~Rose~

When I was little, death had always seemed far away. Having my life terminated was never something to fear or worry about. The only thoughts that had entered my mind were about making new friends and never stopping the fun. Avoiding homework and finding ways to hoard all my favorite toys and treats. Death had been buried in the deepest, darkest parts of my conscience so much, that I'd almost forgotten I was mortal.

The notice I received today made me remember.

"It was only a matter of time," my mother, Janine Hathaway, said. She stood beside me in our living room, fanning her tan and leathery face with a calloused hand. While our broken AC had to be ruining her mood, I knew the notice was responsible for putting a sad look in her hazel eyes.

"I suppose so." I nearly cringed at my agreement, even though it was reluctant. My mother squeezed my shoulder out of comfort. She'd never been the affectionate type, and this was the most loving gesture she ever did. If I was lucky, she gave me an embrace.

"You should read it, Rose. I know you don't want to, but you need to see what it says." She ripped her hand away from me and latched onto one of the letter's sides, moving it until it was directly in front of my face. Sternness poured into her, as she waited for me to take the putrid piece of paper.

I shook my head. "I can't." Tears welled up in my eyes and threatened to break free. I hated that the letter was making me feel as if I was falling apart, especially since I hadn't even read it. I felt so weak and afraid—two emotions I'd never wanted to experience.

Death had always seemed far away…

"It's okay, Rose. You can read it," my mother coaxed, using a soothing tone I'd never heard from her. She placed her hand on my back, this time. "It's just a letter like any other."

The notice honestly wasn't. It was something no young woman and her family looked forward to. It punished them for something that shouldn't be wrong—something that was supposed to be praised and cherished.

However, my mother knew that saying it was would succeed in calming me down. My resistance slowly faded at her touch and words. Maybe I could look at the letter. Maybe the message wouldn't be that bad of a read. Of course, the only way to know was to read the goddamn thing.

I fidgeted with the hem of my white, tank-top and took a deep breath. Licking my lips, I gave the slightest nod. "Okay. I'll read it."

She wordlessly handed over the letter then folded her arms across her chest. I grasped the paper with a quaking hand and had my eyes observe the sentences that paraded around on its porcelain-white page.

Dear Olestran Family,

Your eighteen-year-old daughter, Rosemarie Hathaway, has been selected to participate in Her Majesty's annual beauty event, Fairest of All. Please have her report to your city hall tomorrow at 7am. Tardiness and absence will not be tolerated, and she must bring her finest clothing. May she live to see the rest of her years.

Sincerely,

The High Council of Olestra

My heart dropped to my stomach, and I clutched the letter so tightly, that my hand paled to a stark-white. "I can't believe this is happening," I croaked, as hollowness and terror consumed me. I hadn't received this notice for the past, four years. I'd been guaranteed life for the past, four years. But now, all of that was going to change.

Death was closer than ever.

My mother pulled me into her arms, and I lay my head on her steady shoulder. This would've been awkward any other time, since she was six inches shorter than me, but it didn't feel like that now. "I know, Rosemarie. I know," she softly said, her voice thick with emotion. It was times like these that made her use my full name. "If there was a legal way to get out of this, we'd do it. However, there isn't, and we can't break the rules."

She was right. Her Majesty, Queen Natasha Ozera, would never allow anyone to disobey her mandate, a law that punishes 14 to 18-year-old girls for being beautiful. The one deemed the most beautiful—the fairest—was executed on national television, so I could only imagine what she'd do to a rebel.

Besides, my mother held the rank of lieutenant as an officer for Hesperia State Police, the law enforcement agency of our desert-like territory. She didn't have a rule-breaking bone in her body.

"Do you think I'll be spared?" I quietly asked, a tear leaking out of my eye. Eleven out of the twelve girls selected—three per state capital—were sent home, but at a price: beauty and humanity.

Having those traits robbed was certainly unfavorable, but I'd take it over a death sentence.

My mother pondered silently for a few moments. I wanted her to tell me yes so badly, but I doubted she would; I was an attractive girl. My darkest brown hair fell to my waist in soft waves, and my eyes were just as dark, surrounded by long and full eyelashes. I had enviable curves combined with a slender physique, and my skin glowed with flawless youth.

There was no way I'd make it through the three, beauty assessments. Especially the first one, which examined the contestants' physical appearances. My mother had to be thinking the same thing.

Just as I'd predicted, she was. "I don't think so, Rose," she answered. A weak smile pulled at her lips, but it left as quickly as it came. "You should tell Vasilisa that you got selected. You know, say goodbye. This might be the last time you two see each other." She gave me a look that urged me to accept my fate, and I wanted to yell at my mother for giving up so easily.

