“Dressed as a woman?”- Joel repeated William’s last sentence with very composed face. – “And why if I may ask?”

“Well the thing is they separate men from women, some man don’t even get to the castle. They work on the fields or are enlisted into the duke’s army. All women are sent into the castle, none of them is allowed to go out and even merchants aren’t let inside.”

“I see.” - Joel gulped a non existing lump in his throat.

William Herford saw how uneasy the young man felt so he quickly took out from under the desk a heavy chest, opened it and Joyel got flashed with golden coins.

“This is your reward if you manage to bring my daughter back to this house.”

Joels eyes brightened.

“So, when is the drawing?”

Following his decision, Joel was placed in a luxurious room with enormous bed and separate bathroom. He enjoyed the bath and all the toiletries with intense floral fragrances. Yeah he supposed to smell like a girl. That was weird but the money they offered … Joel could still see that chest full of gold. With that much money he could head back home and brag about his success in front of his parents and family who put so little faith in him. He could even start his own business a brothel possibly. That would be two in price of one. He would piss off his parents and as an owner, he would go to work with pleasure. He smiled at the same idea. He stepped out of the bath, and changed into a new set of clothes. Man clothes to be precise. In the afternoon he had an appointment, with a dressmaker. A round young maid brought food to his room. It was a fine meat piece with some roasted vegetables, piece of bread and a bottle of wine. Fuck yeah, generally he could live like that. His parents aren’t well off, father is a member of kings guard and takes a lot of pride from this shitty paid jab and mom help’s out in the kitchen. As a child he wasn’t lacking anything basic and was loved but they couldn’t afford everything they wanted. Due to his physique there was not a chance for him to become a guard like his father. That was a hard punch for the family’s pride and the greatest reason why Joel left home to find a “better life”. It wasn’t always good honestly, sometimes it was really shitty. Therefore if that rich merchant adopted him, Joel could even wear dresses for the sake of it.

Three hours later Joel changed his mind, for the past hour he was standing like a living doll and Mrs. Herford along with a dressmaker were tormenting him with the process of dress making. Raise your arm, head high, turn around, hold here no change that, maybe a lace? He only needed three sets of clothes, nothing more was allowed to take with him. What’s the big deal? As the dressmaker left, Joel thought the worst was over, but no. The next two days were a real nightmare. He had the weirdest experience of his life. He received an expensive potion for his vocal cords to make his voice more soft. Joel made sure it wasn’t permanent. The seller of the potion guaranteed that it will hold for a week or so. His legs were shaved and his hands received a princess like treatment to look tender and smooth. In the end after all his protests were ignored, they pierced his ears, to put a small blue flower shaped earrings.

“You must look like a rich man’s daughter, it is more likely that they will place you somewhere near our Francine.” Mrs Herford explained.

After all that shit was done and his skin was smoother than any other girl’s he slept with, his dresses arrived.

The round maid with a face red as a ripe tomato helped Joel to dress. As soon as she finished she covered her mouth and her eyes doubled the size. She was speechless, just as the rest namely Mr. and Mrs. Herford.

“Wow, honey he looks perfect. Almost as pretty as our Francine.” That couldn’t be true as Joel saw a portrait of Francine presenting a plump plain girl so he knew he had to look better than that. Mrs. Herford puled Joel in the direction of an enormous mirror and yeah Joel was speechless too. He really looked like a woman, he would even fuck himself if it has been possible.

“We are ready” - William Herford announced. “Tomorrow you will draw the fake lot and go to the Blackwood Castle.”