(Draft) Astraea Part 3 (TG Comm) (Patreon)

Peter desperately tried to focus on the book she had been reading, but her mind would go back to the revelation she was told mere hours ago. She gagged as her stomach felt like she was riding a roller coaster repeatedly as all the things this marriage would mean for her. She knew the possibility of marriage was a possibility, especially considering who she was and all, but didn’t think it would happen like this or so soon.

She had been trying desperately to distract herself from the terror and mix of emotions going through her. She had tried to go exercise in her room, reading, practicing, and other activities she could think of. She had even walked around the area and explored a little outside it with a guard, which was another thing she couldn’t quite used to at the moment. It was hard not to feel like a prize show when she saw the people staring at her and heard the people whispering about her. It didn’t help that word had apparently spread she was going to be married to the prince. Hearing that killed whatever interest she had walking in favor of trying to hide away.

Her mind pondered what it would be like to actually be over there. From what she had learned they actually used the same language and their culture was similar enough to where she wouldn’t accidentally insult them. Even so, the idea of doing something over there which would make her look like an ignorant buffoon filled her terror, especially if she was going to be their queen.

She wouldn't have the same security net there that she had here. Here she knew at least some of the people and her parents would be nearby. There she wouldn’t really know anyone, aside from anyone who came with her. Not to mention how the rest of the people would see her. For all she knew, they would probably see her as an invader. There hadn’t been any wars between the two of them in recent years, but people tended to bring up old history and apply if it recently happened.

The last war between their kingdoms happened over 130 years ago. It happened when the king of Charvignon at the time, Eisenwald the Bloody went to war over a dispute in their trade agreements and how some of their vassels had apparently been launching raids into their territory and stealing and led to the king’s cousin getting killed. The war lasted for a year before Eisenwald was forced to discuss terms for peace with her ancestor, Marius the Pious. In return for the return for any lost territory, Marius had to forfeit the nobles involved with the death of Eisenwald’s sister, and Eisenwald would pay reparations for the damages.

It sounded like a good deal to her on paper, but there were no doubt those who thought otherwise. She could see where it would breed animosity on both sides. Eisenwald for his bloody massacre across the land, and her own ancestor for essentially giving up nobles. She wondered if any of those houses involved like the Weiss, and the Landons were still angry about it.

Still as dangerous as living there sounded, what came to her the most was the realization it would be harder for her to get what she wanted for her own personal training. She might be the Princess Consort or whatever the true technical name for someone in her position would be, but it wouldn’t have the same effect. If it got back to her husband or anyone else in the royal family and they learned it she would undoubtedly be questioned. If they didn’t approve of what she was doing then they would no doubt move against her attempts and try to block her off from getting more books. At worst they could possibly try to go for a divorice if they could find a match that would offer them the same sort of goods her family did. She wasn't sure how it worked in this world, but she wasn’t going to end up like one of Henry VIII’s wives. More than a few rulers from what she had seen in history had promising starts only to end up as tyrants or be horrible rulers in the end.

Peter sighed as she lounged and thought over how she could get these thoughts to leave her alone. After all these failed attempts it was clear anything physical wasn’t going to work. She needed to talk to someone about this, anyone just to voice her thoughts to them and hopefully give her some useful advice.  She hummed and tried to think who she could voice her worries to, but frowned as she couldn’t think of anyone. She hadn’t really tried to get to know anyone, and had been focused more on learning about this world, her situation, and how she would survive. It only served to highlight just how alone she was now.

A stray thought entered her head, as if realizing there were people she could talk to.

There were two people she could talk to about this, but she was afraid of what their reaction might be to her worries since they were her parents. They seemed nice, but that was because she was playing the good daughter and doing her best to keep up the act. How would they react if they found out she was afraid could show a darker side she wasn’t ready to encounter.

Another thing which made her heart stall was that this would be the most meaningful conversation she would ever have with them, now that she thought about it.

She took a breath and asked, “Do you know where my mother is? I would like to speak with my mother.”

“I can’t say for certainty where she is at the moment. The last I heard she was in the study, she could still be there, or even in her quarter’s,” the guard answered.

“Thank you,” Peter said. “Could you take me there?”

“Of course,” the guards answered at once.

She followed the guard in front of her as the other guard stood behind her. She had to hold back a groan. Even when she wanted to just visit her mother she had to deal with this. It made her consider if she would actually talk to her. She didn’t want to talk about this when people who were essentially strangers were going to listen in and could hear this. This was a matter she didn’t want to get out, and felt like she couldn't reach the deepness she wanted to if they were there. The thought of running into similar problems over there made her want to sigh. She would need to figure it out when she got there what her limitations would be over there.

When she arrived at her mother’s study she took a deep breath and knocked on the door. A part of her hoped she was there, and another that she wasn’t. The second part of her wanted a little more time to think things over and what she would say.

“Enter,” a strong woman’s voice said, surprising the former man.

“Hello, mother it's me,” Peter said slowly as she opened the door. She entered the room and saw her mother sitting behind a desk.

Her mother smiled. “Honey is there something you need?”

“Mother,” Peter said, the word still feeling awkward. “Can we….talk?”

