by S. L. Baum
So, when Saturday came, and with it the private dinner, I was elated that my time at Two was nearly over. The hair and make-up people who arrived at our suite groomed Cimarron and me into stunning perfection. A dressing assistant also arrived to help us into our gowns. My dress was not like the elaborate one I wore for my Gala, or for Petal and Petunia’s one. For the dinner I wore a simple, floor length, one shoulder dress that was blue with silver tones. It sparkled when the light hit it, which made me smile. A thin, roped, silver belt encircled my waist and silver, strappy, heeled sandals were on my feet. Cimarron’s dress was plum colored, with long sleeves and a billowy skirt.
The video team shot footage of us as we walked out of Guest Accommodations to our waiting vehicle. “Turn toward me, Bluebell, and give a wave to all the Citizens,” the woman called out.
I turned and waved my left hand, giving them full access to my Brand. I’m sure it would be zoomed in on and still shots of it would be highlighted from the video.
It struck me that not once during the entire week had I bothered to ask either of their names. It was rude of me, I knew it, but I couldn’t stand the constant intrusion into every moment of my day. I had exactly three places that I could count on to be private: up in my room, inside the vehicle, or if I excused myself to go to the restroom. I’m sure the Citizens of Concord were beginning to wonder if I had an issue with my bladder.
Gill held my hand as I got into the backseat. He leaned in close to my ear and almost silently whispered. “We’ll have a moment soon. It has been arranged.”
I looked up at him and gave a slight nod of my head, so he knew that I’d heard and understood.
As Gill navigated through the streets of Two, Cimarron sat beside me, scrolling through her tablet. “Bluebell, great news. The Council is quite pleased with this campaign. There is a ninety percent click rate on the video segments, and an eighty-five percent click rate on your public journal. And this is just the first week of the campaign. I have assured The Council that we can bring those numbers up. You are doing much better than your friends, those twins that are waiting to find out who their future mates will be. Only sixty-five percent of the Citizens have logged in to cast a vote so far.”
“They do have two more weeks,” I pointed out. “Who is in the lead?” I asked. I hadn’t looked at the voting statistics yet.
“Leaf and Blade, I think. But Hunter and Reed are close seconds. It is going to be a tight race. The girls haven’t put in their choice yet. If they are smart, they’ll wait until the last day to do so.”
“The Pets are smart girls,” I assured her. “They’ll wait until the last moment of the last day. I feel bad for them. I can’t believe that they only get a one-third say in the men they will enter into a Marriage Contract with. They will be with these people for the rest of their lives.”
Cimarron raised her eyebrows. “If your friends are as smart as you say they are, they will understand that a Marriage Contract is much like a business association. There is compromise, duty, and companionship. I’m sure they will have a very pleasant life after the choice is made. And the Citizens need to know they have some influence in this decision, it’s entertaining. Entertained Citizens are happy and content Citizens. That is the goal of Concord… keeping its Citizens content.”
And following along blindly without asking any questions, I thought.
I pulled out my mini tablet and clicked on the icon with my friends’ picture on it. The Pets were smiling, posed in their Gala gowns, with a set of brothers on either side of them. I scrolled through the photo albums showing Petunia and Petals with either set of brothers. It was nice to see that there were only a few photos of all six of them together. At least my friends were given time to evaluate their future matches separately. It would be confusing to always be with both sets.
There were pictures of The Pets with Leaf and Blade, the four of them walking through one of the parks, eating a candle-lit dinner together, watching a video (which must have been one of the dramas because Petunia’s eyes were misted over with tears), and shopping at one of the clothing boutiques. The boutique pictures made me laugh. Each of them had tried on an over the top outfit and had struck a silly post for the picture. I could tell from their faces that they’d been laughing the whole time. There was a similar set of pictures with Hunter and Reed – park, dinner, video, shopping. But the shopping pictures were very straightforward. The outfits were classic and stylish, and when they posed for the pictures they were standing straight with small (but still happy) smiles on their face.
“I think I agree with Leaf and Blade being the front runners. Petunia and Petals seem to have a brighter smile and look like they are enjoying themselves more when they are with that set of brothers.”
“I actually voted for those two already. Leaf has high marks in his Peace Keeping apprenticeship and their parents are strong supporters. They are quite vocal in our need to keep competent Peace Keepers on hand in all public areas. Both parents have shown amazing loyalty to Concord. Blade being a chef isn’t as noble, but we must have healthy citizens.”
“Fine examples for Concord,” I said with a hint of sarcasm.
Luckily Cimarron did not notice at all. She just looked up from her tablet with a satisfied smile on her face. “Yes. They are. There will be a mandatory video segment tonight, to give the Citizens an update on the results of the voting so far.”
“I won’t vote until the last possible moment. I want to know as much as I can about those boys and see every picture that is published.”
“A well informed decision. I like it.”
“Ladies, we are here,” Gill said as the vehicle came to a halt.
I grabbed my clutch and took Gills hand when he came around to help, first me, and then Cimarron, out of the back seat.
