A Lesbian Elf and a Cursed Princess - Volume 1 - Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Night of the Festival, Oath of the Spring 

Rem stood by a window on the second floor, peeking down at the back entrance of the manor while hiding herself behind the curtains. A group of several soldiers had arrived along the stone-paved road, and were now lazily unloading the wares they had brought with them. Though the Princess did thank the man who appeared to be the captain of the group for their work, it was obvious to anyone that she wasn't being sincere. 
I know she has to act like royalty and all, but even so... 
It certainly didn't feel to Rem like the men felt honoured to be in her royal presence or anything of that sort. Once the soldiers had finished their business and left, Alferez turned to the window and spoke in a loud voice. 
"Hey, Elf! You're watching, aren't you? Come give me a hand!" 
Rem decided to follow the girl's command; it wasn't like she had anything better to do. She found Alferez in front of the door leading to the kitchen, with dozens of small, wooden boxes sitting next to her. Rem figured that the Princess wanted her to help her carry these inside. 
"What's in these?" 
"Foods, clothes, and other daily commodities." 
"Geez, sure looks heavy." 
"Worry not, I've had them filled so that they're light enough for even me to lift. I'm glad you're here, I usually have to do this alone." 
Though Rem wasn't necessarily a fan of how the Princess had just assumed that she would help her, she of course was going to. The elf felt bad for being a lodger, and the girl had eventually even shared food with her. This was the least she could do in return. 
"Well, I guess I'll be eating this too, so... Wh-Whoa!" 
Just the single box Rem had grabbed was far heavier than she had expected, and she stumbled, barely able to stay on her feet. Alferez glanced at the girl's struggle, and her face twisted into a wicked smile. 
"Elves are as weak as they look, huh?" 
Quite offended by this rude remark, Rem quickly retorted, all while trying to stop her arms from shaking. 
"Maybe, but we up for it with our wisdom. We're way smarter than humans." 
"Oh? Never would have guessed based on you." 
The girls stared at each other angrily as they lifted up the box together. 
"Let's just stop..." 
"Right... Let's do that..." 
It was rare for the Princess to agree with Rem. However, she too was far too hungry for this pointless argument. The two simply continued working in perfect silence. 
"By the way, why is a princess forced to do such hard work? Shouldn't the people who bring this stuff here carry it all the way inside? Are all the soldiers in your country as dense as these blockheads?" 
Alferez answered the question simply by tapping the box she was holding and shrugging her shoulders. Rem had expected the girl to once again agree with her, but that didn't seem to have been what she meant. 
"Those people are obligated to take care of me due to my status, but don't for a second think that they feel anything but resentment towards me. As far as the state is concerned, a princess who can't get married is just a burden." 
Rem had witnessed the reason for this first hand last night. 
"Hey... Can I ask you something?" 
"Why I turn into a cat? I'm not really sure myself. The only thing I've been told is that it's a curse." 
"A curse!? Well, you do seem like a person who could piss someone off that much. Yeah, I believe it." 
"Excuse me!? What do you mean by that!? ... Anyway, this is the final one. Let's continue this talk over some tea, shall we?" 
They had finished carrying the boxes during their short conversation. Alferez quickly grabbed a tea set off the shelf, and placed it on the table. In the same swift motion she also took out some baked sweets from one of the containers they had brought in. This certainly wasn't her first time doing this. The girl's deft movements left Rem staring at her in a trance. 
"A princess is making me tea herself? What an honour." 
"Exactly. I appreciate your gratitude." 
Though Rem was very impressed by the Princess's knowledge of etiquette, one look at the different foodstuffs shoved in the shelves made it clear that, let's just say, cooking wasn't necessarily one of her strong points. While thinking if this really was what she ate daily, Rem found herself starting to feel bad for the girl. 
I wouldn't mind cooking for her, but... She'd probably get mad and yell something like "Do you really expect me to eat something an elf made!?" 
She had quite the sharp tongue for a princess. Despite this, she didn't appear to harbour as much hatred towards other races as the townsfolk. After all, Rem was able to have this light-hearted conversation with her, and even after sticking her nose firmly into her business, she had allowed the elf to stay at her house. It was a ridiculous thing to worry about, but nevertheless, Rem simply couldn't shake off her anxiety. 
"Princess. You don't... hate me, right?" 
"Hate you? Well, you did inconvenience me quite a bit by sneaking into my house, but other than that, I don't see any reason why I would. Ohh, you mean the fact that I'm a human and you're an elf?" 
Spot on. Rem felt a little shocked, but also happy. She had never met another person, even an elf, who understood her so well. Then again, there hadn't been many people in the village who were interested in what she, the taboo child, had to say. Of course no one had understood her feelings; her blood-related aunt was pretty much the only person she had ever had an actual conversation with. 
This was one of the reasons she enjoyed talking with Alferez so much; the girl always seemed to be one step ahead of her. While it did get a little annoying at times, Rem never felt overwhelmed or like she had to fight to make her point. With her mouth filled with cookies, she decided that this would be a good opportunity to ask a question that had been bothering her. 
"Humans hate elves, don't they? Not only that, you're a princess. Should you really be drinking tea with one?" 
"Is drinking tea really that big of a deal when just last night you..." 
Alferez, having just been about to take a sip, suddenly froze in place. Her face went bright red and her hands began shaking, causing tea to spill out over the edges of her cup. Likewise, Rem instantly understood what the girl had been about to say, and nearly choked on the biscuit she had been munching on. 
The two had done unspeakable things with a fellow female not once, but twice. They had been trying their best to avoid touching this topic, and now that it had been brought up, neither could find the courage to look each other in the face. 
And that wasn't all. Obscene memories rushed through Rem's mind one after another. Expressions tainted with lust, thick sounds of dripping fluids, the soft pair of lips pressing against hers. Just remembering the pleasure she had felt caused her insides to begin to throb. 
Wh-What should I do...? 
Her eyes bounced around nervously, as did the Princess's. Each time their gazes met, they quickly averted it. After a short while the two managed to regain their composure, and took a large sip of tea. 
"A-Anyway, back to what I was saying...!" 
The Princess rose her voice, forcefully steering the conversation away from this sensitive matter. Rem obviously had no objections to this. 
"I think a big part of it is that I didn't know you were an elf when I first met you. You don't normally have a good conversation with someone, and then suddenly start hating them, right?" 
Yes, that was normally the case. However, this situation was as far from "normal" as possible. Rem expected humans to be taught from a young age that elves can't be trusted, just like her people were. The reactions of folks back in the castle town confirmed what her aunt had always told her. 
As the elf asked her about this, Alferez pointed at her own chest and stated the following. 
"As you're well aware, I'm no ordinary human. I might look like one during the day, but as soon as the sun sets, I transform into a cat. If I'm not even fully human myself, then how could I ever justify despising an elf before getting a chance to know them?" 
Though the Princess's statement was clearly more about her hating herself for the curse, Rem was happy to interpret it as her disavowing hatred towards elves. 
"The cat curse, have you had it since birth?" 
"No, it all started a year ago. It was my fifteenth birthday, and I was about to get married for the first time. Just imagine how shocked I was, I had no idea what was happening to me. Every night after that I was scared that this was it, I wouldn't turn back anymore..." 
Her entire being changed. Only a person with first-hand experience could fully understand how frightening that must be. Rem lacked the words necessary to offer her condolences, and simply hanged her head as if to say "I'm so sorry". 
"Ah, please don't worry, I'm completely used to it now. Sometimes I actually prefer to be a cat." 
The second half of that statement was probably a lie. Even so, not in a million years had Rem expected Alferez to act in such an uncharacteristically concerned manner, and as a result burst into laughter. 
"What's so funny?" 
The Princess puffed her cheeks, annoyed that her rare moment of genuine consideration had been laughed at. It was now Rem's turn to try and resolve this awkward situation. 
"Sorry, sorry. Let's see... Right! I'd be really interested to know why and by who you were cursed!" 
"'Interested'...? Well, why not. I'll allow it just this once. It's not like I get many people to talk to." 
The girl stood up as if to signal "let's continue this discussion elsewhere". She grabbed the dirty cups off the table, and absent-mindedly tossed them in the sink. Rem wasn't going to let this slide, however, and soon the two were washing dishes together. The Princess, having probably never washed a single plate in her life, was naturally not thrilled. 
