Chapter 10 - The Routine (Amelia)

 

We had been living at Nightshade Tavern for about six days now, and we were falling into a bit of a routine. Every morning we’d wake up and have breakfast with Katherine and or Angela, both of whom tended to spend most of their time living in and operating the actual public part of Nightshade Tavern, and then we’d go follow our magical senses to wherever Lillian was training. The locating spell that gave us a sixth sense for wherever our pact-mate was was quite useful. It meant our Mistress could always find us, and we could always find her. Amelia and I still weren’t entirely sure how we felt about that. But the idea that we’d never be truly lost and alone again was heartening.

 

Usually the spell would lead us into one of the martial combat rooms in the inner part of the tavern, where we’d find Lillian training with all sorts of easy-to-conceal weapons like daggers, throwing knives, and bolas. Or in the same archery training room I’d initially met her in, training with the bow.

 

Every day we’d greet her and then wait patiently for her to finish up. Then she’d usually ask us to join her in weapons training. She was always quick to correct our form before teaching us new drills. We were already decently proficient with most of the weapons from our life as an agent of the Crown, but Lillian demanded excellence from us, and so excellence we trained to give her.

 

After a few hours’ worth of time training with weapons, we would break to clean up and cool off, before retiring to one of the bedrooms, where Mistress Lillian would place us into an ever-deepening state of trance. Like the first two sessions, there were three parts to each hypnotic episode. An ‘induction’ that was meant to put us down into trance, a ‘body’ that was whatever lesson Lillian wanted to impart to us that day, and then an ‘awakening’ portion that helped us re-acclimate to being a person again.

 

As we learned more and more about hypnosis, it became easier and easier to let ourselves slip into trance on command. Lillian taught us how to clear the thoughts from our mind, so that the only thing we could sense was the sound of her voice. She taught us how to think in ways that made it both easier and more enjoyable for us to enter trance with her. She explained that the rapport between her and us was of paramount importance. The more we all trusted each other, the deeper and stronger we’d be able to slip into trance and submission. 

 

After five days of almost nonstop training, we got to have our first ‘lucid’ day, which Lillian told us we could spend however we liked. Essentially, it seemed, we still had a weekend in this mystical new life. 

 

After breakfast, we ended up following Katherine around for the rest of the day because she suggested it. We watched her perform her duties as the resident priestess of Hekate, which generally seemed to involve helping the people who came to see her at the little shrine to Hekate in the back of the main tavern room. There weren’t many people, but they were seemingly devout believers. I already knew that people usually came to Hekate specifically for guidance in difficult decisions and for blessings of various sorts. I saw Katherine dole out blessings of good health and good wealth, safety in upcoming journeys, and protection from harm of all sorts. It was really interesting watching her work.

 

Emily and I sat at a table in the rear of the main tavern room, near the shrine. Katherine finished up blessing a couple after helping them make some difficult decisions about their finances, then she joined us. She slid into the booth across from us like usual, and gave us a warm smile.

 

I smiled back. Goddess, she’s super cute, I thought.

 

Emily rolled her nonexistent eyes. Yeah, you bring that up literally every breakfast, she replied.

 

“So it seems you’re settling in with Lillian well, huh?” Katherine asked with a knowing smile.

 

“Ah, yeah, you could say that,” I mumbled into my glass of water.

 

“What was that?” Katherine asked.

 

Embarrassed, I nearly choked on my drink.

 

“Yes!” I exclaimed. Then, much quieter but still audible, “I mean, I’m settling in really, really well with Lillian.”

 

Katherine’s smile was distinctly satisfied. “Good,” she said.

 

“Why do you ask?” I asked curiously.

 

“Because I’m very happy with my lot in life, having Angela as my Mistress. I’m really hoping you both find what you’re looking for in Lillian. You deserve it.”

 

I bit my lip as I smiled. “Well, thank you Katherine. I’m really happy for you too, and I hope things continue to go well between you and Angela too,” I said.

 

Our companion tucked some of her gorgeous brown hair behind her ear. “If it would help, maybe I can tell you a little bit about how Angela and I started out?” she asked tentatively.

 

“Oh yes please do!” I exclaimed.

 

“Very well,” she said, settling into her seat.

