"A Girl By Royal Decree?"

Dexter was awakened by his mother early. She seemed upset.

"What's wrong mom?" he said sitting up in bed.

"Honey, please get dressed and join me in the living room," she said wiping a tear from her eye.

"What's wrong? Has anything happened?" he said again feeling something was not right.

"Just hurry up. I'll explain it to you when you come out," she said and she left the room.

Dexter sat on the edge on the bed for a moment. He was still sleepy from a long night out. He had just turned eighteen years old the day before and there had been a big party for him last night with all his fir ends.

"Maybe someone got in trouble from the party last night," he thought to himself.

Dexter got himself dressed in his blue jeans and slipped a tee shirt over his head. He didn't bother putting on any shoes and he stepped out of his room to join his mother.

As he walked down the hallway he noticed his younger brothers door had been closed. Dexter looked in right quick. His brother Aaron was sound asleep. He looked across the hall and his sister's door was closed.

Dexter continued wondering what was upsetting his mother so much.

When Dexter entered the room there were two women both professionally dressed standing in the room. They turned to face him.

"You are Dexter Ferguson?" the younger woman wearing the black skirt and blazer asked looking at a file picture of him.

"Yes. Is there something wrong?"

"I am Ms. Harrison. I am the Queen's Director of Public Affairs," she said holding up a badge for identification. Shle couldn't have been more than 25 years old he thought.

Dexter stood nervously wondering what they were doing here. The Queen? Something terrible must have happened he thought.

Dexter's mother put her arm around her son and hugged him. He was a young adult now. She could not help him with her influence even though just two days ago she maybe could have.

"Honey, listen to me," his mother said tears in her eyes. "There are things we do that don't seem right at first, but over time we realize that it was the only way."

"Stop what? What is going on here?" Dexter said looking at the two officials.

Ms. Harrison broke the seal on the decree and then read it aloud.

"Dexter Ferguson, Queen Jewel the First has decreed that upon your eighteenth birthday, having become an emancipated adult, you are to begin the process of sexual reassignment from male to female. This process is to start immediately and you are to be fully recognized both physically and legally by the kingdom as a female no later than your twentieth birthday."

She looked at Dexter without emotion.

"What? What is she saying?" Dexter said looking distressed at his mother.

Ms. Harrison then spoke up again,

"Queen Jewel for some reason has made a decision that you have to become a woman instead of a man Dexter. She is doing it by decree. There will be no judicial hearings or appeals."

"What? NO WAIT! Why?" Dexter couldn't understand.

"There is a gag order attached to this decree," the girl continued, "You may only discuss the aspects of this decree with your legal counsel. Here are the papers. You need to fill them out. Pay close attention to the dates and time tables and be sure to report as instructed to the institutions listed. Do this on your own. Failure to meet any of these requirements and deadlines will result in you being picked up and detained until the sexual reassignment process has been completed," the woman said handing the papers to a stunned Dexter. "Make this decree public, you will be detained and the sexual reassignment decree will be carried out immediately.

The three turned to leave. Dexter looked at his mom.

"Is this for real?" he asked her knowing the answer from the tear on her cheek.

"Dexter, I have already called a legal counsel that deals with royal decrees. One of the best at fighting such mandates from the Queen. She will be here in an hour to look things over and tell us what we can do."

"But why me? How does the Queen even know who I am? I have done nothing wrong. Why am I to be punished? Was I just randomly picked?"

"I don't know Dexter, let's just wait till Ms. Greer gets here to see what she has to say. Let her review everything and tell us how to proceed."

"Proceed? Mom, I don't want to be a girl. Who does she think she is anyway? Telling me I can no longer dress like a man," he snarled stomping off to his room.

"I'm afraid it's more than just wearing a dress Dexter."

"What gives her such authority to suddenly change who I am?"

"She's the Queen honey," his mother said softly after he left room, quietly coping with the moment.

...

Ms. Greer arrived at the Ferguson home. She was dressed very professionally in a knee length dark blue skirt and white blouse and white open toe pumps. She wore black horned rimmed glasses that were inlayed with gemstones. A look that was rather out dated, yet somehow appealing to the eye.

Dexter and his mother sat across the table from her as she went through the official paper work of the decree reading each page thoroughly and making notes in the margins.

"Can she really do this to me?" Dexter asked nervously.

"Yes, yes she can," Ms. Greer said without looking up at him.

Dexter looked to his mother.

"Shhhh, let her finish looking things over first," she said taking his hand in hers to comfort him.

Dexter's brother and sister had been taken to a friends house so they would not be around as this unfolded.

Dexter waited impatiently as Ms. Greer looked over the last paper. There was something about this Ms. Greer that Dexter found attractive but he couldn't put his finger on it. Just the way she presented herself. A very feminine and conservative appearance, the gentleness of her motions, yet very self confident and assured in her personality.

"What of the boys father," she finally said looking up to his mother as she lay the papers down.

"He has been deceased for twelve years," she said softly. "He was an officer in the Elite Kings Guards at one time."

