Royals and Rebels

Chapter 8

"Not all the water in the rough rude sea can wash the balm from an annointed king."
-William Shakespeare
Richard II

I set down Alex's clothes in the drawers, keeping out a dark blue skirt and top feeling rather rebellious for I was never allowed to wear anything other than a dress. It will be a wonderful feeling to get out of this corset and just breathe.

Luckily Alex had a pack of unopened underwear for me to use as I have nothing but what I'm wearing. The strange part however, is going to be working out how to wear it all considering I've only ever worn corsets and stockings but I suppose there is always a first.

I also need to figure out how to get this damn corset off for it has all the lacing behind that needs someone else to undo and there is no way that I am going to ask Alex for help, that is just crossing the line. She may be a girl, and a very nice one at that, but I've just met her so asking her to help me with undressing is just strange.

I can't ask Harry either. He may be my brother, but I've only just met him again after fourteen years so I don't feel that comfortable. Besides, he's a boy, and boys are never really that great with these lacy kinds of things. They can know how to do thousands of different knots, know all types of rope, but come the time when there are a thousand bows and lace ribbons in front of them, they just seize up. I should know this because Lori, one of my ladies in waiting, once spent a whole week complaining over how her current boyfriend and all her past ones (She was currently on boyfriend number eleven) could never undo her corsets.

I suppose the only way I can get this damned thing off me is to cut it off. Oh well, I can make it stupidly symbolic. It can represent how I'm cutting myself away from the dirty, tarnished and complicated regime and converting to the simple, more effective and fair new way of the Rebels. Yes, that sounds intelligent enough.

Rummaging through Harry's drawers, I eventually find a knife, who knows why he has a knife in his drawer, but oh well, I need it so I'm not complaining. I slip the dress and garters off since I can't use them in this whole symbolic phase I'm going through if we are to use them for the videos.
I feel rather rebellious as I slide the knife under the corset, slowly starting to cut it. I go slowly, terrified that I will accidentally slip up and stab myself which isn't so unlikely considering how sharp this knife is. I can see the headline now:

Cutting Edge Death Of Princess

Luckily, I don't kill myself removing the corset. The next challenge however, is putting on the new undergarments. The underpants are easy enough to figure out. They are just like stockings that are very short. They're like slutty stockings.

Bras? Not so much. I put the thing on like I see the girl wearing in the picture on the box, but what they don't show on the box is that there are two straps at the back that don't have laces that you can tie together, they have strange metal clips that I can't attach to one another without looking. After about a minute of trying to attach them, I realise that right now, I probably look like a dog trying to catch it's own tail. I'm just turning in circles.

Got it. They're finally connected. I turn to stare at myself in the full length mirror feeling a sense of accomplishment at my symbolic change of undergarments. Just as I turn to get the clothes, the door opens.

'Ed, I mean Harry, the lads-'

The voice of Niall is abruptly shut up as he steps through the door only to see me and not Harry.

Scratch that, me in just my underwear.

'Um... Sorry... I thought Harry was.... I didn't mean... I'm just going to leave now.'
He stutters, his face turning about as bright as a tomato and his eyes as wide as satellite dishes, although I'm pretty sure that judging by how hot my cheeks feel, I don't look much different.
He's out the door quicker than a flash, leaving me standing in the middle of the room feeling rather flustered. That probably wouldn't have happened if I hadn't done that whole symbolic thing and had just got it over with.