Spread eagle on the floor, my hands clasped against my breasts. My mind barely registers the third and final loud knock on the door. 'What the hell just happened? I knew I fell asleep on the bed. There's no explanation for the marks on the door. Was I hallucinating or dreaming, or was I sleepwalking? In my entire life, I've never experienced sleepwalking.' No one sleeps more than I do. Of the three of us, my dad always said I would sleep through the end of the world. Suddenly, there's a loud fourth knock on the door. A tall elderly woman walks in, closely followed by two others wearing hoods. The first humans I've laid my eyes on since I got here. I almost burst out in laughter, realizing that would make me look crazy. For all I know, these people are my captors. Still, those thoughts pale compared to what I experienced moments before. My unease eases with her presence. For her age, she's an exquisite woman.
Blue ribbons are braided through her waist-length hair. As I peer into her eyes, I notice she has the second most breathtaking eyes ever. A stunning blue, yet darker than mine. Besides her large, protruding eyes, she has soft, angled, arched eyebrows flanking her long, oval face. Her face has a small, dainty, narrow nose and firm but confident lips. She has lush, plump, heart-shaped lips. My eyes are drawn to her elegant, expensive, sky-blue gown, which conceals her ample breasts. It surprises me that she's barefoot; I expected her to wear luxurious heels. Her garment hides the rest of her features as well. The two others wear matching blue gowns and are barefoot, too. The hoods are part of their gowns, hiding their faces. I notice they are both female by the shape of their physique.
"Oh, my dear Lord! Please compose yourself, my lady! It is not acceptable to expose yourself in such a way. I would appreciate it if you removed your hands from your bosom. As a lady of your stature, you should always act accordingly. Can you imagine what it would be like if I were a messenger or a council member? You are far too important to conduct yourself in such a manner!" she says in an elegant and formal tone.
For a moment, I just stare at her. The words she speaks, I recognize. I half expect her to talk in some foreign tongue. Instead, she straightens her back and clears her throat, causing me to answer with an almost knee-jerk reaction. 'W-what?' That's what I want to say. Those are the only words that come to mind. Yet no sound comes out. My mouth hangs open in disbelief. Finally, her eyes seemed to understand my dilemma.
"Dears, please assist your lady in gathering herself. Surely you must be weary from the ritual," she says, signaling the two other females.
They quickly come to my side and cover my new lady parts with a towel they carry. Meanwhile, the other goes into the closet I tried to break into, disappearing. The fact that the door opens without a key stuns me. Furthermore, I noticed the door has the same scratch marks.
"Please explain what is happening to me," I yell, more out of fear than anything else.
"Oh, where are my manners? There are probably a lot of questions on your mind. Your arrival so soon after the ritual surprised us. Please accept my apologies; we were unaware of your presence. All of this can be quite a shock for those unfamiliar with this ritual. Welcome to the Kingdom of Sidra, my lady Aria De La Ysidro!" she says respectfully.
"Did she just say heir to the throne? What the hell is going on? Who are these people?" I can't believe what I'm hearing. I can tell by the look in her eyes that she is sincere. Her words hit me like a speeding train. I can't understand what all this means. This feels like a scene out of a fairytale.
"Heir, wait a minute. To what throne? Who are you people? Where am I? This… this is not Earth!" I yell.
"I'll need to elaborate a bit more. That is true... your world is different from this one. Our world… Elona, as we call it. This is where you are right now. Using our most powerful magic, we summoned you here. My lady, Aria De La Ysidro, please forgive me. It was a matter of life and death. Our world must have its Royals," she says.
"Huh… Royals? Get the fuck outta here! My name isn't Aria De La Ysidro. It's… it's… my name is... Hold on for a second… My name is... Hollander, for sure. That's my last name," I say, wondering why I can't remember my first name.
"It's understandable that you feel that way. Your given name... from your world... is Masha Hollander indeed. So our first step to summon you was to scribe for your presence. However, you are Aria De La Ysidro, the next heir," the old woman says.
"Wait, that isn't right. My name starts with an M… but it's not Masha! I'm a guy, a dude, okay!" I say.
"I regret to inform you that this is not the case. Your very being has been altered by powerful magic. That same magic requires you to be a female. The three Fated Virgins cannot be males. They must be female. As a result, any Royal chosen as one of the three Fated will become female. Those are the laws of this magic and what it is to be a Prime Royal. The life you lived before was real. You are not dreaming or hallucinating. There is no error in your memory. The rest of the world will now know you as Masha Hollander. While some may have lingering memories, most won't remember what you looked like before the ritual... Yet you would not know this."
"Did she just give me some exposition about magic? Am I supposed to believe this?"
"Magic! What are you talking about? That doesn't even exist. And what do you mean by my world?" I say.
"I'm sure you have realized that this... is not your world. On your eighteenth birthday, this ritual occurred," she says.
She's correct; I know this isn't Earth. That much I've discovered on my own. "What ritual? I had a birthday party with my brothers!" I say.
