Chapter 4 #2
King Hawthorne bounded down the aisle after his head soldiers. He was followed by his advisor, and when the two of them took their position at the front of the crowd, the applause commenced in unison.
I shifted in my seat, twiddling my thumbs and preparing myself while the king settled himself at the podium, which came to life in the presence of someone behind it.
The details carved into the furnishing were exquisite, a subtle representation of our gods and goddesses.
The golden wood was home to a ring of colorful jewels, large enough to be seen by those in the furthest row of chairs.
As if he sent the crowd into a trance, the chatter quieted when the king raised his hands to propose silence.
He cleared his throat before he spoke. “Greetings again, citizens of Caelestis.
I sincerely hope you all enjoyed the festivities last night in honor of this year's Jewel-Light Meteor Shower.”
I turned my gaze ever so slightly, still somewhat listening to the king's words, but diverting my attention to the soldier who continued to pique my interest. The heatwave today did not require him to wear gloves, so I was able to make out the diamond rooted into his hand.
My eyebrows raised. My assumption about his power was way off, but Caius made a good choice by choosing the soldier. Not to mention that he and I shared the same jewel. I think.
The king’s voice lifted, breaking my focus. “After today's ceremony has concluded, all of those blessed will be introduced to their dormitories to be briefed on what is expected from them in their coming years at Caelestis Academy.”
He said a few more words, then took a step back, making space for his advisor to take his place at the podium.
The king's advisor was quite short—almost as though his growth had been stunted.
His head bobbled just a few inches above the podium and his white beard skimmed the top of it.
He wore glasses that were much too large for his face, blatant by the way he rebalanced the frames on the bridge of his nose.
Regardless of his size, the way he addressed the kingdom made it obvious that he was a figure of authority. “All of those who are newly gifted, please rise and make your way onto the platform.” The advisor gestured to the empty area beside the soldiers.
My heart sank.
I was out of time.
Bodies jumped out of their chairs. The gifted rushed to the platform, practically pushing each other down to get a good position on the stage. I watched them, my legs plastered to my seat. My nerves stopped the blood flow to my brain, and I was physically unable to move a single muscle.
My eyes—the only part of my body I had control over at the moment—scanned back and forth over the platform.
Most of the newly gifted already stood proudly before the rest of the kingdom.
A few of them were sobbing, and though I didn't blame them, I personally wouldn't be caught dead crying in front of all of those people like that.
The king allowed his advisor to take complete control of the ceremony as he himself drifted into a chair near the podium. It wasn't by technicalities a throne, but it may as well have been with the luster of the seat.
This was ludicrous. All of it. Every single aspect of this fucking thing was absurd. The jewels in my skin were supposed to be a blessing—a gift from the gods. Not a possible death sentence.
The new Caelestis Academy students piled onto the platform, but I still refused.
Delani nudged me in the side. “You have to go up there, Maeve.” Her eyes showcased her concern.
I nodded slowly. “I'm going,” I said, but I still didn't rise.
I would go. I just needed a second.
“Then stand up,” she whispered.
“I will,” I snarled under my breath. My body and brain were at odds with each other, and I just needed a damn second.
My cheek twitched and my fingers jumped to apply pressure to the ache. Why couldn't my gems be presented on my hand like everyone else's? Then maybe I would have had a chance at hiding them. I could have worn a glove indefinitely…or cut my hand off.
I massaged the stones. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hide them.
Delani elbowed me again, harder this time. I turned to look at her face, caked with blatant fear.
“Maeve, if you don't go up there—”
She didn't finish her sentence. She didn't need to. I knew what would happen if I didn't get my ass up there soon.
I bit my lip as I looked back at the platform. I contemplated for a brief moment if being killed was really a worse fate than the one I was about to walk into. In all honesty, I wasn't sure. But I knew for Delani and my mother, watching my execution would destroy them.
This would just be twelve years of my life. Not my whole life. As long as I survived.
I forced my body out of my seat, my gaze drifting towards a certain soldier as I stood. Oddly enough, he was staring at me with the same expression as Delani.
My brow lifted, and he noticed. But as soon as I rose to my full height, his attention dispersed.
That’s fucking weird.
Before I could think too hard about that encounter, my mother grabbed me by the shoulders. She forcefully turned my body, angling me towards the aisle. My feet dragged in the dirt as she directed me to the edge of our row, pushing me out and leaving me on display for peering eyes.
Too many eyes.
“Go, Maeve. Please.” My mother’s voice was a warning. Her hands dropped, then she turned from me and didn't look back. Not even for a second.
Her motives were not ill intended, but the sudden disregard for me caused a hole to burn through my heart.
Delani granted me a soft grin, then turned her attention from me as well, copying my mother’s apathy. My eyes watered as I watched them ignore me, but I refused to let any tears fall.
They knew how to play this game and win. They’d been battling with my anxiety for just as long as I had.
I drew a deep breath. I had to do this. There were no other options. Aside from death, which I had already ruled out.
Whatever courage had been burrowing inside of me broke loose, and I started forwards towards the platform. My whole body shook, but it continued moving.
Just like my family, I didn't look back.