I cringe as we walk up yet another flight of steps for the third time today. I wonder how many more I'll have to tread before my little exploration outing concludes. I dread going back to my private quarters, knowing we'll need to return to the top floor levels. There must be several routes to the Queen's Keep from the castle's interior. I want to explore as much as possible before we have to access that part of the castle.
"My Queen, as long as you are within the castle grounds, you are safe, especially inside the interior. Our proud Sidran defenders keep any entry from the ground level locked from inside the castle. You must meet with the Castle Steward once you have settled in. With her, you can choose from a pool of candidates to serve in the castle. You may hire others outside this pool at your discretion. However, those working directly inside these castle walls must be female. Outside of the castle, you may hire who you please," Leonita explains as we pass through another set of doors.
"That's a lot of people to hire. It feels so overwhelming!" I say, sighing.
"Do not worry, my Queen. You have us to aid you in that matter. If you would like, we could recommend several prospects," Eulalia says.
"Eulalia, we cannot recommend those who we know personally! It would not be our place," Leonita says, clasping my arm tightly.
"But Leonita. You know as well as I do the people I speak of would love to be in the service of our Queen," Eulalia affirms with a confidence I hadn't noticed before.
"Eulalia, you know they are not among the candidates. For that matter, they are not even in the Capital. It could take months to send for them. Worse, our Queen would need to travel to them, especially if they are in the service of another!" Leonita argues.
I can tell both women feel strongly about the matter. Eulalia wants me to meet the people she holds dear. Still, Leonita fears it will cause a ruckus if I choose candidates from another court. All of this makes my head hurt.
"Leonita, it's alright. I will consider them. I know you just want to keep everything simple, but I also know you feel the same as Eulalia. If these people mean that much to you, the least I can do is bring you all together in one place, regardless of the effort it takes. I want both of you to be happy," I say, clutching their arms.
"Oh, thank you, my Queen. They will be so excited to hear the news," Eulalia says.
"Eulalia, it could take months to send word to them. But I am happy. Now, you just have to be that confident and outspoken about everything else," Leonita says cheerfully.
"Leonita, I-I… I am confident!" Eulalia replies in a high, squeaky voice. I look at her, and her face is a rose tomato color.
She looks like she's about to burst with embarrassment. I wrap my arm around her waist.
"Right, it will be just fine, Eulalia. You're doing such a good job. I'll make you a troublemaker in no time!" I say, rubbing her lower back.
She jumps when my hand gropes her bottom.
"My Queen, the soldiers are behind us!" Eulalia blurts out.
I lean in closer to her. "I know, right? Aren't the soldiers cute?" I whisper in her ear.
She jumps at my words. "I would never, my Queen. I-I… I-I… I am yours, my Queen. I would never lay with another!" Eulalia speaks as she turns to me. The three of us stop with our escorts ten steps behind us. The fire in her eyes burns.
I reach out, grab her waist, and pull her closer. "I know… I know… You haven't been with a male, and I assumed you would enjoy their company… I mean, we would all enjoy their company," I say, resting my head on hers. Leonita hugs both of us.
"My Queen, I'm sorry. You are not permitted to have… um… those kinds of relations with the opposite sex. Neither are your handmaidens or knights. We must all remain virgins. I-I… I thought you already knew this. Forgive me for causing you strife," Eulalia says with a sad expression.
"Oh… Oh…," I say in a stunned voice.
"You didn't know, my Queen?" Leonita asks worriedly.
"Oh, no… no… no… That's not what I'm concerned with. I-I… I-I can't believe I even considered being with a male. Oh, God… this body… This female body is taking over my senses. Am I developing a craving for men?" I say, bewildered.
"Well, my Queen. You are a woman. If I am not mistaken, it would be only natural. Certainly, you don't have years of training as we have to resist the temptation of the opposite sex. But don't fret, my Queen. You have Eulalia and me to keep you on course. No man other than royalty shall have our lady. Those are the very men you should concern yourself with. I fear the princes from Byzantia may have their sights on you for that reason. We cannot protect you from them. However, my Queen, only those you deem worthy shall lay with you. Keep this in mind when you deal with them privately. They surely want what they cannot have," Leonita says seriously.
"Gosh, I didn't know I'd be on the menu for such men," I whisper.
"It is the fate of the Virgin Queens. Only through them can Sidra become united again!" Eulalia says.
"You literally mean my sisters and me!" I exclaim.
"That is what such men believe. I cannot validate the truth of this claim. But I know the Fated Queens have done the impossible. How they stay virgins is another matter. I am sure you'll find the solution along with your sister, Queens," Leonita replies.
"Oh, what other solution could there be… wait, don't answer that, please," I say as a thought pops into my head.
"That would be for the best," Eulalia adds.
"Well, I have no choice in the matter, do I?" I say, sighing.
My sisters and I have to handpick hundreds of guards and knights, not to mention the various other servants working within the castle grounds. I don't enjoy calling all the workers servants. Maybe we should change that once we get a handle on things here. We stop in front of another massive set of metal double doors. Taking a look at either side of the double doors, we stand at a cross-section, a long and wide perpendicular hallway stretching in both directions.
"My Queen, we have arrived at the entrance to the throne room!" Leonita says, smiling as she stands to the side.
