I woke up before anyone could come to get me this morning so I took the chance to get up and throw my top on and do a workout. I did not rest well because of that incident last night with the prince. The tea most definitely helped and I was able to get some sleep at least. I tossed and turned a while and kept waking up, but I will not let that stop me from getting my workout in. I'll leave that loin cloth off for now, because it might get in the way. I am most excited to test these new knees of mine so I get started with burpees with a pushup. I am just going to go. Not really counting waiting until I start to get tired then go some more then take a break is the plan. So far my knees feel fantastic. It feels like they were before I was in the army. I start chuckling under my breath as I start to sweat doing these burpees. This new body isn't so bad. I am actually thoroughly enjoying this feeling of no discomfort or pain in my knees that I actually go longer than I was initially intending and before I know it I am drenched in sweat.
By this point I hear a knock at my door and it opens, I see Ash stir a little like that woke him up but he is remaining under the blanket in my peripheral vision. I see that it is Nat. She has come with a plate of food for breakfast and says, "Are you ok? You are sweating a lot. I brought you your breakfast. Some scrambled eggs, bread and fruit on the side." I replied, "Awesome, I am starving. Sorry for my appearance. I just did some exercising." She replies back, "Oh no! We need to get you proper attire to exercise in because now your clothes are just all sweaty and nasty." She says as she sets the plate down at the table and continues, "Hold on. Eat your food and I will be back, do not go anywhere." She moves with haste out of the room and I go back to my food.
I pretty much wolf it down while saving a chunk of bread, setting it aside for Ash. By the time I am done she is back with an empty tub filled with several changes of clothes that look more like what I am comfortable wearing though not really 'wear in front of royalty' clothes though sadly. I reply with excitement looking at the casual wear before me, "These are perfect. Thank you!" She then says, "Alright I will need you to take off your clothes and throw one of these on while I wash the clothes you are wearing real quick. It will only take a few minutes with my magic. You can keep wearing those clothes until we get you to the baths to wash that sweat off of you before getting your clean clothes back on. After your exercises in the future you can just ask the guards out there to escort you to the baths and they will do that for you." I reply, "That is very good to know thank you, Nat." She nods with an mmmhmm and goes right into washing my clothes with her water magic. She was not lying, she washed my clothes in a few minutes. She dries them with a similar method that Princess Riviera used when she got out the baths. When she was done I noticed she put a little fragrance on my clothes and she says, "I do this on all of my loads it makes it smell oh so fresh" She says with a smile as she then takes in a deep whiff of the load she just washed. I am ignoring the fact that she has basically my underwear in her hands sniffing it knowing they are clean makes it not as weird especially since she did put that special fragrance on my clothes to make it fresh. She then takes my clothes in her hands and grabs me and we then go to the baths.
After washing myself and getting dressed back in my concubine outfit that now smells really nice, Nat escorts me back to my room and says, "Let me know if you need laundry done for any of your clothes and I will be over as soon as I can for you." I reply, "Thank you, Nat for everything. This would have been a lot scarier experience in this castle without you here. Being in a weird place knowing no one and being locked up and not knowing what will become of me is pretty scary but having you here makes it a lot easier. I really appreciate everything you have done for me. I know not all of it was ordered and I appreciate it." To be honest right now Nat feels like my superhero. She has magic and she is constantly helping me.
Nat replies wearing a soft and warm expression, "I think one of the main reasons I help you so much is that you treat me like a person instead of a servant. When you talk to me, you are talking to me and not down to me. I appreciate that. Everyone talks down to me and just orders me around without actually really talking to me. Though since you have come here the queen and the princess have been squeezing me for details from you and I like how they are talking to me so I have been telling them the stories and things you told me. I hope that is ok with you. Yesterday my whole world changed when you arrived. I went from only being talked to when giving orders to talking about you."
I reply back with a soft smile, "You are free to tell them anything about me we talk about. Though if I tell you a secret and ask you not to tell anyone I would really like it if you honor that trust." Nat replies, matter of factly, "Oh, of course. That goes without saying." I kind of want to test to see if she can be trusted with a secret so I think I might tell her one that nobody knows yet as a test, "I have a secret for you that I would like to share." She replies, "I won't tell a soul." This is something I don't really yell out with my chest to everyone I meet but it isn't the first thing I bring up either and it is hard to talk about. Yet, it is my truth and since this is my truth if she spills the beans the only one affected is me. I then say, "When I was around 17 years of age in my first life I was raped in 'our academy' by someone I thought I could trust. It was the most painful experience of my first life including my death."
