chapter 3

*2 months later*

“It’s quite remarkable, Your Highness!” exclaimed Collins, as he led the King up to the Princess’s bedroom.

From the day following the King’s decision, the servants had dedicated all their time and effort to stuffing the beautiful Princess. Her every waking hour was filled with an endless array of cakes, potatoes, pasta, sweets, and anything else that could be found. Despising the spoilt girl as much as they did, the servants were all too happy to donate food to the cause, sneaking into the bedroom on their own time to force their gifts into Gabrielle’s mouth.
She cried and begged for mercy throughout these sessions, but at the orders of the King, no one spoke to her. She was kept in the dark about her situation, both figuratively and literally. The curtains were drawn and candles rarely lit. The King didn’t want her seeing herself until the right day came. And today was that day.

“Truly remarkable!” Collins continued. “A servant weighed her last night, a 50 pound gain in fat in just 2 months, Your Highness!”

“Impressive” smirked King Richard.

“Precisely, Your Highness. Are you ready to see her?”

“Of course, Collins. Show me our little Princess”

Collins gave a nod to the guard outside the Princess’s door, and he opened it instantly.

The room was dark and still, and had a musty smell, a mixture of body odour and stale food. King Richard gestured to the curtains and Collins threw them open. Light streamed in to reveal a figure, huddled up on the bed. It wore a white nightgown, or perhaps it was white once. Now it was a pale grey, covered with stains of every size and colour. Parts of it appeared dry and crusty while others looked slick with a sticky substance. It was a truly disgusting garment, not fit for even the lowest peasant, and yet here it was containing a Princess. Although, in fact, it was barely containing her. Her body had grown from a slender, delicate form into a soft pile of fat. The pile wasn’t moving.

“She may be asleep, Your Highness. I hear she was stuffed into quite the sound sleep last night”

Collins stepped towards the bed and poked the figure in its bulging gut. It stirred and finally looked up.
Princess Gabrielle’s face was no longer angular. Now it was round and droopy, with a new chin hanging under it and another on the way. Her cheeks were bright red, but no one could see that under the layers of dried, old food that stained her skin. She blinked her eyes as they adjusted to the light. A noted poet had once described her eyes as ‘bluer than forget me nots’, but now one could barely tell their colour as they seemed to have become smaller, more scrunched up, piggish.

“Ah, you’re awake” said King Richard in a commanding voice. “You and I have never met, but I have heard many tales of you, Princess. I must say, I am rather disappointed. You aren’t quite the angelic beauty I was promised”

Collins and the guard at the door both chuckled and Princess Gabrielle stared silently up at the King, terrified and confused.

“Perhaps I should explain the circumstances,” said the King. “For you see, your family are no longer the rulers of this Kingdom. I am. My name is King Richard and I am your royal leader. But I am sure you are more interested in what that makes you”

King Richard snapped his fingers and two servants filed in, carrying a large object covered in a sheet. They set it down in front of the bed and stood back to watch the scene.

“Stand” ordered the King, and pointed to the foot of the bed.

Gabrielle scrambled to do so, far too weak, tired and scared to disobey.

“I shall show you what you are. I shall show you what you have become. Collins!”

At the King’s order, Collins ripped the Princess’s nightgown from her body in a most undignified way, while the King removed the sheet from the large object with a flourish, revealing a huge gleaming mirror.

The Princess looked into the mirror and a piercing scream echoed throughout the Palace. There, in front of her, was no Princess.

Her slim, graceful figure had ballooned out, leaving her with a bulging gut and deep set belly button hanging down so far that it covered the waistband of her drawers. It was striped with red and purple stretch marks and rippled when she touched it in horror and disgust. Her breasts, once tiny little things, were now large empty sacks that sagged either side of her new belly. Her upper arms drooped like pathetic little wings and even her nether regions seemed to look chubby.

She took a step forward to get a closer look at the mirror, her pale legs wobbling as she did so, and stumbled, falling onto her newly plump rear with an ungraceful thud.

Everyone in the room burst out laughing at the ridiculous display before them.

“Behold, the beautiful and fair Princess, long may she reign!” Crowed the King, mockingly. “Now, quite clearly you are not in fit shape to rule. To be frank, you are not in fit shape at all”

More laughter erupted at this.

“You can, of course, no longer be a Princess You are no royal at all in fact”

Gabrielle sniffled, looking up at the King, and finally spoke.

“Surely.. I cannot be just an Honourable? Just a.. viscountess?” she shuddered at the thought.

“Don’t be ridiculous” the King replied, sharply. “Look at yourself. Nude and overweight, covered in muck. You have become an animal these past months. A spectacle of the lowest kind. You are to become a sort of pet. Think of yourself as a sort of maid, who happens to be a sow”

Gabrielle’s eyes widened in horror and filled with burning tears. She was about to protest when there was a knock at the door.

“Ah, perfect timing” said the King. “Your new owner is here to collect you. The door, Collins”

Collins opened the door and Gabrielle saw a woman. She had dark hair, elegantly styled and strung up with pearls that looked beautiful against her olive skin. Her stunning, slender physique was draped in a form fitting pink silk gown covered in crystals. The dress seemed familiar to Gabrielle. Almost like she’d worn it before...

“Lottie?!” squealed the fat girl, finally recognised her former maid.

“Actually, Pig, that’s Your Grace, to you. I am now Duchess Charlotte, heiress. You’ll be coming home with me”