Chosen

by Samantha Britt

  So why did my brother bring it up now?

  “A rebellion would make you want to move to Draek? To the heart of our enemy’s territory?” I was confused with how the two connected.

  “A successful rebellion would mean humans would rule the kingdom again. We could move, work, live wherever and however we wanted.”

  It was a nice idea, but there was no substance to his dreams. As it was, we couldn’t leave Caldiri. We didn’t have enough money, and it would be unrealistic to travel on foot through the large, dangerous Royal Forest to leave Caldiri.

  Could we have a better life in another region? Perhaps.

  But we’d have to get there first.

  “You don’t even know if the rebellion is real,” I reminded him. “It is all speculation carried on wind and dust.” And a dangerous, reckless notion. I’d seen draekon soldiers remove limbs for stealing. I had no doubt the punishment for rebellion would be swift execution.

  “I know it is real.” A faraway look covered his eyes, and his expression made my stomach fall.

  “How?” I exhaled, fear catching my voice. “How do you know it’s real?” I prayed to the gods that my brother wasn’t involved in the rebel scheme. Nothing but trouble would come of him joining the traitorous group.

  Lin shook his head. “I just know.”

  Before I could demand an explanation, the front door of our home swung open. I hadn’t realized we were already so close.

  Candlelight spilled out, illuminating Lorie’s figure where she stood in the doorway. “It’s about time,” she called out. “I was beginning to wonder if you were coming home at all.”

  I failed to register her comment. The moment I saw her, I panicked.

  “What are you doing?” I dropped Lin’s arm, rushing forward to close the distance between us. “Get inside before someone sees you!” I arrived at the threshold and pushed Lorie back into the cover of our home. Behind me, Lin entered and shut the door.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Lorie shoved my hands away. “It’s past midnight. No one will be out right now. Stop acting ridiculous.”

  “We never know when the agents will be roaming Caldiri,” Lin said, supporting my reaction. “Or when scouts will be in the sky. Now that you have officially broken the royal edict to attend the welcoming feast, it is absolutely imperative you remain out of sight.”

  Lorie threw her hands in the air, exasperated. “I just wanted to stay up until you returned. I didn’t know it would make you angry.”

  Regret filled me. “We aren’t angry.” I stepped forward and reached out to take my sister’s hand. “We just want to keep you safe.”

  She pulled back. “All you both want to do is control me. ‘Lorie, get a position in the village. Lorie, be my apprentice. Lorie, stay inside like a prisoner for an entire week.’” Her tone was bratty, just as she intended.

  The exhausting events and troublesome conversation with Lin had drained my patience. I became the exasperated one.

  “Stop playing the victim. We are trying to keep you safe. Do you know how lucky you are to have been saved from the welcoming feast?” I continued, unable to stop now that I started. “There are dozens of young men and women in Caldiri who were not as fortunate as you. They, unlike you, have the fear of recruitment hanging over their head.”

  Lorie cringed away from me like I had physically assaulted her. Her eyes were round as saucers, and the blood drained from her face.

  I knew I should stop; I made my point. But the cascade of pent up frustration and terror continued to flow, empowering me to spew my angry words. “Lin and I are doing everything in our power to keep this family together. We have risked a lot keeping you from the feast. Now, stop acting childish and do what we ask.”

  My speech left me breathless. I gulped in air but kept my stern gaze locked on my sister.

  Lorie blinked at me like she didn’t recognize me. I couldn’t blame her; I hardly recognized myself. I had never spoken to her with such severity, but it couldn’t be helped. I needed her to take the matter seriously.

  In the back of my mind, a tiny voice told me I should’ve spoken to her like that a long time ago.

  Lin ended the intense quiet. “I think we should retire for the evening. It has been a long day.”

  Instantly, my shoulders sagged. I really was exhausted.

  With a nod to my brother, I stepped around Lorie and moved towards our room. Sleep would not come easy tonight.