"Why do I have to do these chores...?" she muttered. 
"Who else is going to do them? Also, I took a look around the rooms. You sure like leaving your dirty clothes lying around, huh?" 
"Y-You saw them!? You nosy little elf!" 
"Maybe clean them up if you don't want to be embarrassed!" 
Standing side by side in front of the sink the girls continued hurling retorts at each other, all while getting their hands covered in soapy foam. Just then Alferez was struck with a great idea, and her face turned into a bright smile. 
"I know! You should become my servant!" 
"Huh? Come on, don't be stupid, Princess. Are you really going to hire an elf?" 
"Why not? Didn't I already tell you that I don't have a problem with that? Are those long ears of yours just for show?" 
Rem, as mentioned previously, was very sensitive about the length of her ears, and didn't enjoy the girl bringing this subject up the slightest bit. 
"I'm actually just a half-elf, unfortunately, so my hearing might not be quite as good as you expect it to be. The pure-bloods used to make fun of me all the time. 'There goes Rem, let's laugh at her, not like she can hear us.' Of course, my ears are still far more sensitive than any human's, but you know..." 
"Oh, you're half human? Well in that case, there's no reason at all why you couldn't be my servant!" Alferez yelled loudly, having clearly not understood what "sensitive ears" meant. Rem flinched in pain, before quickly rebuking. 
"Yeah, but the other half of me is elf! Actually, why should I be your servant in the first place!? Just because I'm an elf!?" 
After getting off-topic for a second, they had now reached the core of the issue. While the Princess had said that she didn't have a problem with Rem being an elf, in the back of her mind she was now starting to wonder if the girl held certain prejudices towards her kind. Distrust reared its ugly head. 
"Have you forgotten that I'm a princess? What, are you going to tell me that you're part of elf royalty yourself?" 
"Well... no... Quite the opposite actually..." 
The other girl was now right next to Rem, staring at her with eyes full of confidence. The elf had no comeback, no retort. What the Princess had said was true; as far as her social standing was concerned, Rem was no one. She suddenly felt really weak, and as she turned her head away while muttering something under her breath, she could see the other girl puffing up with pride. Alferez had won. 
"Hey, think of it this way. I, a princess, am allowing you, a commoner, to be my personal maid. Are you really going to be as rude as to refuse that offer?" 
"Huh!?" 
Rem was shocked. Or more accurately, amazed. The Princess genuinely didn't take issue with other races. Even when in the heat of the moment she revealed that she was in fact a half-elf, the girl had interpreted that in a positive way. 
"I-If you want to talk about rude, then how about just a second ago when you made fun of my ears!? Thank you, but I refuse!" 
"Oh, did I? I apologize. Well, if you really are that against it, then I guess I'll have to give up on this servant thing." 
The girl lifted her dress slightly with her still-wet hands and bowed as an apology. Rem was in awe at her sincerity. She wasn't acting politely merely to put on airs as a member of royalty; it felt like she genuinely wanted to be respectful towards the elf. 
I said it once and I'll say it again, what a strange princess... 
The girl Rem had thought to be haughty and arrogant turned out to be kind and considerate. Was the Princess really this complex, or was she just bad at reading people? Either way, the burst of rage that had overtaken Rem just a moment ago had now died out completely; it was time to make peace. 
"W-Well... Just don't do it again..." she said, pretending to act strong. Alferez saw right through this obvious bluff and gave her a smirk, almost setting off the Elf anew. 
"Now then, what were we talking about?" 
The two had gone completely off-topic. Alferez seemed to have forgotten too. She tilted her head slightly to the side, and tried to remember. 
"Something about who cursed me and why, was it?" 
"Yeah, that's it!" Rem exclaimed while lifting her finger in the air, spreading soap bubbles everywhere. Alferez promptly answered. 
"I actually know the person who did it." 
"Y-You do? Well, can't you just go and have them uncurse you then?" 
The answer she had gotten was the exact opposite of what Rem had been expecting. As the elf struggled to make sense of what she had just heard, Alferez gave her a wry smile. The dishes were now finished and she exited the kitchen while gesturing "follow me". 
"Well, I did say I know who did it, but... I really only saw her face. I have no idea what kind of a person she is, or even where I could find her." 
The two were now walking down one of the manor's many long corridors. 
"A strange old lady came to my fifteenth birthday party. Well, turns out she was a witch. I think she yelled something like 'It is I who has cast a curse upon your princess!' The guards tried to catch her, of course, but when they surrounded her, she just, puff, disappeared in the air." 
"Huh? She came there just to brag!?" 
"It would seem so. Argh! It pisses me off!" 
The Princess stomped the carpet beneath their feet in frustration. Rem couldn't blame her for being angry. None of this would have happened had they managed to capture the witch when they had a chance. 
"I even had to move out of the castle thanks to this stupid curse!" 
"Well, it does sound like some ghost story, doesn't it? A princess who turns into a cat during the night." 
"Pardon me!?" 
Although Rem had meant her comment as nothing but a throwaway joke, the Princess seemed genuinely offended by it. Her eyes were fierce and drained the elf of her strength, causing her to topple over on the floor. 
"I hate to admit it, but... you're correct. That's the reason why I ended up being imprisoned in this abandoned manor. And now that I've been divorced for the third time, Mother and Father have given up all hope on me. I'm doomed to spend the rest of my life here, rotting away." 
The girl spoke in a faint, barely audible voice. This was perfectly understandable, however; there was no way a girl who had barely entered adulthood had the mental fortitude to deal with a curse like this. 
"I still don't understand why your husbands divorced you", Rem asked with her head tilted. "You looked super cute as a kitty cat!" 
The expression on Alferez's face was mixed; Rem wasn't sure if the girl was about to start yelling or what. Her cheeks twitched a little, but, much to Rem's delight, she let out a large sigh instead. 
"It's obvious, isn't it? How are you going to consummate a marriage with a cat?" 
"Consummate marriage...? You mean...?" 
"Yes, sex. Having babies. That's what us princesses exist for, to be married off to foreign kingdoms to have children and help solidify relations. Now, what do you think would happen if that princess were to turn into a cat during the crucial night? Her new husband would probably run away screaming and wonder how the hell is he supposed to sleep with a cat. Huh? Why are you looking at me like that?" 
Alferez stared in confusion as the girl in front of her squirmed in place while rubbing her inner thighs together. Rem hadn't been expecting the Princess to talk about making children and other sexual topics so openly. Turns out just hearing these things can be plenty embarrassing. Alferez quickly realised what was happening, and her face twisted into a mean grin. 
"Do you want me to relieve you again?" 
"N-No! I'm fine!" 
This was another case where the Princess being able to read her turned out to be a negative. As Rem pouted her lips in protest, an alluring smile rose on the other girl's face. Apparently she found this hilarious. She did pretend to apologize, but lacked any sincerity while doing so. Rem wasn't going to let this slide; it was her turn to act mean. 
"Princess. Does that mean that you haven't... umm... 'consummated' any of your marriages?" 
"Exactly." 
"So, you're still a virgin after being married three times?" 
Seeing how seriously Alferez took her duties as a princess, not being able to fulfil them must have made her feel absolutely humiliated. Sure enough, she froze in place. 
"Exactly", the girl stated calmly, much to Rem's surprise; she had expected to receive an answer filled with sadness and embarrassment. 
"If I'm being honest, I'm actually, how should I say this, relieved that things turned out this way. I mean, entrusting your body to a man...? That seems really scary, don't you think?" 
Somehow Rem understood those feelings perfectly. For girls like them with no experience, these things all seemed so imaginary. Even when Rem had accidentally seen a married couple have sex back at the village, the main emotion she had felt had been fear. It seemed natural to her why Alferez would feel the way she did. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, as the girl quietly added. 
"Still... Going through a divorce is a heartbreaking experience. It's like the other person has judged you worthless." 
Rem was instantly reminded of the times she had tried to make friends with other elves. Was that how Alferez had felt? Or was it something different? She decided to refrain from nodding just in case. At the same time she did feel a little guilty; she had meant her comment as nothing but slight provocation, but had ended up causing the girl to open her heart to her. 
