We spent most of the afternoon and evening doing quests in and around Haven; building shelters for refugees, gathering firewood, starting construction of defenses around the village, finding missing children or objects, and the like. It was fairly standard fare and a lot of them were daily repeatable quests. The villagers and human refugees weren’t quite sure whether to trust us yet, except for Christina and her Grandpa Grady, but they were willing to let us help to give us a chance to prove ourselves.

By dinner time we were all ready for a good long rest. Our first day in the game had been a long one and since we seemed to have a safe place to sleep for the moment we planned on enjoying it. “Less than a quarter tank left,” Pete noted in concern as he started up the truck so we could drive back out to the new home of the Autumn Court. “That’s going to be a problem soon with only one gas station in town. Whatever supply they have there isn’t going to last long.”

“Maybe I can come up with some other way to power it through artificing,” Grell suggested with a thoughtful expression. “I’m sure that the Fae would prefer more environmentally friendly alternatives anyway.”

“It’s worth looking into,” Reiko agreed, “though if you come up with something we’ll have to salvage whatever parts or materials you need. I guess we’re going to have to head out on salvage missions and such eventually though. Gas isn’t the only thing that Haven or the Autumn Court are going to start running out of before long, especially with all the NPC refugees and all the PC characters that will be showing up tomorrow when they’re resurrected. Less than a hundred made it today that means there’s going to be over one hundred and fifty showing up tomorrow with no gear or supplies.”

“That’s definitely going to strain the village. We should be okay for a few weeks with all the stuff we got, but Haven is going to feel the crunch sooner than that. I definitely see salvaging, hunting, or fishing quests happening before too long,” Venika added from where the Sprite sat upon Lissany’s bare shoulder.

My Guardian had been without her armor and other gear for the most part since getting her new enchantment and she seemed a lot more comfortable now that she could summon it at will. That’s not to say she was relaxed, since she was constantly on guard for anything that could prove a threat to myself or any of the party members, but she was more comfortable being in plain clothes at least. She and Nishalle were both taking their assignments very seriously though, and when we had all climbed in the truck for the trip out to the estate they had insisted that I ride in the back of the cab between the two of them in case anything happened, like a collision with another vehicle or some kind of monster attack.

I was tired and would have much rather been snuggled up with Reiko, who was in the front between Grell and Pete, but since my Tokh'dhraí sister and the Beastkin girl seemed to be really getting into their roles, I didn’t want to ruin it for them. Besides, I knew that they were right from a tactical standpoint and those jerks from H3lls-Pwn had me worried. Whenever we had been in the same questing areas as them that afternoon I had caught them watching us, particularly me, and each time it had sent a cold shiver down my spine. Every instinct that I had told me that they were going to try something sooner or later.

We made it to the estate and once I had explained that Reiko, Grell, and Pete were allies the three of them were asked to swear a magically binding oath of loyalty to Queen Amoiraishe, me, and the Autumn Court. Watching them take the oath had been pretty interesting, I could feel the magic of the enchantment settle upon them and I could see the surprise in their eyes as they felt it too, especially Pete who was a regular human with no exposure to magic before that. With that over and done, with we were allowed through the gates and made our way to the manor beyond.

Dinner in the manor’s dining room was a bit strange. It seemed that we were the only ones staying in the manor, besides Queen Amoiraishe and the various Fae who would be acting as guards or servants. Amoiraishe apparently had other business and wasn’t able to sup with us, but I figured that Moira only had the ‘NPC’ set up for important events and quests and such, so she wasn’t getting pinged every other minute. She did have a business to run, no matter how much interest she had in me or the events unfolding in the game.

Since it was just us the seven of us, once the Brownies who had been serving the meal had returned to the kitchen, we all started to relax and allowed ourselves to get out of character for a bit. We had been talking about the game’s realism, and how much we were enjoying our respective classes, when Pete turned to our resident teenage Beastin. “So what’s up with that badass armor and shield of yours Lissany? Those look freakin’ heavy.”