“Of course what do you want to talk about?”

The words she had practiced in her head were gone as she worried over what would happen next. Peter didn’t need to be told what could happen if she didn’t go through with this. There was the chance they would always just force her to go through with it anyway. They might have seemed nice, but this was a situation where the entirety of the kingdom could be on the line. They had to put the people ahead of themselves and what she wanted if they were going to keep their kingdom safe in case a war broke out.

“Take your time,” her mother said softly as she got up. She took her arm and led her to the seat  across from her desk. The moment she was sure Astraea was she moved in the chair next to her and turned it so they were looking at each other.

All the words she had practiced in her head were gone, now that she was right in front of her. The worries she had about having this conversation came to her again, and she couldn’t force the words to come out. In a way, it was like a test to her about what type of parents they really were.

“Take your time,” her mother said softly.

“Mother, I’m worried about this...marriage,” Peter started. Every word felt like it was weighed a ton.

“Why are you?” She asked, as if she was trying to break down a problem.

“Just because we know what he’s like in the public eye, doesn’t mean he’s the same in private,” Peter started.

“That is a real and understandable fear dear,” her mother admitted. “As a wife, you have to look like you are supporting him at the least. You’ll have some respect because of your station, but for greater influence, you’ll have to earn it. If you can form a relationship with them then your life there will be much better. My mother never loved my father, but they came to an understanding. I was fortunate enough to come to love your father after some time. The fact he has this sort of reputation speaks well for him, and can give an idea of what he is like in private. If not, then make the court and the people fall for you so they can be your shield or help depending on the situation. If he looks down on you then, show your skills, and that you are more than just a pretty face.”

Peter mulled over her words and took it to heart. She didn’t really know him, and it was scaring her. When they actually got to meet each other then she would know for sure what he was like and how she should act. Striking a middleground and forming some sort of possible relationship would be good for them, and at least give her some happiness. A question flashed in her mind, of asking her if she loved her father, but couldn’t bring herself to vocally ask it. She was afraid of what the answer would be. A hand on her shoulder made her jump. She had gotten so lost in thought, she had forgotten her mother was here.

“You might not like this, be angry about this, or even hate us for it. In time you might find out this was the best thing you could have gone through.”

Peter wasn’t sure she would ever see that angle in this. With her being a former man and having all of the responsibility of ruling a kingdom, it sounded too much for her. At most she had lead a classroom of students, but obviously this was something much greater entirely. At least here, she had certainty in her choices and could do what she wanted. Not to mention she would have preferred finding her own lover and getting to know them. Then again how was she going to date someone and really get to know them as a princess. She sighed, “Thank you for this talk mother.”

“Have a good night,” her mother said. “Sleep well.”

“You to mother,” Peter said and hugged her tightly.

The guards led her back to her room, and she continued to think over her mother’s words. They would be leaving tomorrow, and needed as much sleep as possible. She wasn’t sure how much sleep she would be able to have when she finally got there and closed her eyes, but it would be welcomed. She wasn’t sure she wanted to wake up though, and wished now she would be back in her original body. It might have been a futile wish, but it was one she still wished for.

Peter sighed as she watched the servants start packing her clothes, books, dresses, and any other thing she might need. She thought it would be a little much, but it made sense they would take everything. She was leaving here, almost as if she was going away to college, or studying abroad. It had the same heavy feeling to her, except this time it was much worse. She would be able to visit but would never be able to stay here for too long.

“It's...a heavy feeling isn’t it?” Her mother asked.

“Yes,” Peter admitted as she watched servants take out another bag to place it in the wagon outside.

“We should have breakfast. It's going to take them a while to finish packing, and we won’t be able to eat whenever we want as we’re on the road.”

Peter and his new mother left and entered the dining hall and saw her father already there. The two of them sat down next to him. Moments after, servants brought out their plates of food and the two of them started to eat.

“Do you have everything set for when we are gone?” her mother asked.

“I do, Seneschal Magnus, shall be acting as regent while we are away, it will take him away from his own territory for a while, but he is sure his son can handle running it.”

Breakfast had been a somber affair. No one had said anything and the tension in the air felt like it could be cut with a greatsword. Peter wished someone would say something just to break the monanty of the situation. She wanted to ask anything, from asking how they slept to more personal topics. The idea of asking about the land she would be living in came to her, but she just couldn’t bring herself to ask them. To ask them would mean having to become the center of attention, something she really didn’t want right now.

When they finished eating, a servant stepped into the room and walked up to the king. He said, “We have finished packing.”

“When we’re finished eating we’ll change and then head out,” he said. “A set of travel clothes have been set aside for you to change in.”

Peter nodded, the sentence sounded like a sword dangling over her head. She picked up the utensils and started to eat again, a little slower in her pace than before. The food was good, but she wanted to delay this trip for as long as possible. It wasn’t as if they were on a real schedule to keep, and wouldn’t be there soon anyhow. It would take weeks if not months before they would arrive there. It did little to calm her down or bring her any peace, but it was

When she was finished eating she went back to her room to change, some guards following. There wouldn’t be much there, she knew, except for the clothes set aside. When she was finished changing she was supposed to head to the great hall and meet with her parents. She never thought of them as the grim reaper or evil entities before, but now she couldn’t help but see them as prophets of the end times.

