“You should know, I don’t much like you, Zindu.” That wasn’t a good start to their relationship. But considering the circumstances, Xander could understand. “That’s unfortunate, madame.” The headmaid, a Field-folk woman who appeared to have been born with a broom in her hands and an apron around her neck, was organizing a mountain of towels as she spoke to him. The laundry room they both occupied was a factory of drying and folding, large enough to house a family, and filled with all sorts of hand-machinery. “Don’t call me that,” She said, “I’m Headmaid Lostra to you, don’t forget it.” Headmaid Lostra, a hard worker, likely a woman who worked her way to the top of the queen’s own army of maids. She rose to a position that many women wouldn’t be able to dream of, and did so in a lifespan the queen herself would consider the blink of an eye. Xander himself would easily double her lifespan. Her industriousness was to be commended, though he had no proper way to show his appreciation. “Yes, Headmaid Lostra.” Two girls appeared behind Lostra and grabbed some towels from the stack she was creating, the woman didn’t even look at them. Instead she moved to the next pile, and began to fold and move them. “You listen to my instructions now,” Lostra said, “Which means I will determine your schedule, who you work with, and for how long. I won’t have any of your black isles funny business in my halls.” Xander squeezed his hands in his black gloves, and let out a calming breath. “Yes, Headmaid Lostra.” It was his second day, and he was starting to understand that the Xin did not have the best reputation on the mainland. Examining his own people was difficult for him, and he knew as a matter of training that attempting it didn’t matter as much as determining how others saw the Xin. For Lostra, a member of the Field-folk, the Xin were small, mysterious, and held a magical and mythological element that was dangerous for her controlled environment. “First,” Lostra said, “We will have you clean the chamberpots for ambassador Malif-” “Headmaid,” A girl interrupted from the doorway. Xander didn’t immediately turn, but watched Lostra’s reaction. The girl wasn’t immediately chastised, but she was noticed right away. She was relatively important. “Speak girl,” Lostra snapped. The girl walked in, and stood beside Lostra. Then, as if his presence was an interruption, she looked down at Xander. He nodded at the new arrival, and then looked back to Lostra. “What is it?” Lostra asked, “Can’t this wait?” “Well,” The girl’s eyes looked everywhere but Xander, then she leaned in and whispered to Lostra. Losta’s nostrils flared, and immediately Xander had a suspicion it was about him, rather than about excluding him. Lostra growled at the girl, and the girl backed away from Lostra’s ineffectual swatting. “Well then,” The Headmaid said with a too-large smile, “Seems the plan has changed. You’ve been requested by her highness, princess Irella. You should head to her room immediately, though what for I haven’t the slightest.” “Madame?” Xander said, his confusion leading to a brief break in concentration. He hadn’t even met any of the princesses one on one, how were they already requesting his attention? “Do I need to spell out how to serve a princess, Zindu?” Lostra’s eyebrows rose. He didn’t bother answering, and simply bowed, before backing toward the door. He heard one parting shot before he got into the hall, and he couldn’t imagine it was a mistake that he overheard it. “I guess we’ll be through with him already.” Xander headed through the main hall, toward the royal hallway. He knew when he arrived, because two Galan guards stood at the end of the hallway, with halberds ready. When they spotted him, the two ladies looked down, and immediately broke their stoic stance. “Look at’em,” Said the first, bending down until she was able to look Xander eye to eye, “I’d heard tell, but he don’t seem fit to serve a babe, forget a princess.” Xander looked the woman in the eyes. He wasn’t a big fan of being babied, but it was to be expected now and again with Galan. “Still,” The other said with a smirk, “If he is to be around the princesses, we have to keep an eye on him. Especially with Dalia.” The first guard chuckled, “Oh my, our little Dalia and this one on a little date, my womb’ll burst with a litter right here.” “You’re the worst,” Said the other with a look of disgust. Both Galan stood tall again, as if their conversation never happened, and then they looked down at him. “What is your business, little man?” Said the second guard. “I’ve been summoned by her highness, princess Irella.” Xander said, trying to stand up straight as he spoke. “Fourth on the left,” Said the first, “Don’t cause trouble, the guardmaster’ll have your head in the yard. We’ll be listening.” Relatively, Xander told himself, Galan have terrible hearing. On the other hand, as he walked past, Xander could hear the whispers of the two guards behind him. “You could keep him in a pocket, I swear,” Said the first. “Cute, but I’m not into halfmen,” Said the second. “I could keep him right under my dress all shift, not a soul would mind.” “You are the worst.” Xander swallowed, and tried to ignore how hot he felt around the collar. He was still a man, after all, even if the rules of the Zindu meant he needed to avoid seeming like one. He knocked on the fourth door, and waited. He still had no idea what to expect, besides a Hytian. What service would she require? It was clear that Lostra did an impeccable job keeping the royal family well taken care of, from clothing to food. The door opened, and a young woman with bouncing blonde hair peeked her head out before waving him inside. The princesses room was impressive, with paintings and artifacts from different realms of the empire. He immediately recognized a Xin