"I see," she said looking now at Dexter.

"Are you aware of anything that could have happened or have you been approached by anyone in the past about something that seemed odd? Like maybe a teacher or school counselor in high school that questioned you about something that you knew nothing about?"

"No. Not that I recall," Dexter said looking at her confused. "Is this some sort of punishment?"

"Lynn," Ms. Greer said looking to Dexter's mother, "May I call you Lynn?" Ms. Greer asked with a gentle smile.

"Yes, of course."

"This is all very odd. This decree is a mandate from the Queen herself, yet she seems to want to stay as far away from this as she can."

"What do you mean?" Lynn asked listening closely now.

"If this is discussed or made public that he is being forced to have a sex change by the Queen, Dexter will be taken to a state facility and held there till this mandate is fulfilled."

"Well, guess what, I'm not doing this," Dexter stood up quickly.

"Listen to me. You have six months that you can spend here at home with your family as you begin the sexual reassignment process."

"I'm not doing this," Dexter said again a little louder.

"They want this to look like it is something you wish to do yourself. They want no fingerprints on it. That's why we can not discuss it publicly, or let the decree be interpreted for what it really is. Forcing you to do this."

"Forget it! I said I'm not doing it," he yelled and stormed out of the room.

"Dexter!" his mother called to him as he stormed out of the room.

"Lynn," Ms. Greer said calmly. "Listen to me. I have never seen nor read of such a case as this before, ever. For some reason it appears Queen Jewel knows who Dexter is, and must have a very strong motivation behind this, and I promise you this all wasn't just thought up yesterday."

Dexter entered the room again and stood in the doorway. Anger was etched all over his reddened face.

"If we handle this correctly, we can get six months worth of time for me to work on this case with Dexter at home. Maybe I can get to the bottom of this, find what is motivating her, and stop it somehow," Ms. Greer looked at both of them.

"What do we have do to?" Lynn asked.

"Well," Ms. Greer said looking at Lynn then taking a deep breath, "Dexter will have to show good faith with the decree as I'm sure he's being watched right now. We will have to create an atmosphere that Dexter indeed wishes to become a female, and convince everyone around him publicly that it is his desire and most of all his idea."

"NO!" Dexter ran back toward his room.

"What do you mean good faith," Lynn asked.

"We will ease into it Lynn. This will help Dexter and the embarrassment he is going to surely feel. But we have few options at this point. Start buying him clothes, shop with him so he is seen as actively cooperating with the decree."

"Oh my," Lynn said putting her hand to her face.

"Yes, I know. I would also recommend that when you go to the ministry building to do paperwork, it be very apparent that he looks the part of a transitioning male to female. This will buy some time in the eyes of those monitoring him, at least I hope it does."

"Very apparent?" Lynn questioned, not wanting to hear the answer.

"Yes. When you have to visit any official place I would recommend Dexter at least have a full feminine look, maybe eventually wearing a dress when he goes. It will give the illusion we are cooperating and he is fulfilling the decree."

"NO!" Dexter yelled startling his mother. He had been standing just outside the door and heard everything,

There was a slamming of the front door as Dexter ran out of the house.

Lynn started to go after him, but Ms. Greer gently took her hand.

"No Lynn. Let him go. He has to vent his rage right now and you and I must understand that. Think of what is being asked of him by us and what is being decreed by the Queen. Yes, give him his room to vent his anger and fear."

"But where will he go?"

"He will be picked up shortly I'm sure, and I will get a call. I'm listed as his counsel on this matter. It will let also give us an indication of how closely they are watching him right now. It will also instill in him this a serious matter."

"Will they take him to keep him from running? Do the sex change now?" she asked worried.

"Not this time," Lynn smiled.

"I just hate that this is happening," Lynn said all teary.

"I know you do," Ms. Greer said offering a hug of sympathy, "but I have a feeling you're surprised at the decree but not shocked to hear something."

Lynn's eyes got big with surprise.

"I will need to get what you really know next time."

"I do not want this to happen," Lynn said tears now coming down.

"I believe you Lynn. I also believe you may have constraints on you like we have on this case. My job is to discover what is happening here without you having to violate whatever those constraints are."

Lynn stared at her for a moment then slowly dropped her eyes.

"Thank you," Lynn said relieved at this woman's apparent intuitive expertise.

"Oh don't thank me yet. There is still much to do," she said giving her a comforting hug. She then held Lynn at arms length, "And you must understand Lynn, I may not be able to stop this from happening. Dexter may in the end have to become a girl. The Queen has mandated it so."

"Please do your best Ms. Greer," Lynn said walking her to the door.

"Sarah. Call me Sarah."

"Thank you Sarah."

Ms. Greer's cell phone rang. She looked at it immediately and then smiled.

"That didn't take long," she said then answered. "I'm on my way,"

"Was it about Dexter?"

"Yes. Well, it was a security detail that picked him up. He's ok."

As Ms. Greer walked down the sidewalk to her car she looked back at the large well landscaped house.

"Yes, this is a very interesting case."