“They are, but I have strength boosts from both my race and class, so I got used to the weight pretty quick. They’re both exclusive to my class though,” Lissany said with a grin.

“I don’t remember seeing anything like that with the Warrior class,” Pete pressed, obviously interested.

Lissany was beaming proudly, displaying her pronounced canines. “It’s called the Guardian class. It’s a new dedicated tank class that Miss Llewellyn asked me to playtest. I’m the only one on any of the servers.”

Grell’s face lit up in a grin of his own at that news. “Sweet, that’s pretty awesome and you’ve been one hell of a tank so far, so I’m glad you’re on our team. Taelya’s been an awesome magus too, that was a hell of a lot of DPS she dished out on that horde of zombies after we left the mall. Pretty awesome that she got an AOE spell like that so early in the game too. It’s cool how we have the only Guardian and the only High Elf in the game, that’s a pretty freaky coincidence, unless you all know each other IRL.”

“It’s definitely not a coincidence,” I told him with a shrug. “It seems that Moira wanted my character to have an in-game bodyguard and, since Liss wanted to play a tank and suggested the new class, she got volunteered.”

“We all decided to party together before entering the game, but I guess I’m the common link holding us together. Venika and I both work for Pegasus Entertainment IRL and we’re good friends, Lissany is her daughter, Taelya is my… uhh… sister, and Reiko is Taelya’s fiancée,” Nishalle explained.

“You all seem to get along and work pretty well together though,” Pete said with a smile. “Grell and I were both got invites because we were in the top ten ranked players on Z-Day Online. We were pretty stoked to try it when we got the game materials. So you’re engaged huh? Congrats, so are you both girls IRL too or are you…” He trailed off, probably not sure if we’d take offense, but to my surprise and embarrassment he was looking at Reiko as he aborted his question, not me.

“I was born a girl, but I’m bisexual and gender fluid,” Jess replied, carefully not answering for me. “It’s why Nishalle got me the invite, so I could realistically experience what it’s like to be a guy when I’m in that frame of mind. The Kitsunes are perfect for someone like me, I can be whatever I feel like, when I feel like it. It’s something I’ve always wanted.”

“That makes sense, you’ve been a girl, and you seem to have moments where you’re really feminine, but some where you’re kind of gender-neutral too. Not like Taelya is, she kinda screams girl all the time.” Pete said with a sage nod, only furthering my embarrassment.

I sighed and let my bright red face sink into my hands before looking over to the pair. They’d probably find out eventually if we ended up spending a lot of time together, so I figured that it would be best to get this out of the way now. “Actually, I’m a dude IRL, there was a problem with the gender selector on my race, so I’m kinda stuck like this until we’re out of the game. I’d… uhh… appreciate it if you don’t spread this around.”

Pete and Grell were both gaping at me like a couple of fish. “Damn, well you had us fooled. Don’t worry we won’t tell anyone,” Grell assured me with a look at Pete, who nodded his agreement.

“Yeah, well all the character customization options for the Yseil'dhraí females were pretty feminine, and with the different center of gravity and all the grace and agility it’s hard not to look feminine when I move. So I figured that if I was going to be an elf-girl then I was going to at least be a hot one, to give Reiko a bit of eye candy. The body dysphoria is killing me though,” I explained.

“I’m glad that I’m not going through that. I actually play a female character on Z-Day and I was thinking about playing one here until I heard about that issue. I hope that you’re not going to be feeling that way the whole time we’re in the game,” Pete offered sympathetically.

I shrugged uncertainly. “They said it should wear off over time, as I acclimate to my virtual body, but I was only expecting to play a different race, not a different gender too. Hopefully it’ll work the same way.”

Once dinner was finished we were able to divide our gear properly and take it to our rooms, while a pair of Brownie servants guided us. The manor was huge and I figured that it would be easy to get lost if one wasn’t careful. Since our food was stored in the kitchen, and our various scavenged medications and camping gear in one of the closets off the foyer, all that we really needed to bring to our rooms were our respective clothes. So we each grabbed the bags that had our names written on them in black sharpie and followed the Brownies.

