[Mkguild] The Study Of Women

[kyle.vernon at gmail.com]

So glad to cut this story off my editing list, one step closer to actually
being able to write new content. This story is somewhat controversial, so I
feel it best that everyone look it over and decide if this is going to be
okay.

Originally this had a Five Nights At Freddy's reference, but I opted for
self-control. Sides this has enough forced references already.

The Study of Women

Written by Jessica Kylie Nichols-Vernon

Featuring  a character created by Jon Buck and used with permission

Jean returned to her quarters. Though it wasn’t exactly what she believed
it would be, her first week without a break in the fairer sex had already
gifted her vast knowledge. Jean realized how precious little she actually
understood about females. Such a mystery they were, Jean had spent company
in the time of a few of those who had been transfigurated from the
masculine to the feminine and showed his notes to them asking for their
opinions.

Most of them agreed that he had been over-thinking the subject, a few were
quite creeped out, and a few gave smug comments that were actually helpful.
Jean’s favorite was “I sit down to piss, and every month blood pours out of
me as though there were a wound. Smarts like a rather grievous one at that.
What beyond this is there to know Sleeper?” Not only because it was rather
amusing but because of the simplicity of the answer. It was entirely
non-poetic and straight to the point, the precise opposite of what he
understood women to be.

In every fairy tale, bit of gossip, manly exploit mentioned over a pint,
and even in the way he had seen womenfolk, especially the younger members
of it carry themselves. Perhaps femininity was somehow, dare she say it, a
quality not of the body, but of the mind or spirit? Could this be the
explanation for effeminate men and the parent’s worst fear, the dreaded
tomboy? Maybe it provided an explanation for the highly controversial
phenomenon known as homosexuality. In which men and women actually found
romantic and sexual partners within their own sex. Though the romantic
aspect of it had often been called into question. The Lothanasi were
skeptical that it could be anything more than a lewd sexual perversion, the
church had heard arguments to the contrary, but they were few, far between,
and fell on deaf ears. It is possible they could be convinced, but it would
take a large and well organized social movement the likes of which were
unlikely to come across for a very long time. Definitely not in Jean’s
lifetime as homosexuality carried a death sentence in many parts of
Galendor. There had been a rumor that the Royal Family was to allow
Princess Malisa to marry a former knight named Jenn, but it was nothing but
a rumor.

If either of the churches were ever to allow it, the Followers would not be
the first, as far they were concerned. Sex for any reason outside of
reproduction was committing the deadly sin of lust and all must refrain
from doing so, and repent vowing never to do it again if they do so or risk
falling out of Eli’s good graces. Something that had a punishment as strict
as being denied a chance to enter the kingdom of Heaven when their time for
them to be called comes. Two men may never reproduce, nor may two women,
and to offer them marriage gave them the temptation to sin and thus for the
good of their souls. Homosexuality must never be enabled.

Jean was neither a Follow nor a Lothanasi, she was no atheist. That would
be a silly stance to take considering the arcane forces and manifestations
of the Gods’ will all around her. The deer merely had not seen proper
reason for her to devote her life to the worship of any one entity as
opposed to furthering the fields of knowledge and understanding. It just
seemed more pertinent than stroking the egos of the divine, though she
would word it a little nicer than that herself. Though it is not her
intention to anger the gods, if there was knowledge to be learned in
disobeying them he had no obligation to follow their lead or hold back.
Thus he would write in on his planner to find and study a woman who took
another woman as her mate. This would be rather difficult to do as
mentioned before it is a most taboo subject and any maiden attempting such
risque behavior would take the most complex and careful methods to hide
herself if she had a single ounce of brain in her skull. There was of
course the married couples where the husband was in the second gate while
the wife was in the first or third, but somehow that felt inaccurate for
her notes. Likely because that is not love sprung purely of womanhood but
merely a fulfilling of the vow of marriage that reads till death do us part.

Jean finished compiling the last of her notes from Raleigh Chamberlain’s
birthday celebration, something she considered not too fruitful as it was
rather childish for a coming of age ceremony.  Still a few hypotheses were
supported about the fragility of human aging and how it goes doubly for the
fairer sex. Perhaps now would be a good time for a break at the Deaf Mule.
Some alcohol and meat would fare well with her masculine side, especially
to the raptor version of himself, herself, it was difficult to say as it
was subject to change at a moment’s notice ever since he separated the
feminine and masculine aspects of her, his, their psyche in attempt to
upgrade his precious amulet. It allowed him many new abilities, though had
given him new thirsts for knowledge thirsts that scared more than a few
people.