The dinner was held at the home of the head of all Medical. It was a large residence, with a tall arched entranceway. As I walked up the stairs that led to the entrance, the video team arrived to document my every move. Once inside, I was directed to a wide, open room that was perfect for a large gathering. Cimarron estimated that there would be around twenty Citizens in attendance. People were gathered in small groups, talking and laughing, while men with trays of drinks in their hands, roamed the room offering liquid refreshment.
I crossed the room, heading for the owner, Salem, who was waiting to greet me with open arms. But I almost stopped in my tracks when I saw the women who flanked him on either side. The woman on his right was his wife, Bristol; I’d been shown pictures of the two of them. Her ultra blonde hair was piled high upon her head, with pink, ornamental feathers sticking out of it. I had no idea how the creation was staying up there so well. She was wearing a tight, pink, strapless dress, just a shade lighter than the feathers in her hair, and her top half was nearly spilling out of the dress. But her outlandish appearance wasn’t what caused me to pause for a mere second, before I forced myself to continue forward. The woman on his left, who wore a body hugging, long sleeved, matte black gown, was responsible for that. Surprisingly, there were no bracelets on her arms, but then the sleeves were so long that they covered half of her hands, almost like fingerless gloves.
“Hello, Salem and Bristol, it is so nice to finally meet you. Thank you for inviting me into your lovely home.” I smiled at the couple. “And, hello, Aspen. What a flattering dress. It’s quite similar to the one you wore at my Gala. No high collar this time?”
“Mother,” Aspen corrected with a low hiss. “The collar would be a bit much here. That gown looked so flattering on me, I had Raleigh create a similar, toned down version.”
“I’m surprised to see you here, Mother,” I said, correcting my error.
Aspen ran her hands down each sleeve, smoothing them out. “A lovely surprise, I am sure.”
“Of course. I am always happy to see you,” I lied.
“I knew you would be. I may attend all these dinners, although a straight trip to Three, and especially to Four, is quite a long or
deal. Anyway, your grandfather and I are quite pleased with your duties this week. You are behaving perfectly in your role as the Lush Ambassador. And Salem has just informed me that new mothers in Two are pledging to make sure their children are vaccinated on time and have even looked into the new childcare classes that The Council has devised. You are becoming an important and influential public figure.”
“I’m happy to hear that the new parents in Two are vowing to care for our future Citizens so well. And I am proud to serve Concord in such a positive way.”
“I would expect nothing less from a daughter of mine. Concord Reigns.”
“Concord Reigns,” I replied.
“Concord Reigns,” Salem and Bristol repeated.
Aspen hooked her arm with mine “I see you are getting along with Weaver 1.50 quite well. He is from a very fine family. His father is the Maternity Care Expert in One, and his mother serves on many of the same Social Boards as I do. They are very fine, indeed.”
“I actually had no idea what his parent did, and I wasn’t even aware of his family number. I never asked.”
“Bluebell, that is a little surprising. Upstanding families are the only ones worth mixing with.”
“Aspen, I have many friends that do not rank so well, but are loyal, genuine, amazing Citizens.”
Aspen shook her head at me. “It’s not just his family number, dear girl, it is also his family’s status in society. You will understand someday, you’re still so young.”
“Yes. Yes, I am,” I said, putting on an innocent smile.
“That’s why I am here tonight. Cimarron can only guide you so much. You need me to keep you on the path that your grandfather and Concord has carved out for you.”
A man came up behind me and placed one hand on Aspen’s shoulder and one hand on mine. “Your mother is quite right. Concord shines a bright light on those that are committed to their destined path in society. Every Citizen has a lifelong job to do, and it should be done with pride. Just the knowledge that you are serving a purpose should propel you through each day with a smile on your face.”
“Bluebell, this is Richmond, he is the Liaison for Two. Richmond regularly meets with the head of each department and makes sure that Two is running properly, checks that the Citizens are performing as expected, and regularly reports back to The Council. He keeps us on our toes,” Salem said with a laugh.
Richmond patted Salem on the back. “We all work together. All Citizens working in harmony… that is the Concord way.”
“Absolutely,” Aspen and Bristol said at the same time.
Richmond looked at me, waiting, while a small frown grew on his face. A crease on his forehead, between his brows, began to deepen.
“That is the Concord way,” I said hoping that would ease his worried expression. He smiled; pleased with himself and with my compliance.
Cimarron, who had lagged behind as I approached Salem and Bristol, walked up to where I stood. She had a glass in each hand, and Weaver by her side. “Bluebell, I brought a companion for you to keep you company during dinner. It may get a bit tedious, being the youngest person in the room. And, I thought you could use this,” she said, handing a glass of blue tinted liquid to me. “Blueberry infused lemonade.”
“Thank you.” I accepted the glass from her and turned to Weaver. “You really are my shadow this week.”
He gave me a knowing smile. “I told you I wanted to observe you. It has been an interesting week indeed. You carry yourself and act in such a devoted manner. You truly are a model Citizen. It is no wonder you are what you are.”
“She is her mother and father’s pride and joy,” Aspen said with a smile. “Weaver, your mother and father send their best. Why don’t the two of you go and find your place settings, and see where everyone will be seated for dinner?”
