict, so he really didn't want to push his luck with her. His gut feeling told him that, for he knew how poorly that went when he was still attending school at the village, his old teacher used to be similar. "What you are going to learn here is proper etiquette and manners. As the Holy Guard Commander may have told you already, our order is founded on the principles of the goddess Rei, the patron saint of victory, achievement and beauty. Needless to say, it will not do if somebody representing the kingdom itself were to carry themselves like a country bumpkin, or forget their manners, no matter if it is in company of others, or when they are on their own. By the time you will have completed your lessons, grace and elegance should come like a second nature to you - only then will you be suitable to continue your training with more advanced lessons." Internally, Finn groaned, because this was genuinely the type of lecture he was the worst with - etiquette and the likes didn't come to him naturally, so he was fully expecting this to be a slog. He carefully tried to not let it show on his face, but going by how Adele's mouth seemed to twitch ever so slightly, he probably wasn't entirely successful with his attempt. It made sense to him, though. Leonie may have been somewhat casual and approachable, but yet she had an air of grace and elegance around her, so she fit the ideal that Adele was describing. Not just that - thinking about it, even Martha was fitting that ideal. Was that the reason why it was just him who had to take this lesson? He couldn't pursue this line of thinking any further though, as Adele tapped the blackboard once again. "Now though, for today's basic lesson, a primer on the history of our goddess and the kingdom. Pay careful attention, for I will ask you questions whenever I feel like your focus is waning." What followed was a long course on the founding history - it felt like ages, and probably took ages as well, considering how often the lecture had to be paused by Adele asking him questions. In the beginning, there were what she called the eternal gods - existing since time itself, they raised continents, spread nature across them, and provided the sparks for civilizations to form. Rei was one of them, a neutral goddess that stayed clear of petty conflicts between the other gods, and only intervened when it was absolutely necessary - but had a track record of winning in these cases. She was more interested in enriching the lives of the people she watched over, spreading beauty among them - which is why she blessed the founder of the Holy Order, the first princess of the kingdom, the first person capable of hearing her voice directly. Apparently, one wasn't a member of the noble line of the kingdom by birth - instead, only certain people could qualify for the role of princess - people that possessed absolutely no resistance to magic at all. An extremely rare trait for a person to have, as usually, everyone had at at least some resistance, however miniscule it was. It was a trait that allowed the goddess to speak directly to the princess, and even inhabit her body for a time in order to share her wisdom with the general public - and just being born a child of the previous princess did not guarantee that the child had the requisite trait to become a viable candidate. Considering that all of the leaders were explicitly called princess, with no prince in sight, Finn couldn't help but wonder - could only women have no magic resistance at all? Or were men simply not considered for this position, maybe because the goddess did not want to inhabit a male body at all? Perhaps that was the reason why all the important people from these portraits seemed to be women - was this just the thing in this kingdom? From the look of things, the current princess was called Irina - yet it seemed like she was set to retire in her role soon, so had they already found a successor for her? So maybe he could start things off on a good foot with the new princess if he finished his training quickly enough! That alone was motivation enough for him to hang in there, and as soon as the realization hit him, his focus seemed to increase - Adele seemed to notice, for she was asking less questions from that point onward. As Rei continued to give her blessings to the princesses, so did their influence grow. What was originally just a small coast village that the first princess was born in, turned into a small town, then a large and bustling city filled with trade and prosperity. Going by Adele's words, what was now the throne room in the palace used to be the first princess' home back in the day, not like any trace of that former home was still visible in it. In their good graces with the goddess, an order of knights was formed to keep the city safe, and they were tasked with spreading their protection and wealth to other villages nearby without compensation - an order from the goddess that they followed without hesitation, for without her, they would not be living a life as good as the one they had. Traditionally, the princess was called the head of the Holy Order, even if she was not a knight herself - it was a symbolic gesture, meant to show how much the princess cared about the kingdom and its subjects. That now left the kingdom much larger than it initially was - expanded towards the north, the north-east and the east, and on good terms with all of the villages. The more he heard about it, the more Finn had to admit - it seemed like a pretty nice place to be. It didn't explain to him how he would fit into all of this once all of his training was complete, but who knows, maybe they had an entirely new knight squad in mind for him, for some sort of important mission? Eventually, the lesson ended, and while Finn's head was buzzing, filled to the brim with information that he didn't know how to sort properly, Adele let out a sigh of relief. "It looks like you aren't a completely hopeless case in terms of retaining information after all. Hopefully, that will apply to future lessons as well. Please remain seated for a bit, I shall call for somebody who will escort you to the dining hall, then to your personal quarters. I will be expecting you back here tomorrow at the break of dawn. The actual lessons shall begin then." Opening a drawer in her table, Adele took out a bell, opened the door, and rang it twice - despite the bell being small, the sound emitting from it was crystal-clear, and loud enough that he felt he could hear it, even if he was quite a distance away from the actual room. Minutes passed, and eventually, a soft and gentle knock could be heard on the door that Finn had entered through earlier, followed by it opening, revealing a maid. Without so much as missing a beat, she lifted the edges of her skirt, and performed a textbook curtsey. "At your service, mistress Adele. How may this humble maid be useful to you today?" She demurely looked down at the ground, not daring to make eye contact with any of the persons in the room - that was for persons of importance after all, and she was merely a maid. Adele flashed a smile that Finn couldn't quite place - was it one of satisfaction? Joy? Malice? It gave him a wide variety of moods, none of which clearly meshed with any of the others, and just for one tiny moment, it unnerved him - before he shrugged it aside at least, reminding himself that he was probably overthinking things. "Ah, it is a pleasure to see you responding to my call, Iris. I would like you to show this person here around in the palace - it is late, so please escort him to the primary dining hall, and serve him food there. Afterwards, you shall escort him to his quarters - the old living space, if you remember. Wake him up tomorrow before dawn breaks, and escort him back to this classroom. I understand that you know of all the details that this order entails?" The maid simply nodded softly, performing another curtsey. "But of course, mistress Adele. It shall be done." With a nod of approval, Adele then left the room, leaving Finn alone with the maid. Nervously (mostly because he didn't expect a maid this cute), he scratched his cheek a little, and let out a little chuckle, just to ease the mood in the room. The maid however did not respond to this in the slightest - instead she simply continued standing at her spot, hands neatly folded in front of her apron. "So, uhm, Iris was it?" "Please, simply call me maid. It is what this humble maid is, after all." That struck Finn as wrong, but he didn't want to argue on this - he was nervous enough already as it was. "Okay then, maid Iris?" "No, just maid. Not Iris. Not maid Iris. This humble maid is simply that, a maid." He flinched a little, but eventually stood up from his seat, now standing directly in front of her. "Okay, third time's the charm then. Maid? Could you please, well, you know... show me? Around, I mean. To that dining hall or whatever miss Adele mentioned." "But of course. It would be my pleasure." Performing yet another curtsey, the maid then turned around, opened the door, and indicated for Finn to follow her. It was a long walk through the winding corridors - sometimes turning right, then immediately left again, sometimes walking in a straight line for minutes before turning to the left once again. Finn knew that even if he paid attention, he wouldn't be able to trace his way back to the classroom again tomorrow on his own, so he was glad that the maid had already been tasked with guiding him the next day - he could see why Leonie mentioned that it was quite easy to get lost in the palace. Eventually, they arrived in front of a large, gilded door, and as he stared at it in awe, Iris carefully opened it, revealing a fancy dining hall behind it, with windows overlooking the bustling market and the harbor to the south. Wait, that had to be at least on the second floor for a view like this, but he didn't remember going up any stairs, what kind of sorcery was this? Seeing his confusion, the maid once again folded her hands in front of her and started to explain. "The ground on which this palace was built is slanted. The entrance is at a higher level than the backside, so as a result, one can enjoy a beautiful view like this from over here." Ah, so that was it. Satisfied with the answer, Finn nodded, and took a seat at the large table in the dining hall. Again, portraits of women that seemed to be important were lining the walls of the room, and once again he could see some familiar