As Jean was putting away her notes an unexpected visitor showed up at her
chambers, a young man who perhaps used to be a woman. This man was dressed
oddly in many layers of clothing, sporting an awful haircut and possessing
black hair poorly hidden under a hat. No, Jean took one sniff at this
person and pieced together everything. “Your highness? Why do you dress
this way?”

“I know not what you mean archeologist!” The poorly disguised Princess
Malisa said in a poor imitation of a man’s voice. “I am a former maiden of
the keep. It seems Kyia is playing a jest upon me for I have found your
room by mistake. I wish you well as I depart now.”

“You are wearing far too much clothing in summer, your voice could not pass
for even the worst throat cold, you smell of a woman, but not of perfume.
Yet at the same time, you smell and look far too clean to be of working
class or lower. The Gender Reversed Knights smell similar, but they also
reek of sweat due to having to wear armor all day, you have no such scent.
Finally, your hands are dainty. If you are attempting to fool someone with
a costume, I really hope for your sake that they are blind and stupid.”
Jean said emotionlessly listing all faults in her grace’s disguise.

“...Damn you…” Malisa throw off some of her excess garbs and sat down. The
prime minister’s fist clenched in a quiet rage.“That was directed at Nasoj
for cursing us with these bodies, I meant no disrespect towards you Jon.”

“I figured.” Jean got up, pouring Malisa some refreshment from a pitcher of
sweet tea. He didn’t say anything as he did so until the prime minister
looked at him strangely. Prompting him to speak once more. “...I have
nothing alcoholic but I find a good cup of tea is calming to the nerves.”

“Thank you, it was hot in all those clothes.” Malisa said downing a goblet
in one swig which Jean instantly refilled before she sat back down. “I just
couldn’t think of a way to hide my bosom, these are as much as I can get
them to shrink and I’m more well built than my birth mother and Duchess
Alberta put together. I’ve been studying the spells used to partially cure
the curse back at Three Gates to get them smaller, but no success.”

“I know, it was another thing that gave you away. Your walk is clearly that
of a woman with wide hips attempting to imitate a regal man. Perhaps you
would be more convincing if you imitated the march of some the lady
knights.” Jean advised, pouring herself a goblet of tea. “Though I must
ask, why the attempt to deceive others of your appearance?”

Malisa’s cheeks turned bright red with embarrassment as she looked at the
scrolls of notes upon Jean’s desk. “Kyia did lead me here, perhaps for good
cause. You do have a penchant for being far more open-minded than some
would consider healthy, except perhaps by Pascal.” The princess stood still
in case Jean wanted to laugh at her jest, when she didn’t she continued
speaking. “What I’m about to tell you I will tell you, but it is to be kept
secret under threat of treason. Do you still wish to know?”

“Yes, your highness.” Jean nodded, she had always been good at minding her
own business, as such it was almost perfectly assured without her even
saying anything that she wouldn’t tell a soul.

“I went to see Pascal and she suggested that I get back in touch with some
of my masculine roots in order to better accept myself for what I have
become. One thing she recommended was that I start dating Jenn again. So I
arranged for us to spend the afternoon together, but if two women were
caught holding hands in the marketplace and one of them happened to be the
Prime Minister it would lead to a massive scandal. And a scandal is not
what we need right now with our problems in the North growing ever more
worrisome.” Malisa said, pausing for Jean to react. The silence went on for
quite awhile and was beginning to become quite awkward. Fearing that Jean
wasn’t going to change her facial expression from Listening to anything
else, she continued her story. “So Jenn suggested that I disguise myself as
a man in order to avoid any unwanted unexplainable complications.”

Jean grinned. This was too perfect, no sooner than she had decided that she
needed to study the phenomenon known as lesbianism did the perfect test
subject fall right into her lap. Perhaps she could convince Malisa to
provide some funding for this research. Not so much as to draw attention,
but a little to pay for supplies and meals. Maybe even hire some help. If
the research proved fruitful, than she could talk about having a Gender
Studies League formed. “Malisa, I believe Kyia did infact lead you to my
room intentionally.” she said, before digging a few items from his
wardrobe. “I’ve been holding to these old garbs of mine. They still stink
of a man out in the field which should help throw off any prying noses.”
Jean said throwing them on the table. “They might be a little loose on you,
but don’t worry about, that is actually preferable as it throws off your
feminine curves.”

