"Anne, you've gotta see this essay." Clara ushered over Professor Anne Strickland, head of the biology department and regular teacher of Bio 101. Clara tried to hide a snort as she read the intangible essay. Anne glanced behind her, and swirled her chair over behind her former student. Anne grabbed the essay and eyed it closely.
"Isn't this..." Anne murmured. "That student with really rich parents?"
"Uh-huh," Clara's grin widened. "Didn't his parents try to bribe you for a higher grade on his midterm?"
Anne groaned. She rubbed her temples in frustration. "What is he even trying to say in this essay? Hell, isn't-" Anne paused. "Isn't the first paragraph just a copy and paste of the Wikipedia page for oak trees?!"
"What?" Clara exclaimed. Immediately, she turned to her tablet, and pulled up the exact page. "Holy crap. It is. It absolutely is."
Anne Strickland and Clara Longwood shared loud, hearty laughs with each other. Most of the essays were of passable quality, some even gaining the sought-after A+ from Professor Strickland. Some got C's - which was fine, most students were taking it as a Gen Ed. But Jared Lois' essay...
"This is going right to the department," Anne sighed. "For plagiarism, of course."
"And for making us read it." Apart from the copy-pasted section, basically every other statement in the sentence was false. "You'd think Princess Clara would have written this."
Anne cocked her head to the side and hummed. "Well... at least he can spell. Don't know if I can say that for our obedient Princess-" Clara's legs clenched together, "-now can we?"
"Y-you've got a point," Clara laughed nervously. "But if you want... I can try to write an essay as Princess Clara..."
"Oh no, spare my eyes. Give it to Jasmine instead. She'll enjoy it."
Clara smiled, the momentary tension releasing from her body. "I'm glad you can talk about Jasmine without getting angry."
"What? Why wouldn't I?" Anne sang. "She did give me quite a good time as the boss of her maids. I have so many stories about those maids I have to share with you. Besides, she clearly has changed. And, she gets to witness Princess Clara's stupidity so I don't have to."
"Instead, you get boring TA Clara grading papers."
"I can always change my mind." Anne winked.
Clara smirked. "I never said you can't." Instinctively, she glanced over at her watch, and her eyes widened for a split second. "Ah, speaking of, I think the driver will be here soon. Are you going to be-"
"Okay grading papers? Clara, I'm tenured. Of course I'll be okay. Go back to Mistress and her Highness. Frolic and be stupid!"
Clara neatly stacked the papers she had graded and handed them to Professor Strickland. "See you tomorrow for test-grading?"
"And to watch Jared Lois' parents blow up at me."
"Sounds like a plan."
~~        
Clara reflected on the past two years as she walked down the halls of her former university. Two years ago, she realized just how deep she was in student loans. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get ahead. Interest kept eating up whatever attempts she made. Her life looked hopeless. She couldn’t get a job, or even an internship, and whatever she’d find wouldn’t pay her bills anyways.
So she did what anyone else would do: sell herself to a pair of hot rich lesbians and become their dumb plaything in their massive mansion.
She was suspicious, at first. To be honest, that wasn’t her ideal life; she was much more career-oriented. And yet, she didn’t have any other options. Slowly, Clara lost more and more of herself, succumbing to her new personality as a dumb, ditzy, idiotic princess. She watched the transformation from a distance. She couldn’t change or stop anything. After all, she signed a legally binding contract - these days, she wondered if any court would actually acknowledge the legitimacy of such a contract. She was Jasmine’s. She was Diana’s. Her Mistresses could do whatever she wanted with her.
And soon, she liked it.
She had playmates, of course. Felicity, a drone, and also - worse - a gamer. Lisa, a bratty kitty who apparently begged Jasmine and Diana to keep her at first. Natalie and Angel… Clara wondered how they were doing, but she still got butterflies in her stomach thinking of their playdate in the garden. And Kae. Who could be described as-
“Your boyfriend?” The day Clara confessed, a couple months ago, Kae spat out his drink. “You - you really think of me like that? Even with… who I am now?”
Clara held his hand tightly. “Yeah,” she admitted. She was surprised by how casual she felt. “I love you. Do you love me?”
