The following morning Sylvie shook me awake before dawn.

After being dismissed by the prince I’d been escorted back to the maids’ quarters, where I’d been told I would be rooming with her for the time being, since it was the only free bed available. I’d slept really badly, the mattress was much harder than what I was used to, but on the other hand my night had been much better than the previous one, when I’d suffered the lingering effects of my change.

The previous evening I’d been informed by Therese, the head maid – a short, Rubenesque woman with a round, red face and a kind voice – that I would need to start working that day; I was a palace maid now, after all, so I would need to earn my keep: those that don’t work, don’t get to eat.

And I’d come to a decision: I wasn’t going to take this lying down. I may have been stripped of my rank and title, even my very masculinity, but I wasn’t going to beg. I was going to face whatever was to come with dignity, holding my head high, as befitting of a Royal Knight.

“Come on, Erica, it’s time to wake up,” Sylvie said kindly as she awoke me from my sleep. She was a really nice girl; I really appreciated her being there for me when I needed her.

As usual for me, I was instantly awake – that, at least, had not changed, I was still able to do what was required of me right after waking up. I grudgingly sat up in my bed, and swung my legs over the side. “Alright,” I said, “How do we do this?”

“Can you get dressed on your own?” Sylvie asked, and I nodded in response. “Good. Do so, then, we’re meeting all the other servants for our morning meal in a while.”

I stood up, opened the trunk situated at the foot of the bed – no, my trunk and my bed, I mentally reminded myself: I needed to start getting used to the situation – and took out my maid’s dress and small-clothes. Unlike the previous day, I turned my back to Sylvie while changing: I’d rather not show her any more nudity than needed. Putting on my new clothes was surprisingly easy, I’d always been good at grasping a skill after being shown it once; tying my bra behind my back took some finagling, however.

“How do I look?” I asked, presenting myself to Sylvie for inspection. She gave me a critical look, moving closer to be able to see me well in the flickering candlelight, but then she nodded.

“Good,” she said. “Your belt is a bit crooked, but otherwise there’s no problem I can find. I’m actually surprised,” she continued. “I thought I would have to help you at least a few more times. Are you sure this is only the second time you’re wear women’s clothes?” she asked with a smirk.

“It is,” I replied. In truth, I’d worn a few of my mother’s things as a joke when I was very young, before my parents had died and King Dominik took me in, but I’d stopped as soon as I moved to the royal palace – after all, it would’ve been scandalous for a member of the royal family, though adopted, to be seen cross-dressing.

Sylvie patted me on the shoulder. “Alright, now just take the blanket off your bed – we need to air it, or else the moisture’ll get stuck in it and it will be uncomfortable tonight when we come back. Then we need to get to breakfast, we have a big day ahead of us.”

“Okay,” I replied, pulling the covers off my bunk. Soon we were on our way to the servants’ mess hall; Therese met us at the door.

“Hello, dear, did you sleep well?” she asked.

I shook my head. “Not at all,” I answered.

She smiled a comforting smile at me. “Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it soon enough,” she replied. “And I’m sorry to spring this on you, but I need to present you to the rest of the servants. It’s tradition,” she explained.

I gulped. The thought of facing so many people as Erica, so soon, made me a bit queasy; but still, I was a Royal Knight, and Royal Knights never back down. “Let’s do it,” I said.

Therese nodded, and ushered me and Sylvie through the door. The dining room was filled with wooden chairs and benches, and dozens of people were eating their breakfast in the low, flickering light provided by a few chandeliers hanging near the ceiling. There was a quiet hubbub of conversation in the background, which ceased when Therese clapped her hands, drawing everyone’s attention.

“Good morning, everyone,” she called out. “I know we’re all very busy and very hungry, so I’ll keep this brief. This is Erica,” she said, motioning to me, “And she will be joining the maids starting today. Please don’t give her a hard time.”

Almost everyone in the room made a low noise of acknowledgement and turned back to their plates, but I could see a few of the people closer to me, those who could see me more clearly in the dim light, were looking at me with curiosity.

“Say,” said a man seated at a table just in front of me; he was dressed in the livery of a noble’s page. “Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?”

“Tomàs, what did I just say about--” Therese began, but I held a hand up to cut her off; I wasn’t about to hide myself – I would be found out eventually, might as well cut to the chase right then and there.