For a moment she considered trying to break away and live in the woods or villages. She didn’t want to go off and get married to some stranger she never met. She had some idea of magic and could probably make a living as a healer. Still, she wouldn’t be able to get far. She was in a dress and the guards were close by. At most she would probably have an hour head start, and then would have the entire palace looking for her, all over the city. No matter what she thought of, she wouldn’t get very far.

She opened the door to her room and looked around. She felt a strange set of emptiness as she stared around the empty room. Her heart ached and could feel her eyes well with tears. The redhead wiped her eyes and fought against them, stuffing them down as hard as she could.

This might not have been her room in her house, but it was her sanctuary from this new world and allowed her to learn in peace. She must have cared more about this place then she thought she did.

The beautiful redhead looked around the room, the pictures on the wall, the vanity, and everything else was gone. The closet which had dozens of clothes now didn’t have anything. The only thing left for her was a simple white and red dress which would be easy to move in.

It made her glad she didn’t get a sword, it certainly would have been discovered if it as look

Peter slowly changed into a set of comfortable travel clothes that were easy to walk in.

When she was finished she stepped outside and went to the great hall, her guards escorting her on the way. Her parents nodded and the family walked out of the hall into the courtyard to see the caravan. Peter couldn’t help but be amazed by the crowd. The crowd of soldiers dressed in fine steel armor and with their weapons at the ready would certainly detract anyone who thought to try and rob them. Her mother and father walked next to her as they stepped closer to the carriage.

“Are you ready?” her father asked quietly.

Peter could only nod as she breathed in. she didn’t trust her words out of fear of what she might say. She stepped into the carriage and took a seat. The moment the door was closed she leaned back and didn’t care for any sense of propriety.

“I’ll be riding at the head of the caravan. If you need me, ask one of the men, and have him send a message.”

“Just take it easy and enjoy yourself,” her mother said. “It's going to be a long time before we get there. It will be just like a Lord’s Progress. Going around and visiting the lords, the countryside, villages, and everything else.”

The words did little to calm her down, but there was a hint of excitement at the prospect of seeing so many places. She had wanted to go outside and see a little bit of the world and what it had to offer. This might not be the way she wanted to do it, but she was getting her wish at least and would make the most of the time she did have.

Her father shut the door, and after a few minutes she could feel the carriage start moving and the caravan moving. She closed her eyes and tried to sleep. She felt so stressed and needed to lose herself somewhere else in her dreams.

Peter sighed as she thought over how long they have been traveling. It had been two months since they left Tamlin. It probably would have been sooner if they had lost the second caravan, and only took what they needed. It was something she pointed out, but her mother told her she had to make a statement. It would set a bad impression if they had to buy a whole wardrobe for her and would have given grounds for them to think they were looking down on them. She was going to need to learn more about political intrigue if she was going to live there, and hopefully make whatever political reforms she wanted.

She would have to look underneath and question everything from what she was told. She doubted watching Game of Tthrones or reading the books would help her understand the double meanings. Being in this situation made her wish she had Sun Tzu’s Art of War or Machiavelli’s The Prince right now. It would have been a good thing for her to read before she actually had to start ruling. Both of them had valuable advice she really could have used it. She would need to write down what she could remember of them both so she wouldn’t forget them.

The travel to the castle was fun in the way, almost like a road trip in a way. When she wasn’t reading her books she would look out the window and watch the scary pass her by. Except this time she didn't’ have to worry about getting nauseated from the car moving. She had gotten to see the sights around the castle, and the various villages. She saw how most of them looked well off, but a few looked more rundown and worn.

When they weren't able to stop at an inn for the night they instead spent the time in a camp. Her father and the servants would work on getting the tents ready for their night. It reminded her of her days when she was a boy scout and brought about a sense of longing. The tents were far larger then she was used to, and far more extravagant then she was used, but they did their job, which was all she asked for. She wouldn’t want to be out in the rain as she waited for cover.

At least she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone trying to get in her room during the night like in horror movies. The guards stationed around the room and the inn gave her more protection and felt comfortable no matter what condition the inn itself was in.

It showed her how lucky she was to be the place she was instead of being an average commoner. If she had become a commoner she would have more freedom, but would have lacked the security and resources she would have now. She would have been limited to what was in the village, which could primarily just have food and some minor healing items. Because of her position, she had access to better facilities, resources, protection from bandits, and even slavers.

Much to her dismay, while she studied more of this world she had learned some places practiced slavery. Thankfully it wasn’t allowed in her kingdom or Charvignon, but it was practiced in other places. Despite it being outlawed it would be foolish to say slavers didn’t go out and try to catch people from other places. If they attacked where she was and captured she had no delusion what her primary fate would be with her body.

As nice as the trip was, there were problems with it she didn’t like. The biggest thing that annoyed her was that she couldn’t get any practice with her magic in. She felt like she had the theory down in her memory and could recite word from word paragraphs in her books. Not to mention it was hard to hide the books she was reading and could barely read them since her mother was sitting right across from her. It annoyed her, she couldn’t do so, but had settled with just learning more about the world.