Kae sputtered for a bit, trying to regain his bearings and find the right words. Clara’s heart pounded as she waited for Kae’s hesitant reply. Soon - “Yeah,” he exhaled, “I love you too.” And then they made out and had really hot kinky sex.
But as with life, nothing was perfect. Namely, Diana and Jasmine’s marriage. She watched them struggle, argue, fight. They loved each other. Clara knew that. Separation wasn’t an option. And before Clara could spell her name, things came to a breaking point.
“I need time to think,” Jasmine finally answered, after finding out she’d been brainwashed for an uncertain amount of time. “I’ll take the guest room.”
And Jasmine thought. So did Diana. And so did Clara, for the first time in months. Clara played couple’s therapist for her Dommes, and apparently she did a good job at it, because eventually, Jasmine and Diana reconciled.
Things changed. They allowed their playthings to leave, if they so wished. All but Clara did - Clara came to love Jasmine and Diana. She wanted to stay. And all of the members she knew, they stopped by, visited, even for an occasional play session or a tea party. 
Things had to get worse before they got better. And they sure were better, now.
Though… as things healed, Jasmine and Diana played with the idea of restarting the harem. Not seriously, at that point. It was too soon, wasn’t it? Clara thought-
*THUD*
“Ow!” Clara exclaimed, accidentally getting shoved into the wall.
“Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry!” Clara’s brain stopped. She knew that voice. She knew that fragrance, the one of citrus and lilacs. She reoriented herself to see someone she vastly didn’t expect.
Sarah Clapp.
        “Wow,” Clara exhaled as she got back on her feet. “Sarah, I… it’s been a while.”
        “Y-yeah, it has been.” The conversation was already awkward, but their history made it that much worse. “I’m - I’m finishing my degree, finally.” Clara’s memory slowly jogged itself, remembering - holy crap - she had a life before joining the harem. She went to this school. She studied, tutored, and enjoyed university life carefree. And she dated. Dated Sarah Clapp, specifically.
        Clara forgot why exactly she was so attracted to Sarah. It wasn’t unusual, though. Sarah was quite pretty, with a slim figure, straight blonde hair that trailed down her back, and a shy demeanor, one oddly inviting. Clara and Sarah never were a serious pair - they went on a few dates before going their other ways. Part of the struggle involved Sarah’s studies. It wasn’t that Sarah wasn’t smart, she just… wasn’t as studious as Clara.
        Which wasn’t saying a lot. Not many people were.
        “Well, congratulations!” Clara gave an encouraging smile. “How’s that been going for you?”
        “It’s…” Sarah sighed, fixing her glasses with her spare hand. “A lot. I can’t seem to do anything right. No matter how hard I push, and push, and push, it seems like my GPA just doesn’t budge, right? I just hope I’m out of academic probation soon.”
        Clara winced. Academic probation? That was rough, even for Sarah. Clara knew how to pull unmotivated students out of a failing grade. She wasn’t a tutor anymore, and she had no clue if Jasmine and/or Diana would let her be one, but maybe… “I’m so sorry. Do you want to, um, grab coffee sometime? I’m - I’m off to somewhere else, but, well,” Clara whipped out a spare notepad and haphazardly jotted down her phone number. She tore off the paper and handed it to Sarah. “Here’s where to find me.”
        “Y-yeah!” Sarah grinned and nodded. “That sounds great! I’d love to catch up. I bet being a real, actual scientist has been going really well for you.”
        Clara paused.
        “Huh?” she asked, her eyes blinking.
        “Um…” Sarah paused. “Well, that was your goal after graduating, right? Get a job in the biology field, and be the smartest person there.” Silence. “I-I’m not misremembering, right…?”
        Clara’s jaw hung slack. She shook her head. “N-no, but, um…”
        She dashed off. She could explain what she’d be doing instead another time. “I-I’ll tell you later! Text me, we’ll set something up!”
~~
        Clara was in the middle of recounting her day to Jasmine, when she heard another sharp snap. Suddenly, her mind shifted back into princess mode. It was like two worlds lived inside of her; Clara, the studious TA, the bright, talented intellectual, and Clara, the dumb, ditzy princess whose poor brain would overheat if she tried to do simple arithmetic. Clara’s head lolled to the side as she dreamily floated in idiocy. Her head rested on Diana’s shoulder, as her royal Queen played with her hair.
