After their chaotic adventure in the forest, Ellustrya and Boldasarre returned to the city, hoping to leave the absurdity behind them. But as they approached the city gates, something felt off. Whispers filled the air, and everywhere they went, people stared at them—not with the usual respect or admiration, but with poorly concealed smirks and stifled laughter. Something was definitely wrong.
"What's going on?" Ellustrya asked one of the guards at the gate, her voice laden with concern. "Why is everyone acting so strangely?"
The guard glanced at Boldasarre and stifled a snicker. "You... don't know?" he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
"I have no idea," Ellustrya replied, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"You... really should look into it," the guard replied, clearly struggling to keep a straight face.
Ellustrya turned to Boldasarre, her expression mirroring her concern.
"Let's go to the tavern and see what this is all about," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Boldasarre nodded, his face flushed with embarrassment. He couldn't shake the feeling that whatever this was, it was somehow his fault.
They walked to the local tavern, where they found a crowd gathered around one of the tables. A young woman was sitting there, her trousers down at her ankles. On her bare legs were her high-cut undergarments, a stark contrast to the rest of her attire. A glass of ale sat in front of her, half-empty, and her cheeks were flushed with the unmistakable glow of alcohol.
"What in the blazes is going on here?" Ellustrya demanded, pushing her way through the crowd. "Who is this woman, and why is she sitting here with her trousers down?"
"She says she's an adventurer," one of the patrons replied, barely able to contain his laughter. "She says she's on an adventure, and that she needs to keep her trousers down because..."
"Because monsters won't attack you if they can see your underwear," another patron interrupted, finishing the sentence for him.
The crowd burst into laughter, but the young woman remained silent, her eyes fixed on the table in front of her.
"Is this true?" Ellustrya asked, her gaze fixed on the young woman. "Is that why you're sitting here with your trousers down?"
The young woman nodded slowly, her expression somber. "I... I'm sorry, Princess," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the din of the tavern. "I didn't know what else to do..."
Ellustrya shook her head, unable to hide her frustration. "This is unacceptable," she declared, her voice laced with anger. "We are adventurers, not exhibitionists!"
The young woman nodded, her eyes filled with shame. "I'm sorry..." she murmured, her voice trembling slightly.
"I am disgusted by this display," Ellustrya continued, her tone firm. "Trousers up, everyone. Now."
The young woman complied, pulling her trousers back up and buckling them tightly around her waist. But as she did so, the other patrons of the tavern followed suit, each one looking just as sheepish as the next.
Ellustrya shook her head in disbelief, her eyes narrowed in anger. "This is absurd," she muttered. "I don't know what's gotten into all of you, but this ends now."
"But Lady Ellustrya, we're just following your example!" a woman in the crowd protested. "Word spread of your speech in Town of Ackelay, where you proclaimed yourself the Panty Princess, and said you were more than just your underwear, and you showed your underwear with pride!"
The young woman nodded, her expression filled with admiration. "It's true," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I heard your words, and I knew that I had to follow your example."
Ellustrya's face fell as the realization sunk in. She was the one responsible for this entire mess—her own words had started it, and now, it seemed, she would be the one who had to put an end to it.
"I... I have no idea what to say," Ellustrya murmured, her voice laced with frustration. "This is completely unacceptable. You are all acting like a bunch of fools."
"There are also witnesses. You were caught adventuring with your pants down!" a patron accused. "It's all over town! That you dropped your pants in the middle of the forest, and then got into a brawl with Celdine, of all people, who was also in her knickers."
The crowd gasped in shock and awe at the revelation. "This can't be true!" one of them exclaimed. "The Princess? Brawling in her underwear?!"
Ellustrya gritted her teeth, doing her best to maintain her composure.
"Did you hear? The great princess, caught with her pants down!" one voice whispered.
Another added, "I heard her knickers were gleaming white! Quite the sight against that dark complexion of hers."
"And Celdine was there too! In her lilac knickers!" a third chimed in. "What an adventure that must have been!"
Ellustrya's face flushed with embarrassment as she realized just how many people were now aware of the situation.
"Uh... Lady Ellustrya... You should take a look at this..." Boldasarre said sheepishly, handing her a copy of the latest edition of the city's most notorious gossip rag. In bold, huge lettering, splashed all over the front page, was the headline:
"PANTS-DOWN PRINCESS: ELLUSTRYA'S ROYAL KNICKERS EXPOSED!"
Ellustrya gasped as she read the headline, her eyes widening in shock and horror.
"This is a disaster..." she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I'm so sorry, Lady Ellustrya," Boldasarre said, his voice filled with regret. "I had no idea this would happen..."
