The morning sun graced the kingdom once more. The cool breath of the North continued to descend the mountains and all the Kingdom of Luxur had been graced by the approaching embrace of Autumn, the leaves of the Kingdom changing in hue and vitality. Gilbert shivered in bed, woken by the chill. He was usually the last to be bothered by this nipping cold lasting long into the early frosts of Winter in comfort, but it appeared this year he may be the first to surrender to the shiver inducing weather. He pulled his covers close to himself, subconsciously trying to fight the cold and remain warm beneath their protection, however the efforts were insufficient as his mind lurched to action to answer the cold.

Relenting, Gilbert climbed out of his bed rubbing his arms through his night tunic to combat the cold with warm friction. It was then that he noticed something strange as his hands grasped his loose sleeves. His tailored shirt seemed noticeably larger. His fingers only barely escaped the long sleeves, and the tunic seemed to nearly fall off his shoulders which only served to make him chillier. His pants meanwhile struggled to remain upon him at all, further alerting him to his shrunken state. It happened again. Gilbert darted to his mirror to see what had happened to him while he slept.

His heart skipped a beat as he looked upon the reflection in shock. A small person stood facing him in the mirror, at least a half foot shorter of the visage he knew. While his tunic obscured his body, it was rather clear that everything about his upper body was much smaller than before, his oversized shirt draping upon him. His pants dragged on the ground indicating the same with his legs and lower body. But what caught his attention most however was his hair. His once well kempt short brown hair now dangled with flowing locks falling just above his shoulders, similar in length to the King’s, yet dissimilar as his was much fuller. And then there was his face, it seemed rounder and softer, cute even. Had he run into himself on the street, he would likely…

He gulped. “I look…” he continued to hesitate. “I almost look like…a maiden?” he whimpered in a soft and unfamiliar voice that shook with confusion. “What has…what is happening to me?” he reached his hand to the mirror, and then brought his other hand to his chest. “My chest…” his eyes grew wide as his hand pushed against his tunic and remembered what Mable had said. He had developed female breasts, and now much of his body had become small and…feminine? “Am I…?”

A sudden knock at the door jolted and derailed his thoughts. The maid!? Was it really time for them to make their rounds? What if she saw him like this!? “Master! I have your breakfast!” He rushed back into his bed to avoid the maid’s sight before she entered.

“C-come in!” he said as he pulled his covers over himself to obscure his lengthened hair and shrunken body.

“Good morning Master!” Ciri said cheerily as she entered the room. “Oh? It’s unusual to see you wrapped up from the cold so early in the year,” she mused as she placed his food on his table. “It is rather chilly this morning. I’ll see if I can request a heater lamp for you later.”

“Um…Ciri?” he said timidly.

“Master? What is the matter? You sound strange?” Ciri asked, noting his seemingly higher voice with a concerned tone.

“I am…not feeling well. Could you cancel my appointments today?” He said, trying to force as much depth and gravel into his voice. What was this feeling? He felt like crying as he asked Ciri for her help. Was this shame? Was this fear? What would happen if she found out? He trembled at the thought. These sensations were strange and unfamiliar and quite unsettling. The stability of the knightly persona of the ‘Pretty Prince,’ seemingly an eternity away as the anxiety seemed to multiply by the moment.

“I’ll see what I can do, if you need a doctor, I can fetch…”

“Please no!” Gilbert yelped, the covers pulling away from his head.

“Master, you…your face…your hair and…” she stammered. She was beyond perplexed. This was her Master, was it not? She could not help but question that at this moment.

“P-please. I beg of you, do not tell anyone,” he began to cry. The dam on the emotions he had been feeling finally overtaking him as tears flooded down his face. He held his head as he began to cry. This was not who he was supposed to be. Why was this happening to him?

“M-master,” she hesitated. She took a deep breath and approached with a kind and warm smile. “Please do not fret. Although I may not understand what has happened, I remain at your service. So, please fear not, I am here to help you,” Ciri said with a familiar gentle and confident warmth, her right hand elegantly resting upon her frilled chest, as she bowed. Her deep gentle dark brown eyes and smile were an incredible comfort to him as her long black ponytail fell over her shoulder. Desperate and afraid he leaned forward to hug her and began to cry on her shoulder. He clung to her for several minutes until his tears began to slow at last.

