2 Chapter Two

It was barely light outside when Rielen was shaken awake by her Mother.

"It's time," she said.

The house was quiet as she dressed and ate for the last time in her small little house. Her father sat as he usually did, perhaps quieter than normal. 

She waved goodbye as she climbed into the carriage meant for her.

The Magistrate sat across from her and was looking at a small watch. "Yes, well, we don't want to start off this journey wasting time. Let's go!"

He tapped the wall of the carriage, and the driver took off. 

Before passing the bend that would make her little home disappear forever, Rielen stole one last quick glance. 

Her Mother and Father collapsed on the ground, no longer showing a strong demeanor. 

Her heart ached, but she contained her composure, as she was still in the presence of the Magistrate. 

"They are all like that," he said. "It may be a great honor, but no parent wants to lose their child in the end. Don't worry, child, you will be busy when we get to the Capital. It will hurt less."

They traveled for two days by carriage, where she was passed to the next territory's magistrate. 

Her town was close to the territory border. This must be the Territory of Brighten, owned by the Brighten family. 

"I am Lord Henry Brighten, the Magistrate of this territory," said a man as she stepped out of the carriage.

Rielen introduced herself and entered his carriage as the two Magistrates shook hands and exchanged her summons paperwork. 

Transporting selected children was just one thing Magistrates were assigned to do by the King. 

Since selected children would be trained in the art of magic, they were eligible to become the next ruler. 

The details of how the next ruler was selected had never been released to the public. In any case, those not chosen seemed to never return home. 

In Vale, there was a saying: "Those chosen are a blessing, however, the curse of being chosen is always felt." 

Meaning the families bore the curse of never seeing you again. 

Luckily, not many children were chosen in Vale. They are all but cut off from the capital. 

Lord Brighten did not seem interested in talking, so Rielen spent days looking out the window, seeing a world that was so different from her home in Vale. 

New trees and flowers, even the fruit was different. She must have looked like a country girl, constantly being amazed by her surroundings. 

It took five days of travel to reach the Capital. By the end of the journey, Rielen had reached her breaking point. 

The thought of another five minutes jammed into a carriage with a man who barely said one word to her, outside of introducing himself, was unbearable. 

They had stopped at one inn along the way, where she had her first bath in several days. 

She had never experienced travel in her life, and the journey had certainly taken its toll on her. 

The maid at the inn had taken pity on her, and helped her settle into an unfamiliar room. 

The only shred of kindness she experienced the whole way there. Rielen almost cried when they left. 

She had reached for her jar of stones numerous times. They helped her keep her sanity. Remembering Eon searching the river so fervently each day just to bring a smile to her face.

'He always found the best stones,' she remembered silently.

Her heart sent out another pang, but she was quickly distracted by the first glimpse of the Capital. 

It was enormous! She had never seen a walled city before. Everything looked huge. 

They were able to get through the gate quickly due to the Magistrate's status. 

She looked out the window with excitement again, as she watched people cook in stalls on the streets and magicians perform their tricks for a group of children. 

There were all kinds of wares and shiny things to look at. The smells of exotic foods reached her nose, and her stomach growled. 

Rielen heard the Magistrate laugh, and her cheeks burned with embarrassment. 

"They will feed you at the palace. Our journey has nearly ended." 

She was shocked he had chosen to speak to her for the first time in five days. 

Soon, they were at the palace gates. Rielen was handed off to a young maid who pulled her into the castle.

"Oh my, another one!" she spoke to herself as she hurriedly pulled Rielen up several floors. 

"Oh, silly me, I am Hyla. I will be your attendant for the time being. We are gonna get you washed up and presentable." 

They ended up in a spacious room. There were several maids waiting for Rielen there. 

She was measured and poked and prodded before they finally stripped her, then knocked her into a bath.

  "Goodness, poor thing looks travel-worn," one of the maids said. "Don't worry; we will get you looking all new again."

Despite her protests, they insisted on washing Rielen and dressing her in a new dress. She was too tired to protest much, and the new surroundings were making her dizzy. 

They compared different fabrics to her skin and left her seated in front of a mirror while Hyla braided her hair. 

"I know it's a lot to take in," Hyla said. "Good on you for not breaking out in tears the moment they left." 

She twisted Rielen's hair up, and Rielen looked at the unfamiliar face reflected back at her in the mirror. 

She did not look as she had when she left Vale. The girl before her looked exhausted, and her eyes looked dead. 

"You will need to be strong now. There is a chance to see your family again, but you have to be the best and take the throne." 

Rielen looked at Hyla with questions in her eyes.

Hyla shook her head and put a finger to her lips as the other maids came in with a mountain of clothes. They hung them up on the dresser in the room. 

"This will be your room until a permanent one is assigned to you."

Each maid bowed, and one by one left the room, leaving Rielen to herself.

******

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