Scanning the options before him, Jeff found one that immediately stood out to him — a king. Between dealing with his overbearing family and the woes of being a teenager, he felt powerless, not in control of his life. At that moment Jeff wanted nothing more than to be the one in charge. Without a moment’s hesitation, Jeff selected the option he wanted.
Nothing happened immediately, but as soon as Jeff stood up off of his chair, the changes began. His surroundings shifted, beginning directly in front of him and emanating outwards. First his chair changed, wooden legs replacing the metal and plastic desk chair it had been before. The walls of his room expanded, with painted plaster becoming bare stone, although it was quickly covered up by exquisite tapestries. His bed nearly doubled in size, turning into an extravagant four-poster bed.
Everything that made the room “modern” also disappeared. Rather than a ceiling light, the new bedroom was lit by torches and candles. Instead of a closet, there was now a wooden wardrobe decorated with carvings. His full-body mirror was replaced with a small hand-mirror. Somewhat concerningly, Jeff’s computer also disappeared, and with it, the Chronivac.
However, Jeff did not have time to think about that as his next changes began. Suddenly, all of his clothes vanished, as if they’d never existed at all. At first, Jeff thought that this was in preparation for the shift to a king’s clothes, but it turned out that wasn’t the case. Rather, his newfound nakedness provided him with an excellent opportunity to view firsthand the changes to his own body.
Firstly, Jeff began to grow, in all senses of the word. His height shot up to around six feet, and his shoulders became broader; his jawline more defined. He bulged outwards as well, gaining first muscle, and then a slight layer of fat — not enough to make him overweight, but enough for his belly to obscure his abs somewhat. His hair grew longer, down to his neck, as it darkened from dirty blonde to brown. Jeff felt a tingling sensation all over his face, and he rushed for the hand-mirror that now laid on his desk to see what was causing it. His eyes, which he noted were now green, widened as he saw a thick beard, the same color as his hair, growing on his face until it was so long it touched his chest. The tingling sensation then spread down to the rest of his body, and coarse hair began to grow everywhere — on his chest, his arms, his groin, and his legs. Once the changes were finished, instead of a naked teenager, there now stood a naked man in his early thirties.
Finally, Jeff began to be reclothed, but they were not the same clothes he’d started out with. From his waist to his knees, his legs were covered with black breeches, accentuated with silver buckles and golden drawstrings. The rest of his legs were covered by black stockings, as well as polished brown boots. His torso became draped in a silk, red robe that reached his thighs, with long sleeves that went up to his hands. On his waist appeared a golden belt. Jeff then felt something weighing down his back. Craning his neck, he saw that there was now a red cape extending from the back of his head down to the floor beneath him. Its top and bottom were lined with thick fur, and a thin silver chain, wrapped around his neck, attached one end to the other.
Despite that fact that he was now the spitting image of a medieval king, Jeff noted that there was one thing missing — his crown. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that he needed his crown. Even though he had never seen it in his life, he could picture it so clearly in his head — a golden ring, fitted perfectly for his head, with eight large crosses protruding upwards from it. Intricate designs were carved into it, and gemstones of every time imaginable, including diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds, were embedded into it. He blinked, and suddenly it was there on his desk. Eagerly, he grabbed it, but then hesitated. Despite the deep sense of familiarity he felt towards it, when he thought about it he couldn’t remember any point of his life when he had worn it. However, one more look at the crown was enough to sway him. How could it not be his crown? Without a second thought, he placed it on his head.
It was as if the world had come alive anew. Jeff could hear the fires on the torches crackling; the birds singing outside of his window; he could hear the knocking on his door.
“Come in,” Jeff barked, briefly amazed by the commanding tone his voice had, before becoming confused. Why would he be amazed by his own voice? It was the same voice he’d always had, and besides, without it, he wouldn’t be a very effective leader.
The door swung open, revealing a figure in a thick gray cloak, his face shadowed by his hood. Despite this, Jeff immediately recognized him as his court wizard, Vacichron. For a brief moment, Jeff thought that the name sounded somewhat familiar, but he quickly dismissed the thought. He’d known Vacichron his entire life! Of course his name was familiar! “Your majesty,” the wizard said, “your subjects await you in the throne room.”
Jeff nodded, and stepped out, letting Vacichron lead him through the labyrinthine corridors of the castle, each of which was lined with torches, ornate tapestries, and doors to various other parts of the castle. At first glance, they all appeared the same, but as they went through them, Jeff began to realize that they were, in fact, distinct. Yes, on second thought, he actually recognized several of the halls they’d walked through. Not only that, but he knew what was being shown on the tapestries. They glorified the exploits of his ancestors — as well as himself.
Slowly but surely, King Jeff’s memories of his modern life were being pushed to the back of his mind, locked behind the memories of the royal life he’d always been a part of. As he and Vacichron walked through the halls, he stopped following him and took the lead — partially because he no longer needed him to show him where to go, and partially because he was the king, and he always came first, no matter what. In fact, the closer he got to the throne room, the more he felt like this was what his life was always like, with his needs and desires coming before anyone else’s.
As King Jeff approached the tall doors to the throne room, he came to a realization: his name wasn’t his name. Jeff may have been a fitting name for a scrawny adolescent always pushed around by others, but not for him. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he laughed at the idea of his name being Jeff. He knew that he had another one, if he could only remember it. With a mighty flourish, he flung open the doors to the room and took a seat in his ornate throne, which was fitted with lush purple velvet cushions. From it, he gazed approvingly upon the crowd of peasants and nobles alike, who looked upon him with awe and admiration in their eyes and bowed deeply as soon as he entered.
It was at this moment that the king remembered his true name. In all regards, it was the only name that befitted a man of his grandeur, wealth, and power; the most important man in the kingdom — no, the world! “All rise for your King Godfrey!” he bellowed, watching in satisfaction as the crowd lifted itself off the ground as one at his command.
“All hail King Godfrey!” the crowd chanted in unison.
King Godfrey smiled. The prospect of being a powerless teenager seemed absurd to him, and even if his vague memories of his previous life were real, he still much preferred who he was right now — a leader and a king, who controlled an entire populace with just his voice, as was his God-given right.
Standing from his throne, King Godfrey issued his royal decree, knowing that whatever he said, his subjects would do it without question. For he was King Godfrey, the most powerful man in the world!