I am not sure how I was able to stay upright on the way back, despite being on a wagon. The whole return was a blur. I fell more than jumped off the wagon, went back to my room on all sixes, and collapsed on my mattress, damp, dirty and spent. Legs and arms spread in all directions. I didn't notice Freya taking off the leather bands and ribbons. But when she woke me up I was still spread out minus the ribbons. She even had to pull on my ear to wake me up.

"Uh uch ohh." I could only moan incoherently.

"Dear Kiara, please get up. There is a reception for you."

I tried to sit up. Ouch. Slowly, very slowly. The upper part of my body was okay, only my throat was dry and hoarse. But any movement below my upper ribcage hurt like hell.

She draped a blanket over me and put my arm over her shoulders as if to support me. I appreciated the gesture. Still, we had to do this at my pace.

"Just a short rest," I mumbled.

"Please, we need to go over to the stables to wash and brush."

My stomach growled menacingly.

"Yes, we need to feed the beast too. Come on. They are waiting."

I pushed my weight onto my arms to lift my middle shoulder up onto my forelegs. Ouch, but done. Next, the hind legs. I almost stumbled over my forelegs, but I stood, wobbly. When I raised my head is saw that the light in the windows had faded, it was past sunset. And there was the sound of a crowd outside.

I tried a few steps until I was sure that I could make it to the stables. Freya adjusted the blanket as a makeshift cloak.

As soon as I opened the door, the noise ceased. After the first two steps out, someone started clapping and soon everyone was clapping. I tried to cross the yard with steady steps and breathed a sigh of relief when the stable door closed behind me.

Kendrick was standing there with four grooms at the ready. The blanket and my jacket were removed and two grooms poured warm water over my upper body, the other two over my lower body. I began to feel human again, towelled down while the four grooms used rags to clean my belly and leg fur. As soon as the forelegs were done, two of them switched to brushes. And when the dirt was gone, Kendrick came in and gave my forelegs a hard but well-needed and well-received massage. What a nice surprise.

Then he did the same for the hind legs while the groom towelled the undercoat dry. It was a very quick pit stop.

Kendrick was now massaging my paws when Dame Grendel arrived. In her wake were two maids, each carrying a heavy basket. The dame shooed the grooms away. At her signal, the first maid took a large garment from her basket and the second held up a towel as a makeshift screen. I unwrapped the towel around my breasts and slipped into a Kiara-sized undershirt with support. It fitted well and the special silk caressed my skin. Now the canvas was dropped as all hands were needed. From the other basket, they took out a dress. Probably very fashionable. Probably very fashionable. It had a rather low cut with a ridiculously wide green half-collar with starched pleats. And it was certainly not made from my fabrics.

The whole back was laced up so it could be adjusted quickly to my shape. And they pulled it as tight as if they wanted to squeeze me out of it. Fortunately, I could breathe well enough with my lower set of lungs. Now, bending down or even just looking behind became impossible. The dress ended at the bottom in long, single-folded ribbons, alternating between white and green, covering my forelegs.

The other maid held up a mirror. I looked ridiculous by my modern standards. But with this dress and front, I could pass for human, if you ignored the ears, which were almost eclipsed by the green starched collar. Since my lower shoulders were broad and my waist was all muscle and bone, the dress gave me an extreme hourglass figure. I looked like an alien trying to pass as an Elizabethan princess (or perhaps a contemporary courtesan...) and it was stiff as well. The latter would not matter tonight, with my tired legs I would not be moving and certainly not dancing.

I squeezed a "thank you" out of my upper lungs.

Lady Grendel nodded. "Dear lady, you look stunning. Just a moment." She took a silver necklace out of the basket. It was almost as wide as the palms of her hands. Unable to bow, I kneeled on my protesting forelegs so that she could put the necklace over my head and close the clasp at the back.

Finally, Freya returned with the signet ring. It had been cut open at the back and bent wider. Now it even fit my wide middle finger, the appropriate place to wear it.