“It is why I still wear Matthew’s old robes…” Malisa nodded in agreement,
though holding her nose at the clothes. They reeked of buck musk and she
hoped not to have to wear them longer than she had to. “Thank you… Jon…”

“This alone won’t be enough. Your hands please?” Malisa held out her hands.
They were just as Jean had put them, dainty, feminine, small, and cute.
These would never pass for a man’s hands, not even the most spoiled of male
monarchs have hands this clean and free of scars, blisters, or even so much
as a papercut. They did smell of ink from Malisa’s heavy research into
magic, but that alone wasn’t going to cut it unless she disguised as an
enchanter. However the clothes for that disguise would be a lot smaller on
her than most others. They could damage Malisa’s hands slightly, but tt
wasn’t that that her hands never got hurt just that the curse seemed to
have hit her three times as hard as it did anyone else and it just refused
to let Malisa be anything other than beauty incarnate. It didn’t matter how
grimey, smelly, sickly, bruised, cut, or sweaty she got, for Princess
Malisa Hassan re-beautifying herself was painfully effortless.

Jean fit onto Malisa’s hands old metallic chainmail gloves that seemed like
they had not been used in some time. They smelt of blood and rust, likely
having not been used in sometime. “When Three Gates started I was in a rush
to arm myself and grabbed whatever I could. These grieves and a bow and
arrow where all I could find on such short notice. Though my hooves could
never fit in them beyond that day they do make a good souvenir of the
battle itself along with my being a cervine. If anyone asks, tell them
you’re wearing these because your hands were badly damaged in an accident.”

“Wow, thanks again Jon. I guess your studies into womanhood are really
paying off.” Malisa said in awe, looking over the gloves. They did a good
job of hiding her hands, just as the doe named Jean promised that they
would.

“Not really. All I’ve learned is how truly ignorant I am.” Jean said
sounding defeated, yet hopeful. Her emotions were always difficult to read
even when she was male. Sleeper was a lot of things, a social butterfly was
not one of them. “I had expected when I became female that I would be a
thing of beauty, that males would clamor for my attention. That all I did
no matter how mundane would have a flair of mystique. That I myself would
begin inducing that feeling that only a man is capable of when a woman has
that…. something special.”

“I know what you mean Jon, the right girl can really make a man go wild. I
can feel a stirring just thinking of such a woman.” Malisa smiled, leaning
back in the chair she had been sitting in. “That moment her visage has
ensnared your soul. It makes being alive worth it for some.”

Jean had no choice but to perform a double take at this, she knew what
Malisa was doing. However to actually hear someone who was clearly female
voice these opinions was a little new to her. It was as if one saw a blue
apple. It’s still an apple, it tastes the same, but the color is off.
Eventually you’d get used to the idea that the apple is blue, but for a
time you just don’t know what to do with a blue apple. “I… I never thought
about you… like that before…”

“I’m not a woman Jon, I only look like one. I have the same drives as any
man would. When I see a beautiful woman I get the same urges to, well. It
doesn’t lend itself to polite conversation.” Malisa sipped her tea calmly
as she gathered her thoughts hoping to speak further upon the subject.

“Heh…” Jean said, already writing down more notes on her scrolls as she
mentally prepared for more questions. “So you feel no affection towards
men?”

Malisa grimaced, thinking back on her life. It was true that she had a few
suitors willing to marry her for title alone. It was true that they would
be ineligible for Dukehood should Thomas fall as Malisa was not a Hassan by
blood, but still, being a Prince was nothing to sneeze at.. Almost none of
them were found attractive in appearance or deed. Malisa did not appreciate
being talked down to as though she were an idiot or having her skills
called into question for being a woman. Especially when they often proved
that they were mentally incapable of keeping up with her knowledge of
history, literature, mathematics, and of course, advanced magical theory.
Even the ones that treated her like a human being she found no fault with
they just did nothing for her romantically or sexually and thus she wanted
very little to do with them beyond the realm of friendship. Eventually she
tried her hand at dating a woman. The idea came to her as at her heart she
still felt like a man. As though the curse had altered her flesh, yet on
the inside she was still Prince Matthew and a prince does not make for a
very good bride.

