Chosen- A Selection Fanfiction

Chapter 31

Captain Ferradas Ray stood in front of me with disheveled hair. It had turned grey, and his skin was sickly and wrinkled. His clothed were a bit tattered, and the only thing that hadn't changed with the sickening smirk seemingly tattooed on his face.

My chest began to ache, but I was sure it was just because of anxiety. I inhaled deeply, but it didn't seem to help. I kept my breathing steady to the best of my ability, but it was still irregularly shallow.

"State your name and your crime," I said loudly, commanding all eyes on me as I was told. My voice was surprisingly strong as the man who made my life a living hell kneeled in front of me. I withheld all of my anger, saving it for my sentence.

He licked his lips before parting them to speak. He lifted his golden eyes bore into mine, empty, ruthless, and cold as they always were. "Captain Ferradas Ray, former leader of the Confederation Patriots Association."

A few gasps sounded from reporters in the room, but I lifted my palm to silence them. "I have committed treason, kidnapped many Illèan citizens, arson, and murder. I am responsible for the burn of Hampton," he declared smugly.

Now it was time for me to sentence him. Decades ago, he would've been killed on the spot. Whipped, caned, humiliated, but I couldn't do it. Even after the man had taken everything from me, killed the people I loved, and even tried to take my own life for himself, I couldn't kill him. It was barbaric and I wouldn't do it.

"I, Elisa Talia Carams, will sentence your punishment. I shall not kill you, for I'm not as ruthless nor as cruel as you were. You are to participate in the rebuilding of the state you burned, where you destroyed the lives of many. After you use your hands for the last time doing something to help this country, you shall be whipped and caned, so that you will never be able to use your hands to bring more evil upon our country nor the people within it. Lastly, you are sentenced to life without parole."

I took another breath and prepared to continue. "You will live the rest of your days within solitary confinement, where you will remember the crimes you have committed, allowing them to haunt you forever. Go and fulfill your debt to the King!"

He was carried away after being brought to the King, who sent him away where he could never hurt anyone again. I picked up my olive branch and walked to Maxon with my head high and lifted chin. I laid the branch down before him. Even though I had done my job, my chest was tight with worry.

"I submit to the King and my country," I stated after my deep curtsy.

I walked over to my designated spot next to Leila, keeping my eyes cast on the ground. Was this why I was last? Was I meant to send away the man who ruined my life? The one who gave it away without permission? I looked up to find some eyes were cast on me, while others were still on Maxon.

Maxon stood in the middle of the room speaking. I could tell his voice was powerful, but no noise was coherent to me. I only heard white noise as my head glanced from side to side. Leila looked at me and held my shoulder while I clutched my head.

I looked around while my vision got blurry all of a sudden. I saw Aaron launch off of his seat before I hit the ground. My fall was broken my Leila's attempt to catch me, but I fell to hard and too fast to be caught.

White edged out my eyes as people moved frantically around me. Noises started to come back, but they were still blurred. The only one I heard was Aaron's.

<~>~<~>~<~>

"Elisa, come down for breakfast, sweetheart," Mother called from downstairs.

"I'm coming," I called down the stairs. I grabbed my suitcase and allowed it to thump down the stairs with every step I took.

"I'm ready to go, Mother," I beamed.

"I can't believe I'm letting you go," she sniffled. "I hope you do well, but just remember, if it's too slow or not what you wanted, you can always come back and go to Fondèan. Or you can take over your father's business," she proposed.

"I'm fine, Mother. I'm excited. I get to live my own life now."

She saw me out the door along with my younger siblings. Penelope put my duffel bag into the black town's car while Harrison put in a piece of my dorm furniture. I was going to college and leaving behind my home in Hampton.

"You'll come for holidays, right? Our birthdays?" Harrison asked expectantly.

"She better," Penelope interrupted before I could say anything. I hugged them both as I got into my car to leave for the airport. The plane I got on would take me to the beautiful state of Atlin, where I'll make new friends and have the rest of my life.

I saw Uncle Darry last night, but he had to work today. The spring was a hard time for fives since there wasn't much performing or art shows, so I understood. The screen was up between me and the driver, and I turned up the radio to listen.

Gavril Fadaye was speaking over the radio about Prince Aaron's selection. He had sent several girls home already, supposedly. It amazed me how someone could send home so many potential wives or Queens without even getting to know them first. He was shallow and selfish, words I would describe the selection as being.

I cut off the radio and scoffed to myself. I'm not sure what I would do if I had been selected. After Mother made me put in my form, she truly believed I would be chosen. I smiled in triumph when a four made it into the selection from our state, and she was still in the top twenty five.

I smoothed down my plain black skirt and allowed my mind to drift to the thoughts of college ahead of me.