        “What were you saying, princess?” Jasmine smirked, looking down at Clara condescendingly. “You were telling me about a student of Anne’s plagiarizing an essay, yes?”
        “Huh? What’s…” Clara furrowed her eyebrows. “Play…jar-orgasm?” She burst into a fit of giggles as she failed to repeat the word. In a humiliating way, no less.
        Jasmine sighed. “Well, we know where your brain cells are today.”
        “Really?” Clara beamed with a grin. “Like, where are they, Mistress?”
        “On vacation. A very dumb, horny vacation.” Clara’s hand idly reached down her legs, beginning to trail up her thighs. Clara obviously could get aroused and heated up as just herself; but something felt visceral when she was horny as a brainless bimbo.
        Jasmine, unfortunately, wasn’t so willing to let her have that. She grabbed onto Clara’s wrist, holding onto it tightly as she cackled. Her fingers clutched around Clara’s wrist, her thumb’s nail digging itself in. “When did we give you permission, princess?”
        “Awww,” Clara pouted. “But… but… it feels so… so, um… nice…”
        “You’re going to have to use a word more than three syllables to describe what you’re feeling, then,” Diana chimed in, whispering into her ear.
        Clara’s eyes turned to Diana, staring vapidly.
        “Yes?” Diana cooed. “Did you want to ask something?”
        “…what’s… a sill-ah-bee?”
        “I thought so,” Diana laughed. She snapped her hand with her other hand, Clara’s hair still twirled in her other.
        Clara squinted, reorienting herself. Again. For the seventh time since she got back, fifteen minutes ago. It was nice to have all the attention for herself. The second she walked through the front door, she was thrown onto the couch in a sea of whiplash.
        She didn’t miss having to share her Dommes with five other people. But if - when - she thought hard enough about it, she felt a pang of pain in her heart thinking about how… empty the mansion felt sometimes. It would have been nice to…
        “You were describing your day, Clara,” Jasmine teased. “Why did you stop?”
        Clara suppressed a horny smirk. “I-I’m sorry, Mistress. Um… yeah, a student whose parents have more money than atoms took part of his essay from Wikipedia.”
        “It’s always Wikipedia, isn’t it?”
        “Always,” Clara rolled her eyes, “if they’re going to cheat, they might as well be creative about it.”
        “Mmm, I think you’d rather they don’t cheat at all,” Jasmine mused. “And then? What happened before getting back here, if anything?”
        Clara hesitated.
        “If anything?” Jasmine growled, repeating her words, not giving Clara the benefit of pause.
        Out of fear, and a lack of deep thought, Clara responded. “I ran into my ex.”
        ”…huh,” Diana cocked her head. “She is still in college?”
        “I guess so. She was on… um, leave, for a while.” Words still came hard to her. Ahh, the benefits - and curses - of fractionation.
        “And how is she?” Diana continued her questions. Clara couldn’t help but feel there was some kind of edge into Diana’s voice.
        “Good? I guess? She said she was on academic probation. She always… she wasn’t, well…”
        “Smart,” Jasmine completed.
        “I wouldn’t say-“
        “Excuse me?” Jasmine narrowed her eyes. “Are you correcting your Mistress?”
        “N-no, of course not!” Clara protested. “You’re… correct.” She felt bad insulting her ex, but who was Clara to question what her Mistress said? “She isn’t very good at studying. And when she does study, she basically just skims through the textbook the night before. But… she was very kind.”
        Diana’s hand gripped onto Clara’s hair, making the subby girl wince in pain.
        “Um… I-I’m very sorry I couldn’t ask you first, Mistress, Your Highness,” Clara started. “But I…”
        Clara’s phone buzzed. Her eyes glanced over to it. That was a mistake. Jasmine roughly grabbed the sides of Clara’s chin and readjusted her gaze to meet Jasmine’s. “And I’m supposing that’s her, isn’t it?”
        Suddenly, Clara began to feel what the tension in the room might have been about. “N-no, it’s not like that! We were just thinking of getting coffee, not going on a date, or—“
        “Dear,” Diana shushed Clara with a finger to her sub’s lips, “you spent months under our roof, as one of many playthings. Do you honestly think you showing interest in someone else is the problem?”
