Amethyst Allegra, Witch Priestess of the Saviours

Emily watched the trees flitting past from the back seat of the taxi on the way to her new job. It had been just over a week since she had accepted the role of Amethyst Allegra in Mr Francis’ office, and time had flown by. A flurry of forms, measurements for costumes, details of the character and the event had pinged back and forth by email, and Emily was very excited to be playing an evil witch!

The Saviours had been persecuted for some time by the Holy Order and were ready to overthrow the queen and assume control of the realm of Emporia. Amethyst was sort of a spy, and her job was to sneak into the Holy Order camp and turn their soldiers to the cause of The Saviours. There was a lot of story Emily hadn’t managed to read, but she felt sure it couldn’t be that complicated. She had spent a lot of time working out what she might need to take with her and glanced over at her purple suitcase on the seat next to her. Have I brought enough shoes? Emily pondered. Will I need all my make up? Food and drink, the forms said, were all provided, which was great! I wonder what there will be to eat? I wonder what there is to do when I’m not being Amethyst?

The taxi arrived at a gate across a small path staffed by security guards in hi-vis vests. After a moment of checking her forms one of the guards fixed a white plastic band to Emily’s left wrist and pointed her to the crew tent. After a short walk from the gate Emily entered the world of Emporia.

A large white tent stood in a small clearing. A large fire pit burned in front of the tent and a rickety wooden fence surrounded it. Two men dressed in shiny metal armour stood at an opening in the gate between two tall red banners displaying a coat of arms above the words ‘STAFF ONLY.’ Emily found all of this very impressive and quite unnerving – if you ignored the rumbling generators next to the tent and the two trucks parked behind it you could almost believe you had arrived in medieval times!

‘Emily… Emily…’ A pretty girl, tall with high, sharp cheekbones had greeted Emily at the entrance to the tent. The girl was dressed in a long red dress with a white corset and held a tablet on which she scrolled through a list of names. ‘Oh, of course: Amethyst. I’m Hen, I’m in charge of wardrobe. Yours is quite a complex one so I’ll help you get ready.’

Emily was instructed to leave her case in one corner of the tent and to store any valuables in one of a series of lockers against the wall. No keys on the lockers, Emily had to choose a four digit number for the combination lock.

The girl led Emily into a part of the tent separated by a canvas wall suspended from the frame containing mirrors, a folding screen, chairs and a trestle table with a coffee pot and a box of paper cups in the corner. After shuffling through a box full of plastic bags she pulled one. ‘Okay then, you pop behind the screen and take your clothes off while I get this ready.’

Emily walked behind the folding screen. She took a moment to listen to the sound of the fire outside, the bustle of all the people around the tent. She smelled the fresh country air, the grass beneath her feet. Then she stripped to her underwear and prepared to become Amethyst Allegra.