The Chosen Girl

Chapter 1

My name is Emma Warden, and I know I'm different. I've always wanted to go outside. But the Earth is too poisoned for us to go out except for a few days of the year when it isn't raining or snowing. I'm walking through our complex when I think about how the day is coming soon. A complex is a group of buildings, some are houses, some workplaces and schools, and one greenhouse. It's interconnected by tube walkways, and an entire village lives and thrives in it. Soon, I would be taken away from this place. I knew every hall, I could walk them in my sleep. Which I once did, I made it all the way to school.

I walk back to our home. My family is me, my mom, and my sister Grace. I even look different from the others. My mom says that it's because I was born before the complex, before we had to fear the outdoors. But I knew others who had been born before the complex and they looked just like their parents. I had long bright red hair, the colour of fire I had been told. I looked paler and was tall and thin, but incredibly strong, both physically and mentally. Mom always said I would need it for the day soon approaching. The day I would be taken to the palace. Once a year, a child is selected from each complex and taken to serve in the palace, however this year they were only taking me. Last year they had taken Liam, my best friend. But now I was of age, and they wanted me for something special.

I walked inside and Mom gave me a hug. She held me out at arms length to make sure I hadn't gone out, then turned back to her work. I went to my room and opened my suitcase, packing my nicest clothes. I had some nice dresses and tops, so I packed what I could. I put in my pictures of Dad and Liam, Mom and Grace. Then I turned around and picked up the most important thing in my room. The box, the box that held the most precious thing. I opened in and took out a snowflake. It was packed in a glass casing, and would never melt. I looked through the others, all the elements, all my powers. Waiting for the day I could control them.

My family had been magicians for centuries, but it had died out in the past few generations. But we had waited, and then came the day that I had found the box. When I brought it into the room, my mother had dropped her teacup, and Dad had tried to take it from me. When it stuck to my hands he had sighed and turned to Mom shaking his head. She had sobbed and I went to my room. I didn't see anything wrong with being magical, but apparently it was a curse. I packed the box carefully in my bag and then I swept the room once more. Looking for small things, important things. When I was done I cleaned up what was left and went into the family room again. Grace was back from school, but she was tired. I gave her a hug, then went over to my mother.

She handed me a note which I read carefully. "Miss Warden, please be at the boarding docks by 8:00 pm sharp tonight. We will escort you to the palace, where upon your role will be explained in more thorough detail. Thank you, The Royal Guard." I looked up at Mom, then back at the note. "It was supposed to be in a few days, not tonight." Mom looked deep into my eyes, and then turned away. She had once said that my eyes showed my power, that she could see the fire and earth in the hazel of them. I hadn't understood her, but when I looked in the mirror I could see the orange of fire, but I soon realized that it was my hair's refection. I just couldn't see it.

I walked back over to Grace and knelt down next to her. "You take care of Mom, right little saviour?" She nodded and almost tackled me with a hug. When she pulled away, she looked sad. I stood up and looked at the clock. It read 7:45 pm, so I picked up my bag and walked over to Mom one last time. She hugged me, but quickly turned away to deal with Grace. I walked away from my home and headed for the boarding docks. When I got there I had a minute or so to wait, and my old teacher was also there. Ms. Stimpson was nice enough, but like everyone else, she hadn't cared for me. "You enjoy yourself in that palace Warden, they'll take good care of you." I turned to her. "And if I fail?" "Then you're imprisoned with the beast for eternity, but you will succeed because of who you are Emma."

The ship pulled up at the dock then, and a guard came out and stood to attention. I walked into the ship and took a seat across from the head of staff, John Milner. He was dark skinned and wore an eye patch. He held out a document to me, but it said it could only be opened in the presence of the King. King Mordecai the first, the King of Earth. "You have been told your role Miss Warden?" I shook my head, too many thoughts running through at once. "I'll let your maid explain." My maid? It was too much now, I wanted to curl on the floor and wait for it to sort itself out. I just sat there and waited until the ride was over. There was no more conversation, so my mind processed through everything.

Finally I was dropped off in front of the palace. I was ushered inside and up to a huge apartment. It was what I had lived in doubled. Soon a young girl came in and introduced herself as Brooklyn, my ladies maid. "Why am I here?" I asked and she made me sit down before she would tell me. "My lady, what you have is an honour. You are to be the prince's bride. He requested you personally, however he doesn't want you to know. Don't break his heart, accept his kindness. He has helped us all." I sat up straight in my chair, and looked at her. "His bride? Me?" Brooklyn nodded then looked at the wardrobe. "Let's pick out a nice outfit for your first meeting my lady, then we'll get you to the gardens."