"Healer Apprentice Freya." Dame Grendel frowned. "Or rather Translator of the Lady. Yes, come." As expected, she froze again. "Dear, please, no need to fear me. Ask your lady!"

"Freya, go," I even smiled at her and turned her towards the dame.

"For tonight," the dame said and took a tiara from the basket. It was a rather simple one, a silver semicircle with a single green stone in the centre. "Since your lady cannot wear it, wear it for her with pride!" And smiled at Freya.

With that, we were finally allowed to attend my victory celebration.

* * *

As the stable door opened and I stepped out, a trumpet fanfare sounded. The whole first courtyard had been transformed into a banquet, long rows of tables with white tablecloths. Lanterns had been lit and dishes were being brought from the kitchen.

"Today servants and masters will dine and celebrate together, an old Republic tradition," Freya sent.

Administrator came up to me and bowed, which I could not do in my dress. Nevertheless, I still gave it a try, and the dress creaked dangerously. Freya stood as far back as she could, holding the tip of my tail.

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"Dear Lady Kiara of Earth, dear Count Larel of Litra, dear fellow Republicans. Today we witnessed a remarkable feat when Lady Kiara of Earth beat a horse in two races. Moreover, her incredible achievement has inspired Count Larel to declare Lady Kiara of Earth his heir. Lady Kiara, come closer.

I was less than an arm's length away, so it must have been rhetorical.

"I, Administrator of the Republic, confirm the title of Countess Kiara of Earth and Litra."

He waited a moment for Freya to finish her translation, then raised my hand with the signet ring. Which was not very high, since Administrator was small, about my chest height. Another fanfare sounded and everyone clapped and cheered.

"Now we have not one but two excellent reasons to celebrate. The meal will begin after a short evensong."

He motioned to the clerics. They immediately began a lively chorale. It must have been well known, for many more voices joined in as servants brought food from the kitchen. And then it was over. Administrator led me to the centre of the five rows of tables, where cushions clearly marked my place. He sat to my left, Count Larel to my right and Freya across from me, against her protests in mindspeak.

Now we all sat down. The classes separated somewhat. But with only five long rows of tables in the courtyard, there were indeed lords and ladies sitting together with servants and maids at the same table.

After my initial hunger had been satisfied (I had to eat slowly in my restrictive dress and thus it took a while to reach that state), music began to play in the next courtyard. I also saw people dancing. I would like to join them. But not tonight, I chewed my food slowly and was happy not to move my legs. The constant chewing was also a welcome excuse not to talk much. I did not even speak much with my new foster father.

I excused myself as soon as my hunger was satisfied and retired to my room. It took Freya quite a while to untie my laces and get me out of my dress. But I was too tired to think about this as foreplay and just spread my limbs in all directions on the fresh sheets and sank into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

When I opened my eyes, Freya was sitting with her back to the wall, smiling. The morning must be old by now. My legs still ached, but to a degree, I was used to from travelling. I could stretch them and everything felt fine, nothing was torn or any other lingering effects from yesterday. I stood up, jumped in place and turned my upper body around. All right, just a bit stiff. I quickly put on my old shirt and I did my business. When I went to empty the chamber pot, I almost knocked over a maid standing outside my door. No spillage, so I hurried past her to empty the pot before any further accidents, without even giving her a chance to bow.

When I came back, the maid was gone already, probably alerting the kitchen. Instead, there was a table outside on the wall below the returned coat of arms and a servant was waiting for me. "Countess Kira of Earth and Litra, Count Larel of Litra will be here shortly."

"Thank you," I said, still holding my chamber pot. So I quickly put it back inside and then waited with Freya for the count and breakfast. As expected, breakfast came sooner, great colesaw and three vegetable pies.

Soon, the count arrived too.

I hastily stood up, swallowed, and bowed. "Good morning, Count Larel of Litra."

