The Man Who would be Queen Ch. 13

"Sarah Who?'

Dexter was not as cooperative as he had been when they reached the mall. The reality of him getting out of the car and walking in there caused him to lose all his nerve.

He was dressed in a bright green and yellow floral summer dress, with a padded bra and panties. He had argued about everything he was wearing as Angela and his mother tried to dress him for the outing. He tried to refuse to wear the high heel pumps and Angela tried convince his mother to let him wear a pair of jeweled thong sandals.

"After all Mrs. Ferguson, his toenails are painted red, and people will see them, so why the heels? Serves the same purpose right? He will feel humiliated either way," Angala had said quietly to her away from Dexter's ear shot.

"It's not about the humiliation, unfortunately that is part of it and we just have to deal with it."

In the end Dexter ended up wearing a pair of green high heel sandals thathis mother had purchased for him the day before. The options for Dexter to wear were slim until they shopped for him and got him his own clothes.

Getting him out of the safety of the car was difficult. It was different from when he went to the Gender Centers. They expected to see guys dressed like him. Here, we would probably see his friends and worse, they would see him.

"Let's go Dexter," his mother insisted holding the car door on his side waiting for him to step out.

"I can't do this," he said shaking his head nervously. "I cant go in there and walk around like this."

His mother grabbed his wrist and pulled him trying to get him out. Angela looked at Dexter and felt she had to insist.

"Dexter, honey. Listen to me. All our lives will change once we go in that mall. Yours and mine. People will see you, and assume they know what they are seeing. You have to get through this first shock. They will be expecting it after this and you and I will continue to secretly try and save your manhood by doing this." Angela said and stood back and offered her hand.

"It's not fair Angela. This is my life," he said in a whining tone that made Angela cringe inside.

"No, it's not fair, but it is not your choice right now. Pretend to be a man wanting to be a girl as we have discussed, or have your dick and balls cut off and get the Queen ordered implants and really become a girl by law. The same friends you are worried about seeing you now will see you then too baby."

It was the truth after all. He would feel the sting of the public humiliation either way. Until the decree was rescended by the Queen herself, he would be on a path to being a female for no apparent reason other than the Queen wanted it that way, and he couldn't change it.

He slowly stepped out of the car and stood up. Angela took him by the hand and led him across the parking lot with his mom to the mall.

"I feel absolutely ridiculous," Dexter said breaking the silence as they walked.

Today at the mall just happened to be a exhibition day in the pillories for those sentenced to perform Public Penance. All the pillories had people in them, men and women. Standing on small platforms perched atop chrome poles 5' above the floor for the public to see, these subjects of the Queen were each paying their debt to the kingdom for their minor offenses and transgressions. This was good in a way for Dexter as many of the shoppers were more inclined to look at the petty criminals and non violent offenders in their prison jump suits, hands and heads stuck through a 1" clear plastic board with heads held up with chin straps so their faces couldn't be hidden from public view.

Few noticed the embarrassed young man wearing a dress being escorted to the beauty salon just across the mall.

Dexter looked at the platforms as he walked by, hoping he never did anything to merit such harsh treatment. He slowed a little as he looked back without noticing. He felt sorry for each and everyone of the so called criminals, especially the middle aged woman on the end that he had come closest to as he walked by. She was weeping openly from the shame she was feeling standing there, and her distressed expressions were attracting her a larger audience than all the rest.

"Honey, let's keep moving," Angela said pulling him along.

As they approached the beauty salon, Dexter realized where they were going now.

"No, I'm not ready for this. Mom, I'm wearing a dress. Isn't that enough."

"You're never going to be ready Dexter, but you have to do it for now," his mother said as the got even closer.

"What are they going to do to me in here?" he asked as they entered.

"Change your hair color," Angela said softly stroking his back with her palm. She felt an uneasiness every time her hand hit the bra straps across his back and shoulders.

"And," his mother added, "a set and style afterwards."

Dexter couldn't accept being treated as a girl. It was nothing other than pure humiliation for him. He was mortified to just be here much less have this done to him in front of the few people that were in the salon.

"Hi, my name is Stacy. I will be doing your coloring for you today. If you would just come with me, I have a spot set up over here for you," she said smiling at the nervous boy in the dress.

Stacy was a very nice young girl in her mid twenties. She had a warm smile. She also had long straight lavender and pink hair down her back. It was a progressive salon and the clientele was from every aspect of life.

There was a partition next to the area that Stacy worked and it gave a little more privacy to Dexter.

