FGI 1: The Heir of the Beast

I should probably worry about the fine print, but time is apparently of the essence.

I pale. Oh my gosh. I’m like those idiot girls in the horror movies that run to the creepy shed full of weapons instead of the only working truck on the property.

Hey, but I am in, baby.

Glancing around the room and watching everyone around me swallow the purple liquid is unnerving. All but one woman, the one whose name I never caught. She chooses the green potion instead. As soon as she swallows the drink, her body slumps in her seat, unconscious. The women in lab coats strap her to a gurney and roll her out.

Does she have a point?

I really hope I didn’t just make the biggest mistake of my life. And that would be a very big mistake considering all my other bad life choices.

Positive thoughts.

I’m getting nervous now. Maybe she is the only one with some real sense of danger, not buying into this fairy tale. The rest of us must look like dumb sheep, gullible bunnies.

Suddenly the urge to flee is as bad as trying not to itch a mammoth-sized bug bite.

Too late. Charming instructs everyone to line up and start the next phase—meaning the birdbath of Fate.

Taking a shaky breath, I keep repeating to myself that this is going to be a blast, and nothing terrible is going to happen. I plaster a smile on my face and get in line.

This is going to be great. Amazing. Nothing to worry about!

I am super stoked.

Am I panicking?

I wipe my forehead and clench my fist.

Destiny is going first. She looks confident and unafraid, but I don’t buy it. I am willing to bet we all are freaking out on the inside.

She walks up a few short steps to the Bowl of Destiny and pauses with her hands hovering over the metallic substance. She’s scared.

It doesn’t help that the solar system is back on display behind her.

My equilibrium is slightly thrown off as I feel a wave of dizziness. I could compare this feeling to taking shots on an empty stomach while wearing five-inch heels. Steady…steady…

“Go ahead, Destiny. It will only take a moment,” Zora says calmly behind her.

She puts her hands in the substance and gasps. “It’s freezing.”

We all wait quietly, our hearts in our throats. I’m even scared to take a small breath, for it might upset Fate into giving Destiny a less desirable role.

On the screen behind us, in bold letters, it magically reads: Castle of Garthorn Royal Chef.

Destiny turns around and reads it, taking a moment to register that she will be making food for Apollo and the royal family. “Well,” she breathes with a smile, “food is the way to a man’s heart!”

Everyone cheers, and Zora nods.

“Quickly now—next!”

April walked up next, pushing her short hair behind her ear. “Okay, here goes nothing.”

The screen reads: Castle of Garthorn Royal Horse Master.

Everyone oohs and ahhs at this one. I bite my lip; I would have loved that one, horses are beautiful creatures.

That would be exciting—riding horses with a hot prince and making love on a cliffside while my hair blows in the wind. I would say something witty, and his laughter would ring in the air.

Focus.

Ivy is next and laughs before she touches the liquid. “This is crazy! I feel like Harry Potter!”

The screen reads: Lady’s Maid to the Queen of Garthorn.

She doesn’t look too pleased with that one, but that position would put her right next to Apollo and his mother.

She needs to think outside the box. No cliff side ***, but she could bang Apollo in his mother’s bed.

That’s a joke.

Laura is next, and she just wears a smirk, grinning at Ivy. I hope she gets chambermaid. Please, chambermaid.

“I hope this isn’t a random drawing,” she complains, and rolls her eyes, putting her hands in the liquid. “Because I am an inner princess, my daddy said so.”

She laughs loud like she told the cleverest joke. It’s high pitched and forced. It’s embarrassing to see that nobody laughs after. I am about to chuckle out of pity, and I dislike her. That’s how bad it is.

Her face reddens as she clears her throat. Her hands soak in the liquid and seconds pass.

The screen reads: Royalty of a Foreign Country.

“Yes!” she screams. “What does that mean?! Does that mean princess or queen?”

Zora takes a moment as she eyes Laura. It’s hard to tell what the woman is thinking, but I’d bet my poker chips that she is irritated with her.

“You will get detailed information later.” She turns to the next in line. “Next!”

Cherie glances back at me with her fingers crossed. I pray she gets something decent because three months is a long time to be a slave or a toilet cleaner.

The screen reads: Royalty of a Foreign Country.

Laura whips around to Charming and the Fairy Godmother, marching up to them, her heels clicking. “That’s the same thing mine said. Is it broke?”

Charming smiles at her, but it’s far from reaching his azure eyes. “I assure you they’re very different. These are inexplicit titles. You will get the details later, as the Fairy Godmother already explained.”

She glances at me with cheeks flushed the color of a cherry ICEE. Laura plasters a smile on her face that I am sure goes against the laws of gravity.

I am the last one.

No. No. NO.

“Come along, Viola,” Zora commands. “Is that your natural eye color? Or contacts?” Everyone stares at me like they are wondering the same thing.

“They’re real.” My fingers tingle, and my vision begins to tunnel. I take a shaky breath and walk up to the Bowl of Destiny. Please don’t make me a crap emptier—I dislike bodily waste.

I look up at her and say, “I’m ready.”

She nods but doesn’t say anything, and her calm blue gaze is eerily mysterious. I sniff, feeling like I am some rare creature on display at a zoo. I go to stare down into the pool of metallic wonder.

So, this Fate Bowl reads palms? Maybe it reads deeper than that? A shiver slithers down my spine. Just do it.

My hands slip into the cool substance, and instantly I feel sensations coursing up and down my arms. I pray, Please give me something I can work with, Magic Bowl. Tell Karma to back off.

It seems like it takes forever before it says: Castle of Garthorn Slave: With a Hidden Secret.

My eyes scan over the words, and dread sinks in. I hear whispers around me, probably expressing their sympathy. A slave?!

“Are there do-overs?” My voice breaks. This is not fair. I want the Horse Master one. I feel like sitting on the ground with my arm crossed and pitching a fit.

Next to me, Charming says, “Things are not always what they seem. The part you need to focus on is the hidden secret.” He starts to clap to gain attention.

“Everyone, please quiet down. I will now introduce to you your partners for the next three months—our highly trained Fairy Godmother Agents. The FGAs.”

Agents?

“You will not be thrown into an unknown world without guidance. We will set you up for success, not failure.

“These worlds can be very dangerous, and I should hate for any of you to end it quickly by unknowingly eating poisonous fruits.”

Zora walks over to the edge of the classroom to where outer space starts.

Where it looked before like it dropped off into space, there is now thirty feet more room behind the white desk.

And not only is there extended square footage, but standing there are six people decked out in black army outfits with FGA on the front.

They are all petite-looking women, some with odd colored eyes and abnormal hued hair. Who are these strange people? One of them looks like a small version of Sailor Moon. Are these aliens?

My eyes widen in wonder—seeing a different life-form is trippy.

Zora nods at them, then turns to us, her midnight dress sparkling brilliantly. “These agents will follow you around, disguised as whatever they need to be to fit in. They are brilliant shapeshifters.

“They will be your walking computer, advising you on the world and its inhabitants. They communicate telepathically and verbally.

“Pierce will also be keeping track of you ladies, providing clothing and the essentials. The perfect aid to make sure each one of you has the best chance at succeeding.

“You all know how important this mission is to me. But keep in mind, you all are competing against each other, and strategy is key. They will help you on your journey to ensnaring the prince.”

This fantasy has gone from a Disney movie to me being a part of the Special Love Operations, with a dose of Survivor. I am in way too deep now. There is no turning back.

Maybe I will get lucky and get placed as Apollo’s slave?

Wishful thinking never hurt anyone.