THE MOMENT
"Your Majesty!" Bijou fell to her knees as soon as she entered the door. She was informed she would be embarking on an important mission for the country; but, she did not expect it to begin by meeting the Queen. The Queen was an elusive ruler who was rarely seen and still managed to create a secure, prosperous country. The world was at peace in large part due to the Queen's leadership. She was so well-loved that her picture was part of the decor in almost every business and home. Even without that, Bijou was trained from a young age to be loyal.
"Stand, and never bow before me again," the pale woman said. She sat behind a frosted glass desk in a spacious white office. "You will be working for me and formalities slow things down; I'm a busy woman," she said. "Please address me as Ms. Sharp," the Queen added as Bijou rose to her feet. She seemed unsure; but, she did not want to disobey a direct order.
"Yes, Ms. Sharp," Bijou nodded.
"Sit. We have a few things to discuss before I leave you in someone else's hands." Bijou took the seat across from Ms. Sharp and listened attentively. Though, doubt started to grow in the back of her mind. She did not know what the mission was; but, it had to be something more important than she imagined. She had unrivaled power; but, was she ready? Sure, she'd trained all her life; but, she was still only 16.
"This will be the first time you leave the country and I wanted to personally prepare you so that you have no doubts. We've done what we can to prepare you, while still keeping you isolated. I don't imagine the transition will be too difficult, but it's a lot to take in just the same," she said.
"I can handle it," Bijou nodded with a show of confidence that she didn't fully possess.
"I have no doubts," Ms. Sharp nodded. "You will be joining a team for this assignment. I must make this clear though. YOU are on a mission, not them. The rest of the team come from different backgrounds and they'll all have individual goals. I am not suggesting you don't make friends; I hope you do. However, do not forget your purpose, and do not ask any of them for assistance. They would not understand my goals." Bijou tilted her head in confusion.
"Ms. Sharp, you've done so much for this world already. How could anyone not want to help?"
"Stepping out into the multiverse means you need to think broader," Ms. Sharp replied. "I've done much for the multiverse, not just this Earth. And still, there remain countless other Earths that haven't heard of me. You'll meet all kinds of people, not just your teammates. Be patient with every one of them. Focus on your goal," Ms. Sharp said.
"Yes, Ms. Sharp!" Bijou nodded. "What is my goal?"
"You're going to join a roller derby team for a tournament in December," Ms. Sharp said. "Enjoy yourself. Explore the multiverse and make friends. The team's finally good enough to practice with you, but I'd like you to polish them up and see if you can't get them up to your level."
"Ms. Sharp?" Bijou asked. It certainly wasn't what she expected. "My important mission is to help train a roller derby team?"
"For now," Ms. Sharp nodded. "Certain contracts are still being finalized. By the time the tournament arrives, you'll know if you need to win or lose."