Chapter Four

Alixandra Vexa Ankana was rarely impressed, and hardly ever was. She also excelled in the art of being bored, which came in handy when sitting through her father's board meetings. She tapped her ink pen against her blank notepad, held up her glass for a servant to pour water in whenever it was the slightest bit below full, and caused every other little annoyance that forced board members to glare her way. Except for her father. Navarre Ankana was a difficult person. He was eccentric and charismatic while being boring as hell at the same time. He had also forced her to attend his board meeting, alongside her twenty-three-year-old sister Eulalie, who was the heir to their father's company.

She wanted to get up and leave. To take a plane straight back to Cassiar in the Northern Commonwealth, where she grew up. An old mining town by the mountains turned into a modern geodesic city once an oil reserve was found nearby over a hundred years ago. Alixandra missed the partying, her friends, and her palace of a home. But instead, she was stuck in boring, old Tammins in the old kingdom. The country was barely holding itself together but still looked down on newer countries like the Northern Commonwealth for no good reason. Jealousy, Alix thought, because while they're all starving here, the Commonwealth is soon to be the wealthiest country in all of Illéa. She knew that her native country's wealth was in part due to their enormous amount of oil reserves, but also due to her own father's business.

In times of war, there were two things that the people needed: weaponry and relief. Her father's business provided both of those. He supplied the bombs and machine guns that killed people and then the doctors and medicine that rushed to the injured people's aid. War made people strange. Especially regarding people's moral compasses, which tended to skew in times like these. Moving out to Tammins, where the eastern part was consumed in war, was perfect for the Ankana family business. It seemed crazy, but Alix guessed that was what happened when a person had a warmonger for a father.

Alixandra, on the other hand, was not at all interested in war or her father's business. She, like so many other Northerners, preferred to stick their heads away from the war and focus on how they could partake in the glorious boom of technology and wealth that surrounded them. But instead, Alix was stuck in a stuffy room listening to people wonder how they could profit the most out of misery. Really, it was all her mother Aurélie's fault. Her mother had been born Lia Valborn of Tammins, with a kingdom-esque name almost fifty-one years ago, before moving to the Northern Commonwealth at age thirteen and changing her name to a far more Northern-sounding: "Aurélie Valbonne." Through his marriage to Aurélie, her father Navarre felt he can a true connection to the kingdom that he absolutely had to share with his children. Although Aurélie had all but thrown her heritage away, her husband insisted on yearly trips to the kingdom for their children so that they could "connect" with their family history.

The one thing that Alixandra learned from those trips was that her father wasn't the only blood-thirsty war maniac in their family line, or in Illéa. There were just as many Scarlets, Southerners, and Ivorys as Northerners making a profit off of the war. Depravity was spread all across the continent, not attached to a lone people or country.

"My dear gathered associates," said Navarre with his Québécois accent prominent, smile wide, and arms open. "We welcome you to the grand opening of the Vexan Hospital. Named after my dearest mother-in-law, who died after assisting the injured during the heat of battle! We are proud to preserve her memory and dream of helping others in this hospital. Now, please follow Madeleine to the left as we begin the tour."

Alix had to resist rolling her eyes at his line. You already named someone else after that old woman. Plus, mémé didn't die "assisting the injured during the heat of battle." She died forty-eight years later at a resort in St. George after insisting she had to return home due to receiving a two-degree burn on her upper right arm while cooking. It didn't even scar.

The creaking and groaning of chairs urged Alixandra to sigh and bless her thoughts away as she rose to follow her elder sister and the crowd. Catching the sight the small, blonde woman who she vaguely recalled as one of her father's many Tamminian assistants, she placed her glass of water down and stayed behind the suit-clad members of her father's association. Eulalie, her older sister, fell by her side as a small yawn betrayed the older girl's façade of interest. Their father had told them to follow behind the group of associates, as to make sure all of them were happy and none were falling behind.

"This is stupid," Eulalie sighed, tossing her dark hair over her shoulder, "he's trying to better his image with the Scarlets again, but it's not going to work. He's been going at this for years. No matter what he does, they'll never like us."

"Mets-en," Alixandra agreed with a roll of her eyes and a shake of her own dyed-blonde hair. Their father was desperate to get the approval from old-money Scarlet families for his new-money ways, even if it came to building an entire hospital for the people that the Scarlets didn't care in the slightest about. He showed off his half-Scarlet daughters as precious gems that he dug out from the dirt and made beautiful with Northern wealth. Alix couldn't even imagine the next crazy thing that her father would insist she does to try and "connect" her closer with her Scarlet family history. Not even a prince would be good enough for Alixandra Vexa Ankana of Tammins and the Northern Commonwealth.

Aitana Verdane definitely had her hands full.

