05

The next morning, Cordelia and Isabella took a walk through the gardens that encircled the back of the small castle which Isabella resided. A maze of green walls stood around them as they walked, hand in hand, for most of the morning. Isabella seemed to have the elaborate paths memorized; they easily passed through different sections as she gave her future wife a tour of the grounds.

They stopped at various intervals so Isabella could show Cordelia the large gardens and pools placed in various spots. Cordelia particularly relished the vegetable gardens, picking off fresh tomatoes and beans to eat as they continued their walk. Animals, including a few of Isabella’s seven cats, and a few rabbits, seemed to cease whatever they were doing and come over to the young lovers so Isabella could introduce them. One in particular, an older cat, immediately recognized Cordelia and ran over to pounce on her. It was Inanna, her favorite as a teenager, named for her late mother. They shared a happy reunion; Cordelia cried briefly when memories of their time together came flooded back as there was a familiar nibble on her arm.

Occasionally, as they walked, they would encounter a drone doing work in the gardens or on the walls. Isabella introduced them one by one to their future Queen. Each dreamily pledged their loyalty, to death, to both ladies. Cordelia was overwhelmed by their brainwashed reactions, no more used to beautiful women reacting so positively and amorously; a few of the drones were clearly programmed to be in heat at all times around superiors. Cordelia commanded them to take Inanna into the castle and then for the drones to report the whereabouts of her and Isabella to the Queen. Without speaking, the drones turned and moved to obey.

After watching the drones turn and walk, hips swaying, away to obey her maiden instruction, Cordelia paused to admire the girl’s ample backside. She scratched at her dark colored pixie haircut, shorn early in the morning by Isabella after they jilled each other off before breakfast.

As the previous evening and morning passed, Cordelia’s memories slowly trickled back to her. Their planet resided in another galaxy parallel to Earth’s. The population was entirely female, having bred out the Y chromosome about seven hundred years ago after the discovery of a genetic manipulation which allowed for women to bond to and have children with other women. Evolution over the millennium had left the men of their world, for the most part, were violent, war mongering, fools. They were sequestered away from the women of the planet until the especially diseased portions of their gender ceased to exist. The less disturbing portions were sent to a remote portion of the planet with the women who choose to stay with them.

This lesbian kingdom was no utopia. Many quickly evolved towards a less violent, dangerous, and egocentric society. For a few generations, alas, many females still held onto the more toxic values of their previous culture. Betrayal, violence, flesh eating, and other impure ideals still remained viable to some factions. After an attempted coup on the first Queen in the line which leads to Isabella, a group of scientists was commissioned in secret to work on ways to temper those who still embraced less desirable traits.

After a handful of years, a form of behavior modification which Earthlings would call “brainwashing” was conceived and implemented by the scientific commission. In secret, a number of the undesirable factions were captured and brought to an underground location, actually right under a railway track, for reprogramming. In those days, it took a week or so for results for brainwashing sessions. Captives were cuffed down on all extremities and slid on a conveyor belt into a black tube. Inside the tube, a stunning series of lights and music played, bringing their minds to a state where they could be reprogrammed.

The captives were put into two groups. One group was reprogrammed to become regular citizens who shared the larger Empire’s values. Many became, and their descendants remain, important officials in both the public and private world. The second group would become the first drones. Simple minded, agreeable, and hyper feminine, drones existed for only one purpose: obedience to their superiors.. They lived a happy life of service to their superiors, often being treated as lovingly as a wife or daughter. Abuse of drones was swiftly dealt with and harshly. The generation previous to Isabella and Cordelia’s had passed a law sanctioning public execution for anyone found guilty of drone abuse.

As time went on, more of those with undesirable values were brainwashed and brought into the empire as citizens or drones. For a period, this was left up to the individual after their initial reprogramming. Each was given a number of months to live as a citizen and then a drone. At the end of this period, they would be given a choice between the two options. One of Cordelia’s favorite plays before she left for Earth told the story of two star-crossed women whose love for each other defies the boundaries of citizen and drone while attending school.

Eventually, ironically, one of the differences between citizens and drones was very gendered. As the gender binary became more and more fluid, most citizens came to prefer the more tomboyish/butch style which Cordelia and Isabella enjoyed. Makeup, high heeled shoes, and other more femme adornments were reserved for drones. Most drones were very femme but others were kept in different styles. Currently, one very popular with young citizens for their drones was a very feminine tomboy look. Augmented breasts, very high heels, but cropped short hair and minimal makeup or jewelry.

As Cordelia sat on a rock ledge, she concluded that her experiences on Earth had not swayed her belief that this was the right way to live. Humanoids, no matter the planet, seemed to have great difficulty with attaining any sort of peaceful living. By eradicating poor temperaments, real discourse and peace could truly become a potential. Disagreements were now settled with debate and compromise, not violence, fear, or corruption. The planet was large enough that a number of factions with differing views had moved to settle in different places to live their lives according to their values, coming together for trade, sport, and other needs.

