Authors Note? Hmm... Have a great day, you're awesome, and stay safe! Enjoy this chapter!
Anya woke up with a jolt, surprised. She didn't know what was happening. Mrs. Manya hung over her, grinning, and the orphanage were waiting, excited, at her bunk. Anya smiled, finally remembering. "It's my birthday." Anya said softly.
"Happy birthday, Anya." Mrs. Manya grinned at her. Anya lit up and got out of bed, nearly smashing her head on the top bunk in the process.
"it's my birthday!" Anya cried, gleefully. It was finally here... She would be eighteen, able to move out of the orphanage. She always found the ones that stayed back at the orphanage after eighteen - like Mrs. Manya - quite queer. Why would anyone want to stay in this orphanage their whole lives? Why waste their lives tending to a bunch of squirming kids?
"Anya!" Lily squealed as Anya rushed to the public hygiene area. The room in the orphanage was a public bathroom for all the girls at the orphanage. "You're eighteen now!"
"I am!" Anya squealed with her. Lily and Anya were going to start a farm together, just the two of them. It had always been Anya's dream, and today, she could finally fulfill that dream. "It's going to be huge."
"I can't wait." Lily patted her as she picked up a toothbrush and started checking it for dirt. "You're going to be a awesome co-founder."
"You too." Anya smiled as she turned on the faucet. She had her life planned out - she was going to start a farm with Lily. Of course, Lily wouldn't be able to leave the orphanage for another three years, but Anya would start it, and Lily would make it even better.
"Are you two done yet?"
Anya turned around to see Hannah, at the doorway, sneering as they washed their face.
"I've got a lot of work to do." Hannah yawned, shooting them away - oddly, it actually worked. Lily backed up and Anya flinched, backing into a wall. Hannah swiftly strutted to the sink. "You can't believe how much work Mrs. Manya gives us directors-in-training. Not that you know, wanting to start a farm."
"A farm is just as much productive as a orphanage director, maybe even more!" Lily growled. She walked up to her sister, suddenly angry, "so dont-"
Anya turned off the faucet and grabbed Lily's arm. "Let's go."
"What?" Lily protested. "But -"
"Let's go, Lily." Anya said calmly, ignoring Hannah's scoffs and dragging Lily out of the hygiene area.
As they shut the door and began their way back to the bunks, Lily grumbled, "What were you doing? I was about to give Hannah a piece of my mind!"
"Look..." Anya sighed, then said, "I don't want to fight."
"But -" Lily suddenly stopped. "Hello, Mrs. Manya."
Mrs. Manya stood at the edge of the steps, staring at them. "Anya."
Anya stopped, waiting for her to continue. What did she want? Did she do something wrong? "Yes, Mrs. Manya?"
Mrs. Manya didn't reply. She just stood there, staring at Anya, as if she had never seen her before. "Mrs. Manya?"
"Ah... Sorry, Anya. Well, happy birthday." Mrs. Manya looked uncomfortable, looking away. "And... Well, watch the television today." Mrs. Manya stared at her again. Anya frowned. What was so special about her that Mrs. Manya stopped to say happy birthday? Didn't she already say it a few minutes ago? Mrs. Manya stopped abruptly to study her again, uncertain.
"... Yes? " Anya said uncomfortably.
Mrs. Manya sighed. "Your mother would we proud of you."
She said something about your mom." Lily said as she folded a yellow T-shirt. They were packing Anya's belongings before she left the orphanage. "Do you think she really knew your mom?" Lily stopped to gasp for a playful dramatic effect. "Oh, what if your mom is alive and Mrs. Manya is some secret messenger?"
"Don't be ridiculous." Anya said as she grabbed her towel. "And stop talking about her. She probably was just losing her mind. Mixed me up with some... I don't know, movie character and started rambling." Anya sighed. She didn't want to talk about Mrs. Manya. It was weird enough, and she didn't want any drama in her life. That was Lily's cue to stop talking about the debacle.
Lily went the other way, unfortunately. "So you are implying that Mrs. Manya has mental issues?" She asked, putting the T-shirt into Anya's black suitcase. "She seems perfectly sane to me." Lily muttered.
Anya ignored her, instead concentrating on folding a rather queer dress. She hadn't ever seen it, yet it was in her belongings, stuffed deep beneath the piles of clothes. "I've never seen this before." She marveled. Anya reached for the green jewel on a beautiful, shining belt. "Where did I ever get it?"
"It's so small. " Lily remarked, crawling towards her. She frowned. "For an eleven year old."
The green dress was eerily beautiful, but it held some kind of mysterious essence to it. "I must have had it when I was little."
"What's that?" Said a voice behind them. "Where did you get that?"