With two younger siblings and a sick mother, it was a struggle every day in their little biophilic city of Lusk, Belcourt. Once upon a time, the war had ravaged the city, and Aitana had lost many people close to her due to Republic bombs. But they managed to keep their family intact while hidden in the bomb shelter down the street, almost entirely. It was over a year of struggling to find food, water, and other basic necessities until the war shifted and moved further South. Although, that didn't mean they wouldn't hear the occasional falling bomb and screams of victims which everyone was quite accustomed to every now and then.

But Aitana had other problems than the war that she had to focus on, such as supporting her family. She was nineteen, a year away from conscription age. Really only a few months if she thought about her situation deeply. Which meant that she desperately needed a full-time job to avoid meaning conscripted. Afterall, there was no way her sickly mother's factory job could support her teenaged younger siblings. Aitana had part-time jobs at the neighbourhood library, which admittedly paid very little, and the sole remaining restaurant in town, as it catered to the richer folks. She'd been working her ass off at both places in hopes that one would offer her a full-time job someday. But unfortunately, neither of her bosses had given her an offer, and she was running out of time.

"Aitana Lelani, get in here and wipe that pessimistic look off your face," her mother, Ariadne, scolded from the hallway across from the front door of their apartment. Aitana looked up from the keyway in the door handle in surprise, not used to her mother being up so late. She was usually so contained and reserved with her emotions, couldn't help but let her disappointment show on her face after being rejected from two full-time job opportunities.

"Oh." Aitana stepped inside their small apartment, closed the door and locked it. "Sorry, mom. I didn't expect that you would be up this late."

Any sign of berating on Ariadne's face instantly disappeared and was replaced with a kinder look. "Your brother, sister, and I wanted to have dinner altogether since it's been such a long time," the older woman admitted, resting against the wall to keep herself upright. "And, I heard a few rumours today at the factory that there was going to be a special Royal announcement."

Aitana smiled tiredly at her mother. Ariadne, for some reason despite their family's struggles, adored the Royal family. Maybe it was because of a childhood dream of a better, Royal life away from the war. Which Aitana was not ashamed to say she wished for herself often enough as a child. But personally, she didn't know what to think about the Royal family, since they were so elusive. Hell, Aitana didn't even know what they looked like or how many of them were there.

"Thanks, mom," Aitana laughed after her mother winked and smiled playfully at her. She helped her mom off the wall and into the dual kitchen and dining room, attempting to keep her tired smile going. In the kitchen, she spotted her younger siblings Kofi and Anya bickering quietly at the table. Naturally, she couldn't help her smile widen at seeing them together. At a young age, she learned to value her family strongly, and she couldn't help the warmness in her heart when she saw them all together. Anya, the younger and more observant of the two siblings, was the first to notice Aitana and Ariadne arriving in the kitchen. But she was not the first to speak. It was Kofi, the older and more rambunctious of the two.

"Tannie!" He cheered, the ginger curls that he shared with Anya bouncing as he stood up from the table and scraped his wooden chair on the old tile floor.

Anya gave her brother a weird look before standing up and helping their mother to sit down, as she often did. "Welcome home, Tannie," was the simple words she said to her older sister as she went to go sit down.

"Thanks," Aitana responded with her light smile, "and thanks for waiting for me tonight."

"I want to hear what the Royals are going to say like mum said!" Kofi said happily, practically bouncing in his chair. Even at nine at night, he was still full of energy as fifteen-year-olds should be.

Aitana took her own seat next to Ariadne and gave her mother a look. "I hope you didn't get their hopes up," she said with a joking air. "What if there's no Royal message?"

"Oh, there will be one." Ariadne waved away her daughter. "I have great faith in my sources. Anya, go turn on the radio."

Anya sighed and stopped picking at the watery peas on her plate to grudgingly get up and turn on the old, rusty radio that somehow still worked. The rusty thing had been with Ariadne's family since her mother was a little girl, and had somehow managed to survive years of bombings and use. It crackled to life and continued to make wild noises as Anya tuned it to the correct station. Soon, as it always did, crackled voices began to emerge from the machine. Anya, seemingly content with the quality, returned to her seat and plopped a single pea in her mouth.

"—have an important Royal announcement."

Ariadne appeared extremely pleased and Kofi looked as if his head was going to light up in flames from his excitement.

"Queen Katriel is ready to announce her son, Prince Cain's, Selection in a search to find a future Queen of the kingdom and leader in the gallant war against the Ivorys of the United Republic."

Oh, that's what their names were, Aitana thought silently whilst listening intently to the broadcast. The only person who didn't seem very interested was Anya, who was only half-heartedly listening.

"Applicants must be between the ages of eighteen and twenty-two and must be a citizen of one of the twelve provinces of our great kingdom. Those who are interested may pick up an application from their provincial post office," said the deep voice from the radio.