        Clara, still holding her breath, shook her head. “Of course it isn’t,” Diana continued. Clara thought she was going to say more, but the silence held in the air for a while. Diana pursed her lips, almost wanting to say something else, but at this point her eyes weren’t drawn to Clara. They were locked in Jasmine’s eyes. Diana waited a few more seconds, before continuing, “Jasmine, dear, what is the problem?”
        Were Diana anyone else, Jasmine would have given some kind of snarky response to Diana too. That was just Jasmine — seeing the vast majority of other people as inferior. Beneath her. Not worthy of asking questions. Anyone else would have gotten slapped around.
        But Diana wasn’t ‘anyone else’. Only one person had any control over Jasmine.
        And so she responded. “We set a rule where Clara has to have her phone on silent when she’s with us.”
        “But Clara didn’t have a chance to do so, hmm? Someone got a little too excited to give her that.”
        “I-“ Jasmine cleared her throat. “Yes. You are correct.” Jasmine let go of Clara’s hair. “Please tend to that text, Clara, and then turn your phone off.”
        Clara smiled. “Yes, Mistress,” she responded, before breaking eye contact. Her hand darted to her phone and opened the screen.
> It was nice seeing you again today
        Clara recognized the number. Sarah Clapp was an unfortunate - fortunate? - soul to have the last four digits be “6969”. Before Clara could reply, Sarah texted her again.
> Are you free tomorrow? My last class ends at 12
        “Dearest, would you check Clara’s calendar for arrangements?”
        “Yes, Your Highness.” Jasmine pulled out her own phone and revealed the secret tool to polyamorous success, a shared calendar app. “Clara… seems to be free at 12.”
        “May I go see her, Mistress?”
"I don't see why not," Diana smiled, twirling her fingers in Clara's hair. "Maybe she could use a pep talk from someone as *smart* and *bright* as you."
Before Clara could respond, Diana pulled her back into Princess Mode. "Isn't that right, Princess Clara?"
"Like, yeah!" Clara giggled. "I'll be the most Princess-y couch!"
"Yes you will," Jasmine said, "but for now, take your clothes off. I'm impatient."
~~
Clara managed to also convince Anne to relinquish her of grading duties for an hour. She and Sarah had texted and agreed on a place prior - god, Clara remembered getting bagels from there every day at 6am before class. It would be weird to go back there.
Clara had forgotten about the lunch rush. Students waited around to grab a bagel before their 12pm class. And judging by the enormous line at the register and the crowd at the counter, most of them would be late. Oh well. Not her problem.
Besides, Sarah Clapp had found a table, and saved the other seat for Clara.
"It's good to see you again!" Sarah shouted over the hubble around them.
"What?" Clara exclaimed. "I can't hear you, what did you say?"
"I said it's good to see you again!"
Clara still didn't hear her. She wasn't still in Princess Mode, was she? "Let's wait a minute!"
"Okay!"
Sarah's hands tightened around her cup of coffee nervously. Quickly, the crowd began to disperse, and within five or so minutes, the cafeteria returned to its normal state. Sarah inhaled. She reached into her bag and pulled out an extra bagel. "I remember your favorite being the egg bagel," she smiled, "so I grabbed the last one."
"Oh! Um, wow, thanks!" Clara happily accepted - it even also had the onion-chive cream cheese on it. Sarah really remembered something that remote about her ex... or maybe it was just a thoughtful gesture? Either way, Clara chowed down. She was hungry.
In between bites, Clara started the conversation. "So what classes are you doing?"
Sarah smiled bitterly. "Mostly computer science classes."
"Really?" Clara raised an eyebrow. Sarah's computer skills *and* her problem solving skills were never... spectacular. "Are you enjoying them?"
Sarah snorted. "No. But it's too late to switch majors again."
"Oh," Clara responded flatly. "I'm sorry. What made you pick that major?"
"Student loans, mainly." Oh no. "Flunking so many classes didn't help with that. So I need something... stable, with good income, if I want any hope of paying them off. I wish I could go back to illustration. But I couldn't even get through those classes."
"I... see," Clara shrunk. "I hope you can get through it. The tutors are not helpful?"
