The Plot Moves Forwards

Elana stared blankly at the paper for a few more minutes, the cogs in her head turning slowly, more due to disbelief than anything else. Then, she very carefully placed the paper back on the desk, and took a step backwards, sinking into the bed again in a sitting position. The warm blankets rose up around her lower body, but she didn't really pay attention to them, her mind on what her lover had done. A thousand conflicting emotions ran through her right then, mixing and merging, such that even she didn't quite know what she felt. She sat on the bed for a few more minutes, forcing herself to breath deeply.

Then, she looked at the desk again.

Yep. Paper was still there.

"Really, Amy?" She said. "Really? I mean, Not that I am not happy, but shit, I didn't think it would go nearly this far..."

What did she do? The thoughts crashed against her mind, trying to overwhelm her with their implications. But Elana was not someone easily overwhelmed, and she cordoned them off, dealing with them one by one.

What did she do? Wrong question. Redefine.

What _could _she do?

That question had some answers. She could play along, she could refuse, or she could try to change the script. The enormity of what Amy had created was pressing down on her, the **** almost crushing. She tried not to think about the fact that the whole world had been rewritten to allow this. She was pretty damn sure that the morality aspect of that was way off. But, so long as everything was put back the way it should be in the end, wasn't that okay? No one was really being hurt, were they? Just....sort of moved around a little. She knew Amy, and knew Amy was not a bad person. The two had been a couple for a few years now, and even before that, Amy had been moved to help her when she needed it, merely out of the goodness of her heart.

No, Amy wasn't a bad person. Which meant that this game was only that, just a game.

Which meant, in turn...

Elana felt a tingle of excitement run up her spine. A flash of heat bloomed along her face. She realised she was being faced with something she had never before even contemplated, even when she'd had the rulebook herself. The whole world had been rewritten, just to allow the two of them to play out their games. So long as no one else was hurt, then why not have their fun? Was that so dubious?

Well, part of her still objected a little, but it was drowned out under the rising flood of heat and desire that was oozing from her core. She stood up again, pushing herself off the bed with more energy than she'd had a moment before. The cold air played against her skin, making her shiver with suppressed delight. She felt alive, like a tiny sun had been **** into her chest, and its energy was pulsing through her body. She strode over to the large closet she'd noticed before, and opened it, sure that Amy would have left her something to wear.

Sure enough, there were dresses of many colours and types, all hanging neatly. Panties and bras were secured to their side in their own little section, as well as tights and other things that Elana suspected were not historically accurate. Well, it didn't matter to her right in that moment, even though it offended the tiny part of her that was into fantasy works. It made her want to laugh at herself, and she chuckled as she choose out something to wear. As Amy had guessed, Elana had always wondered what it would be like to be the captive queen or princess who was waiting for the heroes to rescue her. What it would be like to be in the villain's control, helpless and **** to do whatever was demanded of them.

Impossibly, it seemed she would actually get to live it out.

In the end, Elana choose a blue dress, complete with white ribbons, and a skirt which reached to the very ground. It was a beautiful of blue, and secured by a series of straps along her back. Under this, she wore dark panties and a bra, as well as a pair of white tights, after a moment or two of thought. Then, she looked at herself once more in the mirror.

Elana looked....different. Her copper hair stood out against the blue of the dress. It was long, falling to the back of her waist. And the dress itself was elegant. it wasn't sexy. It didn't bare skin. It just felt like the sort of thing that a princess should wear. And, on top of that, a golden circlet which she had found at her bedside, sitting atop her brow for the whole world to see.

She nodded to herself, glad that she looked so much the part. Then, moved to the door to explore her new world. It opened at her touch, revealing a corridor of wood, with more doorways leading off into unknown places. Her heart beating, Elana began to explore.

It didn't take long for her to figure out what was happening. She was currently on a ship, a boat, to be specific. She'd seen numerous more portholes now. It seemed to be a sort of old galleon type thing, one of the ones with a lot of sails and cannons. In spite of the size, though, there were few people present. Most of them seemed to be busy doing some task, and she quickly realised the crew was undersized, and could barely even sail the ship.