"Princess... Does that mean that you still hope to get married one day?" 
Alferez blinked in surprise at the question. She tilted her head from side to side, seeming almost puzzled. 
"Hmm, I wonder. I've only really ever thought of it as a duty, something I must to do. But yes, now that you bring it up... it does feel like there was something... missing about my previous husbands." 
This innocent question hadn't given the princess a lot to think about. She pondered about it for a moment while staring into space, but was unable to reach an answer. Rem, feeling like she had been completely forgotten, decided to see if she could help. 
"Like, your soul mate is somewhere out there waiting for you?" 
"Yes, that's it!" Alferez yelled and pointed at Rem. Apparently that was the answer she had been looking for. She quickly realised her mistake, however, and blushed intensely. Rem had a hard time stopping herself from bursting into laughter; at the conclusion of the Princess's deep introspection, her greatest desire turned out to be straight from a children's fairy tale. 
"Th-That's why I've been... searching for a way to break the curse by myself!" 
While Rem wasn't really sure what Alferez meant by "that's why", she understood that the girl was trying to steer the conversation away from this embarrassing topic. Though it was tempting to press the girl on this further, Rem felt bad enough for her already, and decided to go along with it. 
"Is it really possible to do something about a curse yourself?" 
"I'm not sure, that's why I'm researching it." 
Alferez tapped the wall as they walked, likely to deactivate a trap. She then opened a large door, one that Rem had seen before. 
"This is that library filled with grimoires..." 
"Gracious, you entered here as well? I have to say, well done. There's a trap just outside the door." 
"Yeah, I noticed. Anyway, what are these books...?" 
At this point Alferez didn't really hold much of a grudge towards Rem's earlier rummage through the manor. Rather, she seemed quite pleased that the elf held an interest in her books, and proudly pulled one off the shelf. 
"Your guess was correct, these are dark grimoires that I've gathered in order to research, and one day dispel the curse. It took around a year of sneaking into the castle's library to finish the collection." 
"They come in sets or something? Wait... you stole these?" 
Even a princess would be in big trouble if they were caught stealing books this valuable, Rem felt. At the same time, there was nothing for her to gain by getting involved, and she simply decided to ignore this matter. There was also something far more important that needed to be addressed first. 
"So, you actually know a way to break the curse...?" 
"Well, not quite... But, I did find a recipe for a potion that seems like it can halt it temporarily! Look, right here!" 
"H-Hey...!" 
Alferez opened the book she was holding and shoved it to Rem's face. Unfortunately, she wasn't an expert when it came to magic potions. While she did see a number of complex graphs and what appeared to be a list of ingredients, she had no idea what any of the words meant. 
"And if this works out... you'll no longer turn into a cat?" 
"Exactly..." 
There was a distinct tone of sadness in Alferez's voice as she said this. She then pulled out a small vial from between her breasts, one which Rem had seen before. 
"All my attempts at producing it have been met with failure. Not only does it not dispel the curse, it produces... certain other effects..." 
Rem immediately understood what effect the girl meant; she had witnessed it first-hand. Thinking back to the recipe and ingredients, something seemed off. 
"Hmm..." 
She took a closer look at the page and confirmed her suspicion. She even brought her face right up to it, and just to be sure, confirmed Alferez's earlier statement. 
"You always make this same potion, right?" 
"Correct. It's the only one of its kind I've managed to find." 
"Yes, I see now..." 
Alferez puffed her cheeks in frustration. The Elf had clearly figured something out but wasn't telling her. 
"If you have something to say, then say it! You can read this!?" 
Stop complaining! You should be grateful! Rem wanted to yell back, but decided not to; she knew how the Princess was anxious to hear what the book had to say, and couldn't really bring herself to get mad at her. 
"Yeah, a little bit. It's written in the same ancient characters that we elves use." 
She then calmly pointed at the title of the page. 
"This thing here says 'love potion'." 
"Huh...?" 
The girl froze in place. She then grabbed the book off Rem's hands and stared intensely at the part the elf had just read. 
"No it doesn't! It says 'curse dispel'...!" 
"You're reading it wrong. I can't really blame you though, it does kinda look that way when spelled with these old characters." 
"N-No way..." 
Alferez fell to her knees. She was completely devastated; all this time she had attempted to create the wrong potion. The crushing knowledge that all her efforts had been for nothing made it impossible for her to stand back up. Rem stood next to her in silence, unsure what she was supposed to say here. Make no mistake, the elf wasn't thinking about how to comfort the girl, quite the opposite actually. She knelt next to her, and spoke in a very urgent tone. 
"Umm... I don't think it's a very good idea for an amateur to create magic potions. They can be really dangerous, you know? It's possible that the ones you made could've ended up being lethal. I honestly think you're lucky that nothing bad happened." 
Alferez turned her teary eyes towards her. 
"You know nothing about me..." 
Yes, obviously Rem could never fully understand the immense pressure Alferez's duties as a princess placed on her. But, the struggle to find a place to call home, that was something she knew painfully well. Judging from everything the girl had said, she felt immense responsibility having been born into royalty. She had been prepared to play her role no matter who she was going to be married to. Someone like her wasn't going to be content living the rest of her life in confinement thanks to a curse. 
"Will you get mad if I say I do...?" 
As she said this Rem sat down on the floor and turned to face the Princess. 
"I told you that I'm a half-elf, right? Well, because of that, everyone hated me at my village. I was given the most boring job on earth, wasn't allowed to take part in festivals, and..." 
"Are you implying that people hate me?" 
Alferez's face grew grim; the remark had clearly hurt her feelings. Rem, having realised her mistake, rushed to deny any mal-intent while waving her hands in front of her. 
"No, not at all! Of course not! What I meant to say was that, I ran away from my village. I know what it's like to struggle to find a place where you can be yourself..." 
Though not a fan of the Princess's haughty attitude, Rem couldn't help but to admire the strength of her spirit. A year had passed yet she still hadn't succumbed to the curse. As Rem gave the girl a glance, she pouted her lips and turned her head the other way. 
"Are you mad?" 
"Well what do you think? Of course I am! You, a commoner, is comparing her situation to that of mine, a princess. There are few things you could say that would hurt me more." 
"Oh, sorry..." 
Rem's apology was genuine and heartfelt, leaving Alferez to awkwardly avoid her gaze. She quickly turned to face the elf, however, pointing at her with her eyes filled with determination. 
"A foolish elf shall be punished. I order you once more, become my servant!" 
"This again...?" 
"You ran away from home, right? If you don't have anywhere to go, you might as well stay here. I promise to work you hard!" 
Her words were harsh, but the way she spoke them was gentle. For this reason Rem decided to at last accept her offer. 
"Well, alright. If you really need a babysitter that badly, I guess I'll have to help you out. You better be grateful, okay?" 
"You cheeky little elf~." 
The two girls, both sore losers, pouted their lips in unison and glared at each other. Their eyes, however, were smiling. 

"And here we are..." 
It was her first day as a servant, and Rem was ready to give up. Her years of staring at the old tree had not prepared for the heavy labour that taking care of a ruined manor turned out to be. First came the piles of dirty dishes in the kitchen, then the piles of dirty clothes in the bedrooms, and then the crushing realisation of what a terrible decision she had made. The Princess had more bedrooms than Rem could count, and seemed to pick one just based on how she was feeling that particular day. As seen earlier, none of the beds were made, and the floors were covered in dirty sheets and worn nightgowns. Cleaning this all would take days, or weeks. Or maybe even longer. 
"Also, these clothes suck!" 
She was no longer wearing her comfy travelling clothes, but instead a frilly maid's dress the Princess had pulled out from who knows where. You're a servant now and will dress like one, she had said. While Rem had grudgingly accepted, the dress was longer than anything she normally wore, and she found moving in it to be quite difficult. The wide cuffs were a little bothersome as well, and she ended up having to roll up her sleeves. 
"It doesn't help when you just say 'get used to it'... Can humans actually do housework wearing these?" 
Not only were the clothes uncomfortable, they also left her working at a snail's pace. Just the house would take years to clean, not to mention the yard and all the weeds growing there. Just the thought made Rem want to cry in despair. To be clear, she wasn't complaining; after years of doing nothing she had finally been given an actual, fulfilling job. No, the real problem lay elsewhere. 