A knock on the door made her stop reading her book. She placed a scrap piece of paper she had gotten and used it as a bookmark as her mother opened the window. Her father stood outside, his face grim, as if he had received some bad news.

Peter looked in the direction and the moment it was insight, her head got lighter, almost as if she had risen too quickly. Stars entered her vision and could feel her breathing grow.  She rubbed her head and shakily sat down in the chair of the carriage. The mere sight of the place made her wish it would take longer, that there would be some unforeseen delay like a giant tree blocking the road, or something.

A soft hand wrapped around her arm and squeezed. She instructed gently. “Just breath. I was like this when I was going to meet your father for the first time.”

Peter only nodded as she slowed her breathing. She didn't trust her voice, or her mind, which was a mix of activity. Her mind had one thought and then another completely unrelated would tell her to do something else. Thought of using her magic and running to the woods came, followed by just taking a nap, and reading all came to her at once. She wanted to do all of them at once, while at the same time drinking some wine, or starting a fire just because she could.

The former man didn’t know how long they stayed like that, but knew it had been some time when she heard the gates open and the former young man didn’t need to look out the window to know they were passing through the gates, Peter looked through the window and saw people staring and some pointing at her. It made her quickly pull away and feel her heart pound in her chest again. It wouldn’t be much longer now, and every creek on the wheel and every bump might as well have been a bomb going off to her.

When it came to a stop, she felt like she was waiting for some spectre or monster to suddenly barge through the door. She breathed in and out trying to regain her wits as the imaginary monster didn’t come through. The carriage door opened and she jumped slightly as she turned to the door. The guard there might as well have been the spectre or beast she feared with the castle entrance open behind her.

Her mother stood up, still her hand pulled her up. Peter couldn’t work up any sort of resistance and followed her out. She gulped at the sight of the crowd and armored guards and wanted to just go back into the carriage, but couldn’t. The redhead breathed in and steeled herself, just like when she was about to meet her new students for the semester.

Her father got off his horse and took the lead, as several guards did as well, acting as a guard for her and her mother. It calmed her down somewhat now that she had guards surrounding her. Still it did little with how some of the people were trying to see past them and gaze upon her and her mother. The whole world had gone quiet for her. She could see clearly the people’s mouths moving, but it was as if their voices had been taken from them. She wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or not.

The lead guard nodded and then turned to the guards by the door and waved, making the two immediately follow his command and open the doors. He turned and started walking into the castle, his entourage of guards following him inside. After a moment her father and his group started walking, Peter following them instinctually.

The whole world was still quiet as they traveled through the castle, the former young man still unable to hear their footsteps or any words being spoken. As she walked through the castle, her eyes wandered everywhere, as if she was looking for some hidden secret. Much like the castle she had stayed out for months, there were portraits and tapestries of great battles and kings. There were less of them and there weren’t any ceremonial weapons or armor laying around. It was a sma

Peter almost crashed into the person in front of her as they came to a stop at a large set of  doors. One of the guards stepped inside, and Peter knew this was it. This had to be the great hall where the nobles and royalty were. Suddenly it was as if the people in the world had regained their voices. She heard the slight muttering of people beyond the door, and the breathing of the people around here. It made her wish she could go back to being deaf for this next part.

She could faintly hear the guard announcing them and right after he did, the great hall doors were opened and they walked inside. She looked around and saw a few fine dressed men and women who had to be various nobels. They just stared at their group as if they were a circus performance. The former man breathed in and out reminding herself why they were staring. It wasn’t everyday the royal family of another kingdom came, even less when matters such as these were about to happen. She could hear them muttering to each other, no doubt about her.

She couldn’t distinguish their words and wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Some of them had to be commenting on her body and figure and what they would do if they were to get such a bride. Hearing the fantasies she would have had if she was still a male would have been like a softball to the face.

Sitting in the lone seat in the back of the room was an older man who looked to be in his fifties with lion statues, the royal family’s emblem next to him. His black hair had begun to grey and long. He had a mustache and thin goatee which matched his hair’s color while the rest of his cheeks were free of any sign of facial hair. Despite his aged gaunt features there was still a glimpse of the man he was in his youth. She could easily see the weathered face fuller and the hair free of the grey it had.

Her eyes wandered to the man next to him and quickly looked away. The finery he wore was reminiscent to the king, and his features similar, but different. That one quick look was all she needed to know who he was. She didn’t want to look at him, so she could refuse the reality of the situation for a little bit longer.

The older man stood up and walked down to them, the younger man by his side doing the same. The whole hall had gotten quiet, the muttering nobles silencing in a minute as they watched their liege lord. The room had gotten so quiet a person would have been able to hear the stone They stopped when they were in front of her father and the royal party. They were quiet, as they looked them over, as if they were assessing the royal party.

“Welcome to my Charvignon, King Dumas,” the king said, his voice deep and strong.

“Thank you for welcoming us,” her father said and shook the other king’s hand.

