A new adventure had been embarked on—an enterprise that would break new ground, a bold cultural revolution that would change adventuring forever and cause the status quo to collapse.
And this exploit had five rules that had to be, with certain exceptions, adhered to at all times. They were:
1) Your trousers must remain around your ankles. You are prohibited from pulling them up or taking them off completely.
2)You must remain fully clothed above the waist.
3)Your underwear must remain on at all times, and be clearly visible.
4)You may pull your trousers for up to one hour a day.
5)You must not be caught with your trousers down by other adventurers out in the wilderness.
It was an obscure fact among the younger adventurers that Princess Ellustrya herself was the instigator of the trend for high-cut undergarments, going as far back as her heyday as a hero of old. Ellustrya perfected a high-cut, full-back design, allowing both legs free movement and offering the utmost comfort to any adventurer on her quest. It perfectly balanced sensuality and modesty, elongating the legs and accentuating the curves. As the trendsetter, Ellustrya's design instantly became a hit.
Nobody wore them better than Princess Ellustrya herself. Often described as the most beautiful woman in the world, Ellustrya had a figure that would complement any garment. The high-cut design emphasized her exemplary form. But few people had ever had the privilege of seeing her in them. That was until recently when she started adventuring with her trousers down. Now, virtually everyone has seen her in her underwear.
And lo and behold, sales of high-cut briefs tripled or even quadrupled. Young women even emulated her, dropping their pants and adventuring in undergarments. What started as an absurd bet with Celdine to save Boldasarre's chaste inadvertently started what has been dubbed the panty revolution.
Wanting to put the whole saga of adventuring with her trousers around her ankles aside, it wasn't before long that she would be drawn into another ridiculous exploit in her brilliant, pretty white knickers, her signature jodhpurs lowered as far as they could go. But even Ellustrya had to admit that adventuring in her knickers felt liberating and empowering.
The race was on. Whoever obtained the Aviansaur's legendary golden egg first was the winner. If she lost, she would be forced to return home against her will, and may even have to do a humiliating penalty in her undies.
This time, she would not be going alone. Not taking no for an answer, Boldasarre would accompany her. He was forced to adhere to the same rules as her. So, both dropped their pants and ran through the streets in their underwear.
The pair tentatively navigated the streets, rounding the corners gingerly, the chatter of the crowds of people drowning out all other sounds. The people who caught a glimpse of them gave them peculiar looks for their rather uncustomary attire. However, the rules state that the caveat of not being seen by others with their pants down only applies to areas outside urban or residential ones.
They made their way to the exit and were chased by the town guard for public indecency. They could feel the cool breeze nipping away at their bare, vulnerable legs in the wilderness. At the same time, the heat of the sun's beams bore down on them. The thin fabric of their undies barely gave them protection against the elements. But they had to admit, being in their underwear was comfortable if it weren't for the nippy wind. Almost empowering.
Then they encountered their first real obstacle: they had to transverse a thicket full of thorns, brambles, and stinging nettles. They contemplated going around the thicket, but they would lose valuable time.
"This poses a significant challenge," Elustrya announced with a tinge of annoyance in her voice, her forehead creasing. "Our underwear will give us no protection."
"Can't we go around, Lady Ellustrya?" Boldasarre timidly inquired, his brow rumpling.
"Indeed we could, but that would mean going the long way around," Ellustrya said doubtfully, carefully surveying the landscape with one eye closed. "But I don't want to risk damaging my breeches or my knickers. We have no choice then, but to go the long way round."
They detoured around the vale to avoid the scrub altogether, taking the less direct route to their destination, losing valuable time. They had to make haste as they had fallen behind schedule, but with their pants around their ankles, that was a whole challenge in of itself. Ellustrya quickly gained the hang of it, but Boldasarre was clearly lagging behind.
"Are you all right, Boldasarre?" Ellustrya asked.
"Yes, Lady Ellustrya," he replied. "I'm just not used to this, that's all. I don't mean to be a burden."
"That wind is quite chilly. Our threadbare undergarments will do little to offer protection."
"What should we do, then?"
"The rules state that our trousers are down and our underwear visible, but it states nothing about wrapping something around our legs."
"I never thought of it that way."
"Of course, it might sacrifice freedom of movement and speed, but it might be worth it in certain situations."
"Then let's give it a shot. Do you have anything we could wrap around ourselves?"
"We could use the blankets of our bedrolls," Elustrya suggested.
She went to the pack and removed two blankets. She wrapped one around her legs and the other around Boldasarre's legs.