There were objections to the idea, from family, from vassals, and from her
church. Malisa was a worshipper of Samekkh and thus a practicing Lothanasi,
Raven Blackmane was a runner-up for the most loud protestor in all this.
Fearing that taking a woman as a partner was not an act of rebellion
against the curse, but rather giving into the part of it that sought to
turn its victims into ravenous sex fiends. Offering instead to guide Malisa
down a path of abstinence and chastity which did have its own rewards. Some
controversy was raised when Malisa responded that Samekkh showed her
otherwise. A particularly blasphemous thing to say to a high priestess
Lightbringer at the very least, to even begin to suggest that she is not
the most accurate speaker in the house of the Gods.

Malisa had been spending so much time recounting the past, all the good
times with Jenn and the bitter moments with Raven where Malisa almost had
herself excommunicated from the Temple! The silence had been so long that
even Jean, a woman of few words, began to worry that the princess may have
turned catatonic as she had gone long without saying a word or answering
her question. “Your Grace?”

“Oh sorry, what was the question again? I forgot what you said, though for
some reason it surfaced very painful memories.” Malisa said rubbing her
head as the visions from the past cleared.

“I asked if you had any feelings for members of the male sex.” Jean
recounted the conversation before Malisa’s long silence of plundering her
own thoughts for bitter repressed memories.

“No, no I don’t. Men do nothing for me. I just don’t have any attraction to
them. Some of the others to fall to the Curse of the Second Gate do, and I
am glad for them. Different strokes for different folks is the way of the
world after all, but no. There is nothing about the male visage or attitude
that I find pleasing.”  Malisa explained calmly.

“Male Attitude?” Jean’s ears perked in curiosity of the meaning.

“Yes. When I’ve had male suitors in the past they’ve.. treated me more like
their pet, than their lover… I just, cannot stand being talked down to. I’m
a scholar for crying out loud. I do not need to be talked down too.” Malisa
folded her arms, but put them at rest to more calmly continue. “But I find
when I talk to a woman, it’s…” she paused to find the correct wording.
“Different. And well, I am admirer of plump breasts so long as they are not
mine.”

“How different?” Jean pondered, her quill hoof having almost literally
caught fire in the excess of knowledge now provided to her.

“I’d love to explain Jon, but we really must not keep Jenn waiting and I
still don’t know what to do about my voice or a worse give away, my
breasts.” Malisa said, smooshing them together to exemplify what she meant.
This action of self-groping proved needless as the wording was quite clear.

“I have just the thing, it would help both my notes and you. I refer to my
amulet.” Jean said cusping the gem she wore around her neck at all times.
“I have managed to upgrade its abilities through studies and experiments
done with the aid of the mage’s guild. Upgrades that have not been without
a price. Now I have to shift between my male, female, raptor, and deer
forms to regularly to retain my sanity….” The deer rubbed her head as if it
hurted. “I’ll have to take my male form soon… but, it can wait till after
your date.”

“That would explain your newfound femininity, I had been wondering about
that. The rumor had been circulating that you had created a form of armor
that could serve as a mount, and this had turned you into a woman. A
Radically Improved Durable Equine is what the grapevine has been calling
it.” Malisa had expressed her own curiosities about this doe named Jean, a
Jean Doe if you will.

“Ah yes the RIDEs.” Jean grimaced. “I had been doing some research, as
there was some speculation of there once existing a kind of automaton that
was animal shaped, much like Madog. Only unlike Madog they could double as
an armor at the cost of taking on attributes similar to said Automaton.”

“I see… and they turned out false?”  Malisa nodded, finding this
fascinating being a mage herself.

“Very. From what evidence I can find there are almost no accounts of such a
thing from a credible source. I found a list of instructions on building
one which I took to the Mage’s Guild only to find that they weren’t viable.
I didn’t understand most of the terminology they used, but the biggest
problem was that it seemed to require a stone that did not even exist on
this plane of existence nor on any other that we know of.” Jean shrugged
getting up and heading for the door, beckoning Malisa to follow. “All for
the better I suppose, the accounts I’ve read are quite outlandish and would
make for a tale that our Writer’s Guild would laugh right out of the
province. I still get people heckling me to show mine off, but there’s
nothing to show.”

“I understand having to put up with false rumors. Once upon a time people
thought I and Jenn were scheduled to be wed. Blackmane must have either
fainted or pulled her fur out from all the questions, comments, and
complaints from people dumb enough to believe my father would be
sacrilegious enough to allow such a thing .” Malisa got up to follow the
deer outside of her office.

