I spent the next few days as Bandar's "guest" as preparations were made for my arrival in the capital, Streesa. Although my every need was attended to, the guest chambers were more like a prison than the kitchens had ever been for me. I felt cut off from everyone. Bandar seldom visited and none of the slaves knew exactly how to treat me. In their eyes, I wasn't a Citizen yet: I was still a scrawny twelve-year-old girl with unruly hair. On the other hand, I was staying in their master's guest quarters, where only other Citizens ever stayed. At least the food that was brought at regular intervals was amazing.

  The rooms themselves were quite large and well-appointed. There was a bed-chamber, a salon, and a study. I did not care for the bed-chamber at all. The bed was much too soft and the room far too dark for my taste. I loved the salon, though. It had large bay windows that let in the moonlight and the most wonderful furniture, including these wide, cushioned seats called 'sofas'. I had found a cabinet with extra blankets in the bed-chamber during my initial exploration of the area, so I used two of those to construct a cozy sleeping arrangement on the sofa. Every morning when I awoke, I found that my discarded clothes had disappeared and been replaced with fresh, clean garments.

  The study included a small library situated near a comfortable armchair. Also in the room was some sort of magical fire that made very little heat and no smoke at all. It was the perfect reading nook, so I spent most of my days practicing my reading. It was slow going since I hadn't seen a book in about five years.

  The books primarily concerned ancient history. Some of the stories I had learned at the Creche, but most were new to me. The one that caught my attention the most was a book that summarized one of the major religions that had flourished before Empress Vashti united the world under her rule. Many people had believed that our planet, Terra, was alive in some way and that all mana (which Citizens used to perform magic) came from the planet itself. The moon, Lune, and sun, Sola, were Terra's husband and daughter. Sola had sacrificed herself to save her family from an evil entity known only as "The Void". For a while, both Lune and Terra had supported life, but Lune lost the will to live after the death of his only daughter and became a barren wasteland.

  Once I had finished reading the fun books, I moved on to the more erudite works, choosing a book on the history and development of the process known as "Metamorphosis". Emperess Vashti, who had ruled the Empire of Terra for more than three centuries, developed it long ago to counter something referred to as the Manaclysm, which had destroyed the previous world order and killed most of Terra's population. After Vashti's ascension to the throne, the Metamorphosis became mandatory for all Citizens.

  Much of the technical details around the process itself were completely beyond my reading comprehension, so I skimmed through the parts discussing "controlled disintegration", "re-alignment of mana channels", and "preservation of existing neural pathways". Sometimes the book gave up on any semblance of using words to make a point and turned to graphics that were labeled with letters I had never seen before. Even though I couldn't make heads or tails of them, these figures were still fun to look at.

  I had almost made my way through the entire book when a polite knock startled me. Vincent, the steward, was standing in the doorway, his head slightly bowed. It took me a moment to realize that he was waiting for permission from me to say or do something.

  "Come in," I said as I put the book away and rose to my feet.

  The steward bowed and took a very short step forward before responding.

  "Miss Arabella, the Master is ready for you. Please follow me, if you would."

  He led me out of the guest quarters and through a long hallway before halting in front of a heavy wooden door.

  "Two," he said out loud as he held up a pendant set with a large rectangular citrine to a small square of metal set into the wall just to the right of the door. The door opened soundlessly into a winding staircase.

  "This way," the steward indicated as he began to descend the stairs. "And please do not touch anything."

  I followed the man down the stairs and through several more rooms before we arrived at our destination: a square room inlaid with white marble on the floor walls, with a mirrored ceiling. Although there was no visible source of light, the room was well-lit. Bandar was standing on a circular dais in the exact center of the room made of black marble and fitted with six pillars at regular intervals and wonderfully decorated with dragon motifs. A long-buried memory of having been here once before surfaced as I recognized where I was: it was the teleportation room. The sudden remembrance evoked a wave of disgust for my current "host".

  "Having second thoughts?" Bandar joked. "It's too late to back out now, Arabella. In just a moment we'll be heading to Streesa for the final confirmation that you have the aptitude and can become a Citizen."

  Realizing that Bandar was enjoying my discomfort, I forced myself to the middle of the room, focusing all my attention on keeping my balance as I climbed the three smooth marble steps to the top of the dais. It felt better to be on eye level with my former master.