 

I eagerly listened as she started telling me more about her life with Angela. The silver haired barkeep was Katherine’s dominant, and also her mentor. Angela had taught Katherine many of the priestess skills she used to serve the public today. Before coming to Nightshade Tavern, Katherine said she’d been about as far as you could get from a priestess of the goddess of magic.

 

Initially, Katherine had hated Angela for doing this to her. Apparently she wasn’t one of the willing initiates to the Order of the Lily, Angela had forcefully transformed her as she did to Ophelia. She then spent months under Angela’s supervision, and she quickly came to realize that her new life had a fair few perks compared to the old one. Now she could pursue her true interests, not just fight because that was the only thing she knew how to do. She had real choices now, and a real, much brighter future than she’d had as a marauding bandit. 

 

We asked her how she felt about it now, being forced into a new life like that. 

 

“I’m really happy, in a way that the guy I was never had been,” she said after taking a moment to think. Then, as an afterthought, she added, “Plus I don’t kill nearly as many people now, so I kinda think the world’s better off with my choosing to be Katherine.”

 

We nodded thoughtfully. “So Angela’s spell doesn’t do anything to mess with people’s minds? Like she doesn’t force you to accept the new body she’s put you in?” we asked curiously.

 

Katherine shook her head. “Nope. She’s said before that there’s no need. Either we’ll become trans men, become nonbinary, or we’ll adapt and accept womanhood. I’m one of the latter. I guess gender isn’t really a big thing to me. Also, I really do like all the fashion choices I get as a woman, and as you might have noticed, I kinda like being bubbly and happy all the time.”

 

I smiled brightly at her. “You do a great job of being bubbly and happy,” I said.

 

Emily grinned internally at me. You’re adorable, she said.

 

Katherine blushed. “Thank you,” she replied bashfully.

 

Not to interrupt you two love birds, but I’ve got another question, Emily said.

 

“What’s the point of turning people’s body’s female if they could still be just as dangerous after the process?” she asked aloud.

 

Katherine smiled. “Well, for one thing we start out physically weak, which kinda stumps most people who’ve been relying on brute strength their whole lives. And for another, this is probably the fastest way to open people’s eyes to the injustice in the world. It’s not easy to be a woman in this land, let alone a trans person. The vast majority of the people Angela turns willing join the Order by the time their probationary period ends.”

 

We sat back a little bit, parsing this. “And what does she do if the problem person is already a non-trans woman?”

 

Katherine shrugged. “Depends, sometimes she ages them back a few years or decades, to early teens. Sometimes she just throws them out of the tavern. Those kinda women are really uncommon around these parts, though.”

 

We took a sip of our water and set it back on the wood-plank table. 

 

Damn, Emily thought to me, this place really takes on all comers.

 

 “I guess that makes sense,” she said aloud.

---

Eventually Katherine had to take her leave, and we found ourselves left with free time. We wandered around the many halls of the tavern for a while, but eventually found our thoughts, and our feet, turning towards the woman who’d asked us to call her Mistress. We almost subconsciously followed the tug in our heart that led to Lillian. 

 

Do you think she’ll want to see us? Emily asked curiously.

 

Only one way to find out, I replied.

 

She was in her chambers again this time, and we knocked loudly three times. She seemed surprised to see us when she opened the door.

 

“Amelia, Emily!” Lillian said warmly, “What brings you here on your day off?”

 

“We thought maybe we could get to know each other a little better, if you’re up for it?” we asked sheepishly.

 

She raised an eyebrow, looking taken aback. “Do both of you want this?” she asked inquisitively.

 

“Yes,” we replied. 

 

“Very well, let me get myself ready. Come in and have a seat,” she said, waving us inside as she held open the door.

 

We filed obediently into her sitting room, and again took up residence on her sofa. It was made of a plush, comfortable fabric, the kind I’d expect to find in a castle rather than a tavern. But whatever, it was comfy and we liked sitting in it.

 

Do you think we’re intruding on her? I asked Emily nervously.

 

She sighed internally. She literally invited us in, I think we’re fine cutie.

 

Lillian returned moments later, clad in a simple red blouse and dark pants.

 

“Thank you for waiting,” she said, “so what was it you wanted to know about me?”

 

“Well, you told us that rapport was important right? So we thought, maybe, since we’re doing so much together already, we could get to know you on a more personal level, like as friends?” we asked hesitantly.

 

Lillian stared at us for a moment, then smiled slowly. 