faces on it, like some of the noble ladies he saw earlier, or a picture of Adele. One of them even bore a striking resemblance to Iris, except it was a princess, not a maid... perhaps Iris was the relative of the princess? Her sister, maybe? Her name was pretty similar to that of princess Irina, after all. Considering how insistent Iris was on simply being called maid, however, he chose not to breach the topic - who knew how she would respond to this. Or whether he was even on the right track at all to begin with - nothing would be more embarrassing than if he had made a wrong assumption like Iris being related to the princess. Quietly, he wondered how he got to eat in such a fancy room even though he hadn't even completed his training yet, and so he didn't notice how Iris quietly moved to an adjacent room to take care of his meal. He walked around in the room a little, examining the flowers on display in the corners, most of them being the kind that he had never seen before. He took a closer look at some of the portraits, even if he didn't know most of the people in it, and eventually took a seat again, this time closer to the far end of the table rather than the middle of it. Just as he was about to take a look outside of the window again to watch the impeding sunset, Iris entered the room again, carrying with her a tray filled with food. Then leaving the room once again, only to return with yet another tray of food, placing all of them close to Finn. It was honestly a far fancier meal than what he expected for a newcomer, and a lot of the food on display looked downright exotic- ranging from what looked like a crab, yet far longer, to salads containing fruit that smelled sweeter than any apple he ever had at home, to a glass that had a red fluid in it - was this what Mike had been calling wine back at the village? Taking just a little sip from it, he could tell that it tasted sweet - and he could feel a heat flushing across his cheeks right away. Having never had any alcohol in his life before, the sensation was foreign and new to the young man, and yet he didn't dislike it. Taking his time to sample from the various dishes in front of him, he noted that a lot of them tasted rather sweet - even the meals that he expected to have a heartier taste to them. He was about to ponder this bizarre feeling, except his eyelids started feeling really heavy - and before he knew it, his head already crashed on the table, thankfully away from food, and his arms grew limp. "That didn't take anywhere near as long as expected." Those words left the maid's mouth, and with a sigh, she walked into the adjacent room again - the kitchen. "Mistress Leonie? She has just fallen asleep." Inside of it, besides the cooks and the remaining kitchen staff, was also the commander of the Holy Guard, Leonie herself, having a chat with one of the female cooks. As she noticed the maid, she looked up at her, and nodded - that was a lot faster than what she had anticipated - Finn must have been plenty exhausted already, or else there was no way he would have fallen asleep this quickly. Or maybe that was a side effect of not having any magic resistance at all? "I see. Thank you for your good work, Iris. I will be carrying her to her quarters then. You are permitted to get some rest now, tomorrow is going to be an early day for you again." "Understood, mistress Leonie." With a curtsey, the maid left the room, leaving Leonie alone with the kitchen staff, and before long, the cook spoke up. "Was that...?" "Yeah, the previous princess. Rei really did a number on her after she rebelled. Poor girl doesn't even remember she used to be a princess anymore, she's been scrubbed pretty clean. Doesn't even consider herself anything more than a maid anymore, either. Well, not like it wasn't deserved or anything, she actually tried to harm the goddess herself. You could say she got off lightly." In that very moment, the cook made a mental note to herself to never even consider doing what the previous princess did - it absolutely wasn't worth it. Not that she had the chance in the first place - unlike the previous princess, the cook had resistance to magic - there was no way the goddess would ever possess her body in the first place. "Anyways, I'm glad we managed to find a successor as quickly as we did. It wouldn't be a good look to be without a princess for too long. It's a bit unfortunate for the boy, but well, we have to take these as we can get them. Not like he'll be able to tell - Rei wants her next vessel to be notably less bright. Something about not wanting to take the same risk again." "So you mean like... you know, dumber, Commander Leonie?" Shrugging at first, the knight then nodded. "Those were her orders. Well, the new princess won't be wanting of anything. That'll be a much better life than as a farm boy, I'd say. I'll be carrying him... well, we might as well use her already. I'll be carrying her to her new quarters. It's going to still take a while until she's all ready, but might as well get her used to her new princess chambers already." That in turn made the cook burst out in laughter. "It might be a lot shorter than you think, the stuff in her food should leave her pretty suggestible. Give Adele a few days, and you might not even be able to recognize her anymore." "You know, sometimes you can be really scary yourself. When we joined together, I never thought you'd become a cook with your magic prowess, but you look to be enjoying yourself." With a cocky grin, the cook flashed her a thumbs up, and burst out in a hearty laughter once again. "What can I say? Cooking is like its own magic, and it leaves you with far more ways to train than you'd ever think. Make sure to join me once in a while, you won't regret it!" "I'll consider it. Maybe, one day. Take care for now though, I have an errand to run. We'll talk again when I have some time off." As Leonie left the room, the cook returned to her work, but not before grinning to herself - it was fun to tease an old friend every so often! ***** Everything felt hazy. Finn didn't know where he was, or what happened last night, but when he finally came to himself, it was because of the sound of somebody knocking at the door. Or at least what he assumed to be a door, because the entire room was dark - just where was he? What happened last evening? He remembered eating, but then... nothing. A blank period in his memory. Not just that, but something felt really off about himself, but he couldn't place what exactly. In his sleepy stupor, he turned towards a window to the side - he could see stars outside, which was how he was able to tell that it was a window in the first place and not anything else. Amidst his confusion, the knocking continued, and eventually, in a hoarse voice, he replied. "Come on in..." The door opened, and a bit of light entered the room because of it. Then, the room lit up - whoever entered the room just flipped some sort of switch. He tried to look at the guest, but the vision in his unadjusted eyes was spotty - the sudden shift in brightness made him see dark patches all over, until his eyes got used to the light again. Finally, he was able to see who the person entering his room was - the maid who had accompanied him last evening! Iris, wasn't it? "Ah. Good..." Before he could continue, a powerful yawn left his lips, and he couldn't help but to stretch his arms just a little. They, as much as the rest of his body except the top of his head, were completely smooth and hairless, free of any blemishes - not that Finn even took notice of it with his addled mind. "Good morning, Ir... I mean, maid. Just what happened last evening? I just remember eating and then nothing else..." Letting out a simple sigh, as if to indicate a 'You are hopeless' without ever actually voicing it, the maid moved closer, and removed the blanket that Finn was covered with - hopelessly pink and frilly, something else that entirely eluded Finn right now. "You passed out in the middle of eating dinner. It was probably exhaustion - traveling here and getting taught by mistress Adele on the same day may have been pushing things a little. The kitchen staff had to call for the aid of mistress Leonie, she had been carrying you to this room. This humble maid hopes that your rest, at least, has been a peaceful one?" Huh. So he was carried here by Leonie? Another embarrassing showing of his that she had to see, from the look of things. Having learned this, he now wanted to take stock of his room by looking around, but before he could really do so, the maid was taking his hands and moving him into a sitting position, before trying to usher him out of the bed. "You may want to hurry with getting dressed. Mistress Adele has instructed this humble maid to bring you to your classroom as soon as possible, so this humble maid shall help you get dressed and then lead you to her right away. There isn't much time to spare, since you took some time to respond to the knocking on the door." Somewhat groggily, Finn rubbed his eyes again, and then carelessly moved out of the bed. Before he could even take note of what he had been wearing in bed (a simple white nightgown), the maid had already removed it from him and put it out of sight. Instead, with careful instruction to guide him along, she got him dressed in his underwear, then a pair of pants, shoes with a barely noticeable low heel, as well as what looked like a dress shirt - but rather was a blouse instead, not that he knew the difference. Getting dressed in it sent shivers down his spine - for some odd reason, the material of the clothes brought forth sensations from his skin that he never even knew of before. Was this how rich people clothing felt like? Again, he failed to notice how it was his own smooth skin that was causing these feelings, and so, none the wiser, he looked at the maid - feeling more awake now, and yet, his mind still oddly hazy. "Is there anything else?" "No, that is it. You should be more careful about your appearance - it won't do if you do not take care of yourself." For some reason, Finn couldn't help but feel like there was a point in what the maid was saying. Yeah. Taking care of his appearance was important, wasn't it? He didn't know why, it just was. Already, the maid was ushering him out of his room - and for the better, because even with his senses dulled, right now he might have been able to tell just how utterly girly the room he spent his night in actually was. Filled to the