“You may have,” I replied, in a voice that was still alien to me – not my old male voice, but not quite a woman’s voice either. “I’ve been walking the halls of the palace daily for the past five years.”

The room had fallen quiet again, since everyone had noticed the scene that was unfolding. I felt dozens of eyes on me.

Tomàs’ eyes narrowed. “Who are you?” he asked.

Here it comes. “I am Erica, a maid,” I replied. “However, I was known as Herik until a few days ago; I am here, I am like this, because this is the punishment I’ve been sentenced to by the Prince Regent.”

If everyone had been looking at me before, now they were staring; I felt their gazes boring into me, but I held my head high.

“Herik?” asked someone in the back – I couldn’t see who it was in the dim light. “Herik of the Royal Knights?”

“The commander of the Royal Knights?” said someone else.

“It is so,” I said, my voice unwavering.

The silence was deafening; you could have heard a pin drop. I gazed around the room, keeping my face neutral.

“Have I satisfied your curiosity?” I asked. “May I sit and eat now?”

No one answered, but I felt Sylvie put a hand on my back, and she gently guided me towards an empty table near the back of the room. As we passed by Tomàs seat, I could see him smirk.

“Now this is interesting,” he said, half under his breath. “I’ll be seeing you around… Erica.”

That was clearly a threat, but I paid it no mind.

“Gods, Erica, you don’t do anything by half measures, do you?” Sylvie whispered. “You’ve just painted a big target on your back.”

She and I sat down at the table, and were joined by Therese and another girl with long red hair – younger than Sylvie, she was probably around seventeen or eighteen – who placed a bowl of porridge and a few slices of bread in front of each of us.

“This is Cecily,” Sylvie introduced her. “She’s a maid, too, and a friend.”

I nodded. “Nice to meet you, Cecily,” I said.

“And you too, Erica,” she replied with a smile.

The low noise of conversation had already begun anew in the dining hall, and I had no doubt what everyone was talking about; but I wasn’t worried. I started eating my porridge; it was bland and tasteless, but I couldn’t complain: it was food. After a few spoonfuls I asked, “What did you mean by saying that I painted a target on my back?”

Sylvie lowered her voice. “Well, as a newcomer, you’re already on the bottom rung of the ladder,” she said. Then she paused and continued: “Take a look around.”

I glanced at my surroundings, and I caught several people – most people in the room, in fact – looking at me; they quickly turned back to their meal when they saw I noticed their gaze.

“See?” Sylvie asked. When I nodded, she continued: “Thanks to the show you put on back there, you got them all interested in you. Most people are fine, thankfully, but some are definitely not.”

She nodded her head significantly in Tomàs’ direction.

“That guy, he’s one of the bad ones; he’s a jerk and a hot head, with a really abrasive personality, and he has some sort of a grudge against nobles, not that I can blame him.” (I wondered what she meant by that.) “He would do anything to get a shot in at a noble, except his own master for obvious reasons, and now you’re the perfect target.”

“But I’m no longer a noble,” I objected.

“Do you really think that matters to him?” Sylvie rebutted. “What matters now is this one rule: do not let him find you alone on your own.”

Cecily and Therese nodded in agreement; and it was good advice, I thought – even though Tomàs didn’t scare me, it would be best to avoid conflict.

“I won’t,” I answered.

“Good,” Sylvie nodded, finishing her last spoonful of porridge. She took a bite of bread, then continued: “You’re with me today, so things will likely be fine. But remember: maids stick together. We support each other. If you ever have trouble come find me, or Therese, or Cecily, and we will help you out.”

I nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Let’s go, then,” she said. “We have lots of things to do today.”

As we got up from the table and headed towards the door, I belatedly realised: I’d apparently been included in the “maids” category as a matter of course.

The four of us walked through a few corridors, until Therese and Cecily waved goodbye and split from the group; as I’d been told, I was left with Sylvie, who led the way until we were in the noble wing. The difference between the two sides of the palace was stark – where the servants’ wing had stone floors and was already lit by torches, here the floors were marble, covered by carpet, with rich tapestries hanging from the walls in several spots, and the light (very dim, it was still early morning) was provided by chandeliers.

“Okay,” Sylvie said, “Come along now, we’re taking care of the Royal Knights’ barracks today.”