 

“I suppose we could do that,” she said. “Most folks I train can’t wait to get away from me though, why do you two really want this?”

 

We gulped.

 

“Because you’re incredibly hot and we really enjoy spending time with you,” we said.

 

She laughed a beautiful, low, throaty laugh. “Honesty, I like it,” she replied, “Sure, we can try being friends.” 

 

We bounced a little in our seat from excitement. "Yay!" we exclaimed.

 

She raised an eyebrow. “So what do ‘friends’ talk about?” she asked.

 

We stopped bouncing, putting a finger to our chin in thought. “Um, well to start, what’s your favorite color?”

 

Lillian tried valiantly to hide her smile, but the corners or her mouth betrayed her. “Goddess, you’re adorable. My favorite color is the black of my victim’s pupils as they swoon under the influence of my hypnosis.”

 

A shiver went down our spine. 

 

Fuck, I said.

 

“Cute,” Emily answered confidently, “Ours is the purple at the center of your magic’s aura as you use it to wipe our worries away.”

 

Are you two flirting?, I asked incredulously.

 

I don’t have to answer that, officer, Emily replied internally.

 

Lillian was openly smirking now. “Adorable,” she said, “So did you come here to talk, or to flirt?”

 

I shoved Emily out of the way, rightfully reclaiming my throne. “We’re here to talk!” I exclaimed. “Sorry about Emily, she’s going to apologi--”

 

“There’s no need Amelia,” Lillian interrupted. “I started it, after all, and that question was just another form of flirting. At least, that’s what I intended.”

 

I blushed brightly. “Ah,” I squeaked.

 

How about we share the ‘throne’ for now? Emily asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. 

 

Sure, I thought-mumbled back.

 

“Right,” Lillian said, “how about we talk about this a bit more. Amelia, are you okay with Emily and I flirting?” 

 

I perked up upon hearing her say my name. “Yes,” I replied eagerly, “I just, we do also want to be friends! My favorite color is sunset orange. There! We’ve all shared one fact with each other. That’s like, plus three friendship!”

 

Emily groaned inwardly while Lillian chuckled. “Very, very cute,” Lillian said.

 

We spent the next few hours chatting with Lillian, and growing steadily more horny because all three of us apparently couldn’t help but flirt with each other all the time. We learned a bit about Lillian’s place of origin, which apparently was Hell but also wasn’t at all what people have come to expect from Hell. It was called Satania, and it was a ‘long way away’ from here. 

 

In return, Lillian listened as we talked about our life before we found Nightshade. The life of a middle aged spy who’d worked in the courts of three different countries before she finally found herself in this, the kingdom of Chella. She’d been searching, in secret, for ways to ease her dysphoria. Nothing in her wildest dreams could’ve prepared her for the body she’d wound up in, and the two of her couldn’t be more happy with their physical form. Except unless they could shapeshift between forms, that would maybe be a bit better, but this was pretty close to perfect!

 

Lillian smiled as we finished that last point, and said, “Perhaps we’ll include shapeshifting into our lessons sooner rather than later.”

 

Our eyes went wide. “Seriously?” we asked.

 

“I’ll see to it,” she said firmly. “In the meantime, would you care for a little casual sex while under hypnosis?”

 

“Um?” we asked in a strangled voice. “Y-yes, I think?” we said. “Is that something you do with all your friends?”

 

She laughed again. “No cuties, this is special, because you’re special. I mean, every single person I’ve ever met has been special in some way, and you shine brightly among them. But no, I wouldn’t treat anyone else quite the same way as I treat you.”

 

“We keep forgetting you can read our desires,” we said defeatedly. 

 

“I’m not hearing a no in there,” Lillian said cheekily. 

 

We shook our head. “That’s because it’s a yes, we’d like to have casual sex while under hypnosis for you,” we said, “but we can’t promise we won’t fall for you in the process.”

 

Lillian rolled her eyes. “Oh no a hot system might fall in love with me if I take control of them, how terrifying,” she teased.

 

“Just giving you a fair warning,” we said.

 

“Hmm,” Lillian said, “I don’t think I’ll be so kind.” 

 

Her right hand suddenly glowed with purple light and stretched out towards us.

 

I wanted to flinch, to pull away, but Emily bid me to stay with her, and so I did, and together we looked into the purple light while Lillian whispered, “Drop for me, pets.”

 

And we dropped.