Royal Games

Chapter 4

"Happy birthday!" My mum wakes me up. As I force my eyes open, I see her sat on the edge of my bed, small gift in hand. "I wanted to be the first to give you a present today."

"Thank you." I take the gift and pull the golden ribbon off. It was wrapped around a black box, which I can now easily lift the lid from. Inside, I see a gold necklace with a diamond pendant. "It's gorgeous."

"Here, let me." I hand the box back over to my mum. She takes the necklace out and leans over to me. I move my hair aside as she fastens the dainty chain around my neck. "You look beautiful, darling." She kisses me on the forehead. "My baby's all grown up." She stands. "Get dressed up and come down for breakfast. There's a treat waiting for you."

"Yes mother." She leaves the room, and my handmaids enter. They help me change into the altered ballgown, before doing my hair and makeup.

I gasp when I finally see my reflection in the mirror. My eyelids have been painted with golden glitter and my lips are a bright, bubblegum pink. Blonde curls fall around my face. At another angle, I can see tiny pink flowers woven into my hair. Along with my gold tiara, a flowery braid makes the other half of a crown.

I slip on a pair of golden flats and head down the corridors to join my family. Breakfast and lunch will be served in the family dining room, as the main dining hall is currently being set up for a large banquet tonight. The first thing I see when I walk in is a plate stacked with pancakes. "This is amazing!" I exclaim.

"It is all for you, birthday princess." My dad says.

"Yes. Happy birthday, princess." I suspect Marco's words are not as sincere as they seem.

I take my seat opposite Marco, our parents sat on either side of us. Carefully, I use my fork to lift a few pancakes onto my plate. Then I pour on some maple syrup and finish off with some slices of banana.

No one eats anything until my dad takes his first mouthful of food. As he is of the royal bloodline and my mum married into the family, his actions dictate the actions of others around him. But once we have the green light, we all devour the pancake stack. Only Marco forgoes cutlery, using his hands to pick them up. I prefer to cut my pancakes into bitesize pieces and eat them with a fork.

Someone knocks on the door as I am between pancakes number 5 and 6.

"Come in." My dad answers.

Helena and Nessa, my only real friends other than Liam, walk into the room. "Happy birthday Alyssa!" They say in unison with wide, beaming smiles.

I race out of my chair and sweep the pair of them up in a joyous hug. "Helena. Nessa. I'm so glad you're here." These days the three of us can usually only talk on our phones, so it's really exciting when we get to see each other.

Helena is a princess from the fairy realm, so it is quite a journey for her to fly all the way to the seasonal realm, where Opa is. Nessa, on the other hand, lives in a mansion I can see in the distance from my rooms. However, her parents died in a car crash in America last year so, as the only living member of her bloodline, she is kept extremely busy with duties as a countess. A wedding is on the cards soon to extend the bloodline and give her some support.

"Good to see you girls." Marco doesn't really mean it; he just wants the focus in the room to be on him.

"Hi Marco." Helena waves at him, perkiness still in her voice. I've never quite understood why she likes him. 19 already, she is the closest to his age, and has made an effort to seek out his company the past few times she's been here. I'm not entirely convinced her interest is platonic and I don't know if he realises it.

"Would you like to sit for something to eat?" My dad asks.

"No thank you, your Majesty." Nessa replies. "We have already eaten this morning. But would it be okay for us to join you for lunch?"

"Of course, Vanessa. I think you three ladies should go and spend some time to yourselves until then."

"Thank you, father." I say, eager for a catch-up session. Helena, Nessa, and I bow our heads in respect before leaving the room.

The moment we are in the corridor, Nessa holds out a piece of black silk. "Do you trust us?"

"You'll mess up all my makeup with that." I complain.

"It's a yes or no question."

"Yes." I answer reluctantly. Nessa ties the silk around my head as a blindfold. She and Helena link their arms through mine and begin leading me through the palace. "Is the surprise a place, person, or object?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Helena teases me. We make the rest of the journey in silence. Nervousness curls up in my stomach, while anticipation creeps up my spine.

Soon, I feel a breeze on my face. That's when we stop. "Surprise!" My friends say. They remove the blindfold.

We are on a balcony overlooking the palace gardens. As usual, I see the fountains and flowers, and the pavilion at the far end. But something different catches my attention. I gasp.

Two winged unicorns stand proudly on opposite sides of the Opal Oracle, a female statue made of opal from the mines that give Opa its name. Each unicorn, one moonlight white and one midnight black, has a rider clad in basic armour.

In tandem, the unicorns rise up into the air. They fly up in opposite directions to create a heart shape with their bodies. Then they do a few circuits horizontal to the balcony, remaining opposite each other at all times. Faster and faster they circle, like a dog determined to catch its tail.

The riders let their magic trail through their fingers, creating loops of everchanging colour. Then they push their magic inwards to create one ball of energy in the center of their invisible track. A few seconds later, they pull back from the ball, releasing a magical shockwave. In the same instant, the unicorns stop circling and shoot upwards.

As I watch the unicorns grow smaller, I feel the shockwave hit me. The magic feels incredible as it washes over me. For a moment, the world is distorted, like looking in a fun fair mirror. Colours are brighter. Sounds are muffled. I relax and allow my body to arch back in response to the sheer force pushing against me. My eyes close. The shockwave sings a song for my own magic to hear. It causes my whole body to tingle and a euphoric sensation fills me from within.

The force disappears abruptly, leaving only a feeling of serenity. The world is as it should be once more. Magical shockwaves are simply a release of magic over a large area, and work in much the same way as a circular ripple in a pond. But magic calls to magic, making shockwaves a treat for all seelies.

I watch the unicorns plummet back down to the ground, zig-zagging around each other. Just when it looks like they're going to hit the ground, they pull upright to land gently on their hooves.

I clap in amazement and am surprised to hear Helena and Nessa clapping too. I was so enthralled by the show, I forgot they were with me. "Thank you." I say as I wrap my arms around their waists. We discuss our favourite moments of the spectacle all the way to my rooms.