1 CHAPTER ONE- VIVIA

Was I sitting on the roof to escape the hordes of people gathering in my house for a feast to read a letter that dooms one of my brothers to death? Yes. Was I ashamed? Also yes. But I had no other option. Grandmother had asked me five times already if I had found a possible husband, and five times I had to break her old heart and say no. My Aunt Elisa and Uncle Ron had introduced me to all nine of their insufferable sons in hopes for an 'advantageous wedding'. Mother had invited four boys from church and Father had brought over six of his students. All of this in desperate hopes I settle down and marry. My sisters, Polla and Avivi had already accepted their fate and got engaged at the earliest convenience to dull and annoying boys.

I refused to marry. If I died alone in a small hut on the side of the road I didn't care. I refused to marry a man I didn't love. Or any man. I know I have a duty to marry well and secure good relations with other prominent families, but that's all bullshit. My brothers will be sent off to the Challenge and come home a hero, nobody cares if they marry a Greenwich, or a Hummings, or even a Chamille dash something. As long as they get powerful positions in the army and Kings court, they will 'bring honor'. I will bring honor through dreaded marriage.

"Vivia?" Mother called from the hallway. I turn and climb through my window, hating every second. I plastered the fakest, but most believable smile on my face and dusted off my putrid green dress then opened the door,

"Hello, Mother," I said,

"Sweetheart, supper is ready. Your father will be reading the letter soon." yes. Of course. The letter reading. Every year, five families on every Island get a letter, totaling sixty-five families Empire wide. Each of those letters contains the name of one fifteen-year-old living in that house. It's a lottery really. A horribly corrupt, incredibly arbitrary, honor-bringing lottery. Which my family had unfortunately won. The thing that my parents refuse to acknowledge is, there are five fifteen-year-olds in the Flynn household. Me, my twin sister Avivi, and my brothers, Lane, Vinny, and Alin.

Naturally, Avivi and I are out of the picture. According to my father, all we(women) are good for is child-rearing and house-keeping. The challenge doesn't care what your gender is though. As I said, it's arbitrary.

"Vivia," Mother said hurriedly, "quickly now, everyone is waiting."

"Yeah, yeah." I sighed, making my way after her. I nearly tripped over my skirts a million times before finding the dining room and finding a place next to Avivi and her dreadful fiancee. Avivi grabbed my hand and squeezed before dropping it and sitting down. I looked at Father and the bright red envelope sitting on the silver platter next to him. Of course, my brothers were sitting near him, front and center. I couldn't help roll my eyes at how stupid this all was. A feast for a letter that would choose which of his sons would die? Father rose from his seat and gracefully tapped a butter knife on his champagne glass,

"I'd like to propose a toast." he cleared his throat, "to my sons, I pray one of you brings our family honor. I pray one of you wins the Challenge. And to my daughters, I pray you marry well and bring our family good, strong unions, and equally strong children."

"Ew," I muttered, raising my glass,

"To my family!" Father cheered, taking a sip of champagne and beaming at Mother. The guests did the same and then went back to small talk and painful banter. I could feel one Charlie Hummings eyes on me and I tried my hardest to keep my eyes on my plate. Mother had got Chef to make roast potatoes, turkey, green beans, roast duck, brussel sprouts, and one favorite dessert of my brothers. I stuffed my face with everything I could get my hands on and drank my fill of sparkling cider, hoping to deter all possible suitors. It didn't work. Charlie was still staring at me as a dollop of butter ran down my chin. I groaned silently and leaned back in my chair. When the feast was mostly over, Father stood, picking up the envelope and holding his hand out for the letter opener.

"One of my sons will bring me great joy today," he said, smiling from ear to ear. I looked at my brothers and they were all smiling too, except Lane. I felt the room tense up as Father slid the letter opener across the red seal of the King. he carefully pulled out the letter and stopped halfway. "Oh, I can't do it. Emiline?"

"Right." Mother said, dutifully. She rose from her seat and made her way to Father from the other end of the table where she sat. I watched the guests lean towards them as Mother slid the rest of the letter out and unfolded it. She began to read, "oh no."

"What?" Father said, alarmed by her unhappiness. He snatched the letter from her and read it. "Oh no."

"Well, tell us, Father," Alin said, standing from his chair.

"I can't say it aloud." he handed the letter to Alin, who read it and gasped.

"Vivia." Alin said. And just like that, all eyes were on me. "Vivia was chosen."

