The Royal Picking

Chapter 19

With everyone feeling determined, worthy, and ready for any and everything Counsel Merzone would bring to the classroom, it was time for our next class. Counsel Merzone made sure to remind us that our real classes won't be this short. Instead, starting tomorrow, our class would last from after breakfast and end right when lunch should start. We need all the time we can get to be fully prepared, she had said.

I had groaned, not out loud of course. We would be spending three hours in this class every single day for three months. I don't understand how anyone could be happy about that. If it wasn't for the two days at the end of the week that we were guaranteed time, I'm sure Counsel Merzone would have been eager to use the extra time for lessons.

She had kept everything short after her introductory speech about the seriousness of this class, the Picking, and the kingdom. She had us introduce ourselves to the room, answering questions like our name, age, and village.

The same basic information I had completely memorized in my head from previous similar conversations. I knew that's all they wanted to know or would care about. My name, my age, and my village. As if there wasn't much more to me or to the rest of them other than our names, our ages, and our villages.

Still, I listened as everyone introduced themselves. As they spoke, I repeated their answers in my mind so I could hold on to the information that might prove itself important one day. The table in the front had turned to speak first. They went around the table, starting with Moyra, though I didn't listen much when she spoke because I had heard it already. Moyra Tybalt. Seventeen. Docins.

The girl that sat in the seat in front of the table on Moyra's right went next. She turned to face all of us, shining a beautiful smile towards everyone before talking. Her face was covered with dots a little darker than her golden skin. The dots were everywhere and tiny, they reminded me of the raindrops that would fall out of the night sky.

I would think they were beautiful as they fell and the light reflected off of them making them shine a little. Looking at her now, reminded me of just that and it was beautiful. Her eyes were a beautiful green and her dark chestnut hair fell to her elbow. Her hair was curly like mine, only her curls were larger and looser than mine, draping over her face like a curtain. Ryenne Crenas. Nineteen. Trenches.

Next was a girl with porcelain skin that shined a light reminding me of a doll. Though Hollee and I never had one, I remembered seeing a broken one covered in dirt on my way home one day. The girl kind of looked like that doll. Her bluish-green eyes were big like the large windows in the dining area, reflecting light into our eyes. Her lips were bright pink.

When she sat still she didn't look real or alive, she looked just like that doll. Her dark orange hair fell straight cutting off where her neck ended and her shoulder started. At least that is how it was on the right side, but on the left it was longer, falling just a little past her shoulder. Galea Cardaire. Eighteen. Skints.

The girl that sat next to Galea and in front of Ovisia, went next. She let the words fall out of her mouth quickly. She talked like Counsel Merzone did, getting the words out fast with no thought or concern if anyone could hear or understand them. But, I did.

Dana Ralieu. Seventeen. Skints. She had fairly light blonde hair that was tied to the side in a ponytail falling on her left shoulder. She had tied her hair using a ribbon, putting it in a smaller version of the bow that Hollee tied around Ikaria's dress. Her skin was warm ivory and her eyes were a light hazel.

The last girl at their table, sat in the side chair, the one without the pair. The one I was sitting in at our table. She made no efforts in trying to face all of us. Instead, she seemed focused on something not in the room. Still, she introduced herself anyway. Napari Albenne. Twenty. Supes.