“I believe I’ve heard that one.” Jean nodded while looking around to make
sure the two were alone. “Alright, just go where Jenn is waiting for you,
I’ll take care of the rest.”

Malisa found this strange, but saw no harm in continuing. She trusted Jean
and had no reason to doubt her intentions. Still, this was enough of a
disguise? Her breasts were still evident, if not breasts then surely
someone would believe this man was smuggling roasted hams under his smelly
tunic and find her strange for this reason. Eventually they found their way
to the gardens where Jenn was already waiting for them in a beautiful blue
dress, one with a skirt that draped over her legs like a proper woman while
showing enough cleavage to be tasteful and ladylike while still enticing
male lookers-upon.

Jenn had a very different reaction to the curse, while Malisa found this to
be the worst thing to ever happen to her. Jenn felt relieved, as if a
massive weight had been taken off her shoulders. Suddenly Jenn found that
she could live a life she didn’t realize she wanted except in the back of
her mind. Buried there for years under manly exploits with wenches, booze,
and prowess in battle. The chance to be something other than a man. It
wasn’t the life she chose or even the one she wanted, she was birthed a man
and a man’s life was that she followed without question for she was
supposed to and nothing could change that, nothing but the curse. Once she
became a woman, she was able to lay down her sword and enjoy a simpler
lifestyle. One that didn’t put her at risk for premature death or crippling
injury.

This was not to say that Jenn didn’t enjoy being a man when it was her
time, but now that the time was up she found being a woman to be even more
agreeable than the hypothetical idea of returning to the body of a man.
Still she accepted that Malisa did not have the same opinions, it was part
of why the princess loved her so dearly. Jenn was able to see the parts of
Malisa that were still Matthew far more strongly than anyone, even Malisa
herself was capable of.

“MATT!” Jenn called out, running towards Malisa when she saw her. Hugging
her, wrapped her arms around her in an embrace of passion. “I got your
letter and uhh… who is she? The deer I mean.” she asked noticing the doe
following behind her.

“Jean Sleeper” Jean answered, giving a polite even if awkward curtsey.

“Right, the archeologist. I didn’t recognize you. Uhh… Prime Minister! It
is good to see you taking an interest in…. uhh…” Jenn began stuttering
thinking of how to excuse her actions.

“Jean knows and has been sworn to secrecy. Let’s not worry.” Malisa smiled,
putting her hand on Jenn’s cheek and looking her over. “That’s a lovely
dress you’re wearing my sweet.”

“I picked it out just for you Matt. It’s been too long since we’ve seen
each other without it being just an awkward passing in the hallway. Are you
sure this is okay?" Jenn asked a tone of fearfulness in her voice.

“It’ll be fine, don’t mind me, but I’ll need to stay close by for my amulet
to work. Just pretend I’m not here.” Jean informed in a calm emotionless
voice as if she didn’t realize the idea of her being the third wheel was
somewhat socially awkward.

“Okay then…” Jenn said in a soft voice, she wasn’t sure what was happening
right now but Malisa seemed fine with this and the two continued on their
date. The lovers of former knight and former prince were just happy to be
able to actually be in one another’s company. The two sometimes worried
people would be a little disgruntled about them being just friends due to
the old rumors from a long time ago, when the beaver known as Michael came
to the keep, long before there was a Rat of Might.

Malisa insisted upon staying in the garden just long enough to know if
Jean’s amulet could work as promised, it would be a real shame if they
found out it didn’t during the middle of a kiss. So they wound up waking
small talk until they found a passerby, after all if they were just in the
garden together at the same time it could be written off as a coincidence.
It was boring sure, but they needed to play it safe.

After a few minutes passed as no one came by Jenn breathed in and out and
began drumming on the bench she was sitting on as Jean scribbled some
nights down in her notebook. “Uhh… Matt honey… if this is our first date in
years, just staying in the gard doing nothing. Well how should I put this,
I.. I think I’m gonna go… wash my hair.” Jenn finally said her boredom
outweighing her desire to be lovey dovey with her handsome prince.

Malisa began getting frantic wondering how she could salvage this
situation. Not only would Jean’s experiment and kindness be blown, but more
importantly the first chance she had in a long time to let her heart do
what it wanted. The Prime Minister considered falling to her knees to beg
Malisa to stay, but such did not fit a royal attitude. Another thing that
was considered was forming a magical barrier to prevent Jenn from leaving,
but that would be raising arms against the woman she loved and could ruin
everything even worse than a bad date. Exiting the barrier of Jean’s
protection Malisa ran after Jenn, Jean rushing forward upon noticing this
as he noticed Pascal Q. Porcupine entering the garden to find a few fresh
ingredients. This would be a really good test as someone who pitched this
idea would be unable to recognize it in action, and if that happened then
they knew for sure it worked.