purity knife, held on a small stand next to a replica of a tower from the Southlands. “Your highness,” Xander said as he bowed, “I have arrived, as requested.” “Yes yes,” Irella said, “I really just wanted to get a good look at you.” He wanted to reply, but held his tongue. Instead he shifted his posture, and awaited inspection. She moved closer, her eyes focusing. Her blood was fairly pure, he could see that from her eyes, they almost seemed to shimmer, like the queens. Still, she was likely mixed with Field-folk, instead of Galan, if her height was any indication. “You really would be settling, wouldn’t you?” Irella said, a frown across her face. Xander recognized her then. Out of so many faces there when he met the queen, she was the one princess that stuck out. He couldn’t forget that wink. Suddenly, Xander had a bad feeling about this. “Do you know how many men have ever been in this building, Zindu?” Irella said with a grin. It was rhetorical, but sometimes that didn’t matter with nobility. “I can’t imagine, your highness,” Xander said. “You’re the third,” Irella said as she walked over to a vanity, and checked her curls in the mirror there, “I won’t sully our first talk by telling you the gruesome details of what happened to them.” “Thank you,” Xander said. “The number of men who have been in this room, is zero,” Irella said, “You’re a pioneer of your kind, a regular Melassandra. Though really, you’re here by appointment, and I hope to be the explorer.” Xander tucked his hands behind his back, and started to circle around the princess. He looked at the different paintings and objects, and realized that he had failed himself. He was standing in the middle of a trap, and he didn’t realize it for lack of observation. The paintings around the room, often majestic or in elaborate styles, also had a theme. They were of men. The artifacts were more subtle, some were statues or busts of men, but others were simply… for lack of a better word, phallic. “Was I disappointing, your highness?” Xander asked as he looked over the artifacts around him. She stood up straight and had a look of shock on her face. There was a moment of stammering, but then she found her voice again. “Well, you aren’t exactly cut from stone, little Zindu,” she said as she reached for her makeup. “It isn’t easy living up to legends,” He said, “Though as a princess, I imagine your mother would want only the best for you.” Irella groaned at the mention of the queen, which stopped Xander’s tour in its tracks. “If it was her choice, my tutors would insist women were all there were in the world,” Irella said, then grumbled, “We’re not all Fayla.” He recognized that as the name of one of the more popular princesses, a public beauty. Still, he let it go. “I’m sure she has a plan,” Xander said, though at this point he wasn’t actually sure. The queen was divine, but her own family was a mystery. How they functioned was rumormill worthy across Xin. “Her plan,” Irella turned on Xander, “Is to keep us all perfect little virgins until the day she ascends.” Irella slapped down the makeup, and took heavy steps toward Xander, “And we all know that won’t happen. So tell me little Xin, where does that leave me?” Now and again the truth was a valuable weapon. It showed empathy with your client, and made sure they cared about your feelings when otherwise they would treat you like a tool. “Frustrated,” Xander said, “I imagine.” Irella’s anger gave way to a smirk. She put a thumb on Xander’s cheek, and ran a small circle there. “Enough so that I’ll settle for a cute little Xin.” Today, truth backfired. Irella stood up, and turned around, showing the back laces of her dress, “Loosen please.” Xander started to unlace the dress, even as he swallowed heavily. This wasn’t going to end well. He thought back to the statements of Lostra. He was starting to get a picture of what she expected to happen here today. Of course, Lostra underestimated the Zindu, and Xander was the best among them. “Your highness,” Xander began, “Irella, I understand your complaint, but I do not know if this is the best way to go about this.” Irella let out a sharp laugh, and then turned, starting to pull the dress down around her shoulders. “You can’t fool me,” Irella said, “Just mad that it was me who called you first? If you were hoping for one of the others, you’ll just have to get over it.” “No, not at all,” Xander said, doing his best to keep his eyes locked with hers as the princess struggled to expose herself, “I would be a fool if I denied your beauty and… grace.” Irella stopped, and then a blush went across her cheeks. She had her dress below her shoulders now, with her hands gripping the top of that and a slip. For a moment, Xander was sure he got through to her, even though his practice never included Hytians. “That’s the sweetest thing you could have said,” she said, her shoulders going slack for just a moment, “Still, I’m set about this, so come here and touch my chest.” Xander’s hands shot up in a defensive pose, “Princess, I couldn’t.” “Shouldn’t,” She said, “But you will.” She pressed closer, and Xander moved back against the wall. Still, he noticed she never pulled her slip down, she was still covering herself. He thanked the queen for her daughter’s lack of confidence. Still, He was pinned against the wall, with Irella’s breasts level with his head, and the young girl determined to be fondled. “Maybe I can give you a massage instead?” Xander said, his eyes wavering to the thin white material in front of him. “A sensual massage?” Irella cheered. “Or I could run you a warm bath.” “For two?” Xander wasn’t a fan of sweating, and to tell the truth he felt cold ever since heading to the mainland. This situation though left him with beads at his brow, and his vision starting to blur. He didn’t have a choice. That