She sees no other choice.

Ellie mulled it over. Her editors had moved heaven and earth just to get her in the door. Regardless of the country, an exclusive interview with a monarch was not something that came every day. The cost of that interview, however, had just gone up substantially and she wasn't sure she was willing to pay it now. She sighed, and made a decision.

"I'll do it."

The guard nodded, and handed her the collar. She clasped it around her neck. A feeling of finality, of surrender enveloped her. She was aware that she had put herself into the hands of the men of Principalia. She hoped her trust was not misplaced.

She slid her blazer down her shoulders, folded it carefully, and placed it on a table gestured to by one of the guards. Not quite ready to reveal herself to the room, she removed her heels next. Ellie, already a short woman, felt increasingly powerless as standing on flat ground made her even shorter.

She could delay her disrobing no longer. She quickly and unceremoniously reached for the zipper at the back of her neck. She was not here to entertain these men, she reminded herself, but to get a story, to expose the toxic masculinity of an entire country. She shrugged her shoulders out of the dress, trying to get this over with as quickly as possible, but the tightness of the garment caused her to wiggle and jiggle lewdly as she moved it past her hips.

Now in her underwear, she was acutely aware of all of the eyes in the room fixated on her, causing her skin to flush. She hesitated for a moment, torn between a desire to get this over with as quickly as possible and a trepidation about continuing forward. In the end, and with the collar serving as a tangible reminder of her commitment to her story, she unclasped her bra, let it fall off her shoulders, and pulled her panties to her ankles in as quickly and as rigid a motion as she could manage. Once added to the pile, she stood nude before the guards, trying to cover herself as best she could, with an increasing sense of dread

"Now we must ensure you're ready to serve", the guard said, stepping calmly towards her.