I think that we were all a little weirded out by the Brownies. Each one that we had seen, both in the house and the woods outside the estate gates were between three and four feet tall and, with the youthful appearance all Fae seemed to share, one could almost mistake them for children if you weren’t paying much attention. The pair with us were very much adults though, a male and a female, and the latter had the figure to prove it. I hadn’t seen them wearing anything that wasn’t colored in various shades of brown, and even their hair and eyes were the color of rich cocoa.

They also had senses as sharp as my own, as was proven when Pete whispered to Grell. “This feels weird, like child slavery or something.”

Siggurd, the male of the Brownie pair, snorted. “We just look small, I was two hundred and nineteen years old when we got sucked into the Veil. And we are not slaves, Fae do not do that to other living creatures. All Fae who serve our Courts do so willingly and eagerly, for the sake of the Yseil'dhraí. We Brownies occasionally serve Humans and other races as well, if they prove themselves worthy. We enjoy doing chores and helping others, we’re good at it, and it gives us a sense of fulfillment.”

We all felt a little better at hearing that as the pair of brown-clad servants stopped us at a door that seemed more ornate than the others that I had seen along the hall. Kalia the female Brownie looked up at me, smiled, and gave a slight curtsey. “This is the master suite for this wing Your Highness. Her Majesty has asked us to make you and your fiancée as comfortable as possible. Should you need anything, just call my name, it is my pleasure to be assigned as your personal maid. Your attendant awaits you within. The room to the right is for your Guardian and the Sprite, as requested, and the room to the left is for your Tokh'dhraí guard. The Atlantean and the Human have been assigned the rooms across the hall.”

“Attendant? What’s that all about?” I wondered as I said my thanks to the Brownies and my good nights to my party-mates. Then I opened the door so that Reiko and I could go inside, stifling a yawn as I did. “I cannot wait to go to sleep sweetie,” I said in an aside to Reiko as we entered the room and we both stopped in surprise just inside the door. We hadn’t entered a bedroom, it was more of a living room, lavishly decorated in soft pinks and cream with a cozy looking couch, several chairs, thick carpet, and even a small mahogany dining table with four matching chairs. It was huge and off to the side were a pair of doors that we would later discover led to the actual bedroom and a large bathroom with all the amenities.

It was as we were taking in the room that we both noticed the young woman sitting on the couch, as she quickly stood up and approached us. She was nearly as tall as I was with long auburn hair and bright green eyes, extremely beautiful, and she had the pale green markings at her hairline and clamshell shaped ears that marked her as a Nymph. She also wasn’t wearing a single stitch. I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks as she bowed and then smiled at us both, addressing us in English. “Your Highness, I am Naerysse. You both look tired, shall I help you prepare for bed, or would you prefer that I run you a nice relaxing bath first? I am here to serve any and all needs or desires that you may have.”

Reiko looked from the naked Nymph to me and she did not look happy in the slightest. “Well that explains the adult content warnings, the staff sure are friendly around here aren’t they?” my Kitsune fiancée snapped with no little amount of snark. "Is this why you wanted to stay here? So you could spend time with her?”

“S-sweetie you’re not thinking clearly, she’s obviously here to…” I started to explain in a rush.

“Her Majesty has asked Her Highness to stay here for her own safety, and has given me the great honor of serving as Her Highness’ attendant Lady Reiko," Naerysse clarified. "Although Her Highness is my main responsibility it would be my pleasure to serve you in any way as well, please be patient with me though, I am afraid that I do not have any experience with Kitsunes.”

Oooookay, that was less than helpful. I needed to explain fast or I was going to find myself in a very deep hole that I would have a hard time digging my way out of. “She’s a y’know… attendant they help royalty with getting dressed and undressed…”

“Yeah it looks like she’s mastered that part,” Reiko said with an indignant sniff.