Pascal looked up at Malisa and Jenn, Malisa’s hand upon Jenn holding her
tight. The porcupine was looking them right in the eye during this embrace
and said the following words that would make or break this romantic
evening. “Hey Jenn, and you too… uhh… sorry have we met? There’s something
familiar about you, I know I’ve seen you somewhere, but I can’t place
where. I keep thinking of a girl’s name, but you’re not a woman. Did you
used to be a woman I know? No no, I haven’t seen anyone uncursed since
before I left to gather supplies and that was before the plague started.”

Malisa looked towards Jean who nodded in approval. “I’m Jenn’s boyfriend,
Matthew.”

“Huh, her ex was once called Matthew. Crazy world eh? Whelp, Jenn if you
see Malisa… Tell her hi or something. I think she could really use it.”
Pascal waved at the two as she left.

“Perfect, now we have fun!” Malisa smiled, something she hardly ever does
as she grabbed Jenn’s hand and escorted her to the market place, making
sure Jean followed close behind for his amulet to distort reality as others
saw it.

Their first stop was a good place for a date to begin, the marketplace,
luckily the amulet seemed to hold up as no saw anything out of the ordinary
or even gave Malisa any kind of royal greeting. People just said hi to Jenn
and ignored Malisa entirely. It was perfect as now they had a relatively
stress free day together doing all the things they could have done had they
been opposite genders. Malisa bought flowers for Jenn, the two played pool
at the Deaf Mule, and best of all they enjoyed public displays of
affection. Holding hands, hugging, kissing, a few times with their tongues,
it was marvelous. It all seemed perfect except for Jean who was baffled by
his notes. The doe couldn’t find any differences between Malisa and Jenn’s
love outside of the genders of the persons involved. This didn’t make sense
to the cervine there had to be something she was missing about this. Why
would it be controversial if it didn’t truly have a difference outside of
the bodies of the parties involved? That would be as silly as saying that
Jean could only love another person who happened to be an archeologist or
got turned into a deer. No no, there had to be something the deer was
missing to this.

Jean decided to ease up for a bit, giving up on taking notes to just enjoy
herself. It seemed much easier this way as she licked a few sugarcubes
while Malisa and Jenn enjoyed turkey legs. The deer sat there rather bored
with her sugar cubes until she noticed something peculiar, a red skinned
man who looked like Pascal’s apprentice Xhyz did before he changed, she
decided to point it out to Malisa and all three stared at him. Jean seemed
to be correct in her observations. There was indeed a red skinned man. This
sight was highly unusual as most humans or at least most of them seen
around Metamor Keep were white, but one that looked exactly like Xhyz when
he was human?  There was no way this was any kind of concidence.

“Did Xhyz find a cure for the curse?” Jenn asked trying to rationalize what
the doe pointed out to her and her lover.

“Do you think I’d have invited Jean if he did?” Malisa answered that
question with another question. “No offense Jean”

“None taken.” Jean responded, before thinking for a second of a way to shed
light on this mystery. The deer reached the only conclusion imaginable and
would with the most obvious solution. “HEY Xhyz!” she screamed in the red
man’s general direction.

The red skinned man became nervous and threw a rock at Jean, damaging his
amulet and revealing Malisa to the public sitting next to Jenn, more than a
few stares were given. “Are they? Are they really doing this again?” Asked
a very shocked bluejay who put her wing over her beak in surprise.

“What’s the Duke going to say about this? Do you think he’s approving of
this? That man is a practicing Lothanasi!” Spoke another voice.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it!” Jean sweared fiddling with the amulet until
whatever about that rock disrupted the amulet stopped which it didn’t seem
to until Jean found the rock and threw it away. He didn’t have time to
examine the rock very well, but she was sure she hadn’t seen one that
glowed in the presence of magical artifacts and stopped when not in it.
“I’m sorry Prime Minister…”

“It’s, not your fault, it happened as soon as Not Xhyz threw that weird
rock at us. I’ll have our mages study it.” Malisa said going into business
mode as she usually did in most circumstances, but at no other point was
she as in the zone as when she was truly upset as she was at this very
moment.

