Knight of Kandor

Kara- Dresses

"Okay kid. I have taught you all I can. It's time for you to step up if you're still willing." Alex says at the end of dinner one night. All eyes turn to me. I set down my fork and steady my gaze on her.

"I am all in Alex. I will do whatever needs to be done." Alex nods at me and I see serious faces all around the table.

"Pack your bags then."

"Excuse me?" I ask, suddenly very confused.

"You and I, we are moving into the castle."

"The castle?" my voice goes higher without my permission.

"You and Alex are going to integrate yourselves into the castle staff to be in a position for us to start to make changes to power in the government," Maggie says.

"We have work papers and two accounts set up for you in the castle ledgers. As far as anyone is concerned, you and Alex are sisters looking for work after your farm was burned down near the borderlands and Lucy Lane brought you to court after finding you on the road. You two can create the rest of your story." Felicity hands us papers that are requesting jobs for us, signed and sealed by Lucy at the bottom.

After that, we quickly dispersed to our own corners of the base. I went to pack my few belongings and hesitate of my few books when someone knocks at my open door. Its Alex leaning against the frame.

"Don't bring them. Books are way too expensive for a servant farm girl. Also, we should probably be illiterate. Nobles are a lot less careful when they think servants can't read."

"Good point." I pick up the books and set them back on the desk.

"I just came to make sure you are okay, leaving and all."

"Me? I haven't lived anywhere permanently since I was thirteen. Are you okay leaving Maggie?" I ask.

"It will be hard. But Maggie and I both know it is part of the job. It's not the first time we have been away from each other for long periods of time." I nod and start to fold some of my clothes to go in the small pack,

"Ah actually, you won't need those either. Women must wear dresses in Cadmium, especially in Daxam, and doubly so in court."

"Dr...dresses?"

"Yes. Dresses."

"Alex, I haven't worn a dress since I was a child." Alex laughs at the look I know is on my face.

"Relax Kara. I'll be there to help. You said you took some etiquette courses in Krypton?"

"Yeah! As a man!" I exclaim.

"But you have a general idea of manners that are expected. Plus we are supposed to be farm girls so any lapses shouldn't be too suspect."

"But dresses Alex!" I complain, Alex just laughs again.

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I nervously run my hands down the rough fabric of my skirt as we wait for the small man in front of us to examine the documents. He peers at them through the small spectacles on the end of his nose. Thin white hair blows in the small breeze that passes for Cadmium's winter.

"Lady Lucy has asked for jobs for the two of you?" He asks as if it wasn't on the paper in front of him.

"Yes, sir. We need jobs to send money back home to help pay for the farm." Alex repeats our vague story.

Our parents sent us to the city for work so that we could send money back to the farm to pay for repairs and so our parents could buy new land to plant on. The old land was burnt to the ground during a raid on the small town. Of course, the money we were 'sending away' would really just go into one of the DEO's many accounts around set up under aliases. Our time here depended on when the farm would be ready again but would probably take a year. It was vague enough that we could leave earlier or later without much suspicion.