Elspeth von Wealde, High Sorceress and Duchess of the region of the same name, was a bit annoyed. She had arrived some three hours ago at the home of the countess of this region, and was being made to wait, along with her two maids. They had been greeted at the door by a butler, who said that his mistress was bathing and would be there to greet them in the dining room shortly. Well, ‘shortly’ had become rather longer than that, long enough that the house chef had prepared food for the sorceress and her servants. 

“Do you notice something off, Mistress?” One of the maids, Anna, asked quietly. “About the staff here.”

Elspeth glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. Anna had always been the more… intelligent, to put it bluntly, between her and her twin. Impressive she’d noticed though. “Yes, quite. They try not to look at me for too long. They go about their business quickly and quietly, not staying in one place.”

“...And that one maid flinched when you asked her to take your plate.” Anna noted. 

Elspeth took a breath. “Yes, she did.”

“...I kinda wanna beat up the Countess.” Alice said.

“You know what I say about your urges, Alice.” 

“...Yes, mistress. I’ll work them out when we’re back in the cart.”

The sorceress nodded to her. And got back to waiting. She was a patient woman, most times, but this was irritating for other reasons. 

Another twenty minutes later, the Countess had finally arrived. Diana of Quill was a beautiful woman, to be sure - statuesque in her height and build, long blonde hair in curls so thick they wrapped around themselves like a carpenter’s drill, a stunning red ball gown studded with gems. Her face had just a bit too much makeup on, enough that it was noticeable, and she practically jingled as she walked from all the jewelry in her face and on her body. In short, she was nobility and looked the part, albeit perhaps more the part she thought it should be than the one it actually was. A short, brown haired, mousy looking maid followed in after her, keeping her head down.

She had obviously just washed, from the way her hair glistened a little with leftover water… which implied the bath and getting ready to see Elspeth had taken over three hours between them, after she’d already arrived while it was in progress. Even if Elspeth and her entourage had arrived just when she was dipping a toe into the bath to check the temperature, this was quite a long time for a fairly simple procedure. Not unusual, but rather rude all the same. 

“Welcome, welcome, to my beautiful home, Elspeth,” she said with an overly dramatic curtsy. “I do so apologize for taking so long, my servants, especially Eliza here, the poor wretch, have no ability at all to prepare me quickly. I could hardly allow you to see me in an unwashed state, so the time had to be taken. I hope the kitchen staff was to your liking - they are new hires, after the last chef was a disappointment to myself and my guests.” 

Elspeth heard Alice taking a deep breath next to her. Good girl. Then Elspeth took her own deep breath. Good girl. She’d suspected, but the Countess’... entrance, had confirmed to her the sort she was. She was beginning to regret the visit, even if it was one of her obligations as a Duchess. “It was delightful, I assure you.” Elspeth said in a measured tone. It had actually been average, slightly overcooked on one edge, but she would rather not have the new staff sacked for an offhand comment. 

Diana smiled in a just a little too condescending way. “Well now, that’s wonderful to hear! I shall allow them to hear your praise later. Now then, we have business to discuss. We can send away the help to go do… peasant things, whatever those may be.” Elspeth did her best to control her face. She hadn’t become a high sorceress due to a lack of self control, but Diana was just the sort of woman who found ways to test it. 

“That will be fine. The maids can stay. They’ve not yet finished their meal.” Elspeth said. 

“Ha, and let them listen in and gossip? That’s quite a jest, Elsp-”

“You will refer to me as your Grace.” Elspeth cut her off. She didn’t put much stock in the formal title, but it was nice to have sometimes - it let her interrupt women like this. “And no, I am quite serious. Allow them their meal; we’ve traveled quite a long way, and I’m sure your own maid must need rest after helping you for over three hours without a break” 

Diana opened her mouth to protest, but some buried sense of tact and possibly Elspeth’s glare silenced her. Anna and Alice shuffled the maid - Elizabeth, she said when asked for an introduction - off to their end of the table while the two noblewomen got down to business. 