"Hey, Al! Can't you help me out a little!? You're the one who made this mess in the first place!" Rem yelled as she stormed outside. These shouts were aimed at the Princess, sitting elegantly in the shade under a lovely parasol in the garden. There was a small table with tea and biscuits on it next to her, as well as some books she was reading. She had started off with one regarding magic potions, but now appeared to be studying the basics of the ancient characters. 
"'Al'? I'm your mistress, you know that? Call me by my proper title, Princess." 
"Come on, your name's too long. It's such a pain to say 'Alferez' every time. It also makes us sound more like buddies, don't you think?" 
"I'm not your 'buddy'. And housework is a maid's duty. What sense would it make for me, the mistress, to help you with it? Looks like you haven't fully understood what it means to be a servant. Do I need to remind you who's on top in this relationship?" 
She lifted her chin, and gave Rem a sharp look. Though the girl was sitting and as such, in the literal sense, below her, for some reason it still seemed as if she was looking down on the elf. Rem, of course, wasn't going to have any of that. 
"Stop quibbling and come help me!" she yelled and grabbed the Princess by the collar—or at least that was her plan. You see, Alferez's dress was strapless and very low cut, meaning Rem's hand ended up closer to her breasts than her neck. Nevertheless, she pulled the girl from her chair and dragged her across the room. 
"St-Stop! You're stretching my dress! Get your hands off me you madwoman!" 
"Clean up your mess before acting so high-and-mighty! ... By the way, there's something I'm been wondering for a while now..." 
Rem too took a long, hard look at the girl's chest. 
"Your boobs are way too big, aren't they?" 
"Wh-What did you just...!?" 
The rudeness of this question caused even the tyrant princess to blush. She shook off Rem's hand, and quickly covered her chest with her own. They were obviously nowhere near enough to hide the two massive sacks, however. 
"All the humans I've met have had pretty big ones, but you really take the cake, Al. Well, I guess you are royalty. The better food you eat the bigger they grow, huh?" 
"Sh-Shut up! Know some shame!" she shouted angrily, blushing up to her ears. She could blame it on the potion all she wanted, but the fact remained that she had voluntarily shown Rem her genitals. Was talking about breasts with a fellow girl really that embarrassing?  

"Mine are pretty small, but they were actually the biggest ones in my whole village, believe it or not." 
"You're kidding!" 
This statement had clearly gotten Alferez interested. Without hesitation she pushed her hands forward onto Rem's breasts to check their size, leaving the elf to wonder if her earlier embarrassment had been merely a ruse. 
"These were really the biggest ones? How? They fit in my palms." 
She continued groping the girl's chest with a look of disbelief on her face. Her eyes jumped back and forth, comparing them to hers. 
"I-I don't think size is all that matters...!" 
"Oh? I beg to differ. The size of a woman's bust is a vital part of her glamour." 
Alferez proudly pushed her breasts upwards with her hands as if to present them. Rem had been beaten at her own game; all she could do now was grind her teeth. The Princess could have easily just taken her victory and left, but didn't seem to be interested in doing so. 
"Alright. With big breasts comes a big heart. I'll help you out with your duties." 
Rem was happy to accept this compromise; her whole goal had been to get the Princess to clean her mess. 
It didn't take long for her to begin regretting this decision, however. Being assisted by Alferez—who had done little, if any, housework in her life—turned out to be more trouble than it was worth. Just teaching her the basics of what to do ended up taking Rem the rest of that day. 

The next three days passed much the same way. Rem had finished her duties for the day and taken a bath, and was now lying on her bed totally exhausted. The boredom she felt while guarding the tree had been bad, but was nothing compared to how exhausting cleaning the giant manor was. 
"My... body feels so heavy..." 
Her body had given up, and wasn't going to move an inch before the next morning. Rem turned on her back and closed her eyes. 
"Well, Al looks really happy... So I guess it's fine..." 
Had the elf never come here, the manor would likely have soon been nothing but dust and weeds. 
Talking about the Princess, she had turned into a cat for the night and gone to bed. No matter how tired or exhausted Rem was, and now matter how hard she tried to close her eyes, thoughts regarding the girl's sad fate consistently managed to keep her up till early hours. Just how long would she have to spend locked inside this place? Rem could only hope that it wasn't for the rest of her life. 
Rem had run away from her village, from her predestined life. Everyone had always called her weakling and a coward, and all she had done was prove them right. This was exactly why Rem saw Alferez as such a strong person; despite her horrible curse she hadn't given up, and was still attempting to carry out her role as a princess. However, her mother and father had, she had told Rem. It would have been easy for the Princess to escape, just as the elf had, and leave her country behind. The fact that she hadn't clearly showed that she still felt bound by her title. 
"Doesn't she want to be free?" 
Though the current state of the two girls was similar, what had led them there was far from it. Of course they would think differently and make different choices. Even so, it wouldn't have been strange at all for a girl like her who had just reached maturity to yearn more for freedom. Who wouldn't want to live free like a bird? 
"There's no point trying to understand what goes on in a princess's head..." 
Every night Rem came to the same conclusion. She tried falling asleep again, but like always, an image of Alferez dancing around with a mop in her hands appeared in her mind. That happy sight pained Rem so. 
"Maybe it was a mistake to make her stop her research..." 
The girl had found housework fun, likely because there was nothing else for her to do. Devoting herself to her research might have been the only thing that gave Alferez's isolated life meaning. 
"I should help her find something to do..." 

The town was awfully loud that morning. Rem had a hard time making out the noises; not only was the town far away, the forest between it and the manor absorbed most of the sound. Even so, the usual chatter of the town didn't reach the manor; something special must have been happening. She paused hanging the laundry for a moment, and listened carefully. 
"Al, you know what sound that is?" she asked the girl holding a laundry basket next to her. There was no reply. Alferez simply stood in place, staring at the direction of the sound. 
"Al! I'm talking to you!" 
After yelling a few times she finally managed to get the girl's attention. Alferez turned her gaze towards the elf, surprised. 
"What's wrong? This isn't like you. Do those sounds mean something to you?" 
"Yes... It's..." 
Her gaze floated off once more as she said this. However, this time she answered. 
"It's a festival. There's a tradition around these parts to hold one to pray for a good harvest. People dress up and make a huge ruckus until the next morning in order to drive away evil spirits for when the harvest happens." 
"How does driving away evil spirits lead to a good harvest?" 
"I've heard that the noises were originally meant to drive away birds and other vermin. Over time the tradition grew, and now we have this nonsensical festival." 
"Funny how you people have a festival before the harvest. In my village we always had one after it." 
"Hmm? We have one of those too. They are quite the sight to be seen on years with a good harvest." 
Two large festivals in such a short span of time? Rem was visibly confused, causing Alferez to let out a light chuckle. 
"I guess it's a national thing. We do seem to have more festivals here than anywhere else. What about elves?" 
"Oh, elves? Well, I can only speak for my own village, but they are pretty rare. Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I ran away before the vicennial festival. I wonder if it's already over?" 
"... Do you want to go back?" Alferez said, looking clearly worried. Did she think Rem missed her village? 
"Absolutely not! Those guys would never let a half-elf take part in it!" 
For some reason the Princess seemed a little relieved at Rem's outburst. There was still some gloom left in her expression, however. Shortly after, a firework exploded in the sky, and the girl turned her gaze towards it. 
You're the one who wants to go back home, aren't you? 
The Princess probably had had lots of fun attending the festival back when she still lived in the castle; her eyes clearly yearned for it. Rem knew exactly what she should do next. 
"Hey, Al. Wanna go visit the festival?" 
"Huh...? B-But..." 
Alferez's eyes shined for an instant as Rem asked her this, a fact which did not escape the elf. It seemed that her guess had been correct. The girl's hard shell had been opened; it was now time to attack. 
"Let's go, let's go! You might not want to, but I do!" 
Still feeling guilty for robbing the girl's one purpose in life, Rem had been actively searching something to give her the will to keep going. Though walking around a festival was obviously not going to fill the void in her heart, it was guaranteed to at least get her in a better mood. 
"What's wrong with going out to have some fun every once in a while? You're not banned from leaving this place, right?" 
