Royal Frills

Fashion

When I sat down to speak with Niki, he suddenly changed his mind. He explained that he is not used to opening up. I told Niki that there was no rush; he could tell me when he was comfortable. Niki was a person that everyone thought was easy to understand. He was always smiling and full of energy. He did not ever say anything bad about anyone or anything. Niki was a positive person who was hard not to like. However, Niki is human, and it seems as if he is more fragile and hurt than he wants people to know.

I got a letter from the children's hospital that I visited once. The children there were so happy that a royal member came to visit them. They invited me back to visit them again. The letter made me smile and was one of the best things that happened in my life. These children were very sick, and some of them could be dying. They did not care if I was a sissy. They did not care that I was a boy who wore girly clothes. They just liked that I visited them. Maybe this was a sign that I could use my status as a prince for something good. I could help people who were worse off than me by showing them compassion and bringing light into their lives. I wrote a letter back thanking them for the opportunity.

Blake was packed and ready to leave the institute. They finally realized that he was not happy here and should not be here. This gave me some hope. Despite I hated the idea of petticoat treatment at the start, I now accepted it. It was part of me now. I admitted to myself long ago that I was a sissy. I liked feminine things and being feminine. The idea that Blake was allowed to leave the institute gave me some hope. If I decided in the future that I was not a sissy, I would be allowed to leave. Still, I was in tears when Blake walked out of the school in boy clothes. It was like there was an empty hole in my heart. I felt as if a good friend was leaving.

Madam Criben called us to an assembly shortly after Blake left the school. "I know that the media and many people in the country think that this institution is harming you," she said, "but you know that this is not true. It is true that once you came here, you were forced to wear girly clothes. This was needed, as you all had barriers and could not see the benefits. Look, you know, you have all embraced your new roles as sissies. You have all accepted this identity. This was confirmed when the psychiatrist you all spoke to concluded you were all happy. Only Blake was unhappy, and this is why he is no longer here. You are not being punished at the institute. You are being helped."

We had no time to think about what Madam Criben said. It was time to do the fashion show. The school gym was made into a small TV studio with a stage. There were cameras everywhere and lights. I could see that many boys were nervous. We would be streamed and on display for the world. Madam Criben told us to remember to smile. We were to show the world how happy we were. This was easier said than done. The bravery that I had disappeared. I would once again be showing the world what I have become: a sissy.

Niki was having great fun dressed as Alice in Wonderland. In a way, his smiles and cheerfulness were contagious. Some of the other boys eased up and started smiling and having fun. I tried not to think that millions of people would be looking at this. I did my best by pretending that I was just standing in front of a mirror. I was wearing a princess dress. I know this was not very original. A prince wearing a princess dress shows I did not use that much of my imagination. While Niki planned for the show and spent a lot of time on it, I was more occupied by what happened after the show. How would the public react? Would I be once again humbled?

Niki came in second place, and another boy came in first. I was glad that I did not win. I would have been told that it was just because I was a prince. Besides, I did not put a lot of thought into it. I could see some of the other boys spent a lot of time thinking about how they would look and what they should wear. The public reaction was mixed. Some thought that we were cute and happy, while others thought this was a way that the school wanted to humiliate boys. The institute may have done this show as a part of our petticoat programme or if it was a public relations stunt to try and tell the world that we were happy sissies. If it was the latter, it did not work. The show just rekindled public debate about whether petticoat treatment was abuse or not.