“The Knights’ barracks?” I asked. That where I’d been sleeping only a few days before; the thought of going back there so soon…

“Don’t worry,” Sylvie continued, seemingly reading my thoughts. “No one will recognise you in this dim light if you don’t attract attention to yourself. Usually if we’re quiet and discreet we can pass by without anyone even realising we’re there. No one notices a maid.” She made a face, as if she were very unhappy about that.

“I did,” I said.

Her frown cleared, and she smiled at me, though her smile had a hint of sadness behind it. “Yes, you did,” she replied. “But you were in the minority. For most people… For most nobles,” she put stress on that last word, “We’re just… Furniture.”

“I’m sorry.” Somehow I felt compelled to apologise.

“Don’t be,” she said, shaking her head. “At least you tried. You made the effort.”

She paused, almost as if she wanted to add something else, but then said, “Come on, we have lots to do and not much time.”

“Alright,” I said.

Guided by Sylvie we entered the rooms that were assigned to the Royal Knights; there was one standing guard just outside the door, and a few were inside, going about their assigned morning duties, but as Sylvie had said, no one paid any mind to us. I paused briefly as we were passing in front of my old bedroom; I wondered if Andrej had already taken possession of it.

First we cleared the mess hall, gathering all plates that had been left on the tables (which made me frown, Knights were supposed to clean after themselves: I had been removed from my post as commander only two days before, and they were already slipping), and wiped the tables down; next we swept and mopped the floors. It was a hard job, and soon my muscles started to get sore, but I pushed the to the back of my mind, preferring to think of it as a good workout.

By the time we were done with the common areas it was already mid-morning; all the Knights had woken up, had breakfast, and had left for the day’s duties. I could have sworn that I felt some eyes on me while I was working, but whenever I looked up, no one was looking at me.

“Alright, now for the bedrooms,” Sylvie said. We grabbed fresh linens from an out-of-the-way cupboard, and went about changing the bedsheets in all the rooms. It was only two dozen beds to be made, but bending over each and every time to draw the sheets over the mattress soon made my back ache.

“I never realised being a maid was so taxing on the body,” I said when we were done.

“Not many people do,” Sylvie replied. “Come on, now we just fold the used linen and bring it to the laundry room, then we can go get lunch.”

She grabbed one of the sheets and went through the motions. “Here’s how you do it: fold in half, then over, then in half, and in half again, and then over again, and you’re done.”

I was startled by how deftly she’d managed that: I could barely follow her movements. “Show me again, please,” I asked.

She seemed to realise I was having trouble, because she slowed down while repeating her instruction. “It’s simple, look: half, then over,” I nodded, “Then half, half again, and over.”

I nodded again. “I think I got it, let me try.”

I picked up a sheet, straightened it like she did, then tried folding it, under her watchful eye; in the end it was a bit crooked, but passable.

“Very good, for a first try. You’ll get it eventually,” Sylvie said.

I suddenly remembered something, and I started chuckling. “What is it?” she asked.

“Well, last time I saw you… Before my change, I mean. You said you would teach me how to fold bedsheets. But this isn’t quite how I imagined it,” I said, still laughing.

Sylvie looked at me for a couple seconds, then started laughing too. “You’re right, I hadn’t thought of that.”

Our shared laugh was the bright spot of my day; it was all downhill from there. As we were making our way towards the laundry room, we were intercepted two Palace Guards, one of which pointed at me and ordered me to go with them.

“Why? What’s happening?” I asked.

“The Prince Regent requires your presence, maid,” he replied curtly. “Don’t make him wait.”

Izaak wanted to see me? Why? “Lead the way then,” I replied, and started to follow him; but then I remembered I was still carrying the dirty linen. “Sylvie, I’m sorry, can you handle all of this on your own?”

She smiled. “Yes, don’t worry, I’m stronger than I look.” She flexed her arm. “Oh, and before I forget.”

She dropped the sheets she was carrying to the floor. “You probably haven’t been taught this, but you need to curtsy when you greet someone of a higher social standing than you,” she said. “You step back with one leg, half-crouch, and pull your skirt out with your hands, head low.”

She demonstrated the gesture, and I nodded. “Thanks, much appreciated. And sorry,” I said, handing her my pile of laundry.

“Don’t worry,” she repeated, waving her hand dismissively. “Now get going.”

I nodded, then turned on my heel and followed the guard. Soon we reached the throne room, and once again I was made to enter on my own; I walked to the middle of the room, and curtsied.