"See, at least you are out of sight of the general public, and the the girl working on your hair is very nice," his mother said as he was seated in the chair to be shampooed.

The girl wrapped a cape around Dexter's neck.

"We ready to begin?" she asked smiling and tilting the chair back so his head rested in the shampoo sink.

Angela gave him a smile and patted his hand. She then turned away as the shampoo began. She stayed strong seeing the color being stripped from his hair and the new color of his hair being applied. When he was finalling in the styling chair and it was time to create a feminine style Angela found it difficult to look at him with his head wound full of pink curlers and him sitting under the dryer, she had to step out of the salon. Dexter's appearence was being slowly transformed into a young woman and watching the process was becoming more and more difficult for Angela. She wanted Dexter the man, and Dexter wanted to be a man, but with the Queen's decree, they both had to deal with the emotional challenges it brought.

------------------------------------------------

Sarah opened the door for Lynn to enter the restaurant. It was a beautiful place, Italian, designed for an elegant dining experience.

Both women were dressed in evening cocktail dresses and many an eye caught them as they walked by to be seated. They sat across from each other in at a small corner table.

Sarah reached across and took Lynn's hands in hers and held them warmly.

"Lynn, thank you so much for having dinner with me tonight. You look so beautiful this evening," Sarah said lifting her hands and kissing her fingers.

Lynn looked around to see if anyone had seen that show of affection as she nervously pulled her hands back.

"Sarah listen," she began not sure how to word this, "I'm not sure how to say this as I do not wish to upset you. We appreciate everything you are doing to help Dexter."

"It's what I want to do Lynn. What the Queen is doing is not right and has to be stopped."

"No, no. I mean, Sarah I feel like you are physically attracted to me, and I feel uncomfortable at times." Lynn looked up at her. "I'm not a lesbian Sarah. I hope that I didn't somehow do or say something that made you think I was," she said lowering her eyes.

"I have been through a lot in my life Lynn. Things that would have made others unable to carry on and even end it all. When I saw you, it was the first time since I was emotionally scarred for life that I actually felt something inside me. I don't consider myself a lesbian Lynn. I just feel something for you."

Lynn began to feel that she may have little choice here, as she needed Sarah and her services. She had to understand what Sarah's intentions were and now. Was she wanting sexual favors in return for her services? Lynn visualized herself for a moment having to spend time between this woman's legs as payment for her legal services. There was enough unknowns in her life without this being thrown on top.

Lynn suddenly decided to say what she was feeling and get this out of the way. She pulled her hands free and looked Sarah in the eye.

"Look Sarah, I need you to help my son. I know I have little chance as it is, and none if you are not around to help. I will do anything to help Dexter, and that includes sleeping with you if that is what is required. Just understand, it is not something I want to do and I'm not doing it for personal pleasure."

Lynn was very nervous having been so blunt. It had to be said though.

Sarah looked at her for a moment as if contemplating what to say next. She didn't seem upset or embarrassed in any way. She actually seemed concerned for Lynn's nervous reaction.

"Lynn, listen to me honey, I am not trying to get in your pants. I was just being honest with you, something people don't do much of anymore. Would it have been better that I said nothing? Probably, but I wanted you to know how I felt. I can't make that feeling go away, but I'm not in love here. It's just I've not felt such a thing in so many years."

"It just makes me nervous knowing you find me attractive."

"Why? You are very attractive woman Lynn. Do you not think guys are checking you out right now? You draw attention when you enter a room. There may even be a woman or two admiring you too. It doesn't bother you because you don't know it, but it is still there."

Lynn took another nervous look around the room.

"Please Sarah. There is so much confusion in my life right now."

"If I had been a man and said those things, would you have been flattered? Would it have been different?"

"Yes, at least for me it would, but I still would not have wanted to pay him by getting on my knees, though I guess I would if I had no other choice."

Sarah held her hand across the table to shake hands. Lynn feared she was leaving because she had turned away her advances.

"Please Sarah, don't go. We need your help and I will do it if I have to."

"Stop demeaning yourself Lynn. Never accept a man or woman's sexual advances for payment. You are much better than that. We need honesty between us Lynn if we are to help Dexter. No more secrets," Sarah said still holding out her hand, "Agreed?"

"Is she just revealing secrets to get me to tell her my own? Seems to apples and oranges." Lynn thought.

Lynn reached out and shook her hand with a simple smile.

"For Dexter," Lynn said.

"For Dexter," Sarah agreed.

"Now, I will tell you my darkest secret, one that I have never spoken of to anyone else. Only Clarence knows these things and you must keep it as confidential as you have those things that I need to know about your past. Agreed?"