Diethard and Gottwald walk past us and push the doors open. A whoosh of air passes over us as the grand throne room opens. The sight before us is more awe-inspiring than I remember. I had entered through another passageway with Lady Constance. The sheer grandeur of the throne room is what everyone else experiences when they enter this sacred space. For a moment, I understood why Bardos and Barrios had approached me so powerfully.
From their point of view and where I stood, my sisters and I are the sources of power. Standing in front of the throne in the sheer dress I wear, with the lighting bouncing off my body, would intimidate anyone who gazes upon me. Everyone in the grand throne room would admire every detail of my body, even those in the back. My body would shimmer as I move, like a shining sun. Of course, those proud men would need to flaunt their strength in front of everyone. They entered the seat of power for Sidra for thousands of years. The walk to the thrones seems endless, marked by large pillars and stone and marble pew benches as long as a football field on either side. The rows seem to go on forever as if every citizen of Sidra has a seat in this vast throne room. The vaulted ceilings rise above the pews, held by gigantic pillars. Enormous chandeliers swing slightly above us as we approach the thrones.
As I look to either side, I see more pews. I look back and notice two more metal double doors and a walkway to the front of the throne room. There are five columns of pews. Large, tall, expansive, double-arched windows stretch from floor to ceiling, lining the stone walls on either side of the throne room. Blue, gold, and silver-stained windows let in bright light, depicting past Queens. It's overwhelming to be in the throne room because of its sheer grandeur and epic feel. 'How could a medieval society build such a grand chamber?'
The closer we get to the tiered steps to the three-stone thrones, the more I feel the importance of my position. The people of the land revere their Fated Queens, and I happen to be one of them. 'What does that mean? How can I live up to these people's expectations?' As we reach the steps of the thrones, the power of where I stood earlier becomes clear. It wasn't Bardos and Barrios who held power; it was me. Their actions resulted from their inner fear of the Virgin Fated. What Bardos did to me in front of everyone was his way of projecting his power, but it was more than that.
Now that I stand where they did, I realize how I appear to them. 'Did I inadvertently capture their hearts? Is that what Lady Constance meant? How would I react to seeing such a beautiful Queen before me? Would I fall head over heels for her?' I know the answer to that question. I would behave the same, maybe not as blatant as them, but such a Queen would steal my heart. As we ascend the steps to the thrones, I know they made their minds up before they even saw me. Leonita walks in front of Eulalia and me. She points to the middle throne, the place where I will sit for many ceremonies like the one I attended earlier.
"As you know, my Queen, the middle throne is yours. As is customary for the middle-born Queen," Leonita says, bowing before me.
Metal clanks behind me as Diethard and Gottwald salute.
---
We spend the rest of the time exploring the Castle's hallways. Inside, people go about their daily business. We walk casually through the halls, passing guards, knights, and servants. All eyes linger on my party and me. Everyone regards me with keen interest, star-struck, and in disbelief. Whispers float in the air as we go about our business. The contrast between the emptiness of the Queen's Keep and the bustling atmosphere of the Sidran castle intrigues me. There are so many people here. My mind is filled with their words. I find it mildly embarrassing and strange.
The amount of attention I receive is unprecedented. 'Is it because I'm attractive in their eyes or because I'm a Royal? They've seen other Royals before, right?' I spend the next few hours exploring the Castle. It's far more extensive than I realized. This is a grand palace, not a castle at all. There seem to be over one hundred fifty floors of the Sidran castle, not counting the basement. 'They would probably call it a dungeon, right?'
There is a massive city surrounding Sidran Castle. They call it Aveline. I hear the name of the city as we pass several prestigious-looking soldiers while I take in everything. It feels no different from roaming the halls of my high school back home. Gossip is a universal constant, no matter your world. The chatter whispers of four fortresses inside the inner city's walls. To the north is the largest of the four citadels, serving as the military headquarters of the kingdom. To the east and west are twin citadels. I can't make out the words they utter as we pass them. The fact I perceive anything doesn't shock me, as it's minimal.
'What else did I expect? I have excellent hearing and know there will be more about my new body to discover. Aside from sightseeing, there's little I can do. I find it curious that there are no nobles to speak of. 'Wouldn't they stick out among the others I've seen?' They were in the throne chambers earlier. But now, only servants, soldiers, and guards pace the hallways of the Sidran castle. I say guards and soldiers because none are knights. Their culture is a mystery to me, and it fascinates me how it seems natural. Ancient Earth's medieval culture may have resembled Sidran society. As a result, they established a hierarchy in which they worshiped the Fated Queens. A single belief system governs all aspects of life. But the absence of knights seems odd. I would have expected to see at least one knight. I mean, I do have to select some for the sanctuary.
After several hours of wandering aimlessly through the Castle, we pass the intersection leading to the throne room. We circle back in front of the double doors to the throne room. I look down the hallway leading back to the front of the Castle. 'Back to my bedroom, huh? Well, it was fun while it lasted.' The images of my brothers' faces pop into my head. 'Maybe my brothers… damn it, this will be tough to get used to.' I shake my head, replacing their male faces with their new female faces. Their similarities seem to only be their hair and eyes. In fact, we don't resemble our former selves at all. We are completely different people with no apparent relation to our male appearance. I sigh as we walk back the way we came. My sisters might still be here. The creaking of metal doors echoes in the hallways. Before walking out of sight, I see them. I realize I was right. Both walk out of doors farther down the hallway from the principal entrance to the throne room. Their voices carry in the open hallways.