"Dear Countess, Larel will do from now on. How do you do?"

"Thank you. Good. Let's eating." I pointed to the breakfast as if I had made it myself.

The count nodded politely and sat down in a chair from Freya who had jumped up as soon as she had spotted the count. Then the servant hurriedly placed the cushion again under my bottom and went off to get another chair for Freya.

While I ate, Freya translated the count's proposal. After breakfast, I would seal the documents with the signet ring that was now on my middle finger. Then, we could travel Litra, about two or three days away if one went up the ridge and through the forest for most of the way. There was a longer route, suitable for wagons, which followed the River Kren upstream before entering a side valley of the River Tret. Litra was at the end of a small valley that branched off the River Tret.

The countess's wife had died more than 30 years ago while giving birth to their first child, a son who died as an infant. He never married again. Despite this, he was a gentle, even kindly old man who genuinely cared for his domain and the people within it as it became clear when he spoke of Litra itself.

He was also refreshingly honest. The winters in Litra were long and hard. The mountains around Litra were so high that there was snow on their peaks almost all year round. There was no castle, just a slightly larger stone house with a meeting hall. The main source of income was farming and cheese-making. Not much income, as less than 200 people were living there. They did not even have a healer, just a cleric who doubled as a teacher and a healer. The count certainly did not try to sweeten the deal.

He had two servants in his household, both of whom had travelled with him. One was the steward who oversaw the administration of Litra. He told me frankly about his worries that after the transfer of Litra to the Republic, they would just appoint their own steward. Who would come once a year in the autumn to squeeze out as much as he could, and otherwise Krenburg wouldn't care.

I wondered where he got the idea that I, an inexperienced alien, could do a better job, and let Freya put it in more polite terms. He just smiled. "My dear countess, from the moment I heard your story and saw how the servants here admired you, I thought of it. To see your determination in the race was the final confirmation. Even if you had lost, I would have offered you Litra. No, I am sure, Litra will be in good hands."

I swallowed after hearing Freya's translation.

"And in big paws too," he chuckled. That should have been my line. I grinned, not sure if it was appropriate to laugh.

When I had finally finished my breakfast and the servants had cleared away the empty bowls, plates and cutlery, the count waved to a servant who had been waiting all the time a short distance away. He was older than me, but younger than the count, and had a winning smile like the count.

"Dear Kiara, this is Jot, my steward."

Jot bowed deeply.

"Countess Kiara of Earth and Litra."

"Thank you, Jot." I bowed a little too. "Just Kiara will do."

"Dear Countess, since this is official business, I would prefer to call you at least Countess Kiara."

I nodded. His choice.

He took a thick parchment from its sheath, the first time I saw more than five letters of the local alphabet. Sadly, it looked like chicken scratch. "Dear Countess Kiara, this is the transfer of the title to Litra." He held up a lantern, lit a dark red candle and took it out. But the light breeze was too much for the candle.

"Let's go in," I said, pointing to my still-open door.

There was a moment's confusion as I held the door open for Jot as well, but soon we were all around the table. The dark candle was burning, dripping its wax onto the parchment. I pressed the signet ring into it. Done, I was now officially Countess of Earth and Litra. I felt no difference though.

The procedure was repeated a second time on a less fancy parchment. This went back into the sheath, while Jot went outside with the fancy one to take it to Administrator. Or more likely to a servant who would pass it on.

"Count Larel, when go to Litra?"

"I'll be happy to show you as soon as possible."

"Freya, can we go now?" Freya looked at me doubtfully. "Otherwise I am not sure if I will survive another five days like the last five." Ok, she grinned and translated, hopefully not literally this time.

"We can leave today," the count said, "I can be ready in an hour. I would recommend packing something warmer than your jacket though."

Freya looked at me.

I nodded eagerly. "Yes, I'll getting big shirt of Dame Grendel. Then we go."

Freya turned her eyes upwards.