Regents and Skirts

Anticipate

"I don't know why that b***h keeps following them when she has nothing useful to say" Katie says. Referring to Mila of course.

"You're getting really good at cursing" Edward replies and she smiles.

"Come on"

We all leave our little room

"The claustrophobic Skirts had better not raised their hands" Mika says concerned

"Hope so too" I mutter

We really don't know where to go. Then we see a Regent approach us.

"This way" he says and we obey.

Very soon, we hear loud noises.

As we walk into the large dining hall, we are met with a very bizarre scene

People clad in tattoos with a weird dressing sense, gather around respective dining tables and some throw their food and meat around while others catch it cheering

Some are standing on the tables. They're all laughing and screaming.

"Never in my life" we all hear Benedict say.

We can't help but agree with her.

Soon we are settled down at a table with food portions already arranged.

So this was how things worked here, they just dropped your food at the table and if you were lucky enough to not miss it, you eat. If your food gets snatched, it gets snatched.

The bread looked so weird with a green mix I have never seen before inside

"You know what, I'm chill. Wasn't even dead hungry anyways" Gideon said moving his food slightly away from him.

"I rather eat pickles. I'm allergic to pickles" Benedict says.

Mika just shakes her head.

My eyes wander around the room trying to find Odette, when my eyes spot her across the room, all the zeal to see her goes away.

She looked so settled in. It's like she was waiting for them. Did she know they'd come? Did she plan on joining us not because she was concerned but because she wanted out?

She knew about the question and had already planned to go hadn't she?! Was she in cohort with them? was I wrong about my analysis?

I slam my hand at the table in frustration at the thoughts.

Then I see everyone turn to me.

"I'm good, just thinking" I say.

"My my, Maria. Your father would roll in his grave if he found out what you just did." Katie joked. Banging the dining table was a pretty big deal.

"Good thing he wasn't buried" I say and we all chuckle.

"Let's just try it and see. It can't be that bad" Mika says and we grunt.

She's the first to bite into it and all of us watch her like we are expecting her to drop dead any moment.

After chewing for a while, she nods her head in approval.

"Tastes okay and I don't know.. healthy??" Mika says and we just nod, reluctantly taking a bite as well.

"Not bad" Edward says after he swallows.

"Definitely better than pickles" Benedict confirms

We eat for a while then someone starts hitting the table.

Others join in. I look around to identify some skirts and they all look as amused as us.

'oh villaint soldiers of peace, silenced in the war. In the war.

Oh old old soldiers of skill, as you voyaged across for peace. Left us behind to grow on our own. To make history.

Villaint soldiers we follow in your footsteps. We voyage across for war for war. To bring peace. To bring peace. To our aching souls, our aching souls.'

We just listen to them. As they sing and chant.

After some time they cheer and continue eating.

"We'll all die" Benedict says pulling her hair in fear. She was hinting to the song that was no doubt about the war.

I am afraid she might be right because the song held so much bitterness, it scared me.

"No we won't" I say looking at her firmly but she turns away.

"Gee I feel so encouraged Maria" She mutters under her breath

Soon they ring a bell and we see everyone getting up to leave. We also follow suite but a regent stops us.

"And where do you think you're going?" He asks.

We turn to him. I'm sure Benedict is about to give him a sassy answer and I want to warn her but Gideon beats me to it by giving her a soft pinch

"Anything the matter?" Katie asks

"Skirts clean up. See you guys at 11" he says with a smile before leaving.

We look around.

"So everyone here is a skirt?" Gideon asks.

"I don't think so. Look some have tattoos" Gideon points out.

I sigh. It would've been great if I could just talk to them. All of them. They were probably afraid we would do just that. and plan against them

We began cleaning in comfortable silence as we moved from one table to another. Nobody strayed. We just cleaned sharing duties like passing the plates, and cleaning the crumbs off the table.

Once in a while, we'd nudge each other to watch Benedict as she looked like she would break down any moment. Then we'd giggle and earn her glares.

she was strong. She just had a different way of showing it.

Cleaning didn't feel so bad. Especially if I had them around

"We have our own version of the song they sang earlier you know" Katie said. Of course she would know. She was a bookworm and loved history.

"I'd love to hear it" I said

"Yeah hit us with your melody" Gideon joked

"It's a little calmer than theirs...

'oh calm soldiers of war, speaking in the peace. In the peace.

Oh old old soldiers of skill, as you played your brothers into war. Swearing to end our fear. To make history.

Calm soldiers we follow in your footsteps. We break our hearts for peace, for peace. To stop future war. To bring peace. To our weary souls, our weary souls.'

We all hum along

"As much as I hate to admit, I could get used to this" Mika says referring to the cleaning and bonding. We all smile in agreement except Benedict.

When we all turn to her she sighs

"Well... It's definitely better than pickles"

"Benedict!" We all chorus laughing afterwards, earning quite the stares from around us.

Once, I see Odette staring but I look away as fast as possible

************************************

When we are done clearing the tables, we all return to our hostel. As we are approach our room, I can feel the tension rise among us because we know that thirty minutes from now, might be the last time we see each other.

that's our first training and it's to the death.

Because I'm sure even if we surrender, they are going to kill us.