brim with everything a princess would ever need - a pink and frilly canopy bed, a huge wardrobe filled with dresses of all kinds, a large vanity table, and very spacious for any potential guest who wanted to spend their time in here. It WAS the room the previous princess used, after all. Give or take a few days, and Finn wouldn't even be able to to tell that anything about this room wasn't normal for him... or her, for that matter. But for now, the maid wasn't even certain of just how addled his mind actually was, so she wanted to wait until he had at least another lesson and meal before he was able to explore his new living space. Thankfully, Finn followed along without any issue - he did want to explore the room, but the maid made clear that it was important to be on time, and again, for some reason his mind could see no reason to argue against it. Miss Adele said the maid would be taking care of him, so he should let her, right? Slowly, they were walking through the corridors in silence. Finn did not recognize any of the places they passed, so his room must have been in a part of the palace he didn't pass by yesterday - either that, or it was the general darkness of the corridor aside from the lantern that the maid was carrying that made him not recognize anything. Eventually, they stopped in front of a door, and the maid softly knocked on it - and after hearing a muffled response from the other side, she opened the door, did a quick curtsey to the person inside, then gave Finn a gentle push inside and left again. It was the very same classroom from the previous day, and Adele had already been waiting, pointer stick in hand. "I am glad that you managed to find your way here in time. Please sit down, and we shall start today's lesson - it will be on social etiquette and table manners." Yesterday's Finn would have openly groaned about these topics, but on this day, the complaints inside of his head seemed to be surprisingly muted - still present, but nowhere even loud enough to even consider acting on them. Instead, he sloppily sat down on the same seat he used the day before, and focused his attention on his teacher instead. She was just about to slap the stick onto the palm of her other hand to make some noise the moment she saw how sloppy he was, but she reconsidered in time. It wouldn't take much work at all to get this tendency out of him. ***** "Now then, as for the next part. Normally, there are two common ways of greeting other people respectfully. The first one is a curtsey, a gesture you may have seen Iris perform several times already. It is usually associated with demureness and femininity, a show of the utmost respect and grace. More detailed instructions on how to perform it will await you as we get further into our curriculum, but for right now, it is enough for you to be aware that it exists, and what it means to perform the gesture." Time has been flying by under the guidance of Adele, for judging by his own hunger, the two of them were already well into the afternoon with the lecture. Adele had been a very hands-on teacher - much of the day had been spent with learning table manners by example, by having him arrange the correct utensils in front of him, and practicing how to hold and use them, how to eat in a graceful and even demure manner. Not a minute went by during which Adele didn't pay attention to the details - if even a little bit of what Finn was doing looked off, she had him redo everything from the beginning, while informing him of just what it was that he did wrong. For somebody who never had to pay attention to any of this back in his home village, Finn picked up the intricacies with astonishing speed, surprising even himself - and yet that tiny voice inside of him telling that it wasn't normal to learn this fast fell on deaf ears. After what felt like at least 50 repetitions (he had been getting several months worth of table manners drilled into him over the course of the day, according to Adele), they had finally moved on to social etiquette - how to act around other people with respect and grace, especially other important people of the Holy Order. "The second way of greeting somebody is through the bow, something you may have observed Commander Leonie doing. It is a more neutral way of greeting somebody - not associated with a particular gender as much, but still respectful. For now, since your attire allows it, you will be practicing it, even if you won't use this way of greeting as frequently as the others. For now, place your dominant arm right in front of you at just the right angle, then lean forwards - pay special attention to the way you move your hips for this. I will demonstrate, then you will try to replicate." Something about this explanation was off - if he wasn't expected to use the bow as frequently, would that mean he would use the curtsey more often? The gesture of demureness and femininity? He was so close to grasping at something, but his thoughts couldn't hold on to anything - again, his muted thoughts couldn't spot the contradiction in what was told to him. And so he continued practicing in front of Adele, none the wiser about what these lessons were actually intended for. The afternoon came and went, and ultimately made room for the late evening. Adele looked noticeably more pleased with the results than on the previous day, even complimenting Finn's progress - for what it was worth, that made him smile by quite a bit. He expected her to be very strict, and she certainly was, but being praised by her despite that felt all the more pleasant for it. The lessons he had been receiving throughout the day had already been ingrained into his head - come what may, his suggestible mind wouldn't forget them any time soon. And so, accompanied by the maid once again, he got guided to the dining hall a second time. This time around, the path struck him as more familiar - he had already walked down said path the day before, after all. After getting seated, it didn't take long for the maid to once again serve him dinner - this time lighter than the day before, with a variety of salads and a lower amount of meat. It did not bother him too much, however - despite having eaten barely anything throughout the day, he strangely enough didn't feel much hunger anymore. A second time, he passed out after eating a bit of food, and once again, he had to be carried to his new room, this time by two knights that the maid actually had to look for. ***** Finn's dreams felt weird and hazy - in a way, he could tell that he was inside of a dream, but he could do nothing to actually interact with it - it was as if he was merely a passenger, a spectator of a performance perhaps. In it, he saw a surprisingly delicate man, almost girlish in his looks - the only thing giving away his gender being a small, yet still visible bulge between his legs. To him, the person felt familiar - a passing resemblance to himself, from the look of things? Pink was permeating the entire dream as he watched. It felt like the background was pink. That the distinct shapes he saw around the man were colored a different shade of pink. And the more he watched, it felt as if the color was even seeping into his own head. Observing the man in his dreams, he could see him getting dressed in a skirt, in a blouse, then demurely blushing as he looked at himself in what Finn presumed was supposed to be a mirror in his dreams. Under normal circumstances, a dream like this would have very much weirded him out, but tonight, his mind was strangely enough at ease with the contents, offering no resistance at all. In fact, he wanted to keep watching, but before he could do so, a sound was waking him from his slumber. "Hm? Good morning? Come in, please..." The voice he answered with was higher than it usually was, a bit airier, leaning into the feminine - but he didn't notice any difference, and instead, with a yawn that actually sounded cute, he stretched his arm as the maid entered his room and turned on the light, a smile on her face. "You managed to wake up on time today, very good! Has your sleep been a good one?" Still half-asleep, Finn rubbed the back of his head with his hand, failing to notice the longer hair now going slightly below his shoulders. Compared to its normal chestnut color, it seemed to have discolored while he was asleep - it was looking lighter now, not that he knew about it. "Sleep? Oh, right. I was asleep. Had this dream. Something about dressing up in a skirt? Don't know, actually felt kind of fun." "Well, if you feel so inclined, we could get you to wear one today?" By now, Finn was moving his hands across his body on reflex - perhaps some vestiges of his mind telling him that his body felt even more off than the day before. His features felt slightly daintier than before, and it seemed as if he had actually shrunk a bit! Some spots of his body seemed swollen - his chest and rear, in particular, and some parts of it more diminutive, in particular between his legs. That wasn't how they should normally be, or was it? He tried to remember what the actual normal was, but he couldn't find anything that was supposed to be different - in fact, the more he thought about it, the more this current state felt normal. Wasn't it like this in his dream too? As he was thinking about this, he already stood up on his own, letting the maid dress him once more - and even though he didn't actually answer her question, she was already getting him dressed in a skirt, another blouse, as well as shoes with a slightly higher heel than the day before. The maid noted to herself that he was looking through the room, and yet, there was no shocked or surprised reaction - that meant that everything was working as intended. With the way things were going, it wouldn't even be surprising if by the next day, he would already be a she physically speaking - and wearing dresses, too! The walk towards the classroom would have been silent once again, as neither Finn nor the maid exchanged any words - and yet, it wasn't completely as quiet as the day before. With each step, Finn could hear an unfamiliar clacking sound echoing through the corridors. Clack. Clack. Clack. Each and every little step accompanied by the same sound. Was the sound coming from him? Or from the maid? He gave her a puzzled look, but when she spotted it, she simply smiled in return, which got Finn to relax - if she smiled, that meant everything was okay. There was nothing to be concerned about. Or otherwise, she