"Well, true, but..." 
Alferez still hesitated, however. Why was that? Rem was about to find out. 
"All the citizens know my face... And I just got divorced a few days ago... I don't want to make a fuss... Everyone's going to make fun of me..." 
It was obvious how much she missed the festival, and also why she didn't want to go. 
"Also, you're an elf. You were chased out by the townsfolk the last time you were there, remember?" 
"Ah, right. Yeah, I guess that did happen..." 
Those memories were still clear in Rem's mind, of course. However, she had been so preoccupied with how she could get the girl come with her that she had forgotten to think about herself. Though Rem hated to admit it, the Princess's point was valid. 
"Hey, I know! You said people wear costumes during the festival, right?" 
"Costumes...? Ah! That would work!" 
Rem's plan had worked; the girl's eyes were once more filled with spirit. 

After bumbling through the manor for a while, even turning over some of the bedrooms they had just finished tidying up, the two had finally gathered the necessary materials for putting together their costumes. Rem had snatched a red, worn-out dress from the wardrobe room. She had also spotted a feather mask there, and had taken that as well. To top it off she had decorated her head with some flowers from the garden, leaving her with an aura of joyfulness. Alferez, on the other hand, was wearing a maid uniform, with one quarter of a white bed sheet wrapped around her head. 
"Al...? What is that...?" 
"A maid ghost. I thought just being a ghost would be pretty dull." 
That certainly was one possible interpretation; "ghost" wasn't the last word Rem would've used to describe the roughly cut and frayed edge of the sheet hanging on top of the girl's chest. 
"I was actually just about to ask, what are you supposed to be?" 
Even the elf didn't know how to answer that one; she had just thrown on random things as she came across them. Rem gave a sarcastic smile to the Princess, now struggling to keep herself from laughing. Their costumes were, well, terrible. However, considering the limited time they had to make them, they were good enough; Rem's hid her ears and Alferez's her face, and in the end that was all that mattered. 
"Now then, let's go!" the girls stated in unison, and left the manor. It was already past noon, however; getting ready had taken surprisingly long. What's more, they didn't have access to a carriage and were forced to walk, and so by the time they exited the forest the sun had already began to set. When it did, Alferez would turn into a cat. 
Well, whatever. Al seemed like she had a lot of fun today. 
The Princess herself was definitely aware of their harsh time limit as well. As long as she got to enjoy the festival for a few moments, then that was all she needed. 
The problems began as soon as they reached the town, however. To gain access it was necessary to pass through the heavily-guarded gate. 
"You're a princess. Can't you just walk in?" 
"Don't be a fool. Mother and Father would murder me if they knew that I came to the festival in a costume without their permission." 
With that out of the question, Rem decided that it'd be easiest to simply climb over the wall like she had done the last time. She grabbed Alferez in her arms, and soon after the two were in. The Princess seemed thrilled by Rem's performance, especially by the giant initial leap which had sent the two soaring through the sky. 
"Wow! That was incredible! Can all elves jump that high?" 
"The wind spirits were working harder than usual~. I'm glad you turned out to be so light. Honestly, I'm a little surprised." 
The girl was the same height as Rem. Her limbs were also quite slender for a human. She clearly hadn't done a day of physical labour in her life, which in retrospect seemed like a pretty weird thing to be impressed about. 
"Well... Those massive breasts of yours were a little heavy." 
"Quit it, you stupid elf," Alferez said with a smile on her face and gave the girl a light poke. Anyhow, the two could now go attend the festival. They soon reached it, and were left in awe at the grandiosity in front of them. 
"Wow..." 
While Rem had thought that there had been a lot of people there the first time she had visited the town, that had been nothing compared to the size of the crowd present today. The streets were completely clogged with people, making it impossible to walk as you wanted. The buildings with their flashy decorations and the people marching in the streets dressed as heroes and monsters made Rem feel like she had slipped into an alternate universe. 
"Rem, look. You see all those lamps hanging from the buildings? You should see how they light up the town once the sun sets, it's magical," Alferez explained excitedly. You see, this was actually the girl's first time attending the festival; before this she had only ever been allowed to observe it from the safety of the castle. Her eyes sparkled innocently through the two holes in her mask. She might have even been more excited than Rem. 
"Hey, Rem. Let's go visit that stand. Oh! That performance over there looks really fun, too!" 
"Come on, Al, try to decide... Huh? Wh-What is that!?" 
"Wow!" the crowd gasped. A parade of massive statues and animals had begun moving through the street. 
"Al! What are those things made of? Wood? They're incredible!" 
Though Rem had spent her entire life surrounded by massive trees, the statues were simply unlike anything she had seen before. It was impossible for her to hide her excitement. While getting constantly pushed around by her fellow spectators she stood up on her tiptoes to get a better look. 
"Al, can you see it? Hey, Al! Can you at least answer me?" 
The elf turned her head, and in the next instant her smile was gone; Alferez—who should have been standing right next to her—was nowhere to be seen. 
"Al? Princess? Princess!?" 
There was no response. It was then that Rem realised she had lost her. She turned pale and began spinning her head in panic, trying to see where the girl had gone. 
"What should I do...? She specifically said she'd be in trouble if anyone knew she was a princess, and here I go spouting it out loud..." 
Should she stay here, or go look for her? Rem stood still in the crowd of people, unable to decide. There was something she had forgotten, however. Something far more important. 
All of a sudden the scenery around her changed; the lamps Alferez had explained about earlier had been lit up. Rem turned her head towards the sky and saw that it had started getting dark. The sun had set, and the two girls had been far too entranced by the festival to notice. The moon's faint glow shined from behind the clouds. 
"... Cat!" Rem suddenly yelled out, earning a few head turns and a couple of puzzled looks from the people around her. She was in such panic, however, that she hardly even noticed them. 
"Frick... It's so dark... She's gonna turn into a cat any minute now..." 
There was no time to be wasted. Rem dashed off. Well, "dashed". The crowd was far too dense for her to move at any speed that could be described as such. It also blocked her vision, meaning that finding the girl wouldn't be an easy task. At some point she did wonder if Alferez had simply left, but that seemed unlikely; without Rem there was no way for her to cross over the walls. 
"Al! Alfe... Al!!" 
Having to avoid shouting out Alferez's real name annoyed Rem. So did her dress; she was still uncomfortable with it, which only made it harder to wade through the crowd. The elf didn't even want to imagine what would happen if someone saw the princess transform into a cat. Would she be exiled from the country? Would that person simply grab the cat and kidnap her? In any case, her relatively comfortable life in the manor would most definitely come to an end. 
"What should I do...? I'm the one who suggested that we'd come here... It's all my fault..." 
Tears began swelling in Rem's eyes. She felt incredible guilt for dragging the girl to the festival. This wasn't the time for self-loathing, however; she could do that after she had found Alferez. 
The moon shined brightly on the night sky. It wouldn't be strange if the girl had already begun transforming. Just then, Rem heard a yell coming from a back alley. 
"The Princess... The Princess has turned into a cat!" 
"No! She might look like the Princess, but she's a witch!" 
It was too late. The people had seen her turn into a cat. Rem clicked her tongue in frustration and hurried towards the noise. A problem quickly arose, however; being completely unfamiliar with this town she had no idea how to actually get there. All the corners she turned just seemed to take her further away from the sounds. 
"Argh!" 
Rem rolled up her dress and hopped on top of a wall next to her. There were some people yelling and pointing at her, but she had no choice but to ignore them. Even more annoying was that for a brief moment Rem thought that she had found Alferez, but it had turned out to be a fight between drunkards. Her search continued for a while, until finally... 
"... There!" 
She found a group of people far away from the main street holding out sticks and pans. They were circled around something, and that something was a white cat with a black chocker around its neck, shaking in terror. 
"We got you now! Show us your real form, witch!" yelled a large, middle-aged man as he raised the long stick he was holding above his head, getting ready to smack the cat. The small creature would definitely be done for if the hit were to land. Rem panicked, jumped down on the head of a younger person next to the man, and kicked the weapon out of his hand. 
"Uooh! What the!?" 
The surprise hit was effective. The weapon soared through the sky before hitting one of the people, followed by a sharp scream of pain. 
