(E-27/10/22) Original A/N- I hope you're all enjoying the story so far! Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, faved and followed, it definitely helps with the motivation to write more! Hopefully this chapter answers some questions that you may have; i always forget that i know this story inside out, and everyone else is reading it for the first time! Bethany x
Chapter 2.
The Great Hall is where every choosing ceremony is held. Each country has one, normally used for an array of occasions- extravagant balls, important dinners, and, most importantly, our weekly dance classes. But today, after over 100 years, Athua's hall is being used for its true purpose.
All of the Princes from each country have already gone in. They'll be waiting in a large circle right now, watching as each princess descends the grand staircase.
Every country, in their own Great Hall, has practised the Ceremony, so we all know the protocol. The only difference for today is that I won't know where my Authuan Princes are positioned.
We all stand in line outside the Great Hall's doors, waiting for our names to be called. I'm last, which is traditional for the host country. This wouldn't normally be an issue, but as the only Princess that actually wants this day to be over, it's not ideal.
Poking my head out, I can see that there are 2 girls left in front of me. From the colours of their dresses, I can make out the country they are from. Each Kingdom has a precious stone native to them, Authua's being the Diamond. Our Diamond is found in our Northern Mountains, the climate so deadly cold that mining the diamond is only legally done every 18 years.
Our dresses emulate the stones, mine being a white long sleeved dress with an overlay of shear fabric which hangs off my body. The girl waiting by the door wears a muted gold dress, the silk shining like her stone, Topaz. Her dark skin radiates against the colour. Ethros' Topaz stones are found deep in the dunes of the desert, the unforgiving nature of the Sun makes it almost impossible to harvest. Behind her, I realise is the Tosken girl, Nita. Wonder what happened with her and her Prince, I muse, caught up in my own thoughts. Nita, even from the back, looks effortlessly beautiful in her Sapphire gown. Her hair is done in an intricate updo, with a strand every so often cascading out. She wears heels which add to her already tall figure. Must be something to do with that Tosken boy's height. Tosken Sapphires are found in the depths of their largest lake, deep enough that the pressure would force you unconscious. Every 18 years, when the Princess of the Kingdom chooses her Prince; the Prince must prove that he is worthy by retrieving their stone. The divinity enables the chosen Prince to access this stone within a time frame, take any longer and the Princess will find herself needing to choose a new King.
The opening of the heavy doors brings me out of my haze. I blink a few times, realising that I'm next in line to go. Nita walks through the grand doors, with them slamming closed behind her. I try to glance through before they shut, but the guards manning them are too quick.
I step back and try to control my breathing, feeling my heart start to beat faster. Not long now. In less than 10 minutes you will start the biggest journey of your life.
Nita's name would have been announced by now, the Master of Ceremonies listing off 'important' information about her Kingdom. He'll talk about each Prince and their faction of choice and so on. This whole ordeal could be cut in half if they just got on with it.
My foot taps on the ground as the minutes pass, growing more and more impatient. What's going on in there? Why are they taking so long?
I look at the guards and see that they are whispering to each other. It's the first time I have heard a word out of either of them.
Another 10 minutes pass and I start to get worried. They couldn't have forgotten about me, could they? No, they boys would still be standing there alone. What could possibly be going on in there?
I open my mouth to ask the guards if they know anything, when there's a knock on the other side of the door. I watch as the guard on the right opens it and listens as the person speaks from the opposite side. The guard nods, closes the door again, then gestures to me. "Your turn, Your Highness." He says, his tone giving anything away. Well, maybe there's nothing to give, maybe everything is normal and they've had a medical emergency? Or Nita's broken a heel or her and her Prince have started a quarrel again? My mind runs through a plethora of situations before I even get to the doors.
I look at the guard, confused at the ongoing situation, but decide not to question this time and see what's going on for myself. They open the heavy wood doors and I walk through.
From childhood, I've been told how the ceremony would pan out. The Princes should be standing in that circle, the Princesses who have already chosen stood with them. Simple? Yes. I have imagined how it would look since I was young, all of the room looking at me as I walk down the staircase, smiling faces greeting me as I descend.