"Not as helpful as you were. One of them laughed at me. Can you believe it?"
"Sheesh."
"She wasn't even a hot lesbian or anything."
Clara choked on her bagel. What? Did she just hear that from Sarah Clapp? The girl who could barely go topless without stammering and blushing? Clara nodded, unsure how else to acknowledge that statement. "Would... that be better?"
Sarah's face brightened. Her smile turned from sarcastic to genuine. "Yeah! Over the last couple years, I've been... experimenting..."
"...Yeah," Clara responded, "same. How so?"
"I've been reading a lot of," her voice grew quiet, "erotica. You know. Steamy stuff about ladies in charge. That's my dream life, you know?"
Clara couldn't decide if she liked where this was going. Did Sarah *know* something? What was with this sudden forwardness she possessed? "Yea?"
"I just want to be a live-in submissive for a hot lady."
Clara had no idea what to say to that. Her jaw hung slightly slack, eyes wide in shock - pleasant surprise? Horror? Something of the sort. Truth be told, that wasn’t something she would hear from anyone, ever, at all. It was the specificness of it. Maybe Clara just didn’t do enough exploring herself and landed herself in an accident. That was a very obscure fantasy; hell, she wouldn’t have guessed anyone would have something like that.
        Sarah’s eyes squinted. “Clara? Are you okay?”
        “Oh?” Clara blinked hard, trying to adjust back to the real world. “Y-yeah, I’m fine, I just-”
        “Oh gosh, I made you uncomfortable, didn’t I?” Sarah pressed her hands to her cheeks and flushed. She did always have an oversharing problem. “I’m so sorry. Um, why don’t we talk about you? How’s your job going?”
        “Job, job…” Clara forgot how career-oriented she had been, in the past. Working a full time job was out of the picture, even if she wanted to do so. Clara’s main purpose in life was service. Obedience. Pleasure. Being dumb, brainless, only there to- “I, um, I actually am a TA here.”
        Sarah cocked her head. “And that’s your full time job?”
        “W-well, no, it’s part time, but it keeps me busy.” Clara hoped the conversation would end there. It didn’t. “Anyways-”
        “But, but,” Clara didn’t miss questions from the former journalism student, “what do you do then? Did you have to move back with your parents? Did you just lose a job?”
        “N-no!” Clara exclaimed. Now Sarah was making her uncomfortable. “Things are just… complicated right now. It’s nothing bad or weird,” okay that was a lie, “it’s just, well, um… I found a situation where I don’t need to work as much.”
        Sarah’s face brightened. Oh no. Clara played an anxious movie in her brain as she realized her ex was about to drag the truth out of her.
        “Do you have a sugar mommy?”
        Clara shook her head. Jasmine and Diana weren’t sugar mommies. Well… except for the fact they provided her with everything she wanted and needed, gave her rent-free shelter in the largest mansion ever, and spent more money on her than she could imagine. “No. They’re not sugar mommies.”
        Oh fuck.
        Clara didn’t know what to say to get her out of the situation, but that sure wasn’t it.
        “They’re?” Sarah exclaimed. Clara shrunk in her seat, and waved her hand down, signaling to Sarah to at least lower her voice god fucking damn it. “Oh my gosh. If - if you can, can you please tell me what happened? Come to think of it, that collar–” the eternity collar Clara donned forever and ever, “isn’t that one you can’t take off?! I’ve always wanted one of those! Especially if…” Sarah clasped her hands together, vibrating with excitement. Clara had to admit, she felt guilty saying no to Sarah with those bright stars in her eyes. 
“Don’t tell me you’re living that life,” Sarah’s voice squealed. “That’s so cool! You’re so lucky, Clara, that’s just my dream.”
        Clara furrowed her eyebrow. ‘Lucky’ wasn’t quite the word she’d use, but… “Your dream is to be owned by a hot rich lesbian?” She reiterated. Sarah nodded, so Clara continued. “I… guess that’s what I’ve been up to for a while. Um, two of them, specifically.” Why was she going into this? Did she even have permission to talk about this with outsiders? What if Sarah Clapp got a little too excited and pushed Clara too far?
        Sarah beamed. Please let this conversation end, please let this conversation end, please let this conversation end. “Wow, and you got all that attention for yourself?! You, like, hit the gay jackpot!”