Probably intentional, she decided. After all, whoever had beaten her kingdom wouldn't want the princess to come armed with a battle ship, so they had allowed her to take only the barest crew and no more. This ship couldn't fight, it simply didn't have enough hands.

There were, however, some guards. They found her an hour or so into her exploration. There were six of them in total, and they recognised her by sight, naturally. Surprisingly though, Elana recognised them as well. Knowledge which she had never had swum to the surface of her mind, telling her their names and histories as if she had known them all her life.

After all, in this world, she had.

The six men were her squad of house guards, sworn to her service since she was a young girl. They were led by Sir Thomas - Sir, not _Ser, _that was important. Thomas was not a knight, just a highly ranked soldier.

As they approached, Elana got a good view of her protector. Thomas was blond, and a young, the same age as herself, which made sense, as they had been paired together since children in this timeline. He had blue eyes, and slightly untidy hair, largely due to the fact that he tended to wear his helmet a lot. Currently, he was clad in a tunic, emblazoned with the symbol of the kingdom. A sword was sheathed at his side.

"Princess Elana..." He said, looking at her deeply. Elana returned the look, feeling slightly awkward as her other memories informed her that he had always had a thing for her, though she had never returned it. Nonetheless, he was a dear friend and companion. "The time is nearly here. I am sorry to say that we have sighted the ship of the empire."

Elana took a deep breath. Her heart started to beat quickly, and she felt sweat breaking out across her body. She gulped, but **** the rest of the reaction down, clawing for decorum and poise. "I see. Well, we must not keep them waiting, I suppose."

Thomas nodded reluctantly.

"You are right, my lady. I just...." He paused, his face contorted as his desire for her safety duelled with his loyalty to his country. Elana raised a hand, and laid it on his shoulder, snapping him out of it.

"It's fine." She said. "Don't pretend you like it. We don't have much choice. They'll conquer us either way. This way, less die."

His hands balled, and fury danced in his eyes, but he nodded slowly and with great ****.

"Less will die, my lady, but you will suffer. Are you really ready for this? Do you know what they will do?

"It doesn't matter." Elana said, her chest racing. "I will protect my people. Don't try to talk me out of it. You've tried already and it hasn't worked. Accept it, Thomas, and do your best for them."

"I...." He sighed, "I am sorry, my lady. You are correct. My duty is to the people, to the land. Though, I have guarded you since were both children, there are more important things than our bond alone. I just wish..."

"That there was another way?" Elana said with a knowing look. "I know. So do I. But we both know there is not. A princess must look out for her people, no? Even if by doing so, she casts herself into the lair of a dragon. And you must guard those people in my absence. The Empire does not break their treaties, so I have no doubt there will be peace... but be on guard, my friend. You will be as my hand from now on. You are the only one who knows what I would want."

He swallowed hard, and looked close to tears, but nodded again.

"As you wish, my lady. It has been an honour to serve you."

After this, Thomas and his soldiers escorted her to the deck of the ship. Under the billowing sails, the wind was howling and raging, playing with the folds of her dress. Elana did her best not to flinch as the crew turned to look at her. Though, there was respect in their eyes, there was also something else. Pity. For they knew what was to happen. The Empire had a reputation when it came to conquered female rulers. She was but the latest.

Elana felt like it was a ****. Waiting there on the deck, nothing but her own thoughts and the racing of her heart. Then, slowly, she saw the other ship approaching. It was like her own, a galleon type ship with many billowing sails. But the sails were black, as was much of the ship itself. The wood and armour which made up its hull had been burnished into a darker tone, and here and there, she even saw a spike. A spike!

_Damnit, Amy, _she said, you really don't hold back when you make an evil empire, do you?

As the ship drew nearer, she saw that it was bigger than her own by about times, with more cannons, and a far larger crew.

Elana felt Thomas and his soldiers tense up as the ship drew nearer. Her memories told her that he had fought several actions against them. She looked to him, and spoke softly.

