The Twelve had been given very specific instructions: they were to select a female traveling companion who would serve as their handmaiden for the duration of the Emergence, and both of them would only be allowed to bring the clothes on their back.
Ilda had returned to Mellifera in a state of shock. She hadn’t expected that to work. She hadn’t expected not to get caught. But, somehow, she’d made it.
Her parents had been just as shocked, although her mother had been especially upset. She’d supposed it was because, with her younger sister Ingride sick, there was no else but her mother to accompany her as her handmaiden. She’d resolved to ask one of their neighbors instead, so Brynja could remain and take care of Ingride.
But with the same stubbornness she’d displayed when she’d insisted on cheating her way into the Emergence, her mother had set off with her on the journey to the Citadel.
A large boat with the Crimson Queen’s trademark blood-red sails ferried the Twelve and their attendants to the island. Fidgeting restlessly as she leaned on the railing of the main deck, Ilda waited for the sun to rise, and for the competition to show themselves. They’d left in the dark of the night, so she’d not seen the other girls. But they were nearing the Citadel; surely the others would emerge to see the sights?
Nita was shy - cowardly, if you asked her while she was feeling particularly bitter about her lot in life - and that alone might have been why she was a handmaiden and not one of the Twelve. Her friend's sister, who was one of the Twelve, had wanted someone she could talk to like an equal.
And, of course, not have them try to steal her spotlight. Considering how much time they'd spent together just to get to the boat, though, Nita had her doubts about that claim.
Still, it meant there was a mousy-looking girl with light skin, leaning on her own spot of railing by the closest corner she could find.
Maybe the lighter sky would lift her spirits? Or so she hoped, trying not to doze off where she stood...
Ilda had long lost her faith in the Goddess Queen and her church, but it had sunk to a new low during the Selection. Growing up, she’d heard nothing but stories and whispers about how fate chose the bravest and the best of their generation and gave them a chance to be queen and change the world... only to discover that the Twelve were chosen technically via raffle draw. Completely random.
So when the soft light of the rising sun revealed a mousy-looking girl huddled away in a corner of the boat, the blonde simply assumed she was one of the Twelve, if only because she was about the right age. Only teenagers were eligible for the Emergence.
“Hi there!” she called out, smiling brightly as she shifted over to Nita. “Did you sleep well?”
Just because they were in a competition didn’t mean she had to be a snob, right? Plus, maybe having more friends would help her cause, especially if she’d get caught. (Or maybe not. Cheating in the Emergence was, after all, tantamount to sacrilege. Or heresy. Or something just as bad. Ilda wasn’t sure; she‘d never really taken their religious teachings to heart.)
Day one. The beginning of the end, not that anyone knew it. The ship drew closer to the docks, bringing twelve souls into the lions den. Eleven young women who would fail to achieve the crown and much more, unless her plan came together. The red sails billowed with the wind, slowly collapsing as the sailors pulled them in, getting ready to sidle up the dock and unload. The Citadel guards passed her by without so much as a glance, her hood hiding her from view, though the mask she usually wore would make her real face unrecognizable.
Citizens gathered to meet the girls, so it was easy to hide in the crowd, just as easy as hiding her sword beneath her cloak, not that she expected trouble, but no one was supposed to know she was still in the city. Valdis sidled closer to the plank being lowered to the dock, curious to see who had the misfortune of being chosen for this unholy ritual.
Brynja felt the world slow right before she stepped off the ship's ramp and on the island proper, a strange and inexplicable sensation overwhelming her. She looked up at the looming glass walls of the Citadel, and her insides churned with dread and fear.
So I crawl back into the belly of the beast, she thought, pressing her lips into a thin line as she struggled to pull herself together.
There was a loud cheer as the Twelve emerged, and she carefully stepped to the side and into the crowd, watching the citizens gather excitedly around the poor girls. Strange how they allowed the townsfolk on the island now, although she supposed this was all for show, and they would be ferried back to the mainland right after the Citadel's doors closed. The Queen always had a flair for the dramatic, after all.
Well, all but one of the Twelve emerged.
"Ilda," she called out, looking around for her daughter. The girl had been with the others right before they'd docked. Where had she gone?
Trinh. Valdis recognized the woman immediately, her heart sinking with the realization that her old friend could only be there for one reason. Trinh had aged, like all should, but there was no mistaking that red hair and the sound of her voice as she called for her daughter. This complicated matters somewhat. She had sent everyone who knew her face far away, every ally, all to ensure that no one would suspect she was still here, but she hadn't expected her childhood friend to show up.
Valdis backed away from the ship, moving toward the edge of the crowd, keeping her hood up. If the woman recognized her here, there might be problems. Trinh would hopefully hold her tongue, but there were no guarantees, not after how they had parted. Yet, more than that, Trihn's daughter was now in danger, now she had to tread with more care than she originally planned.