“Oh, Ciri, thank you. Thank you so much,” he said, his small voice still trembling as he tried to regain his composure, his tears slowly easing to a halt. He rested his head for a moment more as he held onto her, her presence soothing his enflamed emotions.

“There, there, Master,” she said as she pet him. They remained still for another long moment before Ciri spoke up once more. “Unfortunately, I cannot stay,” she lifted Gilbert’s head up and looked at him retaining a gentle smile. “I have other matters I need to attend to, and you have a breakfast to eat,” she said playfully. “I’ll be back soon, so if you need anything, let me know.”

“Thank you Ciri,” he said, a bit of cheer returning to his voice as he returned her kindness with a smile of his own. “Oh! Could I ask a favor of you first though?”

“Hmm?”

“Could you ask Xenia to come here? I would like to speak with her,” he asked pleadingly.

“Of course, Master, I shall do so as soon as I am able.”

After Ciri left, Gilbert sat on his bed and took the moment to breath before redirecting his attention to his desk. He was rather hungry, and there was not much else to do, or at least nothing he was ready to do yet. His stomach even gave a growl, calling out for food. He gave a small chuckle and got up from the bed.

Gilbert sat at his desk and began to eat the breakfast that Ciri had brought, briefly taking note of how much lower he sat in his chair than usual and how his legs now hovered slightly above the ground, but the delectable food in front of him distracted him from lingering on such thoughts. A sausage gravy with biscuits and an apple tart. He always enjoyed the savory sausage and sweet tart together. It was one of his favorite breakfast meals, and today it was particularly delicious, the textures and typical seasonings standing out more than usual, the only blessing on this harsh morning. He took his time enjoying it, choosing to read a bit as he ate to take his mind off matters, choosing to read about the history of the North. The politics of the North tended to deal with the dracna and the church’s power struggles as they both commanded great strength and respect in the area, being known for their strength and formidable resolves. As he read about the fascinating intricacies of Northern politics, he took a bite of his apple tart. He particularly appreciated its sweetness this morning, the tarts were always so delectable, though he often tried to abstain, often feeling at odds with his enjoyment, but today he needed the pick me up. As he finished, he rested his hand on his stomach and let out a happy sigh. However, as he sat there, he realized how smooth his stomach felt now. He realized that he had not seen beneath his tunic and pants yet, his subsiding panic giving way to an ample curiosity.

He approached the mirror once more. While he was still quite anxious, he was no longer as dazed and panicked as he was earlier, possibly due to the food, or perhaps due to the comforting touch of Ciri. Besides, this was a bridge he would have to cross at some point anyway. He mentally prepared himself, grasping his tunic as he took a breath, and began to remove his shirt.

His body was far away from his former detailed musculature he had a week earlier, nor was it the flat untoned form it was a couple of days prior. No, instead his abdomen overtly curved inward around his waist and flared outward at his hips. His arms were similarly smooth and dainty, and his breasts had enlarged slightly once more, becoming supple mounds large enough to cup in his hands, only furthering his now curving silhouette. He instinctively pulled his fist to his face as he blushed. He hated to admit it, but he was not just feminine, rather he was evidently a girl in form. There was no mistaking that at this point.

As his mind began to wander towards his lower half, he heard a knock at the door. “Gilbert, tis I, Xenia. Ciri said you wanted to see me?” Xenia had finally arrived, which made him happy.

He paused for a second and took a breath, trying to mentally prepare himself. “Come in!” he answered. Perhaps he did not mind her seeing him half naked, or perhaps his mind was too distracted to fully consider what he was doing. Regardless of his reasoning it may not have been the best idea as Xenia began to turn his door’s handle.

The door handle rocked and opened, Xenia stepping inside, her brilliantly long-sleeved red nightgown flowing in behind her. “Ciri said I would understand when I…” she started then stopped upon seeing her brother. Gilbert’s face was covered in a bright blush as her eyes grew wide. “Gilbert? Is that really you?”

“It is sister. I am Gilbert,” he said solemnly with his new soft tones. He looked at the mirror once more. “Although, even I can hardly tell that by looking at myself anymore.”