would have taken care of it already. Yeah. That was is. Entering the classroom for the third day in a row, he took a bow at the entrance, then sat down on the same seat again, demurely folding his hands on his lap. Seeing this, both the maid and Adele grinned, and the maid ultimately excused herself from the room with a final curtsey. "Good morning! It is good to see you taking so well to your lessons, you are already looking so much better than just two days ago." It was a genuine compliment - Adele actually meant what she said, and she was surprised that Finn already seemed to be doing things she did not teach him yet, like folding his hands on his lap while sitting down - perhaps that was something he watched Iris doing? Regardless, he was progressing faster than she was expecting, and didn't even seem to notice anything out of the ordinary, so perhaps it would be for the best to give him a few more pushes into the correct direction. "Today, we shall do some more in-depth lessons. The topics shall be more diverse - good posture, taking care of your appearance, as well as how to pick the correct outfit for the occasion. I trust you to listen intently again." "Of course, miss Adele." The higher, airier voice made her smile widen, as his progress extended beyond the mannerisms - indeed, he already looked closer to becoming the next princess. He wasn't quite there yet, but who knows? For the next lesson, even she wasn't quite certain what things would be like. Over the course of the next few hours, she started instructing him on how to walk properly - to out special care into making his steps just in the right way, and to sway his hips as he was doing so. She instructed him in how to move his arms as he was walking, how to present himself with his own body language, how to arch his back ever so slightly to draw attention to his chest. More and more, Finn's entire body language was feminizing - by this point, if people were to look at him from afar, they would first consider him to be androgynous, and then think he might have been female just from his body language alone! Next, Finn was instructed in how to use tools and products in order to 'look his best', as Adele had put it - from being instructed in how to brush his hair without it getting tangled up, to how to use products that Adele called foundation, blush and the likes. Every single bit of new information being soaked up by his mind like a sponge would absorb water, and with every piece of knowledge that his brain was enriched by, it deeply took root within him. Preparing to become a foundation of his future self, even if he was not aware of it. It was at this point that Adele looked at him as if she had a particular idea in mind. "I know that I said your next lesson today would be how to pick the correct outfit, and yet, I find myself wanting to switch up the order of things just a little. Would you mind?" It was one of the first times Adele had specifically asked him for input on the contents of the lessons itself, and he was happy about it - that meant she was warming up to him! Without even thinking too much about it, he smiled and nodded. "Please, do go ahead!" It was spoken so softly, so politely, that Finn wouldn't have recognized it as himself speaking just days earlier. And yet here he was patiently waiting, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. "Well then. I already alluded to this yesterday, but so far, we only ended up practicing one form of greeting that you will end up using as a member of the Holy Order. Yesterday, it was all about the bow - a greeting you will not be using often, but the only one you were able to do at the time. Today, however, you are in more suitable clothing to allow you to practice the curtsey. As this will be your main form of greeting going forward, it is of the utmost importance to practice using it - are you following so far?" Of course, it made sense - he recalled as much from the day before. That it would be the greeting he would end up using before. That it was meant to show one's demureness and femininity. And so, he nodded in response. "However, practicing only the motions itself would be only half of what is actually needed - it is all about the spirit behind it, the grace and elegance, the act of showing the other person what you are all about in one action. Therefore, I want this practice to be like a little role- playing session. Once we have practiced the motions, I want you to imagine me as a lady in court, and want you to introduce yourself to me with a curtsey. Given how it is an act of femininity, imagine yourself to be somebody in particular - picture yourself as a princess called Fiona for this act, and repeat this greeting until I deem it sufficient. Does that sound agreeable to you?" Thinking about it just a little, everything she just said was perfectly reasonable - if he wanted to show off femininity and demureness, then the ideal way to do that would be to pretend to be a princess called Fiona. And if he did a good job at it, that meant that Adele would be even happier about it, right? So once again, without thinking too much about it, he nodded - Adele was taking care of him just as much as Iris was, after all, so there was no way they would tell him anything wrong. "Now then, follow along with my motions. First, you extend your right foot behind your left, resting on the ball of your foot. Yes, just like that!" Step by step, she carried him through the motions. How to keep his back straight during the entire motion. How much to lift the edges of the skirt he was wearing. How much to bend his knees, and how to position his head during the entire action. It took a little bit of effort, perhaps due to a certain something between his legs making the motion a bit more complicated to replicate, but ultimately, he managed to perform a curtsey that Adele had been satisfied with. Then another one. And yet one more. A fourth, followed by a fifth, until Adele was convinced that he would be able to replicate the motion just fine without any more help or pointers. Then, the fun part started. Walking to the edge of the room, pretending to step out of the room and then into it again, Adele was now slowly making her was towards Finn with careful steps. The clacking of her heels filled the room with every step, and finally, she came to a halt a few steps away from Finn, looking at him with expectations visible in her gaze. It did not take him even a fraction of a moment to follow up on it - that was exactly what was planned after all! Demurely, he put his right foot behind his left, carefully making sure to balance himself on the ball of his foot just right. With delicate motions, each of his hands reached for the hem of his skirt, lifting it just a little, before he lowered his body, bending his knees while keeping his back straightened - a textbook example of a curtsey. But it did not end there - with another bout of demureness, he lowered his gaze, and in his high, airy voice, he started speaking. "It is a pleasure to have your wonderful company on this lovely afternoon, lady Adele. I am princess Fiona, and as your host today, please allow me to make this afternoon a memorable one." Speaking this was sent tingles down his spine - was that him? It felt so right for some reason. Seeing his reaction, Adele couldn't help but to smile - and decided that perhaps, yet another push might help carry things along. Taking a step forward, she took Fiona's right hand (already far daintier than two days ago, with slender digits), gently lifted it up, leaned forward... and gently placed a kiss on the back of said hand! Once more, a rush of pleasant tingles coursed through Fiona's body, and a blush manifested on his cheeks. Without letting up, Adele continued. "Your reputation precedes you, dear lady Fiona - tales of your femininity and demureness have reached my ears, but to see you in person, it turns out that not even the stories do your lovely presence any justice. Please, I will be in your care for my stay." Something about this gave Fiona intense feelings of joy - he felt a desire to squee or hug the woman in front of him welling up inside of him, but at the last second kept himself composed - just in time, he remembered this was a class for manners, after all. Instead, after finishing the curtsey, he folded his hands in front of himself, and replied just as demurely. "You are too kind, lady Adele. Please, do continue - was it not your intention to teach me many more useful things for me to learn?" Softly, he sat down on his seat again, being careful to smooth the wrinkles out of his skirt after doing so, and Adele was genuinely impressed as she looked at him. She knew he was directly ingesting magic to make it easier to influence him, but this far exceeded her expectations - it was not her first time teaching a new princess, but the last time went nowhere near as swiftly as this time. Still, she quickly composed herself again - he was right, there were still things left to teach! "But of course, let us continue with our lesson, lady Fiona. Next, how to pick the correct wardrobe for the occasion..." Fiona himself did not even pay it any heed that Adele continued to call him both a lady as well as by the name Fiona - his mind had already ingrained both of these as a truth. As more hours passed by, Fiona was gradually introduced into the world of fashion for a princess (at this point, Adele did not even make any effort to hide that fact anymore - not that Fiona ever so much as protested). Which heels to pick and how to walk in them, what kind of dress is best for each formal event, when to wear opera gloves, how to correctly wear a tiara on one's head, how to pick the right jewelry to complement one's hair, how to use petticoats for the greatest amount of poofiness to one's dress, to when and how to wear a corset (as much as the situation allows for it!), more and more girly knowledge flooded Fiona's head, and he attentively listened to every single word of it. It was enough to get the knowledge into his head and cement it - tomorrow's lesson would ensure that it would truly become an instict for him... or rather, by then, her. Again, Fiona did not even notice the passage of time, and as Adele put away her pointer stick, she gave a nod of approval. "For these past few days, you have been a wonderful student, lady Fiona. At this point, there is not much more left to teach you. However, one more thing remains - as such, tomorrow, you