She looks at me with a sorrow filled expression and replies while tears start falling down her face, "You do not have to worry I won't tell a soul, Zoe…" She wipes her tears away and says, "Sorry. Hearing you say that brought back painful memories for me. I too was raped by someone I thought I could trust. I never told a soul before you. Some things can't be shared by a third party and this is one of them. Some things need to be disclosed in person by the person directly." I ask her to get her consent, "Is it ok if I hug you?" She nods and I go in for a hug. She looks like she really needs a hug. This wound seems pretty recent, too, in comparison to mine.
My trauma has been over a decade in the past and I have had a lot of time to heal and recover myself. I think she could use an Ash right about now. I think I can trust her with one more secret, "Nat, I have another secret that might help bring a smile to your face. First things first, do you like cute animals?" She nods wiping her tears with a hand while still holding me, "I love cute animals." I reply while patting her on her back with platonic comfort, "Well, I have a friend I made yesterday and his name is Ash. Ash you can come on out, buddy." Without the need to say more, he scurries on out from under the covers and runs to me and I back away from Nat a little so she can see him well for the introduction, "Nat, this is Ash. Ash, this is Nat." Nat asks with her eyes still shimmering with wetness from her tears, "Is it alright if I pet him?" As usual, I look at Ash and he looks up to me and tells me, "Sure!" He sure does love his pets.
I nod to Nat and she proceeds to pet him and the tears dry up and it morphs into a smile as Ash clears away any sorrow or despair residing in her heart. I tell Nat as she pets him, "He often hides in the bed so on laundry days be careful in case we forget. Oh. The princess found out before you. She kind of walked in on me while I was singing to Ash. Only you two know about Ash and I would like to keep it that way for his safety for now. This little guy is now my family so I have to protect him." Nat nods while still petting our furry friend, "I understand." She pets him a few more times and then says, "It will be a few hours before the tea party with the princess and the queen in your chambers so you have some time by yourself to do what you see fit. If you would like to visit somewhere in the castle, one of the guards outside your room can escort you." I replied, turning down the invitation to leave my room, "Thank you, Nat. Yesterday was pretty crazy so it might not be a bad idea to take it easy this morning and stay in my room. If I change my mind I know what to do."
Nat replies, "I completely understand that. Let me know if there is anything I can do for you and I will definitely be back to visit our little friend here." She smiles as she pets Ash a few more times before grabbing the now empty bucket again and taking it out the door with her. Now that I am alone, first things first let me put those clothes up Nat brought me. Do not want them just hanging out. Gotta put them up like a responsible adult. Once I put them in the armoire I sit down to meditate and tell Ash, "I am going to try and do some inner reflection to try to tap into my magic, Ash." He then says while settling on the bed, "Ok, since you are probably going to be there for a while, I might take a nap. I should be up before the tea party, but if not can you wake me?" "Sure buddy." With that he snuggled underneath the bedding out of sight.
Now is the time for inner reflection. We are going to try and awaken my magic today. I need to feel what I feel when I am with the goddess. Do I need to feel all the things or a specific feeling? I felt a lot of things in the presence of the goddess so if it is just one this is going to be a headache to try and figure out. The main thing I felt was contentment. Let's start with that. I am a pretty content person all around, but since coming here there is one thing that I have been struggling with my appearance and how my body has changed. Coming to this conclusion during my meditation I stand up and make my way to the mirror. It is a floor length mirror so I sit down in front of it like I was on the other side of the room earlier meditating but now I am looking at myself. Studying myself. This is my face now. This is my body now. My other body doesn't exist anymore. It is gone along with the face on that body. This is now my face and body. I must accept that. I feel regardless of whether or not contentment is the feeling I need to feel, that I will need to accept this body in order to do any kind of magic. If I don't accept my body then how can I expect it to listen to me.