Anya turned around to see Hannah with a, for the first time, a awed face. "I don't know." She said, wary of Hannah's sudden kindness. "I just found it."
Hannah stared at the dress, then glanced at Anya's suitcase with a uneasy look. "You must have been rich."
Anya was taken aback by this. "What?"
"To have such a grand dress, and such a designer suitcase, you must have been rich. Of course I know, I'm going to be director of this orphanage." Hannah's awe mixed with a rushed boast felt surreal. "I wonder why you want to open a farm. Your rich family would take you in if you go to them." Hannah s voice had... Envy in it. But what was so special about a dress and a suitcase? How was it enough to make her feel envious?
"Designer?" Lily read the suitcase tag and her mouth went wide. "Woah. That must have cost a thousand dollars."
"No. No. No. The orphanage just gave me this suitcase. The dress was probably lost and someone just put it in my belongings. When I came, I wasn't wearing it! I... Was a poor orphan. Nothing else." But Anya's voice sounded more like she was trying to convince herself rather than Hannah and Lily.
"The orphanage would never give anyone those items. They simply wouldn't be able to afford it. I studied the budget. Did you know-"
"Anya, if you're rich, you should just leave." Lily cut Hannah off, staring at Anya intently. " There's no use staying here. Just go to the North."
"No. No no no!" Anya shook her head. She couldn't believe that Lily and Hannah were suggesting this! "Of course not!"
"Are you?" Hannah rose her eyebrows and leaned in, as if she was interrogating her. Anya pursed her lips, uncomfortable, as Hannah yawned and stood, checking her fingernails. "Well, I'll leave you two to sort yourselves. You guys can handle it, I assume?" Lily gave Hannah a death stare. "Woah, okay, you don't need to be so defensive. I'm your sister, not some assassin." With that, Hannah rushed away, yelling, "Mrs. Manya!"
Lily waited until Hannah was gone, finally turning to Anya as Anya cast the dress aside and attempted to rip off the designer tag on the suitcase. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."
"What do you want?" Anya said bitterly, looking up. "I have to leave soon."
"Anya. No, Anya, listen to me." Lily shook Anya's shoulder. "If you really are rich, you should just go. It's for the best."
"Can we stop talking about this?!" Anya snapped shut the suitcase, gritting her teeth. This had gone too far. "You're actually going to believe a story made up by Hannah? Are you a hypocrite or what? One moment you say that Hannah is a jerk, and the next you're fully supporting whatever nonsense she is saying!"
"No, but Anya. This is good for you. I just want the best for you, Anya. If you're a normal person... Well, a Southern girl, a farm would be perfect. But if you were a wealthy girl... I bet going to the North would be the best." Lily said softly. "It's fine. I don't care. I'll do fine on my own. You don't have to always stick to me."
Lily thought that Anya wanted a farm for her?! "Lily, if you think I want a normal, no government... No politics nonsense life for you, you're wrong! You're wrong by a mile!" Anya yelled. The orphanage turned to stare at her, but Anya didn't dare look at them. She had worked so hard to be Lily's friend, to start a farm with her, and it was being thrown away. "What if I want a farm for myself? What if this was all about myself!? It's not about you! You're... You're not the only thing in my life, you know!" Anya shouted.
"Well, maybe a farm isn't as great as we think! Have you ever heard of the farmers that starve to death? Anya, do you want me to die, alone? A farm isn't your destiny, Anya. If this was true, then your life could be so much better than a malnourished farmer with nothing to sell!" Lily hissed." Why can't you accept that? What's so special about a farm?"
Anya ignored Lily's rants and stomped off. She knew where she wanted to go. She was going to go to her farm. Buy some land. She could do it without Lily, she knew. Why did she even think of starting a farm with Lily, a girl who wasn't even passionate about food?
"Anya!"
Anya turned around. Mrs. Manya was calling her.
"Yes?" Anya said dangerously. She hid a tear. She felt guilty for yelling at Lily like that, now. But at least she could apologize. And then Lily could apologize. All would be well and they could just start the farm that Anya always dreamed of.
"Please. Watch. For five minutes." Mrs. Manya pulled out a old, scrappy television. She picked up the old remote that was sitting on top of it, and pressed a button. The screen came to life, with audio pounding out earsplitting sounds. Mrs. Manya grimaced and adjusted the volume to a lower level.
"And here we are with the selected for Prince John!" The television host almost screamed into her mic. The Selection? Why was Mrs. Manya showing her The Selection? Sure, it was rare, with one generation per selection, but why so urgent? It was not like she couldn't watch the replay later - of course, Anya would most likely not watch a Northern show like this, seeing as Anya had no intention in government.
The entire orphanage gathered in to watch, genuinely interested. Why would Mrs. Manya show them The Selection, live? Weren't they supposed to be doing more productive chores?