There was too much, far too much, on Brynja's mind that Valdis didn't really need to worry about being recognized. Keeping her daughter safe was Brynja's first priority; the Emergence was vicious, in the strange way young girls could be when pushed to the point of desperation.
That and she was too busy looking at the wrong direction, for it was the Queen herself that Brynja remembered from her childhood. From the last Emergence. And she would keep her head down and do her best not to be recognized, for should the Queen discover that she had somehow survived... Ilda would not stand a chance at all.
—
Ilda, well, was an entirely different story.
To be fair, nobody told her that the Twelve would need to be introduced and presented to the crowd, so she didn't bother to wait for the ship to be properly docked, climbing and sliding down the ropes to get to the island first. She was nervous, sure, but a part of her was still excited. The Emergence did only happen every so often, with the last one already two decades ago.
She slipped into the sea of people, listening to the citizen's equally excited chatter... and bumped into a tall, hooded figure.
"Sorry!" she quickly apologized, although she was just as quickly overcome by curiosity. How mysterious!
The sudden bump caused her to spin and grab the girl by the arm. Trinh's eyes looked back at her, so she just as quickly released her. Time to pick up a persona. Her emerald eyes hardened.
"Watch where you are going, girl," she replied, "This place isn't as friendly as it looks."
Valdis glanced back over to Trinh, steeling her nerves as the crowd cheered the other eleven girls. Her friend had no idea what it had taken to do what she had done, how long it had taken to come up with a plan. Her gaze returned to the girl.
"You one of the girls here to replace Queen Meira?"
Ilda's smile brightened all the more when Nita met her eyes.
"Just enough. Kind of hard to sleep with all that's going on." Plus she was more excitable than most girls. And anxious, because of what she'd done to get to where she was. "Are you one of the Twelve?"
It wasn't rude to ask, was it? The Selection didn't exactly reveal who the Twelve were. The priestesses just did some fancy show of picking out crystals; the matching ones in the possession of the lucky girls were supposed to glow, signaling their selection. Ilda didn't know for sure, since her crystal was rigged, guaranteeing her selection.
Ilda blinked, taking a step back from the hooded woman. It was the other's eyes that frightened her more than the sharp tone and the harsh words. "Sorry," she apologized, completely out of reflex; it's not the first time she'd offended anyone like this before, although most people would be more annoyed than actually upset. She opened her mouth to say something more, but quickly closed it. Whoops.
Valdis' question, though, made her blink again. The queen's name was Meira? She... actually didn't know that. She should really pay attention, or at least do a better job at pretending to be a devout worshiper. Why risk being arrested and put to death sooner than she had to? "Y-Yes. I'm one of the Twelve."
It was only then when it occurred to her that the people were cheering, and she looked back at the ship to see the other girls lining up to be presented. Double whoops.
And while Carmela was sneaky and spunky enough to have thought of a way to cheat, odds were about even as to whether she had; some good things in life just seemed to happen to her.
Not that she didn't put any effort in, either. Carmela was self-driven in that way.
"I... take it you are, then?"
Nita had no set image of what the Twelve were supposed to look like; just how they were expected to act and benefit the people.
The fear flitting through the young girl hadn't been her intent, but the prospect of seeing her former friend, someone who could spoil her plans, even by accident, did not sit well with her.
"You'd better get over there before the guards go searching for you," Valdis replied, "They can be pushy, don't let them see the fear you just showed me and you'll be fine."
For now at least. Trihn's dislike of her may still be around, not that Valdis blamed the woman, stabbing her in the back in order to break the system, even if she knew Trihn wouldn't have died...Trihn had no reason to forgive her.
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helloeverybunny2019-01-09 08:44 pm
APODEIA • Day 1 of the Emergence
Ilda had returned to Mellifera in a state of shock. She hadn’t expected that to work. She hadn’t expected not to get caught. But, somehow, she’d made it.
Her parents had been just as shocked, although her mother had been especially upset. She’d supposed it was because, with her younger sister Ingride sick, there was no else but her mother to accompany her as her handmaiden. She’d resolved to ask one of their neighbors instead, so Brynja could remain and take care of Ingride.
But with the same stubbornness she’d displayed when she’d insisted on cheating her way into the Emergence, her mother had set off with her on the journey to the Citadel.
A large boat with the Crimson Queen’s trademark blood-red sails ferried the Twelve and their attendants to the island. Fidgeting restlessly as she leaned on the railing of the main deck, Ilda waited for the sun to rise, and for the competition to show themselves. They’d left in the dark of the night, so she’d not seen the other girls. But they were nearing the Citadel; surely the others would emerge to see the sights?
Idea has been percolating most of the week...
And, of course, not have them try to steal her spotlight. Considering how much time they'd spent together just to get to the boat, though, Nita had her doubts about that claim.
Still, it meant there was a mousy-looking girl with light skin, leaning on her own spot of railing by the closest corner she could find.
