"Karyn, are you aware that you're still calling one 'your highness'?"
"I honestly meant to say 'Jon'. That just slipped out. Odd."
"So you're doing it automatically?"
"I guess so. Does your highness think it's because your highness told me to?"
"Yes one thinks so. One could suppose it's because you're a commoner and one is royalty, or maybe you're one's servant?"
"Oh no, I think your highness is right," Karyn's mouth was agape. "Why else would a common girl be in your bedroom? I'm your highness' handmaiden! Or lady-in-waiting, I'm not sure what the difference is."
Karyn saw the familiar mischievous smile broadening across Jon's unfamiliar female face.
"One's servant must attend to her highness' needs "
"Oh no," Karyn gulped, "what exactly is your highness planning?"
"From the great mirror on the wall, one is increasingly aware of one's female body," Jon watched her reflection as her hands travelled slowly up her torso. "One thinks the time to explore the attraction of one's body is long overdue."
Karyn snorted with laughter, but Jon ignored her.
"Prepare a pleasingly hot bubble bath for oneself at once," Jon added.
"Typical of a male woman." Karyn rolled her eyes and grinned.
"One feels it will help clear one's head of distractions. It's probably best to get this out of the way sooner rather than later."
"And I suppose you want me to bathe your highness too?"
"One could make you do so," Jon smiled, "and that idea does have possibilities however that's not what one had in mind. After one's bath is prepared, you shall lay out a change of clothes for one. Something casual. Once you've done that, head out into town and investigate."
"What does your highness want me to find out?" Karyn asked, relieved that she would not be sponge-bathing her cartoonishly-proportioned sex-changed friend this afternoon.
"Find out if either of us have to go to school, if there even is a school. Plus any other interesting news you can find. Especially about anyone we know who has been turned into a more embarrassing form than that of oneself. One could do with a laugh. Oh and find out exactly what a princess is expected to all day. It surely can't be all about bubble baths and breast fondling in the bedroom."
"I figured your highness would go straight for the boobs," Karyn raised an eyebrow.
"They're difficult to ignore. Will you do as one asks?"
"Of course, your highness."
"Couldn't you choose not to? Are you compelled ?"
"Well I'm not especially happy about it if that's what your highness means, but for the life of me I can't seem to say 'no' to your highness. Even though we're friends and we still speak like friends, serving your highness' whim just feels much more agreeable to me than refusing to. It's a tricky feeling to describe - not complacency at my role, and not quite satisfaction either. It just seems a naturally good idea."
"Do you resent one?"
"One what? Oh, right," Karyn shrugged, "can't say I do, not really. I'm a bit peeved, but more at the situation than directly at your highness."
"Interesting," Jon noted Karyn's acceptance. "So I shall ask nicely. Would you please prepare one's bath now?"
"Of course, of course!" Karyn said as she dismounted the great bed. She marched through the door and could be heard shouting jovially down the passage, "Make way! Make way! Her highness' tits must be soaped and groped without delay!"
"Karyn!!" Jon cried out, embarrassed. "Karyn, get back here!"
"Yes, your highness?" Jon's friend said as she reappeared at her door.
"You can't broadcast one's private intentions about one's own body to the whole frickin' world!"
"It was just a joke your highness, don't be silly."
"You don't want silly? Then one will be serious." Jon scowled. "Until you treat one and one's 'tits' with respect, you shall refer to one's breasts only as the 'immaculate orbs of which I am forever blessed to stand in awestruck shadow'."
"That's a mouthful!"
"If it was easy, you wouldn't respect it. Now go."