  Just as I stepped inside, Lorie’s venom-laced voice reached my ears. “At least at the capital, I would be far removed from you and your know-it-all attitude. Perhaps it would not be the worst thing to be recruited.”

  I stilled on the other side of the doorframe, my feet heavy as a ton of stones. It was the second time my sister referenced recruitment as a positive option. I suspected she was simply trying to cause me pain: she knew how much Lin and I wanted to save her from the capital. But the same could not be said of the first time she favorably mentioned the Census…

  I moved farther into our bedroom without commenting. Instead, I let my fears plague me throughout the night—the deepest fear being that my younger sister really wanted to be recruited by the draekon, and that we sheltered her so much that she really thought it was the better option.

  7

  Lorie never came to our room to sleep. Late in the night, I couldn’t take it anymore. I crept silently out and confirmed my sister was still in the cottage. I found her asleep on a pile of blankets she spread out on the floor, her homemade writing journal sprawled open beside her. The quill and ink pot sat within her reach.

  I pulled the blanket up to her shoulders and closed the book before returning to my bed.

  But even with that reassurance, sleep continued to elude me.

  My mind replayed various scenes from the day as I laid on my thin mattress. I kept seeing Agent Leith stare at me across the room. I felt his fingers disturb the air by my ear as he reached for the rose. His questions had confused me and, if I were being honest, intrigued me.

  I’d never spoken with a census agent, but I would have never guessed they could be so… surprising.

  Looking back, Agent Leith had not been as threatening as I’d feared. In fact, he seemed patient with regards to asking me questions, even though I hadn’t answered some.

  I pictured his genuine surprise when I revealed citizens of Caldiri did not wish to be recruited. He honestly couldn’t understand it.

  I turned over to rest on my side, staring through the foggy glass covering the small window. I suspected there was something different about Agent Leith.

  Only I couldn’t tell if it was the good or bad kind of different.

  “Good day, Lissa.” I leaned back and shielded my eyes as I peered up towards the sound of my name. I was outside in the small herbal garden Lin had built for me, gathering fresh herbs for my medicinal pastes and concoctions.

  Grinning down at me was Hyde, who was dressed in fine navy pants and freshly polished boots. I knew his extra finery was thanks to the presence of the visiting draekon. Still, even I had to admit he looked nice.

  Raising my eyes to his face, I saw his smile widen. “Good afternoon, Hyde.” He was the last person I expected to see. “I’m surprised to see you.”

  “I wanted to speak to you at the banquet, but I never had the chance.”

  Thinking back, I couldn’t remember seeing Hyde at the banquet. I’d been too focused on the looming agents to notice him.

  He held out his hand. I took it without hesitation, and he helped me stand.

  I brushed the dirt off my skirt. “What did you wish to discuss?”

  Hyde looked left, then right. I raised my eyebrows at his odd behavior.

  “Is there somewhere… private we can speak?” He gave me a meaningful look.

  Finally, the reason for his surprise visit became clear. “Yes,” I quickly said. “Of course. Please, come inside.”

  I lifted my basket of herbs and left the rest to retrieve l
ater. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t figured out why Hyde was there sooner. I should have invited him inside the moment he arrived to avoid being seen.

  I led him to my home’s back entrance. The door led to a makeshift sunroom connecting to the kitchen. Farther inside, I could hear Lorie moving about. I thought about alerting her to our guest’s presence but decided against it. We still had yet to speak to one another, and I didn’t want Hyde to witness our family drama.

  Looking at the rickety table, I was acutely aware of its worn state. Mentally, I ran through the other places to sit in our cottage. Realizing our meager couch would require we sit side by side, I decided the table would do.

  Hyde didn’t hesitate after I gestured towards the cheap table. He waited for me to sit before speaking. “Just so you know, I only have good news. Nothing bad to report.”

  I released a breath. “Your father didn’t notice Lorie’s absence?”

  “No, and I erased her name from the candidates’ log. There shouldn’t be any way an agent learns of her existence. At least, not on paper.”