Oh no. I looked around and everyone either looked disgusted or shocked. I looked at my sister and she looked at me with pity. Finally my eyes fell on my parents. Father was angry, he was practically breathing fire. And Mother looked like they were on the verge of tears. Maybe I shouldn't have complained so much about the way things were. Father stormed out of the room, Mother after him. I excused myself from the table and ran to my room. I shut the door behind me and curled on my bed. This was all happening so fast. I heard my door open and close,

"Vivia." Lane said gently, making me uncurl a bit.

"Don't yell at me." I said, pathetically. Lane stayed silent, averting his gaze until he was sitting on the edge of my bed.

"I won't," he said, fidgeting with my sheets. "You didn't know that would have happened."

"Father is disappointed I bet." I said, pulling myself into a sitting position.

"Absolutely." he said, leaning his head on my shoulder, "Y'know Vivia, if it makes you feel any better Avivi, Reid and I are very proud of you."

"That makes it a little better." I laughed humorlessly. Lane stayed with me, silently comforting me. When Father burst into my room hours later, when the sun had gone down and the stars were beginning to sparkle, Lane was there. Father paced for a few moments before he found the words to chastise me. Mother hovered over his shoulder, occasionally sending me apologetic glances. Soon the entire family was in my bedroom. Avivi on my other side, Polla by the door, Vinny and Alin next to my window and Reid next to Father.

"Vivia Beatrice Flynn," Father started, his voice booming and coarse, "you had one duty. One! Marry well and have children."

"Father, she couldn't have known. None of us could!" Lane said, trying desperately to calm Father down.

"Who did you sleep with?" Father hissed, looking at me.

"What!?" I whispered, shocked.

"Who did you sleep with at the Choosing office. That's the only way you could have been chosen."

"Foster," Mother started, "She's eligible."

"All she should be eligible for is marriage, Emiline."

"Father, if I may," Alin said, moving to be next to Father.

"You may."

"Perhaps Vivia should be killed."

"Perhaps."

"What!?" everyone except Father and Alin yelled. Kill me? For what? Being chosen?

"Alin Flynn," Mother started, her voice rising, "How dare you propose we kill her. All of you sit,"

"Emiline-"

"You too, Foster. Sit" she seethed, growing mad. Father found a place on the armchair in the corner of my room."Both Vivia and Avivi were eligible. Just as much so as the boys. She has done nothing wrong. It is a lottery, Foster. A lottery that doesn't care for gender. You forget your own sister was chosen."

"And we were just as disgusted by it then." Father spat.

"Perhaps Vivia isn't who you were hoping for, but she is who you got. And I will not have any talk about killing her. Not when there is a very likely chance she could be killed in the Arena."

That was the first time Mother had ever stood up to Father. I looked at Lane and he looked just as shocked as I did. The room was silent. Everyone was thinking. Father was glaring at me and Mother had taken Avivi's spot.

"I never asked for this." I said quietly, hoping nobody heard me. They did and all eyes were on me once again. I cleared my throat and mustered up all courage and continued, "Look, I didn't sleep with anyone to be chosen. I didn't pray every night and day. I wasn't aiming for this. But if it keeps me from being married off to a man I don't love, then so be it."

"Marriage is a woman's duty." Avivi said, reciting Father's misogynistic bullshit.

"Avivi." I sighed, standing up. "You're going to marry Elliot Chamille-Dupont. And we are all thrilled. But I want more.���

"What more could you want?" Alin scoffed, "I saw Charlie Hummings making eyes at you all through dinner, even after you were chosen. You'd have a good life with Charlie. Good lad."

"I don't want to be trapped." I said, my courage fading. My whole family expected me to marry. They expected me to further the bloodline. That was my duty. But was it so wrong that I wanted more? Was it so horrible of me to ask that I be given the same freedoms as my brothers? When they got married, they would still have their freedom. At the cost of ripping it away from their brides. Avivi would marry a Chamille-Dupont, one of the Chamille family branches closest to the King. And if I married Charlie Hummings I'd be rich. But that wasn't the life I wanted.

"You have no say." Alin said, gutting me. Tearing out my heart and stomping on it with his words. Because as much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I had no choices. I'd compete in the Challenge. I'd come home and I'd marry Charlie Hummings. He would take my winnings. He'd take my title. I'd take his name. I would be Mrs. Charlie Hummings. I would bring him Charles Hummings Junior and all the girls we would undoubtedly have to marry off to our friends sons.

I'd be miserable. But I'd be rich.