“Matt, they saw us.. I mean they started looking away like they forgot when
the amulet started working again, but… what do we do?” Jenn asked.

“...That was too close of a call Jenn… I shouldn’t have attempted this… I’m
sorry” Malisa ran off with tears in her eyes making sure to grab the rock
to give to Pascal. Malisa hated crying, it made her feel like even more of
a woman than she already was.

Jenn looked at Jean. “Is… is Matt going to be okay?”

“I’ve wanted to know that for a long time…” Jean responded decided to go
back to his male deer form, Jon. Course first he had to cycle through
velociraptor both male and female before getting back to deer as the method
was far from perfected.

Malisa was so upset from what had happened she almost forgot to drop off
the rock at the mage’s guild. While in her room they eventually sent a
courier to inform her that from what they had been able to tell her it was
a rare Cancellation Stone, so rare that Jon hadn’t even heard of it and
he’s an archeologist, many of them had recently been found in the town of
Mugal, where Hawl came from. What did it mean? The Princess/Prime Minister
didn’t want to think about it. All Malisa wanted to do was stay in her room
and think about  the mess that her desire to employ trickery almost caused,
 people were growing suspicious of the Duke which was by far no sign of
anything good. The courier, an age regressed little boy, had seen himself
out after realizing Malisa wasn’t willing to acknowledge another person.

“Why is there a such a heavy divide between what is right and what is
proper? Nasoj you bastard you stole my manhood, why did you steal my
ability to follow my heart as well?!?” Malisa screamed as she conjured a
fireball and burned one of her dresses. “I’m a man damn it, I deserve to
love my girlfriend like any other man. But men… men don’t cry… maybe I
really am a…”

That’s when Jon came in. “I overheard everything..” He said. “I just wanted
to show you some of the notes I took. I couldn’t find any difference
between you dating Jenn and a man dating Jenn. That’s why I turned back
into Jon. I don’t know that there’s really anything to study in gender, I
think we’re all just crazy humans...:” Jon paused for a second. “You know
what I mean. Who don’t really know what’s going on.. and we’re all just
taking wild guesses. about what we don’t understand. That’s all…” Jon said,
putting down a few parchments on Malisa’s table and started to leave .

“Jon!” Malisa called after the deer, hoping that he would stop to hear one
final word. Just one word, though it would be enough to properly convey the
emotions as finally Malisa found an answer. To follow her heart and do the
only right thing in this circumstance.

“Yes?” Jon looked towards the gender-reversed human.

“Thanks.” The Prime Minister responded, throwing her arms around him in a
hug.

Malisa looked out her window and saw Jenn alone at an outdoor table and
smiled at her, deciding to go back down one more time to speak with her.

Jenn sat there with her pretty blue dress that really drove Malisa wild
with how good it looked on her, no, that thought had to be banished.
“Jenn…” Malisa said, reaching a hand out and putting it on her lover’s.

“Matt… You can’t be here! You don’t have Jon’s amulet!” Jenn panicked,
looking around highly concerned for her and the kingdom’s safety. “They can
tell you’re a… woman...”

Malisa just looked at Jenn. “I don’t understand why there’s a difference
between what is right, and what is proper, but there is. Thus for the good
of Metamor I can’t date you. Maybe if I was a commoner it could work.”

Jenn started to cry, until Malisa brushed her hair lightly. “But this
distance we’ve put between each other is crazy, I care about you, and I
want to be there for you. Even if I can’t be romantically, because I love
you as crazy as that sounds.”

Jenn’s tears dried and she hugged Malisa, nothing fancy, just a friendly
hug. The kind you give a distant relative at a family gathering or a
perhaps just a good friend.

A passerby looked at this sight and was about to say something, but Malisa
just smiled and said. “Hey, I care about her. That doesn’t mean I want to
kiss her.” this seemed to work for him.

Malisa stood on the table and did the only thing she could in order to have
Jenn back in her life again. “Here ye, here ye. I am Prime Minister
Princess Malisa Hassan, and I have taken a vow of abstinence! Not in the
name of what’s proper, but what’s right!”

Jenn looked up Malisa, praying that her eyes decieved her and that the
woman she loved wasn’t about to make a terrible mistake. “Do you think
people will believe that? You’re setting yourself up for more gossip”

Malisa was worried that Jenn was right and this gesture was wasted as there
was a terrible silence., that was when she heard the clapping. Her father
and Thallburg had been out for a walk, and started clapping, then by mother
of coincidences so had Pascal, Xhyz, and Jon, once they started clapping.
Everyone started clapping.