“Ah, Erica,” I heard Prince Izaak’s voice say. “Welcome, I’ve been waiting for you.” Then he paused, and I could imagine him regarding me with his dark eyes. “I didn’t expect you to curtsy this soon, to be honest; it needs some work.”

I was tempted to talk back to him: well, why don’t you try it, then? It’s only my first time doing this, after all. But it would’ve been a bad idea to anger him, so I didn’t say anything.

“And, I have to say, it looks a bit uncomfortable,” he continued. “You may rise.”

Without acknowledging his words, I stood up and assumed a neutral position, hands folded in front of me, and looked up. Like the previous evening, the prince was flanked by Master Verdun, but also present in the room was the Chief Healer of the palace, Gallowan, with his long, flowing white hair and white robe.

“You may be wondering why I’ve asked for you,” the prince said. “Well, you may not know it, but Master Verdun isn’t done with you quite yet; in fact, your punishment has just begun.”

I felt shivers run down my back.

“But, as you have experienced, the… Treatment is quite stressful for one’s body,” Verdun said. “Therefore, I have asked for Healer Gallowan’s opinion on whether you’re recovered enough for the second session.”

Prince Izaak motioned towards me, and Gallowan closed the distance that separated us. When he reached me he gave me a look of pity, and mumbled “I’m sorry,” while shaking his head. He grabbed my hands and put two fingers on my wrist, closing his eyes and counting under his breath. Then he leaned forward and put his ear to my chest, and listened for a while; after that, he straightened up, turned to Prince Izaak and Verdun, and nodded.

“She is fit,” he said, in an old, shaky voice.

“Excellent!” the prince said, clearly delighted. “Master Verdun, you may bring her with you. Erica, follow him.”

I bowed my head and curtsied. “By your command,” I said, and – quite unwillingly – followed Verdun out of the throne room.

Escorted by two Palace Guards, we made our way to his laboratory; he was quiet along the way, but as soon as we were inside the cave, he tried to chat me up in his usual mellifluous way, asking about what I’d felt in my body during the previous treatment and – which made me really angry – if I could “describe what the pain was like during the process.”

I wilfully ignored Verdun’s words and looked around; the goblet I’d drank from the previous time was on a table, already full of liquid – evidently he’d prepared it beforehand.

“Is that it?” I asked, pointing at the elixir.

“Why, yes, it is,” the wizard replied. “I took the liberty of making it in advance, I was counting on you having already fully recovered, thanks to your… Remarkable strength.”

I glared at him, strode over to the table, picked up the goblet, and drained in a single gulp, not minding the foul taste and smell. Then I squarely slammed the goblet back on the table and walked to the middle of the room, to stand in the centre of the concentric circles drawn in dark ink on the floor.

“Let’s just get this over with,” I said in a defiant voice, crossing my arms in front of me.

Verdun seemed amused. “Interesting. Very interesting,” he said, moving to the position he would activate the magic circles from. “I wonder how long it will take for you to break,” he added under his breath, but I heard him clearly.

Again, he muttered in a mysterious language and moved his hands in weird patterns before placing them on the floor, and again the arcane drawing started glowing. Like the previous time I felt a searing pain course through me, but I was ready: I would not give him the satisfaction of crying out. I set my jaw and grit my teeth, screwed my eyes shut, and started running through swordsmanship drills and forms in my mind to avoid thinking about the agony I was experiencing, until the light faded and the pain subsided.

This time I didn’t collapse to the floor, but rather sunk to one knee, panting. Verdun looked at me with wide eyes, almost as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“What, was that it?” I said, looking up at him and flashing him a cheeky grin which probably scared the hell out of him. “I barely felt that at all.”

Verdun stared at me for a few seconds, then strode to the door and threw it open, calling for the guards. “Take her back to her quarters!” he ordered, pointing at me.

By that time I’d shakily gotten back to my feet and followed the guards out of the room, still smirking at the wizard.

I’d put up a brave façade in front of Verdun, but I was so weak I almost didn’t make it back to my quarters. However, I just managed not to stumble and to avoid showing my pain, until we reached the servant’s wing and the guards had left me.

After the door to the room I shared with Sylvie closed behind me I dropped to my knee again, and gasped a few times. Then slowly, unsteadily, I dragged myself to my bed, laid down without even bothering to change into my sleep clothes, closed my eyes, and fell asleep.