Usually, talk of trade routes and development aid bored Elspeth to tears. But anything was better than letting Diana prattle on about her noble lineage and loyal service, as if a mage as skilled as Elspeth hadn’t been there when they were granted their title and lands. And Elspeth had to say, this woman was quite possibly the worst she’d seen in the family. In the few moments when Elspeth accidentally gave her a moment to tangent she turned to her family and how she was the greatest heir it had seen since its formation, and Elspeth resisted the urge to take out a family tree and point out to her all those that did better than she did. 

Up to this point, as soured as Elspeth’s opinion of the woman already was, she didn’t seem much worse than your slightly below average silver spoon noble. She hadn’t earned a single piece of her power, but she seemed competent enough at the politics and trade to keep it. A disdain for her ‘lessers’ was an irritant, but not an uncommon one in longer lasting families. 

However, things changed when, after another hour, they were done. They stood, and their maids did as well. Elspeth’s mood had almost changed for the better, with business done and a full stomach. Elizabeth the maid had started to clean up, stacking silverwear and leftovers to bring to the kitchen. Elspeth turned to leave.

They were through the door, when they heard a crash and a yelp. Elspeth turned back around and reentered the room to see Diana kicking a prone Elizabeth with her heel. “Worthless! Failure! Subhuman peasant!” she was shouting, clearly unaware she had an audience. 

Alice rolled up her sleeves, but a raised hand from Elspeth held her back. She was going to deal with it herself. “Diana.” she didn’t shout. She didn’t even raise her voice a bit. But the word carried across the room as if she’d screamed it at the top of her lungs. 

The countess froze in her place. Then turned and looked at Elspeth. “...Yes?” she said in a small voice. 

Elspeth snapped her fingers and suddenly the woman was in front of her. “I saw the signs. I saw it in their faces and how they responded to me. I hoped that I was mistaken, but evidently not.”

“What do you think you saw? You saw servants in their proper places-” 

“You will be silent while I am speaking to you.” Elspeth again did not raise her voice, but Diana held her tongue. “I will not have this vileness among my vassals. This will not continue.” She paused for a moment. 

“I promis-” 

“Nor will you be in a position where you have the power to do so, ever again.” Elspeth continued as if she hadn’t opened her mouth. Petty? Yes. Did she deserve it? Yes.  “I’ve considered and have a fitting fate in my mind.” 

There was a flash of light, and the change quickly began. The first and most obvious aspect was the shrinking. She had been a tall woman, but she quickly went from eye level with the similarly to a full head shorter, looking up at her. “Wait, what are you doing to me!?” she shouted, stumbling back. 

“I am putting you in your place.” Elspeth said simply. The woman’s long blonde hair had begun to shorten and darken, receding until it was hanging loose and straight to just below chin length and shading darker until it was black. “You love treating those of lesser station like mud. I wonder how it will seem when you’re in their shoes?”

    The change continued at a rapid pace, as the Countess’ curvacious and busty figure slimmed to match her new height, as her piercing blue eyes were dyed a common brown. The makeup seemed to almost fall off her face, and jewelry clattered to the ground around her as if pulled off of her body by magnetic force. She tried to catch a ring, but stumbled as suddenly her heels were replaced with cheap working shoes. “Y-You can’t do this… I’m all that’s left, my family, my lineage-”

    “Should I care? You are the last in your line. Your ancestors would be glad to see it end before you drove their name further into the mud.” Elspeth said. 

    “I-I have allies, alliances…” Diana pleaded as her extravagant dress shrunk to fit her new body, the color seeming to flee from it all at once as it turned black, while a white apron seemed to form on it. The last change was the simple golden circlet of a countess turning to fabric as it became a lacy cap that better fit Diana’s new profession. 

    “Who will never remember your name.” Elspeth said to the former noblewoman. “I’ll have someone to replace you shortly.”