Peter looked around and noticed a good number of nobility relaxed immediately, while others still looked tense. She wondered why and if it was the faction of nobles who weren’t happy with this arrangement. There was also the possibility it was the king himself who they were worried about. Looking back she should have asked what her new in-laws were like.

“Was there any trouble on your journey?”

“There was none thankfully, and I’m sure the steel we had was a good deterrent,” her father said.

“I’m sure as well,” the King of Charvignon, the laughter sounding like gravel.

“Is the man next to you your son?” her father asked, making Peter want to groan.

“Indeed, this is my son Prince Alexander,” the older man said, pointing at the tall younger man next to him who was dressed in a fine black tabard with the royal symbol on his breast.

Peter forced herself to look at the prince again. He was handsome, tall, muscular, with a sharp face and a small upturned nose. His inky black hair was neatly trimmed and cut short so it wouldn’t get in his face. He had light brown eyes, like freshly upturned dirt. The ensemble he wore helped to further sell the dark handsome prince appearance he already had. It did little to hide his broad shoulders and the muscles hidden underneath them. His face was mostly blank and didn’t reveal anything he was thinking.It added a sense of mystery to him, and the romantic in her wanted to get to know him better and see what he was like behind said exterior.

Peter's face flushed of its own accord as she stared at him. She gulped as her stomach twisted and turned the more his features ran in her mind. She couldn't believe she was attracted to him.

She watched the prince step forward and bowed slightly, the perfect way to show respect, and as he did really study his broad shoulders and build, a perverted part of her wanting to reach out and squeeze them.

“Your majesty, your grace, my lady,” the prince said, his voice a strong baritone, a contrast to the quiet, almost subdued tone he spoke.

Peter’s face darkened again as his words bounced in his head. He sounded better than she thought and it only furthered the dark mysterious picture she had. He wondered how many of the women here had been charmed by him from the highest ranking nobility, to the lowest commoner.

“Well then now that you’re here we have much planning to do, and much to discuss,” the king of Charvignon said.

Peter sighed as she wondered what she should do now that the first meeting was over. The wedding would be in a few days, and it terrified her. Hearing the people tak and the servants going on about getting this ready, like getting food, decorations made and more were like explosions going off, each one getting closer. It made it easy for her to imagine the actual wedding would be like getting hit by a cannonball.

They needed a few days to get everything ready, and allow any nobles who weren’t here a chance to come and attend. It was also to allow her and Alexander to get to know each other before they were married and consummate it afterward. It was encouraged that they try to find some common ground before the actual wedding, so they could have some positive feelings for eachother.

Still being here did have its advantages, even if it wasn’t her home. At least now she had some privacy so she could practice and read her magical books in peace. It was a small thing, but she could do it now at least. Thankfully none of the servants who unpacked her belongings seemed to notice what her books were about. If they did, they were good at keeping it hidden, or simply didn’t care.

As much as she didn’t want to, she needed to talk with Alexander. Her mother’s words rang through her head about trying to get an understanding and some middle ground between them.

It was more real than trying to run away from here, and pretending she had the stomach to do so. The idea of running away from here wasn’t even a fantasy she would consider being here.

After the meeting in the hall they were supposed to meet privately in one of the guest suites. At least she wouldn’t have to talk with him in front of everyone.

She entered the room, and saw Alexander reading a book. He curled the page and several pages behind it and closed the book.

“My lady,” Alexander said softly.

“Your grace,” Peter returned, picking up the front of her dress. “How are you this day?”

“I am well,” Alexander replied, his words quit and slow, as if he was making sure the words sounded right. He sounded a little more comfortable and relaxed now that they were out of the court rooms. He was still quiet, but he looked like he wasn’t trying to keep up. “Are you?”

“As well as can be expected,”  Peter sighed.

“You don’t want to marry me,” he stated.

“I mean no disrespect to your grace when I say that this marriage isn’t my ideal one,” Peter sighed.

“It’s fine, I understand,” he said tiredly. “This isn’t my ideal idea of marriage either. Still we might as well learn a little about each other. Our parents no doubt are going to ask how it went, and if we don’t give them something they’ll be annoyed to say the least.”

Peter wasn’t sure if she should feel insulted or not. On the other hand she was a beautiful buxom redhead, arguably most men’s wet dream. Still it put her at ease and made him a little more approachable. They were both partners in grief about this whole situation.

“We should.”

“Let’s start off with something simple. What do you like to do?” He asked.

“I like to read books,” Peter answered. She wanted to say more of her interests, but wasn’t quite sure what to say in this world. Most of her interests and hobbies were either completely forign to them, or improper, like her hiking.

“Oh, what kind?” The prince asked, looking a little more invested.

“Of all kinds, history, botany, and geography has been my biggest reading topics lately,” Peter answered. She didn’t want to say magic, out of fear of what might happen, even though it was the topic she was the most passionate about.

“Whatever books you want, let me know and I’ll send someone out to get them, whether they're books of legends, romances, or even magic.”

Peter stiffened and paled at the implication, before trying to calm down and keep her composure. She wasn’t sure if this was some sort of hidden test or not, but she wouldn’t take that risk.

“You practice magic?” he asked.