  I smiled brightly. “That is amazing, Hyde.” I would never have expected anyone—much less Lord Stanley’s son—to help break the rules of the Census. It was a risky thing to do, punishable in the severest form: death.

  My smile faded as the thought forced me to remember the first and last hanging I’d witnessed. A middle-aged woman—a single mother of a census candidate—had been caught trying to bribe a census agent to make sure her daughter wasn’t selected. Apparently, she had saved up a large amount of coin for the task. She’d already lost her husband to illness, and she didn’t want to lose her only child to the capital.

  By all accounts, the agent seemed sympathetic to the mother’s cause. I’d overheard Mistress Molly lament the poor woman’s fortune. Not only did the draekon take her money, but he also arrested her for her crime. Lord Stanley ordered her execution the next morning.

  To this day, I still couldn’t walk by the tall wooden beam they used to hang her and many others who dared try to defy the Census.

  Hyde shifted nervously in the chair, drawing me out of my morbid memory. A faint red colored his cheeks. “Of course, I am happy to be of service.”

  Before I thought twice, I asked him the question at the front of my mind. “Why do it? Why help my sister avoid recruitment?”

  “I’ve told you. I want to earn your trust.”

  He’d said the same thing before, but it wasn’t enough to curb my curiosity.

  “But why? If your father finds out, you could be in a world of trouble. And for what? To help me keep my sister when so many other family’s risk losing their loved ones? Why her? Why us?” I didn’t think Lord Stanley would order his own son’s execution, but there would undoubtedly be repercussions for his involvement.

  Though we’d recently become acquaintances, I had spent four full years avoiding Hyde and his attention at every turn. I couldn’t imagine why he would risk so much for a girl who only recently began treating him with kindness. It didn’t make sense, and I couldn’t deny that his kindness made me feel guilty for my mean thoughts and behavior.

  Hyde took his time with his reply. His eyes flicked away, and he cleared his throat. He kept his gaze on a scratch in the table’s wood. “Surely you know my reasons.” He lifted his dark eyes to mine. “Or, at least, you suspect.”

  I blinked at his comments. I hoped my thought was wrong. “Are…” I licked my lips. “Are you doing this for me?”

  “Yes,” he exhaled, relieved I spared him from needing to say the words.

  I’d suspected as much, but it was different to have it confirmed. “But… why?”

  “You know why.” He reached out and took my hand in his.

  My heart pounded in my chest. The thought of someone risking so much on my behalf… it was too much. It felt binding. I didn’t want to owe anyone such a debt. Especially one I couldn’t repay.

  “Hyde…” I slowly pulled out of his grasp. I didn’t know what to say. How did I thank someone for their help one minute, then destroy their hopes the next? For as much as I believed I’d been wrong about Hyde, it didn’t change how I felt. I could see myself being his friend, but nothing more.

  I didn’t know if it was bad luck or good fortune, but Lorie chose that moment to walk into the room. She stopped in her tracks, eyes widening as she identified our guest.

  “Lord Hyde.” She dipped into a curtsy, greeting him with his formal title. Hearing it gave me pause; I realized I never addressed him as I should have. Being Lord Stanley’s son and half-draekon, he was to be given more respect than an average villager. Funny how I never worried about that when I was doing my best to ignore him.

  “Miss Allaway,” he returned, looking a little slack jawed. I smirked to myself, wondering when Hyde last saw my sister up close.

  Lorie and I looked similar enough that it was easy to tell we were sisters, but I believed she was far more beautiful. We were the same height, with the same fair hair and light eyes, but her features were softer—less affected by the elements. She resembled a porcelain doll I’d once seen in a traveling cart, and I often witnessed men become speechless when they came face to face with her.

  “I am glad you are here,” Lorie said. “I’d like to thank you for helping my family… for helping me.” She did not reference the Census by name.

  Hyde lowered his head. “I am happy to help.”

  Then he turned his gaze back to me, Lorie’s enchantment gone. “I should be going. I wish you a good day.”