Ariadne immediately perked up at this, a familiar gleam in her eyes appearing.

"Mom?" Aitana asked, noticing the change in demeanour. "Are you okay?"

"Tannie, Tannie," she said excitedly, but not so loud as she talked over the radio. "That could be you! You should entire!"

"Mom—"

"And! For the first time in history," the voice started up again, "Queen Katriel is graciously allowing eligible citizens of Sota, a province recently rescued from the grasp of the United Republic, to enter the Selection. In addition, two diplomatic Selected shall be chosen from the Northern Commonwealth and the Southern Democratic Republic as a show of the kingdom's humility and acceptance!"

Aitana ignored that last message and focused on taming her mother's excitement. "Mom, I don't think it'll be a good idea for me to enter the Selection," she said with concern, "I have to focus on getting a full-time job. Plus, we don't even know these people. They could be murderers."

"Love, don't be so serious," Ariadne pleaded with her daughter. "Do you know how much I would have loved to be able to enter the Selection last time it came around? It's the chance of a lifetime! If anything, please just entire for the sake of chance. Consider it a little fun, which you deserve after working so hard to support us."

"Yeah, Tannie," Kofi encouraged, "you should enter!"

"I'm still not sure," Aitana mumbled, more to herself than her family. The logical side of her said no, but her emotional side said yes. If at least for her family. She glanced up at her expectant mother and brother, along with her unattentive sister, who was surely listening in silently. "But I'll think about it," she sighed, giving in.

Ariadne and Kofi cheered, and Aitana could've sworn she saw Anya smile a little bit.

"Kofi and Anya can pick up the form for you after school tomorrow at the post office," said Ariadne, eying her youngest daughter's bored look. "And they'll help you fill out the form since you have the early shifts on Tuesdays."

"I don't think that I'll need that much h—"

Kofi interrupted her with another cheer and rambles how they could list her occupation as "Acrobat" or "lion tamer" to make her stand out. Aitana shook her dark-haired head and laughed a little.

What in the world was her family getting her into?

"Cain, where is your sister?" Katriel asked casually, strolling into the study which her son reportedly found himself content in.

Katriel's son looked up from his book with a blank face. As his mother, Katriel was quite accustomed to her son's mechanical reactions. Unlike Kitra, her eldest daughter, her son was the calmer and less emotional of the two. Cain kept all of his emotions inside, which Katriel liked the most about her son. She simply couldn't stand deeply emotional people and their perplexing, difficult ways.

"I…" he paused in thought, "don't know."

Katriel raised an eyebrow at him. Cain rarely ever kept secrets; especially from her. Although she couldn't begin to imagine the things Kitra might rope him into if her influence infiltrated his perfect system. That girl was trouble. Katriel would have loved to send her off to the boarding school in Dakota which she herself once attended in her youth at first chance. But last she heard of the school, it was bombed to dust and pieces after a nearby town was targeted. Such a shame, Katriel always thought when thinking about the place she most often spent her time in childhood, all ruined because of war.

"Perhaps check her bedroom?" He offered, noticing her inquisitive look.

"No," Katriel sighed, "I'll send a maid. You know how Kitra can be about 'personal space.'"

"Yes, mother," Cain agreed simply, with no emotion inflected on his tone.

Katriel almost smiled. He really was the perfect son. The announcement for his Selection was being reported all of the kingdom's provinces, all in different times of course to prevent any mass emotions or storms of people applying. She was perfectly glad that Cain was the child that was having the Selection. It was simply a pageant, after all, advertised mostly to the upper-class citizens as a way of calming them down in the face of war. For the middle and lower class citizens, it was giving them a small amount of peace and calm that kept them from taking any drastic measures to protest the war. As usual, the Selected would be a group carefully picked of a few rag-tagged lower girls, complacent middle-class girls, and blue-blooded high-class girls. Preferably, Katriel would have a group of two or three girls whom she liked that she'd have Cain choose from. Perhaps two high-class girls and one middle-class girl to make it more diverse.

"Have you looked at any applications yet?" She asked him.

"No, mother," he responded.

"Good." Katriel began to walk out the door, only stopping right before crossing the threshold. "Leave it all to me," she added, her last words as she left her son alone to his books. It was true, what she said. Like her children, Katriel grew up in the face of the war, knowing someday she would be the ones holding the reins and changing the tides. She never regretted any of her decisions that she made whilst Queen or as Princess, even if it involved losing someone she loved. As in the end, she created up with the perfect child to take over. The only job that Katriel had left was to make sure nothing, and she meant nothing, would cause any harm to her dream.

So many thank yous to all my readers and reviews! Just a notice for those who have reserved SYOC spots, I would like to fully introduce the Selected within the next couple chapters, so I'd like to have all the characters in by the next two weeks. If you have any trouble meeting the deadline, please shoot me a PM!