Ellustrya stood frozen, her usual calm shaken as she skimmed the details of the article. It recounted the entire incident—the bet with Celdine, the ridiculous trek through the forest with their trousers around their ankles, and, of course, her gleaming white knickers in all their glory. The artist's exaggerated illustration depicted her mid-stride, fully dressed from the waist up, but with her royal underwear on full display.
And worse, the story had spread like wildfire. Everywhere they went, people whispered and giggled, calling her by a nickname she would never live down.
"Pants-Down Princess."
"Knicker Queen."
"Panty Princess."
And those were the most polite ones.
Ellustrya could feel the heat rising in her cheeks as she tried to comprehend the sheer magnitude of the situation. She had never intended for her actions to result in such widespread attention—she had just wanted to prove a point, to show the world that she was more than her underwear. But instead, she had unwittingly started a trend, and now everyone in the city seemed to be following her example.
"I need to get out of here," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly. "I can't handle this..."
Before Boldasarre could stop her, Ellustrya turned and fled from the tavern, her cloak billowing behind her. The crowd watched in stunned silence as she disappeared into the night, her shame and embarrassment clear for all to see.
"Lady Ellustrya! Wait!" Boldasarre called out after her, but to no avail. She was gone, leaving him alone with the crowd of people who had witnessed her humiliation.
***
Ellustrya's cheeks flushed, but this time it wasn't from embarrassment. It was pure, unbridled fury. Celdine. Of course. That wretched, mischievous adventurer had somehow leaked the entire story to the press. Even knocked out cold, Celdine had managed to get the last laugh.
"I'll make her pay," Ellustrya swore under her breath, her hands clenched into fists. "I'll make her regret ever messing with me."
She knew what she had to do.
Taking a deep breath, Ellustrya tried to maintain her composure. Her royal poise faltered only slightly as she clenched her fists at her sides. Boldasarre, noticing her frustration, placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Lady Ellustrya!.... wait!...." Boldasarre bellowed as he desperately tried to catch his breath. "What happened?"
"Celdine is going to pay for this," she snapped.
"Pay for what? She was also caught pants-down."
"Yes, but that's not what this is about," Ellustrya replied, her eyes narrowing in anger. "She made a fool out of me, Boldasarre—and I'm not going to let her get away with it."
"But Lady Ellustrya..."
"No, Boldasarre," she interrupted, her tone firm. "I've made up my mind. Celdine is going to regret ever crossing me."
"Lady Ellustrya," he said gently, "I'm sure this will blow over... eventually."
"How?" she demanded. "How could this possibly blow over? My knickers are on full display in the city's most notorious gossip rag—and everyone in town is calling me by a ridiculous nickname I will never live down!"
"Don't you remember your speech, where you said you were more than just your underwear, and you wore them with pride?" he countered. "You're not just some princess. You're a symbol. You're a hero!"
"I am more than just my underwear, you're right," Ellustrya replied, her voice filled with determination.
"Those women are emulating you because they admire you, because they're inspired by you.... they know that you're more than just your underwear."
Ellustrya sighed, shaking her head in frustration. "That may be true," she said, "but I'm still a laughingstock."
"You could never be a laughingstock! Not now, or ever!" Baoldasarre proclaimed with boundless conviction. "Nobody looks as good as you in their underwear!"
Ellustrya couldn't help but laugh, despite herself.
"Well, thank you for the compliment, Boldasarre," she replied, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "But I think we both know that's not true."
Boldasarre blushed, averting his gaze.
"Lady Ellustrya," he said softly, his tone laced with admiration. "It's completely true. You looked amazing. The white against your dark skin was a stunning sight to behold. And your legs..."
"My legs?" she asked, her interest piqued.
"Your legs are so long and shapely," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "Your underwear looked amazing, but only because you were wearing them, Lady Ellustrya."
Ellustrya smiled, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I'm glad you think so, Boldasarre," she said, her tone playful. "But only you were ever meant to see me in my knickers."
"Well," he said, his cheeks flushing slightly, "I guess I'm just lucky then."
Ellustrya leaned toward him, her eyes narrowing mischievously.
"You certainly are, Boldasarre," she replied, her voice dropping to a low, sultry whisper. "And I intend to make sure you remain lucky."
Before Boldasarre could respond, Ellustrya pulled him into an embrace, her lips crashing against his. His hands instinctively wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer as he deepened the kiss.
"Do you want to see them again... my knickers?" she asked breathlessly, her gaze fixed on his.
"Yes, Lady Ellustrya, I would like that very much," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper.
Ellustrya gracefully reached for her belt, unbuckled them, and her trousers slid down her hips to her ankles. Boldasarre watched with wide eyes as her high-cut briefs were revealed once more. Her smooth, dark skin contrasted sharply with the gleaming white fabric, the high-leg apertures showing off her toned legs.
