His Royal Highness(17)
I’d sit if I could, but the dress won’t allow it. Or rather, Carrie won’t allow it. If I wrinkled the tulle before my shift, she’d have my head.
“That makes no sense. Since when does he need a costume?”
I think of him as he was eight years ago. His crisp button-downs, fitted slacks, cool sneakers. His clothes could have been bespoke, but I don’t think Costuming had a hand in them. Maybe I’m wrong.
She’s looking at her nails now, examining them coolly. “Wish I could say more, but it’s confidential.”
I resist the urge to shake her senseless. My hands fist at my sides in an effort to restrain myself.
“Tell me!”
She laughs and finally looks up at me. “I’m sorry. I can’t let the secret out. You know how tight-lipped this company is.”
My glare says, Who do you think I am? “This is different. We don’t keep secrets.”
Her dark brow arches. “Are you sure about that?”
We both know she’s referring to my feelings for my old mentor. I might have copped to my love for him back then, but I’ve assured her that’s all in the past. He means nothing to me now.
“Carrie!” I say, grabbing her by the shoulders.
“Ow! Jeez!”
“Whitney,” a soft voice calls from the hall just before a hand knocks on the door. “We’re a few minutes behind. Are you almost done in there?”
My eyes dart to Carrie. HURRY. Tell me!
She interprets my wide-eyed gaze as fear. She thinks I don’t want to be late for my shift. I’ve forgotten I even have a shift. I want info. Now.
She finds my high heels and bends low to help me strap them on.
“Carrie,” I demand, voice low.
Another knock sounds on the door.
“This isn’t funny,” I say through clenched teeth.
“Okay,” she says, done taunting me. She starts talking fast. “I don’t know all the details, but I think for the next few months—”
The door is whipped open and the time for secrets is over. The hustle and bustle of the Underground has infiltrated my dressing room. My handler, Julie, is waiting for me with her headset and clipboard in place. A walkie talkie hangs on her hip. Her cotton dress and emerald green apron fit with the theme for Elena’s Castle. She’s meant to be a washerwoman or handmaid, but really, she’s the person who ensures my meet-and-greets run smoothly. She makes sure I’m at my post on time and meeting my quota of children, all the while managing the line. It’s the same position I filled eight years ago.
A small thing, more mouse than human, Julie scurries in and nods hello to Carrie before checking my appearance. It’s part of her job, and she takes it seriously. A quick loop around me and then a checkmark on her clipboard assure me I look the part.
Carrie aims apologetic eyes at me as Julie ushers me out. She feels bad.
“Call me later!” she shouts.
To get to my post at Elena’s Castle, we use the tunnel below the theme park, unofficially referred to by all of us as the Underground. It is, without a doubt, the best-kept secret at Fairytale Kingdom. The Underground is essentially a city beneath the theme park accessed only by employees. It’s where we arrive for our shifts, clock in and out, and change into costume. There are training rooms, stock rooms, conference centers, break rooms, and offices for the electrical and engineering teams. In the very center, under the castle, there’s a cafeteria with a Subway and a McDonald’s.
The tunnels in the Underground are wide enough to allow for pedestrians and golf carts. Sprinkled throughout these passageways, there are 35 stairwells that lead to hidden entrances to the park. The secret gateways are necessary because the park is made up of several different themed zones, like Elena’s Village, Enchanted Forest, and Safari Island, to name a few. Elena’s Village is designed as a medieval French village with the grand castle in its center. However, head due north and those bright, friendly cottages gradually give way to a dark and mysterious forest. That section of the park is meant for teenagers and adults. Employees there dress as fairies and huntsmen, nymphs and elves. If a guest saw an Enchanted Forest elf walking along Castle Drive, it would jar them out of the carefully crafted setting. So, the execs don’t allow it. We have to leave our zones via the Underground if we want to go from one area to another.
If a little kid ever accidentally stumbled into the Underground, it would shatter her world. It’s a gritty underbelly compared to the land of make-believe that exists atop Castle Drive. Down here, fairies walk around in hairnets. Bears walk around in their jumpsuits with their headpieces tucked under their arms. Maintenance men honk the horns on their golf carts, angry if anyone happens to stray into their path. I once stumbled upon a huntsman from the Enchanted Forest getting it on with a smith’s apprentice from Castle Drive. So yeah, no one is allowed down here without an employee badge or a microchipped costume.
Julie swipes her badge and we gain entrance to a shallow set of stairs that open up directly into the hearth of the great room inside Elena’s Castle.
On a normal day, I’m excited for my shift.
Today, the hours stretch out before me in a never-ending sea of children. I’m counting down the minutes until I can leave here and hunt down Carrie for more information. She might as well have thrown a grenade at me in that dressing room. Even now, it’s sitting on the ground near my feet…