The King's Gamma (#Wattys2024)

Sixteen

Macey King

I entered the dressing room, seeing several people moving about as Timothy stormed at me, his eyebrows cocked and his mouth agape, ready for the verbal beatdown he intended to give me.

"I'm sorry, I woke up late!" I held my hands up in defence, a chocolate in one hand and a hamster in the other.

His eyes landed on the items in my hands.

"You're forgiven if you can make it onto stage before Taylor wannabe Barbie ruins my reputation."

He took the items as I pulled my hair into a bun at the back and pulled on a black wig. I went with black mascara over my red eyebrows to blacken them before I quickly did a severe goth make-up with enough powder to cover any trace of freckles. I put in one contact lense to make it look as though I had heterochromia. Quickly pulling on the black hoody, black jeans and black biker boots, I smirked at my mirror image before I waltzed towards the stage. Taylor wannabe Barbie, as Timothy had named her, was a petite bottle blonde with an overly perky attitude and the voice of a crow.

I got behind my table, setting things up as I tried not to cringe at her voice. Finally done, I cut the sound to her microphone and guffawed when I heard a cheer from the crowd at her silence. Gliding my fingers over buttons and switches, a deep and masculine voice rang out from the speakers.

'Are you ready for this?' the pre recorded voice asked, gaining cheers from the crowd.

Around me the area was engulfed in darkness, no light illuminating me in any way as the lights in front of me danced at the slightest sound the speakers made. I watched as the excitement tensed at the silence and the still strobe lights.

'Are you ready for this?' asked the pre recorded voice again.

The cheers sounded again and amplified when the music started playing. I felt energized as I continued behind the table, entertaining the masses for several hours.

Back in the dressing room I looked at the table of food with no appetite still, tilting my head to stare at it I heard Timothy come up behind me.

"Can you explain to me now as to why you look different?"

"My charm broke."

"I see. Do you need another?"

"Yeah, I need to have my power subdued before I return to the kingdom. But first, I need to visit Draconia. Did you get what I asked you to get?"

"Yes. Are you sure you wish to present yourself to them?"

"If I don't, he will bring them all to me. Send a notice for me. Tell my grandfather that I will arrive by noon."

He nodded before penning down and warping the letter towards the Draconian Empire. He warped the items I had asked him to find into his hand and held the package out towards me. "You sure have expensive taste, Macey."

"No, draconians are just very snobby. As the heir, I should present myself properly."

"No kidding. Have you met your mate yet? You said he was due to come back."

"No. I was sent on a new mission before I could return home. I still have that to get done." I went behind the room divider and stripped down the black wig and clothes before getting into the exquisite dress that was tailored to my every curve as I stood. Slowly sliding my feet into the perfectly decorated shoes I came out from behind the room divider and looked at myself in the mirror.

"Want me to do your hair and make-up?" He asked as he watched my mirror image.

"Sure." I sat down and using his magic he did both in about a minute.