was what he had to tell himself. There were times where you had to act first, and then find the solution later, and count on your capability to find a solution. So Xander grabbed Irella’s breasts. They were, soft. That wasn’t unexpected, but it was a sensation he had to admit to himself. They were warm, soft, and delightful. “That’s not so bad, is it?” Irella whispered, “Move your hands around a little, they aren’t made of glass.” Xander swallowed, “They are certainly not.” He let his fingers wander, massaging in small circles. He could feel her nipples, hardened under his palms. Whenever he ran over them too rough, he could see the blush in Irella’s cheeks. “See there,” Irella said, “And this is just the start, next you show me yours.” That was not going to happen. Though how Xander was to avoid it, he didn’t know quite yet. Still, if there was ever a whisper that he exposed himself to a princess, his life would be forfeit. “Do you know how to kiss?” Irella asked, and while the question scared him, he heard the tremble in her voice as she asked it. Xander looked her in the eyes, “Of course, princess.” She leaned in, closed her eyes, and pursed her lips. Xander had to move to catch her, his lips meeting hers. The kiss was soft, almost innocent. When she let go, she bit her lip, and was turning crimson. “I am going to enjoy this,” Irella giggled. Then there was a knock at the door. Xander stiffened, and looked to the princess. Irella just rolled her eyes. “Go away,” Irella shouted, “I’m sort of busy.” “Your highness,” Said a woman, “I’m from the kitchen.” “Curses,” Irella whispered, “Should I tell them I’ve got a Xin pinned under me? I bet that would start quite the gossip.” “That would be unfortunate, your highness,” Xander replied. “I’m not hungry,” Irella said, “Please come back later when I don’t have guests.” Xander felt his stomach sink. Why did she have to mention guests? How often do the princesses just have guests over? He had no way to know how suspicious that sounded. Still, he could hear that the person at the door hadn’t left, but there was a pause. There were extreme possibilities, one of which included attacking a daughter of the Queen, but he didn’t want to jump to wild actions. “But your highness,” The woman said, “These are the chocolates…” “Chocolates!” Irella shouted as she stood up straight, “You didn’t say a word about chocolates.” The girl rushed to the door with her dress still under her armpits, and Xander did his best to rush up behind her. Before she could move to open the door, he grabbed the dress from behind, and moved the sleeves where she could put her arms in. “Oh,” Irella said absentmindedly, “Thank you.” She slipped her arms in without so much as looking at Xander, and he started to tighten the laces at the back. By the time the door was opened, the dress was tight enough to pass casual inspection, and Xander had his hands behind his back. “Goodness woman, hand them over,” Irella said as a bespectacled woman with a covered tray looked in. “Are you okay your highness?” The woman asked, “You look a little tired.” Irella took the tray, and uncovered it, her eyes going wide at the wide selection of desserts there for her to choose from. “I was just preparing for bed,” Irella said, handing the cover back to the woman, “You are dismissed now.” “And me,” Xander said as he ducked under her arm, “your highness?” “Yes yes,” Irella tried to swat him away like a fly. Xander nodded, and started to close the door. Just before Irella fell out of view, he saw a moment of sudden realization cross her eyes, and she turned to him before the door clicked shut. The maid from the kitchen looked down at Xander, and he looked up at her. She had an eyebrow raised, but didn’t say a word. “Madame,” He said with a bow, “I owe you my life.” Then he turned and headed back to the main hall. “Hold there little man,” The guards said as he came back out. Xander turned to face them, and the first guard leaned down again to get eye level with him, “You’re a wee bit flushed, you run a marathon back there?” Xander was out of posture, and immediately it backfired on him. He wanted out of the hall before Irella thought to call him back, he needed to think about what to do next. Instead, he fell into another trap by forgoing the three rules. He straightened up, and put his arms behind his back, “No madame, I was simply put to good work organizing Princess Irella’s collectibles.” The second guard clicked her tongue, “A bit eccentric that girl, a real beauty though.” The first guard put a heavy hand on his shoulder, “Not that it is any of this little guy’s business eh?” She laughed in his face, and the second guard joined in. Personally, he didn’t understand what was so amusing about the situation. Still, he had a job to do, and he couldn’t do it if his head was on the ramparts. He felt a chill, and let his eyes look off to catch someone moving swiftly down the next hall over. They weren’t service staff, and they weren’t too much taller than him. Still, they were in a hurry, and weren’t carrying anything to designate why. “What was that?” Xander asked. The first guard snapped out of her mirth, and looked down the hall. The figure had made it out of sight. “What?” She said, standing back tall. “Not our hall, not our business,” The second guard said, “You should be on your way though.” Xander looked down the hall where the figure vanished to. Something told him to be on guard, and he had decades of training that meant such feelings shouldn’t be ignored. “I will,” Xander said as he bowed, “Thank you, ladies.” He turned and headed back toward his room. Though he could still hear their parting words. “I tell you, hide’em in a trunk, under your bunk.” “Oh stop.” “Bring him out after dark, feed him candy for work well done.” “You’re gonna get in trouble.”