“...I do it in my spare time, but I keep it a secret,” Peter explained tightly. She wondered what he would do with that information. Would he inform her parents or the king and make her stop.

“If you want I can teach you,” Alexander offered.

“It would be much appreciated. There is still so much I don’t know about this country,” Peter admitted. She didn’t have any book about the culture of Charvignon, something she regretted. Instead her parents had given her lessons about them and what they were like. They didn’t stick as well as she would like, and could vaguely recall some of them, like how the winters here were harsher than back home. “If you would be willing then perhaps you could also teach more about this country.”

“I would be glad to teach you more about it,” the prince said as he lounged in his seat. “Is there anything in particular you would like to start with?”

“I would like to know a little about what is allowed for women to do, like what is socially acceptable, if they can join the army, that sort of thing.”

Alexander explained that in Charvignon, women were expected to manage the household, and raise the children. While women could serve as nurses and medics in the army, they couldn’t join in a combatant role. It was a little more than she was expecting then considering it was a fantasy medieval world. Still if she had more of a stomach for it, she could go out was something she could appreciate.

“So I could actually practice healing magic here,” Peter sighed, feeling as if a burden had been lifted from her.

“You could without issue, but if you try to learn any destructive magic then some could have some less than positive response from some. If you do, it wouldn’t be as bad as say picking up a sword.”

“Why does learning how to use a weapon gain more backlash then learning how to set someone on fire or encase them in ice?” Peter couldn’t help but ask. It sounded off to hear learning how to use magic was considered more proper then how to use a weapon.

“Chivalry and tradition,” Alexander answered. “It isn’t considered proper for women to learn how to use a weapon, even though technically magic could be considered such. It’s strange and honestly something I don’t put too much thought in. As far as I’m concerned if someone wants to learn then good for them.”

Peter nodded in agreement, glad with what she had learned. It still didn’t make sense if she was being honest, but didn’t mind in favor of being able to learn with more freedom. If he was willing to be a teacher all the better for her. She could move on to more live tests and see the results.

“We can continue this tomorrow if you would like,” Alexander said. “It’s been a long day for you and no doubt you wish to get settled in first. Take care my lady and may you have a nice sleep.”

Peter thought about Alexander as she walked to her quarters. He wasn’t quite like what she had been expecting. If she was honest, she was expecting him to demean her at every opportunity, mainly because she had been bracing herself for the worse. It was the best thing she could do in this medieval world. It was a pleasant surprise to see how nice he actually was. Perhaps the lessons she would have him wouldn’t be so bad.

Peter sighed as she walked down the aisle, her nerves building and a part of her worried she would ruin the ceremony. She often wondered when or even if she would walk down the aisle in her old life with someone. Here though her position was reversed with her being the woman in this situation.

The days had passed far faster then she would have liked, so much so she felt like she blinked and suddenly it was a new day. She still talked with Alexander and like he had predicted they asked what it had been like. She had been honest with them and they were happy he was amiable, if a little distant, but they didn’t mind.

She was able to go to the celebrations for the first few days, since the ceremony wouldn't be till later.

It had been interesting, story tellers, and bards would use their magic to help make the scene they were making. Performers, jugglers, and more going on. It filled her with mazement and reminded her of the few times her and her original family had gone to the circus.

After the first day she felt like she wanted to stay in her bed and avoid anyone and do what she wanted, but to her dismay she had learned she was expected to appear for the oncoming celebrations. She wasn’t used to being the center of attention, as she looked around to see how people were acting, she was surprised to see they were eyeing her and looking at her.

On the final day, the day she was supposed to be married, she wasn’t supposed to show until the actual ceremony. In this world it was also an ill omen to see the bride in her wedding dress before the wedding, which was something she was grateful for. She wasn’t sure she would be able to keep the facade up if she had to for another day.

She was able to pass the morning as she wished as they finished making her dress, and getting what they needed in order. She passed the time reading magic and getting some extra sleep. They didn’t want her to exercise or out in the public eye, which she didn’t mind. After all that happened these past few days, having the extra time to herself now, was a very welcomed blessing.

When it was the afternoon, she had to stop and get ready for her wedding. The first thing they had her do was take a bath. Afterwards they dried her off as fast as they could and started to apply makeup as they combed her hair. The maids and servants complimented her as they worked, which was strange to her. She paid it little thought as she did what they asked to make their lives easier. A part of her wondered if this was what it was like for models back in her world.

When they were finished, they pulled out a dress they had made for her. It was a beautiful white dress with gold lines running across it. The sleeves of her shoulders were slightly puffy, while the parts of her arm were slim and showed off her hands. They led down to a small circular which would wrap around her middle finger. The former man couldn’t help but admire it. This would no doubt cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars back in her original reality. She slipped it on and they helped tighten it around her body, so it would fit comfortably. When they were finished putting the dress on her, they started putting on jewelry which complimented her and the dress, like a large sapphire which rested above her chest.

With the dress on, they moved onto the next step and applied makeup. Bright red lipstick, eyeshadow, and everything else. It annoyed the former young man with how long the process was taking, but didn’t dare voice it. These things took time and she simply had to deal with it until they were finished.