The Prince strutted onstage. He was an Amudite, all right, with their light hair and gleaming skin. Anya rolled her eyes. The Amudite house was a very self - absorbed, tyrannical house of royals. Each King and Queen had five children, four for the four regions, one to rule all of Gondalia. All Amudites had special powers... Immortality. Each King and Queen had children at the expense at the risk of their own children trapping them into the External Pit, a underground pit in the center of the Unknown Ocean, which provided a replacement for death. How they came to be immortal has long been forgotten by history, and there are always speculations. The Selections were hence extremely rare, as the ascension of royals was overly slow. Being Selected was sought by many, as the spouse of the central heir was granted immortality once they and the royal had their five children. It was a mysterious force that made immortality, and Eastern scientists had long studied it, to no avail. Thus, immortality made the Amudites absolutely unpleasant and selfish. Many had tried rebellions, but with no success, as they were... Well, literally immortal.
The Selection was a event that helped the arrogant immortals find a spouse, as it was exceedingly hard for them to. So, every time a Amudite heir came of age, they would hold a Selection. The drama filled show was a great source of entertainment to many - to the North, it was a admirable representation of royal life. To the West, it was one of the best reality shows ever filmed, to the East, it was a nice pass time to make up for boring lectures, and to the South, it was a source of hope... Hope that one day a Southern maiden will marry the prince and bring glory to the region... Because, well, the South had long been through various droughts and shortages. But no one cared. Many would starve to death if not for the orphanages, and money was scarce. To start a farm was risky business, and not many succeeded. But it was this daunting challenge that Anya was drawn to.
"And I shall select the Southern ones first." The prince said in a tired voice, as if he was stifling a yawn. "Because I want to."
He reached for a paper from a basket and read it. "Boring name." He remarked apathetically. "Anya Alude."
Anya Alude. At first the name felt distant, like any other name. At first the name was someone else's. At first, Anya felt nothing. She merely stared at the screen, counting the quantity of frown wrinkles the Prince had amassed over the years.
"Happy Birthday!" Mrs. Manya clapped her hands in absurd childish glee. The whole orphanage was clapping, rooting for Her. Anya was confused. Why were they saying that now?
And it finally hit her.
She was selected.
"No. No. Mrs. Manya?" Anya stared at her. She couldn't believe this. "What kind of joke is this?" she asked angrily. No. No. No. She can't go. Her argument with Lily was already enough stress for today... But this? Going to the North to court a self-absorbed prince? The only good that could come out of this was the luxury of the palace, and, if chosen, immortality. And worse? Anya didn't even want luxury or immortality. This was not supposed to happen! This was... Not her destiny!
"Go, Anya!" Lily was smiling at her, like Anya had never yelled at her. Anya knew she was supposed to feel relieved that Lily wasn't still angry at her, but instead Anya felt a surge of rage. Lily. Lily, the co-founder of their farm-to-be, was encouraging this horrifying thing, the North, the Selection, the Amudites...
"There's our little princess." Hannah smirked. She knew, Anya knew that she knew her real intentions. And Anya hated her for being so arrogant, such a braggart.
Anya didn't want this. Everyone knew she didn't want this. She had always proudly declared that she was to start a farm. But everyone still forgot that as soon as something else came. Was that dream so fragile that it broke... Just like that?
"Mrs. Manya..." Anya gulped down her impulse to storm away from the orphanage. She had to keep her calm. "Mrs. Manya, what's so special about me? Why did you... Get me into The Selection?"
Mrs. Manya sighed. "Anya-"
"Ms. Alude. We are here to pick you up."
Anya turned around, shocked to see that a few Gondalian soldiers were at the door, stiff, upright, and utterly menacing. Anya bit her lip.
"So... I'm going." Anya said slowly, hoping that this was just a mistake. "To the North. To court the prince."
"Were we not clear?" A soldier to the left said sharply. "You are-"
"No, no. I get it." Anya looked at the television, which was exploding with trumpets, as the Prince had just finished announcing the last suitor. "I'm coming."
The farmer-turned-suitor turned to her best friend, who waved her on, and then at her best friend's sister, who shrugged at her. She then looked at her bunk, which she had slept in for years, and finally at the orphanage director whom she had looked up to for so long. And so she stepped away from it, holding her black suitcase, wearing a plain, brown dress, until she came to the door.
"Lily?" Anya turned back, but Lily was gone. And if lucky, she was gone forever. Anya sighed, then turned away.
And with that, she left her childhood, and discarded her dreams.
So! Was it good? I put half of my brain into this, which is something.
I finally found the line! Took me long enough.
Please please please submit... It means a lot to me! Now go, go do your stuff, your life is waiting! :)