“Jess! I mean Reiko, stop it!” I snapped. Then I turned to the Nymph and gave a shake of my head. “Thank you, but I think we’ll just turn in for the night. Please, take the remainder of the evening off and go enjoy yourself.”

“As it pleases Your Highness. I will come to wake you in the morning then, until then I think I’ll go see if one of the off-duty guards is up for a quick toss,” she replied with a smile. “Please call if you need anything before then. I will know if you call my name, and I will come as swiftly as I can.”

As soon as Naerysse had left and closed the door, Reiko glared at me. “I can’t believe the nerve of her! What a slut! How could you even think about…”

I silenced her tirade by placing my fingers over her mouth. “Look at me, listen, and think clearly for a moment, while I tell you why it’s so stupid for you to be jealous right now. First you’re a fucking shapeshifter, you could look just like her, or be even more gorgeous if you wanted to. Second, I’ve only been a girl and a Fae for less than one day, and the dysphoria is driving me crazy. Do you really think I’m going to jump into having sex with anyone right now? Just think about how wrong it made you feel whenever we were going any further than first base while you were in one of your male moods. Until I adjust to this I’m not doing anything more than kissing, not even with you!”

She looked like I had slapped her, and I could feel her quick intake of breath on my fingers before pulling my hand back. “Oh… oh Caleb… I’m sorry I wasn’t thinking. It’s just she was sitting in here, waiting for you naked, and was all like ‘I am here to serve your needs and desires’. She was coming on so strong and she’s like a…”

“She is a Nymph sweetie, there is a good reason that it is the root word for nymphomaniac. And to be perfectly honest I think any Fae would have made the same offer, an offer she was making to both of us, not just me,” I clarified for her. “She is also my attendant, you know like a lady in waiting that all the princesses from the movies have? Running baths, helping me get ready for bed or the day ahead, and that kind of stuff, just like she was offering.”

“Their ladies in waiting weren’t trying to get them in the sack too though,” Reiko grumbled.

“Nymph,” I repeated slowly as I rolled my eyes in frustration. ”They’ve got an even higher libido than most other Fae and wearing clothes is uncomfortable for them, so they don’t do it unless they really have to for some reason. Obviously you need a primer on Fae culture sweetie. Fae aren’t like Humans, they have no taboos about public nudity or sex; it’s a very casual and friendly thing with them and it doesn’t matter if it’s done in a group, a pair, or even the genders involved. To the Fae it’s like having a beer together, or sitting playing videogames, it’s just a fun time in one another’s presence getting to know one another better. Because of my character’s age it would be assumed that I’m just as comfortable and casual about it as they are, especially with my knowledge of the Faerie Dance skill.”

She was staring at me as she asked, “So for them casual sex really is casual sex? Why does your age and learning to dance matter though?”

“They may not have taboos regarding nudity or sex, and sure their children are bound to end up seeing it growing up, but they believe that one must be an adult to be responsible about it, especially since it can lead to pregnancy,” I explained with a shrug as I led her to the couch to sit. “Fae are forbidden from doing anything sexual until they have finished going through puberty, it’s considered training of one’s mental discipline and mastery over the body and failing that training is one of their greatest shames. Even self-pleasure is forbidden until they are finished puberty and considered adults. Then, on the night of the first full moon after they’ve turned eighteen, they’re ‘inducted’ into the ranks of adulthood with a celebration. It’s basically a huge orgy so they can experiment how they please and become as comfortable with sex as other Fae are.”

We sat on the couch as she muttered, “Kinky Fae. Okay I guess that explains the whole age thing, what about dancing? How’s that factor in?”