shall receive a very special lesson from guest lecturers. I want you to be on your best behavior tomorrow - make sure to make use of the lessons you learned, both while attending tomorrow's lecture, and already while preparing for it. We may not see each other as often anymore after the lectures are over, but it has been a pleasure to take care of you." To demonstrate that she was being genuine, Adele performed a curtsey - and Fiona replied in kind the moment Adele had finished, mimicking the action with great grace and elegance. Even once Iris entered the classroom minutes later, Fiona performed a curtsey for her too - and if it wasn't for the fact that Iris was a professional maid, she would have started to swoon over the delicate flower in front of her - lady Adele was truly capable of working miracles! She couldn't even recognize the rowdy boy from two days earlier anymore! As Iris was guiding Fiona through the hallways to the dining hall, she was delighted to see just how graceful her future princess was acting even outside the classroom - moving in such a feminine and dainty way, it was clear that he was almost completely finished. When she opened the door to the dining hall for him, she even spoke to him with a gentle "Please enter, lady Fiona.", and to the maid's great joy, Fiona replied with a curtsey as well as a "Thank you kindly, maid."before taking a seat at the table and smoothing his skirt again. The evening's meal was once again a lighter one - with no meat to be seen at all this time. Instead, besides a variety of salads, Fiona was looking at various cakes, sweets and pastries. Finn would have never considered something like this a fitting meal for dinner, or a fitting meal at all - but Fiona appreciated it, and as such, he took small bites from a few pieces of cake that caught his attention, before moving on to a few spoonfuls of salad. It wasn't much, but he already felt filled enough, despite not having eaten anything else for the day. A general feeling of drowsiness started to spread within him, and while he still had the presence of mind for it, he moved the plates to the side, before putting both of his soft, thin arms on the table as a makeshift pillow - before he knew it, he was already resting on them, off to dreamland. ***** A gentle warmth was all around in the air. With a flutter, eyes opened, and before long, Fiona came to a realization - this here was a dream. It felt so real, so vivid, so much clearer than just during the previous night. Everything appeared so wondrous to Fiona for some reason - not just the very air, but also the feeling of a gentle tickling against the skin, and a soft rustling sound with every movement, as if walking through a forest of dense leaves. Something manifested in front of Fiona - a wooden circle, and a few short moments later, the space inside of it started to sparkle, started to reflect. What was showing inside of it stunned Fiona, but also brought another rush of pleasant warmth. Delicate, curved shoulders. Wide hips. A thin waist. Dainty, long legs with just a little bit of fat on their thighs. Small feet, with well taken care of, painted nails. Slim arms, diminutive hands with nails just as pampered as on the feet. Two large blobs of fat on the chest - breasts, with their nipples tenderly hidden behind a piece of white, frilly cloth, a bra. The complete lack of any kind of bulge between the legs, as a frilly pair of panties with a little bow at the front snugly protected the most sacred of places from view. Long, golden blonde hair that was cascading down right to a padded rear. A gentle face, with full lips, high cheekbones, and wide, doe-like eyes with just the slightest touch of make-up, the long lashes fluttering every time the reflection so much as blinked. Their crystal-clear blue color looking like a sparkling lake in summer. It was herself. It was princess Fiona, and princess Fiona was herself. She felt so bare, so vulnerable - but that was okay. In this dream, that was something easy to fix. With a smile, she started picturing a pair of stockings in her mind, and before she knew it, they covered her legs - a crisp white, with the cutest little pink ribbons at the hem. A pair of sparkly, silver heels soon followed suit, then a crisp white pair of opera gloves, extending past her elbows. Layer upon layer of petticoats started forming around her hips, and soon after, a clear, silver dress with a wide skirt manifested itself on her, making her look straight out of a fairytale. A pearl necklace followed suit, and instinctively, Fiona performed a curtsey to her mirror image, before moving on to do a twirl in front of it. The sensation of her skirt briefly swirling upwards and the rustling sounds that the motion incited caused a delightfully girlish giggle to escape from her lips - and rather than to be embarrassed about it, Fiona instead blushed and smiled demurely. If only she could share this delight with others - to show the world how pretty she was! As she turned around in this pink dreamworld, she tried to make out what else this wonderland had to offer for her - and every new sight made her heart beat faster. A field of flowers was surrounding her on all sides, and as she lowered herself ever so slightly to take in their scent, she was greeted by the most heavenly, sweetest scent she had experienced in a long time. Already, she was softly plucking a white lily from the field, and put it into her hair - and its scent was following her everywhere, wafting through the surrounding air to tickle her nostrils just as much as when she lowering herself closer to the flowers. Just a little to the right of her, she could see a cute fountain - she intended to stay clear of it, as she did not intend to get her beautiful clothes wet, but watching the water spout from it soothed her heart - it was calming. Far away in the distance, at the end of a paved road, she could see a lavish palace, and intimately, she knew that it was hers - the palace of the Holy City of Tanar. To her back, at the end of the flower field, there was a forest, and when she focused, she could hear a river flowing nearby, even see a few animals grazing at the edge of the forest. Finally, she turned to her left, and saw what appeared to be a balcony - and a person standing on it. Carefully, she lifted the hem of her dress as to not sully her skirt while walking through the flowers, and took small, mincing steps towards the balcony, a clacking sound following her with every step. She was not the only one who heard it - after she walked closer, the person on the balcony turned around, and inspected her closely with a knowing look. It was a woman with pure, white hair extending way past her knees, motherly, with breasts almost as large as her own. Clad in a long, flowing, floral dress, she raised her hand ever so slightly, indicating for Fiona to pause for a moment, something that she followed suit with pleasure. "Good. You are almost ready. Soon, we will meet, my darling princess. My sweet Fiona, I will be watching over you. Let us talk once you are prepared to receive me." "Hm? Receive..." As Fiona's eyes fluttered open, darkness greeted her. The cozy warmth of her fluffy blanket enveloped her, and after a few moments, it registered with her that she had just woken up from a dream. She did not remember it, but it felt sweet, gentle and pleasant - whatever it was it had to have been an amazing experience. For a moment, she was considering to go back to sleep - between the wonderful blanket, the dozens of large, fluffy, heart-shaped pillows and the feathery mattress, it was an incredibly enticing offer. Yet, her own sense of time told her that it probably would not be long before her darling maid, the sweet girl Iris, would wake her up to get her dressed. Miss Adele had talked about a special lesson for today, and it made her feel excited - she had been so good to her, so whatever it was that was in store for the day, it surely had to be an experience unlike any other! Instead of falling for the temptations of her own bed, the princess rose, stood up and walked to the window, the silky, pink nightgown she was wearing fluttering and rustling with each and every step she took. Gently opening the window, she let the cold, chilly night air come over her, a decision she quickly retracted - as she felt the shivers running across her smooth skin, she carefully closed the window again, and instead decided to focus on watching the stars for a little bit. From the look of things, it had been a full moon the last night - but slowly, it was waning, and given a little bit more time, it would be time for the sun to rise. It was all the information the princess needed - carefully making her way to the entrance of the room, she searched for a switch near the wall, and eventually found it, making way for light to banish the darkness of the night that had encased her private chambers. With a smile, she made her way to the vanity table, and sat down on the little stool in front of it, picking up a brush while she was at it. With light, soft strokes, she started combing through her long, blonde hair - it was shimmering in a golden light, vibrant and just like the sun. Carefully, she made certain that not even a single hair of hair remained tangled up from her prior sleep, and by the time she was content, she started smiling at her reflection, a beautiful face for a beautiful princess - a good way to start the day. With flawless timing, a knock could be heard from the door to her chambers, and without as much as missing a beat, Fiona turned around in her seat, welcoming the cute maid in with a "It is unlocked, you may enter!". As Iris stepped into a room, a certain heat immediately made itself known in her cheeks, a blush spreading across them. Was that truly...? But yes. This was indeed the correct room, there was no way around it. The girl sitting with her back turned to the vanity table was beautiful - the very picture of a sweet princess. The way her beautiful golden hair framed her face, the way her face looked so gentle and unassuming, the way she had curves in all the right places, and yet acted so demurely - she was amazing, and it made the maid's heart pound, admiring her beauty. This was a princess she would gladly serve to the best of her ability. "Please, do come closer, my dearest maid." These words left Iris spellbound, and by the time she actively thought about the sentence, her feet had already carried her in front