“This is cause for celebration, my daughter has vowed to keep her purity as
a sign of her choosing to be stronger than the curse, that our hearts are
not our… Well let’s just say, our hearts are not our parts. Truly she is as
wise as a Prime Minister should be! I’ll have the Deaf Mule put drinks on
my tab for everyone!” Duke Thomas cheered, raising an arm in triumph to
help sell what he just said.

Malisa couldn’t believe it, after this, no one would be suspicious of her
being merely friends with Jenn now. Now Malisa could have Jenn not as a
lover, but someone she cares about because the truth was that she did more
than any other person in the world. The Prime Minister did the only thing
she could think to do. Hug her father. “Thank you, but how did you know to
be here just at the right time?”

The Black Stallion Duke of Metamor smiled. “A deer told me after seeing you
and Jenn through the window. There aren’t many things outside of the safety
of Metamor that matter to me more than your happiness and if there’s a way
to give someone as serious and scowling as you happiness. I need to jump on
it!”

“I see..” Malisa looked over to Jon while still holding on to her father.
“Whelp, Sleeper what’s it going to be? The guillotine or the noose? I don’t
think we’ve had a public execution in a very long time.”

“Excuse me!?!” Jon jumped, his mouth agape at the incredibly dark question
addressed at him.

“Well… That is how we deal with treasoners.” Malisa sneered, the sincerety
to her facial expression made the poor deer’s heart come to a stop. He even
considered switching over to his raptor form in means of an escape,
considered it, but didn’t follow through, at least not until he saw where
this is going.

“TREASONER!?!?!” Thomas looked to the cervine with his eyes in pure horror.
Jon Sleeper the archeologist, a traitor to Metamor? He’d sooner have
expected Rickkter or maybe even the strict but fair Prince Phil of Whales
than the timid keep to himself explorer. “What did you do Jon!?!”

“Remember, I had you sworn to secrecy under threat of treason that you
wouldn’t tell anyone about me and Jenn and you broke it.”

“Mmmm.. That he did. I don’t know Jon, rules are rules I may have to place
you under arrest.” Duke Thomas unsheathed a sword he carried on his person,
ordinarily it was used only for ceremonial purposes rarely if ever did the
Duke arrest anyone. “I Duke Thomas Hassan place you under arrest for High
Treason to be given life imprisonment until the day you die or until such a
time as you are deemed worthy of a pardon!” he spoke with conviction in his
voice.

Thallburg actually had to insist nothing was wrong to avoid people from
taking too much interest.

Jon’s ears lowered thinking of the words to say. The deer hadn’t known the
Duke to be this much of an iron fisted tyrant of a man-horse hybrid. Should
he go raptor and strike the stallion or beg for mercy. Wisely he decided
only to kneel and hope for the best.

The Duke laughed to himself before re-sheathing his sword. “And you’re
pardoned! Jon did you really think I was about to have you arrested over
nothing?”

Jon rose to his hooves and let out a small laugh. “Good one your highness…”

Thallburg and Malisa both turned to the Duke with concern in their eyes.
“Your highness, was that joke really worth the small scene you just caused.”

“I appreciate the humor on my behalf, but I agree with Thallburg on this
one father.” Malisa responded.

“Lighten up Malisa.” Duke Thomas addressed those who watched him. “It was
just a small inside joke between me and Jon everybody, let’s get those
drinks out here like I said!” No one wanted there to be anything wrong and
there were free drinks as such no one cared, not even a small note from a
vassal would come from this.

-that night-

Jenn made her way to Malisa’s room and found her in a rather good mood. “I
knew you’d be coming. I still can’t believe Dad did that for me, people
find his joke with Jon stranger than the two of us interacting in public… I
wonder if that’s why he made a spectacle of himself. So he’d be remembered
more than us.”

“So we can see each other, just not be affectionate in public..”

“That’s right..” Malisa said standing up and began brushing Jenn’s hair.
“We can be a little affectionate in private, but, I don’t make vows
lightly. So nothing TOO affectionate.”

Jenn hugged Malisa and rested her head against her love as she was pet on
her head as though she were some kind of cat. “I… I’d like that.”

For the rest of that night, Malisa found herself genuinely at peace.
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