I cringed as we walked up yet another flight of steps for the third time today. As we walked farther onto the second floor, I wondered how many more I would have to tread before my little exploration outing concluded. I dreaded going back to my private quarters. Instead, we would need to go back to the top floor levels. I figured there were several routes to the Queen’s Keep from the castle’s interior. I wanted to explore as much as possible before we needed to access that part of the castle.

 

“My Queen, know that 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 when you have settled in. With her, you can choose from a pool of candidates you want to serve in the castle. Then, of course, you may hire other candidates. They do not have to come from a pool of candidates who have the administrator pre-screened. It is at your discretion, my Queen. You are privy to decide how the guards and knights who work inside will behave outside the General at Arms. However, those working directly in these castle walls must be female. Outside of the castle and other parts 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 said, 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 said.

 

“Eulalia, we cannot recommend those who we know personally! It would not be our place,” Leonita said as she clasped 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 affirmed with a confidence I had not noticed in her.

 

“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 them. Worse, our Queen would need to travel to them. Especially if they are in the service of another!” Leonita said.

 

I could tell both women felt strongly about the matter. Eulalia wanted me to meet the people she held dear to her and Leonita. However, Leonita feared it would cause a ruckus if I were to choose candidates from another court. All of this made 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 could do is bring you all together in one place. Regardless of the effort it would take to do so. I want the both of you to be happy,” I said as I clutched their arms.

 

“Oh, thank you, my Queen. They will be so excited to hear the news,” Eulalia said.

 

“Eulalia, it could take months to send word to them. But I am happy. Now, you just have to be that confident and outspoken with everything else,” Leonita said in a cheerful tone.

 

“Leonita, I-I… I am confident!” she answered in a high squeaky voice. I looked at her, and her face was a rose tomato color.

 

She looked as if she was about to burst with embarrassment. I wrapped 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 said as I rubbed her lower back.

 

She jumped when my hand groped her bottom.

 

“My Queen, the soldiers are behind us!” Eulalia blurted.

 

I leaned in closer to her.

 

“I know, right? Aren’t the soldiers cute?” I whispered in her ear.

 

She jumped at my words.

 

“I would never, my Queen. I-I… I-I… I am yours, my Q-Queen. I would never lay with another!” Eulalia spoke as she turned to me. The three of us stopped with our escorts ten steps behind us. The fire in her eyes burned.

 

I reached out, grabbed her waist, and pulled her closer.

 

“I know… I know… You have not been with a male, and I assumed you would enjoy their company… I mean, we would all enjoy their company,” I said as I rested my head on hers. Leonita hugged 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 said as she made a sad expression.

 

“Oh… Oh…,” I said in a stunned voice.

 

“You didn’t know, my Queen?” Leonita asked worriedly.

 

“Oh, no… No… No… That’s not what I am concerned with. I-I… I-I can’t believe I even considered fucking a male. Oh, God… this body… This female body is taking over my senses. Am I developing a craving for men?” I said, 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. 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 the 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. Although my Queen. Only those you deem worthy shall lay with you. Keep this in mind when you deal with them privately. They must assuredly want to lie with you. Please, my Queen. Remember, powerful men, strive for what they cannot have,” Leonita said seriously.

 

“Gosh, I did not know I would be on the menu for such men,” I whispered.

 

“It is the fate of the Virgin Queens. Only through them can Sidra become united again! Eulalia said.

 

“You literally fucking mean my sisters and me !” I exclaimed.

 

“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,” Leontia replied.

 

“Oh, what other solution could there be… wait, don’t answer that, please,” I said as a thought popped into my head.

 

“That would be for the best,” Eulalia added.

 

“Well, I have no choice in the matter, don’t I?” I said, sighing.

 

My sisters and I had to handpick hundreds of guards and knights. Not to mention the other various servants working within Castle grounds. I didn’t enjoy having to call all the workers’ servants. Maybe we should change that once we get a handle on things here. We stopped in front of another massive set of metal double doors. Taking a look at either side of the double doors. We stood at a cross-section, a long and wide perpendicular hallway stretched in both directions.

 

“My Queen, we have arrived at the entrance to the throne room!” Leonita said, smiling as she stood to the side.

