The Chosen

NINE

It's the day of the Choosing.

The Imperial Guards were already waiting outside as a flock of people started to gather behind them, with question marks on their faces. Unlike my sister, whose face was well-known to almost every person in the kingdom, someone like me, who was always hiding in the shadows of the streets and alleys, would never cross their minds as someone who could be invited as one of the prospects.

I hid behind the curtains of my room window, watching as the crowd grew bigger. The sun was out, yet the people's curiosity won over them, something I no longer had control over. I placed my hand on my chest and felt my heartbeat run faster, as though I could feel my chest about to explode.

I was afraid.

Tellulah rubbed his body against my legs, trying to ease the tension I felt inside. Tucked behind the dancing fabric, I carefully scooped him up and started patting his head softly, while my eyes remained fixed outside. He pressed his slab-sided frame so hard against mine that I felt like he could feel the beating of my heart.

"Brooklyn," Pa called. I stayed with my back facing him. I could hear his footsteps drawing closer to where I was standing, and in just a few seconds, he was already beside me. Then, a deep breath came out of his mouth.

No one talked. All we could hear was the noise coming from outside our house and the whispering purr of Tellulah. It took a couple of minutes before he finally broke the silence between us.

"I never saw any of this coming..." he murmured. His voice was calm, yet I could feel the weight it carried. From the corner of my eye, I saw the worry painted on his face. An even deeper sigh escaped his lips again before he continued to speak.

"Since when?" he asked, turning his head toward me. My throat had dried up so much that not even a single word could make it out, as if I was drowning from all the words inside my head, suffocating me.

"I just want to know before they take you. Since when, sweetheart?" he asked again, but this time, his voice sounded like he was about to cry.

I slowly turned my sight toward him as tears were about to fall, yet I tried my very best not to break down in front of him.

"It's not that easy, Pa," I replied, avoiding his question. He nodded his head, as though he understood the weight I carried from all the things I had kept from him.

"How I wish there was still something I could do to change your decision," he uttered, shifting his gaze toward the crowd clustered beyond the window. I just gave him a forced smile as I held his arm and slowly leaned my head against his shoulder.

An hour passed. I heaved a deep breath, composing myself. The faces of the people welcomed me the moment Pa opened the door. Three Imperial Guards guided me through the pandemonium and went straight to a corveisor to bring me to The Hall, where I would meet the other prospects.

The door shut, and I heard a click, followed by a beep right after. I was in the middle, with two Guards sitting on each side of me, still and silent, while Commander Conrad sat in the front seat. From inside, I saw how the people showed their confusion about why I was selected to be one of the prospects. Their faces bore the puzzlement of the situation, making me feel like I could still hear them even though the trunk was solidly soundproofed.

"Miss Trothe, put on your seatbelt please," Commander Conrad asked.

Overwhelmed by all the commotion, my eyes were still glued outside the tinted window, unintentionally ignoring the request as if I had never heard anyone talk to me. I finally became aware of my surroundings when one of the Guards attached the harness across my body. I shifted my gaze toward the window of my room, and there I saw Ma, staring at me without showing any emotion. Then the engine began to come to life as the wheels of the conveisor started turning, while the image of our house slowly faded from my sight.

"We're here." It was a twenty-minute journey before we arrived at The Hall. And, as expected, lots of people were already flooding the entrance of the building. The Imperial Guards sitting on either side of me immediately went outside, trying to clear the main entry. After seeing that there were no people blocking the way in, Commander Conrad followed and opened the door. He stood there, waiting firmly for me to get out of the conveisor.

I slowly stepped out and found myself standing on the very ground where I saw my sister being assisted three years ago. The chanting of the crowd was deafening. I felt like my eardrums would explode at any moment. Commander Conrad then led me inside The Hall, where some the members of the Council greeted me with handshakes. After a brief welcome, they brought me inside a large room where the rest of the Council and other prospects were waiting, just as Commander Conrad had told me.

When the door opened, two familiar faces caught my eye, sitting at the end of the table, waiting for our arrival.

It was Hereth and Edmun.

"Miss Trothe, please take a seat," one of the Council members said. I stared at her and realized she was a hologram—it was very difficult to tell whether she was real or not at first glance. However, she was easy to recognize as one of them because of what she was wearing, paired with a low bun that highlighted her square-shaped jawline. She remained standing in front of the conference table, waiting for everyone to settle down.

My sight landed on an empty seat beside Hereth. I slowly walked towards that spot without a word, trying not to catch a glimpse of Edmun. Everyone then followed, finding their seats.

"I'm Porsha Pride, head of the Council," the woman introduced herself. "Today marks the hundred and first Choosing, commemorating the triennial celebration of the Imperial Trial. The three of you were our best prospects for becoming the anointed Claim of Cecera, yet be reminded that only one will be worthy of representing your kingdom."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edmun fidgeting with his fingers while his stare was locked on Porsha, who started walking around the room.

"We all know that, aside from the entertainment the Ceceran Games brought, the same competition is our way of sorting out who would be the fit candidate to be sent to the Imperial Trial. And after thorough observation and very deep discussion, we came to a decision about who was going." Everyone was silent, waiting to hear what Porsha would say next.

"Earlier today, the other members of the Council and I had a conversation with Mister Festus and Miss Bismarck, which helped us to reach a firm conclusion. Considering the outcome of the recent event, Mister Festus is our top choice as the kingdom's Claim," she uttered. Hearing what she said made me let out a sigh, one that only my ears could hear.

"However, due to the injuries Mister Festus had, he was already unfit and officially out of the list. This left Miss Bismarck with the opportunity and left room for Miss Trothe to walk in..." Porsha paused and looked directly at me which made me realize what was coming. "...but Miss Bismarck declined."

My eyes lit up. I heard Hereth's soft laughter and stood up. She held out her hand to me, followed by a tight hug.

"This is what you prepared for, so make it worth it," she whispered. From behind Hereth, I saw Edmun sitting still in his chair, gnashing his teeth. I could feel his frustration. He looked at me as tears started to form in the corner of his eyes. I knew he did his best to stop me in every possible way that could lead me to become Cecera's Claim, because that's the promise he kept to my sister.

But my sister was gone.

And that's the reason why I am desperate to get where I am now. I would never let anyone get in my way of finding the truth about my sister's disappearance, even if it meant eliminating them.

I just stared at him and gave him a smile. If only he knew I had already planned what would happen during the Games, he surely would not hesitate to draw his blade against me.

But the odds were on my side, and I'm almost there.

"Congratulations, Miss Trothe. You are the Claim of Cecera for the upcoming Imperial Trial," Porsha announced. The rest of the Council lent their support as the room filled with everyone's applause. For a moment, I felt lost and overwhelmed by everything that was happening.

Then, the weight of Porsha's words finally sank in as the applause around me slowly faded into the background.

I made it.

I had become the Claim of Cecera.

Now, the next thing was to find out what happened to Seeger. I held back my tears from falling, trying to hold myself together and not to succumb to all the emotions pouring over me. I gave everyone a smile, one that showed how grateful I was—concealing the real reason behind it.

This was only the beginning.