The scene in front of me is not what I pictured at all.
Walking through the doors and out onto the balcony, I see two sets of Princes, one with a Princess and one without. The confusion clouding my judgement amplifies, and I grip onto the right bannister as I walk down the stairs.
My heart starts to beat rapidly in my chest and my hands start to sweat. I try to keep my composure, telling myself to not imagine a problem before there even is one.
I stop dead in my tracks as I try to find familiar faces with the Princes without a Princess, as logically that's where my Authuan Princes should be stood. But instead, I see 5 strange faces, all staring back at me with a mix of upset, anger, confusion and pity.
I turn slowly hoping and wishing not to see what I know I will. When I come face to face with my country, I see the face of Tosken's Princess staring back at me. Her face is ashen, her eyes bloodshot as tears stream from them uncontrollably.
"Beatrice." A voice vaguely calls, the ringing in my ears muffling the sound. A hand is placed on my back, startling me. I look up and see Alexander looking down at me. Alexander, our representative and host, an Authuan himself.
Unable to put a sentence together, I stare into his warm brown eyes, pleading for him to tell me there's been some kind of mix up. I need him to tell me that this will all be sorted out, that what's unfolding before me is not my reality.
"There's been some kind of, uh, misunderstanding with yours and Nita's choice here today," he says. His deep voice, usually comforting, now goes straight through me. "This has never happened before, Princes and Princesses have always been matched within their birth Kingdom. It has never even crossed my mind-"
"Just spit it out already." I cut him off, growing more impatient as he beats around the bush.
"You've been matched with Tosken."
The reality of his words hit harder than I could ever have imagined.
"This has to be some kind of mistake," my voice breaks. A plea, not a statement. "If this has never happened before- it must be a mistake!" My already rapid heart beat hits into overdrive, my throat constricting as I feel panic rising within.
"I'm sorry Beatrice. You know that the Divinity is in charge of the pairings; they do not make mistakes." His hand reaches into his pocket and pulls out an unopened gold envelope, passing it to me. "Yours will be the same as Princess Nita's."
I quickly open the envelope, knowing that if I don't force myself to open it, I will never be able to accept it. The paper reads,
(A)Beatrice- Tosken.
My hands clench the paper tightly, keeping their shakiness under some sort of control. My mind feels blank and full all at once, my thoughts unable to be deciphered.
"I know this is a big shock, Beatrice, but the ceremony must be finished, the world's watching." Alexander's comment reminds me that we are being broadcast live across all 12 countries. I can't be seen as weak to my citizens, a true Queen does not show her weakness-
Reality hits me like a ton of bricks. I'm not going to be Athua's Queen.
My mouth seals shut, no sounds able to escape. Probably for the best. I keep my eyes on Alexander whilst he speaks, I know if I see the familiar faces behind me, I won't be able to keep this act up. My head nods involuntarily towards Alexander as he starts to speak.
"Princess Beatrice, may I introduce the Princes of Tosken." He starts. My glazed eyes roam lazily over the boys, unable to pay much attention.
"Eric of Erudite." Alexander carries on. I blink rapidly, trying to focus. My eyes land on the first boy, unable to quell the uneasiness he brings over me. Eric stands tall, his dark hair slick back. His dull eyes show no warmth, looking like black endless pits. His body language mirrors his expression, with his arms crossed against his chest, his feet spread slightly apart. He's tall, making the boy beside him seem short. Gideon couldn't be anymore opposite, his erudite shines through his light green eyes, always eager to share, even when he knows you're not interested.
I move my eyes from Eric's, as the longer I stare at him the more anxious I feel. How is this happening to me?
"Peter of Candor." Peter doesn't look as cold as Eric, but he still doesn't emit any better vibes. His hair is also dark, but not nearly as lifeless as Eric's. His face seems friendly, a smile on his lips. But his friendly face seems odd, there's something about it that doesn't seem genuine, but I can't put my finger on it. Great, am I going to be living with 5 psychopaths?