    “You can’t replace me, Diana of- of-” she tried to speak but when she got past her first name, her voice stopped dead even as her lips moved. “W-What did you do to me you witch?” 

    “Come now, Diana. Do I have to answer the questions of a, what was it you called her, ‘worthless peasant’?” Elspeth said with a smirk. “Because that’s what you are now, my dear maid. Be glad I let you remember you were otherwise; not many will.” 

    Diana made a strange choking noise. Not magic, just sheer frustration robbing her of her words. She whirled on Elizabeth, seeking to take some form of vengeance at least… just in time to see that it wasn’t all that Elspeth had in mind.

    Elizabeth had stood up in a daze, fearful of what the sorceress might do now that her wrath had been stoked. She’d watched in confusion as her boss was apparently turned into a maid, and made a squeak of fear when she turned to her again. Elspeth had turned to her as well, and cast another spell. 

    Her transformation seemed the inverse of Diana’s; the first thing to change was her clothes, the simple maid’s uniform going from black and white to a deep sky blue. Elizabeth stumbled as her shoes became rather more fancy and heeled, looking down in shock. “M-My Lady, what are you…” 

    “I am giving you what was taken from her.” Elspeth said simply. “I do still need a countess here.” 

    “You’re what!?” Diana shrieked. 

    The gown seemed to fill out as Elizabeth’s body did, a life of hard living seemed to fade as she became less scrawny and thin, as if she had actually had enough to eat most days. Her meagre assets expanded, comfortably cupped by new undergarments. A few bits of jewelry took their place in the ensemble, a silver bracelet and necklace chief among them, while Elizabeth’s hair lengthened down to the middle of her back and took a slightly lighter hue. Her face remained mostly the same, except for the fading of an old scar while some light makeup was applied, rather more tasteful than what had been on the previous countess. Elizabeth grew several inches, better filling her new clothes, and the change was capped off with her maid’s cap turning into a gold circlet not unlike that which had vanished from Diana. 

    “I… you…” Diana said, lunging for Elizabeth - and stopping dead in her tracks two feet short. As if a switch had been flicked, she curtsied. “My lady, a pleasure to be at your service.” she said with a pleasant smile. And then she clapped her hands over her mouth in shock. 

    Elspeth disregarded her. “Now, Lady Elizabeth… what do you think you’ll be doing with her? She seems to deserve whatever punishment you deem fit.” 

    For just a second, a nasty look crossed Elizabeth’s face, and Elspeth was worried that she’d made a mistake. But then she calmed herself, visibly with a deep breath. “...I do believe I would love to have you on my staff, Diana. I’m sure you’ll be quite welcome among the maids.” 

    “T-Thank you mistress…” Diana said, muffled by her closed fingers. 

    “I won’t be another one of you.” she said pointedly. “...I… as much as I want you to hurt… I have to act like I wished you would.” she nodded to herself. 

    Elspeth internally sighed in relief at that. Good. “Well then. I suppose I should elaborate on your new status - as far as most of Diana’s former acquaintances are aware, you’ve always been in your position. I’ll be sending some aides down to help you get yourself acquainted with your new duties - they should help you grasp some of the more difficult stuff easily, but being a better person than your predecessor is on you.”

    Elizabeth curtsied respectfully. “T-Thank you, your Grace… I’ll do all I can to live up to your expectations…”

    Elspeth smiled. “I’m sure you will.” she said. With that, she finally took her leave, bringing Alice and Anna with her. 

    “Countess Elizabeth was surprisingly nice, after all the waiting.” Alice said. 

    “I guess she was just nervous?” Anna suggested with a shrug. 

    “She’s a bit new at the job, but I’m sure she’ll get used to it.” Elspeth said to them. Diana would probably get used to her new life eventually, and hopefully learn some humility if she didn’t want to be angry forever. ...Elspeth idly wondered why her go to punishment involved so many frills.