1 Eli

The constant taping noise of Eldon's shoes against the cold, stone floor starts to unnerve me. It makes the passage of time seem longer, yet spiraling down onto me, way out of my control. Do I want to know the outcome of this council meeting? I wanted resolution, undoubtedly, but the possibly of an unwanted outcome was too high for me to stand. My nervousness kept me bound to my seat, my stomach knotting as tried not to think about what was being decided behind those large council-room doors. My brother chose to pace the room instead.

"There's just no way they go through with it," Eldon said, though his voice was too frantic to sound convincing. "I mean, it's insane. Who would possibly vote yes to this treaty?"

"He is the king. Wouldn't voting against him be a bad idea?" I mumbled back, not caring much if Eldon could hear me or not.

"No, ruining our country by letting those… deformed people in are a bad idea," he answered, shuttering as he envisioned it. "I don't even wish to know what father was thinking! Or you, for matter. How can you stand to think so hopelessly about this?

"I am only preparing myself for the worst. What's wrong with that?" I questioned defensively. "You didn't hear how he talked about it with me. He was so infatuated with the idea. It's like he's completely forgiving them."

"Then why didn't you remind him?" Eldon suddenly shouts at me. "Why didn't you relive what happen when they snuck in a telepath to kill our mother?!"

"I did!" I shout back, getting up out of my chair. Eldon was taller than me and my eyes had to look up to glare back at his cold ones, but my blood was too boiled to back down. "How dare you accuse me of giving up! I fought with him for days while you were cowering in your damn library."

Immediately, Eldon shoves me back away from him, his expression darkening. "I was trying to come up with another plan because I counted on you to make that fool see reason! Father no longer considers my opinion on things concerning the future of Macence, or did you the miss the ceremony where he gave my right to succession to you?"

"I didn't ask for this, you know that!" I reply with as much venom as I could. "Or did you miss the part where you betrayed-"

"ENOUGH," a voice yells out and we both jump away from each other. From behind us, our father stands in the now open doorway, a scowl on his face, his robes disheveled from running to the door. "Why are you both arguing out here like children?"

I square my shoulders and bow my head, ashamed. "Mahārāja."

"Mahārāja," my brother repeats, but it is a cold greeting. Instead of bowing, he folds his arms defensively. "Has the decision been made?"

"It has," he answers, is glare provoking Eldon to say more, to give my father reason to dismiss him. My chest tightens and I struggle to breathe. The worst has come.

Eldon frowns but keeps his mouth shut. King Morgan turns to me instead.

"And you?" he asks me. "Do you have anything else to add?"

"Please," I beg him, my voice barely above a whisper. "Reconsider this."

For a moment, I thought he was pitying me. His eyes softened, and my hopes went high. Please have mercy, I thought. Please, don't make me do this.

"I will not," he answers, his tone much softer than before. He turns his face away, unable to look at me for another moment, and moves pass us down the corridor.

I don't follow him. My feet are frozen in place, my hands clinched at my sides. The knot in my stomach gets together and I can't focus on anything else. At the door, someone clears their throat.

"The council calls to the Second Star," the servant says, his posture giving away how awkward he feels. I only nod to him, unable to trust myself to speak yet. My legs carry me into the room behind him, my mind struggling to catch up.

In the room, all twelve councilors are waiting warily, shifting in their seats around the table. It's obvious to me that they heard some, or all, of our conversation. I wait for them instead of speaking.

"The terms of the treaty have been agreed upon," the head of the table says to me. "In a month's time, you will travel to Vanena. Before you arrive, the leader of their country, Chieftain Titus, will have sent you list of his children's names. You will choose your bride by the time that you are in Vanena."

"I… don't get to meet her first?" I ask them. I sounded distant and hallow, even to myself. It scared me.

"No," another answered, rubbing his temple as if trying to fight off a migraine. "They don't want your choice to be persuaded by looks."

"And they believe that their gods will guide you to the right choice. To use your eyes and mind would be the same as turning away from your true destiny," another spook sarcastically. With every word my future sounded bleaker.

"Is that all?" I hoped, not caring if it was respectful or not. Thankfully, they excused me from the room.

Outside the doors, Eldon was pacing again, but stopped as he saw me walking out.

"What did they say?" he asked me, but I did not stop to talk to him.

I struggled to be calm, to not puke, or throw something. 'It's an honor', they had told me when they made me heir. They smiled and told me that the universe was aligning for me. They promised me that my choices would shape the future. It was not an honor; it was a lie. My choices were shaped by someone else.

I didn't know where exactly I was going until I was already in the west corridor. Around me, servants were swarming the hallways, folding liens into bags and cleaning out wardrobes into suitcases. Didn't they say I wasn't traveling to Vanena until a month from now? Why were they already packing. I felt as if I was really going to be sick now. I needed to find her.

Leaning against a wall to keep myself upright, I tried to spot her through the crowd. She had to be here, she had to have already heard the news. If there was anyone who would understand, it would be Abby. If I could just see Abby.

"Abby!" I called, spotting her from down the hall. She was holding a laundry basket in her hands, sweat making the hairs that had slipped out of her headscarf cling to her face. Her face is flushed from work but it only adds to her soft features. When I called, she looked up in surprise and I feel better at once. She walks up to me quickly.

"Your Highness," she says to me, bowing deeply. "What can I do for you? Are you alright?"

"I need to speak with you," I plead with her. "Right now."

She looks around nervously and I could swear that I see the other servants shoot glares at her. However, when they see me staring, they look away too fast for me to tell.

Quickly, she places her basket on the floor and grabs my wrist as discreetly as she can. I follow her lead, as I always do, though the irony is not lost on me. I would follow her anywhere if she asked me to. I hope that she does.

Abby doesn't let go of me until we reach a room where there are finally no other servants. She pushes me in quickly and closes the door behind us. I grab both of her hands the moment they're free and pull her close. In her embrace, the knot in my stomach finally loosens. I breathe deeply, releasing my stress and smell the odd, but wonderful scent of soap and grass. She must have been doing the laundry outside.

"Eli?" she calls me now that we're alone. Her arms stay locked around my back so that she can't look up at me. It is a sad, but fair trade off for now. "What's going on? Are you alright?"

"They signed the treaty," I answer, tensing up again. "Did they not tell you why they were making you pack up everything?"

"I was just ordered to came back inside- I didn't have time to ask question. This is just…" she starts to say. She lets go of me and I finally get to see her face again. I prepare myself for her sadness or tears, but instead looks… relieved? For some reason, this reaction is worse.

"You're alright with this?" I ask her in disbelief.

"Alright with it?" she echoes. "The war is finally coming to a close. I am more than alight. I'm… I-I'm overjoyed!"

She smiles and my heart sinks. I suddenly find myself regretting coming here. What did I expect? The only person on my side is Eldon, and even he argues with me constantly. Why did I think that she would be different.

"How can you be so happy?" I ask. "Do you not care at all what will happen to us?"

Instantly, Abby's smile fades and is replaced by confusion. She takes a step back from me. "Don't do this. You know what this means. Think about all the men that won't have to risk their lives anymore for this stupid war. Think of all the men that have already died. Doesn't that mean something to you?"

"No," I answer, taking her hands in mine again. "Not without you, it doesn't."

I expect her to give in, just a little, but instead, she rips her hands away from me. When I look at her this time, the tears that I was waiting for are there now, hovering at corners of her eyes. It's the wrong moment now. My chest tightens more.

"You knew this coming, Eli," she says to me. "Stop being selfish. Your people deserve it from you."

She leaves me then without letting me put in another word.