“Y-you… I am certain we can…”

“Sister look at me!” he exclaimed. Perhaps it was closer to a shriek. “This body. This is not the body of a man. I have been trying to avoid it, but I do not think I can any longer,” he said, his small high voice calming with resignation, taking a very direct and lamenting tone.

“Gil…” Xenia whispered.

“Sister be honest with me. When you look at me, do you see a man? Or do you see a girl?” he continued, his attempted calm voice cracking as soft tears began to roll down his soft reddened cheeks, his fist clenching the tunic to his chest.

“I am so sorry Gil. I know not what to say,” Xenia’s voice had quieted to a somber whisper. They remained quiet for a moment, Xenia approaching the bed to sit out of her distress. Xenia struggled to look at Gilbert, while Gilbert held his arm as if wounded, his gaze descending to the floor.

Suddenly, a knock sounded from the door, alarming the two of them. “Gilbert? It’s Aria! You weren’t at practice yesterday or this morning, so your Captain asked me to come check on you,” Aria’s voice sounded from behind the door, thick with concern. “Are you alright in there?”

Xenia stood up and darted to Gilbert. “Gilbert what do we do!? If Aria sees you like this…,” she attempted to whisper.

“Gilbert, is someone else in there with you?” Aria asked, likely hearing Xenia’s panicked whispers. Xenia’s voice carried too well to evade Aria’s ears evidently.

Gilbert sighed, putting back on his ill-fitting tunic, and then wiped his tears onto the long sleeves he was gripping. “Xenia, would you please let her in? I do not believe I can hide from her.”

Xenia looked at him, mouth agape. She tried to muster an objection, but instead let out a sigh as she quieted it. “I suppose you are right. She is not the type to leave you alone, especially if you are unwell.” Xenia walked to the door and placed her hand on the knob before looking back at Gilbert. He nodded to her. How was she going to explain this? She nodded reluctantly in return and faced the door, turning the doorknob and opening it.

“Princess Xenia? What are you doing in Gilbert’s room?” Aria asked surprised.

“You will understand in a moment, but please, do step inside,” she stepped out of the way and let Aria in.

Aria stepped forward with suspicion in her blue eyes, and began to survey the room from right to left. She spied Gilbert’s empty desk, his bed, his wardrobe, an unfamiliar girl, a mirror on the side wall, a large cabinet obscuring…, a…a girl? She blinked and then blushed. What was this sensation? “W-who is she? Why is she in the Prince’s room!?”

“Aria, tis me,” Gilbert said, once again holding his arm this time out of embarrassment as he stepped forward, “Gilbert.”

Aria’s eyes went wide with confusion as she processed what the girl had just said. She was Gilbert? How was that possible? She looked at Xenia beggingly. “He speaks the truth. He has been undergoing some, er… changes,” she said as Aria’s scanning eyes gravitated towards his chest.

“Ahhhh…I… uh… I can see that,” she said, her blushing intensifying as she looked him over, evidently flustered.

“C-can you not look at me like that? Tis frightening me,” he said meekly, his eyes looking to the side.

“Oh! Of course. I apologize,” Aria coughed, burying the sudden thoughts occurring to her. “This is just... How is this possible? You looked normal a couple of days ago. Now you look…” she inquired concernedly.

“We are uncertain. Even Mable was stumped when we visited her yesterday. Although, admittedly he did not look like this then either,” Xenia explained

Gilbert moved toward his bed and sat down, looking up at Aria. “I…I will do my best to explain,” he began. “I started feeling strange about a week ago. A little tired and simply felt off. My weariness continued until a couple days ago, when it suddenly began to develop beyond my comprehension.”

“A couple days ago?” Aria asked. “But when I saw you the other night, you seemed well enough.”

“You caught me as I was trying to get back to my room, but I had already begun to change at that point. Although my clothes managed to mask it,” Gilbert continued, “my muscles had all but vanished, and my chest it…err…started to swell. I asked Xenia to look me over, which was when she proposed seeing Mable. You saw me just after that.”

“He is telling the truth,” Xenia corroborated. “I do not think I would have believed him had I not…seen for myself.”

“Gilbert…” Aria looked at him with sad pleading eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?” she asked, her knightly visage giving way as she looked at him with a frustrated pout.

“I did not want to worry you,” he explained. “And like sister said, yesterday I still looked like myself. But, when I woke up this morning, I looked like this, like a girl,” he said, holding his hands together.