  I kept silent as he stood from the table, turning on his heel to leave. I watched his departure with mixed emotions.

  On one hand, I was relieved our awkward conversation had ended, but on the other hand, I felt the need to extend my friendship, as well as my gratitude.

  Oh, what is the harm?

  I slipped out of the cottage and jogged after Hyde, leaving a confused Lorie in my wake. He was already near the turn-off to join the dirt path to town.

  “Hyde,” I called out. “Wait.”

  He stopped and turned to watch my approach. I halted three feet away and blurted the first thing that came to mind. “I have food I need to distribute to the unfortunates today. Will you help me bring it into town? There are multiple baskets.”

  I didn’t mention that much of the food had been smuggled out of his father’s home by Lin. After the banquet, my brother had snuck back to the wealthy estate with some other young men. They worked together to steal any leftover food they could get their hands on.

  I’d been furious when I woke up the next morning and learned what he and the others had done, but my irritation dissolved when I learned the bounty was intended for the unfortunates. Providing for those poor souls was worth the risk, but I might have thought differently if they’d been caught and punished for the noble act.

  If Hyde was surprised by my request, he didn’t show it. In fact, he was careful not to show any emotion at all. “Of course.”

  Together, we returned to my home and gathered the stolen food. Lorie watched us without making a sound. Her only reaction was to raise her eyebrows when Hyde turned his back. I shook my head at her and gestured for Hyde to follow me out.

  We said nothing as we journeyed to town. Following my shocking invitation, I was at a loss. I wanted the opportunity to clear the awkwardness, but I didn’t know how.

  We encountered the first unfortunate, and Hyde regarded me for guidance. I handed the elderly man a cloth with three wheat rolls tied inside. The man praised us for our kindness before scampering away to devour his meal in peace.

  Hyde’s lips curved down as he watched the retreating man. “Are they all so skinny?”

  Glancing back at the man, I observed his bony shoulders and thin limbs. I was so used to seeing their starved forms I was no longer shocked by it. “Yes.”

  Hyde’s face twisted with displeasure. “That’s horrible.”

  From the corner of my eye, I watched as he warred with the har
sh reality set before him.

  Was this the first time he’d come in contact with the poorest of the poor?

  I’d believed Hyde to be indifferent to Caldirians and their poverty, but I’d been wrong about him before. He wasn’t the stuck up young man I believed him to be. Watching his reaction to the unfortunates, I wondered if he’d simply walked through life with blinders on.

  It would’ve been quite the accomplishment, but I supposed it was possible. Especially for someone who’d never suffered at the hands of the draekon society he was a part of.

  “Yes,” I confirmed. “It is.”

  Sounds to our left drew both of our eyes. The elderly man had shared news of his gift, and a small group of unfortunates neared us with hopeful, yet cautious, expressions.

  I donned my most calming smile. “It’s all right.” I reached into a basket and removed another bread-filled cloth. I’d fashioned the containers from childhood garments too worn to make into suitable clothing. “We have more.”

  Seeing and smelling the bread washed away their reservation. The unfortunates walked forward, grinning ear to ear when Hyde or I gave them the food.

  “Gods bless you,” a middle-aged woman told Hyde. She grabbed his hand and pressed her chapped lips against his skin. “May the Gods bless you the rest of your days.”

  To my happy surprise, Hyde didn’t pull away from the unfortunate’s touch. Instead, he actually placed his hand over hers and said, “May the gods bless you as well.”

  The woman gave him a toothless grin before shuffling away. More unfortunates arrived, and we continued to hand out rolls and root vegetables until our baskets were empty. I praised my luck we hadn’t run out until the last unfortunate was served. Lin and I had divided the goods well.

  Closing the last basket, I straightened and turned to Hyde. His dark eyes looked lost in thought but sensing my attention, he drew his focus back. “Back to your cottage?”

  I nodded. We stacked the empty baskets and began our walk back.

  We didn’t make it ten steps before a black clad form intercepted us.