"Al!" Rem called out to the cat as she landed in the middle of the circle. Alferez—having realised what just happened—ran up to the elf, clearly still in panic. Rem picked her up. The joy of being reunited with the Princess quickly faded away, however, as she took a look around her. 
Rem shivered at the eyes of the people surrounding them. They were filled with hostility, hatred, as well as bloodlust. How scared Alferez must have felt facing these people all alone as a tiny cat? The elf too was paralysed with fear; all she could do was glare back at them. 
"You're her friend!?" "Give us the cat! She's a witch!" 
The circle shrank as their anger grew. The more it did, the more condensed their thirst for blood became. 
She's your princess! Do you seriously plan to kill her!? she wanted to yell, but thought it'd be best not to; not only were the people never going to believe her, this would likely just add more fuel into the fire. Rem held the cat tight to her chest, unable to come up with any words that could get them out of this mess. 
"Al's shaking..." 
Whatever it took, Rem had to protect the Princess. Fueled by this urge she was able to regain some level of calmness, enabling her to take a look at the people surrounding them. 
Though the men and women were holding weapons, they were in no hurry to launch an attack. After all, they had just witnessed a creature that had taken the form of their princess transform into a cat. To make things even weirder, a mysterious girl had also fallen from the sky. The two girls clearly weren't the only ones scared for their lives. No, that feeling was shared by everyone present. 
"Look... She's an elf..." said one of the people with an unsteady voice. Rem, taken aback by the statement, quickly checked her head. It was true; the two things hiding her ears—the flowers and the mask—had come off while she had been searching for Alferez. 
"An elf!? You're the one who brought this witch to our town, aren't you, you fiend!?" 
"Huh? I'm not a fiend...!" 
It seemed that Rem had become a target for their hatred as well. Talking her way out was clearly no longer an option. Even if it was, she likely wouldn't have had time for it; guards were going to arrive any minute now. Rem fixed her eyes on the large, strong-looking man who earlier had attempted to strike the Princess, and leapt towards his shoulders. The astonished crowd took a step backwards, however, causing her to land on the man's face instead. 
"Uoh! Don't just move randomly!" 
Not that Rem actually minded; the man had it coming. She continued hopping on a few more heads and shoulders, and soon made it out of the encirclement. She used her momentum to keep running, turned a corner, and hopped on a rooftop. 
"Where!? Where did she go!?" 
Rem ran on the rooftops as fast as she could, trying her best to ignore the shouts behind her. The darkness of the night and the commotion of the festival helped her escape immensely. On top of that the streets below were still crowded, making it impossible for any human to keep up with her. 
"This is the second time that I was seen... The humans are definitely not going to ignore it this time..." 
Rem pondered quietly as she ran. Would it be best for Alferez if Rem left this land before causing her anymore trouble? Nevertheless, her top priority right now was to bring the girl back to the manor. She held the still-shivering cat tight to her chest, making sure to not drop it. 

Rem had been right. The next morning, before the morning mist had cleared, a group of soldiers came to visit Alferez in her manor. They were, of course, looking for an elf. There was another reason too, it seemed: to confirm were the Princess had been the previous night. 
"Princess, are you aware of what happened during the festival last night?" 
The stern-faced, middle-aged captain of the royal guards questioned the Princess with a very harsh tone. Only a very few people within the country actually knew about the curse, Alferez had told Rem, and it seemed like the captain was one of them. Him coming here showed that the rumours had reached the castle. 
"Yes, I went to visit the festival. It just seemed like it would be a fun time. I do regret it, of course. Being caught by an elf and all, it was horrible." 
Seemed like Alferez had decided that it would be better to tell the truth. The captain was still clearly suspicious, however. 
"You wouldn't happen to know where that wretched elf is now, Princess?" 
"She ran away after I gave her a taste of my claws and fangs. Where to? I have no idea. She should have some cuts on her hands, though. Can you use that as a lead?" 
She obviously had no such thing. Rem could only apologize to any fellow elves walking around these lands with a wounded arm, but that seemed unlikely. 
"Princess, you aren't hiding any elves, are you?" 
"Me? An elf? Why would I need to do such thing?" 
The captain glared down at her strongly. Alferez stood her ground, however. 
"That's a question that I cannot answer. Nevertheless, I have received reports stating that your food consumption has increased. " 
"Hmph! A growing girl needs to eat. It's also one of the few things left in my life that brings me joy. Please, try to keep such comments to yourself." 
After a few moments of silence the captain turned around and left. Though the girl pretended to stand firm as she saw the men off, the moment they disappeared she collapsed on her knees. 
"Al!" Rem yelled in panic as she leapt out from her hiding place. She had witnessed the entire exchange. She took the girl's body in her arms and noticed that her face was pale. She was also shaking lightly; talking with the captain had clearly been very straining mentally. 
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, Al... This is all my fault..." 
"Oh stop it. I already got tired of hearing that last night." 
Though Alferez pretended to be strong, it was clear that she was exhausted. She had been chased down by citizens who were supposed to adore her, and then questioned like a criminal by a captain who was supposed to respect her. Her calling last night "horrible" was no exaggeration. 
"You shouldn't need to protect me..." 
"Would you prefer to have been caught by the police then?" 
"Well... Not really..." she mumbled. The Princess freed herself from Rem's arms and regained her posture. 
"More importantly, I'm still all covered in sweat from all the running around last night. I need a bath. Go make it ready, please." 
"Y-Yeah..." Rem mumbled as a reply and headed towards the bathing room. 
"Actually, hold on. The weather's quite nice today. Why don't we head to the spring?" 
"Spring?" 
Alferez guided her to a place within the forest, just a short distance away from the manor. There was a beautiful spring there, just as the girl had said. It wasn't too big, around the same size as two of the manor's bedrooms. Water flowed out of it forming a river. As soon as the two arrived there, the Princess began taking off her clothes. 
"A-Al, wait...! What if someone sees you!?" 
"There's no need to worry. These lands belong to the royal family. The only people who'd come here are trespassers like you." 
Yeah, those are the people I'm the most worried about! Rem wanted to yell, but the Princess dove into the water before she had a chance to open her mouth. Rem reluctantly undressed as well and followed after her. The water reached slightly above their knees and was perfectly clear; Rem could clearly make out even her toes through it. 
"Whoa! Cold!" 
"But, it feels good, doesn't it? Every now and then I bathe here." 
She was pretty open for someone who lived alone. As Rem frowned at Alferez's carelessness, the girl signed to her to come wash her back. Clearly bewildered, the elf scooped up cold water with both hands and began to wash away the Princess's sweat from the previous night. 
"Eek...!" 
Her attempt was cut short, however; as soon as Rem's hands came in contact with Alferez's skin she let out a startled scream and crouched down, creating a mighty splash of water as she did. 
"S-Sorry, Rem... It's nothing... I just..." 
Rem didn't allow her to finish that sentence. She pressed her chest against the girl's back and wrapped her arms around her body. 
"Rem...?" 
"There's no need to push yourself, Princess. If you were scared, you should say so. I'm the only one here." 
Alferez's shoulders twitched slightly. Rem could feel the girl starting to choke up. 
"B-But... I don't want to look weak in front of you... Me, your mistress..." 
Rem squeezed her tighter, as if rebuking this nonsense assertion that she needed to act strong. As she did, she thought to herself: 
Be a Princess or whatever, deep down she's just a normal girl... 
Alferez had been given a horrible curse, she had been deprived of her freedom. There was not a single person in this world who would have been okay after suffering through what she had. And yet Rem had abandoned her, the small and scared child, once more casting her into the prison of loneliness. 
"I'm sorry, Al... I really am..." 
"Rem...? Why are you... apologizing...?" 
Both of their voices had begun to shake. Their eyes were starting to well up. In seconds emotions overtook them, and the two burst into tears simultaneously. Alferez turned around and embraced Rem fully, neither showing any signs of hesitation. 
"Rem, you dumbass! Why did you leave me alone!? I was so scared!" 
Her fingers sank into Rem's back, conveying the girl's emotions to her. It was more frustration than fear. And also, sadness. Hopelessness in the face of this cruel, inescapable fate. 
"Sorry, Al... I'll never leave you alone again... I promise I'll protect you..." 