“I’m so sorry this is happening to you,” Aria comforted him. “I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you.”

“Tis not your fault,” he said reassuringly. “And thank you. I was actually kind of afraid of how you would react.”

“Oh, Gilly, you’re my friend. I won’t give up on you just because you look different. I am also your royal knight, still in training perhaps, but I intend to stay by your side,” Aria said, her eyes shining with determination.

“Just remember to keep up on your training Aria. You show promise and are well on your way to knighthood, but you still have plenty of room to improve before you become a proper knight,” Xenia teased her.

“Oh, sister, are you feeling a little protective of me now?” Gil giggled, the two gave a surprised look at him before relaxing into a chuckle of their own. He looked at them, doe eyed and confused by their abrupt laughter.

“I am allowed that much given the situation,” Xenia said, patting Gil on the head. They all giggled a bit more. “It has been a while though. Since we got to act like this I mean.”

“Yeah, the past several years we’ve all been so busy. I’ve been training, Xenia got a lot more responsibilities, and Gil started training himself,” Aria reminisced. “It’s been really busy.”

“I have missed such times,” Gilbert smiled.

“Yeah,” Aria nodded. “I miss them too. I remember when both of us were little, we would play with Xenia, Aurith, and Lillia, even Mable too. It was so much fun. I think it was around then that I convinced my father to let me train to be a knight,” she laughed.

“Tis a shame that sister’s duties expanded so rapidly. I think it was about six years ago when she started becoming so preoccupied, and Aurith followed suit not long after that,” Gilbert frowned.

“And then Lillia was sent to train at the church after that. It sure has gotten lonely. Even Mable retreated a lot,” Xenia let out a saddened sighed.

The three sat in quiet silence for a moment as they reflected upon the past, finding themselves all sitting upon Gilbert’s bed. They shared a few anecdotes of their past adventures, but the uneasy silence would sneak back in, pervading the room, until at last Aria turned to face Gilbert.

“So, uh…Gil?” Aria asked hesitantly.

“Hmm?” he looked at her with his big eyes, they almost seemed more innocent for some reason, but Aria refused to comment on that now.

“What do you want to do now?”

“You mean aside from curl up and hope for this to be over tomorrow?” he said dejectedly. Aria and Xenia were quiet as they attempted to figure out something to say. “I think,” he continued. “I think I should speak with father.”

“You cannot be serious!” Xenia jumped. “He is going to be furious.”

“I know. But I do not believe I can run from this. I just have to hope that father knows something that can help me,” he said hopefully. “After all, he has so much power and knowledge, maybe he can figure something out. Meanwhile, I cannot figure out anything else on my own, and I doubt Mable would know anything more.”

“Gilbert…” Aria said softly as she reached and stroked his hair, noticing how much softer it had become. “Don’t worry Princess Xenia. Gil will have the two of us after all,” she said with emboldened resolve.

Xenia chuckled from her flagrant confidence. “Yes, that is true,” she chuckled with the other two a bit in relief. “Well then, I suppose I should go and discuss this with father.”

“That will not be necessary my lady,” a voice replied, the door opening once more to reveal Ciri as she returned. She elegantly stepped into the room with her typical grace. “You can leave that matter to me. It is my duty as the young master’s maid to do so. Although, I believe I should discuss the procedure with you Princess.”

“Thank you Ciri. I am certain father will grant an audience with you being the one to ask,” Xenia praised the maid.

“At any rate, tomorrow shall be a long day, so I must ask that we allow Master the time to rest. I shall attend to anything else that is required for tomorrow,” Ciri’s professional energy had them all in agreement. She was masterful at getting others to agree, and with her cool patience and diligence, it was apparent why.

“Alright, goodnight Gilbert. We will speak to father tomorrow. Until then be sure to rest up. I’m certain it will be a long day,” Xenia warned him.

“Later Gil. I’ll be there for you too, tomorrow,” Aria said confidently. “As your knight, I’ll be by your side.”

“Alright, but a reminder, you will remain on the sidelines of the court, so do be certain not to cause a scene,” Xenia chided her as Ciri gave a quiet giggle.

“Er…before you leave Aria. I have a favor for you,” Gilbert said, as Aria headed out the door.