Chapter Two

Cain looked at his breakfast silently, ignoring the two other members of his family. It was a plain meal, a bowl of old fruit and two pieces of stale toast. They must've been short on food since they were staying in an obscure part of the province, and because of the approaching war front, although Katriel would refuse to mention it.

"My heirs and I are not eating any food from a biophilic city," Katriel scoffed at the servant who delivered the message about their food situation, which had become obvious several moments earlier.

"It's been reported clean of Hayte's Disease, Your Majesty," the servant stammered out. He was new, imported from a nearby biophilic city, and unused to their mother's temper and expectations. "I grew up there, there were never any infestations that I remember."

"Then maybe you should check your memory," growled Katriel, "because I recall requesting we have geodesic food. Not commoners' food."

The servant closed his eyes and let out a stuttering breath. "All the geodesic cities in Fennley have closed down their borders to outsiders, Your Majesty. But I assure you there have been no infestations in the whole western half."

Katriel scoffed at the servant once more. "There has to be someplace else. Where do the geodesic cities get their food from? Why didn't you tell them that we are the Royal Family?"

"Your Majesty." The servant took a deep breath. "We were instructed not to tell anyone of your presence in fear that it might compromise your family's safety. Letting an entire city be aware that your family was nearby would have been too risky."

Katriel paused with a thoughtful look on her face. "That is true," she said, and the servant looked relieved that his point had gotten across, "there could be Republic spies anywhere. We must be careful."

"Say," Kitra said slyly, looking up at the servant boy, "how close is this biophilic city?"

The servant boy's pale cheeks bloomed pink at the Princess' acknowledgement of him. "O-only two miles south of here," he stuttered out.

"Don't give her any ideas," Katriel said sharply, pulling up a holographic map of Fennley on the table.

Kitra, as per usual, ignored her mother and smiled flirtily at the servant boy. "What's your name?" She asked coyly. Cain had to resist rolling his eyes in the presence of their mother, who was focused on the map of Fennley and typing something into a tablet that had appeared next to her. In any other situation, Cain would have easily told his older sister to stop flirting with the servants and find another way to deal with being cooped up in the chateau. But, unfortunately, Kitra was just as desperate to get away as she always was.

The servant boy's dark brown eyes flickered to Katriel, then back to Kitra, completely skipping over him. "Benjamin," the boy said slowly, testing the waters with the Princess.

Cain subtly narrowed his eyes at the boy, analyzing him. He had to be a few years younger than both him and Kitra, given his fresh-faced and wide-eyed appearance. Maybe seventeen or eighteen. Which lead Cain to question why the chateau staff would put a child in the presence of the Queen and her heirs. But, of course, Katriel didn't seem to notice in the slightest. She abruptly stood up, pushing her screeching chair back, and quickly walked out of the room with her tablet in hand. Cain didn't say a word as she left, silently picking at his toast as the servant boy and, mostly, Kitra babbled on. It was their family, after all.

After what seemed like hours of Cain picking at his toast and fruit with his fork while trying to shut out the sound of his older sister's flirting with a flustered younger boy, the door to the dining room slammed open. In walked Katriel, now in a formal trouser suit, and a proud look on her face.

"Go, boy." She waved off the servant boy before turning back to her children. "I did it," she said with a pleased haughtiness around her.

"What?" Kitra rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed that Katriel had sent off her new toy.

"I've found a nearby farm," Katriel proudly explained, "that sold to the geodesic cities. It's completely free of Hayte's Disease. I sent them a message and they happily agreed to be in our service."

"Oh? And however did you convince them to give all their produce to us instead of selling it on the market?" Kitra asked sarcastically, picking at the old fruit salad on her plate.

Katriel straightened her shoulders and sat down in her former seat, picking up her own fork. "A fair price."

"And?" Kitra's eyebrows were raised. "Was that it?"

"That's it. They agreed quite quickly, I'll have you know," Katriel said in a matter-of-factly tone, picking up a strawberry on her fork.

"Sure." Kitra rolled her eyes. "And I'm sure they're enjoying the two-year conscription exemption for their children, too."

"Be quiet and eat your food," Katriel snapped, gesturing to her son as well with her fork, "and you too, Cain. And I expect the decision we've been talking about to be made by dinner."

Of course.

"If it was me. We're talking theoretically right now. I'm not making any promises."

Kitra looked up from a map of Illéa, eyes sparkling with a thought. "We should get some girls from the Northern Commonwealth. Negotiations for supplies and things would be a lot easier with a Princess coming from the Commonwealth by our side—"

"That's a terrible idea," said Cain, rolling his eyes at her. "Like mother would ever approve of a Northern savage coming into her beloved Château de Clèves. We'd be better off getting a United Republic girl than a Northern brute."

Kitra scoffed, saying, "as if any Republic girls have interest in you. Or anyone in our family for that matter. In fact, I know of a few prisoners of war that would gladly—"

"I get it, I get it," Cain groaned, his head falling back against his chair.

Kitra frowned, commenting, "you sound like a child. You know that, right?"

Cain sat back up and straightened himself, glancing at the westernmost provinces on the map of Illéa. "If it's up to mother—" he could practically feel Kitra tense up, "—most of the girls will be from the higher classes anyway. It's not like they have any war experiences."

"At this point in the war, everyone knows at least one person who was killed," said Kitra with her typical blunt honesty, eyeing him. "You better watch out. Some of the girls might not be all that happy to see you, even if they did enter the Selection willingly."

Cain only scowled and didn't reply, although knowing on the inside that Kitra's words were true. A benefit of being Selected meant they would forever be exempt from conscription, as well as any other direct family members of theirs not yet enlisted. If they did have a direct family member enlisted in the army, the direct family member's required service of two years would be cut in half from whatever required service they had left. A good deal in exchange for spending five minutes a day with the people who were the reason why they had to worry about their family members being slaughtered. The only other options were to pay the extremely high exemption fee, find a full-time occupation, or have a child. Almost impossible for middle and lower class teenagers that were facing mandatory enrollment at twenty years old.

"This is all theoretical," Cain grumbled, glaring at the shimmering map of Illéa in front of him.

Kitra rolled her eyes, sarcastically responding, "keep telling yourself that."

"What about you? What if you were the one?" Cain pointed out, shifting to better face his older sister.

Kitra snickered. "Like that would work. You and I both know that I hate any type of romance and doing what mother wants. The Selection is both of those. Anyway, boys aren't really my thing right now," she finished with a wave of her hands.

"And what about that servant boy you were completely flirting with earlier?" Cain asked, scoffing.

Kitra sighed and shook her head. "You really don't understand, do you?" She said with feigned sadness. "I'm using that boy to find a way out of here. He's from that biophilic city that's near here, which is the perfect place to get away from mother. And he mentioned that his older brother is a guard. Who, I think, would be the perfect tour guide."

Cain stared at his sister. "You really are crazy, aren't you?"

Kitra grinned. "Maybe a little."