When they were finished, Peter looked into the mirror. The first thought she had of her dressed up in her new wedding dress and with makeup was she looked like a dream. The woman looking back at her in the mirror was a woman she would have dreamed about being with one day. It was vain of her, but she couldn’t help but compare herself to Helen of Troy, and wondered if there was another prince or noble who had seen her now, if she would have been the cause of a war. She hoped she wouldn’t, and pried to what deities she could think of that it wouldn’t come to pass.

When they were finished getting ready she was led out of her room and to the church. The church was a large magnificent structure with glass panels and with several large towers. The large wooden doors were opened as she entered the church. She looked at all the fine dressed nobles and couldn’t help but feel like a sheep being thrown to the wolves. There was a large red carpet which led to the statue of Lysandra, the goddess of marriage, along with a priest in red robes, and Prince Alexander.

The former young man stopped in front of the priest and again the world seemed to have been thrown underwater. She wasn’t sure what the priest was saying, the words the priest were saying sounded like gibberish to her panicked mind. She could still see him and everyone else perfectly fine, but it was all. She waited desperately for the moment she would wake up and be back in her old room and body.

“Do you take Alexander Von Erin to be your husband?” The priest asked, the words piercing through the veil and allowing her to hear everything again.

“I do,” Peter said, the words tasting like ash on her mouth.

“Then I now pronounce you man and wife, you may kiss the bride.”

Alexander moved the veil and kissed her gently on the lips. He moved his arms around her back, but thankfully kept them there. She returned the kiss as best she could. It was clumsy, just like a first kiss between two teenagers who just started dating.

The crowd cheered, but the new married couple paid little mind as they broke away. They turned to the door and wrapped their arms around each other. They forced smiles on their faces as they walked together to the table where they would be seated for the rest of the festivities.

They watched the performers and the people enjoy themselves, as they ate. They watched a few of the performances, earning a few laughs from the newly wedded couple. After a while, Alexander turned to her and asked.

“Shall we dance my lady?”

“Yes I think we should,” Peter replied. It would be good if others saw they really were together and had some positive emotions in it.

They made their way out onto the dance floor, some of the nobles muttering as they moved to give them room. Alexander wrapped his arms around her waist. He kept his hands above her butt, or tried to make a move higher then he should. It did little to calm her down, but it was nice.

As they danced, she stepped on his toes again, but he didn’t react at all. It made her feel a little more comfortable. She felt like she wasn't doing so as much, but still felt terrible with how bad her dancing was. Some of the neary nobles who were nearby started to mutter and talk, making her feel self conscious. Some of them had to be talking about her horrible dancing skills, or at least about the two of them together. No doubt some of them were already drawing plans up for something.

“Pay them no mind my lady,” Alexander said. “So long as you are enjoying yourself then that is all that matters.”

“Thank you,” Peter said. She wasn’t sure if she had given him the impression she enjoyed dancing. In truth, she never cared for it and couldn’t recall many dancing styles. It had never been a popular activity for her. At family events or gathering in her old life if people were dancing she would always be off to the side, talking to someone or doing something as she did her own thing.

They continued to dance a few more songs before Peter started to tire. He led her back to their seats at the high table and they watched the various performers and listened to the bards as they told what stories they had. It was interesting to hear of some of the stories they had and see similarities to legends back home. There was the legend of Tyrion and his story was remarkably similar to Siegfried, except unlike the norse hero, he actually survived and left to a small village. It then led to his son Teclis and how he became the king of a neighboring country, in a story similar to CharlemagneCharlamange.

When the festivities started to die down, it was time for the next part of the ceremony where Peter and Alexander would consummate the marriage. The two of them stood up and made their way to their chambers. Peter could only keep her head down slightly as they walked, to avoid the gaze of everyone around her. She tried to look the part of the content bride and with how some people were looking at her, she thought she was doing it pretty well. She wasn’t happy with this relationship, but she had to look like they were really together and happy about it. It would be good for her if people thought they were of one mind.

They followed the path to the end of the room and opened it for her. The former man let out a breath she had been holding and slouched. She wanted nothing more to just crawl into bed and go to sleep, but she wouldn’t have that luxury. After all, they still had to do the bedding ceremony. Tomorrow the celebrations would truly begin in earnest, now that they were actually married. Tomorrow with all the festivities she would be able to relax and distract herself with the songs and performances going on.

Despite being alone, she could see he was just as tense as her. He didn’t know what to do and breathed in and out, as if he was thinking about what he should do. He stood in front of her as if he was trying to find some secret. The silence loomed in the room like a bad smell, neither of them sure about what they should do.

“Could you help me undress?” Peter asked slowly and received a nod in return from the prince.

He gently helped her unrobe. Her new husband gently took off the jewelry she wore and placed it on the dresser.

When she was fully disrobe, the former male had to fight the instinctive urge to cover herself. It felt strange, awkward and on one level wrong

She heard him unclip and pull at various straps and she looked at him as he started to take off his jacket. He continued pulling at his clothes and took off his shirt, revealing his muscular body which made her blush. She had thought he looked well built, but seeing him shirtless only served to reinforce the point. He had hard abs which looked like they could have been used to grate cheese off of. As he fiddled with his pants she looked away, despite knowing what would be there.