However, I couldn't. Because it was the truth. I needed to recognize that my death was most likely going to occur on someone else's terms, despite having never asked or wished for it.

"All right," I said, my reluctance returning yet again. I sniffled and wiped my face. "I'll go see her right now." Once those words exited my mouth, I hugged my mother and told her I'd return soon. Gripping the letter tighter than before, I took a deep breath and put my tattered emotions at bay.

Then, I ventured out into the scorching, summer heat.

It didn't take long to get to Lissa Dragomir's residence. We both lived in the heart of Embersia, the capital of Hesperia, and five minutes on the immaculate streets lead me to her luxury apartment. When I entered the air-conditioned building, I didn't even bother to check in at the front desk.

I'd been here so many times, that the doorman knew who I was. The only situation where I checked in was when someone different noticed me.

Since Lissa lived on the thirty-eighth floor, I took the elevator instead of the stairs. I never really felt comfortable inside one. The noises they made sounded like they were going to break down. Crappy music was always playing. And, it was incredibly awkward being with other people who were total strangers; no one ever talked, and I was forced to stare into space as a pastime.

I was relieved, when the elevator stopped and opened. I hurried out of it and turned left, strolling down the corridor until I reached a door that had 3811 on the front. When I raised my hand to knock, it just hung in the air, unwilling to touch the door. I tried to muster up the courage to do it, but anxiety was coursing through me so much, that my nerves remained stiff.

How could I tell my best friend about the notice? We'd been inseparable for thirteen years, and this type of news would crush her. I didn't want to say that she was probably never going to see me again. I wanted to say that she was going to see me later.

That I was still going to be alive.

"How long have you been standing there, Rose?"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. Lowering my hand, I spun around and met a pair of jade-green eyes—Lissa's eyes. "Oh my god, you scared me!" Confusion replaced my skittishness. "You weren't at home? I thought you were here."

She shook her platinum-blond head. "No. I was out shopping." Her voice sounded grim, and that confused me even more. Lissa loved shopping. She always bought the latest trends and looked her best, despite Queen Natasha's cruel mandate. I found it concerning that one of her favorite activities wasn't bringing her any joy.

"Is something wrong?" I asked. Hopefully, it wasn't worse than what I had to tell her.

My best friend started chewing on her lip and averted her gaze. Anxiety and fear slammed into me, and I held back a curse that was dying to come out. This conversation wasn't going to be good at all. I just knew it.

After several moments of silence, she took a deep breath and said, "Come inside, and I'll tell you." I nodded, and she unlocked the door with her handprint. Once we both crossed the threshold, I closed the wooden barricade behind us and walked further into the apartment.

The living room was spacious and well-decorated. A beige sectional occupied the middle of the room, complemented by zebra-patterned pillows and glistening hardwood. A coffee table sat before it, low and compact. A few magazines covered its spotless surface, along with a blue and bulbous sculpture. The cream colored, tile floor shone under the fluorescent, circular lights that resided in the smooth ceiling.

I plopped down on the couch and leaned into its soft cushions. Lissa clapped her hands to brighten the lights, then she came to sit beside me. She fidgeted with her fingers and kept her gaze on anything that wasn't me. Her nervousness drove me insane, and I didn't know how much more of it I could take.

Fortunately, my best friend's behavior stopped before mine went haywire. I was relieved…until Lissa focused her stare on my notice. My stomach twisted. "What's that?" she asked.

My heart rate skyrocketed, and the room felt significantly hotter than before; sweat accumulated on every part of my body. I didn't want to answer, but I knew I had to. I closed my eyes and took several, deep breaths.

Here goes nothing…

When I met her gaze, I tried my hardest to not look away. "The notice," I slowly said. My voice was steady, somehow. "I'm going to be a contestant in Fairest of All."

Lissa's heavenly face paled to the lightest shade of white. She was shaking now, and concern filled me to the max. Before I could even console her, she rose from the couch and left the living room, entering a wide hallway that led to the bedrooms. After about a minute, Lissa returned and handed me a piece of paper.

Tears ran down her cheeks. "Me too."

Horror seized me, and my mouth fell open. I stared at her notice, reading the same words that had been on mine. Why was life so cruel? It was like the universe hated me—hated us. Being in Fairest of All alone was something I could handle. The only person I had to worry about was myself. However, Lissa also being in the event was going to complicate things. Keeping the two of us alive was more unlikely. I wouldn't have as much control.

Shit! This was bad. This ruined everything.

"We might not make it out together, Rose." Lissa sniffled and wiped her nose, wetting the sleeve of her sheer blouse. "One of us might die."

Those words stabbed me like a knife. Lissa and I had planned on dating together, getting married together, having children together—growing old together. Now, all of that was being thrown into uncertainty. There were no guarantees anymore.