  "I'm ready when you are," I said with as much confidence as I could muster.

  My former master smirked. "I doubt that, but we don't have time for debate. We're already running late."

  Bandar turned toward his steward, who was waiting in his usual posture by the doorway.

  "Vincent, I'm going to be back late. Make sure that the shipment of peaches, copper, and jewelry gets sent out today."

  Then he turned back to me and made a slight gesture with his left index finger before waggling his hand. A sudden pressure washed over me, doubling and re-doubling as I struggled to resist whatever it was that was happening.

  "Stop...Fighting." Bandar growled through clenched teeth. I looked over at him and saw that he was struggling just like I was. I willed myself to relax, and the pressure drained away to a mild tingle as my body felt oddly stretched out and compressed at the same time. There was a loud pop in my ears as I suddenly found myself standing somewhere entirely different.

  The platform we were now standing on put the dais in Bandar's private teleportation room to shame. The entire surface shone like pure gold and the beautifully wrought pillars shone with gems forming the empress' livery: a silver moon eclipsing the sun. The walls and ceiling were pitch black but dotted with white gemstones forming a likeness of the night sky.

  "Follow me," Bandar commanded as he walked briskly toward the far end of the platform. It took us a few moments to reach the other side of the platform, descend the dozen or so stairs, and make our way out the door into the building beyond.

  "Welcome to the royal palace," my guide announced as we stepped into a long hallway of polished stone with glowing sconces set at regular intervals. It was difficult to hold back words of admiration for the wonders surrounding me, but I managed to keep what I thought was a straight face. For starters, I didn't want Bandar to see how amazed I was. Plus, I knew the backbreaking amount of labor all of this must have taken to accomplish. This Empress Vashti probably had more slaves than anyone else.

  We walked in silence down the long hallway until we reached an enormous domed atrium. The top of the dome was translucent enough to allow for natural light to pour in while still faithfully depicting a variety of myths and legends. There was Duma and his goat, Numenias the Wise being devoured by Zeelax the dragon, the Hyboan Sisters, and of course the All-Mother Terra. The majority of the dome, however, was devoted to the many deeds of the Empress.

  Although the atrium was devoid of people, I felt the presence of something watching me as I followed Bandar through the massive room and towards an enormous pair of gilt doors that must have been fifty feet high. Flanking the doors were a dozen suits of armor, each one wrought in human shape but with wildly different interpretations on how many limbs a human should have. Built into the walls next to the doors were two enormous golden statues, each with a jewel-studded scepter in its right hand and a curved sword in the left.

  Bandar walked unhesitatingly between the two rows of armor before halting a dozen steps out from the doors. I stopped behind him and a bit to the left so that I could see better. Almost immediately, the massive doors began to open outwards without so much as a creak. Cool air scented with a hint of cinnamon flowed into the atrium. I could have sworn I saw Bandar shiver.

  "We're about to enter the presence of Her Royal Highness, Ruler of Terra, Light of Creation, Mother of Magi, and Master of all Magics, Empress Vashti. Make sure to bow and keep a civil tongue in your head. Otherwise, you might not live to see your Metamorphosis."

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  With that note of caution, he led me through the golden doors and onto a thick black carpet that ran the length of the room beyond. Several hundred feet away floated a glowing figure, shining like the sun. The light emanating out was so bright I couldn't look straight ahead. I halted for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next, but Bandar moved steadily as if unaffected by the piercing rays. I instinctively moved behind him and found that his bulky frame eclipsed the blinding light entirely. We continued single-file under Bandar suddenly stopped and bowed deeply. I followed his example.

  "You may rise, both of you," an authoritative but amused voice echoed through the chamber. I pulled myself upright as quickly as possible and looked upwards towards the source of the voice. The golden light had vanished while we were prostrate and in its place, a soft silver glow filled the room. And there, floating in the air on an enormous throne hewn from the blackest stone I'd ever seen, was Empress Vashti.

  She was tall and slender, with icy pale skin and shining black hair that cascaded down each side of her chest, framing the golden necklace and diamond pendant hanging from her elegant neck. Her close-fitting dress shone like the pale winter sun one moment before giving way to the soft glow of a full moon. Her smooth arms were bare, save for a wristband that she wore just above her left hand, but her fingers glittered with jeweled rings. On the armrest next to her right hand lay a golden scepter tipped with a massive emerald. Above her, on either side of her throne, were two banners bearing the sun and moon livery. The sight of this woman strong and beautiful on her throne somehow made me love and hate her at the same time.