"Easily now." She said. "I may have to throw myself away here, Thomas. But I do not expect you to do the same. Remember what we discussed. Do not give them cause to take you too."

"Of course." He said through grated teeth. "I swear, my lady, I will save you one day."

"One day, perhaps." Elana said. "But not today."

"No..." He said. "Not today."

By now, the ships were lined up, and gangplanks were being moved into place. Elana ordered her forces - and such a strange thought that was! - to step back, and to give them no excuse to cull extra lives. Her fists balled slowly, and she could feel the blood leaving her face as the moments ticked by. Second by second. A strange sense of disconnection was rising in her now, though she knew that none of this was truly real, it felt real. The winds which whipped through her hair, the spray of salt on her skin. The heaving of the ship back and forth, and the feeling of the wood under her feet were all real things. Things she could not ignore.

This was a fantasy of hers, it was true. But in that moment, she couldn't really say that it felt anything less than real. She gulped again, her nerves were fraying, and she wondered where Amy was, and if she was watching. So far, she'd relied heavily on her new memories to tell her how she should speak and act, but now those were falling away, and Elana herself was coming to the fore.

The soldiers of the enemy poured onto the deck. Like the ship they served, they were cliche. Clad in black armour, leather jerkins and helmets that covered their faces. Each one had a sword sheathed at their side. Elana counted twenty, or perhaps thirty of them. They quickly formed a half circle around their side of the deck, Elana and her own forces on the other. Then, from among them, there came a new figure. Where most of those soldiers used mail armour, this one was fully in plate, moving with a fluid grace, their features hidden by a spiked helmet, and a cloak of rattling mail. Elana felt herself shrink away as the figure approached, but **** her body to halt, standing true and proud as they neared her place.

"You are Princess Elana?" Said the figure, it's voice was raspy, hard to make out. It made her wince just to hear it. Elana's heart was in her mouth, she felt weak, her skin pale, and her fears rising. Nonetheless, she managed to nod, summoning her courage to the fore.

"I am." She said. "Y-you've come for me. None of the others. You are going to let them go."

The figure regarded her for a moment,

"Acceptable." It said.

"Good..." She breathed a sigh of relief.

"But a message must be sent."

She froze and tensed, looking at the figure again.

"What do you mean by that? According to the terms, no one here is to be harmed to captured but for me. You can't do anything to them unless you want to break your word and treaty."

"That is correct." The figure said. "But we can do something to you. Princess Elana... Monarchy is a thing that we have never much approved of, back home. So full of infighting, so many inflated titles, so much self importance. if you are to come with us, it will not be as a princess."

Elana said nothing. The world seemed to have slowed for her. Her pulse raced, and her throat felt dry. A strange warmth had pervaded her body. Shock, perhaps, though if so, she did not know what she had to be shocked about, since everything was happening as it should.

"If you are to come with us..." The figure went on, "and, for the sake of your people, you must, then we will have to break you to your new position in life. That is to say, a whore of the empire. You are no longer a princess. You have no rights but those we choose to give you. You have no say in what is done with you or to you, and you have no property other than what is bestowed upon you. This is the situation you are walking into. To save your people, you must become the lowest of the low."

"I know." Elana said, feeling the gaze of the whole ship turn on her. Her face coloured, and she felt like a wilting flower under that intense pressure. She wanted to shrivel up, and panic ran through her body, but wasn't this what she had wanted? The lure of it was present too, and potent. Elana was breathing heavily, the air hitching in her throat. Between her legs, her mound was tingling, and she could feel her nipples rubbing against the fabric of her bra. "I accept it. Do what you want to me, but my people are beyond you."

"Agreed." Said her tormentor. "Now, strip."

"Strip?"

"That is what was said. You do not have any property save that which we have given you. As we have given you none, that means you have nothing. Therefore, if you took those clothes, it would be theft, and we would not wish that. So you will have to divest yourself of them."

Elana felt a shudder rise through her body. Her skin went cold, and she felt her legs turn to jelly.

"Right here and now?"

"That is correct."

She opened her mouth to argue, but really, what choice did she have?