"Nevermind that," Polla said, turning to father, "Vivia will win. She is smart and resourceful. You forget she and Avivi had to fend for themselves before you took them in, Father. She will win, and she will bring us honor. Won't you, Vivia?"

"I'll try." and with that, Father left. Mother followed him to their bedroom where they would probably argue. Polla, Reid and Vinny all left too, sending looks of encouragement of disgust my way. I collapsed onto my bed, letting the soft duvet and comforting quilts settle around me. I felt Avivi curl up next to me, the way we did when we were small and wanted to be close. Lane placed something on my belly and left my room. It was the letter. I opened it up and read the typed letter,

Dear Miss Vivia Flynn,

We are pleased to announce you have been chosen! You will be expected to meet with the other Challengers from your Island in a weeks time. You are allowed only one bag of personal belongings and one weapon of your choosing. If you do not have a preferred weapon, you will be given one upon your arrival to the Arena.

We wish you the best of luck. Enclosed in the envelope is a list of the other Challengers chosen from your Island. You will be spending the next four weeks with them, so we advise you to make friends with them.

Congratulations again, Miss Flynn.

Sincerely, Ameleah Rothschild,

Office of Choosing.

I read, then reread, still hoping I was in a dream. I looked in the envelope and sure enough was another piece of paper. Avivi had taken the letter from me and was reading it herself as I opened the second piece,

"What's that?" she asked, putting the letter down on my nightstand and sitting up. I sat up as well and looked at her,

"The other chosen."

"Well, open it?" I unfolded the paper and written in swooping letters, obviously done by hand, were four names.

"Amre Lochs, Alica Heath, Lian Quincy and Tate Holmes" I read, looking at my sister. She had her brows furrowed in concentration, like she was racking her brain for something.

"I don't know any of those people." she said, laying back down. I shrugged and reread the names. Out of all the names on that list, Amre stood out the most. It meant 'Light of all Lights' in Edinthey, the language of Island number three, Edinthia. Every Island has a language, the tongue of the people before they became part of the Empire. Most of the languages were practically extinct because the King of their time outlawed any language other than Abernlenian, the Island I would represent in the Challenge. I read about a princess, the first Edinthian challenger, her name was Amre. I wondered if this Amre was named after the princess. Of if it was a pure coincidence and it was a family name of some sort.

"Vivia?" my sister said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I looked at her and her face was riddled with concern. I forced myself to smile and shrugged,

"Just thinking." I said. Her shoulders relaxed, as if she were letting go of a million worries. I watched her, waiting for her to tense up again. Waiting for another fear to wash over her and cause her to put a hand on me, only relaxing when I had reassured her. She had always been like that, ever since we were little. She worried, constantly. But not about herself, oh no, Avivi worried about others. I don't know how she will fare once she marries Elliot, a military man. When he is sent away, will she worry? Will she reach out looking for me or Mother, or Polla but find nothing but an empty seat? My sister had her eyes on a series of Fiferly dolls, mementos from our childhood.

"You still have those?" she whispered, her eyes still on the dolls,

"Of course, why would I get rid of them?"

"I thought maybe Mother made you get rid of them." she sighed, standing up and walking to them. She picked up the one on the left end and examined it. The doll wore a knitted cap and jacket over a delicate red silk dress. It wasn't real silk, of course, it was a replica our mother sewed after selling the silk one for dinner. Avivi flipped it over and looked at the feet. Sewn into the dolls stockings was a name, stitched carefully with faded orange thread, contrasting with the black of the stockings. I had stared at that name until it scorched itself into my mind. I didn't even have to look.

"oliveya." Avivi and I both whispered. Avivi put the doll down and looked at the other four. All had a word written on their feet, making a coherent sentence. They were our mothers, given to us when we were adopted by the Flynn's. Neither Avivi or I could remember what she looked like, but we both remember her gentle voice and her kind eyes.

"Do you think she's okay?" I asked, looking at my hands and intertwining my fingers.

"Yeah. I like to think so." Avivi smiled, putting the last phone down, "otherwise, I start feeling sad."

"You think she thinks about us?"

"Yeah." Avivi took her place beside me and took my hand away from me. We settled into a silence. Soon we were laying down and Avivi was snoring on my shoulder. My eyes fluttered, heavy from sleep. The day's events finally settled on me. I let sleep take me, allowing myself to have a few hours of peace before the morning, where my father will undoubtedly ignore me and Alin would give me disgusted looks from across the breakfast table. That is, if I'm allowed to sit at the breakfast table.

That night, I dreamt of the woods.