"This might look ridiculous and even impractical, but it's better than nothing. It'll offer us some protection against nature without breaking the rules. As long as our underwear is visible and we don't pull our trousers up, we aren't breaking any rules."
"So these are sort of like makeshift skirts?"
"Yes, but they cannot cover our underwear, so they have to be wrapped around our thighs. That may not make movement easy, but it may be a necessary evil."
Despite being less mobile, the pair could take a more direct course through treacherous terrain. When they required better mobility, they removed the blankets. Overall, they covered ground much quicker, despite the blankets around their legs being forced to hop or trot.
They set up camp for the evening. Ellustrya prepared several rations for them to eat. She kindled a small fire, so they could remove the blankets.
"I must say, I never envisaged myself going on these sort of… adventures." Ellustrya said as she sat on a log by the campfire.
"It definitely makes the quest more interesting," Boldasarre added.
"I grew up in a very humid tropical rainforest. I never countenanced doing so back then, but if I were back home now, on a muggy, humid day, I'd be tempted to let my trousers fall to the ground and parade around in my underwear."
"Why are we so afraid of being in our underwear, Lady Ellustrya?"
"I can't speak for everyone, but being a woman, and a royal, we were conditioned to cover up. Especially our legs. We would be fully dressed on hot, humid days." She continues. "Everyone wears underwear, but we can't show them to anyone else, even if they are more practical for certain situations. In fact, we can't acknowledge that they even exist. And people get so offended by a woman's bare thighs."
"You have the most beautiful pair of legs," Boldasarre said. "And your underwear is beautiful too. Why must we be ashamed of such beauty?"
"I must Boldasarre, I am most flattered. You really are the gentleman."
"I have to say, I still find this embarrassing. You look both powerful and beautiful, but I just look like a clown."
"You have nothing to be ashamed of," she replied. "I think you are the handsomest man, and seeing you in your underwear… makes my heart race."
"L-Lady Ellustrya! Y-you're making me blush!"
"You have the sweetest, most endearing appearance, like a poodle puppy. And seeing you so bashful makes you even more attractive. Perhaps it's not this whole situation that's absurd, but the societal norms we've been conditioned in our whole lives. Underwear is just cloth, after all, and is a part of our everyday lives. Covering them up does not mean we're not wearing them."
"I never saw it that way before."
"This whole thing began because of a bet designed by Celdine to humiliate me. She believed she could get the better of me by the shame of being in my underwear, given my background as an Elvish Princess. She is quite the exhibitionist and very comfortable in her skin, and with me having a position to keep in what is seen as a very conservative race, she did not think I would be able to overcome this challenge. She was very wrong indeed."
"She was the one who came up with this whole adventuring with your pants down in the first place, isn't she?"
"Correct. But I learned a valuable lesson from it. We're expected to wear underwear but never show it. So much thought is put into the design and aesthetics of women's underwear, but nobody can see us wearing them."
"I wish guy's underwear was anywhere near as pretty as women's underwear."
"Really? From where I'm sitting, you look like quite the lady killer in those tight white briefs."
"We're wearing the same color underwear…"
"Proof that we were meant for each other, isn't it? Anyhow, we should probably bathe and then turn in for the evening. We have a lot of ground to cover tomorrow."
"What are the rules for bathing?"
"We can remove all our clothes for bathing, washing, and other daily routines, but when on the move, the rules must always be followed."
"Can we change our underwear?"
"Yes. I was proactive and prepared a plentiful change of underwear for the both of us."
"So, do we bathe… together?"
"Well, we've gotten used to the sight of seeing each other in our underwear."
"Underwear is one thing, being butt naked in front of you… is another."
"Hmm. Perhaps you're correct. Perhaps we should have a rota?"
"T-That might be a good idea."
"Boldasarre, is it wrong that I'm starting to find the idea of adventuring with my trousers done, knickers on full display…. thrilling?"
Ellustrya reflected on what she just said, her finger underneath her chin, as she pondered in her white undies.
"Goodness, am I starting to develop a fetish for this sort of thing?" Ellustrya exclaimed. "That Celdine woman truly is a bad influence. Anyway, shall you bathe first, or shall I? There's a creek nearby. We must carefully plan our timing: we wouldn't want to have any… accidents…"
"A-accidents?!" Boldasarre gulp.
"Yes. You might see more than my knickers if things go awry, and I may get a gander of your manhood. Anyway, chop chop! Or I may be tempted to have a little peep…"
"Uh, yes, ma'am!" Boldasarre answered respectfully.
He made his way to the creek, shed his clothes, and washed up. His long, green-tinted dark hair sponged the water, forming drenched locks down his face. Just as he finished, he heard someone else enter the creek. He was not alone.
