When I wake up I notice that I'm not in the carriage anymore...things are now very quiet and I don't feel the rocking sensation.

I rub my eyes and then notice that I'm lying on a bed with a single blanket loosely on top of me. This means that someone must have put me here. For a moment it looked like I had returned to Earth. There are curtains in front of two windows, keeping the sunlight out of this bedroom, but not all of it.

So the room isn't completely dark. The bed isn't anything like Nora's either. It's a proper wooden bed. Two potted plants stand guard near the door and a painting of flowers decorate the wall left to me. There's even a small desk and a standing mirror, so I guess we are more in the late 1800s than in early ones. It almost looks like home....almost.

But before I can leave the bed, I see the door open without producing any noise. Someone very carefully looks inside and sees that I'm now sitting up straight in bed.

 

"Oh, you're awake!" a female voice said, but not with too much volume. She walks inside and I see she's wearing a proper maid's uniform. Looks very professional, I almost feel out of place with my "wild" dress. Eh...make that without a dress...because I'm not wearing it. It is folded over a chair.

I quickly put the blanket around my upper body. "Yes, I'm awake alright. Do you know...."

"What happened?" She walks over to the window and gently opens a curtain to let more sunlight in. She then walks over to me and smiles. 

I nod. That's exactly what I wanted to ask.

"You lost consciousness in the carriage. The Princess was quite worried about you, thinking that the impressions of the carriage ride might be too much for you."

Somehow I doubt it. The Princess definitely understands that I'm from Earth now, after reminding her of it a few times. Must be some miscommunication...better stay polite.

"Eh...I don't think so, I just suddenly felt extremely exhausted."

"Ah, that's right. Miss Levia told me that you had mana exhaustion too. She has this skill where she can see what's wrong with someone. Don't know what it's called, but she managed to calm the Princess."

"Mana...exhaustion? Mmm....I did use a lot of energy to kill those Goblins. Anyway, I'm happy I'm feeling normal again."

"I can imagine that, Miss Sasami. Hey! Where are you going?" The maid asked.

I jumped out of bed, feeling well rested and wanted to get dressed again. I mean, the dress is right over there, isn't it? "Eh...I want to get dressed....I can't walk around this place in my underwear, right?"

"No...you're very correct, but I've been asked to help you take a nice relaxing hot bath and then change into something.....more appropriate for wearing in the Palace."

My dress might be crude to their standards, but it was given by friends. I don't really like her reply, but let's not comment on that. I'm sure she didn't mean it like that.

"So...this is the Palace then?"

"Yes, Miss," she said while folding my dress, making sure I had no way of taking it from her.

"Eh....would you please just call me Sasami? I'm not really one for formality."

"Excellent! Same here. Then call me Celeste if you will."

"Okay, Celeste, nice to meet you!"

"Likewise, Sasami. Are you ready for a hot bath?"

"Eh....sure? If it's not too much trouble?"

"Ha ha ha, you are too modest. It's still early in the afternoon. You will meet the royal family for a refreshing cup of tea after you have finished bathing." She adjusts the blanket around me and gently pushes me towards the hallway. "It's at the end of the corridor, to the left. I'll be there in a minute."

"Okay...." Great, I like tea parties. Not. Too formal for me. I'm more of a coffee and donut type of girl, but let's not go there. 

 

So....here I am....a Fairy woman.....in a real Palace. Only wearing Wild Fairy underwear underneath a blanket, walking barefoot with an empty stomach, longing for some spicy Goblin meat. Never thought I would ever say these words in the same sentence.

The corridor doesn't give me that medieval castle type of vibe. Instead it feels very well maintained. Dark well-polished wooden floors with a very long, seemingly unending, fancy crimson carpet. A small side table carries a potted plant and the occasional floral painting livens up the otherwise pure white walls. A single expensive looking chandelier must be sufficient to light up this place at night. No candles to be seen anywhere though, and I somehow doubt they use electricity here.

A small window at the end of the corridor looks out into the city. It seems they built the Palace close to the city center. Usually they are further away, surrounded by beautiful gardens. Oh, I now notice there actually are gardens, but they are...compact. Not the park I had expected, but still quite nice. 