Most people in this world are born into their body so they already feel at home in it having the ability to see the face grow with age from youth to adulthood to the elderly years. I was just thrown into this body and face. I stare at my body trying to absorb that this is my body and accept it. Trying to overwrite face and body data in my head. Trying to 'overwrite the previous save file'. My brain still thinks the other body is my own. It isn't anymore. This is my body now.
I continue this for a few hours and realize it is getting dangerously close to the tea party. I shoot up and run to the bed and wake up Ash. "Hey buddy." He stirs awake, "Is it about time?" "Yea buddy, time to wake up. After our tea party and the queen leaves we will call you back into the room ok?" He replies wiping the sleepiness from his eyes adorably, "Sounds good, Zoe." With that he storms to the balcony and leaps off and flies like a piece of ash to the tree branch I first saw him on and he turns around to wave and I wave back. He turns and immediately gets distracted by some nuts. I go back into the room and before I can really think of something to pass the time in the brief time left before the tea party I hear a knock and the door flies open and Nat opens the door while the queen and princess enter my chambers and sit at my table.
PERFECT TIMING.
I sigh a sigh of relief at the really close call. Nat then rolls the cart she has the tea and treats on and sets everything down on the table and pours everyone their first cup of tea. I look at her and say, "Thank you, Nat." She just says MmmmHmmm as if to say you're welcome without so much the words. She looks like she wants to say more but probably can't because her employers are in the room and she is currently working. We all take a seat while Nat sets up the tea party getting saucers, cups, snacks and also most importantly the tea. Princess Riviera then says, "So I am just going to break the tea party ice. Yesterday I made a mention of what I like. My mother here said I needed to wait until here before we could talk about it more. I like inked up women but I also really like sweet girls too. Mother here likes–" Queen Felicia interjects in her sultry formidable tone, "I can say what I like myself. I like my men strong and burly like my Juan and my women to be pretty. What about you Zoe?"
Responding truthfully, "I guess you could say I like my women strong, formidable, kind, and/or a badass fighter. Strength not necessarily of the physical nature though I do like that too. Strength comes in many forms. Like look at you Queen Felicia you are a formidable strong looking woman and Princess Riviera," I say as I turn to her, "You are strong-willed and kind. Both of you have traits I really love in a woman." I say with a smile turning to Nat, "Nat not going to leave you out you are strong of mind and sweet and considerate. You have shown me great compassion since I have arrived here and I really appreciate everything you have done. All of that said, how a woman appears means nothing to me. I think all women are beautiful, especially if they are healthy and healthy comes in all shapes and sizes. I care about her inner character and if she can fight that is icing on the cake for me. Seeing a woman kick ass really does things for me."
The princess then says smiling looking in Nat's direction, "Yea, Nat is pretty great isn't she? She is my favorite chambermaid." With all of the compliments Nat blushes then Queen Felicia says that smooth sultry tone of hers, "If I didn't know better, it would sound like you are trying to court all of us." When she says that I blush while shaking my head vigorously, "That wasn't where that was coming from, your highness. Though I do admire all of you in that kind of way, I would never be so brazen to try and court three women at the same time in the same room. I told the princess yesterday that I will probably not find love in this world because I was already lucky enough to find it in my first life. I am not looking for a relationship though if someone were interested in a relationship built off of mutual respect I guess I could settle for that. I just wouldn't love them like I did my wife and I would like them to know beforehand getting into the relationship so nobody's heart is broken."
Queen Felicia responds with that sly sultry tone, "My my look at those rosy cheeks you have there." Her saying this makes me more self-conscious. I totally cover my face without hesitation and that makes it even worse. Queen Felicia chuckles seductively, "You are so fun to tease. I would love to play with you more but I do not think my daughter here would like that too much. I have seen that she has taken quite a liking to you." Princess Riviera is now blushing slightly, "Mother, stop that I do not need you as a wing woman. I can tell her everything and ask her myself." Princess Riviera turns to me, "Zoe, we have talked about getting you out of this room into somewhere more comfortable and if you were to agree to be my concubine we can move you closer to my room in a more comfortable suite. I understand your terms and know you will probably never love me and that is fine by me. What do you say?"