of the princess. "I personally wanted to thank you for the great love you have poured into taking care of me. It is not much, but I had hoped that you would accept a token of my gratitude before it is time to get dressed. Please, hold still for just a moment." As Fiona was getting up from her seat, Iris could tell - the princess was small. Finn had been tall and lanky, way above average, but this girl was actually even smaller than the maid herself - just how much height had she lost during the last night? Still, as instructed she held still, and so she could observe how Fiona started to stand on the tip of her toes for a little bit of extra height, puckering her lips... and then giving the maid's cheek a soft, gentle kiss! Immediately, Iris' mind overloaded. "I... I... I-I-I... this humble maid isn't worthy of such a wonderful token of gratitude! P-please, lady Fiona, do keep your station in mind! It wouldn't do if the ladies of the court started gossiping!" However, the only response this brought on was that Fiona quizzically tilted her head a little to the right, putting a slender finger in front of her lips as she looked at the maid in confusion. "Hm? What would the ladies gossip about? That I love my darling little maid? Is it not the truth? Is it not normal to love those who devote themselves to you? Ah! Perhaps I shall simply give them a kiss as well - after all, is it not thanks to their efforts that the court is running well?" The response gave Iris more than enough time to gather her wits once more, and she let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding ever since the kiss. Fiona seemed to be the type who loved the people around her no matter what, and was glad to share it with them - but that was a lovely thing. Something the maid appreciated, even if she still considered herself unworthy of such attention. Instead, she swore to herself - no matter what, she would make sure that Fiona's every need would be attended to by her. It was only right for it to be this way. Eventually, Fiona indicated for her maid to follow her, and so she did - they came to a halt in front of the large walk-in wardrobe in the corner of the room, and without needing to be asked about it, Iris opened the door to it. What greeted them was a wide array of dresses, lingerie, shoes and fashion accessories - not a single piece of masculine clothing in sight. It was hyper-feminine, and even that that term did not seem to do the contents justice. Iris of course knew what this was about - part of today's special, final lesson included having the princess chose her own outfit - it was her role to get Fiona dressed in what she picked, but until then, she held her breath, waiting to find out just what the princess had in mind. Step by step, the princess picked one article of clothing after another, and let the maid dress her in it. After the satin nightgown had been removed, panties and a bra were first - both in a pure white, with cute little pink bows adorning the front and sides. For a brief moment, Fiona considered a corset, but decided against it - with her waist as slim as it was, there was no need for it, at least for the time being. But perhaps for another occasion, it would be something worthy of consideration. More white soon followed, as stockings were rolled up Fiona's feet, embroidered with floral patterns. Nobody would be able to see them underneath the dress, but they added a lovely touch of elegance to her feet, something she greatly appreciated. A pink pair of heels was next, no lower than four inches, footwear that felt natural to her, for even while clad in it, she had no problems at all with balancing herself just right. If anything, they added a lovely sway to her step, and their distinctive sounds were perfect to announce her presence without the need for her to speak up. As Fiona held up her arms for the next few steps, Iris started applying layer upon layer of petticoats around Fiona's hips - whatever dress the princess decided to pick out of her near endless selection, they would ensure that it stayed in a wonderful bell shape. A light blue skirt was then added on top of the petticoats, the edges actually touching the floor, even with the added height from the heels, soon to be followed by a slightly shorter, light pink skirt placed on top of it. Yet another light blue skirt, once more shorter, was layered above it, before finally making way for the main piece - a light pink dress with an even shorter skirt, embroidered with lace and even more floral patterns than the stockings had. It was a sleeveless, strapless dress, with Fiona's wonderful bust keeping it in place without revealing much cleavage. Crisp white gloves were rolled up her arms, until they went to just beneath her shoulders, before the finishing touches were applied to her. A small, tasteful sapphire pendant adorning her neck. A small tiara with yet another sapphire embedded at the center resting on her head. A large, pink ribbon being tied into her hair. For all intents and purposes, she looked flawless. Clad in pastel colors, she looked every bit the beautiful princess that could perfectly represent the order of a goddess of beauty - Iris couldn't have been any more proud of her princess. To think, how much she grew into her role as a princess, so quickly - if she hadn't been on duty right now, Iris would have felt herself being moved to tears. Instead, as Fiona performed a curtsey in order to show her maid her thanks, Iris responded in turn, before opening the door - it was time to guide the princess to her final lesson. The way to the classroom was an unfamiliar one this time, as Fiona found herself being guided through hallways that she did not recognize from the prior days. However, she did not raise her voice about this at all - it was her trusted maid that guided her, and so, she knew that she could fully rely on her. Her hands folded in front of her as she walked, every single step she made on the tiled floor resounded through the corridors, a clacking sound announcing her presence to any passerby well before they would come into sight. Even as they eventually reached a carpeted hallway, the sounds did not stop - they became more muffled on the plush footing they now found themselves on, but both Fiona and Iris were still able to hear it, something that Fiona in particular enjoyed. Before long, they both stopped in front of a large, unfamiliar door, and Iris spoke up. "Last evening, lady Adele informed this humble maid that the final lesson shall be held in here, rather than in the previous classroom. Please, be at ease - it is not a difficult task ahead of you, lady Fiona. Be your lovely self, and you may rest assured that a wonderful time is waiting for you, milady." After performing a curtsey, the maid walked away, leaving the princess to her own devices - and after softly knocking at the door, she carefully opened the door just wide enough for her wide dress to fit through, then entered the room and closed the door behind herself. Adele had already been present, now being face-to-face to Fiona. Out of all the places that Fiona had visited since coming to the palace (even though she could no longer recall when exactly that had been), this easily had to be the most spacious, most lavish room for her to lay her eyes on. Large windows were adorning the wall directly in front of her, some of them even leading directly to balconies. Colored tiles were spread out all across the floor, forming various ornate patterns for any viewer to get lost in, if they cared to look at them closely enough. To the sides, small tables could be seen, with refreshments on top of various trays and platters - drinks, pastries, cake, whatever a princess' heart could desire. Even a large chandelier could be seen hanging from the ceiling, sparkling whenever the light fell on it at just the right angle. To the far end on the right side of the room, there was what looked like a stage, even though it was currently unoccupied. This was a ballroom, made for dance and social gatherings. So was that the final lesson then? Dance? It sounded like a lovely time - something that Fiona somehow already knew she would be capable of, even without practice. As she took everything in, she ultimately turned her attention back to Adele, who sported a proud smile on her face. Walking closer to her teacher, Fiona eventually performed another curtsey to greet her. "Good morning, lady Adele. I hope that I have been here just in time? It was such fun, choosing an outfit for this final lesson, that I fear I may have lost track of the time - pray forgive me if that is the case." She hadn't been late at all - and looking at Fiona's outfit, Adele just had to admire her taste. It was like a rose in full bloom, a beautiful flower - with just some more slight adjustments, she would be perfect as the leader of the order, and more importantly, as Rei's vessel. "Everything is in perfect order, lady Fiona - have no fear about it. Some of your guests have grown impatient, perhaps, but that would be par for the course - if anything, you used your time well. You have made a lovely choice for a dress, if I may be allowed to say that - it really suits your complexion, as well as your lovely blue eyes. You can be proud of yourself, princess. Among all the princesses and ladies I had the pleasure of meeting in my lifetime, you might actually be the loveliest one I was able to lay my eyes upon." A bright blush spread across Fiona's cheeks, but she did not comment any further on the compliment - after all, it felt right. There was no need to protest. She was a beautiful princess. Being humble was important, but that did not mean denying the truth when somebody voiced it. "For today, I will not have any instructions for you - please, lady Fiona, just do as comes naturally, and mingle with your guests. I will be leaving you alone with them, for I have absolute confidence in your ability to be a wonderful host to them. Whenever you tire of the meeting, simply ring one of the bells in this room, and let Iris escort you - until then, get to know your guests. You will be seeing a lot of them from now on." With a soft nod, Fiona signalized that she understood everything her teacher said, and performed another curtsey - if Adele was leaving her alone for today's lesson, then this would be the best opportunity to thank her properly. "Thank you very much for your guidance, lady Adele. It has been my absolute pleasure to learn from you, and