The weather is still nice too. It's sunny and a few white clouds enhance the isekai feeling I'm already having since meeting the Princess. In the distance I see a tall mountain with a snow covered peak.

I wonder....do they have dragons th... "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"  

The impossible just happened, a giant just walked by the Palace! And even more of them! Where the heck did they just come from? I instinctively hide below the window and curl up, making myself as small as possible to prevent detection. Did they see me?

"Ha ha ha.....It's okay Sasami. Really. They're only Kitsune. They're just people. We fairies live in their city as friends." She kneels next to me and gives me a quick hug when she notices that I'm still shivering. They really scared the bejeebies out of me!

I look up at her and see her smile. 

"Are you ready to take another look?" She asks after releasing the hug.

I nodded and once more I looked outside and realized that the giants indeed look like fox people. All of them look like humans but with fox tails and fox ears. And now I'm a Fairy. I suddenly understand just how intimidating humans must look for Fairies now. These Kitsune are huge compared to us mere Fairies!

Now that I'm standing again, I feel a bit silly. "Sorry...they just startled me."

"Don't worry, they really are big, aren't they?"  She opens the bathroom door and motions for me to follow her inside.

 

Inside the bathroom I see the epitome of luxury. Sparkling white, squeaky clean tiles with floral patterns are all around me. A little window is near the ceiling so nobody has to worry about privacy. I wonder how they open it though. Ah...duh...they can fly.

A white bathtub sits in the center of the room. It rests on four lion-like paws and the same crest as on the carriage can be seen from the side. There's even a rather sizable plant to my left, no idea why someone wants to have that in their bathroom, but who am I to judge? A more compact chandelier is lighting up the place like a modern LED light. A rack with many neatly folded fluffy looking towels tells me that I'll be able to dry myself off in a more Earth-like fashion. The room is nice and warm, but then again it's summer outside. There are of course no carpets here, but standing barefoot on the tiles isn't uncomfortable at all.

Celeste seems to enjoy me taking in the sights. She walks to a cabinet and slides open a door to fetch some soap it seems.

"No, I need that, give me the blanket, please."  Celeste asked. Or rather demanded, because she simply pulled it out of my hands.

"Now now...don't feel ashamed, it's just us girls here."

And here I am...blushing while I'm standing in nothing but my underwear in the Palace's bathroom with a maid who seems to enjoy me feeling awkward. She turns a knob and sure enough water starts flowing into the bath. These people seem to have actual plumbing! I guess they are a bit more advanced than I gave them credit for.

She must have many years of experience with these matters as she made a move like a ninja and removed my underwear in a split second. I don't know how to cover my body with my hands, making all kinds of wild gestures, but Celeste only laughs at my antics.

It took a few seconds before I could reply "wa...what's that supposed to mean? I can bathe myself, you know!"

"I know you can, dear. But you're a young guest in the Palace. Their majesties feel like you should get a bit of help and at least once in a life experience a proper bath and be treated like a royal yourself. Yes, yes, I know that look. The royals are always bathed by their attendants, and so will you."

"But...but..."  I can't even speak properly anymore. I'm beyond blushing, I must be red all over by now.

"No dear, just relax and let me do the work. You're their guest and I'm used to this, so don't feel upset, alright?"

Great, they think I'm only 16 and can't even wash myself. Whatever, okay, I surrender. Let's get this over with.
The bath is almost full, so the moment Celeste turns around to fetch something, I slowly enter the bath. It's cold, but nothing I can't handle with the cold resistance skill I received.

Celeste turns around and opens her mouth wide, letting the soap bar fall from her right hand. I stand up and want to help her, but then realize I'm in my birthday suit and quickly sit down again...because she's not hurt or anything like that.

"Bu...bu..but how..? Sasami....it's too cold! I still have to use the heater!"

"Huh?" Is all I can say while following her glance and see her pointing at a crystal behind me. Don't ask me what or how. Never seen that before. I thought it was for decoration?

"The water, Sasami! Please get out, it's not good for you to bathe like that. You'll get a cold!"

"Celeste, I'm used to this. So....no problem?"

"By the gods....you really are a Wild one, aren't you? Here let me at least warm it up a little, if only for my own conscience." She touched the crystal and it started glowing and even a bit of humming can be heard.