I turn to the queen and ask, "Queen Felicia, would it be ok if the princess and I were to talk privately for a bit?" Queen Felicia wipes some crumbs off of her face from some cookies she just finished up in a graceful manner more refined than Princess Riviera and says, "I was just about to take my leave anyways." Queen Felicia waves at Nat to follow her and then it is just me and Princess Riviera. Once the door shuts I say, "If I were to accept, what happens to Ash?" The princess says, "I have been thinking about that and I think we can still hide him in your new room. There is even a balcony with a nice tree pretty close by where Ash can climb up easily. Speaking of, where is he?" I walk to the balcony and call out, "Hey Ash! You can come back now!" The princess now starts drinking tea.
She wasn't touching it while we were talking earlier and it is now room temperature. That reminds me of my wife since she was weird like that. Ash runs and leaps through the air and flitters on back like a piece of ash in the wind landing on the balcony with expert precision. Princess Riviera gets excited, "Did Ash use wind magic just now?" "Yes, Princess Riviera." I look at Ash and ask him, "Is it ok if I tell her your story?" He nods and says, "That is fine. We like the princess." He says with a cute adorable smile. So I then turned back to the princess, "Ok buddy." As I say this I started petting him, "He was shunned by the other squirrels for two reasons: he had this beautiful gray fur which was different from everyone else's and the fact that he could use magic. Everything changed the day he accidentally hurt another squirrel with his magic that he was sent away into squirrel exile from their settlement. Since then he has been practicing his magic mastering it so he wouldn't hurt anyone else with it ever since. I still can't believe they sent him away. His fur isn't just gorgeous but he also just had an accident caused by inexperience yet his peers wouldn't stop to see things through his perspective. They didn't care about his perspective at all and that made me really upset. I almost want to go find them and tell them a piece of my mind. Being different is not bad. If they accepted him he could have been a great and powerful squirrel leader. Leading them to great things with his abilities, but they were blinded by fear of the unknown. Fear of him being different."
I finish continuing to pet Ash and the princess responds, "Wow. Ash, I didn't know you went through all of that. I am so sorry. Come here and let me shower you with affection." Ash scurries over to Princess Riviera and soaks up all the pets and affection she pours on him. She looks to me while still petting Ash, "You don't have to worry about a thing, Zoe. I will help you protect Ash as long as I can." I replied, sighing in relief over one issue taken care of, "I have one more question before I accept. There will be a time when I must leave this castle to continue my mission for the goddess. If I were to accept, would you let me leave when that time comes?"
The princess thinks earnestly about it for a brief moment, "These feelings may change, but as of right now I would not stand in the way of your mission whatever it is unless it would harm my country." I shake my head vigorously, "No. That is one thing you won't have to worry about. If anything, the country should be a lot better when I am done here. I will accept your proposition as concubine, Princess Riviera, if you would still have me." The princess delighted, "Just what I was hoping to hear. Here let me get Nat back in here to help get you and Ash moved to your new room." I replied, "Oh! I forgot to mention, Nat knows about Ash now and she will help us keep him a secret during the move. I don't have much here, just what Nat gave me to wear when I am not wearing this." Looking down at my concubine outfit, "It should be easy enough to hide Ash in those clothes on the way to the new room."
Princess Riviera delightedly said, "Great! Let me fetch her now." As she does that I grab the clothes in the armoire I put up earlier. Wow this will be the easiest move in my life. Thinking back to all those times in my previous life had to get a uhaul trailer and fill it all the way up and fill the bed of my truck up as well stuffing boxes in the back seat of my truck while my wife had the cats in crates in her car following with a bunch of boxes in her car as well and I would have our dog in my lap (before her car became a driveway ornament). It was always chaos on moves. I clutch my chest feeling pain, not from that weird tight pain, but pain from feeling empty without Liz. Nat walks in carrying a basket as if anticipating my acceptance of the concubine position and puts the clothes in the basket. She then says, "Alright all we need is Ash to get in the basket under these clothes here and stay really still until we tell him it is safe." Ash hearing went ahead and jumped in the basket and Nat held up the clothes so he could get in a good position to hide. Once he was set, Princess Riviera looked at both of us, "Are you ready?" We both nod and the princess opens the door to head to my new digs.