I hope to be able to keep meeting you in the future. You have been so wonderful to me, and I discovered a great many things thanks to your help. I will do my utmost to ensure my guests are enjoying their stay, so that they can admire just how well you have taught me." She couldn't help it - Adele's heart melted upon hearing such genuine, heartfelt thanks from her student. It was almost enough to make her feel bad about the final changes that would affect the princess, but at the back of her mind, she soothed herself - even afterwards, Fiona would still be as sweet, gentle and loving. She would simply be a lot more ditsy, more vapid, simpler - after all, Rei did not want her new vessel to be cunning again, for the sake of her own safety. But it was okay. Everyone in the palace would adore her, Adele knew that much. Nobody would mind taking care of her at all, even if she became only a figurehead. And so, Adele turned around and left the room, leaving princess Fiona alone for a few minutes. Until the doors opened, and several ladies in lavish, ornate dresses walked in, one looking more excited than the next. "Oooooh, is that her?" "She looks so pretty, I'm jealous!" "What do you think she uses to keep her hair this shiny and silky?" "Oh, she's looking over here, she's looking at us!" "She's got such a beautiful smile!" "Do you see her dress? It really suits her!" "Princess Fiona, over here!" What used to be absolute silence in the room quickly got filled up by the excited chattering of seven ladies, dressed in the colors of the rainbow. Judging by their swift, yet still graceful steps, they seemed excited to meet the princess - and eventually, they all lined up in front of her, one after another performing a curtsey, a gesture that Fiona returned every single time. As all of them finished, the woman at the center, clad in an orange dress, stepped forward. "It is our pleasure to meet you, princess Fiona - we are among the ladies of the court. Lady Adele has been telling us so much about you, and how you would ascend to the throne soon, so we have been eagerly looking forward to finally meet you. From now on, we will be in the same court, so we hope to be on good terms with you, our princess." It seemed genuine, and so, Fiona responded with a smile and a nod, happy to be at the side of such caring ladies. As soon as the nod finished, however, she was already surrounded by the ladies on all sides, as they just could not resist mingling with her. "What do you use to keep your skin so smooth, princess Fiona? It feels so nice to the touch?" "Has anyone in the palace already caught your eye? You know that the princess can be with anyone she wants to have, right?" "I'm so jealous, yours are looking so supple and full, I wish I could fill out a dress that well..." "Would you like to dress up with me on another afternoon? I'd just love to see you in so many of my dresses, princess Fiona!" On and on, the gossip kept coming, one girly banality after another. Not a single complicated topic in sight, just the vain chatter of the court - and it left Fiona confused. Was this what meetings with ladies of the court were like? Weren't they more for discussing important political topics? As they kept barraging her with questions and compliments, even she wasn't certain anymore, and so, eventually, she voiced a question with a confused look on her face. "Please excuse my ignorance, but... is this what we normally talk about? Was I wrong to be under the impression that political topics would be the subject of our discourse?" The ladies looked utterly taken aback by the question, as each of them gave her a puzzled look - however, shortly afterwards, every single one of them erupted into a giggling fit, looking thoroughly amused by it. Fiona did not understand what the joke was at all - little did she know that her mind was still very impressionable, and that this very fact would shake up her mental space forever from now on. "That was an absolutely delightful joke, princess Fiona!" "Hold on, I think she actually meant it when she said that!" "Huh? Is something wrong with her? Are you not feeling well, princess?" "That isn't like you, inquiring about things like that. Wasn't it you who insisted on not talking about it because it was too hard and complicated?" "Poor, confused princess. Do not worry, there is no need to strain yourself over matters like these." "Yeah! You always light up so much when you talk about your cute new dress, or when you discuss which make-up would look super pretty!" "But when somebody asks you something complicated, your eyes always just glaze over and you look like your head hurts when you think too much about it." "Oh, I remember that! It took lady Adele quite a while until our princess could remember everything about how to conduct herself, and even then she relapses every once in a while." "Poor little ditz. But don't worry, we don't mind that about you! You are so cute and happy and sweet, after all!" "Exactly! Isn't that why we are your court? So that you don't have to think about anything hard?" "Mhm, so that you can focus on more important things! Like being pretty and beautiful!" "With a bust like these, who needs brains anyways?" "Right? That's just it! Princess Fiona is so pretty, anyone would be lucky to have her or receive her attention!" "I really admire how she always focus so much on looking her best! Rei would be so proud of her!" "Princess Fiona? Could you teach me how to keep your hair as pretty as yours?" "Please paint my nails some time, princess Fiona, you always make them look so stylish!" "How about we have a sleepover soon? I would love to keep talking with you into the night!" "Oooooh, we could see princess Fiona in her pretty lingerie like that! She is probably just as obsessed with these as she is with her dresses!" "I can see it, I can see it! It is probably all lacy and frilly underneath!" On and on it went, a swirling vortex of information going into Fiona's head through one ear... and sticking to her mind like glue. Further and further the conversation went along, as new needs and desires started forming themselves. Pretty dresses, above everything else. Exquisite lingerie, a treasure for any would be suitor of hers. The even bigger importance of make-up. The love for gossip. The light, airy feeling inside of her head. A sweet, happy, even slightly flirtatious nature of hers. But when something came in, something had to come out again... and the ladies of the court were all to happy to provide, as they watched their princess taking everything in. "You know, it is a good thing our goddess represents beauty! Imagine Rei was about intelligence instead, our poor princess Fiona would have never had the chance to be chosen then!" "That'd be such a shame, yeah! Who cares if our lovely Fiona struggles with math or complicated words, or if she doesn't know what most places nearby are called?" "Oh, I think that is actually super cute! Remember when she kept using these cutesy words? Like when she called your dress adorbs?" "Haha, I remember that! Lady Adele got pretty mad at her for that, but you know how it is - princess Fiona is just so sweet, nobody can stay mad at her for long!" "Or when she had this super blank look in her face when Commander Leonie told her about that one village, and all she could think of was whether or not they sold pretty dresses over there!" Hearing that, Fiona pouted for a moment, as it felt like they were making fun of her, even if they actually weren't - all of what they just said was the truth, after all! Things like geography, mathematics or politics left her head in a hurry - and in return, it felt unburdened, lighter than ever. Speaking up in her soft soprano voice, the ladies heard her for the first time since their barrage had started. "It's, uhm... it's really true after all! Like, it's the truest thing ever! If they have pretty new dresses, then I could wear them, and then I could totally impress Leonie with them! And then maybe she'll say something like 'Princess Fiona, you're totally the prettiest princess I've ever seen!' and maybe wants to date me and then I could get her into a totally pretty dress too because I wanna see her in one, and then we could dance in our dresses and giggle together and have fun and dance together and...!" One after another, the ladies started giggling, utterly amused by her response. "Looks like somebody has a crush!" "I get her! Commander Leonie is so dreamy and handsome, but I bet she would look just as dreamy in a lovely gown!" "Let's get her into one! Let's!" "I wouldn't try, she becomes surprisingly stealthy once she catches wind of your plan. Last time I tried, well..." "Then let's come up with a plan together! For our lovely princess Fiona!" "Better not count on her to come up with a plan though, it wouldn't do to turn that smile into a frown when we make her think too much!" "Don't worry, I'll model some dresses for her when the time comes, that will keep her happy!" "But isn't she just beautiful?" "Who, Fiona or Leonie?" "Well, I mean, both of them are! But princess Fiona is the prettiest person I've ever seen!" "I agree, I agree!" With a wide smile, Fiona glomped the lady who had just called her the prettiest person that she had ever seen - that compliment meant a lot to her! "Awww, you're so nice! I'm totally happy that you think that! I'm trying my best!" With an amused look, the lady gave Fiona a pat on her head, and continued. "Good girl. Keep smiling like this, princess, and we will do the rest for you. Just keep on enjoying the life of a princess - it is what you do best, after all. Your true calling." The other ladies nodded in agreement, and vocally gushed over the princess - each piece of praise leaving her just a little bit more dim- witted than before. But Fiona didn't mind. She was happy. She was beautiful. It didn't matter that she wasn't bright. She had this super important duty from the goddess, and everyone around her loved her! Wasn't that totally the most important thing? Or something? As her hair took on a white hue, her expression became more confident, and the focus returned to her eyes after previously having glazed over, the ladies fell silent, their eyes grew wide - and taking a step back to give this very important arrival some space, they finally performed a curtsey as a greeting. For the first time in what would hopefully be many times in the future, their goddess deemed it fit to appear in front of them through