Sarah extended her hand again.

Lynn was curious. Didn't she just tell me her secret?

As they shook hands again Sarah said,

"Hello, I am Joseph Bonner."

Lynn looked shocked then confused.

"What?" she said without thinking. That named seemed familiar in some way.

"Shhh," Sarah said trying to calm her down.

"What is this? Are you saying you are a man? Why are you dressed like that?"

"No, I'm not a man Lynn," she said softly. "Lynn, think about it, why do you think I fight so hard for all of these men who are sentenced to sex changes, then sent off to prison for life as punishment for crimes against women?"

"I...I don't know anymore," she said confused.

"Because I was one of them. I was Joseph Bonner."

"I remember your name. It was all over the news," Lynn said now putting the name with the story.

"That's because I was the very first sentenced to a forced sex change under the new law put in place by the Queen. It gave a tribunal the option to have my body surgically altered from male to female. Even my birth certificate was altered all in the name of justice. The tribunal was so eager to use this new punishment as a deterent since it was so popular with the female population."

Lynn thought back. She had herself had answered "yes" on the petition form when the law was being contemplated. She had been violated by a man and wanted something like this to happen for such beast, even the King. Then she realized.

"You violated a woman in some way. I remember. You deserved what you got," she said bluntly.

Sarah smiled.

"Not really. You know I have audience with the Queen upon request. I have thriving law firm. I have nice things, and I am very successful. Tell me something Lynn, have you ever seen a man that was convicted in such a way released from prison? No you haven't, because it doesn't happen."

"How did you get out then?" she asked bluntly feeling she was now sitting across from one of the worst type people there was.

"I was tried and convicted of sexual assault on a member of a Duke's family. I was found guilty and then placed before the Tribunal so the new sentencing law could be considered. The odds were against me. I had no help. They were eager to show zero tolerance in my case. To this day I was the only man given this penalty by unanimous consent."

"You must be proud of that accomplishment," Lynn said. She had little use for him now.

"It was all over the news, that's why you remember my name. The date and time I was to undergo the surgical procedure was public fodder. Like the time of an execution. It was all done very quickly. My testicles and penis were removed within the first week. It was called the "Prison Cut" because no real intent to create a vagina. Just remove the male equipment. Breast implants were done a couple of months later, all along I was being given female hormones. I was sent to the women's prison at Decatur where I lived and worked in the basement doing janitorial work. I was to spend the rest of my life there, never to leave that basement."

"So you escaped?"

"No," Sarah chuckled, "I was innocent. I did not commit the crime that I was convicted of."

Sarah laughed now.

"Oh what a scandal that would have been if the public had known. The Queen's new law blowing up in her face on the first implementation. Scandal would have incurred. They couldn't give me back what they had taken away now could they?"

"OMG" Lynn said covering her mouth.

"The Queen apologized to me privately, while I was still sitting in my cell. It was little more than two cold hard words. "I'm sorry," she said. She didn't really care that my dick had been cut off, but here was the deal her closest advisers offered me. I had to accept being a woman, since that couldn't be changed. I would be released with a new identity, birth certificate, background, and relocated. I was also set up in my law practice, which is what I was doing before by the way. As part of my deal I wanted access to the Queen for what she had done to me. It was all agreed. Now you know why I try and protect those convicted and sentenced to sex changes. They just might be innocent and that can't be changed back."

"That is horrible."

"Yes, and it has never changed a thing. The public thinks Joseph Bonner hanged himself in prison a few years ago. At least that was the small print headline of the day. His name was never cleared. Others have been sentenced since then. Not even the people on the tribunal know of the mistake that was made. Only a small handful of people know of the mistake and that now includes you."

"Why didn't she just make you disappear?" Lynn asked stunned by the revelation of it all.

"You mean make the suicide story a reality, with a little help from her people inside? Joseph Bonner found hanging by the neck in his cell this morning with wrist tied behind his back and ankles bound togther with rope, in apparent suicide?" Sarah laughed, "I have wondered that myself. I actually wondered that about you and the king too. I think there was more to it than I was aware of. Who discovered my innocence? It must have been used as a lever to get me freed, but I don't know that answer. One of the EKG just recently told me he knew who I was. Maybe...well, I just don't know Lynn."

"What should I call you then? I'm not really sure what to say."

"Call me Sarah. That's who I am now. I'm a woman now whether I like it or not. Now you know why I am attracted to you. It's what's left of the man inside me that I didn't know still existed. That void of emotion returned when I saw you. Now you will tell me about yourself."