The heat rose in my cheeks and I was pretty sure that my face as bright red as my hair. “Yeah the Fae may just be half the reason for the adult content warnings and the measures to protect kids from it. If I were under eighteen I wouldn’t have been able to take the Faerie Dance skill until I was, I probably would have had been able to choose another skill of my choice and then learned it when I was an adult, since it’s something that Fae can only learn once they’re considered adults. The skill is like fifty percent actual dancing skills and fifty percent Kama Sutra, it’s kind of a cultural throwback to faerie mating dances in their early days from what I gather. I try not to think about that skill too much, it’s weird since all my ‘memories’ of learning it are from a girl’s perspective.”

Reiko put her arms around me. “Yeah those skill memory dumps were rough. I’m sorry I was being such a bitch, I’ll try to be more understanding, and I guess I can admit I was a little jealous, that Nymph is pretty damn hot. Almost as hot as you. I really like this game, but sometimes I wonder what Moira was smoking when she came up with some of this stuff.”

“Me too,” I agreed, though I couldn’t hold back a yawn. “We should get to sleep though, I’m exhausted.”

We managed to find out which room was the bedroom and which was the bathroom and quickly got out of our clothes and into the nightgowns that Reiko had picked out for us. Then we brushed our teeth together, like we usually did before bed, and took turns using the toilet before settling into bed. Brushing our teeth was more out of habit than anything, and as for using the toilet, well we had all learned earlier today that Pegasus Entertainment was going all out trying to make this game feel just like real life. It was as we laid there spooned together in bed and I was drifting off in Reiko’s arms that her hand absently caressed my breast.

A thrill shot through me, but at the same time I stiffened up in her embrace, unable to move or even breathe as I felt the panic, the overwhelming wrongness of my body, and that brief jolt of pleasure, consume me. “No this isn’t me! I… I can’t…” I couldn’t tell if the anguish was mental or physical as the sense of utter wrongness filled me, clawing at my soul. It was like a tornado in my chest and I trembled in her arms, biting my lip against the tears threatening to come.

My breath was coming in quick sharp gasps as Reiko held me tight in her arms, careful to keep her hand around my waist and away from any erogenous zones. The other hand softly stroked my hair as she whispered quietly. “Shhh it’s okay honey, you’ll get through this and I won’t do anything until you’re ready and feeling better about this, even if I have to wait until we’re back in the real world and our own bodies.”

Was that how horrible she felt when I touched her in one of her male modes? Did her body feel that wrong? I had guessed, but I never thought about the revulsion, the shame, and the self-loathing that were surging through me. My ability to breathe seemed to be returning, but was quickly impeded again as the dam burst, tears flowed, and great sobs wracked my body. How could Jess live this way? How could anyone? I suddenly felt terrible about every time that I had misjudged one of her moods or accidentally unthinkingly groped or caressed her in bed when she was feeling like a guy. She just kept holding me and whispering softly until I had finally cried myself to sleep.

A knock at the bedroom door woke me just after dawn, followed by a familiar voice. “Your Highness. We must get you prepared for the day. Her Majesty wishes you to speak with the leaders of the village Haven today and negotiate an alliance.”

It took me a moment of trying to shake off the strange dream I was having to realize that it wasn’t a dream. No, we were in the game and that realization was quickly followed by the memories of what had happened the day before, and my current situation. There was still an arm wrapped protectively around me and I felt my cheeks burn with shame at the way I had broken down in Reiko’s arms. The arm around me was more toned now, and a little thicker, and I turned my head to see that Reiko had changed to a male sometime during the night. He still had that decidedly Japanese look and his red furred fox tails and ears, and I thought him very handsome as I stared at him for a moment through my sleep-blurred vision. This would be the first day that he would wake up as a male, and not a male in a female’s body, and I felt a surge of excitement for him fluttering in my chest. It was almost enough to make me forget the discomfort of my own body for a moment… almost.

I slipped his arm from around me and padded toward the door, still half asleep. I did notice the quest alert as I opened it and discovered that I was indeed supposed to negotiate with the leader(s) of Haven today about an alliance. I also had to try to make a good and lasting first impression, for both my sake and that of the Autumn Court. With that in mind, I opened the door to greet the naked Nymph as she was about to knock again.