She sighed and stared off at the beautiful landscape in front of her. Certainly, Earth could undergo a similar process. A grin came across her face while mentally drawing up a list of nubile females who deserved droning. Walking alone through the lush grasses on the other side of the garden maze, Isabella had excused herself briefly to return to the castle for something, Cordelia relived her final day before going to Earth. Tearful goodbyes with the Queen and other royalty. Isabella had been so calm until the right before the memory realignment began, finally breaking down and having to be sedated due to her hysterics. Her lover was slid into a brainwashing pod. There was a soft hum of the pod being powered up. But then, nothing. The dark haired princess did not recall, obviously, the process and next found herself sitting on a bed in a foster home, an Earth girl age sixteen with no parents or place to live.

It was clear she had done the right thing going to Earth. As a Princess, it was her patriotic duty to go on such a mission. Sitting under the tree, Cordelia further considered her experience on Earth. Before she became too far lost in thought, Isabella approached her from a trail and sat down, putting her head on Cordelia’s shoulder. The brunette handed her lover a banana, poached from a tree.

The lovers ate in silence for a few minutes before Isabella, finishing her snack, swallowed the last bit and spoke. “So, how are you adjusting? I thought it would be good for us to relax today before meeting the public.” She leaned closer and kissed Cordelia on the mouth, who returned it eagerly with a smile.

Cordelia looked off at a cat walking in the distance. “I feel like Odo, you know? Wait, do you know who he is?”

Isabella laughed, “yes, I do, a drone was set to watch from afar and report directly to me about what you did on Earth.” She scratched her head and looked away nervously. “I also, uh, kind of had a camera set up in your dorm room.”

Cordelia playfully shoved her. “You mean you watched me...” Suddenly, she blushed a deep red, “...jill off and fuck other women?”

Isabella raised her eyebrows. “Mostly I watched you do school work and talk to Trish about your problems. I certainly didn’t mind seeing her walk around naked too.”

Laughing, the princess kissed her lover. “If I would’ve known you were watching, I would’ve put on a better show.” Suddenly, her laughing face turned sadder and a tear rolled down her eye. Quickly, Isabella grabbed her and pulled Cordelia tight to her body. Cordelia began crying all over her lover. “I wish I would’ve known you were waiting here for me. All I saw...all I did...I mean, I fucked other women! I, I, I...”

Isabella kissed her again and pulled away. “You didn’t know. It’s over now,” her hand moved to Cordelia’s opposite and held it tightly, “and we can be together for the rest of our lives. My mother is doing all she can to make our ascension as quick and painless as possible.”

Cordelia’s eyes brightened at another mention of the Queen. “Your mother, how is she? I know you said she knows we’re here...”

Isabella squeezed her hand again. “She is stepping down so we may stand up. We will do the same someday. We will be,” she stared playfully at her lover, “if you’ll still have me, Queen soon.”

Cordelia looked away towards the distant sun. The Queen, who’d been so good to take the girl in when her mothers tragically died. Her mothers! That seemed so long ago; Isabella and the Queen were her family now. “You know, I can never quite show how much I appreciated the Queen taking me in as a child. My mothers died,” Cordelia paused as a distant memory from her childhood returned, “and I was so distraught. The administrators at school didn’t know what to do with me.” She paused and leaned over, kissing her lover and running her hand along Isabella’s face. “But then the Queen took me in and I met you.”

Isabella closed her eyes at Cordelia’s touch. Slowly she opened them again. “I fell in love with you the moment we met. I mean, we were kids, but I just knew we were meant for each other.”

Cordelia smiled and laughed, remembering the Queen’s now deceased wife had encouraged her to initiate things with Isabella. A thought popped into her mind. For a moment, she considered not asking it, but before she could stop herself the words were spoken. “While I was gone, did you have any suitors?”

Isabella quickly decided that telling the truth would be the only solution to this question. “I had drones as consorts, of course, but never anything serious. A Princess from another planet in the Empire tried to woo me about a year ago, but I never let it get far.” Isabella paused, scratching at her head briefly. “Well, I mean, I did let her fuck me while she was courting me, she was pretty hot and all.” Cordelia’s raised eyebrows made her quickly grasp for a more sufficient explanation. “...and by winning her favor, she was able to convince her mother to acquiesce in an important negotiation between our planets.”

A serious look came over Cordelia’s face. “Well, if it was mere diplomatic reasons, that certainly can be excused.” She smiled and kissed Isabella again, pushing her against the tree. Cordelia cuddled up to her lover and they lay there for an hour or so just enjoying being in each other’s arms.