  I had but a moment to process this surge of emotions because the empress addressed me directly.

  "Well, my dear, let's have a look at you."

  I stood stoically as the empress leaned forward and narrowed her eyes. Her gaze seemed to bore into my soul. My stomach churned and my skin crawled, but whether that was from fear or a side effect of some magic I couldn't tell. After an eternity, she relaxed and leaned back.

  "Yes, it's obvious that you can harness magic. Anyone with half a brain could see that. And uncommon talent too, we might add. Very interesting."

  The empress turned her head to her right. Following her gaze, I realized for the first time that there were four figures seated in a small recess of the throne room.

  "Winston, find out what idiot did the Winnowing at her Creche. We'll have to retest everyone to ensure there isn't anyone else they overlooked."

  One of the four rose and bowed, "Yes, your Majesty," before sitting back down. The empress paid him no more attention but looked back towards Bandar and me.

  "Arabella, you have proven your eligibility to become a Citizen and undergo the Metamorphosis. In reparations for the five years that your status was unrecognized, we are prepared to endow you with five hundred thousand mana from the Crown's treasury."

  I heard Bandar suck in his breath when Empress Vashti mentioned the amount. It sounded like five hundred thousand mana was an impressive sum. But the empress was not finished.

  "What's more, we will match this sum from our personal treasury. I should have set up better controls over the Winnowing process, and I will take steps to do so immediately."

  I stole a glance over at Bandar but he seemed to have regained his composure. Unfortunately for him, the empress was not yet done.

  "And as a token of our goodwill, we offer you one item suitable for a young Citizen from our personal vaults. You may choose once you have completed your first Epic."

  I had no idea what an epic was, but I wasn't opposed to the idea of free magic items, even if they did come from the person responsible for enslaving me from early childhood. Bandar looked like he was about to say something, but the empress still wasn't finished. She turned her head slightly to look directly at Bandar for her final proclamation.

  "Finally, any agreement you previously made to share these reparations is null and void under the law of the land. Contracts made under such duress are not binding, after all."

  It took a moment for me to realize that Empress Vashti was done speaking, but my training nagged at me until I snapped back to reality and bowed low.

  "Thank you, Your Majesty."

  Vashti smiled and moved on to address my former master.

  "Now you are Bandar the Grand, are you not?"

  Bandar bowed again.

  "Yes, your Majesty."

  "You did well identifying the potential in Arabella and bringing her to us. You will be rewarded as well. The Crown's treasury will disburse one hundred thousand mana for your vigilance. I will add another one hundred thousand from my personal funds."

  Bandar's grinned.

  "You are too generous, your Majesty."

  "Yes, yes, we are aware. But there is one last thing, Bandar. We understand that one of your magical beasts was the first to notice Arabella's abilities, is that correct?"

  "Yes, your Majesty."

  "Well, we think that as a token of your new status as co-Citizen with Arabella, the least you could do is offer her the beast."

  Bandar bowed and stammered, "but...but..your Majesty, the animal is worth twenty thousand mana."

  "I will buy the animal at the stated price!" I interjected before the Empress could respond. She seemed a bit surprised by my outburst but quickly recovered her equanimity.

  "Well then, it is settled. Arabella has concluded her first business deal. Now, we are out of time, we fear. There are many others who wish for an audience today. Bandar, you are dismissed. Arabella, please follow Diana. It's time for your Metamorphosis."

  Empress Vashti pointed me toward one of her attendants, who rose and, after bowing, led me silently out of the throne room by a side door. We walked down a long hallway very similar to the one outside the teleportation room for a few minutes before Diana stopped and turned around to face me. Her blue eyes shone with mirth.

  "So you're Arabella! Everyone has been dying to get a look at you. The first Emancipate in centuries!"

  "Emancipate?" The word was completely unknown to me.

  "Yeah, exactly. You were a slave, now you're a Citizen. Well, I mean, after your Metamorphosis, but that's pretty much a done deal."

  "What's the Metamorphosis like?" I asked eagerly.