"I... I don't... need you to... protect me..." 
Embarrassed of having shown weakness, Alferez turned her head away from Rem. However, she then softly placed her cheek on the elf's shoulder, her palms desperately clinging onto her back. Rem did the same. The sweet touch of each other's skin quickly melted away any loneliness either one of them had been feeling. 
"Sniff..." 
It seemed that the warmth allowed the Princess to regain her calm. She sobbed quietly as a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks. As her hands stroked Rem's back, she too tightened her embrace of the girl, their soft breasts pressing against each other in-between them. It felt simply pleasant. Rem moved her body slightly, and let out a long breath. 
However, as she did, she felt a painful throb within her chest. 
Huh...? I feel kinda weird... 
Rem was supposed to be feeling pity for the girl, and yet she was filled to the brim with warmth and joy. As she opened her eyelids slightly, not sure what was going on, the eyes of the two met, causing Rem's heart to throb once more. The teary-eyed girl opened her mouth in an attempt to call the elf's name, but she didn't let her finish. 
"Re— Mmh!?" 
Alferez's breath filled Rem's heart with joy, and without a second thought she pressed her lips against the girl's. Though a little shocked at her own actions—this was the first time Rem had kissed the Princess on her own accord—the softness of her lips quickly erased any doubts in the elf's mind, and she continued kissing her in a trance while calling out her name. 
"Aah... Al... Al...!" 
"Mmhm... Rem... Ah... Ha...!" 
The girl's soft tongue slipped inside Rem's mouth, almost like as retaliation. She welcomed it with joy, however, and pushed out her own tongue as well, wrapping Alferez's in its embrace. 
"Ah... Mhh..." Alferez moaned lightly, shaking Rem to her core with incredible pleasure as her faint breath touched the elf's skin. Feeling an embarrassing throb between her legs, Rem twisted her body, causing her stiffened nipples to rub against Alferez's, sending even more tingling waves through her body. 
"Ahh...! Rem...!" 
"Ha... Ah... Al...!" 
It seemed that Alferez shared those feelings. She stared at Rem with teary eyes before plunging her tongue even deeper into the elf's mouth. The tongues of the two girls met, numbing their minds with pleasure. 
"Ah... Ahh... Kissing... Al... Your tongue... Feels so good..." 
"Me too, Rem... Rem... Ahh!" 
Shivers shot down their spines every time their tongues touched. Their bodies were weak, and would likely have been taken by the stream had they not been holding onto each other. 
"More... Rem... More... I want more...!" 
Following this order, almost too muddled to make out, Rem soaked her own mouth with saliva. She then rolled her tongue into a U-shape, and using it poured the sticky substance inside the other girl's mouth. 
"Ahh... Aaah..." 
The princess pushed out her own tongue and accepted the liquid in a trance, mixing it with her own before returning it to Rem's mouth. They continued this exchange a few more times, and soon before the liquid was evenly spread across their lips and tongues. The lewd sounds and thick smell of the saliva numbed their minds, almost like an aphrodisiac. 
"Ahh... This is so naughty... I'm doing... naughty things with Rem..." 
"Yes, Princes... Let's do... even more... naughty things..." 
Both of them knew what this was; an escape. An escape from fear, from sadness. But why did that matter? Being alone meant sinking into despair; for at least this brief moment the two wanted to give themselves up to the pleasure. And not just Alferez; Rem too couldn't help but to pursue joy with the girl. 
"Haa... Haa... A... Al... Princess..." 
"Ah... Aaahh... Rem..." 
Rem moaned, and began rubbing the Princess's breasts. She tickled them from below with all five fingers, causing the girl's body to bend backwards, allowing the elf to continue fondling her chest as she pleased. Though they had done this twice before, those times had occurred under the influence of the potion and were hazy in Rem's mind. For the first time she actually got a good look at Alferez's naked body, under broad daylight nonetheless. The sight, her immense beauty, was simply breathtaking. 
Her skin was milky and smooth, and her breasts too big for Rem to cover even one of them with her hands. In both of their peaks bloomed a small, pink flower bud, their loveliness showing off the strong-headed Princess's true self as her shaking body stretched to its limit. The painful throb from earlier revived in Rem's chest twice as strong, and without thinking twice the elf began sucking on the girl's sweet breasts. 
"Eek!? Aaaah!" 
Alferez hadn't been prepared for this surprise attack against her sensitive spots in the slightest and reflexively attempted to escape. Rem wrapped one arm around the girl's shoulders and one around her hips, while at the same time rolling the stiffened bud around inside her mouth. 
"Ahh! Aahhh! I-If you do that, then... Ahhh!" she screamed as she rustled Rem's hair with shaking hands, a reaction which the elf was quite pleased with. 
"Eeeeek!? Rem... My chest... My boobs... They feel so... Ahh!" 
Alferez's quivering fingers dug into Rem's shoulders as the elf continued sucking on her breasts. The girl tried desperately to support her body, but even standing on her knees soon became impossible, and she was forced to place her bottom on the soft riverbed. 
"Aah... Haa... Haaa... Rem..." 
Rem pushed the girl's chest, rising and falling rapidly as she panted, and laid her down fully on the riverbed overgrowing with vegetation. The elf then wedged herself between Alferez's loosely spread legs and began tormenting her breasts even more fiercely than before. She played with the pink buds with her tongue, sucked them, and even nibbled them lightly. 
"Hii! Hya! Hnnh!?" 
The Princess writhed with short, high-pitched moans. Her body arched backwards as she gripped hard onto the plants growing at the bottom of the spring, trying her best to withstand the pleasure. While Rem herself wasn't receiving any action, just watching the girl squirm in ecstasy was enough to get her going; the elf's body was starting to grow hot. She moved between Alferez's breasts, sucking them both, before burying her face deep into her cleavage. 
"Ahh! Hii!" 
Alferez's legs, spread open by the elf sitting between them, twitched violently. And yet, despite all the pleasure she was feeling, there was something off about her moans; the girl was clearly holding them in. 
"Hey, Al. You don't need to keep your voice down. No one's going to see you here." 
"B-But... It's so embarrassing..." 
"What are you talking about? This isn't our first time doing it." 
"Yes, but it's our first time without the potion..." Alferez mumbled embarrassedly with her head turned to the side, trying her hardest to escape Rem's gaze. The way that the usually-domineering girl was blushing now that she couldn't blame the aphrodisiac was simply adorable. Rem could feel her chest tightening. 
"You're so cute, Al..." 
"D-Do you even need to say that? Of course I'm cute..." 
Though embarrassed, she was still as strong-willed as ever. This cheeky princess needs to be punished, Rem thought as she reached towards the lower half of the girl's body. Alferez tried to dodge her assault, but only managed to create a splash or two in the water. To make matters worse she had carelessly left her legs spread open, giving the intruder an easy way in. Using the fingers of her right hand Rem began caressing up the girl's inner thigh. 
"Hyaaah!?" Alferez screamed loudly in the face of the surprise attack. By reflex she attempted to close her legs, which prompted Rem to quickly reach for her slit with her fingertips. It was wet, but clearly with something other than the spring water. Something far warmer, something far thicker. 
"Wow, you're totally wet down here... It felt that good when I sucked on your boobs?" 
"D-Don't be silly... Someone like you could never..." 
"Come on, give it up. You love this, don't you?" 
As she said this Rem wrapped her arm around Alferez's shoulders to make sure that she wouldn't be able to get away, and began tormenting her slit with her middle finger. Both of them were still very much inexperienced, and as such Rem had no idea how much force was suitable for the girl's delicate privates. She acted far more reserved than when she had been under the influence of the potion, merely tracing Alferez's slit back and forth. 
"N-Noo...! You're so mean... Stop teasing me... Ahh!" the Princess moaned while staring at Rem with accusatory eyes. The elf, of course, knew exactly what she meant: this was nowhere near enough to satisfy her. She decided to not clear up the misunderstanding, however, and while pretending to act mean asked the girl the following. 
"Oh? How do you want me to do it then? Please tell me." 
"Y-You're pretty cocky for a servant...! Haa... Haaa... You can go harder... I can take it... Ahh... Like... Rub... Rub the insides..." 