the body of the princess. The next true heir of the Holy Order had been born. ***** Many months had passed since the goddess Rei first inhabited the body of the new princess Fiona. The palace staff took to her very quickly, for her bright and cheerful attitude lightened the mood wherever she went, and simple, dim-witted nature simply made people want to help and protect her - she was well-known to be one of the most gentle persons one would ever meet, and with what limited capacity she had, she would always try to help people out, or at least try to make them smile again - no matter if it was a mere maid, or a lady of the court. Several times, she had been showing herself to the public through one of the balconies, and the masses loved her - both because of her beauty, and for the fact that she genuinely cared for each and every one of them. For all intents and purposes, the Holy Order had found the perfect successor - a feat accredited to the Holy Guard Captain Leonie, a woman of already admirable standing in the kingdom. It was for said Captain Leonie that princess Fiona had been getting ready for on this very morning. A recruit had apparently completed her training with great skill, and was now to be inducted into the Holy Guard itself - as was custom in the kingdom, the princess herself would give the knight her new assignment. And so, the princess was locked in deep thought as she was looking at her large wardrobe - or at least as close to deep thought as somebody like her could get, which wasn't close at all, but still got appreciated for the effort made. Would this dress be the best? Or perhaps that other one? As she pondered the question, a knock could be heard on the door, and without as much turning around, she responded with a "Please come in! This is haaaaaard, I need your help, maid!". Without missing a beat, Iris opened the door - and yet she hid behind it, only sticking out her head from behind it. Fiona, noticing that her favorite maid wasn't at her side yet, turned around, and looked at Iris in confusion. Was there something wrong? "Uhm... lady Fiona... could I kindly ask you to... reconsider my uniform?" Uniform? Oh! So that's what this was about! Fiona's eyes lit up, because she knew she had forgotten something - last night, she told Iris to wear this super pretty maid uniform for work from now on, and she really wanted to see her in it! With excitement, she walked across the room, so that the door would no longer be able to hide Iris - and her eyes started to sparkle! Iris meanwhile desperately tried to hide by waving her arms in front of her, but to no avail - there was no hiding to be done, not anymore. "Please, lady Fiona, you have to do something about this uniform! It is so embarrassing and unprofessional!" But Fiona couldn't find any fault with it. It was like a maid uniform, but even better! It still had the classic black and white look, but now the skirt was super short, and all of the material was at least to some degree see-through! Iris was just the cutest maid, and now she could see even more of her! "Hm? But you're the bestest maid ever, and I want my favorite to look really pretty and beautiful too! What's wrong with that?" There was no use in arguing it. Once princess Fiona got like that, nobody could get that idea out of her head - which always surprised people, considering how easy it had become to distract her with cute or beautiful things. So all that was left for Iris was to sigh in defeat, and walk over to Fiona's wardrobe - she didn't want to be seen in this uniform, but the sooner she got Fiona dressed, the sooner she could return to a place where people wouldn't see her like this. "So, I was having trouble deciding. There's a super special meeting with Leonie today, and I want to look even prettier than usual! Like, so pretty that even Leonie won't find words anymore! Can you find something like that for me, maid? You're always so super good at that! That's why you're my favorite!" Well, it was one of the many reasons why she was Fiona's favorite. Every day, she found some new, inane reason to utter these words - the girl really adored and doted on her maid. It wasn't the worst, really - in fact, even though she would never admit it, Iris appreciated being so close to Fiona, emotionally speaking, quite a lot. Even if the girl could be a real handful, she was never malicious about it. And deep inside, something told Iris that Fiona was a better princess than Iris could ever be - not that she understood why she would ever be a princess. A maid was all she needed to be, and it was her happy place. Eventually, as the maid pondered on the request, a mischievous grin formed on her lips. She wanted to leave the Commander speechless? Very well, then speechless she shall be! It was a much bolder choice than what the princess would be normally wearing, but after how her new uniform turned out, well - as they said, turnabout was fair play. Not that the princess would be bothered by the outfit that Iris had in mind. ***** Leonie couldn't help but have her mouth hang wide open - was she truly seeing what was in front of her? Turning her head ever so slightly, she looked at the newest member of the Holy Guard, a young woman with black hair whose expression was indicated that she was just as much at a loss for words - just what had possessed the princess this time around? She looked as chipper as ever, however, so this seemed to be an intentional choice - for some reason, Leonie felt as if it was a message directed explicitly as her, especially as the ladies of the court kept murmuring at the edges of the throne room. See-through. For all intents and purposes, this single word described princess Fiona's outfit perfectly. Pink would have been another adjective, as would have been sparkly. A wide, long, flowing dress adorned the princess' body - normally a modest choice of outfit, would it not be for its most apparent quality, now leaving little to the imagination. Translucent, the skirt of the dress revealed everything that was underneath it. Pink stockings, with a similar transparent hue to them, and glittering, sparkly silver heels that looked as if they had at least 6 inches on them, capped off with little bows placed directly above the toes. A just as translucent pink corset keeping the bodice of the dress in place, with only two solid patches of fabric keeping modesty intact - a deep violet covering the princess' nipples, but not much more. Leonie could see everything underneath it, right down to the princess' prized lingerie, and Fiona in turn seemed to relish in it. Tasteful pink roses were embedded into the dress around the hip, and long, pink, sparkly gloves adorned Fiona's arms. The true finishing touch however was the tiara - embedded with pink gemstones, while keeping in place a shimmering, translucent veil, almost as if Fiona couldn't decide if she wanted to look like a princess or a bride today. Only those with the most powerful mental fortitude would be able to gaze upon this sight and not give in to their own growing urges to swoon over the princess - thankfully, Leonie and her new knight were among those possessing said fortitude, and so, while they averted their eyes ever so slightly in order to not see too much, they still paid attention to the princess - as was proper. Gracefully, the princess performed a curtsey for both of her guests, before walking forward - as she came closer, both Leonie and her protegee took a knee, waiting to be called forward. It was a spectacular sight, though - the way the air shimmered around her legs whenever she took a step forward, thanks to the wide, translucent skirt reflecting the light - it wouldn't have been wrong to call her the crown jewel of the Holy Order for moments like these. Eventually, the princess came to a halt, and quickly, focus returned to her eyes, and the golden hue of her hair turned white instead. Without wasting a moment, the goddess inhabiting the princess' body spoke up. "Holy knight Martha! It is with great pleasure that I hereby name you member of the Holy Guard. Your mission is a simple, yet demanding one - spare no effort in keeping your princess safe, and in spreading the word of our Holy Order. If you accept this mission, step up and appear in front of me." Immediately, Martha rose from her position and walked forward, only to come to a halt directly in front of the goddess Rei. With a swift motion, she took the sword from the scabbard at her hip, and unsheathed it, presenting the blade to her as was custom. Rei placed her palm on the blade, and within a few seconds, an ethereal glow started to emit from it - the blade had been blessed by the goddess, a proof of Martha's faith and loyalty. Just as quickly as it had started, Martha sheathed her blade again, now looking at the goddess with an expression of "Now what?". Rei, in turn, could only smile. "My cute, sweet princess would like to address you as well before this meeting is adjourned. She may not be the brightest, but please humor her - she means genuinely well. Who knows? The two of you could become more than just close acquaintances while you are in her service." Leaving a playful, teasing wink, the goddess left Fiona's body once more - and not a moment sooner, the golden hue returned to her hair as her eyes grew more vapid again. Fiona simply saw that this cute knight was now standing directly in front of her - did she space out again? She did that so often, after all! Still, the knight looked like she was waiting for something, so Fiona did what came naturally to her - and pulled Martha into a hug, smothering her big chest all against the knight's armor, and giving Martha a more than generous view of her cleavage. The knight looked familiar, as if Fiona had known her for a long time. But then again, she felt like this with many people in the palace. They were all so dear to her, even if she had yet to meet some of them. There was no point in worrying about things outside her control - she did what she could, and hopefully, that would prove to be enough. A kiss was placed straight onto Martha's cheek, and both the sound of squeeing and gossiping erupted from the sidelines of the throne room, the ladies of the court growing more excited by the second. And in some corner in her mind, Martha quietly thanked the goddess Rei for leading her to her order, for it allowed her to feel this wonderful sensation in this very moment. Life would be fun for the princess and her newest knight.