And sure enough, the water is getting warmer...fast.

Celeste notices that I'm getting uncomfortable and quickly stops it. 

"There...is this...acceptable?"

"Uh huh..nice and warm. I can really feel my body absorbing the heat....wonderful."

"Sasami...it's barely lukewarm. But okay, I trust you. My dear gods, you are something special alright. But anyway....you were actually supposed to use this soap on your skin...wash it off over there....and THEN relax in the bath.."

"Eh....oh. Oops. So....should I....?"

"No no, it's okay for now. Just, please remember for next time."

After this awkwardness, she started soaping my arms and legs, almost making me lose my balance in the tub. The hairwash was incredible! She massaged my hair and carefully used some kind of shampoo. I loved every moment of this! And it smells nice too! Strawberries I think. 

Getting water in my ears was not a pleasant experience, but it was my own fault for not relaxing. When I'm restless, I noticed this before, my ears are having their own life, moving and twitching. But this movement caused a few drops of water to enter my fluffy ears. Water which somehow does feel cold up there, but not anywhere on my skin. It made me shiver, which in turn made Celeste laugh. At least she has a good time. I'll try to bathe myself next time, this is way too unnerving for me. 

After finishing my bathing session, she put a towel on the floor for me to stand on. But on my request she helped me dry my ears first. God, those were itching like crazy!

She then dried me off gently with those soft towels. My tail is a mess however. It looks like I'm dragging a wild cat on my rear end. She must have noticed my worried look and said "don't worry, you're not the only one with a tail, see?" 

Right, I forgot, Celeste's also a Cat-kin Fairy. She suddenly lifts off and opens the bathroom window to let some fresh air inside and get the moisture out.

She then carefully dried my tail, and now I understand why she was careful about that. It's sensitive....very sensitive. Everytime she fluffed my tail with a towel I got goosebumps. 

Up next were my wings. She used another towel for those, more like a handkerchief kind of towel. Large, but very thin. I can't believe it, but my wings seem to "feel" too. I feel every touch, but Celeste really seems a pro in these matters. However, I must say that I prefer my Clan's methods. Just bathe, and dry off using a skill. Simple, efficient, effective. And much less awkward. I'd better not get used to this luxury.

"There, you're dry. The Queen has instructed us to provide you with fresh underwear, so....how about trying this on?"

She actually held panties and a bra in front of me as if it were the most normal thing to do. I'm not blushing! Just....warm from the drying off!

The underwear has a very light, blueish color, almost white. Little ribbons are attached to the sides, making them seem....expensive. Or royal. Probably both. 
When she realizes that I'm not saying anything, she simply holds them near me and sees if they'll fit. I assume they are okay because she simply taps my left leg, indicating to step inside the panties.

And before I know it I'm wearing royal panties and a genuine Earth-style bra. Not those like Nora provided me with, which were just "functional." These however are....pretty. Oh god, I can't even believe I'm saying this, I really am a girl aren't I?

"Sasami? Are you okay?" She brought my thoughts back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I was just surprised about how eh...pretty they are."

"I can't believe how modest you are. These are just standard, everyday underwear. Well, they seem to fit well enough. How's the bra?"

"Eh...a bit..weird...but I guess it's comfortable?"

"That's good enough for me. Just ask me if you need help." She then opens another cabinet, revealing a large standing mirror. It was conveniently hidden to prevent it from fogging up.

Finally I see the real me. Sure, the goddess showed me my reflection...but this.....this is the real Sasami on Tallara. No, I'm not going to cry, but I might still later. This is exactly what I have alway dreamed of becoming. And now I'm her. She's me. I'm feeling a bit emotional right now....I can't seem to stop that.

"Sasami...are.....are you really okay?"

"Huh? Eh...<sniff> yeah....just the first time seeing my reflection like this. Oof." She suddenly embraced me...forcefully....but only for a moment.

"Honey, I know about.....stuff. The Princess told me. Just....know that I will keep your secret safe." She looks like mom did, long ago. Caring, loving....just mom.

So....I guess I told them too much during the carriage ride. I thought I had hidden my emotions pretty well...
"You...you knew? Oh my god." I try to hide my face behind my hands, but soon realize that it's a futile attempt.