  "Well, it's like falling asleep and waking up totally awesome. I mean, I always wanted blond hair when I was a little kid, and look! Now I can have whatever hair color I want."

  Diana reached behind her shoulder and flipped a portion of her hair forward so I could get a better look. Her golden locks darkened over a few seconds into a deep chestnut color.

  "And I can change my eye color to match, see?"

  Her eyes indeed had changed, turning from sapphire blue to emerald green.

  "Yes, that's very...errr...impressive, but what was the actual Metamorphosis like?" I clarified, a bit confused about why a grown woman would consider altering hair color to be the most interesting part of having magic powers.

  "Oh, I don't remember much. They gave me a special robe and I got into a big box. Then I woke up like this!"

  "How long ago was this?"

  "About a year ago. I'm still trying to earn enough mana to finish decorating my estate. That's why I'm serving the Empress."

  "Thank you for the information, Diana. Can we keep going? I am anxious to get this over with."

  Diane smiled and nodded.

  "I understand, you must be bursting with anticipation. I wonder what you'll look like after the Metamorphosis is done!"

  We walked a few more minutes before Diana stopped at a junction, paused for a moment, and cocked her head to the side as if listening to a voice I couldn't hear.

  "This way," she motioned. We walked just a few steps down the hallway before she stopped again in front of what looked like a solid wall. A hidden door slid open, revealing a rectangular room that contained an indoor garden. Ivy grew along the walls and small trees popped up here and there. The stone floor gave way to verdant grass studded with wildflowers. In the center of the room stood a capsule made of smooth white stone. Beside it stood two women and a man wearing matching blood-red robes.

  "Welcome, Arabella," trilled the shorter of the two ladies as we stepped onto the grass. "We've been waiting for your arrival quite impatiently."

  "The first Emancipate in two-hundred and sixty-seven years." the man added in almost a whisper.

  "Well, let's get your clothes off!" the other woman exclaimed. "I can't wait another moment!"

  "I beg your pardon!?" I blurted. "I'd prefer if my clothes stayed on."

  The touch of a soft hand on my shoulder startled me. I had forgotten that Diana was right next to me.

  "I think that it might make Arabella a bit more comfortable if we turned around while she changed. She might be, uh, hesitant for us to see her untransformed body."

  The trio in red nodded. "We'll all go over to the corner then," said the woman with the shrill voice. "Oh, wait, you'll need your robes first."

  The man turned around and retrieved a white garment from inside the capsule. He walked over and placed it in my hands with what seemed like reverence.

  "Here you are, Emancipate. We imbued this robe just for you. Please remove everything else, this robe should cover you adequately."

  Being treated with such honor was a bit much for me. I could feel my cheeks grow hot as I fought back a cheesy smile.

  "It's just 'Arabella'. There's no need for fancy titles."

  As the man turned away, Diana swept around me to link arms with him as they joined the others in the far corner of the room. True to their word, all four stood with their backs to me, chatting quietly as I quickly slipped out the rich purple robes and undergarments that Bandar's slaves had left for me that morning and donned the silky white robe that had been given me. As I pulled the robe as securely around me as I could and cinched the belt tightly, I noticed that there were gold and silver runes lightly traced all over the garment. It was quite the work of art, and I felt better knowing that at least they had gone all out preparing for this life-altering, magical procedure on someone who was almost twice the average age as the typical recipient.

  "Ok, you can turn around now," I called as I gave the belt one final tug. The others hustled over and admired their handiwork.

  "It fits!" exulted the man.

  "It's breathtaking," Diana sighed.

  "Now, she's ready!" the taller of the two women in red exclaimed.

  They led me over to the capsule that dominated the center of the room and hinged back the crystal or glass top, revealing a slightly bigger than person-sized space carved into the stone. Then the taller of the two women in red and Diana helped me climb in. It was tricky to do in just the robe, but I managed to get in with my modesty intact.

  I had a twinge of claustrophobia as the man gently closed the transparent lid over me. There was an ominous clicking sound as it locked into place. When he moved away, I noticed for the first time on the stone ceiling a group of sixteen blinking white dots. The way they flicked on and off seemed to follow some sort of pattern that my mind felt like it was on the verge of grasping. I felt compelled to decipher the mystery of the lights, even as the corners of my vision turned black and my limbs went numb. Then even the dots faded away, taking their secrets with them.