While Reiko was sleeping in, I was enduring being pampered by my new attendant. She had undone my multiple braids and started things off by settling me into a bubble bath and washing both my body and hair thoroughly with floral scented body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. That was uncomfortable on so many levels that I just kind of retreated inside my head and tried thinking of other things for a while. I had been a bit worried about having to shave my legs and such too, but apparently the Fae don’t grow body hair. I was smooth-skinned from my neck down, and always would be while playing this character. I came out of my daze as she pulled me from the large bathtub and began patting me dry with a towel, then she used a spell of some sort to dry my long hair and rubbed some scented lotion into my skin. It felt weirdly nice and relaxing being pampered like that, but at the same time it was so feminine that my dysphoria was in the red zone by the time we were finished.

“We should get you dressed now Your Highness, and then we can start on your hair,” Naerysse offered.

“Okay, I’ll go try to find something nice to wear,” I replied, starting off toward the bedroom.

I didn’t get more than a step before she stopped me. “Do not worry Your Highness. Her Majesty has had clothing appropriate for such occasions prepared for you. You are a princess of the Autumn Court, we can’t have you doing official duties dressed like a Human.”

It was a gown of course, in the gold and crimson colors of the Autumn Court. It was a sleeveless affair, tightly hugging both my chest and waist in crimson brocade with golden leaf patterns before billowing out to fall to my ankles. Though the dress was technically sleeveless, there were two strips of red silk on each side connected to gold bracelets, which billowed annoyingly around my arms once the bracelets were in place around my wrists. Gold sandals that laced up to my knees beneath the skirt, and a golden silk cape fastened to the shoulder straps by gold brooches completed the outfit.

“If me wearing dresses is going to be a regular thing, I may need to find some thigh holsters for my guns,” I grumbled as my Nymph attendant started to carefully brush out my hair so it could be returned to its previously elaborate style, pinned up high on my head with a small gold circlet and then split into a dozen braids that fell behind me down to my hips with golden ornaments at the ends. I was not enthused with all the feminine finery, but soon she was done with my hair and at least she didn’t put any makeup on me, unless you count using a berry juice to darken my lips and eyelids. She didn’t bother doing anything with my nails either, since she didn’t feel that they needed a manicure and they already had a naturally pearlescent glossy look to them.

Reiko had emerged from the bedroom, dressed in some of his guy clothes and yawning tiredly, as Naerysse was finishing up my hair. Now that the Nymph was finished, and had added my new Nature’s Crown to complete the look, my fiancé gave me a somewhat nervous smile. “You look nice Tae. So… umm… what’s the occasion? He was looking at me like I might break down at any moment, but could I really blame him after last night? I had to admit I was not a happy camper, and the dysphoria had gotten worse with each new addition to the outfit, but I was trying to focus on goals rather than the wrongness of my current gender or state of dress. My level of success was debatable though.

“Oh, you know,” I replied with fake cheer while making sure that my tone and the glare I gave him conveyed glacier levels of coldness. “I’m a princess and I have to look the part so I can play diplomat today. Doesn’t that sound way more fun than practicing magic or going on quests?” Okay, maybe I was being a little passive/aggressive, but if the jerk had gotten his ass out of bed when I had, then maybe he could have been the voice of reason and saved me some of this ridiculousness. I didn’t blame my attendant though, she was just doing her job, and she was an NPC, so I smiled at her. “Thank you Naerysse I think that will be all for this morning, I’ll see you when we return tonight.”

Reiko winced visibly at my tone and didn’t seem sure what to say as the Nymph bowed and left the room. While he was trying to figure out what to do I placed my armor, guns, spare clips and ammo pouch, and the Kevlar vest in one of the large duffel bags we had gotten from Grady’s Guns n’ Ammo. Once that was done I shoved it in his arms. “Here, you’re the man now, so you can carry my stuff for a change, after all I wouldn’t want to break a nail or ruin my outfit, would I?”