Our choices were gone.

"Or the both of us might live," I countered, not wanting to dwell on the negative. "There'll be ten other girls in the same predicament. We have no idea who Queen Natasha will choose to execute. Our competitors"—was that even the right term? — "might end up being much prettier than us."

Lissa didn't seem all that convinced, but at least she was through crying. My best friend collapsed onto the couch, laying her head on my shoulder. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She sounded exhausted.

I wrapped an arm around her. "Don't worry, Liss. I'll be right beside you, no matter what. I'll take care of everything." She loosened up, upon hearing that, but I still had more to say. I made sure to keep my voice soft, in case she tensed again. "Do your parents and Andre know?" I asked next.

A heavy sigh escaped her. She shook her head. "No. The notice came, after my mom and dad left for work. Andre was still here, when I saw it in the mail, but he left to meet up with some friends, before I opened it." Lissa's sniffling returned, and I knew she was on the verge of crying. "I don't know how I'm going to tell them, Rose. They'll be so devastated."

Even though my mother had been with me, when I received my notice, I still understood how Lissa felt. She had escaped all three of the prior opportunities we'd had to be participants in Fairest of All. Life had been undisturbed at ages 14 through 17, so it was only natural to expect the same thing at age 18.

Unfortunately, we were both wrong. And now that I thought about it, we had been foolish to believe otherwise.

"Do you want me to do it with you?" I asked, rubbing her arm soothingly. I doubted I'd be able to endure the awful announcement without sobbing, but merely supporting Lissa said enough about how strong I'd be.

When she answered, I got a response I hadn't expected. "No, it's okay. I'll do it on my own."

My eyes bugged out of my head. "Are you sure? Because I don't mind—"

"I appreciate the offer, but no thanks." Lissa faced me. Her jade-green eyes were hard and sure. "I'm fine, Rose. Really." Her voice was just as rigid as her gaze, and it became clear to me that she was serious. Her mind wasn't going to change.

"All right, then."

Silence befell us, and I tapped my thighs, unsure of what else to do. It was mid-afternoon, and Lissa's parents—Eric and Rhea Dragomir—were bound to be home in a couple hours. Not to mention, Andre—her older brother—usually came back late. We still had some time, before Lissa needed to tell her family about the notice.

We still had some time to pretend our lives weren't endangered.

"Do you want to hang out, until my family comes?" she asked. The tone of her voice told me that she wanted to pretend, just as much as I did.

I nodded vigorously. "Yes."

My best friend smiled. "Great! Let's go to my room. I want to show you what I bought, while I was out shopping," she suggested.

I agreed and followed her there. Lissa removed her purchases from a large, fancy bag and displayed three, gorgeous dresses—one for each, beauty assessment. She modeled them for me, her smile still gracing her face.

Seeing her look so attractive already, with no makeup or heels or fabulous hairstyle, planted a seed of unease inside me. If Lissa was this stunning now, then she was sure to catch Queen Natasha's eye, once Fairest of All began. Which meant that I was going to have to shift Her Majesty's attention to someone else: me.

This wouldn't be hard, since I matched—maybe even succeeded—Lissa's level of prettiness. But I didn't want to be in over my head. I needed to be able to juggle our dreadful situation. If the other contestants were as beautiful as us, then that could really work in our favor. If not, then Lissa and I were on the rocks.

The seed of unease started sprouting within me, as those thoughts raced through my mind. Lissa hadn't noticed yet, but she was incredibly skilled at sensing my emotions, so it was only a matter of time before she did.

However, I couldn't afford to kill her mood. Or keeping killing mine. We needed all the reassurance in the world, before we had to report to city hall tomorrow. Before we were transported to our potential doom.

So, I plastered a smile onto my face and played pretend.

Author's Note

Hello, everyone! I'm back with another story: a contribution for "VA does Disney." The project is actually going into effect in a few days, but I'm going to be out of town, so I decided to upload mine early.

This is Snow White-inspired, so there'll be parallels to that universe. I also plan on making parallels to VA and having the characters more "in character" than they were in HEA. The world that I created for this is mostly original. Everything takes place in a dystopian country called Olestra, which used to be the United States and run by Tatiana Ivashkov. Tasha rules an absolute monarchy, where whatever she says goes and gets obeyed. Outside of that and what I put in this chapter, details about lives of the citizens and structure of the country are kind of hazy right now. But more about this world will be revealed, as the story progresses.

All of the story will alternate between Rose and Dimitri's POV, so his perspective is coming up next. Let me know what you think about this chapter in a review, and follow and favorite if you want to keep reading!

Vocabulary: "fairness" is an archaic term for "beauty."

Until next time...