As lust overcame embarrassment Alferez taught Rem how she wanted the elf to touch her. Rem's fingers were starting to build up courage as well, moving the Princess's lower lips around with ever increasing speed. 
"Yeah, like that... Right there... Yeah... More... Ah! Ahhh!" 
Her body jolted. Rem immediately knew that this was a particularly sensitive spot, and decided to focus the full strength of her assault on it. 
"Ah! Ha! Ah! Ahh!" 
Alferez wrapped her arms around Rem, clearly wanting to taste the elf's sweet lips. Unable to resist her desperate plea she offered her tongue, which the girl accepted with no hesitation. 
"Mmh! Princes... Ahh... Mmmh!" 
Shivers shot up Rem's spine. What was happening could hardly be called kissing; it was more caressing each other with their tongues. Their faces rubbed together, and every time they did the elf felt her mind going blank. Meanwhile she desperately continued tormenting the Princess's privates, trying her best not to lose herself to the pleasure. 
"Ah... Aah... Rem... It... It feels... so good..." 
"Yeah... Me too... Let's keep... going... and... feel even... better... Aah!" 
The pleasure caused by their breasts rubbing together was immense, causing Rem's body to squirm around on top of Alferez's ample bosom as she continued kissing the girl in total ecstasy. Her fingers sank into Rem's back like claws, but, being a proof of her enjoyment, caused the elf far more joy than pain. 
"Ahh! Rem... Rem!" she moaned. Her lower lips did so too, clinging tight onto Rem's finger. Every time she moved it the girl's hot fluids squirted out, melting into the cold water of the spring. 
"Nooo... Rem... Help me... I'm... I'm... Aaaaahh!" 
Her shaking body clung onto Rem's as her quivering legs kicked up splashes of water. Knowing that the girl was almost there Rem pushed her finger one step deeper and began rubbing her sticky insides directly. She traced the entrance of Alferez's hole with swift movements, which caused the girl to wrap both her arms and legs around Rem's body. 
"Ahh! Ah... Hnngh! Aahhh!" 
Her attempts to hold her voice down were now completely futile. She continued licking up the sweet nectar dripping off Rem's lips, all the while rocking her hips back and forth, greedily devouring the elf's finger. 
"Rem... I... I can't hold back... I'm cumming!" 
There was no need for her to hold back. Rem went for the finishing blow, instantly bringing the girl to climax. 
"Ah! Ahh! Cumming! I'm cumming! Aaaahh!" 
The Princess's body shook like a fish on dry land. Her grasp on Rem tightened, to the point that the elf feared her slender body was going to snap in half. And yet her hands wouldn't stop, causing the girl to scream even louder. 

"No more! I already came! I'm gonna... I'm gonna cum again! Aaaaah!" 
Her hole contracted and sucked hard onto Rem's finger. The elf stared in amazement at Alferez's body as it expressed pleasure with every fibre of its being, feeling a great sense of accomplishment for making the girl climax with her own two hands. 
"Haa... Haa..." 
In the midst of her heavy panting Alferez looked up at Rem with half-opened eyes. The elf had gotten carried away and forgotten the reason she had been doing this in the first place: to allow Alferez to free her mind of all the painful things bothering her. Could she honestly say that she had done anything to fulfil that goal? Rem hanged her head, all of a sudden feeling far less confident in herself. Just then the girl placed her hands on her cheeks, and kissed her. 
"Mmmhg!?" 
She took full advantage of Rem's confusion, and before the elf had a chance to understand what was going on Alferez had shifted her body on top of hers. The girl's face hang right above her backlit by the sun, with a pair of eyes filled with a mixture of anger and embarrassment staring down at her. 
"H-How dare you make me cum... A servant should know their place..." 
"Huh? 'Servant'...? Are we really still doing this?" 
"Of course! Pre... Prepare yourself! I'm not going to just let you get away with humiliating your mistress!" 
Rem found it ridiculous how angry Alferez was considering that she clearly had wanted it, but the Princess launched her assault before she had a chance to voice this complaint. She lifted up Rem's legs from the water, tossing them up on her shoulders. 
"'Prepare yourself'? For wha— Hyaaah!" 
Alferez then placed her mouth on the elf's slit and ran her tongue—completely drenched with both of their fluids—up it. 
"Hmph. The way you used your finger wasn't half bad. But, allow me to teach you what it really means to feel good, servant." 
"W-Wait... Ah! Aaaahh!" 
Her tongue slid swiftly past Rem's lips and began tickling the hole behind them. Her movements were rapid, instantly setting the elf's lower half on fire. Rem's legs lay fully stretched out on the girl's shoulders, every last muscle down to her toes tensed up to their limit. 
"Feels pretty good, huh?" 
"H-How are you so good...!? Al, have you done this with someone before...?" 
"Absolutely not! No, you're my first. It's just... all those failed potion attempts have made me an expert!" 
Rem wanted to ask what exactly she meant by "made me an expert", but seeing how heated up the girl was already, decided that it would be better to remain silent. She did have a guess, however; the girl had likely fantasized about all sorts of things during her repeated self-pleasuring sessions. Being able to realise those fantasies with Rem as her partner must have made her pretty happy. Rem giggled at these thoughts, earning a fierce look from the Princess. 
"What are you laughing at!? Argh! That's it, it's time for you to get punished for doubting and making fun of me!" she yelled and gave Rem's clitoris a sharp flick with her tongue. Violent trembles shot through the elf, stiffening her entire body. The stimulus was far too strong and she attempted to escape, but, seeing how her lower half was suspended in the air, that was a lost cause. 
"Ahhh! Not there! It's too much... Hnnngh!" 
The Princess, of course, had no plans to go easy on her; this was punishment, after all. She lifted Rem's hips even higher, to the point that her back was now off the ground and her crotch above her face. The only thing supporting her body was her shoulders. 
"Nooo...! This is too embarras—" 
Rem's protest was cut short by the sight opening in front of her eyes; this position gave her a full view of the girl's tongue as it licked her privates. There was no way for her to fight back, and shame quickly filled her mind. 
"Noo! Stop! Al...! You... dumbass...! Ah! Ahh! Ah!" 
And yet her body was getting turned on. Waves of pleasure continued shooting through her. A mixture of her own fluids and the girl's saliva dripped down on her mouth in thick strands. It's vivid taste and smell was all it took to lead Rem to climax. 
"So good! Cumming! I'm cumming! Al! More...! More...! Cumming!!!" Rem continued to beg as she orgasmed. Her hips quivered violently yet her body wanted more, greedily sucking in the girl's tongue. 

The two naked girls lay side-to-side on the grassy spring bank, still attempting to catch their breath. They had gone for one more each, and despite originally coming here for a wash, were now sweatier than when they had first started. 
"You're such a bad influence on me, Al... To think that doing this with a girl would feel so good..." 
"Same goes for me. Ever since you came here my head's been filled with nothing but dirty thou—" 
Alferez closed her mouth before finishing this sentence, however, giving the statement a bit off an odd vibe. 
"By that you mean you've been thinking of how much you want to do this with me every day?" 
"Shut up! This is my first time doing it with someone, I can't help it!" 
The Princess turned to her side facing away from Rem, leaving the elf to cope with a mixture of emotions. Would the girl have acted the same way if her partner had been someone other than Rem? Did it really not matter to her who she made love with? Just then Alferez muttered something with her back still facing Rem, almost as if she could sense the elf's insecurity. 
"D-Don't misunderstand me....! I never said that I would have been fine with anyone....!" 
Rem felt her chest tighten to the girl's angry voice. It wasn't pain or sadness, however, but, for some strange reason, warmth. She placed her hands on Alferez's shoulders, prompting the girl to turn her head around and give the elf a puzzled look. 
"Hey, Al... That cat thing... Let's cure it..." 
"Well, yeah. I've been trying. I just don't really know where to look anymore..." 
"Yeah. And that's why I'll help you. I promise you, I'll break the curse no matter what it takes." 
It didn't matter to Rem that the girl was a princess. Not one bit. All she wanted was to make sure that this poor child would never again have to feel afraid. 
"And until that's done, I'll never leave your side, Al." 
"Huh...?" 
The elf's sudden oath had caught Alferez off guard. She wanted to say something, but no words came out of her mouth.