 

Diethard and Gottwald walked past us, and we watched them push the doors open. A whoosh of air passed over us as the grand throne room opened. The sight before us felt in no compression of how I had felt earlier. The enormous chamber seemed more vast than it had before. I had entered through another passageway with Lady Constance. The sheer awe of the throne room is what everyone else experienced when they entered this sacred space. For a moment, I understood why Bardos and Barrios had approached me in such a powerful way. From their point of view and where I stood, my sisters and I were the sources of power. Standing there in front of the throne with the sheer dress I wore and how the lighting would bounce off my body. Even with me sitting in the center throne chair, it would have intimidated anyone who gazed upon me. Everyone in the grand throne room would have been able to admire every detail of my body, even those who spectate from the back. My body would have shimmered as I moved about like a shining sun. But, 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. Like those before, the walk to the thrones was an ever-long one. It seemed like it could take one forever to reach the throne’s steps. Large pillars marked each row of the cathedral-like chamber. Stone and marble pew benches seemed as long as a football field on either side of the massive pillars. The many rows seemed to go on forever, and I felt as if every citizen of Sidra had a seat in this vast throne room. The vaulted ceilings rise above the stone and marble pews held by gigantic pillars.

 

Enormous chandeliers swing slightly above us as we are saturated deeper and closer to the thrones. As I looked to either side, I could see more pews. I looked back to notice two more metal double doors and a walkway to the front of the throne room. There were five columns of pews. Large tall, expansive double-arched windows stretched from the floor to the ceiling lined the stone walls to either side of the throne room. Blue, gold, and silver-stained windows let in bright light. Queens from the past were depicted in each. It was overwhelming to be in the throne room because of its sheer grandeur and epic feel. ‘How could a medieval society build such a profaned chamber?’ The closer we got to the tiered steps to the three-stone thrones, the more I felt how important my position was. The people of the land revered their Fated Queens, and I happened to be one of them. ‘What did that mean? How could I live up to these people’s expectations?’ As we reached the steps of the thrones, the power of where I stood earlier became clear. It was not 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 stood where they did, I realized how I would appear to them. ‘Had I inadvertently captured 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 knew the answer to the question. I would behave the same, maybe not as blatant as them, but such a Queen would steal my heart. As we ascended the steps to the thrones, I knew they both made their minds up before they even saw me. Leonita walked in front of Eulalia and me. She pointed to the middle throne. The place where I would sit for many such ceremonies as I had attended earlier.

 

“As you know, my Queen. The middle throne is yours. As is customary for the middle-born Queen,” Leonita said as she bowed before me.

 

Metal clanked behind me as Diethard and Gottwald saluted.

____

We fritter away the rest of the time, exploring the Castle's hallways. Inside were tons of people going about their daily business. We walked casually through the halls, and guards, knights, and servants passed us. All eyes lingered on my party and me. Everyone literally regarded me with kin interest. It was like disbelief gripped them, and they were star-struck simultaneously. Whisperers floated on the air as my party set about our business. The contrast between the Queen's Keep's emptiness and the Sidran castle's busy feel puzzled me. There were a lot of people in this place. My mind was filled with their words. I found it mildly embarrassing and strange. The amount of attention I received was unprecedented. ‘Was it because I was attractive in their eyes or because I was a Royal? They've seen other Royals before, right?’ I devoted the next few hours exploring the Castle. It was far more extensive than I had realized. This was a grand palace, not a castle at all. There seemed to be over one hundred fifty floors of the Sidran castle. Not counting the basement. ‘They would probably call it a dungeon, right?’

 

There was a massive city surrounding Sidran castle. They called it Aveline. I heard the name of the City as we passed several prestigious-looking soldiers while I took in everything. It felt no different from roaming the halls of my high school back home. Gossip is a universal constant, no matter your world. The chatter whispered of four fortresses inside the inner City's walls. To the north, the largest of the four citadels served as the military headquarters of the kingdom. To the east and west were twin citadels. I could not manage the words they uttered as we passed them. The fact I perceived anything did not shock me, as it was minimal.

 

‘What else did I expect? I possessed excellent hearing and knew there would be more about my new body to discover. Aside from sightseeing, there was little I could do. I found it curious that there were no nobles to speak of. ‘Would they not stick out amongst the others I had seen?’ They were in the throne chambers earlier. But now, only servants, soldiers, and guards paced the hallways of the Sidran castle. I say guards and soldiers because none were knights. Their culture is a mystery to me, and it fascinated 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 governed all aspects of life. But the absences of knights seemed odd. I would have expected to see at least one knight. I mean, I did have to select some for the sanctuary.

After several hours of wandering aimlessly through the Castle, we passed the inter-sectioning hallway to the throne room. We circled back in front of the double doors to the throne room. I looked 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 the faces of my brothers popped into my head. ‘Maybe my brothers… damn it, this will be tough to get used to.’ I shook my head as I replaced their male faces with their new female faces. Their similarities seemed to only be their hair and eyes. In fact, we did not resemble our former selves at all. We were completely different people with no apparent relation to our male appearance. I sighed as we walked back the way we came. My sisters might still be here. The creaking of metal doors echoed in the hallways. Before walking out of sight, I saw them. I realized I was right. Both walked out of doors farther down the hallway from the principal entrance to the throne room. Their voices were carried in the open hallways.