Boldasarre jolted with a start. There before him was Lady Ellustrya, naked as the day she was born. Boldasarre turned away awkwardly, his face a deep crimson.
"I-I-I…" Boldasarre stuttered, unable to get his words out. "I-I'm soooorrrryy!!"
"Do not be alarmed, Boldasarre," she said. "This is entirely my fault. My timing was poor."
Boldasarre weighed whether Ellustrya had contrived this whole scenario, but he couldn't help thinking he was to blame. He hurried to the shore, picked up his clothes, and dashed in the opposite direction, disappearing into the thicket.
"I'm sooorrrryy!!!" He exclaimed.
Ellustrya pouted.
"And you've been staring at me in my knickers all day long." She huffed.
She had been left to bathe alone with her thoughts, contemplating how to approach Boldasarre without frightening him away.
Later that evening, Ellustrya finished bathing and donned her signature attire, but with one noticeable difference: her trousers had been lowered to her ankles. Boldasarre looked upon her in awe, nearly gawking. He assumed she had changed her underwear, but he couldn't tell because she was clad in the same style of high-cut white knickers she always wore. The bow just below the waistband did not escape his attention, however. He was beginning to read patterns into the Princess's choice of garments.
Keep it together, Boldasarre, his inner voice said. Focus on Ellustrya, and not her panties.
He covered his eyes but to no avail: he couldn't help peeking through his fingers.
"It's okay to look," Ellustrya assured him. "You should be used to seeing me in my knickers now. And I can't help but admire you in your white underpants. Have you been changing them every day like I told you?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Good."
The pair turned in for the evening, wrapping themselves in their bedrolls, hiding any evidence that their pants were down and their underwear was exposed. As the temperature dipped, they huddled closer together to keep warm.
Sooner or later, after failing to doze off, Ellustrya shed her bedroll and climbed in with Boldasarre.
"Lady E-Ellustrya?! W-What are you doing?!" Boldasarre yelped cravenly, his face more crimson than a rose.
"I hope you don't mind me snuggling up to you," Ellustrya said as she placed her index finger on his mouth, the corners of her lips creasing into a smile. "I'm having problems with falling asleep."
"I don't mind! But should we really be this close together when our pants are down?"
"I don't mind, but if it troubles you, then I'll take my leave…"
"I-I didn't mean it that way!"
"Are you saying that I can… stay?"
"Of course you can! But if anyone saw us like this, then…"
"I don't care what anyone else thinks."
"Well, okay then. If it's fine with you."
At first, Boldasarre felt very uncomtorble and not dare to move. However, as the minutes passed by, he found that he couldn't help but hold Elllustrya in his arms, the warmth of her beautiful youthful body radiating into his. Her white knickers brushed against his white briefs. He felt her voluptuous breasts push against his abdomen. She rested her head against his chest.
She gently stroked his head with her elongated fingers, running her hand through his long hair. As her lithe digits made contact against his skin, Boldasarre felt a strange but pleasant sensation radiating throughout his entire body. This tingly feeling made his heart race, but simultaneously, it caused all the tension in his muscles to evaporate into the night.
"I wonder how Aerisa is doing in her silly Strawberry knickers," Ellustrya whispered into his ear, the sensation of her breath tickling him. "Can you imagine her strawberry-covered backside running through the wilderness? Does that excite you?"
"L-Lady Ellustrya, please!"
"Celdine is also probably having a great time in nature in her knickers!"
"I-I'm trying hard not to think of such impure things right now!"
"But you like mine the best, don't you Boldasarre? You can't resist me in my white knickers!"
"I can't get the word 'knickers' out of my head now!"
"But you're wearing your knickers better than any of us!" Ellustrya said playfully, a faint smile forming on her lips. "I must admit us huddling together like this, with my knickers grazing against your underwear… it makes my heart skip a beat."
"Lady Ellustrya, please get a hold of yourself!"
"Relax, Boldasarre, I'm just teasing! You're just so adorable when flustered. Your reddened face makes a nice contrast against your white underpants."
"Can we just go to sleep already? We've had quite a day."
"If you say so, my Panty Prince. Sleep tight."
She gave him a light kiss on the cheek before closing her eyes, her head resting on his chest, her long silvery blue draped over his body. It wasn't long before they drifted into sleep; the warmth of each other's bodies and the rhythm of their heartbeats and breathing set their minds and bodies at ease.
Then, the camp fell silent. Only the chirping of crickets and hooting of owls could be heard. The moonlight bathed the underwear-clad duo as they slept serenely in each other's arms.