Maybe the lighter sky would lift her spirits? Or so she hoped, trying not to doze off where she stood...
no subject
So when the soft light of the rising sun revealed a mousy-looking girl huddled away in a corner of the boat, the blonde simply assumed she was one of the Twelve, if only because she was about the right age. Only teenagers were eligible for the Emergence.
“Hi there!” she called out, smiling brightly as she shifted over to Nita. “Did you sleep well?”
Just because they were in a competition didn’t mean she had to be a snob, right? Plus, maybe having more friends would help her cause, especially if she’d get caught. (Or maybe not. Cheating in the Emergence was, after all, tantamount to sacrilege. Or heresy. Or something just as bad. Ilda wasn’t sure; she‘d never really taken their religious teachings to heart.)
no subject
"Er... I've been trying, yeah," she dodged, glancing more at the floor in an attempt to avoid awkward staring... which was itself awkward.
"Might sleep better once we land, though. What- what about you?"
She looked up properly then, gray eyes meeting Ilda's.
no subject
Citizens gathered to meet the girls, so it was easy to hide in the crowd, just as easy as hiding her sword beneath her cloak, not that she expected trouble, but no one was supposed to know she was still in the city. Valdis sidled closer to the plank being lowered to the dock, curious to see who had the misfortune of being chosen for this unholy ritual.
no subject
So I crawl back into the belly of the beast, she thought, pressing her lips into a thin line as she struggled to pull herself together.
There was a loud cheer as the Twelve emerged, and she carefully stepped to the side and into the crowd, watching the citizens gather excitedly around the poor girls. Strange how they allowed the townsfolk on the island now, although she supposed this was all for show, and they would be ferried back to the mainland right after the Citadel's doors closed. The Queen always had a flair for the dramatic, after all.
Well, all but one of the Twelve emerged.
"Ilda," she called out, looking around for her daughter. The girl had been with the others right before they'd docked. Where had she gone?
no subject
Valdis backed away from the ship, moving toward the edge of the crowd, keeping her hood up. If the woman recognized her here, there might be problems. Trinh would hopefully hold her tongue, but there were no guarantees, not after how they had parted. Yet, more than that, Trihn's daughter was now in danger, now she had to tread with more care than she originally planned.
no subject
That and she was too busy looking at the wrong direction, for it was the Queen herself that Brynja remembered from her childhood. From the last Emergence. And she would keep her head down and do her best not to be recognized, for should the Queen discover that she had somehow survived... Ilda would not stand a chance at all.
—
Ilda, well, was an entirely different story.
To be fair, nobody told her that the Twelve would need to be introduced and presented to the crowd, so she didn't bother to wait for the ship to be properly docked, climbing and sliding down the ropes to get to the island first. She was nervous, sure, but a part of her was still excited. The Emergence did only happen every so often, with the last one already two decades ago.
She slipped into the sea of people, listening to the citizen's equally excited chatter... and bumped into a tall, hooded figure.
"Sorry!" she quickly apologized, although she was just as quickly overcome by curiosity. How mysterious!
no subject
"Watch where you are going, girl," she replied, "This place isn't as friendly as it looks."
Valdis glanced back over to Trinh, steeling her nerves as the crowd cheered the other eleven girls. Her friend had no idea what it had taken to do what she had done, how long it had taken to come up with a plan. Her gaze returned to the girl.
"You one of the girls here to replace Queen Meira?"
no subject
"Just enough. Kind of hard to sleep with all that's going on." Plus she was more excitable than most girls. And anxious, because of what she'd done to get to where she was. "Are you one of the Twelve?"
It wasn't rude to ask, was it? The Selection didn't exactly reveal who the Twelve were. The priestesses just did some fancy show of picking out crystals; the matching ones in the possession of the lucky girls were supposed to glow, signaling their selection. Ilda didn't know for sure, since her crystal was rigged, guaranteeing her selection.
no subject
Valdis' question, though, made her blink again. The queen's name was Meira? She... actually didn't know that. She should really pay attention, or at least do a better job at pretending to be a devout worshiper. Why risk being arrested and put to death sooner than she had to? "Y-Yes. I'm one of the Twelve."
It was only then when it occurred to her that the people were cheering, and she looked back at the ship to see the other girls lining up to be presented. Double whoops.
no subject
"My friend's sister is."
And while Carmela was sneaky and spunky enough to have thought of a way to cheat, odds were about even as to whether she had; some good things in life just seemed to happen to her.
Not that she didn't put any effort in, either. Carmela was self-driven in that way.
"I... take it you are, then?"
Nita had no set image of what the Twelve were supposed to look like; just how they were expected to act and benefit the people.
no subject
"You'd better get over there before the guards go searching for you," Valdis replied, "They can be pushy, don't let them see the fear you just showed me and you'll be fine."
For now at least. Trihn's dislike of her may still be around, not that Valdis blamed the woman, stabbing her in the back in order to break the system, even if she knew Trihn wouldn't have died...Trihn had no reason to forgive her.