"Shhh, don't worry about it. Let's get you properly dressed, okay?" 

While I'm still figuring out what to say, she puts some kind of weird white non-fluffy towel thingy around my waist. What the heck is that thing for?

"Hold still, will you?" Celeste pulls a cord from behind my back and instantly cuts off the air from my lungs. 

I gesture wildly that it's too tight and she releases it immediately.

"Sorry, that was too tight, huh? Better like this?"

"Ouch.....yeah. But what...what is that contraption? Please tell me it isn't a torture device?"

"A torture device? Ha ha ha....might as well be! That's the benefit of being a woman, you get to wear these torture devices ha ha ha. No, this is just a corset."

"JUST a corset? My god, please, can't we get rid of this? I mean, why would I even need one?"

"Well, I have to admit you don't need one to look....eh.....prettier, but people expect to see one. It's like.....noticing you're not wearing a bra. Or....no, even better, like you're not wearing shoes outside!"

"Oh...well....if I really have to. And if you can PLEASE loosen it a bit....I'll play ball, okay?"

"Play...ball? Whatever, I think I understand what you mean. There...is that better?"

I take a deep breath "yeah...MUCH better. Thank you, Celeste."

"Very good, but now we have to move a bit faster, it must be nearing tea time. Can't have the royal family wait, now can we?"

"Eh....no."

She then helped me into a peach colored summer dress. The 16 year old girl in the mirror now looks like a Princess herself. Celeste had already figured out that the Princess and I have roughly the same shoe size. Apparently the dress is hers too and she agreed to lend them to me. After brushing my hair.....and tail....I'm all ready to leave the room.

She grabs my arm and asks "wait...where do you think you're going, huh?"

"Eh...to the....tea....thing?"

"Tearoom. And no, not like that. You still need to put some makeup on."

"No Celeste, that's where I draw the line. Sorry. I played along and let you dress me up. But this Wild Fairy can't take any more of this royal stuff. Again, sorry."

"Oh....well if anyone asks..."

"Yes yes...just blame me, okay?"

"Very well, your highness."

"Oh c'mon, I didn't mean it like that!"

"I know, Sasami. Just having some fun. And please know that the royal family are also just Fairies. Only when people come and visit will they act more eh...royal..I guess? So don't worry."

"Thanks, that's very reassuring. I was quite....nervous."

"Yes, I know....because you haven't realized that you're supposed to be wearing shoes...have you?"

Of course...I need to wear those under this dress. Silly me. Honestly, I'm longing for my Clan already. Everything's much simpler there. I wonder how they are. Will they miss me?

Celeste motions for me to sit down and then helps me put on the shoes. These white shoes are the ones every girl can only dream of....expensive....very elegant.....but unfortunately...they have heels....
Never was one for heels...but something tells me Celeste is not going to budge on this one.  
She adjusts a strap on the shoes and then it seems to form a perfect fit. 

Well, at least they really do look good on my feet, at least in the mirror. 

"Alright, now you're ready. Please follow me down."

"D...down?" I'm still sitting, not even knowing how to walk on these life threatening shoes.

"Huh?" Celeste seems surprised about my reaction. She looks back and sees that I'm still sitting. "Well of course, just down the stairs and we'll be there. So don't worry."

Okay. Sure. I can do this. Not....

The moment I tried to stand on these heels, I regretted doing so. Lucky for me Celeste was there to catch me, or I would have hit my head against the bathtub by now.

She's laughing very loudly by now. "Ha ha ha ha! I'm sorry, dear. I know...I know....you really were a man until recently, weren't you? Just look at you! Ha ha ha."

That hurt....a lot. Can't suppress tears building up. 

"Awwww, please don't cry. I didn't mean it like that. Trust me, Miss Sasami, I will help you. You have to get used to wearing those eventually anyway."

"Celeste....please have mercy on me. I won't stay here forever, remember? Don't you have something more convenient for me? Or just give me back my sandals!"

"No, no, trust me. I'll be there every step. The best way to learn is by walking on them. By the time you have arrived downstairs, you won't have any issues anymore."

"Really?"

"Yep."  

I could swear I heard her say something else. And did she just cross her fingers? Nah, it must be my imagination.