"Oh... my..." he breathed, unable to take his eyes off of her.
Ellustrya grinned, a mischievous glint in her eye as she tugged at the waistband of her underwear, exposing more of her bare skin.
"You know, maybe this trend isn't so bad after all," she purred, her gaze locked on his "Maybe it's actually quite... freeing."
Boldasarre nodded, unable to form a coherent response as he took in the sight before him. Ellustrya's gleaming white knickers were truly a sight to behold, and he couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she looked, standing there with her trousers down.
"Lady Ellustrya... this is... I can't... words..." Boldasarre stammered, clearly overwhelmed by the situation.
Ellustrya smiled, a hint of mischief in her eyes as she leaned closer to him, her lips barely inches from his.
"You don't need words, Boldasarre," she whispered, her tone playful. "We better remain vigilant. I don't want to be caught in my knickers in public again."
Boldasarre nodded, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he did his best to maintain his composure. He knew that he was one lucky man indeed.
"So, now that I've got my trousers down, are you going to do something about it?" Ellustrya teased, raising an eyebrow suggestively.
"Well, I... uh..." Boldasarre stammered, his face flushing an even deeper shade of crimson.
Ellustrya sighed, shaking her head in amusement. "You're so cute when you're flustered," she said, her voice laced with affection. "But maybe I should pull my trousers up, now."
Boldasarre nodded, his cheeks still flushed with embarrassment as he averted his gaze.
"Yes, Lady Ellustrya. That's probably for the best."
She reached for the waistband of her jodhpurs and was about to tug them up, but then she hesitated.
"Though, if I'm honest, I am enjoying myself..." she admitted. "Perhaps I could stay like this... just a little longer."
Boldasarre's eyes widened in surprise and he nodded eagerly.
"Y-yes, Lady Ellustrya," he replied, his voice trembling slightly. "I think that's a good idea."
"Everyone already knows what my underwear look like now, anyhow, so it's not like I have anything to lose." she grinned. "So, maybe we can go to the tavern and have some fun. I'll be sure to keep my trousers down while we're there. Perhaps I can make another speech?"
Boldasarre nodded eagerly, his eyes gleaming with excitement at the thought of being seen in public with his lady love, in her underwear, no less.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Lady Ellustrya," he replied, his voice filled with admiration. "I think everyone would benefit from seeing you like this."
Ellustrya smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she took Boldasarre's hand in hers.
"Come on, then," she said, her tone playful. "Let's go show the world just how freeing it is to have your trousers down."
Ellustrya and Boldasarre returned to the tavern, her trousers still around her ankles, exposing her gleaming white knickers. As they entered, the patrons turned to stare, their eyes widening in surprise and amusement.
Ellustrya strode confidently to the center of the room, her head held high despite her state of undress. She cleared her throat, commanding the attention of everyone present.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she began, her voice ringing out clear and strong. "I know that my recent actions have caused quite a stir. But I want you to know that I am not ashamed. In fact, I embrace this new trend that I have unintentionally started."
The crowd murmured in surprise, their eyes fixed on Ellustrya as she continued her speech.
"There is no shame in being comfortable in your own skin," she declared, her tone passionate. "And there is certainly no shame in wearing your underwear with pride. So, I encourage all of you to join me in this new fashion statement. Let us show the world that we are more than just our clothing!"
The women in the tavern exchanged glances, their expressions ranging from shock to admiration. And then, one by one, they began to stand up, their hands reaching for the waistbands of their trousers.
Within moments, every woman in the tavern had dropped their trousers, revealing a colorful array of underwear—from simple cotton briefs to frilly lace panties and everything in between. The men stared in awe, their faces flushed with embarrassment as they took in the sight before them.
Ellustrya grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she surveyed the room. "Well, now that everyone's trousers are down, how about we all enjoy a round of ale on the house?" she suggested, her tone playful.
The crowd erupted into cheers, their voices filled with excitement at the prospect of free ale. The women had their knickers fully exposed, but all wore them with pride, as the women embraced Ellustrya's message of self-acceptance and empowerment.
Ellustrya beamed with pride as she surveyed the scene before her. She had never intended to start a trend, but now that she had, she was determined to see it through.
"Ladies," she said, her voice filled with emotion. "I am so proud of each and every one of you. Together, we will show the world that we are strong, confident, and unashamed!"
The women cheered, their voices rising in a chorus of support and solidarity. And as Ellustrya looked out over the sea of exposed knickers, she knew that she had started something truly special.
Boldasarre watched in awe, his heart swelling with pride and admiration for the woman he loved. He knew that Ellustrya was a true leader, and he was honored to stand by her side as she led this new movement of self-acceptance and empowerment.