Awakening: Prodigy

10: An Unyielding Perspective

Her attending the Academy was part of improving her value on the market, an element she had learned when she viewed her competitor's profiles. Like Seth, she wanted to give herself the best possible odds of success.

It made Seth sick just thinking about it.

"It must have hurt to have learned that she was moving on. You were... close."

He saw no point in lying about their relationship. It was platonic. They were each other's support system and cheerleaders. Not that the average flesh and blood human being would understand, let alone believe that. Especially from a teenager.

For a second, he considered saying nothing, but realized both statements were loaded and damaging if he left them alone. He might redirect the viper's focus onto him. But would that reveal that he was hiding something? Would she hurt Regina just to get at him?

He hated this game.

"I routinely helped Regina filter through marriage candidate profiles and requests. It was educational." 'To the level of perversion, the things you people subject to those you deem lesser,' he wanted to add.

He had seen everything from maintaining a specific weight requirement, to birthing only sons, to the number of sexual acts she'd be required to perform, sometimes not to exclusion of her marriage partner. Seth was certain that several private requirements were just an effort to scare her off, to signal that they felt she was disposable.

He had helped her design a list of her requirements. "You sound like my mother!" She had laughed, her rich, joyous laughter. "I think mom would have accepted you as a candidate."

"Four years too late, though," Seth shrugged. He considered now that he had probably missed a really important signal. He couldn't make an offer until he returned from the war. If he returned from the war...

Still, he helped her to develop her way-out clauses. Given her mother's profession as a lawyer, she'd write up the details as required. His parents wanted her safe above all else. But all Regina saw was the reduction of proposals, and that rattled her deeply as her eighteen-birthday loomed ever nearer.

"I knew what her plans were. I knew we would have to say goodbye. Whether it was through my service to the Nation and its people or her getting married and serving the Nation through childbearing. We both knew there was an end. Knowing helped us stay focused on our goals. Regina needed to maintain her integrity to appease elite double standards."

The therapist made a note and Seth's stomach lurched. Had he said too much?

In the very end, they had failed. When she had told him that her parents had approved of an arrangement, she had come to him in tears. The shock of losing her a year too early was too much to bear. With the service notices, the request to have him sit out the last game, everything... it was all too much...

"My end of it was about focusing on my sponsor's requirements. Regina spent much of her second year helping with odd-jobs so I'd have time to study." Maybe he shouldn't have said that. Maybe he'd lose a portion of pay to Regina, who only volunteered to clean a few tables, and maybe sweep the floor a few times. She'd hand him tools or hold modules open while he tinkered with electronics. Her help freed up a lot of his time.

She'd spend time with him because of the social expectations of a girlfriend. A convenient excuse to avoid aggressive male suitors. He hadn't used her in the same way. He found female interest blatantly disrespectful, as the overly confident few would make their move while in Regina's presence. Seth and Regina would laugh about it later. Seth was shocked at their boldness while Regina picked out their imperfections.

"You deem Regina disposable." the viper's words slipped through her lips with a hint of glee.

Seth seethed. "I want what is best for Regina. That's not with me."

"You didn't answer my question."

"Was there a question? All I heard was you twisting my words. Keep telling me what I feel, what I think. So far, I think this entire conversation has been one-sided. You've made it clear that you're not here to help me." He couldn't stop himself. And when the smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth, the last thread of his patience was severed.

He found himself on his feet, shouting, "You've already decided the story you want to hear. I don't even know why I even bothered asking for help at this point. Keep your damn meds! I'm not begging for your scraps!" He stormed from the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Your assessment isn't over," doctor Margaret Yan shouted to assert her last word over the disastrous session she had engineered. He heard the pleasure in her command. Somewhere deep inside, his spirit braced itself for the next attack.

He grumbled under his breath, unable to contain his rage. He suspected he was grumbling rather loudly, given the way the secretary pivoted toward him as he thundered past her desk. "I'd like to file a complaint!" he yelled at her. Took a deep breath, and in a tightly controlled voice, repeated his statement.

She nodded. "You'll have to go through the administration application for the service." Seth didn't have his tablet with him, having left it with his gear at his bunk. He hadn't foreseen the need for it. He'd file one when he got back to his barracks.

____________________________________

A word from the Author

That's it Chapter 10! Next update is Friday. See you then!

In 2022, I wrote 157,000 words, mostly relating to this story. Only 1/2 survived the multiple revisions and working out how scenes were going to go and what I wanted to say or needed to have happen in a chapter. There was a lot of failed scenes. Just because I didn't keep every word, didn't mean I wasn't productive. Sometimes it takes several re-writes even in the initial draft to get something that feels right. In 2019, I barely wrote 40,000 words - but those were ONLY the words I kept for the 3rd draft. I found that my mindset with regards to the writing process really helped me to explore my writing a little more, even if it meant I couldn't produce a 'finished' version in the timeline I wanted.

I'm sure I may have mentioned it once or twice, but you can get all of the Awakening content I have to-date by subscribing to the Early Adopters tier. This tier will be capped come April, so get in while it's discounted. Also I would really love to be able to pay my proof reader with something other than praise.