The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy novel Chapter 795

I groan, my hands locked firm on the wooden bed post, as Pippa tugs hard on the strings of my corset. “Pippa,” I pant, trying hard to look at her over my shoulder, “are you sure this is necessary? I’ve already got a pretty small waist…”

“I’m so sorry, Ariel,” Pippa says, the strings so tight in her hands that her fingers are laced red and white. “Gabriel’s orders. He said he wants you turned out in the height of fashion and…” she shrugs, looking down at my elaborate undergarment, implying that this is indeed necessary.

I sigh and nod, knowing it’s not her fault, and turn around, letting Pippa continue.

When she finally ties off the strings and I stand straight, running my hands down over the corset, I’m kind of…appalled at the bizarre new shape my body has been morphed into. My waist is so small, and there’s all sorts of ridiculous padding sewn in over my breasts and my booty. God, I look like…some weird fantasy of a woman all covered in fabric. Not a real girl at all.

Which, I suppose, is the point.

“Ready?” Pippa asks, panting a little herself as she hefts yards and yards of grey-blue silk over towards me.

“All of that?” I ask, pointing at it with wide eyes. “Is one dress!?”

She laughs a little, grinning at me, and nods.

“Oh goodness,” I mutter, ducking obligingly and letting Pippa lift the entire assortment over my head to drape over my body. Then she gets to work with all the buttons and zippers and ties and ribbons, getting me all prettied up.

I look at myself in the mirror as she does, wondering at myself, the change my life has taken. I’ve been dressing as a boy for months now, Ari becoming part of my identity. And neither Jackson nor Luca had complained once to see me without makeup, and in slacks, my hair messily tucked up beneath a black cap all day.

I mean, they’d liked me equally dressed as a girl too. But I got the impression with both that…it just never really mattered what I looked like.

But with Gabriel? Clearly…he cares.