Bristol mirrored Aspen’s smile. “That is an excellent suggestion. Get a feel for the table, before everything starts. Dinner will be served soon.”
I was given a small push by Cimarron and sent away with Weaver.
We walked into the dining room and located our place cards, which were next to each other at the immediate right of the head of the table. I walked around the table, sipping my blueberry lemonade, with Weaver at my side. I made note of all the names of the guests, and where they would be sitting. Aspen was placed directly across from me, next to Bristol, but Cimarron was at the opposite end of the table, seated next to Boston, who I hadn’t seen since the day we arrived at Two.
A bell chimed just as I’d finished my turn around the table, and the rest of the guests came into the dining room.
Bristol clapped her hands. “Find your places, everyone. We have a dinner that will delight the tongue. A series of small tasty bites, prepared by my favorite, and Concord Two’s, premier chef.”
Murmurs of approval spread throughout the dinner guests as they walked around the room and settled into their seats. Cimarron didn’t look too happy about Boston’s presence. I assumed The Council decided that I only needed one person minding me during dinner. Cimarron must have been relieved of those duties for the evening, since Aspen had arrived to watch over me. But she had been given the alternate duty of keeping Boston well informed. I watched his animated hands as he spoke to Cimarron, and the slight shake of her head before she responded. I couldn’t hear the conversation, but from Cimarron’s expression, I could tell that Boston was trying her patience. I secretly hoped that one of the servers’ fingers would slip and touch his food, and contaminate it.
Members of the waiting staff came around to refill glasses and then delivered the first plate… a small lettuce cup, with minced seafood and vegetables, covered in a savory vinegar and oil dressing.
Bristol instructed everyone to wait until each guest had a plate in front of him or her; we were all to experience the first bite at the same time.
“After the count of Two,” she instructed. “One. Two. Eat!”
The same instructions were given with each plate or course; it became a source for amusement and teasing among the guests. “I bet you can’t wait for everyone else, this one looks so delicious,” was tossed out by more than one Citizen. I also heard, “I might have to break the rules for this one,” more than one time.
Plate number two came; a slice of fresh tomato, a circle of white cheese, and a green topping made from crushed herbs.
The third course consisted of a large spoon filled with a yellow squash soup. I wished it had been a whole bowl, and not just a spoonful, it was so creamy smooth and light. I loved it.
The fourth plate had a small square of tofu on a bed of shredded vegetables, dressed with a spicy and sweet sauce.
Aspen turned to Bristol after the tofu was served. “I adore tofu, and I adore this menu. Your chef should be commended.”
“He does all my dinners,” Bristol said with a smile.
“I just might have to steal him from you.” Aspen said, and I could almost see her devising a plan to do so.
Bristol stiffened. “You wouldn’t!”
Aspen laughed. “I’m teasing. I love my chef. I wouldn’t let him go. But you do have a treasure.”
Bristol’s shoulders relaxed and she let out a breath she had been holding. “He is a treasure,” she agreed. She turned her attention from Aspen to me. “After our last course, we will move to our sitting room to watch a broadcast of those lovely twin girls who need help choosing mates. They are friends of yours, aren’t they?”
“Yes. They are close friends of mine. I was in Training Tech with them, and we Incorporated at the same time. I love Petunia and Petals.”
“How wonderful! Your Incorporation Class was one of great fortune. The future of our youth is getting brighter.”
“Actually, my Incorporation Class had one of the highest rates of Infertile Brands ever,” I pointed out.
Bristol waved her hand in the air. “But that will all change, now that you are here.”
Weaver nodded his head in agreement. “Infertility rates ar
e a direct consequence of something that was lacking in the womb or in early development. Your Brand will encourage new mothers to do what is right for their child.”
The waiting staff came around to remove our plate and deliver our sixth course; a cup containing fruit flavored shaved ice.
“That’s not entirely true,” I countered. “My friend Lily was branded Infertile. Her father is the head of Armory. I doubt he could have risen so high had he or his wife been lacking.”
“While there is a marginal amount of Infertile Citizens that come from perfectly performing parents, there has been a rise in Citizens becoming lax with The Council’s Mandates. That rise coincides directly with the increase in infertility,” Salem offered an explanation. “The wonderful thing about your unique Brand is that it generates a desire to have or become a Lush Citizen, which can only be achieved through strict compliance with Concord’s regulations. If a Citizen chooses to live outside of the guidelines, then he or she is making a choice to gamble with the future of their offspring...”
“It is a simple thing, really,” Richmond interrupted. “Following the Mandates will not guarantee a Lush child, but it does get you much closer.”
“What will you tell the Male Citizens?” I asked, knowing that being Lush was confined to the female population.
“Well, we are responsible for our part in producing offspring, aren’t we?” Weaver asked.
I nodded my head. “Yes. That is true. A male is required.”
“Then it is a male’s responsibility to do everything he can so his female offspring have the chance to be Lush, and his male offspring have the chance to produce a future Lush,” he reasoned.
Richmond gave one large clap of his hands. “Weaver is exactly right. As I said before, all Citizens, working in harmony!”
A woman in the middle of the table looked at me. “Concord knows what is best for us.”