They're probably watching and evaluating every single move we make to see whether we're a good fit for this club.

In other words, the interview has already begun!

There were a lot of people outside the club's gates today! I was surprised by the massive turnout; they all seemed to be just like us- young couples looking to get admittance into the Garden of Eden club. I knew this club was exclusive, but I had no idea this many people wanted to join! Loid did say it would advance his position in the party; my estimate was it was the same for all of them.

The club's grounds themselves were enormous! It had a garden that stretched as far as the eye could see on each side. The front gates were painted gold with white trim. It was breath-taking and obviously had a lot of thought put into its design. Still…. If I'm being honest, my heart was still with the castle. This place was gorgeous and magnificent, but it was newer and felt like a massive money stuck. Now I knew where all our tax dollars went to; they took more than forty percent of my wage when I was a teenage, meaning that Yuri and I almost starved…. All while they bunkered down in this grand palace they called a "club". The idea disgusted me a little. At least with the castle you could feel the history and emotion lingering in the walls; this estate felt cold and unwelcoming to outsiders, which made sense, I guess.

From the moment we crossed through the golden front gates, I had this unwavering sense that we were being watched. Not in a bad sort of way, more so someone was keenly observing us. Why, I couldn't guess, but it made me feel uneasy. It didn't help that Loid was behaving like a robot all of a sudden either. I saw a look in his eyes I hadn't seen since the day he asked me to marry him in the café. His expression was also chilly, vacant, and extremely calculating. He reverted back to his manipulative, Machiavellian way of thinking, and those cold, detached eyes… But he wasn't looking at me, more so all around us, like he was assessing the situation. We'd held hands the whole way here, but once we were through that gate, he pulled my arm in and wrapped his around mine.

I didn't ask why he did this- all the other couples were walking arm-in-arm. It was slightly uncomfortable and unnatural. True, I enjoyed being this close to him, but something about this position felt…. off. It was a mannerism of the social elite; men of high society held ladies' arms to "assist" them while walking, so it were. It was a show of dominance as well as support; it reminded women that they were physically inferior to men and needed extra help…. even while walking. It felt strange since I've worked since I was a young girl without any assistance, yet party members coddled their women to keep them in their place. My lips pursed again in utter disgust. I know why Loid took my arm, and I don't blame him one bit for doing so. No, I blame these sexist men who want to keep women down, who would judge Loid if he merely held my hand…. like an equal.

That's the first time in my life that I realized….. That's right, Loid's only ever held my hand before, even when we first got married. He never took my arm but held my hand…. He let me walk beside him, but not as someone to support but as an equal. It hit me like a lightning bolt as my eyes widened and I stared at the ground in profound awe and disbelief. Loid sees me as his equal….. Sure, he may have had his own personal motives to marry me; so did I. We got married with ulterior motives in mind….. But we did so as equals. I'm his equal….. He's probably the only party member who sees his wife as his equal. He's never said this to me, but he's proven this in subtler ways….. He held my hand. He always took hold of my hand…..

This was no time for blushing though! We were a married couple and supposed to act like it. All the wives strode on their husbands' arms, but none of them looked particularly happy. Everyone was frowning and wore very grave expressions, including MY husband. Sensing that it might be unseemly to smile, I did my very best to look stone-faced too, which was hard. All I had to do was remind myself of the pressure we were under presently.

Everyone was so silent- it was insanely awkward. This was more like marching into a prison than an elegant, elitist club. Not far ahead of us was another set of gates; these ones smaller. Standing on each side of the gate was an attendant in uniform, checking the IDs of everyone who entered. I gave Loid's arm an anxious squeeze, which he returned as if to say "it'll be alright. Just leave everything to me." That's fine with me! I'd feel better if I didn't have to say a word, lest I say the wrong thing, which was a distinct possibility.

We waited in line with everybody else, slowly progressing towards the ladies. "Please show your National Unity Party membership ID," the man on our side held out his hand expectedly. I said and did nothing while my husband dug through his coat pocket. He quietly took out our ID cards and handed them over. The man inspected them closely before handing them back and motioning us forward. "K-212, yes? Please proceed to Hall A," he told us. Once we were through, I blinked discreetly to Loid. "K-212?" "My party number," he whispered back. "Oh," I made a conscious effort not to nod my head; that felt like something party wives were expected to know.

Once inside the interior- which was a smaller garden surrounded by walls- Loid gave my arm another squeeze, this one less reassuring. "They're still watching us. Keep your guard up," he leaned over to so whisper into my ear. My back stiffened and the muscles in my arms and legs tensed. "I'm so nervous." "I know, but just breathe. We're almost there." "Do you think we're doing alright so far?" "Yes, but stop talking," he ordered, and I immediately understood why. None of the other couples were even so much as looking at each other, much less speaking to one another. I don't even think many of them liked each other, judging by their distant behaviour. It made me ponder just how many rich people were forced into arranged marriages….. Mrs. Desmond had an arranged marriage; maybe it wasn't uncommon. Heh, so if I really wanted to fit in then, I'd better act like I hated Loid… which was the exact opposite of how I really felt. No, stop it, Yor! Don't think that way! You can't blush! You can't show emotion! Stone-faced! Be a robot! Pretend you're a robot, at least until we're inside. You can do it!

I know you can do it!