"Robert of Amity." Robert stands out compared to the other two, making me relax slightly. His smile is welcoming, his eyes warm. He wears the colours of his faction brightly, just like Seb would, the oranges and reds bringing warmth to their skin. Seb has always radiated that passion through himself, even Authua's cold climate is unable to dull the Amity's warmth. Amity has always intrigued me, their easy way of life has always been tempting. The thought of always being happy, never having any worries. It seems to be a very peaceful life, a life I wish I could want to live, but would never know if I could be fulfilled.
"Al of Abnegation." Al stands timid compared to his brothers. Although just as bulky as the others, his demeanour comes across as weak, unable to defend himself. What a juxtaposition. His baggy grey suit hangs off of him, almost swallowing his huge body. Al doesn't engage with me, his head held low with his eyes to the floor.
"And last, Four of Dauntless." And here he is, the boy with a number for a name. It surely can't be his given name, not with the average names of his brothers. How'd he even get Alexander to call him that? Four looks the same as when I saw him in the hallway. His face is hard to read, his dark blue eyes giving nothing away. I see his hair has been fixed, his loose curls now neatly combed back. I wonder what he's thinking? I'm sure he's devastated about Nita.
The thought of actually living with these strangers is starting to make me nauseous. How can I just leave everything behind with no say? I don't know if i'll be able to mentally do this. I can feel a breakdown brewing, and panic rising. I need to get out of here- right now.
My feet move before I even think about running. My eyes set on the glass doors at the back of the room, the ones that lead out into the garden. The doors swing open with unknown force and I run down the steps and into the blizzard. I'm not dressed for the outdoors, but at the moment I can't feel a thing. My feet start to slow the further I go, the snow making it more and more difficult to move.
I begin to feel my legs give out on me, and soon I'm falling to my knees. I hit the cold, wet floor harshly, just about catching myself with my hands. The freezing climate makes my body stiff and my mind slow, leaving me painlessly numb. I vaguely feel the wind and snow hit my face, the tingling of my skin the only thing quietly reminding me of the dangers of being out here. I push it back, so far that it is no more than a whisper travelling through the wind.
There's a voice somewhere behind me, muffled and far away. It's too quiet to make out and I don't care enough to try. I feel warmth behind me, heat and pressure spreads through my back. Fingers grasp my skin, arms wrap around my shoulders, a head rests by the side of my neck. "We'll work this out, Bea," the voice says. He doesn't sound sure of himself, and who can blame him.
"You know that's not true." I reply, my mouth forming words for me. The burning of my skin becomes more viscous, the wind whipping my exposed body more harmfully. I turn my head slightly to see Xaver's forest green eyes staring back at me. He looks just as lost as I feel. "You know there's nothing to be done." I hear how absent I sound. I feel cold inside. Not even Xaver's warm body can give me any warmth at this moment.
Xav opens his mouth, but shuts it again a few moments later. He knows I'm right. The divinity is in control of everything and everyone, no one holds more power than them. Our lives have never truly been our own, no royal life is.
"You need to get back inside, Bea. You're going to get yourself killed if you stay out here."
I nod my head numbly, knowing if I dont bring myself in, I will be physically moved by the castle guards. I look behind him, and am not surprised to see the guards already waiting by the castle walls, ready to jump into action if necessary. My eyes roam the back of the castle walls, counting how many guards they think is needed to remove a 5 foot 3 girl. I count to 6 before someone else catches my eye.
Four stands in the middle of the glass door frame. It looks as if he's looking in our direction, but the distance makes it hard to see what he's actually doing. I scan to see if any of the other boys have joined him, but he is there alone. It makes me pause for a second.
Before I can think about it any longer, Xaver stands up, pulling me up with him. As my mind slowly starts to clear, I begin to feel the pain that comes with the first stages of frostbite. The bitter weather makes my body shake uncontrollably and suddenly I cannot wait to get back into the warmth.
"Come on," Xav says, pulling me into him, trying to warm me up. I wrap my arms around his waist, under his jacket, hoping to accelerate up the process.
As we walk back to the castle, I look up at the hall's entrance. No one is there anymore. The only evidence left behind is an open door.