They crawled onto the bed, him over her and his face dark. They stared down at each other breathing heavily.

“Are you ready?” Alexander asked gently.

This was the moment she dreaded was coming she closed her eyes and moaned as Alexander did what he wanted with her. She didn’t trust her voice enough to let her say it. Instead all she did was nod her head.

There was nothing forceful about his kiss. It was soft, gentle, almost as if he was unsure he would be breaking some sort of rule and wasn’t sure he should do. His hands gently squeezed and brushed over her body, making her shiver in delight. It soothed her worrisome body and made her relax somewhat, despite the pit in her stomach growing.

Peter snuck a peek and saw he had a faint blush as he slowly and carefully moved and touched her body. It was almost as if she was watching a student who was trying to work up the nerve needed to make a presentation. It warmed her heart a little and made her feel a little more relaxed.

It made her think a little more about what he had been like before. He was acting almost the same as he was during their short time together, except he was more tense. It made sense the more she thought about it. They had just met and he was expected to bed her and get her pregnant as if she was a long lost love. As beautiful as she was, and probably a wet dream to many boys, it didn't change the fact how weird it was to just bed a stranger they had met only recently, unless they were a swinger.

She carefully kissed him back, and could feel him stiffen in shock before returning it. It was awkward and there wasn’t any real passion behind it. There was a slight pleasantness that made the kiss continue longer than she thought it would go. After what seemed like another hour of them kissing, but in reality was much shorter they broke apart.

Alexander gently led her to the bed where she sat down and leaned back, almost as if she was trying to go to sleep. He crawled over her and started to grope her body, making her squirm. His touches were gentle and the way he twisted and squeezed her nipples made her jolt as if she had been shocked. He stopped and whispered into her ear, “If you want to stop just say so.”

“Thank you,” Peter said and braced herself for what was about to happen. If they quit before they committed to it, then people would talk. It wouldn’t be good for either of them, if they did. “But let’s get this over with. Imagine who you want, or whatever you find most pleasing. Imagine yourself with whoever you want.”

Alexander looked grim, but nodded as he started to kiss her collarbone. He started to grope her body again, and the new woman savored the way it made her body bounce and fill her being. It felt so good and made the anxiety she felt much farther away, almost as if she had been given a project and had plenty of time to consider her approach, plan, and write it out.

Peter felt something slip in between her legs and gasped as pleasure unlike anything before went through her body. She knew what it was, but the pleasing pain that went through her made her gasp and couldn’t care less about what was happening. With every thrust she could feel her arousal grow and her moans grow more lustful. She wrapped her arms around his back and held him tighter, as if it would somehow increase the pleasure she felt.

The more he did the more the princess gave into her baser instincts. The young man continued to be gentle and slow. She could tell he was ready to pull away on a moment’s notice, but held him tighter so he couldn’t move away. She started to kiss his body, uncaring for where her lips might touch. The rest of the night passed in a blur as the two of them continued to pleasure each other in ways none of them had ever experienced before.

The former young man groaned as her eyes fluttered open, her mind still fuzzy as she registered where she was. She winced slightly as she felt a strong pain between her legs, she looked around wondering where she was. She couldn’t quite remember what had happened. A strong arm wrapped around her shoulder made her freeze as if she had just stumbled upon someone beating up someone. She turned her head as much as she could and saw a sleeping Alexander, his face blank.

Memories of last night hit her and she groaned as she buried her face in the sheets. Suddenly it all became so much clearer to her, and she could remember everything in vivid detail. The party, the wedding, and the bedding. It all came to her like a flood and she could remember everything down to the smallest detail, like how she felt at certain times, and especially during the bedding ceremony.

Peter, no Astraea she told herself. She couldn’t call herself by her original name after last night. As enjoyable as last night had been, it had been like nails being driven into her that ruthlessly pointed out her new identity and new being. She wasn’t Peter anymore and wanted to hold on to her remaining masculinity, but she couldn’t. If she was going to get anywhere in this new world, and new life she had to accept she couldn’t go back to being him. She did what she needed to do, she told herself, but it did nothing to stop a part of her screaming at her and calling her weak for simply giving in.

A slight snore made the angry voice in her head cease, and she turned to see her new husband resting peacefully. A mix of feelings welled within her, and she wasn’t quite sure what to do. The same part of her, which had been angry for her giving in, was angry at him and wanted to throttle him in his sleep as if he was an invader. Still he was as gentle as he could be last night and had given her every chance to say what she wanted and stop. He could have forced himself on her, but he didn’t. She had no doubt some would not have been so nice, and others would have just forced themselves on her. The fact he didn’t, even if it could hurt his reputation as nice.

She wasn’t sure if she would ever be able to love him, but she was sure they could at least strike up something like friendship. After all, he had done nothing unwanted to her, and even gave her the choice of putting it off. Not to mention he was willing to let her continue learning magic. He was willing to give her so much freedom and consideration she could at least see them having a positive relationship. She hoped they would be able to form something similar to friendship before they had any kids.