"You mean sisters. Did you eat an elegant but strange cake?" she says.
Thinking back to that moment, I freeze. While I still sit dumbfounded, the other lady returns with a dress for me from the closet. "The cake that we ate. I remember that after I ate it, my mind went blank," I say.
"Ah, you remember. It was the catalyst that activated your magical abilities. It broke the spell hiding your powers and transformed you, teleporting you here," the old woman says.
"I don't understand! So that I… wait… what about my brothers?" I say.
"They are here too. After all, the three of you are triplets. An exceedingly rare occurrence. Just as twins are. It was even rarer that your mother was a triplet. This proves your importance to our Kingdom and that you are who we seek. Only the royal bloodline has these traits," she says.
"Look, I still don't know what you're talking about or what you want from me. If my brothers…" I reply, but she cuts me off.
"Sisters!" she says.
"Okay, fine, sisters. Can I see them?"
"Of course, you can as soon as you are dressed!" she says.
"By the way, who are you?" I ask.
"My name is Constance De La Ysidro, High Priestess and current Regent in the absence of the High Queen. These are your handmaidens. They don't have names, as it is your right to name them. They were bred and groomed since birth to serve you," she reveals.
The two handmaidens help me into a luxurious light blue double-thigh slit dress. I stand baffled by what this woman has said. 'How am I supposed to react to that?' While I stand awkwardly as they help me, the feel of the dress is the softest thing I've ever worn. Although the dress feels comfortable, the slits are very high and come up to my womanhood, revealing my long and slender legs. I like it, but the issue I have is the practically see-through and skin-tight elastic fabric. The dress barely covers my thighs with how tiny it is. Due to the length of the dress, only a small loincloth-like strip of material covers my lady parts. I will have to tread carefully and keep the front between my legs. I turn around and eye myself in the mirror. It scares me to see through this dress' material and what they expect me to wear. My vagina will basically be on exhibit for all to see. This light blue dress fits me well and reveals my sizable features. It clings to every curve of my new body. Since they gave me no underwear to go with it, I decided to ask.
"Um… excuse me. Is this it? No underwear?" I say.
"I apologize sincerely. You are the heir to the throne. The garment is traditional in the courting of royalty. It is forbidden for one to wear anything other than this. So again, I apologize for this," Constance explains.
"What do these people expect of me? To get married to some prince? I have to be dreaming, but something tells me this isn't a dream. All this is too real." I realize I am in another world. Just wrapping my head around the magic that made this a reality is wrecking my mind.
"This is a lot to take in. I don't know if I want all this. I-I'm just a normal guy… oh, a girl… damn it, person. They've thrown my entire world into chaos. I just don't know what to do…" I say.
"I understand, we understand. What you have woken up to happens every hundred thousand years here. All of our royalty comes from your world. It is known as the Cradle of Man. As you know, it's called Earth. It is hard to transition. So you must make do with your time here on this trip," Constance explains.
"This trip???" I blurt.
"You are a child of two worlds now. Bound to both by fate. Your time here will soon end. It will take time for your stay to level out, to put it mildly. Soon, you'll return. When you do, you'll find that time here is different. On Earth, it will be as if you woke up from a dream or a few days have gone by. No more than three. That is how it has always been," Constance says.
'How will I get home? For that matter, how will I know when it's happening? I'm entirely in the dark here. What kind of world is this?' At first glance, it looks normal. However, from the clothes they wear, it looks like a medieval-type society. That would explain the city. Even though the town looks modern, there's no way to know unless I go outside.
"Will I be normal again?" I ask.
"As I have said, you are as you are now. Your past self is gone. Think of it as a rebirth or trans-evolution," she says.
"Damn it, that's going to be a bitch to explain!" I say.
"I don't necessarily think so, and using such language is not ladylike. Especially for someone of your standing!" Constance says.
"Alright, I get it. I'm not ladylike! What do you expect when you put a guy in a girl's body?" I snort to myself.
"Nevertheless, you have to adjust. We don't always get to choose our fate. And you, my dear, have a significant and difficult fate ahead. More than one, to be exact," Constance says.
"Fine, fine. How long do these trips last?" I ask.
"Here, sometimes days, months, or years. The one constant is when you go to Earth, only three days will have passed. Yet while you are there, much time can pass. Up to a year, possibly even more," Constance says.
"Why is there such a difference in time?" I ask.
"It is... unknown, but some believe the stronger the royal..., the stronger the impact here, and the longer time will pass here," Constance says.
"We are finished, my lady," one handmaiden whispers.
"Shall we go see your sisters now?" Constance asks.
"Yeah, I can't wait!" I say.
Despite my excitement to see them again, I am reminded of the ominous event that occurred back then. There are definite marks on the door. From their perspective, it doesn't seem like a big deal. However, it is deeply troubling. The question is, 'What is happening to me? Is it connected with the ritual?' My mind is unsure whether to ask. Whatever caused them to bring me here must have been a desperate action. I don't think they could bother with it even now.