Reiko quickly gathered his own gear and we left the room to go join the others for breakfast. We were about halfway there when his hand on my shoulder stopped me. “Look, Tae, I’m sorry honey. I know from experience how hard looking like that has to be on you right now, and I know the whole princess thing and everything related is making the dysphoria even worse. I’m sorry about overreacting last night too, but I love you so much honey and I know we’ll make it through this, together, like we always do.”

I tried not to cry as I wrapped my arms around him. “I’m sorry too. I don’t mean to be a bitch, it’s just… I don’t know how you manage living like this, you’re so much stronger than I am.”

“I have you, that’s how. You always do your best to understand and you love me no matter what gender I am and you do anything for me, like play stupid VR games where you get stuck as a girl. If I’m strong it’s because you give me that strength, you’re my rock and I love you. No matter who we are, no matter what we are, that is never going to change.” He held me close in his arms and it felt nice, I felt safe.

I nuzzled closer, resting my head on his shoulder as I took a deep breath and tried to shore up my strength for the day ahead. “You… umm… look good today, so how do you feel. Is it everything you wanted?”

“I feel… right. For the first time I feel masculine and my body matches. Just like my body matched my mood yesterday when I was feeling female, but not overly feminine. I can’t really describe it… it’s like I’m finally free to be me, and it’s all because you were willing to do this with me.”

I smiled, trying to hold back tears as I leaned in and kissed him tenderly. “That makes all of this worth it then. I can endure all of this for you. I may be a girl, but I’m your girl and I’ll try to focus on that when things get rough.”

We reluctantly let one another go and made our way down to the dining room where the others were already eating. They stopped and stared as we entered the room and then Nishalle practically squealed in delight. “I see someone is feeling masculine today, I’m so happy for you!” Then her eyes fell on me and she began to sputter as she looked guiltily at the floor. “I’m so sorry bro… sis… I didn’t mean to… I was just so excited for Jess that I wasn’t thinking.”

I quickly stifled the sudden self-awareness and the dysphoria that came with it. “You should be happy for him sis, I am too. Thanks for giving him this opportunity. I… know that I probably don’t tell you this near enough, but you’re the best sister there is, and the best friend.” I hugged her and then took the seat beside her to dish up some of the pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs and get eating.

Reiko and I were nearly finished eating by the time the awkward silence was broken by Venika. “Not that you don’t look lovely Taelya, but I didn’t think anything would get you in a dress again so soon and that is a bit…”

“What Mom is trying to ask is, what’s up that could have possibly gotten you to push the body dysphoria so much with all of that? I don’t remember us seeing any dresses like that in the stores either and you smell all flowery.”

I was more than a little self-conscious about that and Reiko ended up answering for me. “Taelya’s attendant Naerysse kind of went all out getting her ready and making her look like the princess she is. She’s got a quest to start diplomatic relations with Haven today, and I guess Amoiraishe wants her to look the part. She’s been a little moody about it this morning.”

“I’ll understand if none of you want to hang with me today, who knows how long I’ll be at that and I don’t want to ruin your day too,” I spoke hesitantly.

“Not a chance Your Highness. Nishalle and I are your protectors, you don’t go anywhere without us. I’ll make sure to wear my armor to look extra impressive too,” Lissany assured me. Nishalle quickly nodded her agreement as well.

“We’ll see how thing go. The other players should be either in town by now, or arriving over the course of the morning, and maybe we can make some allies among them too if we get to know some of them. I didn’t like the way that Razor jerk was watching us yesterday, especially the way he looked at me,” I admitted, a cold shiver running down my spine. “Liss and Nishalle can stick with me, but the rest of you try to make some friends for us while I’m doing my thing.” With that decided we all gathered our things, Nishalle slinging my duffel bag over her shoulder alongside her sniper rifle, and then we headed out to the truck to make our way into Haven.