Long Live

IX

Finneas

The results of the first trial were disappointing to say the least. While Penelope was nothing special to me, just a girl from my aunt's land that had been excited to compete, seeing Abigail be eliminated was a quick blow to my esteem about the trials as a whole. I had grown up around Abigail, with our families being fairly close. Her father was one of the most profitable merchants in all of the Haven, and thus my father had spent time becoming something of a friend to him. It had surprised me that she had shown no talents or skills during the trial, but as my mind dwelled on it longer, I recalled the reaction that Bettie had told me about.

"The girl was confused, maybe even offended. She has a suitor lined up, a soldier if I remember correctly." Bettie had told me. "She asked why, and I told her that you had personally chosen her."

As my family and I sat in a lounge, watching the playback of the recordings the cameras attached to the servant children had made, we discussed the happenings of the trial. We watched as each of my potential brides attempted to teach the children different skills. Penelope, one of the girls that had been sent back home, had been trying to teach a young boy how to swordfight, but he would not even take the sword from her hands. Through all of his trembling and whimpering, she had not even tried to raise his confidence. Instead, she belittled him and sent him running back to his barracks.

At least Penelope had shown strength and an ability, whereas Abigail, who I had been somewhat hoping for as a victor, could not even keep up with the simple sewing pattern she was trying to teach the girl she was working with. When her servant pointed out her error, I put my head in my hands and heaved a great sigh.

After we had seen the Timeless girls' attempts, most of which were successes, all that was left was the mortal girl. Andrea entered the scene wearing nothing other than the royal blue swimsuit. Even through the grainy film that the servant girl had captured, I was astounded by her beauty. She was tall just like the others, but she was not as thin as the beauty standards of the Timeless demanded. Unlike the sharp lines of figures like Abigail or the bulky muscles of Penelope, Andrea's body was formed by smooth curves and soft slopes. As she jumped into the lake, her hair flew behind her in the wind. The wild mane of red was tamed slightly by the water it was sent into. I bit my lip, watching her move so elegantly through the water.

"She is doing well," Joel, who was lazily draped over an armchair, chimed in.

"She is," my mother admitted. "I just wish she was prettier like the other girls. She lacks a certain quality that I just can not put my finger on." She shook her head and sighed.

"The Timeless beauty?" my father suggested, to which my mother nodded. "She is a bit homely."

"I think she is gorgeous," I shot a glare back at them.

"Do not get too attached so soon, she is but a mortal in a race for the Timeless throne. It is unlikely she will succeed." Queen Cinder put a hand on my shoulder. "However, if she does, she will have earned it."

Just as our conversation concluded, we watched as the servant girl took a dive into the lake. After a few moments of quick switching between darkness and light from the camera on the girl's chest, it became apparent that the servant girl was indeed swimming. This meant that Andrea succeeded in teaching her, and would move on in the trials. I hid the slight smile that was playing on my lips from my family. When I looked back, Drake was still looking at the screen that was displaying an image of Andrea, who was laughing and cheering while jumping up and down in the water. Most of my family had already left the room, leaving just us two.

"She is pretty, isn't she?" I nudged him with my elbow and his attention snapped back to me. He grinned a bit and nodded.

"She sure is." He looked at his feet and kicked one gently. "May the best woman win my brother's hand, but it appears one has already won his heart."

After a brief pause, Drake left, and I sat in the lounge for a while longer. I observed the feed of Andrea for a few more moments, then switched it between other girls. I bid Abigail a silent farewell, knowing she was already on her way back to her father's land. I sighed and turned off the screen, heading back to my chambers.

Another night, another scalding bath courtesy of Bettie. The soap tonight stunk of gardenia, which would have been pleasant had it not been so strong. My bedsheets had been replaced and the new ones also had this same scent. It took me hours to be able to fall asleep, and even then I woke up every few hours. My servant had forgotten to fill the decanter at my bedside with cold water. I called out for her at around four in the morning, and she came running.

Bettie dropped her cane and fell to her knees as she entered the room. Her usually neat bun had been abandoned, and her silver hair cascaded down her shoulders in messy waves. I scoffed, holding out my empty cup.

"I apologize, my Lord..." she whispered, clambering to her feet. As she reached me, I looked into her eyes and a wave of rage crashed into my soul. I struck the side of her head with the glass, shattering it on impact.

"You know better than this, servant." I sighed, dropping the remaining pieces of glass at my feet. I massaged my temples as I headed into my bathroom. A splitting ache began in my head as I observed my disheveled appearance in the gold-rimmed mirror. When I returned to my room, Bettie had left and a new decanter with a matching cup was sitting on my nightstand, filled with ice water. Finally, I fell asleep for the rest of the night.