        “W-well, actually, I…” 
Her urge was to say more, but her mind slammed the breaks. No. Clara had explained far too much already. If she went into how Jasmine and Diana owned a plentiful of playthings while she was in the mansion, there was only one way Sarah would react. Besides, if Jasmine and Diana found out how much she ran her mouth, Clara would get her ass beat blue and her mind wiped clean. “I’m sorry, Sarah, but that’s just personal stuff, and I don’t want to get into it. Could we change the topic?”
The look on Sarah’s face did a complete 180. Her beaming smile turned into a disappointed frown. “I… okay, yeah, you’re right.” Her voice grew quiet. Sarah wore her heart like a face tattoo - even if she wanted to hide her emotions, she couldn’t. Crap. Did Clara just ruin her reunion? A wave of guilt overtook Clara.
“I’m sorry,” Sarah said. “Could I make… one request?”
Clara had a bad feeling. “Yeah?”
“Could I come home with you? Just - um, just to see you off?”
The smart girl’s eyes narrowed at her indiscreet submissive friend. Sarah just wouldn’t stop. The thought - not promise - of having Clara’s life pulled her reasoning to the wrong place.
Clara’s, too. She was wracked with guilt, worrying like usual. Would be nice to be a princess right now. Then at least I wouldn’t have to think through these decisions. Deep down, she knew this was a terrible idea. An idea that even Princess Clara would question.
But Sarah was just coming home with her.
That’s all.
~~
“No freaking way,” Sarah’s jaw dropped, gazing upon the enormous mansion. “Is this real? This is where you live? This is your Dommes’ home?! It looks, like, a fantasy castle!”
Sarah’s excitement was not out of the ordinary. The mansion did, indeed, look unreal. Ginormous didn’t even begin to describe it. Even smart Clara couldn’t keep track of how many rooms there were. Hell, even the live-in maids got their own rooms - without even having to share. Diana and Jasmine - and, well, Clara too at that point - had not one, not two, but three rooms. It might as well have had its own zip code.
That wasn’t even beginning to describe the exterior. Gardens, fountains, ornate walls - everything looked immaculate. Most of it came from Jasmine’s choices - she did have an eye for real estate design. And yet, no one knew about it. Jasmine and Diana kept their secrets, understandably so. 
After all, it would have been hard to dance around the fact they’d have four, five, six, seven submissives living in their mansion at one time. Questions would arise. Clara sometimes wondered how a billionaire CEO kept herself out of the spotlight for so long. She probably had good lawyers, is how.
“Y-yeah.” Clara’s heart still pounded with anxiety. Sarah said she was just going to see her off. So the conversation was going to end, right?
“Can I come in?”
Apparently not.
“Sorry, but, my Dommes are really particular about who comes inside. They wouldn’t be expecting visitors.” That wasn’t a lie. “Maybe we can meet up another time, though.” That was a lie, on the other hand. Clara wasn’t sure she wanted to see Sarah again, not after her long string of unwanted questions.
Sarah paused. Clara silently begged her not to push any further.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll see you later, then.”
“Yeah, get home sa—“
The front door opening cut off Clara’s thought. Clara’s head whipped around, as did Sarah’s. Oh no.
Diana stood there, her eyes planted on Clara. The dress she wore was a teal gown, sleeveless, with the skirt trailing down her legs. Somehow, she looked more beautiful than usual. Clara usually thought that every day.
“Clara,” she greeted. Her eyes acknowledged Sarah, but not her words. “Felicity stopped by. We were just having tea. I was hoping you would join us.” Her head cocked towards her ‘friend’. “But you brought company?”
“Yes, Your- yes.” No honorifics. Don’t feed into Sarah’s insatiable thirst. Diana raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing. “This is Sarah Clapp. We knew each other from college.”
“Oh, the girl you were texting.” She turned fully to Sarah. Lifting the edges of her dress, she did a small, yet elegant curtsy. “My name is Diana. It’s a pleasure to—“
“Please,” Sarah bowed her body to a 90 degree angle. She spoke, with conviction, words that only confirmed Clara’s fears. “Please own me and take me as your plaything!”
That physically hurt Clara to hear.